While in France, staying with Hannah's relatives, I ate a lot of food that reminded me of when my Nana was alive. Good old 1st generation Italian food. Coffee and bland cookies for breakfast. HUGE lunch 2 hours later. Late dinners. It made me miss that and my mom's cooking... and pots and pans... and my kitchen.... I love crepes btw with nutella and bananas. And French cheese really is better if you were wondering.

And so I will start by regaling you with my journey through France and finish with my thoughts. Sound good? Too bad; you'll read it anyway.

Ok so we went the the Eiffel Tower. We decided, if we were going to do it, we were going to do it right. This meant walking up as far as you can go before using the lift. 600 stairs later, we get in an elevator that feels like the tower of terror at Disney World onto the horribly windy and cold observation deck of the Tower. Totally worth it. We then grabbed a cheese plate and a bottle of red wine. Like I said, doing it right.

The next day we made it to the Louvre and found out it was much cheaper to go after 6pm. We hopped back on the metro Montmartre and the Sacre Coeur where we dined on baguettes and with cheese and clementines. Next we were off to Champs-Elysees and the Arch de Triumph. We then went to Notre Dame just before sunset.

After checking into our hotel, we hit up the Louvre for oh um 2 and a half hours and didn't get half way through. It unfortunately closed BUT I did get to see somethings I really really wanted especially the statue of Cupid and Psyche which I am obsessed with. If you don't know the story, look it up.

We got back to our hotel and decided it was time for the Moulin Rouge and Pigalle. For those of you who don't know, that's the red light district. Don't worry we were safe and didn't do anything bad. It was only a 15 minute walk from our hotel.

The next day was all about Versailles. Absolutely amazing. I saw so much of the art that I studied in school and recognized so much of my mother's tastes. From the floral decor to the color scheme, it was all so familiar to me.

So that may not sound like a lot but it definitely was. Our bodies were dying. All the steps in the metro and up to the Sacre Coeur and around the Louvre. The list goes on and on. I am still recovering from some old leg issues but it was totally worth it all.

And so my ideas of Paris are as follows: because of my mothers background (2nd generation Italian) I was raised in a European way. From the very very light breakfast and late dinners to the mannerisms and expressions, I felt at home and did not feel out of place or uncomfortable at all. I am also a fan of classical art of all kinds and that was so enriching to experience as well.

With the openness of the people and the lovers that crowded every corner, what I had read and heard was true about Paris. It was amazing.

Have a look at some pictures

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=346196&id=503520611&l=4ed9afcaa7