After a fantastic birthday weekend, I had the great joy of meeting up with two of my good friends up in Paris.  They were backpacking through France for a week before heading to Italy, so I took a week of vacation to travel with them.  Before heading to the train station, I saw on facebook that Josh Groban was heading there that day, and that Joshua Radin was already there.  Naturally, the whole time I was there, I kept thinking I saw Josh Groban EVERYWHERE.  But of course, it never was him. 

My train pulled in to Gare de Lyon and I made my way to Costa Coffee where Robin and Amy were waiting.  After hugs, laughter, and chai tea, we dropped my things off at the hotel and we started off for the Eiffel Tower.  We picked up some mini quiches, a huge bottle of water, and the most beautiful basket of cherries for a picnic on the lawn by the Eiffel.  So Parisian, I know.

After lunch, we headed over to l'Arc de Triomphe.  For all the times I've been to Paris, I had never actually gone up to the top of l'Arc.  The view was lovely, and all of the history of that place was incredible. 

Sacre Coeur all the way to la Tour Eiffel

No monsters in this metro

Who wouldn't want wedding pictures with the Arc in the background?

Love these girls

By the time we finished, and realized we forgot the water bottle at the top of the Arc, we were ready for a little break and it was about time for goûter, so we headed to Starbucks.  While Amy and Robin instagrammed, I wrote a couple postcards, we talked, enjoyed our coffee, and then headed for my two favorite places in Paris.

This tree is the oldest in Paris.

Our hotel was on Rue Cler, pretty close to where I stayed the first time I went to Paris!