The inimitable light of Paris
Our ten days in France continues...
Ahhh, Paris! One of my favorite places in the world. It is always such a pleasure to visit the City of Light, and this trip was no exception. There's something about Paris in the Spring that just can't be beat.
Ahhh, Paris! One of my favorite places in the world. It is always such a pleasure to visit the City of Light, and this trip was no exception. There's something about Paris in the Spring that just can't be beat.
Owen and I arrived in Paris on the Thursday afternoon of our trip, and we braved colder temperatures and a light rain to check out Nôtre Dame and a bit of the Left Bank before the evening set in.
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| Great staircase in Shakespeare & Company Bookstore |
The Louvre and the Palais Royale
Friday morning saw us off bright and early to check out the Louvre. I had been to the Louvre on a couple of previous visits, but this was a top to-do for Owen for his first time in Paris (and rightly so!), so we made a morning of it. Owen was impressed by the size of the Louvre (huge!) and the variety of art (paintings, Greek sculpture, Roman glasswork, ancient Egyptian artifacts, Middle Eastern tile work, and moooore!)
It was a great morning, capped off by a delicious visit to the Belle Epoque salon-café, Angelina, on the rue de Rivoli for their decadent hot chocolate and pastries. Their hot chocolate is thick and topped with real whipped cream. In short, the only way hot chocolate should be! Angelina's chocolat chaud is only to be matched by the hot chocolate at another such salon-café in Lyon, France, and by my favorite coffee place in Walla Walla, Washington, of all places! I was in heaven. It was also nice to get a sitting break and a sugar boost after walking through the Louvre and checking out all the art for three hours. ;)
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| One of my favorites at the Louvre |
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| This place was so delicious, we went back a 2nd time for brunch! |
After our pastry/hot chocolate break, we started to wander north. The first point of interest was the Palais Royale, with its funky courtyard and beautiful garden.
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| Posing on interesting pedestals |
One of the best things about Paris is that every time I go there, I still see new things! One of the new things for me this trip (besides Angelina) was to visit some of the famous, old-school shopping passages in town. There are a good number of them hidden amidst the Parisian buildings, and it was fun to search out and explore a couple of them. I'd love to see more of them the next time I'm in Paris, but from the sounds of it, these are two of the most classic.
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| The cutest bookshop! |
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| :) |
On Saturday, we explored Montmartre, which included a stop to my favorite bakery in the neighborhood, Coquelicot, for fresh pastries. We then made our way to Sacre Coeur and took a walk through the inside, after which we wandered the gorgeous streets on the hill and found ourselves in a cute corner brasserie for a break and a café crème. The best!
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| At the "Wall of 'je t'aime'" |
As we made our way down the hill back toward the Seine and the 2nd arrondissement (where we were staying), we made a quick stop into the Musée National Gustave Moreau - I had to see the staircase! I had stumbled upon photos of this staircase months ago, and I was eager to photograph it (and walk up and down it). It is gorgeous and one-of-a-kind.
Another excellent aspect of the trip was being able to catch up with one of my good friends, who lives in Paris. We really only get to catch up in person when I go to France every couple of years, so we made the most of the visit and packed in some great time together! O and I had drinks and amazing dinners out with him, him and his wife, and him and a friend from work, and I was also treated to an adventure to a secret reserve whiskey cave in the 2nd - he knew I'd love it, and he was right on the money!
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| Old Scotch, mmhmmmmmmm. |
This place was like bar-ception; a bar within a bar within a bar. On the main floor is a fancy sake bar, downstairs in the basement is a hip whiskey-cocktail bar, and adjacent to that is a secret, only-some-people-know-about-it, sweet-talk-the-bartender-to-get-in super reserve special whiskey cave! This place was amazing! We were three of only seven people in this hidden part of the bar, so it was quiet and the vibe was perfect for mulling over some incredible drams of Single Malt Scotch. Hallelujah!
My friend, his colleague, and I all wound up trying very different Scotches from among the incredible selection, and each one had a gorgeous palate going on in its own way. I tried a 15-year reserve Laphroaig that was no longer in production and was a dream to sip. What a treat! I will long remember this spot, and definitely hope to make another venture here on a future trip to Paris. Cheers to my friend for showing O and I an excellent time while in Paris and for making great recommendations (and reservations) for dinner and drinks throughout the week! We had a blast with him!
Of course, no trip to Paris is complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower. However, we did go a whole 2.5 days without seeing anything of her, which I think is pretty impressive. How do you avoid such a giant tower, and in Paris?! Anyway, she's beautiful, and Owen and I enjoyed walking around the Champs de Mars and the neighboring avenue de la Bourdonnais with its idyllic boulevard and views of the tower. It was a gorgeous morning on Sunday, too, so the lighting was just perfect. I absolutely love how morning light jumps right off the sides of the buildings in Paris, especially in the Spring.
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| Look at those blossoms!!! |
Another one of the last places we visited was the Marais and my favorite, Place des Vosges. This has been a family favorite Parisian location for decades. It was fun to show Owen around and do some shopping.
We also made a visit to another personal and family favorite, Sainte-Chapelle. Owen really liked seeing this cathedral in the afternoon light, for all the stained glass. This space never gets old to visit and contemplate with its 360º brilliance. (Thank goodness for my wide-angle camera lens, too!)
The final stop on our last day in Paris was the Jardin du Luxembourg. The weather was so gorgeous and it seems to have been one of the first real days of Spring to hit Paris this year, so this place was positively packed with people. I had never seen this park so busy before! We still had fun taking a short walk through and watching kids play with the boats on the main pond.
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| Saint-Sulpice church |
I was sad, as always, to have to leave France on Monday afternoon, but it seemed like good timing to return back home (before I decided to stay forever). Owen and I really had a fantastic trip, and I couldn't have asked for better weather or friends to facilitate my introduction of Owen to my favorite country. He loved the visit and is looking forward to seeing more of the country together in the future. Even after a couple of decades of visiting France and frequently seeing new cities and regions, there are still so many areas I'd like to see and explore!
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| A truly great trip with the most wonderful man! |
This trip was a great success, and we're already in the early stages of plotting our next international trip for 2018, but all in good time. For now, we have great photos and wonderful memories (and bellies full of the best food, pastries, and coffee), and a lot of good things to look forward to here in Colorado this spring and summer. Cheers, and à bientôt, la France!
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