Paris 🇫🇷
Any reason to go to Paris is a good one, but this time was a great one as we celebrated my sister’s 40th birthday! First time for her and second for me (the first being 11 years ago) and I was ready to experience this city again not being broke, overwhelmed, and exhausted at the end of a 3-month semester abroad in England.
Our Airbnb was in an amazing location just near the Opera (fairly central Paris). A dreamy flat of 3 bedrooms, and a living room and kitchen with so much natural light.
First full day together consisted of a walk through Galeries Lafayette, and on their skywalk (how is this a mall???) to get a full view of the dome. We were able to get rooftop views as well, and take an evening boat ride on the Seine. Any kind of boat ride through a city is a love language of mine. This was so delightful with our champagne in hand, an an hour long ride around history, architecture, and landmarks. A great example in leaning into the touristy activity, which just might be one of the highlights of your trip!
The next morning, my sister’s 40th, we spent the morning with intentionality as we went to Café Pli where you can order your coffee/pastry, and then write a letter to yourself which they will deliver by the date of your choosing. They provide postcards, stickers, and wax seals for your letter and you can then decide if you want it sent a year from now, 5 years from now, or whenever. It was a cool way to connect with yourself now and the you in the future. From there, we went onto get the famous sandwiches from Miam Miam (don’t get me started on the cheese that was on my baguette), and onto our pastry class! Each of us made 4 tarts: lemon meringue, (2) chocolate ganache, and almond pear. These all became our breakfast and late night snacks for the remainder of the week 😅
That evening, we celebrated at CoCo, where the ambience was Roaring Twenties with art deco interior. It was chic and elegant and my lobster dish was devoured.
The following morning, my sister surprised us with making our own perfumes from Molinard. Getting to experiment and create our own signature scents was so much fun, and the activity includes a “certificate” at the end where it lists all of your exact ingredients so you can reorder it again! We even found/bought a roll-on perfume in the shop that was named “MM” so we couldn’t resist 🥲
From there, a crepe stop was in order and we then made our way to Notre Dame. Although I had visited before, I was still amazed by the intricate details and insane, massive stained glass handiwork throughout. Not too far from there is Shakespeare and Company, a famous used/new bookstore where no phones or cameras are allowed inside, and they stamp your book(s) at checkout. Truly so charming and the only one in the world! Our next stop was at the Louvre, mainly to see The Winged Victory of Samothrace. This stunning Greek statue at the top of a grand staircase was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. It was definitely worth the trip and (long) walk to see her.
That evening was spent with sandwiches, macarons, and wine in front of the Eiffel Tower. Although it’s the typical spot to go to as a tourist, it was cool to see locals set up picnics and gather together as well. I still recommend it as a must-do for anyone!
And then, there was Versailles. We lucked out with blue skies all day for the palace + gardens trek. Endless statues, paintings, chandeliers, gold, and opulence. Taking it all in was overwhelming, but fascinating to see the history of this place withstand time. This huge estate was too much to take on in a single day, but we covered as much as our feet could handle!
We then spent the following day at the Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen, a flea market near the outskirts of Paris on the north side of the city. It was mainly outdoors and a complete overhaul of artwork and knick knacks. Another spot where you could spend the whole day there and just scratch the surface!
Aside from getting the famous Le Bordier Butter from La Grand Epicerie, our last planned activity was dinner and seeing the sunset at Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre. While many people flocked there to get the wide city views at dusk, it was so beautiful to see up close. A wonderful way to end a fabulous week in Paris! My sister planned a fabulous, well-thought-out itinerary that gave so many wonderful new experiences and memories.
Lastly, I want to give a huge shoutout to my dear friend Hannah, owner of hannmedown. She thrifts and sells curated secondhand bundles and snagged some amazing pieces for this trip. I sent her my Pinterest board and thoughts on how I wanted to style Paris in springtime, while also having comfortability running around in all day. I requested mostly neutral pieces, one pop of color fit, and scarves that would elevate all of these things and my girl DELIVERED!
Bringing & wearing Hannah’s bundle made this trip so meaningful as it felt like I was sharing my friend’s art in a place where art is ever present. Where it just made sense. I can’t recommend her enough, especially if you want to switch up your style when traveling!
I cringe looking back at what I was wearing when I visited Paris 11 years ago, and now, I feel like I have redemption. I cannot recommend Hannah and her services enough for anyone traveling (or not!) and wanting to mix up your style in visiting new, or old, places. I’m so grateful we got to “take her” across the Atlantic!
