Finding Paris in Florida

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Disclaimer: I had fully intended on posting this on July 14th, in honor of Bastille Day, France’s national holiday. But July has really gotten away from me, and it meant slowing down the blog to focus on new opportunities. Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing lots of good news in the upcoming weeks. Anyways, when I ventured to France last year with my best friend, I instantly fell in love. Paris lived up to all of my expectations and then some. So much so, I’m constantly looking for tiny pieces locally to recreate the City of Light. This list is quick and will work no matter where you live, but here are my favorite ways to find Paris in Florida.

Start the day with petit déjeuner

On my trip to Paris last year, one of my favorite moments was starting the day with a French style breakfast. It included either fresh croissants or baguettes, butter, honey, black coffee, and a side of fruit. That’s all it takes and is extremely easy to recreate stateside. Just in case the mood strikes me, I always keep salted French butter on hand. It honestly makes a huge difference! Right now Echire is my favorite brand. Drizzled with orange blossom honey and I’m in food heaven.

Play the right musique

When I first started working from home, I quickly realized the importance of great background music. It keeps me focused and hyper productive. In the past, I’ve turned to Mo-town, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong. Now, I’ve added French oldies to that list. It instantly transports me to walking the streets of Paris. I’ll even listen to it while in the car, which gets me some strange looks when my windows are rolled down.

Eat at your local French restaurant

In recent years, I think French cuisine has become more attainable and less intimidating. Restaurants dedicated to all things French have started to pop up more. I bet you’ll find one in or near your own town. While there are a few choices locally, I think the most authentic experience would come from Left Bank Bistro in St. Pete. Not only does it offer stellar French food, but it also tries to create an atmosphere reminiscent of the 1920s, when Hemingway and Picasso called Paris home. My favorite dishes would have to be either Coq au Vin or Beef Bourguignon.

Try to dress the part

Parisienne style is equal parts effortless and sophisticated. It’s easy to identify, but surprisingly difficult to replicate. While I wouldn’t call myself an expert, I would say it comes down to simplicity. French women rarely wear flashy logos or invest in trendy pieces. Instead, they stick to high-quality, timeless items in a more neutral color palette. A good place to start would be shopping Sezane, a Paris-based answer to Madewell. It would also help to add nautical striped tees, a la Saint James, or espadrilles wedges to really capture French summer chic. Another good question to ask is, “What would Coco Chanel do?”

Have a French wine night

It’s the summer time, and I know that rosé is all the rage for the season, but I still prefer my white or red. The list of French wines is long: Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot. Either pick one type to focus on or pick a variety from a favorite region. Whatever you land on, I recommend accompanying it with a charcuterie board with French cheese and bread. Especially if you’re hosting, it will wow your guests as if you were dining on Rue de Rivoli in Paris.

Add France to your shower and makeup routine

Have you seen French women recently? There are simply gorgeous and have such a natural glow about them. A lot can be said about fantastic genetics, but it made me investigate French beauty products. Over the course of the year, I’ve been trying to swap for some Parisian counterparts and I’ve loved the results so far. I feel fresher and more confident to let my own complexion shine through. It also helps that they smell amazing. Start by looking at Le Petit Marseillais for all of your shower needs. Their shower gel leaves me smelling like Vanilla for the entire day.

Brush up on the language

My secret wish is to be a polyglot, or someone who speaks multiple languages. Daily, I play on DuoLingo, jumping from French to Italian to Spanish. Before my trip to Paris last year, I took a few months to study the language. While I was no where near fluent, or even conversational, it made a huge difference in how I was perceived as a tourist. Dang it, I tried, and I think it was very appreciated by the locals. I hope the next time I go to France, I’ll have some more advanced skills in my repertoire.

Book your trip

Nothing makes Paris come more alive and tangible than booking that trip. I know, I know, it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to visit anytime soon, but pencil something in. Even if it’s the end of 2021, you’ll be floating on a French Cloud 9 and have plenty of time to prepare. You just have to check out Wit and Whimsy. Meghan is an NYC based blogger, but her heart is always in Paris. She even offers personalized itineraries for your trip and is such a great resource!

Staying in Florida for such a long period of time, and having to cancel several international trips along the way, has heightened my sense of wanderlust. While no one truly knows when travel will get back to normal, I look forward to when I can revisit Paris, hopefully with David in tow, on a much needed European escape. Until then, I’ll do my best to find Paris in Florida.

Love from Florida,
Katie

Thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.