the whole of Paris in 8 short hours...

So, jet lag can make you think crazy things, like "why on earth did I book a 10 hour layover in Paris" and "this is going to be the worst day ever!" Dramatic? Um yeah. Cranky? Definitely. It is in this mood that Tayllor finds herself as she dozes in and out of sleep on the RER train from the airport into the city, regretting the decision to buy the cheap ticket and wondering how it is possible that so many dollars can equal so few Euros...

And then she gets OFF the train, and... Tayllor's in Paris! Suddenly all storm clouds are lifted from my brain and I am able to appreciate my luck to be in such an amazing city for a day. So what do you do when you have 8 hours in Paris? Well if you're Tayllor, you eat. A lot. And you walk. A lot. So here's the rapid tour d' France...

First there was the enjoyment of one of my favorite candy bars under the shadow of Notre Dame (complete with authentic Parisian second-hand smoke!)
Then of course, fromage and jambon crepe at the Pantheon (Paul I think I actually found the same crepe place that we stumbled into 3 years ago! Still as tasty as I remember.)

The next plan was for macaroons at the Eiffel Tower. But the walk down the Seine was longer than I had planned and alas, the macaroons were gone by Musee d' Orsay. Don't worry, the Eiffel Tower is just as amazing sans refreshments.

And finally, who could leave Paris without enjoying some French wine? I was lucky enough find a cafe with this outstanding view at the base of the Sacre Coeur in my favorite part of Paris, Monmarte. The hike up the hill was grueling given the few hours of sleep and multiple hours of tramping around Paris non-stop but the day could not have ended any better (and the wine+downhill trip to the train station was pretty okay too!)

And so, as I made my way back to Charles de Galle international airport, I found myself wholly exhausted but satisfied with Parisian layover. Now back on a plane, another 9 + 2 hours of airtime to go!