Tuileres Garden Looking Towards Paris:

Our next stop was The Lourve, which was an amazing sight to see! One fun fact that I didn't know about the Lourve was that it used to be a palace, and so now they adorn it with some of the finest art known to man. We took a few pictures with the famous pyramids, and then went underground to enter the museum, coming up under the pyramids! Right at opening the queues to enter the museum were wrapped around the building, but since we were part of a tour we skipped the lines and entered the museum right after a quick security check. We only spent about an hour at the Lourve and saw, Nike, Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo, and other lesser known works of art. I would like to go back and see it on my own time but it should be noted that even right after opening, we could barely move because there were so many people! 

The Pyramids de Lourve 

For the next part of our tour we walked over to the River Seine and boarded a boat to the Eiffel Tower. The boat ride was super relaxing and a great way to rest our feet while also seeing Paris from a different vantage point. 

Relaxing Boat Ride on the River Seine 

Next we exited the boat and headed toward the Eiffel Tower. At the tower we had skip-the-line access to the first level as well as lunch included at the Tower's sit down restaurant "58 Tour Eiffel." The area around the Eiffel was EXTREMELY crowded and the queues to get into the tower were at least a few hours long. If we hadn't have done the tour or had pre-made reservations at the restaurant I wouldn't have waited to go atop the tower. For our lunch we got to choose items from a course menu, and the items included, pasta, chicken, steak roast, or fish. We all had the steak roast and either a salad or dessert. The consensus at the table was that the food was surprisingly great for a touristy spot but you couldn't beat the amazing views that the tower provided! So if you want to have this same experience and not wait in ANY lines, I would recommend a tour OR pre making reservations well in advance which you can do here: http://www.restaurants-toureiffel.com/UK/EIFFEL-TOWER-RESTAURANTS/58-TOUR-EIFFEL/Lunch-Dinner-in-paris-eiffel-tower.html

The Prince Waving to His Loyal Subjects:

After our lunch at the Eiffel Tower we boarded the hop on hop off boat to the Notre Dame Cathedral. We didn't have skip the line passes for this but the line moved super quick. While waiting in line don't be surprised if you are approached by beggar women. I encountered this before in Rome and knew to ignore them, but for a person who hasn't encountered them before it can be overwhelming. There is little to no talking allowed inside Notre Dame, so keep in mind to whisper at all times. Once inside make sure to look from all sides above you at the amazing stained glass! There are also several candles you can light all around the cathedral for 2 Euro. 

Pictures Inside the Cathedral:

After Notre Dame we walked about a mile to our metro stop hitting up shops along the way so we could get any souvenirs we otherwise missed during the day. There were also several Creperie's  during our walk but we didn't stop at any of them, but they looked heavenly! All in all Paris was a magical city, but very crowded. If you are going to visit it is worth it to either book a tour or pre-book skip the line tickets to all your favorite attractions. Do research on what days and times are the least crowded to spend maximum time at your favorite destinations. 

Until we meet again Paris........