More Snapshots from Paris

More Snapshots from Paris
📍 Le Vendome, Paris

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It’s been almost a whole week since I came home from Paris. With a bit of downtime over the weekend, I’ve finally gone through my photography. I’ve even found my favorite images from the trip. In such a beautiful and historic city, there’s a lot of eye candy! While the City of Lights is just so inspiring, and I could probably write about it for the rest of the year, I wanted to share the top highlights from my most recent trip. Here are even more snapshots from Paris.

Staying at Hotel Bienvenue

When planning a trip to Paris, the most daunting task is to find the right hotel for your stay. Last time, I stayed at Hôtel des Grand Boulevards and loved it! Located in the 2nd arrondissement, it’s in a great location and has a wonderful rooftop bar. Since I knew that David and I would hardly be at the hotel except to rest our heads, I wasn’t worried about luxury and wanted to find a great price. Touriste Hotel Group has four Paris locations and is such a great value. Hotel Bienvenue is the newest addition, and we just simply loved our stay there. The beautifully decorated rooms were cozy, but our bathroom was so big that it felt like a second room. My favorite thing about our stay was its proximity to three different metro lines so that we could explore all of Paris in just a few easy steps.

Shopping in Le Marais

Available on the Right Bank, Le Marais is such a vibrant neighborhood that must be explored! Also known as the 4th arrondissement, it is known for its trendy boutiques and ever-growing list of must-visit dining. On this particular visit, my number one destination was Buly 1803. This vintage-inspired apothecary offers an entire collection of fragrances and other beauty items. With their classical music playing, you’ll be tempted to spend hours admiring each beautifully packaged item. Perfumes are always one of my favorite souvenirs, and I came home with a bottle of Venus de Milo. Made in collaboration with the Louvre Museum, it features notes of mandarin, jasmine, and amber. As you check out, their incredible staff will kindly add a customized calligraphy label to make the purchase feel special. If you aren’t able to get to Le Marais, no need to worry! They have two additional locations on the Left Bank and purchases can be shipped worldwide.

Experiencing Paris Café Dining

When asked by a local what my draw to Paris was, my knee-jerk answer was all about food. The simple ingredients used in most signature dishes are perfectly prepared. The results are meals and flavors that stay with you. I honestly don’t think we had one average meal during our entire visit to France. While the restaurants probably deserve a dedicated blog post, a quick list may be what you need to plan your own trip: Le Moulin de la Galette, Le Precope, Le Grand Vefour, and Bistrot Richelieu are just to name a few. If you’re eating lunch, I highly recommend taking advantage of their three-course lunch specials. 

Visiting the Maison de Victor Hugo

Are there any other fans of Les Miserables there? It’s my favorite play and is something that my Dad and I have really bonded over. In fact, he’s the one who first introduced me to Les Miserables. After all, it’s one of the most incredible father-daughter stories I can think of. It leaves me in tears after each and every listen. The original writer, Victor Hugo, is considered one of France’s most beloved authors. If you look closely, you’ll find monuments to him almost everywhere. In Le Marais, right on Les Place des Vosges, you can visit the apartment he called home for sixteen years. Now, Maison de Victor Hugo has been turned into a museum so you can learn more about the life of this national hero. Although our visit was relatively quick, as they were about to close, it was one of my favorite stops on our Paris tour. 

Tea Time at Ladurée

After a morning of walking miles and miles throughout the city, we arrived at Ladurée thirsty and ready for tea time. While our visit was at the location on Rue Royale, near the Vendome, there are locations throughout the city. We sipped on tea and champagne cocktails in the dining room and ordered a few plates of macaroons and pastries. While it’s not the most well-balanced lunch, it was an excellent opportunity to sit and relax. Before going back to our hotel, we were sure to stop by the boutique next store and pick up some macaroons. Just so you know, they make for the perfect midnight snack, as we very soon found out!

Seeing the Louvre, Of Course!

No first-time visit to Paris should ever be complete without visiting the Louvre. It is the world’s most visited museum and contains more than 380,000 works of art from prehistory to the 21st century. The most famous works are the three ladies: the Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa, and Nike of Samothrace. I would like to add Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (see above) to that list. I cannot recommend opting for the audio tour enough! It walks you through nearly every painting and can turn your visit into a really meaningful experience. The Louvre is vast and winding, so don’t worry too much if you don’t cover every square inch of the museum.

Aimlessly Wandering

The French have the word Flâner. While there is no direct translation to English, it roughly means wandering without a destination. Away from the shopping, dining, and museums, some of the best time spent is just walking through the city without a goal. Paris is such a stunning city and needs to be explored at any time of day, rain or shine. Each day during our visit, we dedicated a lot of time to aimlessly wandering. Along the way, we found beautiful hotels, quirky boutiques, and stunning spaces that are on our radar for a return visit. When you travel to Paris, who knows what you’ll discover?

Nearly 1,200 words, and there’s so much more to be said. While so many have written about each element of the city, it’s genuinely something you have to experience for yourself. Cheers to your travels and you finding your own snapshots in Paris!

Love from Paris,
Katie

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