We haven’t stopped fantasizing about Cinque Terre since we left- it’s heaven on earth. It’s a popular daytrip from Tuscany or Pisa, and cruise ships dock in Livorno or La Spezia, but I’m going to shoot you straight- if you want the full Cinque Terre experience, you have to stay in one of the towns.
I’m still pinching myself over our amazing trip to Europe. Two and a half weeks in Paris and Barcelona was the babymoon of my dreams, and I feel so lucky that we were able to fit it in to our crazy spring schedule. (And I do mean crazy- we came home just in time to start unpacking before David’s ankle reconstruction surgery!)
Before I get into recapping our trip, I wanted to share a bit about our flight (we flew on Norwegian Air’s aptly named new Dreamliner, and it was so SO nice) and the in-flight habits i rely on to make long-haul travel just a little easier.
This blush and black ensemble has been one of my favorites lately. I’ve worn it to multiple birthday dinners, including my own, and to a handful of pageant events in different cities. When I like an outfit, I have no problem repeating and remixing for different audiences.
One of those times, before our friend Mike’s birthday dinner, I got to feel all fancy as Janah got my face all glowy and prettified. It felt so luxurious to relax and laugh while someone else did the work, and she was so fun to hang with!
We went for a dewy look, nothing too heavy, and I loved the way it all came out. I’m wearing these three highlighters, this lipstick, and double-stacked lashes.
I’d been lusting after this Givenchy cape when I found this cape blazer online, at Target of all places! It’s from the Who What Wear collection there. Once I spotted the blazer, I scoured the collection and grabbed the skirt (the blush is sold out!) as well. Each was under $40, so pretty painless.
Y’all know I’m all about the accessories. I’ve been obsessed with my north star earrings since I got them for my birthday, and I added a pearl ring as well. My heels are Betsey Johnson from several years ago, but the blush straps, black lace accent and classic style are totally still in my rotation.
similar skirt, shinier, maxi version under $40 // top // similar cape blazer, another only $26! // ring // earrings // purse //
loveRavayna
Choosing what to pack and wear in Paris and Barcelona was a daunting task. Visiting such epic style capitals, I wanted to look pulled together, but realistically needed a wardrobe that would be comfortable for long days, crazy amounts of walking, and temperatures ranging from 38-86′. Though I checked a bag, I kept it light/ left room for souvenirs. David almost always carries my bags when we travel together (especially up four flights of spiral stairs), but on principle, I don’t travel with more than I can manage myself.
I wanted to pack a capsule of clothes that intermixed well, layered effectively for warmth, was versatile to accommodate our unplanned time, and felt equally chic and comfortable. A reformed overpacker, I really tried to streamline for this trip- and I succeeded, because 6 pair of shoes for more than two weeks is a major accomplishment for Imelda right here.
Gap sweater, Asos sweater (similar), Target cardigan (similar), H&M jeweled sweater (similar)
Old Navy chambray, lipstick print blouse, SheIn buffalo plaid flannel [size up!], Topshop scalloped shell. Old Navy black and red-striped long-sleeved shirts, black and grey tees. James Perse white, Petit Bateau striped, Zara yellow teeshirts
Kenley Collins for Unique Vintage skirt , homemade tulle tutu skirt (similar), American Eagle floral skirt (similar). Hue leggings, Old Navy midrise Rockstars, JBrand coated skinnies
Forever 21 maxi (similar), Asos silk dress (similar), Kate Spade Saturday striped (similar), H&M lace (similar) dresses
Tulle coat via Hautelook (similar), SheIn cape, sole society scarf, kate spade purses
Converse, Victoria’s Secret heels (similar), grey and black booties, similar gold sandals, similar metallic tennies.
… for a chilly morning flea marketing in Vanves, soaking in the sunshine between museums, accessorized with pearls and sheer glee at being in Paris.
… topped with one of David’s shirts (capsule wardrobe freebie!) to shop, all fancified for date night at Tickets, graphic pops of red for exploring and simply layered for a morning of outdoor art.
… with a little sparkle for dinner in Montmartre, windblown and undone by the water, hiding bike shorts underneath stripes {RIP Kate Spade Saturday}, and florals to flirt shamelessly with my sweet husband.
… bundled up in black but always with a bright lip, keeping it super-simple for supper, layering my favorite basics for a look that’s anything but, stacking texture and patterns in claret and cream.
…and mixed and remixed lots of other ways. You can use the sidebar tags [off to the right] for Paris and Barcelona to see what I wore where. If you are packing for a long or varied trip, I hope this helpful. My best advice is to bring half of what you want, culling the duplicates. You’ll always have room in your bag for new purchases should you find the need to shop!
This was such an amazing trip, and reminiscing over it as I blogged has been so lovely. I’m dying to go back already, but we have lots of upcoming travel planned and a few weekend getaways to share….
loveRavayna
Our Europe trip was my first experience with international train travel, and I loved it! Having preordered our TGV tickets, it was fabulous not to check in hours before departure, to pass through gorgeous countryside, and to arrive and depart in city centers rather than the outskirts of town.
En route to Paris, we’d planned for train time happy hour, so we had cava and incredible Spanish snacks for our moving movie date. I cheesily insisted on Amèlie, but David drew the line at Moulin Rouge. On the return trip to Barcelona, we breakfasted on pastries and the best of our remaining French fridge contents – blood orange mimosas for the win! Our car was mostly empty, so we stretched out and slept, since we’d left the Marais for Gare de Lyon before sunrise, and had a bonus half-day in Barcelona ahead before our latenight flight.
We stashed our suitcases in lockers at Sants and then hopped straight onto the metro for a last lap of our Barcelona favorites. We hit a few shops before Can Paixano, and it was so jam-packed that we took our wine and meal to the Parc de la Ciutadella. It was lovely to have a leisurely lunch, to sit and soak in the Spanish sunshine on our last afternoon of vacation. We took a last long walk around the city, before returning to La Boqueria for one more fabulous dinner (and plane snacks, obvi). Bellies full, we fetched our bags at the train station and were bound for the airport.
You may recall that I found an incredible deal on plane tickets. Real talk- they were such a steal because the timing and flight patterns were far from fantastic, including a midnight BCN departure and connections through Moscow. For the geographically unfamiliar, Russia is well past mainland Europe and connecting there’s a total timewaster. But half price was worth the few hours, so off to kill time in the rather underdeveloped Moscow airport we went. Side note: I actually wanted a much longer layover and to explore Moscow, but the single day visas for Americans were SO prohibitively expensive, we couldn’t justify many hundred dollars for the one day.
Vending machines of Putin teeshirts were just one of many amusing things we encountered during our airport explorations. People-watching and snack and souvenir shopping were both quality entertainment. The eateries were pretty spare, with some businesses closed and others renovating, so frozen yogurt and Burger King (for the first time in decades- it was freshly made and honestly better than we remembered) were our snack pack reinforcements.
On our return leg, we had a gorgeous sunrise landing into a 5 hour layover at SVO. We promptly checked into the V Express capsule hotel in Terminal E. There, the princely sum of about $50 afforded us a ‘business triple,’ a simple, super clean, cruiseship-reminiscent room and private bathroom. We put our feet up, snacked and stretched, then passed out for a good long nap. We woke to shower, then checked out and boarded our flight back to LA. It was a really convenient stopgap, even though I used up all the hot water on David… oopsie.
Speaking of rest, it was nearly midnight by the time we had cleared customs upon arrival in Barcelona, so we spent just that first night at an Ibis hotel. We just wanted inexpensive, clean, comfy,and central, and it was nice to get a good sleep and shower before checking into our apartment and getting acquainted with the city. We rented both our apartments from Airbnb, as we tend to do. Our Barcelona flat was phenomenal: huge, beautifully kept and very professionally managed- a few blown lightbulbs were replaced within hours. Our Paris apartment, not so much. We expected it to be petite, with a fourth floor walk up, and a big window overlooking the lively street. We didn’t expect it to be dim, a bit grim, and filled to the brim with the owner’s belongings (David lived out of his open suitcase, I cleaned off a few bookshelves to unpack into), the shower drain to be clogged, or the owner to be generally unconcerned with responding to us or water damage in his bathroom. But c’est la vie- it was rather inexpensive and we loved its location in the heart of the Marais.
And, because I love some listmaking, a 5×4 on our time in Europe.
loveRavayna
After our morning shoot, we headed back to the Marais, grabbing macarons on the way but intent on a good midday nap. When we woke, we grabbed some lunch (including the best couscous I’ve ever had) at the nearby Marche des Enfants Rouges. Fueled and fed, we had one afternoon left to enjoy Paris.
We decided to spend it in true Parisian fashion, so we did a little walking and shopping, and then headed into the 10th to explore along the canals, skip some pebbles Ameliè-style, and enjoy the beautiful day.
Some of my favorite parts of any trip are the time we spend surrounded by locals rather than tourists. It was really lovely to just sit among them canalside, and drinking wine alfresco in the middle of the day always feels so very luxurious. I was a little sulky thinking about our impending departure, but after such a wonderful whirlwind, I just wanted to stay in Paris forever.
Based on tripadvisor reviews, we had purchased tickets to cruise the Seine with Vedettes du Pont Neuf so we made our way to the dock, onto the boat, and were sailing merrily along in no time.
The tour was perfectly fine- the boat was very well kept, and the guide was knowledgeable, but we’ll skip this the next time we visit Paris. Perhaps it’s because we were already acquainted with most of the highlighted sights, or that we aren’t fond of the cattle-herd feel of group tours, but we pretty much just went in a little loop. Other than taking a few pictures, which is way more David’s jam (obviously) than mine, it was a bit boring. 
It was nice to see things from another perspective, though. And our feet certainly appreciated the respite- according to David’s Fitbit, we had walked just over a hundred miles across Barcelona and Paris in the preceding weeks.
It was nearing dinnertime when we disembarked, so we walked through the Ile de la Cite towards the sidewalk bistro table that awaited us. For my final Parisian meal, I specifically wanted a platter of French cheeses. Astier was another stellar recommendation from David Leibovitz, and I charmed the darling maitre’d into bringing the cheese platter for my appetizer rather than dessert. It was a vision of epic beauty.
So I promptly and gleefully demolished the vast majority of it. Seriously, I had room left for just a few bites of our flatiron steak and kidneys- I was fat and happy and full of cheese! We lingered past dusk, chatting with servers as they lit candles on our tabletop.
We took dessert home to our little flat, where we drank wine, packed, and prepped for the early morning TGV back to Barcelona and our return to the States that night.
loveRavayna
David indulged me with and on this entire trip, but especially our last full day in Paris. Despite preferring his pillow to a photo shoot, he was obliging and even enthusiastic when we woke at sunrise to run around the heart of Paris with Lisa Bouanna in tow.
Inspired by a sorority sister who hired a photographer while visiting Paris with her husband, I realized how special photos from this trip could be. I connected with Lisa via Instagram, and we exchanged a few emails before making arrangements to meet up.
We met Lisa very early in the morning, planning to breakfast after. We made the prudent choice to stave off sleepy eyes and yawns by stopping for our daily café crème. #liveauthentic and all that jazz, sleepyheads needed coffee.
A little caffeine perked us right up, it seems.
We paid the check and headed towards the Seine, meandering over when we approached one of the wide wooden bridge.
We were a little giddy and were skipping (I can’t run, so I skip) and frolicking and being entirely silly. Acting a fool is one of our favorite pastimes, and we were laughing at ourselves so hard!
The sun came out to play on our shoot day. When we’d been packing and prepping at home more than two weeks prior, weather reports had predicted blustery winds and highs in the 50s, so I planned sweaters, scarves, and gloves. But the weather grew warmer and more beautiful each day of our trip, and I found myself eyeing our suitcase contents (more on those to come) to pull together a spontaneous look.
But it really didn’t matter what we wore. Relaxed and romanced by gorgeous city of lights, we were shamelessly smitten, which is no big shock to anyone who knows us.
I loved the ironwork and architecture of the Eiffel Tower long before I ever visited Paris or laid eyes on it. So majestic, more beautiful than I could have imagined, it gave me a little thrill every time I saw it. And these shots make me want to swoon.
When I saw the trees beginning to bloom during our time exploring Paris, I’d hoped we would get a few pictures with them. The Trocadero Gardens were ever so obliging, with the cherry blossom trees all frosted with fluffy pink blossoms.
I’m completely obsessed with the images from this shoot, not gonna lie. I could have shared hundreds. Since David’s perpetually the photographer, we have zillion shots of me but not so many of us together. Paris was such a dream realized for me, and Lisa captured us, in all our silliness and sweetness, so beautifully.
I couldn’t treasure them more.
loveRavayna
If I’m being totally honest, and I sure try to be on my corner of the internet, I went to Europe with an insane ‘to eat’ list and map. I built an agenda alternating activities and snacks, so our fat little fingers were thrilled, and keeping David well-fed encouraged his patience as I dragged him all over creation.
We love falafel, like any good Jews, and were staying right near the Rue du Roisiers. We divided and ordered sandwiches from each Chez Marianne and L’As du Fallafel and had ourselves a head-to-head lunch battle.
L’As du Fallafel was the winner for sure, and I’m not the least bit embarrassed to say we waited in that fast-moving line several more times during our stay, and I’ve definately craved it since. Extra sauce piquante is the way to go, trust.
Chronic sweet tooth that I have, I had to indulge in Angelina‘s lauded hot chocolate. And this might be sacrilegious, but I thought it was just yummy, but not miraculous. I spoil us with rich homemade cocoa, and fresh whipped cream happens often, so my standards are crazy high. Delicious, but not life changing.
But now, Jacques Genin‘s caramels- magical. I had been skeptical of how good overpriced sweets could be… I was wrong, they were better. The pepper and passion fruit-mango varieties were my favorite, but every single flavor (I bought them all) was incredible. The mademoiselle helping me thought it was the most precious thing that David was taking pictures through the window from where he was waiting with our bikes… she gave us some extra treats for our “lune de miel” with a wink, and I didn’t have the heart to correct her.
When we went to Berthillon, David let me pick all the flavors- that’s true love. We took our stacked cones down to the Seine and I devoured my mirabelle plum, passion fruit, and wild strawberry sorbets, as well as David’s pistachio, salted caramel, and pinenut praline ice cream. He thought I was joking when I stopped for a second cone when we passed the storefront again, but it was so creamy and delicious, and I still had more flavors to try!
Pierre Herme ruined lesser macarons for me, forever. Olive oil and mandarin, vanilla-violet-blackcurrant, passion fruit- strawberry rhubarb, yasamine (jasmine, mango, candied grapefruit) and more, I bought bagsful every time we passed a shop. I always intended to save some for later, but never managed to stop myself from nibbling away. Their pastries and pates de fruit were equally as incredible, and I dream of the caneles.
I have a serious love for laminated dough of all kind, so I made a point of eating at least one croissant a day, usually two or three, from as many boulangeries as possible. Pierre Herme’s signature ispahan (rose, raspberry, lychee) was the most fantastic stuffed croissant I encountered in all of Paris. It was even more delicious than it was beautiful, and it was practically a work of art.
I’d have to say that the best classic croissant au beurre was at Gontran Cherrier, a recommendation from Clotilde. Gloriously flaky and shatteringly crisp, I found my napkin sprinkled with pastry shards. The buns and curried bread were also incredible, and the kouign amann and madeleines we took to go all made scrumptious picnic snacks.
I’ve mentioned our neighborhood boulangerie, Poilane, before. Just across from our flat, their wood-fired breads are magnificent, their sourdough renowned, excellent croissants, and baguette to die for. But unsung heroes are their punitions- legendary shortbread cookies, generously dispensed. I’m attempting them at home, and will report back on that.
Maison Kayser‘s pain au cereales was as incredible as rumored, but so was the pain au chocolat. The brioche (both au pralines roses and mousse line) were fantastic as well. I’m certain I ate more carbs in Paris than I had in months, and it was worth every delicious calorie.
I’ve mentioned some of our other meals in specific- fondue, steak, crepes but we really ate so much- everything we possibly could, and more than we photographed! There are so many places I need to return to Paris to try for the first time still, but when I do, I’ll be sure to revisit some of these highlights.
loveRavayna
After such a full day, going back to the flat before supper was super refreshing. Though dinner was just up the street, we were continuing touring after, so I kept it super casual. I’m obsessed with these high-waisted J Brands (it’s hard to tell, but they are deep hunter green), and have these Old Navy metallic tennies in rose gold as well.
Breizh Cafe was well-recommended by friends and strangers, and righteously so. It put all the other crepes I’ve had (both on this trip to Paris and in my lifetime) to shame. The aroma as you were seated was just tantalizing, and the line waiting outside grew and grew as we ate.
We enjoyed such an incredible meal- two different savory crepes topped with runny eggs and an incredible bottle of natural cider. The buckwheat flour was nutty and delicious, especially when it came to dessert, as recommended by my friend David. That third crepe was topped with buckwheat ice cream and drizzled with buckwheat honey, and the coordinating layers of flavor were just perfect.
After that scrumptious meal, I could have gone straight home to bed! But we headed to the Champs Elysee to give the Arc de Triomphe another go-round. It was dark by the time we emerged from the metro, and we headed up the spiral stairs to the top of the glowing Arc.
The view from the top was worth the wait. It was breezy up high, and not too crowded. I felt like I could see clear across glittering Paris. And when it turned the hour and the Eiffel Tower started to sparkle, I couldn’t help sighing at the beauty of it all.
Times like this, I’m grateful for photos, but more so for having had these amazing experiences and treasured memories.
loveRavayna
The second day of our Paris museum pass, we woke early, with plans to climb the towers at Notre Dame, but we were just too sleepy! So we decided to skip the up-close with Quasimodo in favor of snoozing, and that was definately the right decision.
After a little more rest and breakfast, we arrived at the Louvre museum to begin exploring. Though it was hardly even mid-morning, the museum courtyard was packed, and the line was serious. We were again grateful for line-bypass privileges with our museum passes.
Both having visited the museum previously, David and I had planned and selected a few specific exhibits to concentrate our time on. Otherwise, I could stay all day and he’d be intermittently bored to tears and bouncing off the walls.
We began by exploring Napoleon’s glorious apartments. I was pleased to find them relatively empty, so I could take my time gawking and geeking.
I was a starry-eyed magpie in that glowy wing. I’ve never been a royal, but I’m certain I’d be well-suited!
The most incredible gilt work and cut crystal everywhere? I was obsessed. I was scolded at least three times for touching, but I truly couldn’t help it!
Vintage china is one of my weaknesses, so I spent forever inspecting this installation. I swear, David was so patient with me.
When we headed into the Galerie d’Apollon, after which the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles was modeled, it utterly took my breath away.
And when I finally tore myself away from admiring the incredibly detailed artwork and architecture, the French crown jewels were even more stunning up close!
I didn’t expect Winged Victory, to be petite or anything, but the sheer scale of it awed me in person.
Nearing our fill of artwork (and pushy tourists, tbh), we took our leave, but not without a few more pictures… gotta capture the classics!
Ready for a little sunshine and space, we walked into to the Tuileries Garden.
The lawn was crowded with picnicking Parisians. I can’t imagine choosing to eat lunch at a desk when this is an option! We had a lovely meander through the grassy paths to the Orangerie Museum.
Monet’s Waterlilies was the first art to really elicit a feeling in me, when I saw it on a field trip to the Met in the first grade, and I’ve had a special fondness for the series since. We couldn’t make a day trip to Giverny happen (next time!) but I sat there in that gorgeous space, perfectly designed by Monet to exhibit his masterpieces, and felt allll the feels.
Since we’d skipped Notre Dame that morning, we made a point to pass by that afternoon. The courtyard was a bit of a zoo, and the line was ridiculous, but I wa glad for the short visit. Serendipitously, we were in the perfect location when the bells rang, and enjoying them was enough for me.
We made another selfie stop as we walked through the Île de la Cité in the afternoon sunshine. I spent a long time seriously anti-selfie, but I just couldn’t help it- Paris brought out the shameless romantic in me. I blame that tower in the background!
We came across a plain little bridge, and decided it would be the perfect place to leave our tiny lock. I’d been so conflicted about this tradition, but leaned in the direction of sentimentality for once… teenage dreams and all. My bucket list checked off, we walked back to the Marais hand-in-hand.
loveRavayna