East Via Northwest: Europe Adventure: Bonjour (Part 3 of 3)

OK, I'm back! Summer = blogging hyatus. Well lets be honest; my blogging is always close to a hyatus. ;) Anyways, on to PARIS!

DAY 7: Westvleteren

En route to Paris, we had one more stop to make. Westvleteren, Belgium. Here we would try what has been called the "best beer in the world". We took trusty Hubert deep into the countryside to visit the Westvletern Abbey, where the beer is made, and the abbey next door, where the beer is served. :) I must say we were not disappointed. We ordered all three beers on tap -- blonde, brown (double), and the Westvleteren 12 -- all were satisfying and left us wanting. So far, these truly were the best beers I have had, but who knows what life will bring. We left the restaurant with a full belly (thanks to heavy beers and meat/cheese), mini-souvenir beer glasses, and a six-pack of the Westvleteren 12, the best beer in the world.

Proost aka Cheers!

DAY 7 (still) - DAY 11: Paris

On the road again! We made it to Paris without getting lost (woohoo) and dropped Hubert off at the airport (long story for another time). Hubert was a good little big car in Europe, but it was time to part ways and test out our East Coast metro mentality in France's subways.

My first impression of Paris. BIG. History around every corner. Cleaner than Boston. Stuck up Parisians (more than East Coast eliteists). Mouth watering croissants. Bridges everywhere. Slow lifestyle from day to day. Espresso breaks = necessity. On to more details ...

Once we got settled in our boutique hotel (about 10-min walk from the Eiffel Tower) and looked up the history of the 16th arrondissement, where our hotel was nestled, we headed to dinner! Alright, here's the truth, we definitely went to a so-so restaurant that charged too much for food and wine just so we could enjoy dinner with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Typical tourists. Would I do it again? Yes. :) Am I ashamed. Maybe a little bit.

That "typical tourists, embarassed but would do it again" was the theme of our trip to Paris. It went a little something like this after we had dinner by the Eiffel Tower:

Find the perfect spot to watch the Eiffel Tower twinkle, check. Book a short cruise on the Seine River to see all the sights, check (though I wouldn't recommend it). Take a walk through Paris with 20 other tourists to learn about the history of this iconic city, check. Stroll through Notre-Dame of Paris and admire the gothic architecture adorning the inner walls (and exterior) and fusing colors that create images on the stained glass windows, double check. Eat croissants every morning and stop for espresso, coffee creme, and capaccinos several times a day, heck yes. Select two areas of the Louvre to tour, get lost, see two additional areas and walk away tired with a brain packed with historical information I want to remember but know I will forget, check. Dine at a traditional French restaurant and get laughed at by stuffy Parisians, check. Visit the Rodin Museum to admire the sculptor's greatest works, including The Thinker, check that box. Tour Montmartre and hear how Van Gough and Picasso experienced life in this village of sorts lined with cobblestone streets and traditional vendors (think of Bell walking through the streets in Beauty and the Beast), check. Finish off our last night in Paris on top of the Eiffel Tour, triple check. (oh, and have dinner with Aussies who took a three-month break from work, yeah!)

When we arrived in Paris, we were skeptical of the city, parisians and hype this City of Light has received in the states. When we left Paris, we admired the city, still thought the people were stuffy, and undestood just why it's one of the most well-known and romantic city's in the world.

So that's it. After flying back to Boston, we picked up our lives where we left them. Next up, Ireland and Scotland. :) Thanks for reading. The next post ... well ... might be about our move back to Seattle. Hint hint ...