Paris Day 2 – A Day of Walking.

On our first day in Paris we walked a whopping 17 kilometers, however on our second day we did even more, and walked 19 kilometers. So basically in one weekend we walked a marathon. It was so worth it though, and let’s face it, we needed to burn off all the calories we’d eaten over the weekend.


We woke up on the Sunday to rain, so we got up and showered then went down to breakfast at our hotel, the Fraser Suites Le Claridge. It was a big buffet breakfast and it was included with our room, so we thought we may as well give it a try! It was actually pretty delicious, with a good choice of both hot and cold food.

Luckily by the time we wanted to head out at 10am the rain had stopped, and the sun began to shine. We walked from the hotel on the Champs Elysees to the beautiful and elegant Pont Alexandre III bridge.

 We loved how this lion ^ looks as though he’s melted! Poor lion!

After taking plenty of photos on the bridge with that incredible view of the Eiffel Tower, we wandered down to the Musee D’Orsay. Every time I’ve been to Paris I’ve wanted to go there, purely to see Van Gogh’s Starry Night, but something has always stopped me (or the people I’ve been with haven’t wanted to go). Someday I’d love to see his Starry Night Over the Rhone in NYC as well. Sadly though the queue to the Musee D’Orsay was huge, and Phoebe was feeling a bit queasy from the alcohol the previous night, so we decided to abandon the Van Gogh mission and head back across the river to Angelina for hot chocolate.

Ha! ^ I love how I’m always ready for a photo 😉 Also check out that weird walk at the end where I’m not looking where I’m going/stepping, LOL.

We stopped off enroute in the Jardin des Tuileries to take some outfit photos. I wore a Topshop dress, which reminds me very much of Chanel, my Topshop denim jacket (which funnily enough isn’t even in the outfit photo), Butterfly Twists shoes (the Sienna’s in rose gold – they are literally perfect for travelling with, and so so comfortable!), and my H&M suede handbag. My lipstick is Charlotte Tilbury in Lost Cherry.

The sit down and rest made Phoebe feel a bit better, and we decided to treat ourselves. Phoebe had a herbal tea and the famous Angelina Mont Blanc, while I opted for the hot chocolate and a vanilla eclair. Although I love a good macaron I’m much more of an eclair girl, and Angelina’s eclairs are just perfection.

After our rest and refuel we walked down through the Jardin des Tuileries to The Louvre, and very sadly saw this homeless man with a dog and lots of puppies 🙁 

The only thing that annoys me about this dress is it creases SO easily! 🙁 It’s so light and perfect for warm summer days, but I really wish it had more structure so it stayed looking all pretty and new.

My favourite part of The Louvre isn’t the big glass pyramid, but the main building, it’s just so beautiful!

A photo posted by L U X L I F E (@luxlifeblog) on


We wandered across the old love lock bridge (I loved the art on the boards), and then down through my favourite part of Paris, Saint-Germain-des-Pres.

We found a little pizza cafe called Margarita, just off Boulevard Saint Germain, which had tables outside and looked quite funky.

We sat down and while I had a glass of prosecco, Phoebe went for a ginger-based drink to help with her sickness. After a lovely relaxing half hour or so sipping on our drinks and people-watching, we walked down Boulevard Saint Germain and all of a sudden we realised what the time was!

We didn’t have long before we had to get back to the hotel for our flight, and we still hadn’t done the top of the Arc de Triomphe or had any proper food/lunch! We were both starving so found a little cafe on the way to the Metro near the Notre Dame. It was ok, but sadly my Croque Monsieur was a fancy-pants overpriced one rather than a ‘thick-bread-covered-in-molten-cheese’ kinda Croque Monsieur. It was nowhere near as good as the one I had near the Eiffel Tower a coupla years ago! I was disappointed but so hungry I didn’t care, I just needed the food.

After paying for our lunch we power-walked to the Metro and got to the Arc de Triomphe thinking we’d have enough time to flash our British passports (you get in for free with a European passport), run up, admire the view, and run down again. Unfortunately though, despite getting in for free, you still have to queue up to get a ticket. The queue was huge. Again.

We only had half an hour before we had to leave to go to the airport, so we abandoned the Arc de Triomphe plan, raced back to the hotel and got our cases, got changed and freshened up, then dashed to the Metro again.

I was really upset that I didn’t get to do the only two things I wanted to really do, but it’s my own fault for assuming there wouldn’t be queues (I’ve only ever been to Paris in the mid-winter before, when everywhere is empty!).

I had a bit of a sulk, and then just got sad that we had to leave already. It was like a little teaser. We were teased with one night in Paris, and then before we knew it we were back in England. Now I just can’t wait to go back again…well it is only a coupla hours away, it’d be rude not to, right?

Also, I managed to not have any croissants the whole time we were in Paris :O
SAY WHAAAAT!?
Yep.

We had such a fantastic trip with Air France, and I’m so happy and grateful I got to spend the weekend in Paris after two years of not going! I’d missed that city so much. This is the last of my Paris posts, but you can see the others here, and I’ll have my Paris vlogs live over the next coupla weeks, so subscribe to my Youtube channel and keep an eye out for them!

My flight to Paris was kindly given to me complimentary in return for posts about my time in the city. Air France offers over 50 weekly flights from London Heathrow to Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Return fares in economy start from £76, including all taxes and fees. For more information and to book, visit their website
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Catherine Lux
Catherine Lux

Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of SEO at Havas Media Group by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.

Find me on: Web | Instagram

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8 Comments

  1. Unknown
    August 20, 2015 / 1:10 am

    I love Paris so so sos oso much! Your photos were great – I went back to Paris all over again myself so thanks for that! Such a shame you didn't get to see your Starry Nights though 🙁

  2. Anna
    August 20, 2015 / 8:29 am

    And I thought I was the only one who walked in Paris sooo much!! It's such a nice city and walking is the way to go!! Loving Angelina as well…had breakfast there one day!

  3. Angie SilverSpoon
    August 20, 2015 / 10:16 am

    Ahhh I know you had disappointment but your post still made me smile with the fab fashion, hot chocolate and bubbly!! I'm sure Paris will see you again soon 🙂
    Lots of love,
    Angie

    SilverSpoon London

  4. Unknown
    August 20, 2015 / 10:27 am

    That dress! I need one in my life! You look amazing. I adore Paris, and I love that you visited some of my favourite places. Angelina holds a very special place in my heart!

    Polly xx
    Follow Your Sunshine

  5. LuxuryColumnist
    August 20, 2015 / 10:46 am

    Angelina is always such a treat, funnily enough we walked for miles in Paris too. I love the Musee d'Orsay, hopefully you'll get there on your next visit

    Suze | LuxuryColumnist

  6. Andrea Petersen
    August 20, 2015 / 2:09 pm

    Ahh I LOVE city breaks for all the subconscious walking involved! I only discovered Angelina's on my most recent trip and it's now a compulsory stop when in the city! The hot chocolate is just MIND BLOWING isn't it?! Shame you didn't get to do the 2 things you wanted to but, next time 😉 AND LOL at me – did not know you could go up the Arc de Triomphe for free if you have a EU passport… I deffoes paid for that sh*t! Haha. Lots of love, Andrea xxx

    Andrea's Passions

  7. Em
    August 22, 2015 / 11:19 am

    Aw Paris is amazing for just walking around, so many beautiful things to see. Pics look great xx
    Em Catch52

  8. Kimberly
    August 27, 2015 / 11:52 am

    19 km – that is a LOT of walking!! But you sure saw some amazing things! Yes, yes, yes on the Angelina's hot chocolate – it is so amazing. If I am ever lucky enough to visit Angelina again, I will have to try an eclair!

    Kimberly
    Very European

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