Exciting!!!
After unloading our luggage, we quickly met our tour group back in the hotel lobby to depart for an evening trip to Montmartre, a hill north of Paris that is packed with adorable shops, cafes and restaurants.
Our bus dropped us off at the bottom of the hill where we took a little tram up to the top.
Once there, we had the opportunity to walk around, grab dinner and explore. It felt so good to be off the tour bus and taking in the sights of such an adorable place.
The view from the top of the hill was amazing! I was shocked at just how densely populated the city of Paris appeared to be from high above.
As we explored the area, the shops that repeatedly caught our eye weren’t the ones selling souvenirs. We were drawn to the creperies and pastry shops!
Though we were tempted to order a crepe on the spot, we talked ourselves into sitting down to enjoy dinner at an outdoor café first.
Dinner
When I walked by a table of people and saw two of them enjoying the most fantastic-looking large bowls of French onion soup at the café, I knew what I wanted to order!
My soup came topped with a ton of the most thick and delicious cheese!
The bread served underneath the cheese layer was also fantastic. I fell in love with this soup!
I also enjoyed my fair share of French fries my family shared and had a few bites of everyone’s entrees.
My mom and sister’s Croque monsieur and Croque madame sandwiches were a hit!
Dessert
After dinner, it was crepe time!
Per your advice, a Nutella and banana crepe was ordered and devoured!
Oh my gosh, this thing was so good! Crepes from Paris really do live up to all the hype.
Let’s just say I had another one before 11 a.m. today! 
Since we all shared the crepe, we still had room for round two of dessert and popped into a gelato shop where I ordered a cup of Toblerone gelato.
Illumination Tour
Once everyone from our tour group met back up again, we boarded the bus for an Illumination Tour of Paris at night.
Paris is incredibly beautiful with all the lights of the city shining.
The brief Illumination Tour left us feeling extra excited to see all the sights of Paris this morning!
And that’s where I’ll leave off for now. 
I’ll be back soon with a recap of today!
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Hey Julie – so glad you’re having such a wonderful time in Europe!! 🙂 Let me know if you’d like to do a little blogger meetup in London – you must have quite a few Euro readers!!
How beautiful. That soup and crepe looked amaazing! Are french fries actually better in France?? haha The illumination tour looked like such a cool experience. Can’t wait for the recap of your day!
Your comment on the dense population reminds me of NYC. The first time I went to the top of the Empire State Building was at night. The view literally took my breath away. I couldn’t believe how far the lights stretched out.
Tres jealous of your crepes, by the way. I used to make them all the time in French class. Mmmmmm
If ya’ll by chance happen to go to Les Invalides (where Napoleon I is buried) in Paris, will you please take a picture? He is my all time favorite historical figure! Have a great time!
I am really enjoying your pics and your tales. Make sure to save room for a “gaufre” outside of the Louvre. I got one stuffed with Nutella and bananas when I was there. To DIE for!! 🙂
oh gosh that soup is INSANE…i need it! what a delicious trip Julie…next time please take me to Paris 🙂
Just a note…after PAris, you wont want to leave!! at least i didn’t..
I have always wanted to try a croque monsieur/madame! What a fancy-looking egg!
mmm that Toblerone gelato looks/sounds DIVINE!!! I hope you enjoyed every bite for me 😉
Have fun!!!
While you’re in Paris, if you have a chance, you absolutely must go to Cafe Sully. It’s right on the corner of Quai Henry VI, before you cross Pont Sully to go to Ile St-Louis. Not only does do they have an amazing basic green salad, but they have the best fries I had the entire time I was in Paris. And on Ile St-Louis you’ll find My Berry, which is a fro yo shop, if you’re interested.
Everything looks wonderful. I would have loved to see the Eiffel tower in France but I only went to Monaco. All the food looks incredible, glad you’re having a fun time!
Julie my dear, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh , I have been reading your posts since you have been away, and I MUST do a trip like this in the future! I really want to!!! I think you and Ryan should go back again too for a wedding anny!!!
U have been having so much fun! love it!!!
French onion soup is one of my favorite foods and that one you had looked amazing!! So jealous of your trip 🙂
I wish I had a blog when I went to Europe.. it will be so nice for you to look back on your trip!
It’s almost hard to appreciate all the beauty and amazing food in such a short period of time.. it’s like sensory overload!
The gelato and crepe look so fantastic! oh my gosh. Same with the croque madame and monsieur — I recently learned on Paula Deen’s show that the egg on top make it a Madame since females have eggs! I thought it was hilarious.
Montmarte is one of the cutest areas of Paris. I just loved it. I wish I would have gone multiple times during my stay. And I’m not a crepe fan *unless* the crepe is from Paris!
Cute dress / sweater combo!
Ahh! I am loving your pics! My husband and I took three different trips traveling thru Europe and your pictures are bringing back great memories!! Nutella crepes! My fav!!!
French crepes are magical, aren’t they?
We did the Illumination boat tour on our trip. It was so nice…but made me miss Peter! I bet you’re missing Ryan like crazy.
A Nutella + banana crepe was the first crepe I ever had!! And it was inFrench class. Not exactly authentic, but close enough. 😉
That nutella and banana crepe.. looks jammin! France is somewhere that I have REALLY always wanted to go. For now.. going throug your pictures will have to do!
Hi Julie,
I love following your blog and have really enjoyed all of your posts during your time in Europe. I was wondering if you could share what tour company you and your family have been with?
yes! we’re using globus!
Yeah! Welcome in Paris!!! You’ve finally had your nutelle banana crepe!
You have a nice weather that’s pretty cool.
Enjoy it all!
Montmartre was my favorite part in Paris! Your post makes me want to go back!
Your pictures are so beautiful! I am so jealous!!
Hope you are having a great time!
Weeeeeeee PARIS!! I’ve been so excited for you to go here- it’s my favorite of all the European cities. Enjoy your time there!!
I LOVE Paris!! I went in 2009 and we did a bike tour at night, which ended with a boat ride with wine on the Seine. Probably my favorite part of the trip; besides the food of course!
loving all of this!
how are you liking the actual tour group/tour you’re on? do you reccommend them? (what company is it?) would you reccommend it for a honeymoon? or would you say it’s better to go on your own?
Just stunning! And you are a master at food pics… and picks! Now I need to go eat lunch 🙂
Oh my gosh! I love your photos!! Makes me want to go back to europe.
What kind of camera are you using? The colors are so vivid!
Enjoy the trip!
Toblerone Gelato—nom nom nom! 😛
You are in my all time favorite city! I love Paris! You really should try and Lemon/Sugar Crepe, it is heavenly! And that soup… wow! it looks SO Good! I know what I’m making for dinner!!
I am stuyding abroad in Paris this fall and I am truly excited – can’t wait! This post is getting me pumped!
Your pictures look gorgeous – did you recently change your camera?!!
Everything looks amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like you’re really having an awesome trip!
it looks gorgeous! continue having the most lovely time!
There’s a tram!? We walked all the way up that hill and then those stairs! Quite the workout! enjoy all the food. Most of what I can remember from Paris is the food 🙂
Ahhh! It is my DREAM to go to Paris! And you ate french onion soup among le french 😉 lucky girl! It looks ridiculously good. All of the food you’re posting looks ridiculously good!
Ah! French Pastries! Nutella Crepes! French Onion Soup! Croque Sandwiches! Gelato! Illumination Tour! It all looks amazing! I am totally vicariously living through you this week.
That Croque monsieur look incredible. Anything with a egg on it is ok with me. 🙂
Beautiful photos. My goodness! I’m just loving your trip posts!
While I love your blog and read it daily, I’m really in love with these European posts as the hubby and I are planning our belated honeymoon!! Thank you for sharing and all of the photos – beautiful!
ps – I love both of you and your sister’s necklaces in this post – where are they from? You both are so stylish!
Ok…NOW I am incredibly jealous! I have been to Paris twice and LOVED LOVED LOVED IT! There is absolutely no replacing the french onion soup and nutella crepes there.! awww i want both soooo bad
I LOVED Montmarte! Did you see the people sketching pictures? I had my face sketched. 🙂
Ah, and I loved Paris at night! Did you see the Eiffel Tower light up as if there were hundreds of people taking pictures off of the tower?
Sorry, I get really excited about Paris! 😛
I’ve always wanted to go to Paris… I speak a little French and I’ve always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower at night… It’s on my bucket list (;
It looks like you are enjoying every minute of your trip! That crepe sound SO GOOD. I’m crazy jealous 😛
Looks like you’re having some wonderful weather over there! You will have to let us know what Tour Line you used, it looks like a fantastic trip!
Gosh I just can’t get enough of your vacation posts and pictures!
wow the food looks insanely delicious! and I’m loving the sights~so pretty : DDD
It looks like you and your family are having an amazing time! I hope that when you go home you will share with us what tour group you worked with I would love it for a future reference!
Also that French Onion Soup looks out of this world, enjoy!
I loved Montmartre! It was absoultely so beautiful and quaint!
That crepe looks AMAZING!! I want want so badly right now! I am a teenage girl and have just started my own blog! If you get a chance to check it out, that would be wonderful and I would be so honored! Thank you for being an inspiration for me to start a blog! -Lauren
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Hey Julie! i absolutely L O V E your blog. sometimes i feel like such a stalker! ahah. im supposed to be going to europe this summer. thanks a million for all the great ideas. (: this may sound a little off the wall, but do you eat anything before you workout in the mornings? i prefer it but i can never figure out what to grab that wont make me feel weighed down, is low in calories, and will keep me satisfied till’ breakfast. ?