From Paris with Love

I admit it. I'm a stereotypical Tourist. Map, camera, sunglasses and all! That became evident when Fred whisked me off to Paris last week for my 21st Birthday! Paris has been one of those places that I've seen and heard so much about but I've never had the chance to go to until recently. And let me tell you, it was worth waiting for! There is such an idealistic romantic image that is conjured up when you think of Paris, and I finally saw why it has such an appeal that lived up to my expectations.
We stayed in a lovely Hotel that was quite literally on the Eiffel Tower's doorstep so we were sure to make the most of taking photos of the iconic landmark. (Possibly a bit too much, I might add!). As cheesy as it sounds, it really does take your breath away every time you see it up close - it truly is such an impressive and beautiful landmark.
Here are a collection of photos that both myself and Fred took of The Eiffel Tower in all her glory!

During our time in Paris, we decided to venture to the famous Père Lachaise graveyard in search of Jim Morrison's grave. It was honestly the biggest and creepiest graveyard I have seen, full of tombs and chapels for most of the deceased. Some of which even had creepy chairs and doors inside them! Eek! Whilst I spent a lot of the time creeped out, I also found the attention to detail on each of the graves really interesting. It really is a peaceful and beautiful place once you get over the initial creeped-out vibe! After walking around for some time, getting lost on several occasions, and feeling like we were in an episode of Scooby Doo, we finally found Jim Morrison's grave which was incredibly inspiring. Surprisingly, his grave was one of the least extravagant of all that we saw in the Cemetery, but nevertheless it was great to see and to be in the presence of one of 27 Club icons.

We took the time to time to venture to the impressive Jardin de Luxenbourg on our final day in Paris which was a perfect way to end our trip. Finally the sun came out just as we got to the beautiful garden full of waterfalls, trees and local Parisians soaking up the Winter Sun. It is one of those places that has such a calming atmosphere and I can imagine would be the perfect place to relax with an ice cream in the summer. It looks like Tame Impala loved it too - their latest album cover featured the garden itself, and Fred made a pretty good attempt to recreate it (but a Winter version, of course!). I might add that we also tasted the best croissant ever around this area!

So basically - PARIS I LOVE YOU. I would 100% recommend going for a short trip if you haven't ever been. There are so many cool places to discover if you do your research beforehand, and it certainly doesn't disappoint! But for now, Bon Voyage Paris!

(All photos were taken by myself or Fred Payne)