Paris

We arrived to Paris mid-morning on a Wednesday. We only spent about 32 hours in Paris... just enough time to fall in love with the city.  As cliche as it may sound, Paris is soo lovely. The city exudes a romantic vibe... and I totally think the architecture plays a role. 

Upon our arrival, we met a family friend for a delicious Thai lunch and great conversation. After lunch, we headed off to see the Eiffel Tower...   Our first glimpse of the Eiffel Towel was from Palais de Chaillot, just above Jardins du Trocadero. I was in aweee!!! This beauty is soo elegantly striking... It must be seen in person.  I admired, admired again, and kept admiring... I was literally pinching myself... I was so static to be there.  We took the classic pictures, made our way down to the gardens,  by the carousel, Alexander did not want to ride the carousel; we bargained for souvenirs, and eventually we crossed over the Siene River.  The closer we got the Eiffel Tower, the more magnificent it seemed. 

After much admiration, I finally broke away... We continued exploring the city on foot. We walked for miles... I was in heaven. 

Eiffel Tower

 

Discovering Paris

 

Notre Dome Cathedral

 

The Louvre Museum

 We blocked off Thursday morning to explore a little bit of the Louvre, we saw the Mona Lisa; had the flakiest, most delicious croissants + espressos at a cafe inside the Louvre; we explored some more, and then headed off to lunch at a lovely cafe at the Tuileries Garden (right next to the Louvre).  After lunch, we didn't really schedule much of anything because we just wanted to leisurely stroll the streets as we made our way back to the hotel before heading back to London that evening.   And we truly had a lovely time, after lunch we spent sometime at the Tuileries Garden, watched Alexander be mesmerized by the pigeons that were gathering by the fountain, also looked for cover to flee from the passing winds + rain that came out of nowhere.  We perused the shops around The Big Wheel at Place de la Concorde just outside Tuileries Garden, got crepes from a street vendor, and we strolled up Avenue des Champs-Élysées as we headed up to see the Arc de Triomphe...  this stroll is just beautiful. We got caught in the rain again, went into a few of the shops, and sat down at a cafe for coffee and macaroons. We saw the Arc the Triomphe up close and lesurely strolled back to the Roosevelt to collect our luggage. 

 

Arc the Triomphe

This super short stay in Paris was a tease... I look forward to spending more time here. I look forward to sitting outside a cafe... sipping on a latte,  watching the city go by; packing a picnic + heading to a park, and strolling the many streets of this city... as every street pulls you in with its charm... perhaps exploring other parts of France too.  In the meantime, I've got my work cut out...trying to convince Allan to return back to Paris.

Xx, Rocio  

London

Back in April,  we visited London and I am just now getting around to sharing our experience...  yes, it's only been four months since our return!! Anyway! Where has time gone??  I loved visiting London and parts of England's country side... Everywhere I looked, was picture worthy. England has loads of character and I'm a sucker for character. 

We visited a lot of the popularly known sights in London, which are magnificent, and I'm so glad I was able to see them with my own eyes. However, my most favorite part of London was walking the streets + strolling the parks. I kept imagining a life there. Do any of you ever image living in the places you are visiting? ... I do!!

As I reminisce, of the time I spent there, and dream of one day returning to beautiful England, the first memories that come back to me are walking the narrow-brick-pebbled-streets, admiring the beautifully-adorned-home-fronts boasting with spring blooms, and getting lost in the beautiful parks that are sprinkled throughout the city. Ohh, the parks!! I could go on and on about the parks... the beautifully manicured parks were a dream... I could definitely tell that Londoners are very proud of their city. I also admired the juxtaposition between the historic architecture of the city and the modern way of life... these complement each other so beautifully. Did I mention how much I love character.... and all the character London boasts?? Yes, I loved all the architectural details. I also loved London's diversity... Londoners are so diverse in every way possible and I just admire that! 

 

Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Kensington Palace + Kensington Palace's Gardens 

 

Tower of London, London Bridge & River Thames

 

The Iconic Streets of London & The British Museum 

We were so fortunate to book a day trip to explore Windsor Castle, The City of Bath, and Stonehenge.  This gave us an opportunity to see a different side of England.

On route to Windsor  + Windsor Castle

 

The City of Bath + The Roman Baths

We only spent a couple hours in Bath and I felt a connection... I felt the city was calling my name. I dream of one day returning to explore Bath City a little more... perhaps stay a little while. Bath is so quaint and has such a peaceful air.

The Country Side... on route to Stonehenge

Dear England, your countryside is so beautiful!!  

 

Trafalgar Square, The Mall, St James's Park,  & Buckingham Palace

 

London Eye, Westminster Bridge, Big Ben + Place of Westminster & Westminster Abbey

 

London Parks 

We were lucky enough to visit London in the springtime to witness all the beautiful blooms around the city parks.  Regent's Park was particularly special, a highlight from this trip.

The Italian Garden's Cafe

Here's Alexander enjoying the park and taking in the views while we waited for the Italian Garden's Cafe at Kensington Garden's to open. We discovered this little gem when we were strolling through Kensington Gardens on our second day in London. We sat down on their courtyard for breakfast and were so static with our choice, that we had to return again for our last breakfast in the city before returning home. Our tastebuds fell in love with the food and our eyes fell in love with the views. The food was simply prepared, super fresh + delicious... and the organic coffee and teas were also stellar. This was another highlight of our trip. 

I just love traveling, discovering new places + ways of life, and traveling to London was no exception. I particularly loved traveling with two of my favorite people and spending lots of quality time with them (without the demands of everyday life). Alexander really enjoyed himself too... he loved roaming the parks on foot... I'm sure he felt "wild + free".  He was also keen on riding the trains + buses.  A few of the words/phases Alexander picked up from this trip were, "London Taxi" "London Bus" and "Stonehenge". His pronunciation of Stonehenge is by far my favorite... Its music to my ears every time. 

Hope you enjoyed our London travel dairy! 

Xx, Rocio