Paris

Paris, my love!

What season is Paris not charming in? “That Paris exists and anyone could choose to live anywhere else in the world will always be a mystery to me..” ( Midnight in Paris) I believe it... I believed it when I went there as a student and believe it now as well.

Paris is dreamy.. it’s whimsical and magical. It gives you hope when you feel confused, it gives you beauty through man made structures which is much more honourable than the concrete jungles we live in. Of course, Paris is not just a city, it’s a lifestyle choice and something that now through the power of social media and acknowledgement of the east... North Americans are starting to understand.

Our trip was tight yet rewarding. FW Luxe ventured to explore Paris like the locals where roaming the streets and falling upon landmarks was the goal. However, the planner in me knew that with the tight time, metro routes and famous spots, it all would have to be casually scheduled just to make sure we could soak in as much Paris as we could.

It was all that it’s said to be, boutique hotels, cosy rooms, delicious breakfasts , divine coffee and constant snacking on cheese platters and lots and lots of bread!

Day 1 consisted of the most delicious coffee, most rich gelato and a quick visit to Galeries Lafayette and just the gorgeous ambiance. Next we hit the Arc de Triomphe, a stroll down Champs Élysées and ended the evening admiring La Seine and the Eiffel Tower right up close.

Day 2 we were more in our tourist mode and after a healthy and robust breakfast at our hotel the Hotel Residence Europe in the Clichy district - we hit our next locations. The good thing was we were usually half hour away by metro/ RER/ bus to anywhere we wanted to go. Far enough to keep the cost low but still experience the charm of Paris and close enough to make it to all the places we wanted to visit.

St.Michel and St.Germain are two areas that have all the cobble stone streets, coffee shops, music playing, delicious treats at every corner and lots and lots of charming shops. We spent many hours walking around and just taking in the picturesque spots, did some European shopping and visited Shakespeare and Company. They had the cutest activity outside the bookstore, poems on demand and right across the place- Notre Dame. Of course, with the recent renovation it was still magnificent to see and experience.

We ended the evening with visiting Cafe de Flore and had the most rich hot chocolate at Les Deux Magots. For all us Starbucks lovers, these cafes were where great writers spent their days writing and producing the great works of this world. It was an honour to sit amongst Parisians and street watch the city go by...

Day 3 was rainy.... but Paris in the rain is still Paris. We had drizzling here and there but nothing to stop us from venturing out and hitting local shops. We ventured our way to the famous Rue de Rivoli and had lunch at Le Carrousel right infront of the Hotel Regina. The street has a mix of high end fashion with tourist type of deals. Paris has commercialized a lot since the last time I was there and therefore it’s hard to find authentic pieces but if you have time - many charming shops have unique pieces you just have to dig for such stores. We strolled our way into the Jardins de Tuileries and enjoyed all the manicured gardens. The Louvre was magnificent in all its glory. I do recommend getting tickets before hand so you do not have to wait in line but for some reason their website would not accept my Canadian credit card. However the wait was not too bad but it’s too large a museum to cover in one day. We hand selected some exhibits but our favourite was the Napoleon wing!

We ended the night with a photo shoot near the Eiffel Tower- we had seen it during the day on day one but wanted to return during the evening to watch it sparkle and headed our way to have a nice dinner at Cafe Kléber which was delicious in both its menu and service.

Three days are not enough to make us Parisians or to really take in all of Paris and we plan to return one day but Paris is one of those cities that stay with you and connect to you forever with memories and way of thinking.

In the words of Audrey Hepburn... “Paris is always a good idea...”