I wondered while I wandered.

Exploring is one of my favourite things to do.
Just a whole day in a new city with some comfy shoes, my MP3 player and a decent map and I'm set. I'll head off and intentionally get myself lost just to see what I see along the way.
The Boy is even more of an explorer, taking every opportunity that comes his way to find a new way home or to a new destination, going off what he calls his 'vibe'.

So I guess it's only natural that we would jump at the chance of using our first day off after a month of study to explore our new home (and coincidentally say good bye to our first home in Paris before we moved into the tiniest of tiny apartments).

Paris in Autumn is so incredibly beautiful that it's easy to walk around all day and then when the cold and the tiredness finally takes over to find a snug brasserie to hole up in with a book and a glass of wine.

Autumn leaves on the Seine

Friendly natural art

French delicacies nom nom nom

A rare quiet day at the Arc de Triomphe

Out and about in the Jardins d'Acclimation

Wine at Place Victor Hugo

The first time I came to Europe, right after I graduated from University, I was in such a frenzy to see everything and experience everything that I would leave my hostel every morning with a long list of things I wanted to see. But after a month or two I discovered that although I was ticking a lot of things off my list, I wasn't really enjoying my travels and sightseeing. It was a little hard to focus on Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum when they were in front of me because I was mentally calculating just how much more I had to run around and see still that day.

This time around I'm determined to remedy that. My trusty Lonely Planet guide has been hidden at the back of my cupboard, only to be pulled out when I am heading out to a new, completely unexplored part of the city and am searching for some inspiration - much to the relief of The Boy.