My husband and I got married during the pandemic.

It was great for keeping our wedding small and intimate, but it meant we had to put off our honeymoon.

But postponing the honeymoon meant we could save up some money and take a trip we really wanted to take. After a lot of waffling back and forth, we finally booked a 10 day trip in Paris and Amsterdam.

I’d been to both destinations and was so excited to show Brandon these cities that I knew he would love.

Arrival Day

We took an overnight flight from Toronto to Paris – overnight flights are always rough for me, as I historically haven’t been able to sleep on planes. So we arrived, took a minute to figure out the transit system, and hopped on a train to our hotel.

Of course, we checked into the hotel and immediately passed out.

We stayed at Le Lapin Blanc, a boutique hotel in the 6th arrondissement of Paris.

It was absolutely adorable! I loved our room – the bed was so comfy, and I love a good bathtub.

After a short nap to adjust to the new timezone, we took the afternoon to explore our neighbourhood and grab a bite to eat. We wandered up to Shakespeare and Company and snapped a quick photo with the Notre Dame Cathedral then grabbed a latte to enjoy on our walk around Jardin du Luxembourg.

We were so glad that such a beautiful park was only a 5-minute walk from the hotel.

Dinner that night was donuts from C’est Mon Donuts – I love a lazy dinner on a trip. Brandon and I got back to the hotel and crashed, desperate for a good sleep.

Day One: Jardin du Luxembourg and the Catacombs

Our first full day in Paris set such a lovely tone for our honeymoon.

First, we grabbed our first real meal at Rosemonde by Patrol: a croissant benedict that really raised my expectations for what we’d be eating on this trip. The experience was idyllic – sitting at a tiny round table out front of a Parisian cafe.

But I also felt bad when the French-speaking waiter needed to find his colleague who could serve us in English.

I know a decent amount of French, but I’m very slow. So it’s not practical in these types of settings.

Then Brandon and I spent the morning walking through the Jardin du Luxembourg, and just really taking in the gorgeous summer weather. This was probably my favourite part of the whole trip. No activities, no rushing or stressing, just enjoying being together on a beautiful, sunny day in Paris.

We did have tickets to visit the Catacombs later that afternoon, so we started walking towards our destination.

The Catacombs was the attraction that encouraged Brandon to add Paris to our honeymoon – originally we were thinking just Amsterdam, but he’s a fan of history and spooky vibes, so this was a must-visit.

It was very cool, albeit eerie, to walk down a narrow spiral staircase into the passageways under Paris lined with skulls and bones. We took moments every few minutes to remember each person who remained in these passages.

The nice thing about this trip was that Brandon and I were able to set our own pace. By the time we’d walked back to our hotel, we were in need of a nap. So we spent the afternoon resting until dinnertime.

Our first dinner in Paris was at Le Choupinet, nearly a 5 minute walk from the hotel. I chose it because it would be convenient, but I didn’t expect the food to be so incredible. Maybe in Paris, the food is incredible everywhere.

I had French onion soup and some pretty tasty chicken with mashed potatoes. Food that put me directly into a food coma.

After a long day of walking, we both crashed into bed. Saving energy for the rest of the vacation ahead of us.