Four Nights in Paris With My Little Loves
Photographer: Olga
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Route: Bir-Hakeim Bridge & Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
Travel Story
Our family planned a three-week trip to four major cities in Europe for the summer of 2018. We met up with friends and family throughout our travels and enjoyed sharing special moments with the ones we love. For the final four nights of the trip, I decided to take my two children, aged 8 and 6, to Paris for the very first time. It would just be the three of us for this ultimate leg and I couldn't wait to see the City of Lights through their eyes. I travel often with my kids and have done so since they were just a few weeks old. It's not always easy, logistically-speaking, but I feel strongly that it is well worth it. I lost my own mother nearly five years ago after she heroically battled ovarian cancer for nearly a decade. She and I were incredibly close and we traveled the world extensively together in my late twenties and early thirties, oftentimes squeezing a big trip in between her treatments when we could. I like to think that she is with us in spirit when we travel. And Paris was definitely one of her favorite places on Earth. It was with all of this in mind that I jumped at the opportunity to have professional photographs taken of me and my children on our inaugural visit to Paris. I was perfectly content spending the great majority of the trip behind the lens, but for just a single hour on one gorgeous day, I wanted to have someone capture all three of us enjoying the abundant beauty that this city has to offer.
Travel Tips
Because it was the kids' very first visit, we set out to see as many quintessentially Parisian sites as we possibly could. On our first day, we walked through Le Marais and Les Halles neighborhoods to Notre-Dame. We rose early the next morning to tackle the Louvre and I was pleasantly surprised when we eclipsed the two hour mark and the kids weren't begging me to leave! Other highlights of the trip included sprinting through the Jardin des Tuileries, taking in the panoramic views from the top of the Eiffel Tower, dining and shopping along the Champs-Élysées on our way to the Arc de Triomphe, and taking a private cruise along the Seine. Of course, our trip would not have been complete without sampling the local fare and, thankfully, there were crepes and macaroons around every corner! We loved popping in to local cafes to rest our tired legs and recharge with a delicious meal midday as we roamed the city. In the end, our four days in Paris ended up being a huge highlight of our trip. Part of what made the experience so special was that it was just the three of us together for the first time in an indisputably beautiful place. We hope to return very soon; however, until then, we will be grateful to have these amazing photographs as reminders of the spectacular time we shared in this magical city.
