travel – Gathering of Lines

Posted on July 14, 2019July 14, 2019 by Kathy

Travel: The Best Places to Visit in Paris

As a woman who didn’t leave the United States/Canada until the age of twenty, visiting Paris felt like touching ground on a different planet. The artist, and art lover, inside of me was in heaven. Here are some of the best places to visit in Paris.

Travel blog Paris. Exploring Paris. Gathering of Lines. Top places to visit in Paris.

From the gold statues on the Paris Opera House, to the gardens of the Tuileries, to the seemingly endless works at the Louvre, Paris is a testament to what human minds and human hands can create.

The Best Places to Visit in Paris

Trocadéro

The image of the Eiffel Tower at night (above) was taken at Trocadéro. This place offers unobstructed views and there is a great café called Café Kléber (link here) where you can have a delicious meal while you take in the scenery.

Onion soup at cafe kleber in Paris. Dining in Paris. — Onion soup at Café Kléber.

Paris Opera House (Opéra National de Paris)

Opéra National de Paris or Paris Opera House -Gathering of Lines Travel. — Detail of the Paris Opera House (*Opéra National de Paris*)

We did not see an Opera here (definitely a goal for the next time we visit!) but the architecture is so spectacular that it’s worth a visit. (Photo above)

The Louvre and Tuileries Gardens

Paris travel guide - the louvre. Best places to visit in Paris. — The Louvre – Paris

Detail of the Louvre - Gathering of lines travel guide — Detail of the exterior of the Louvre

The Louvre is home to many priceless works of art (Including the Mona Lisa and the Victory of Samothrace). Link to museum website is here. Here is an article that details some top works to see during your visit (link here).

Before or after your visit to the Louvre, it’s worth it to stop at the Tuileries Gardens. The gardens are located adjacent to the Louvre and are a great place to soak up Paris.

The Arc de Triomphe

Sacré-Cœur Basilica

Sacré-Cœur Basilica is one of the best places to visit in Paris because it yields three beautiful sites. First, the Basilica itself is incredible and also free most days (website located here for more information). Second, it is also located in Montmartre, the highest point in Paris with beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower and the entire city. Montmartre has been home to many famous artists including Picasso, Monet, Renoir, and Degas. This article details some of Montmarte’s former residents (link here). It was truly surreal to walk the streets where many famous artists had lived, worked, and found inspiration. Third, many artists live their today and sell their artwork which is a great souvenir to take home.

The Eiffel Tower

I mentioned Trocadéro as a great place for a meal and view of the Eiffel Tower but visiting the Eiffel Tower, and taking the elevator to the top, is a necessary part of any first-time trip to Paris. I recommend signing up for a day tour because tour groups get to skip the long line. When I was there, the line was a 3-hour wait for the elevator to the top, but since we were with a tour, we got straight in with no wait. The tour we took included both a ticket to the top of the Eiffel Tower and a cruise along the Seine where you get an unparalleled view of Notre Dame Cathedral. They also picked us up from our hotel which was convenient. We used city discovery (link to the skip the line tour and Seine river cruise is here).

Place de la Madeleine Square

This square is gorgeous and a great place to pick up gifts and souvenirs that are of the non-touristy variety. Shops include Nicolas for fine wines and champagnes, Hediard, and the famous Fauchon delicatessen (perfect for legendary macarons). Link to Fauchon is here.

Other places to visit

If you’ve got time, Monet’s Garden in Giverny is worth the trip. It’s not far from Paris and there are tours that pick you up at your hotel and bring you back. Any art lover will love the experience of being in the garden where Monet painted his famous works.
Château de Versailles
Champs-Élysées
Musée d’Orsay
The Paris Catacombs

One last restaurant recommendation

Bistrot Paul Bert is an authentic bistro experience that we greatly enjoyed on our last trip. We got the steak au poivre (photo above) and it was delicious. Link to an article about the restaurant is here. Note- their hours change sometimes.

A note about getting around Paris

One negative experience we had was with a cab driver who seemed to take us for a ride to get extra cash (as it was evident that we were tourists). For the most part, we utilized the Paris Metro to get around. It was inexpensive and easy to navigate. This website has great information about getting around by subway – link here.

Thank you for stopping by Gathering of Lines Home Design. I hope you enjoyed this travel journal about the best places to visit in Paris! Check out my last travel piece about Washington, D.C. (Link here).

Posted on June 22, 2019 by Kathy

Travel: Washington, D.C.

Gathering of lines family travel ideas washington dc

gathering of lines family travel ideas — Lincoln Memorial

This is the perfect place for a family vacation with active young children. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do is to be stuck in a tiny hotel room with an active 2 year old on a rainy day trying to figure out what to do. D.C. is great because if it’s a nice day, you can explore the many outdoor monuments and memorials. If it’s rainy, you can visit the FREE Smithsonian museums (museum admission is free to many museums in D.C.).

washington monument family travel ideas — Washington Monument

The D.C. metro is easy to navigate and a wonderful way to explore the city with your family. We stayed at the Hyatt Place Arlington Courthouse (link here), and took the metro all over the city. It was a fast way to see a lot in a short amount of time.

Jefferson memorial family travel ideas — Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Because we had an active 2 year old on this trip, we didn’t focus too much on the food. (Though D.C. has many amazing restaurants). We had the free breakfast at our hotel and went for inexpensive and fast eating mainly subs, pizza, salads, etc at places where you order, get your food and sit down. (No waiting for a waitress). This helped our little one have more patience for other waiting situations during the trip (waiting for the metro, or waiting to get into a museum).

National Air and Space Museum family travel ideas — National Air and Space Museum

My son’s favorite place was the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (link here). After one of his naps, the first thing he said was, “Go see Neptune again.”

Lincoln Memorial, Washinton D.C. family travel ideas

National Archives Washington, D.C. — National Archives

One of my husband’s favorite parts of the trip was seeing the Constitution at the National Archives.

Gathering of Lines Travel Ideas National Gallery of Art

My favorite places were the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. (Both had free admission!).

What are your favorite places to visit with your family? What are your tips for making it a great trip? Let me know in the comments below!

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Kathy

Travel: Toledo Botanical Gardens

Home decor and travel go hand in hand. What better photographs and accessories to use in your home than ones that remind you of a great trip with your friends and family?

Black and white peony photograph Gathering of Lines travel and artwork — Black and white peony – Gathering of Lines

You don’t have to buy a plane ticket to have a travel experience or create great art.

Pink peony photograph Gathering of Lines travel and artwork — Pink Peony – Toledo Botanical Gardens. Gathering of Lines Travel and Home Design

This past weekend, my family and I took a little stroll around the Toledo Botanical Gardens.

Purple flower photograph Gathering of Lines travel and artwork — Purple flower – Gathering of Lines

Here are some of my tips for taking a great photograph that you can use as artwork in your home:

Zoom in. This is especially great with nature, the purple flower above looks like a watercolor painting rather than a photograph.
Use the black and white setting on your phone. This can add a romance to your photograph and also helps cover up some imperfections (for example a petal that may be brown/decaying or to mask a red sunburn on your face).
Take pictures of flowers or trees that have a double meaning. Did you carry peonies at your wedding? Did your beloved Grandma always love violets? Does your Aunt Rose always give you a laugh? These double meanings will make you smile every time you pass the picture in the hallway.
Make sure interesting parts of the photograph intersect with the edges of the frame. For example – if you’re taking a photograph of a tree, make sure the tree trunk and branches lead your eye around to all four sides of the photograph. This is pleasing to the eye and helps your eye to move around the composition.

Tree and sky photograph gathering of lines travel — Make sure interesting parts of the photograph intersect with 3 or 4 sides of the frame.

Thank you for stopping by Gathering of Lines! Do you want to see more tips for photography and creating your own art? Let me know in the comments below and tag me on Instagram – I’d love to see your pics!