I remember being a little girl and seeing the Eiffel Tower in a picture.  I took the picture to my parents and asked if we could visit it.  They laughed and told me I could definitely visit it one day but at that time I would probably have more fun going to Disney World or Sesame Place.  Last week I finally made my trip to visit the tower.  It was all I could imagine and more.

I just got back from spending seven days in Paris.  It was just as magical as it has always seemed in movies and one television.  Yet, it was also as comfortable as taking a walk down my block in Brooklyn.  Maybe I was a French girl in a past life.  Who knows?  I stayed at a small boutique hotel (Hotel Innova) in the Montparnasse section of Paris.  My experience with European hotels have been good and bad so I was a little nervous about what to expect.  Walking into the lobby I was impressed.

The staff was helpful and the room was okay.  Not the Four Seasons (saving that for the next trip!) but it was comfortable for the extent of my vacation.

My trip was everything I could have asked for and more (except that the currency exchange rate made it VERY difficult to shop).

I partied at the Elysee Monmartre (yes, the place they mentioned in The Roots’ Things Fall Apart song).  Let me say that I spend a lot of time at NYC parties but I haven’t been to a party as good as that one in ages.  The DJ  was EXCELLENT.  He kept everyone dancing and vibing the whole night (and their nights are even longer than NYC nights).  The drinks apparently were stronger than they look.  The bottle prices were extremely reasonable.  And there it seemed that everyone was there to have fun.  I know I had a blast.

My other favorite night spot was Club 79.  It had an English speaking bartender named Stephanie (hi Steph!).  The music there was almost as good as at the Elysee and when the drinks keep coming for free you don’t question how strong they are! Double shots of Grey Goose anyone???

Of course I did more than just party.  I went to visit the Louvre.

It is an AMAZING museum.  There was so much to see.  My favorite exhibit was an Egyptian exhibit they had.  I saw and took pictures of the Mona Lisa and wondered what the big deal about her is.  It’s a nice picture but there were so many more breathtaking pictures present that I just don’t get the hype.

The Eiffel Tower took my breath away.  It is such a massive structure with an interesting history (google it).  I was kind of sad I didn’t make it to the Gustav Eiffel exhibit at on of the museums.  He’s the engineer that designed the tower.

The Wall For Peace designed by Clara Halter was a happy discovery.  I hadn’t heard of the wall prior to my visit but was inspired by it.  It features columns and glass walls that are inscribed with the word PEACE in numerous languages.  It is such a simple message that so many people still can’t understand.  PEACE.  Being the geek I am I further researched this monument and learned that it is one of three.  There is also the Gates of Peace in Hiroshima and the Peace Tower is Saint Petersburg.

(this is only part of it)

I wouldn’t be the Urban Diva if I didn’t talk about the fashion and the shopping experience in Paris.  I was impressed with a number of the men’s looks.  They seemed stylish.  The women were a huge disappointment for me.  They didn’t seem stylish or even trendy for the most part.  And it broke my heart that their shoe game was not on point!  The stores!!! Loved them.  The Louis Vuitton store was GORGEOUS from the outside and very busy and bright on the inside.  The prices in Euros were actually rather reasonable (unfortunately the Dollar is looking like a Peso right now).  Gucci was sooooooooooooooooo special.  I wanted to take home about half of the store and definitely every jacket they had, especially the python one that cost 20k Euro.  The staff in Gucci was so friendly and the look of the store so sophisticated.  Nicholas, I’m coming back to shop soon.

The only downside of my trip was when American Airlines cancelled my trip coming home and I ended up on a connecting flight that ended up getting delayed on the layover causing my return trip to be about 18 hours long

Til next time…besos babe!!!