PARIS WEEK FOUR AND MORE
Bonjour, Bonswa, Ola, What Up Doe!
After nearly a decade simmering, planning, and dreaming, Charles and I finally made it to Paris, France for thirty days! “WOW” Our last week and final days in Paris were spent in celebration, gratitude, and appreciation for the total experience.
During our last week in Paris, we were able to celebrate the New Year and my Birthday that was beyond amazing. Charles and I are on own VIBE, so we do things that feel good to us. Our last day in 2024 was spent exploring new areas in Paris which led us to the historical home of Victor Hugo. Apparently, many others had the same idea because it was a bit crowded inside; however, we were able to get in and have the experience.
One of my favorite things about Paris is how you can turn down a street and feel like you’ve stepped through a time portal, the architecture is simply amazing. The art and fashion scene in Paris is phenomenal with its own heartbeat and creativity. Store window displays masterfully staged in ways that make you just stop and linger in awe! The entire city of Paris was lit up with festive lighting in celebration of a time gone and a time to come! New Years was celebrated in the comforts of our apartment with delicious pastries and of course a champagne toast. The bonus was we were able to see the Eiffel Tower fireworks from our balcony!
Bonne Année!
Celebrating my birthday in Paris was a dream come true; it was simply remarkable! I had an incredible urge to start my birthday with breakfast, which is unusual for me. After a bit of research I found the perfect spot HolyBelly the vibe was a perfect match for me and the total experience created the start of the best birthday ever. Shout out to Big John, Andi, Valentine and everyone that wished me a happy birthday in song, text, and sent love drops; THANK YOU!
I am a lover of live performances so when I found out the Soweto Gospel Choir would be performing on my birthday, tickets were purchased in a flash. It was a great performance! We also celebrated the next day at Le Baiser Sale’ Jazz Club which was phenomenal and another portal experience because so many jazz greats have performed in that place and the vibes were felt! We had a trip planned for Versailles but decided to flow in a different direction that felt right for us! We closed out our Paris Celebrations with a Crazy Horse Burlesque experience and it was FANTASTIC! I literally could not think of a better way to end our spectacular adventure in Paris!
Our final days in Paris allowed us to reflect with gratitude on the privileges and grace that we received during our time in Paris. We started our last week off back at the Church of the Sacred Heart Basilica of Sacré Cœur Since it was the last Sunday of 2024 there were more people and the Carrousel de Saint Pierre was open. We visited several churches around Paris during our last week to include going inside Notre-Dame de Paris - official website Once again we experienced another through the portal of time moment. The beauty and majestic energy within the Notre Dame Cathedral are unmatched to anything we have ever experienced. After visiting the various stations and displays all I could do is sit and meditate in GRATITUDE for all that was, is, and will be!
In appreciation of some of the best food, desserts, wines and champagnes we have ever tasted in our lives; the last week we enjoy the masterful flavoring and tastes of French cuisine. We tried a couple of new spots and went back for encores at a couple of our favorite spots like Café Mademoiselle, Le Victory, Holy Belly, and Mood Thai. I absolutely loved the presentation of the food it was if I was being served a beautiful edible creation.
A dear friend recently shared this quote; “living overseas, you have to be okay being forever changed.” I dare to go further and say, “A visit to Paris will forever change your life!” I fell in love with ME, again in Paris and I know that my life will never be the same! Charles also mentioned that his creativity was awakened in Paris, and I did notice that he was a lot more open to trying NEW things!
For those of you wondering if I bought that red lipstick from Chanel, the answer is “NO” I asked myself this question; Girl are you going to wear that lipstick? I answered myself, NOPE! And that was the end of the story.
Many people label Parisian’s as RUDE, even some Parisians say it; however, I choose to see them as DIRECT and I absolutely loved it. I would much rather a person be true to what they feel instead of being coy or fake! Paris DELIVERED with bright lights and one love; exactly what we needed!
DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE; NEVER STOP DREAMING!!!
Thank you for reading, commenting, and sharing our amazing journey to Paris France~!
We are now back in Portugal, this time exploring Porto!
Be sure to check out our video updates on YouTube!
Live Your JOY; One Love Diane and Charles!