Au Revoir Paris

I forgot to take dedicated outfit photos of my fifth and final day in Paris.  You can understand.  Other things had my attention.

 

We started the morning with a walking tour guided by my aunt. We walked by Napoleon's tomb again, ate Berthillon ice cream (reputed to be some of the best in the world), and then spent the afternoon in the Louvre.

 
We walked through the Louvre for hours and saw only a tiny fraction of the collection.  Of course we saw the Mona Lisa, but I especially enjoyed the sculpture.

Jeanne D'Arc

Diana, goddess of the hunt

A cold rain had started by the time we had finished at the Louvre.  We had to skip the Christmas market at the Champs Elysee that we had planning on for the evening, and instead we took the metro back to our hotel.  Lucky for us, the rain drove us to the restaurant right next to our hotel where we ate one of the best meals of our trip.  We finished the evening with wine and laughter before starting our journey home.

The Empire of Death

It's day 4.  We've seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dam, and Sacre Coeur.  Where else should we visit?  How about the empire of death?

 

Dress, Younkers; turtle neck, Target; tights, Walmart; boots, Rack Room Shoes; earrings, ?; necklace, thrifted.

 

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I loved the signage in the Catacombs.  This sign says "Stop! The is the empire of death."

The Paris Catacombs hold the remains of 6 million people.  I felt very introspective after walking through their final resting place.

Bits of poetry and verse in French and Latin were mixed throughout the ossuary.  This one says (roughly) "around every side you turn, death is lurking."

The day wasn't all death.  After the Catacombs we visited a cathedral of a different type.

 

The department store Galeries Lafayette was overwhelming.  It felt like a cathedral of capitalism.  Unfortunately just don't have $100 euros to spend on a pair of undies.  While we didn't purchase any of their clothes, accessories, or beauty products, we did have a tasty lunch in their cafeteria.

Sur le Nez

Some might consider it a little "on the nose" to wear fleurs de lis in Paris, but on the nose is my style.

 

Fleurs de lis sweater, thrifted; black sweater, Walmart; pants, hand-me-down thrifted, (thanks, Mom

The Jeanne you know.

Another notable Jeanne.  I took photos of
all the Jeanne D'Arc sculptures I noticed.

 We walked to Notre Dam and from there to Montmartre.  Paris was wonderful for walking.

Did you know that putting locks on bridges is a thing?  It strikes me that if it was just a few people it would be vandalism, but with thousands it's almost street art.

I missed my chance to take a photo of the Jeanne D'Arc statue at Sacre Coeur.  I guess I'll have to go back to Paris in the future.

I had my portrait drawn in by an artist in Montmartre while Stephen and my aunt had beers.

Don't Believe Everything You Read

As usual, the internet is a big liar.  The internet said you don't see much leopard print in Paris.  Lies!  There was lots of leopard print in Paris.  Of course I added to it.

Day 2... or peace.  Your choice.

 


Turtleneck, Target; dress, Younkers; tights; Target; boots, Rack Room Shoes; earrings, SilverJewelryClub.com; necklace, thrifted.

I'm up high!

Last time I wore this turtleneck one of my coworkers told me that you almost can't tell it's animal print.  From him that was a compliment.

 

We walked back to the Eiffel Tower then rode to the top.  It was very overcast, but we could still see many of the highlights of the Paris skyline.  After the Eiffel Tower we walked to the Champs-Élysées.  We finished the day with a walk through Montmartre and dinner with my aunt and uncle.  

Hit the Ground Running

When I arrived in Paris I was exhausted.  I had been awake for the same 36 hours I had been wearing yesterday's outfit... and both the clothes and I looked beat.  The bed looked horribly inviting, but how often am I in Paris?  (Once every approximately 30 years so far!)  Instead of a nap, I opted for a quick shower and wardrobe change.  I chose my least favorite of my assembled outfits because I figured I'd wear it the shortest amount of time.

 

Sweater, Walmart; camisole, Sam's Club; skinny pants; thrifted and hand-me-down (thanks, Mom!); boots, Rack Room Shoes; earrings, TJ Maxx; necklace, thrifted, sunglasses, Walmart.

 

We hit the pavement and walked around 6 miles through the streets of Paris.  Walked by the Eiffel Tower, through an open-air market, and finally found our way to a brasserie for a hot meal and glass of wine.

The 36 Hour Outfit

What should I wear when I know I'm going to wear it for 36 hours?  It should be comfortable.  It should be warm.  It should pass easily through airport security.  It should be this.

 

Dress, thrifted; sweater, Target; tights, Target; earrings, TJ Maxx; necklace, gifted (thanks, Jason!); boots, Rack Room Shoes; jacket, thrifted; scarf, handmade and gifted (thanks, Mary Ann!).

 

For better or worse, this is what I wore from early Friday morning in Augusta until mid afternoon Saturday in Paris.  It did everything I needed.  I tend to be cold on airplanes, but the sweater dress, scarf, and two pairs of tights kept me toasty.

 

Convertible fingerless gloves/mittens added warmth combined with camera-manipulation ability.

J'arrive!

Here's the outfit after those 36 hours.  My face is greasy and my hair has given up, but I'm happy to be in Paris!

Pack Rat: En Francais

My upcoming trip to Paris has caused more anxiety than usual trips.  My main concerns are the cold and theivery.  I've been working on strategies to thwart both.

I asked my Facebook and Twitter friends for advice on dressing for Paris.  Many suggested wearing lots of black, lots of layers, and shoes made for walking.  I'm hoping that fleece-lined tights, wool socks, and knee-high boots will keep my lower extremities toasty.  I have a wool coat, big knit scarf, and layered sweaters and sweater dresses for my upper body.  I don't have a black coat, so I'll be wearing a hounds tooth swing coat.

Is a fleur-de-lis sweater too on the nose for Paris?  I don't think so.

I'll wear sweater dresses three days and black skinny pants three days.

To combat theivery, I purchased the Travelon Anti-Theft Signature Tote .  It is big enough to carry my camera and anything I purchase, but small enough to still be a comfortably-sized purse.  It has slash-proof sides and straps, security clips on the straps and zipper, and RFID blocking panels.

Image Credit: Amazon
Buy it here.

Image Credit: Travelon
Buy it here.

I also purchased an Anti-Theft Camera Strap as well.  Of course no anti-theft gadget can take the place of common sense and awareness of one's surroundings.

See you in Paris.

I'm bringing a big scarf/wrap that my mother in law made for me, and I picked up a pair of purple and leopard print sunglasses.  The sunglasses were a total impulse purchase, but they're just so cute.

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Washout

I love this dress in real life, I hate it in photos.  I end up looking washed out every time I wear it.  Maybe I need to try it with colorful layers to brighten the palette.

 

Sweater dress, thrifted; tights, Target; boots, Victoria's Secret; earrings, Claire's; necklace, ebay.

 

These boots are another fantastic find from Victoria's Secret clearance.  If you have sub-11 size feet, check out their boots at the end of the season.  They have little love for Sasquatches this year.

 

This wool hounds tooth coat is one coat option for Paris.  The other option is my red pea coat.