Paris!

Ah Paris! Such a romantic city: the river, the architecture, the food, the weather & the impossibly chic people. 

I was freezing a lot of the time and the days were extremely short, but the city of lights was nothing short of spectacular. I had my fair share of crepes, macaroons, & hot wine. Spent almost 6 hours at the Louvre and passed through many metro stations. My little rented hotel/hostel situation worked out nicely, I even met a girl from Texas A&M there! Visited famed monuments, bookshops & grocery stores - was even able to find a 136ml bottle of sriracha that I snuck into my carry on (the liquid limit is 100ml)! The Christmas markets were amazingly festive and even featured a santa claus atop a hut of stuffed panda bears. Started & finished the "The Bag Girl" by Mario Vargas Llosa, with all the references to the city of light, Paris was the perfect backdrop to read such a bittersweet love story. 

After a trip through the Paris Metro, 2 Airport buses, 1 Flight, 1 Italian train & a Fiat car ride later... I'm happy to be back "home" in Italy. It was really eye opening to be in both France & Italy in one day, they feel so different! I'm looking forward to next time.