guide - Stevie Jewel

I dreamed about Monaco and what it would be like to visit. After riding through France from Paris and having seen lavender fields, and free roaming herds of cattle, and pink trees that I’m still trying to find a name for, I was so excited to experience Monaco.

Arriving on the train I felt like Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl when she’s finally a Ziegfeld girl. The train station alone set the tone for what our time in Monaco would be like, it was beautifully designed, had an incredible view, and was so clean!

Monaco is so small that we were able to walk from the train to the hotel. The architecture, the atmosphere, everything was so inspiring! Once we arrived at Hotel Metropole we were enchanted with how lovely it was, and the bar downstairs had some of the most creative drinks.

We Strolled around on our first afternoon and took in the views and some excellent food at Brasserie le Cafe de Paris.

Paris

I love Paris. It’s such a beautiful city with so much history. On this trip Paris was a stop over between Dublin and Monaco but we packed as much into 14 hours as we possibly could, so I’m going to share our itinerary so you can get the most out of Paris as well.

We stayed within walking distance of the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel tower so that we could see both fairly easily and walk around the areas that we enjoy the most, including strolling on the Champs-Elysees.

It’s not right to go to Paris and not try as many of their pastries as possible. Everything we had was unbelievably delicious especially the Drop from a La Petite Marquis.

We also explored the area around the Louvre, which was a haven for all the french designers; well known and obscure. We’ve visited the Louvre before which is why we didn’t go this time, and I would suggest choosing specific pieces you want to see before going because you really could spend multiple days inside the Louvre taking in all the artwork. If you have a passion for fashion you can stroll the entirety of Rue Saint Honore and indulge in the finest haute couture houses known to man.

We went on a riverboat cruise down the Siene and while we’ve done the bus tours before this river cruise was a real treat. Tons of information, seeing the whole city by water, and getting a new perspective on the famous and infamous locations around Paris, such as Notre Dame.

We went to one of our favorite spots for dinner the roundabout adjacent to the Eiffel tower across the river. There are several great restaurants in this vicinity and Cafe Le Malakoff is one of the best for people watching, enjoying the view, and sampling excellent french cuisine.

The next morning we boarded the train for Monaco and waved Paris farewell for now!

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