Pursuing Lovely Travels: Paris

I've had the wonderful luck of having visited Paris many times, with more times to come in the future, I'm sure! With each visit, I not only crossed off the big things to see in Paris, but also discovered more out of the way, or less known places to go and see.

First, let me clarify by the "big" things one must see during their first visit or two to Paris:

La Tour Eiffel, the Louvre, Sacre Coeur on Montmartre, Notre Dame de Paris, The Latin Quarter, Pont Alexandre III, etc. I'll never say to not bother with these places, they are all spectacular in their own way, and all still very much of Paris. If you are looking for things on the path slightly less taken, or very much local and authentic, here are 8 other places you could add to your list.

03:15 No comments

Everyone loves Paris, n'est pas? After all, it is the number 1 tourist attraction in the world! Well, most people do, I believe. Some years ago, 2011 to be exact, I had a most amazing opportunity to live and work only an hour away by train from the city of lights! At the time, France was not number 1 in my heart, and I was so wretchedly jet lagged that I wasn't even impressed with the Eiffel tower at first glance! Yup, it wasn't love at first sight, but like true love, once it began it could not be stopped!

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Bonjour my fellow wanderers!

I am currently in Paris, about to finish our first day of the honeymoon!

You may already know that I have an obsession and love for Paris that runs deep. Paris simply rarely disappoints... There is maybe that one experience or off day, but overall, Paris is an incredible city.

When I am back home from my honeymoon, I will be sharing more about my experiences of coming back and seeing my (now!) husband experience what I went through so many years ago. Of course, there will be tips and advice for all you wanderers who may find themselves in the City of Love in the future!

You will get to see some pictures, but if you would like to see more on a daily basis as I go about my travels, follow me on Instagram @wanderlustandheart !

Here we go! A quick small look at out first day in Paris:

Having a cup of tea after a very delicious first meal and dessert!

Enjoying the view from our apartment!

Poor Wayne was so tired, we both didn't sleep at all in our overnight flight and jet lag was present. But so is Sacré Coeur!

My hubby and a view of Paris.

More to come in a few days! Stay tuned, and in the meantime, do you or someone to know have suggestions for what to do in Paris on your honeymoon? We're thinking of going to a spa! What do you think? What's your favourite thing to do in Paris?

Wanderfully yours,

Elizabeth

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Paris is always a good idea...That quote couldn't be more true!

Hello fellow wanderers!

I've decided to share some packing tips to the City of Lights, as I am on my way there soon for my honeymoon!

I absolutely adore Paris, although I was not in love with it at first sight! Yes, yours truly was actually very mellow when I first landed in Paris, almost 4 years ago. Granted, I had one of the worst jet lags I had ever experienced, was beyond exhausted, and was forced to tour around Trocadéro and Les Champs-Elysées.

Fortunately, I had a rapid change of heart, and I fell deeply and passionately in love with everything the French culture offered. This is why I am returning there for my honeymoon! I simply raved (and still do) about Paris to my fiancé, and he's very excited to see this city that feels like home away from home to me.

What to Pack for Paris

I have never been in France in the summer, but I was there late May before I left. Typically, Paris is warm but a bit cool in the mornings and evenings. I have been looking at the weather forecast, and it would seem that is what we are to expect, along with a chance of rain.

This is perfectly fine by me! Touring under a hot sun in a country where public washrooms are not ideal, and you are walking constantly, is not my idea of a great honeymoon. So low 20s (Celsius) for me is just peachy! I even bought a gorgeous new rain coat in case it rains!

There are 3 guidelines I followed when selecting my outfits and items of clothing.

1 - Can mix and match to create at least 2 different outfits

This is important no matter where you go if you want to travel as light as possible, but want your wardrobe to be flexible for any occasion. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to stick to a colour scheme of some kind. In this case I did mostly neutrals of black, white and tan. This is difficult for me, as I enjoy wearing many colours and like variety, but I remembered that I can use scarves and statement necklaces to bring a pop of colour to my outfits!

2 - Of Parisian fashion taste

I, personally, do not like to be seen as a 'tourist', especially in Paris where it feels more like home than a vacation. I'm not an all-inclusive 5 star hotel person. I am Couchsurfer and an Air BNB user. I like to 'do as the Romans do' as much as possible when I travel . I find it is so much easier to understand the intricacies of a culture from within, rather than looking on the outside. Another plus of not looking like a tourist is that you won't be targeted by those who feed off tourism...they can be really bothersome at times.

3 - Comfortable

This is pretty self explanatory. Why would you want to suffer walking around Les Jardins de Luxembourg while wearing tight jeans and stilettos? Common sense, folks.

We will be in Paris for a total of 6 days before heading to Belgium, and here is what I packed:

Here are 13 items of clothing although I am taking 14 (I have a black, loose, open, light sweater that I forgot to put in the picture) with the exception of small necessities, like underwear, pj's and socks.

No.1 - we have a light jacket-shirt that is incredibly soft and comfy! Perfect for almost-summer weather! (Suzy Shier)

No.2 - This is the gorgeous rain coat I mentioned! It has white polka-dots on the inside, and a large, detachable hood. (Suzy Shier).

No. 3 - While we are trying not to go crazy with money-spending while we're there, we do intend to celebrate our new marriage with a fancy dinner, and this is the dress I picked, which is a very pale mint dress. (Dynamite).

No.4 - This comfy shirt has a beautiful detail of white lace down the back which is just perfect and matches 2 of my bottoms! (Suzy Shier).

No.5 - These beige pants are great to mix up the black and white I've got going on and match 3 of my tops! (Urban Planet).

No.6 - I love this breezy top with lace shoulders. Lovely solid spring colour that is easy to match with. (H&M).

No.7 - Black and white stripes just scream Paris to me! It's so stereotypical, but I couldn't help it! (H&M).

No.8 - I don't think I have owned anything with polka dots like this since I was a child. It's very flattering as it flairs out at the bottom, and it has a business edge to it, so it's sure to give your outfit a sense of higher fashion! (Suzy Shier).

No. 9 - This is a very simple black long-sleeved shirt for those days when it might get cool or rainy. (H&M).

No.10 - I adore this lace skirt, it instantly makes my outfit cute and fun! Hopefully it gets warm enough to wear!

(Dynamite).

No.11 - Solid black tights. To me, they're a staple, not to mention they're SUPER comfy! (Suzy Shier).

No.12 - These floral tights are great to add a detailed accent to an outfit! (H&M)

No. 13 - Lastly is a light grey sweater with an icon of a sheep. (gifted)

With these I can make about 10 different outfits, which is fitting, since we are gone for 10 days!

Now of course I will also be bringing a comfy pair of shoes, mostly likely my black TOMS, which are essential, especially since I will not be used to walking around so much. Hopefully I will be able to transition to my pretty black and white flats (Naturalizer) while my Tiffany blue heels (Spring) will be for our special dinner.

My style may not suit you, do not fret! Paris is home to many fashions, and I lean towards a combination of simple, fun and fashionably cute. Even if you are not travelling to Paris, I recommend you pack as light, yet versatile as possible, and pick a strict range of colours. Doing a little research can help to know what to expect weather-wise, and knowing what locals wear can also give you some guidelines.

Last word of advice: do not panic if you forgot something or are unprepared for a certain occasion! If you're easily distressed (such as myself), know right now that all amount of planning and prepping won't always follow through 100%. But dear wanderers, that is what adventures are made of... ;)

Wanderfully yours,

Elizabeth

09:00 No comments

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