Thanksgiving in Paris

The City of Love!
Us at the top of the Eiffel Tower
Visiting Notre Dame Cathedral
The Arc de Triomphe was only a few blocks from our hotel

Standing in the Champagne Vineyards

Walking along the Seine River

Visiting the Louvre Museum

Watching the snow from our hotel window

Yum, Escargot and Haricot Verts

Oh the macaroons!

We spent our Thanksgiving holiday doing what we love, traveling and eating! We were so blessed to be able to spend a week in Paris, seeing the sites and experiencing a wonderful city. We arrived early and weren't able to check in, so we dropped our bags and went straight to the Eiffel Tower. We couldn't stop taking pictures! It's so amazing to be so close to something that iconic. Once we had our fill of picture taking we sat at a cafe and had our first French meal. Daniel had ham and eggs and I had citrus crepes! Oh how amazing it was!!! We were finally able to check in so we took our things to our room and got settled. What we loved about staying in one place for the entire week was, it felt like we lived there. We tried to integrate into the culture and take it all in. That night we had our first dinner in Paris and it was one of our favorites. Each meal was special for a different reason. Some were great because of the food, some because of the ambiance, and some were special because of the servers (we had some fantastic servers in Paris!) Each day we woke up and hit the streets for the entire day. Some days we walked and walked and walked, others were spent in museums and cafes. We would come back to our hotel each evening around 5 or 6, rest for awhile, and then head back out to dinner around 8 or 9. That was the only way we were able to stay out so late with those crazy parisians.

A tour of Champagne was also on the agenda. We walked the vineyards and then spent the morning with a small champagne producer, Madame Godme. This was probably one of the most amazing moments of the trip. There we were in Champagne, France, drinking Champagne with the producer herself, listening to her talk about her Champagne house and how they make their particular cuvee's. It was a fantastic experience, once in a lifetime for sure. We then went to lunch in Reims where we had yet another amazing meal. After lunch we visited a large Champagne house called Mumm. It was a different experience as Mumm is a very large and commercial Champagne house. While it wasn't as intimate, it was just as interesting. Their cellar was beautiful and we learned a lot about how Champagne is made and what makes Champagne different from other sparkling wines.
We definately fell in love with Paris, and the entire experience was wonderful. We could go back over and over, and each time have a completely different experience from the one before. That is what makes Paris so special!