In case you missed it: Outtakes (1st Edition).
Paris, honestly, kind of felt like one giant outtake at times. Our first AirBnB was a disaster–it didn’t have heat, and Paris was freezing. The stress of finding a new place–and trying to keep warm–had the first few days flying by in a stressful blur. For some reason, I didn’t anticipate the crowds, so we spent much more time in line and fighting crowds than I thought we would. I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a city as crowded as Paris was at the end of December! We also bought a Museum Pass, which would have been a much better deal if our time period to use it hadn’t coincided with New Year’s Day, when everything was closed (I promise we aren’t idiots…I did look a lot of this stuff up online, but many of the monuments don’t have reliable times posted on their websites).
Despite all of this and so much more (see below!), I loved Paris. It was exactly how I imagined Paris would be: lovely and romantic, busy and monumental, ancient yet modern. I feel like we only touched the surface in the week we were there, and it’s one of those places I know I’ll go back to–just as soon as my bank account recovers!
Take 1 // Going back to a museum because I realized that–in my rush–a painting I’ve always wanted to see is housed there and I missed it the first time. Only to find out upon searching and finally asking for help–said painting is on loan. To Texas.
Take 2 // Eating about 20 macaroons a day (hey, those things are small, right?).
Take 3 // Spending way too many minutes on the metro due to poor planning (also, Paris is huge).
Take 4 // Taking fifty photos in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles…we never could get one without a billion other reflections in it. Also the lighting in terrible in there…how do people get such fantastic selfies in those mirrors?!
^^also, I kept cutting E’s head out.
Take 5 // Inhaling one last crepe before going home…standing in line in the freezing cold. (We ate a lot of food while waiting in line).
Take 6 // Climbing the staircase at the Louvre for a classic picture, but after seven hours of running around the museum, I gave up halfway there.
Take 7 // Trying to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa.
^^a pretty good picture of this random security guy, though.
Take 8 // Thinking this photo through the roof of a boat would be cool and artsy.
Take 9 // Not realizing there are actually pillars designed to help you take this iconic photo.
Take 10 // Attempting many, many failed selfies at the Eiffel Tower.
Take 11 // Going back to a cafe because we overslept and missed our reservations at another one.
Take 12 // Climbing up the Arc de Triomphe for what is supposedly the best view in Paris (for the record, I disagree–the Tours de Notre Dame was the best) only to find it rainy and foggy.
^^still is a killer view, though.
Take 13 // Spending three hours lingering over the biggest meal I ate in Paris.
Take 14 // Getting caught in the rain in Montmartre–the one day we didn’t bother with umbrellas.
Take 15 // Trapping about 20 people on a winding staircase while I struggled to get the best shot from Notre Dame that also included the chimeras (or gargoyles).
Take 16 // Being artsy (or trying) with Paris’ best hot chocolate and my lipstick.
Take 17 // Maneuvering the Louvre.
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Do you have outtakes from your travels/life?
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Linking up with Travel Tuesday.
Yay Paris! Eating while standing in line is just a really good use of time if your day is packed. How was your 3 hour meal (and where)? I am really trying to convince my mom to go to Paris for her birthday this year so you could say I’m in the Paris mood right now. Love your gargoyle shot! My favorite was the halfway-up-the-Lourve-staircase shot. The Lourve is sooooo tiring, my goodness.
It seemed like our days in Paris were always packed, haha 🙂 The 3-hr meal was REALLY great, at Le Petit Cler, pretty close to the Eiffel Tower (and near where we stayed). Paris with your mom for her bday would be wonderful, I think! The Louvre is SO exhausting, lol. This was the last thing we did and I just couldn’t handle it, haha! So much walking in Paris!!!
Love it!! I absolutely adore Paris and can’t wait to go back – only 2 months until I’ll be there woohoo! Love all your out takes! You and E are the cutest! X
Oooh you get to go to Paris in two months?? Paris in May–how amazing! Why are you going?? And thank you, I think we are pretty cute too 😉
I’m going with my twin sister just to do some travelling together! We both adore Paris so it’ll be a fun trip, plus a visit to the countryside and the south coast! Xx
Aww that sounds SO amazing! What a wonderful sisters trip! 🙂 I’m dying to see the south of France…
Eiffel Tower selfies are hard!! Eh, I’m with you on Paris….completely not how I imagined it would be. Redo is a must…maybe in the spring!
I think Paris in the spring would be so magical! Or maybe the early fall 🙂 And yes, that tower is way bigger than I thought it would be!
Haha, I never carry an umbrella anywhere, which I regret every. single. time. You would think I would have learned by now. I tried to get a shot of the Mona Lisa as well, but it was way from the back of the room with like a million people in it 😛
Yes, is there an umbrella curse or something? I drag it around for weeks with no rain, and the one day I decide not to bring it, it rains! Ahh! I pushed my way to the front to try to get a better view but it was no good, between the millions of people and the security guards!
Haha oh love these outtake posts! It is so difficult to get a selfie with the Eiffel Tower!
Yes, that thing is huge! How do people get such cute ones? 😉
Haha my husband and I have a mirror selfie at Versailles too! Love these outtake posts, cool shot behind the gargoyles!
Yes a mirror selfie is a must at Versailles, am I right? 🙂
Haha, so loved this!! I believe that every good trip has many outtakes, right?! hehe.
Haha I agree 🙂 outtakes are what makes things interesting, right?
Paris! I love the city, though I’ve only been once and it was in 2007. I can’t believe I didn’t even have a chance to try real macarons 🙁 Looks like you had so much fun though!
I know Paris has always been known for macarons, but now they’re so popular so I think they are easier to find! That’s my theory, at least 🙂 I love Paris and I hope to go back someday–but I need a little time first!! I hope you get to go back someday, too!
I love these outtakes, they tell such a fun, authentic story about travel.
Thank you so much! That’s exactly what I hoped this post would be 🙂
These are fantastic! You always crack me up with these posts. 🙂
Sorry the painting you wanted to see is on loan in Texas. Not in Houston by chance? I could go check it out for you. Oh that was terrible of me wasn’t it? 🙂
Take 8 was great too. I find lots of photos when I get home that I thought would be all cool and totally worthy of blowing up poster size and printing on canvas …only to see them and ask myself “what was I thinking?”.
Thanks, Stacey! 🙂 I’m glad I’m not the only one who takes “artistic” shots that don’t actually work haha.
And I think the painting was in Austin! Too bad for you…hahahah ;0
You crack me up! Your outtake posts are so fun, and shed a little light on what it’s really like. So glad you guys got to try the hot chocolate. Ahhh … I’m missing Paris! I’ve been daydreaming of my time there all week. I’m ready to go back, but I don’t think my bank account could handle it!
Hugs to you two! xx
Thanks, Andrea! We miss you!
I think we took a good chunk of your recommendations and they were always spot-on, so thank you SO much for them! Especially that hot chocolate, WOW 🙂
I really loved Paris too, but I feel ya on the bank account–we need a looong time to recover from that, ha! Hope to see you soon! xo
Hehe, love your outtakes! Hope you still had a wonderful time in Paris 🙂 I have to say, it was quite crowded around Christmas/New Year’s. My parents were in town to visit me right after Christmas. They went off to the Louvre one day but the lines were so long that they just aborted that mission and we went off somewhere else. If you come back now though, the city is pretty chill and empty!
Yes, that was poor planning on our part. But, I still loved Paris! I hope to go back someday soon–but again, my bank account really needs to recover, ha. We certainly learned our lesson about timing, though!
Hahaha, this cracked me up—especially the part about the art being loaned to Texas. Travel bloggers should definitely do “outtakes” posts like this more!
I was so mad, haha! Especially because I went to the museum TWICE trying to find this painting, and being so frustrated that somehow I was running past it!
I agree–every blogger should do some “outtakes” post! They’re fun to write, too 🙂
Loved your outtakes!! I agree the best view is from the top of Notre Dame or Sacré-Cœur!!
Notre Dame is my favorite for sure 🙂 But I loved Sacré-Cœur–the view and the place itself!
Haha love these! It looks chillilly – great selfies regardless 🙂
Oooh it was! I get cold just thinking about it! But hey, that’s what happens when you travel in winter, right? 🙂
I like reading these, I have a few outtakes in Paris too.
Thank you! I think traveling in general has unavoidable outtakes 🙂 I would be interested to read some of yours!
Maybe ill post them later, if I can gather more than a few!
I would love to see 🙂
I love this series! I think I could rustle something like this up too! I just love the idea of trying to remove that “perfect life” thing that’s going on on the internet.
It’s a good excuse to snap more photos with my phone 🙂
I really can’t get on board with the macarons… They are just a bit too sickly for me.
Yes that’s something I’ve struggled with–and it’s easy to present my life as perfect, so I get it! But it’s also fun to take pictures of silly things or find the “bad” pictures from my phone and remember the story behind it 🙂