Paris was an experience. For starter’s, to reach Vero’s apartment, we had to climb six flights of stairs. No lift of any kind was available. To be honest, this only helped to justify the multiple pastries I consumed, so I didn’t complain too much.

Like I just said…pastries.

We set off walking, aiming for the most recognizable and easy-to-spot icon we knew: the Eiffel Tower. Please forgive the abundance of pictures with the tower. I think I was having a hard time grasping that I was in Paris. On this cold morning though, we got to see the Tower from the point of view of the Palais de Chaillot near the Place du Trocadéro which is across the River Seine from the Eiffel Tower.

Below the Palais de Chaillot was another Christmas market where we killed another hour. This lady from Austria was selling a “Christmas” tea. It was amazing and tasted more like a rich spiced cider than tea.

Another amazing aspect of Paris is that you don’t have to walk far before stumbling on something amazing…for instance, the setting of the mirror scene from Inception. The girls and I didn’t plan this and it wasn’t until we were on the bridge that (thanks to Lauren) we realized where we were. This is the Pont de Bir-Hakeim, a bridge that crosses the Seine River. And it’s the setting for the awesome scene with Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page.

A short train ride later and we found ourselves by the Fontaine Saint-Michel in Place Saint-Michel. This large sculpture with the Archangel Michael and the devil as the centerpiece required nine sculptors total to complete.

A little further from the Fontaine and we were at the Notre Dame de Paris, the beautiful and iconic Gothic cathedral in the fourth arrondissement of Paris. My art history professors would be so proud. I guess I should throw out terms here like Romanesque, Gothic, and façade…but I wasn’t really thinking that when I was there. To be honest, my thoughts went more like this, “Damn, that’s big.”

In front of the Notre Dame sits a statue of Charlemagne, or Charles the Great. It’s a beautiful staute…but I think the pigeons were receiving most of everyone’s attention.