On day 2 in Paris, we were still suitcase-less and it was really starting to take it's toll. We'd had to sleep in our clothes, with no toiletries and what was supposed to be a fashion-filled girly weekend was turning into something much less stylish. Determined to not let this completely ruin our weekend, we all swapped coats (that's a new outfit, right?), threw on our sunglasses and hit the streets of Paris for our second day.
First thing on the agenda was definitely breakfast. We'd initially planned to travel up to the Sacre Coeur that morning and to grab breakfast while we were up there, but unfortunately we needed to spend the morning shopping for necessities and new clothes in case our suitcase never turned up. Instead, we headed down the road from our hotel to the Galleries Lafayette and dived into a teeny french café. The café was your typical French bistro, serving up everything from croissants to croque madame to delight your tastebuds...and of course, wine. All three of us opted for the Croque Madame (cheese, eggs and bread?! yes please.) and a much needed coffee. Feeling a lot better after breakfast, we hit Sephora and the Galleries Lafayette and came out with a whole new outfit and toiletries to change into.
After shopping we headed back to the hotel for a much needed shower and outfit change. As we got back to the hotel we found that our case had just arrived (at around 3pm) so we decided we would spend a bit of time at the hotel doing our hair and makeup, and generally making ourselves feel human again.
Leaving the hotel feeling refreshed, we headed to the Place de la Concorde. The Place de la Concorde is located in the city's eighth arrondissement at the eastern end of the Champs-Elysées, and is the largest public square in the city. More importantly though, it's home to the famous fountain in the Devil Wears Prada. The Devil Wears Prada is one of my all time favourite feel-good films, and the fountain scene happens to be my favourite, so I felt incredibly lucky to be able to see it for myself.
The site also has historical significance, as an important part of the French Revolution. During the French Revolution the statue of Louis XV of France was torn down and the area was renamed Place de la Révolution. The new revolutionary government erected the guillotine in the square, and it was there that King Louis XVI was executed in 1793. Other important historical figures were also guillotined on the site, often in front of cheering crowds, such as Marie Antoinette, Princess Elisabeth of France, Georges Danton and Olympe de Gouges. Standing in the square now, it's hard to think that such horror occurred there back in the 1700s.
After we'd finished at the Place de la Concorde, we headed to the infamous Angelia Paris to warm up with some hot chocolate and cake. When we were planning our weekend, we knew that a trip to Angelina was an absolute must. Frequented by Coco Chanel herself, their restaurant has become famous across the globe and their hot chocolate is to die for - The famous african hot chocolate is composed of three carefully selected kinds of African cocoa sourced from Niger, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, and is unlike anything I've ever tasted.
The restaurant itself is beautiful, with it's typical french interiors and friendly staff, and the cakes are out of this world. Never one to shy away from a chocolate overload, I chose the 'Vienne'. As a reminder of the company's Austrian origins, the chefs have given the traditional chocolate Viennese pastry a new twist for the festive season - offering an alliance of three chocolates, worked in several different ways. It was delicious and if you're passing by any of their stores you have to give this a go!
It was dark by the time we left Angelina (the one bad thing about winter in Paris - the sun goes down at around 4pm!) so we headed to the Trocadero to take in the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is one of my favourite monuments in the world, so to see it sparkling away right in-front of me was so special. The Eiffel Tower lights up every night, but on the hour, it switches on its sparkling lights for the prettiest of light shows. We waited a whole hour in the cold to see the lights twinkle, and it was so worth it - one of the highlights of my trip.
After we were finished at the Eiffel Tower, we headed back to the hotel to prepare for dinner at A la Cloche d'Or, a french restaurant located right next to the Moulin Rouge. As the Parisians do, we headed out for dinner late and went fully French with our meal choices. First we had escargot and the best baked camembert I've ever had, followed by a selection of French meat dishes ad to round off we indulged in a trio of sorbet. The food was amazing and the restaurant had such a lovely atmosphere, I'd definitely recommend for anyone looking for a French feast in Paris!
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