Paris is Always a Good Idea

  'Mine was the twilight and the morning. Mine was a world of rooftops and love songs.' {Roman Payne}

'Paris is always a good idea.' {Audrey Hepburn}

I first fell in love with Paris watching Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina. To a young girl sitting at home in the Highlands, Paris seemed the epitome of elegance. Of faded grandeur, style, history, and adventure.I'm lucky enough to have visited this wonderful city three times so far. The first time was with my mum while I was still in high school. We stayed in a gorgeous little apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower, mooched around the art galleries, and I bought a little black dress in Galeries Lafayette. My inner Hepburn was gleeful.The second time was with my boyfriend during university. We rushed around embracing the touristy side of Paris - munching baguettes on the Eiffel Tower, admiring the Mona Lisa, gliding along the Seine on the bateaux mouches. It was a fun-filled, busy trip and I vowed that the next time we'd take a slower pace.Which brings me to this trip. Paris in the spring, with idle plans and plenty of time to seek out blossom trees, enjoy every hidden nook and crannie, every off-beat hipster cafe, and to spend hours browsing the shelves of Shakespeare & Co.

'Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise.' {W.B. Yeats}

Ah, Shakespeare & Co -  a literary institution if ever there was one. They don't allow photography inside, so you'll just have to trust me when I say that this warren of a bookshop is an absolute gem. Books line every inch of wall space (Harry Potter fans, you couldn't get much closer to Flourish & Blotts if you tried) and the shop will house aspiring writers and artists in exchange for their help around the shop. We went at around 11am and there was a queue out the door. Take my advice (if you like!) - walk away, stroll the Notre Damn and the bouquinistes lining the Siene, and come back in the evening when the crowds have thinned.

Thanks to the power of Instagram, I set off to Paris armed with the most incredible list of recommendations. Social media gets a hard time, but I've never experienced anything other than warmth and friendliness - particularly on Instagram. People are so kind and so willing to share advice and recommendations. If you're travelling to Paris anytime soon, have a browse through the comments on this post!This is already a picture-heavy post, but here are some of my favourites that I can't bear not to share!

'When spring comes to Paris the humblest mortal alive must feel that he dwells in paradise.' {Henry Miller}

'There are only two places in the world where we can live happy: at home and in Paris.' {Ernest Hemingway}

'We'll always have Paris.' {Howard Koch}

 'I like the Eiffel Tower because it looks like steel and lace.' {Natalie Lloyd}

And that's a wrap! If you made it this far, thank you for sticking with me. I took so many photos it was almost impossible to narrow it down... In fact, I think I'll share a few more in my next post (including our trip to Versailles) because, really, can you ever have too much Paris?