Happy Friday! And boy, is it ever, because WE WOKE UP IN PARIS! 🌟 Sure, we didn’t sleep much, but who needs sleep when you’ve got jetlag and croissants? Today was our first test of the mysterious Paris QR codes we applied for weeks in advance. If you caught my last post, you’ll know tourism is waaaaay down—and honestly, this might be why. You need a QR code to move around the city, and let me tell you, it’s not exactly a walk in the park to get one. We applied online, then anxiously waited for those golden tickets (a.k.a. QR codes) to hit our inboxes. And the kicker? You have to carry the same ID you used for the QR code application everywhere, because security is TIGHT thanks to the Olympics.

But hey, perks! 🎉 We got to stroll down Pont d'Iéna with an unobstructed, human-free view of the Eiffel Tower. Imagine: the Seine, all to ourselves, except for a few police officers who were still figuring out how to use the QR codes themselves (gotta love it). We also got up close and personal with the Olympic setups—think seats on the Seine, stadiums near the Eiffel Tower, and even more stadiums near the Louvre. It was kind of cool and totally a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

After a 45-minute walk along the Seine (we’re getting those steps in, people!), we arrived at the Petit Palais for a quick wander. Then, we moved past the super-shut-down Place de la Concorde and found our way to the Quai des Tuileries so we could finally hit up our first major stop of the day: the Musée de l'Orangerie (Spoiler: they don’t have oranges. We checked).

We chilled by the Bassin Octogonal, waiting for Belle, our tour guide, who was about to give us the art experience of a lifetime. And guess what? Our entire group canceled (probably didn’t get their QR codes in time—suckers!), so it was just us and Belle for a private tour! She’s an art theory and history buff who gave us a goosebump-inducing tour of Monet’s Water Lilies. Picture it: empty rooms, just us and those mesmerizing murals. Belle’s passion for art was so contagious that even museum employees were sneaking in to join our tour!

We wrapped up back at the Water Lilies to see how the light had changed since earlier. Fun fact: Monet’s Water Lilies symbolize his retreat into nature and his obsession with capturing its essence. As you trace the evolution of his Water Lilies over three decades, you can literally watch Monet’s style unfold. He ditched traditional perspective and focused on the surface of the pond, creating a vision so dazzling and daring that it changed the art world forever. It was an unforgettable morning.

Lunchtime! 🍝 Our rumbling tummies led us to Pink Mamma in the 18th Arrondissement, and let me just say…WOW. I have no words.

Actually, yes I do: Holy. Shit. Wow. Unreal. Perfection.

I didn’t know pasta could be this good, especially since we’re in France, not Italy! We started with the Giant Burrata (no joke, that’s what it’s called on the menu), which came with green olive oil and their homemade focaccia. SO GOOD. Evan went for the steak and potatoes, while I devoured the truffle pasta that quite literally changed my life. I’m flying back to Paris just for that pasta. No exaggeration. We topped it all off with a delicious blood orange sorbet dessert. Seriously, everything was perfect.

No complaints. Not a single one.

Next, we headed to Sacré-Cœur and hopped on a little train for a tour around Montmartre, including a peek at the Moulin Rouge. Then, we hiked (yep, hiked!) up over 300 steps in the teeeeeeniest, tiniest stairwell. No regrets, but never again—small spaces and I are not friends. Cute signs along the way showed us how far we’d climbed, which was equal parts encouraging and infuriating because, honestly, we just wanted to get to the top already! The view from up there?

Worth every step. We soaked it in for a while before heading back down for some well-deserved gelato topped with a macaron. YUM. 🍦 I even bought macaron socks because, why not?