YYZ → CDG

Trocadero - first look at the Eiffel Tower

La Musee des Invalides

First look at the famous Metro signs

Pont Neuf

Notre Dame

HERE WE GO! Finally showing you all the first set of photos from my trip... Day 1 in Paris!

I'll tell you stories about each set in the post...

May 2nd: left Toronto Pearson Int'l Airport for Charles de Gaulle Aiport in Paris, France. Our flight was delayed (1-2 hours). Let me just tell you -- I left Toronto with a good ol' backpack on my back as my carry-on.. My carry-on later on (to Israel and then back home to Toronto) ended up being a 3ft long VS PINK duffle bag. Take from that what you will.

Landed in Paris, had to Metro all the way to our friend's apartment on Rue de Rivoli (Metro stop: Châtelet. Basically tourist central and on the right bank, which was not nearly as nice as le Rive Gauche) with our huge suitcases that, for most of the time, didn't fit through the automatic sliding doors in the Metro. Note: 99% of the stations do not have escalators. So we each lugged our 50lb suitcases up and down ancient narrow stairs... during rush hour. Tourists for real.

On our first day, we went to Trocadero and saw the Eiffel Tower. My first reaction was... "Oh. Hey." It was surreal seeing it in real life after having seen it everywhere in print or on the internet. I don't know what I was expecting when I saw it in person but it wasn't as exciting as I had built it up to be. Maybe I was expecting it to sparkle and shine and give off magical powers? Don't really know, but it didn't take my breath away like I had expected.

We then walked all the way to Notre Dame. One of the best things about Europe was being able to see everything that we had studied in textbooks in real life.

Then we walked some more (we loved being able to walk everywhere--in Paris, Italy, and Israel--without being bored) and then came back to the apartment to pack and leave again that night for Amsterdam! Arrived in Paris at like 8:30am, and left for Amsterdam at 11pm the same day.

Next set: Amsterdam!

P.S. These aren't the only photos of Paris... There will be more after Amsterdam. I am just going in order of events!