P is for Paris
I’ve been to Paris three times now. First on my honeymoon, pictured above. Then I went with Ted and Maya in 2018, celebrating her graduation from college and our 25th wedding anniversary. The third time was last year when I went with my cousin. Every time, I love Paris more.
I haven’t traveled all that much in my life (it’s expensive!), but so far, Paris is my favorite city. So much beauty, so much art, such a cool vibe, such delicious food and wine. The picture above is of the Palais Garnier, which is called the Opera house, but now is mostly where the ballets are held, since they built a new Opera house in the Bastille neighborhood. It’s stunning.
This picture is from the inside of the Musée d’Orsay, my favorite ever museum.
And here is the view from that window, looking towards Sacre Coeur.
On my honeymoon and again in 2018, we visited Notre Dame, which has these beautiful stained glass windows. Maya studied gothic architecture in college, and I am so glad she got to visit before the fire there.
As I said, the food in Paris is wonderful. We had this chocolate soufflé when I was there with my cousin in 2022.
The stained glass windows at Sainte Chappelle are stunning. You can attend classical music concerts here. I haven’t had that experience, though my sister said it is amazing.
This is the delicious fish I had at Le Train Bleu, which is on a bed of Shakshuka. (For those of you who don’t eat eggs, here’s another way to enjoy Shakshuka.) It was AMAZING. When I went with my cousin last year, we tended to have our big meal of the day at lunch, and then have snacky type meals back at the timeshare for dinner, when we were tired from a day of walking and sightseeing.
My BFF Rosemary recently spent a couple of days in Paris with her adult son and his friend. When she asked me what my favorite things were that I had done in Paris (as opposed to driving to Giverny or something like that), especially things the boys might enjoy, I had to give props (among other ideas) to the Seine hop-on, hop-off boat. It’s low key, and takes you by quite a few notable landmarks. You can use it as much as you want for 48 hours, and so much of Paris is close to the river. It doesn’t travel very far, actually, but you can get from the Eiffel Tower at one end to the Jardin des Plantes (and back again) at the other, with 9 stops total. It’s not as fast as the metro, but faster than walking.
Have you been to Paris? If so, what were your favorite things that you did?
24 Comments
nance
I’ve never been, so I devour these photos. The architecture of Sainte Chappelle and Palais Garnier is stunning. So ornate and beautiful. I’d feel breathless and small in their presence.
J
Nance, YES, that is exactly how I feel when I am there. Breathless and small. (Not unimportant small, just in awe.)
Tobia | craftaliciousme
I have been to Paris twice.
In a student program in 9th grade and then again a decade or so ago when my sister lived in Paris for a while.
I am not the biggest fan of Paris to be honest. Even though it has so many history and museums and art. I dont know I dont feel particularly bonded to the French I guess.
The stained glass windos of Sainte Chapelle though is something I would enjoy seeing. I also like the pain au chocolats and the some mousse au chocolat.
J
Tobia, the French do know their way with chocolate! As do the Germans. I’m not so convinced about the US, ours is often waxy.
Suzanne
I love Paris!!!! Like you, I have been there several times. I would definitely go back! It is such a spectacular city and I feel like even the tourist attractions are so special I could see them again and again.
J
Suzanne, me too!
Margaret
Fellow Paris lover here! I also find Sainte Chapelle breathtaking. I enjoyed sitting in coffee shops, browsing in patisseries, the magnificent art museums (I’m particularly fond of the Impressionists), street art and Pere Lachaise cemetery. I’m quite interested in old cemeteries.
J
Margaret, I also am a big fan of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionists, and Paris has a lot of beautiful art, don’t they?
ernie
I have been to Paris. My favorite thing that we did there: my brother, Pat, and I visited when we studied abroiad in Ireland. My dad’s work friend was living in Paris, and we got to stay in the guest room at his house for free. We had a list of directions on how to get back to this guy’s house. We walked around, it was night and it had been raining. Everything was wet. When we got to the tain, we could not find our cheat sheet with directions back to the house where we were staying. We were STUCK. Then we retraced our steps, found our VERY important note and made it back to the guy’s house. That was the favorite thing in Paris . . . we found where we left our bags.
J
LOL, that’s not a strong recommendation, but I love that you have a fond memory. It’s so beautiful, I can imagine wandering the streets retracing your steps.
sarah
I want to go to there.
J
Yes you do!
Nicole MacPherson
Great photos! I have never been but one day I will!
J
Nicole, I hope you do, it’s such a great city!
Elisabeth
I LOVE that picture of you in front of Sacre Couer.
I have been to Paris exactly once and it was AMAZING. I think it’s tied for me with Rome; they were both so different. Until I went to Rome, though, I didn’t think anything in my life would ever match Paris.
I didn’t get to Sainte Chapelle, though. Adding that to my list for next time (and I sure hope there are many more times!)
J
There is SO MUCH to do in Paris, there’s no way you can get it all done in one trip, unless you were to spend a couple of years done. It’s the kind of city that always leaves you wanting to come back. At least, it does for me.
Meike
I have been to Paris in 8th and 9th grade through a school program but I really want to go back next summer. Two former colleagues live there now so I even have someone to meet 😉
The thing I remember most is the visit to the Eiffel Tower, sitting on the steps of Montmatre at night and the Musee D’Orsay. Considering that I only spend two days there we did quite a bit.
J
I spent 2 days there in 2018, and yeah, we fit in a lot then too. It’s a city where you can do just a day or a week or a month or a year, and there’s so much to do, even if what you want to do is sit around coffee shops and people watch.
San
That’s funny. My parents also took me and my sister to Paris for our highschool graduation. I’ve only been back once since and I’d love to go again. Love that first picture of you in front of Sacré Coeur!
J
Thanks San! Paris is beautiful, I hope you make it back sometime. I love that picture of me, too! 30 years ago, wow.
Lisa’s Yarns
I, too, love Paris! I have been there 3 times: 2008 as part of a tag on to a grad school trip to Lyon, 2011 as a solo trip to celebrate turning 30 and Thanksgiving in 2013 when I was living in Charlotte and badly needed a pick-me-up (I hated living in Charlotte). I saw and loved many of the same sites. Most of all, I loved walking around the different neighborhoods and sitting in cafes – so basically trying to pretend I lived there. I dream of going there for 6 weeks when we are retired!
J
You went solo? My BFF was there solo last year and LOVED it. I have not tried travelling solo, but it has a certain allure.
Stephany
I’m curious why you don’t think you’ve traveled much in your life – to me, it seems you have! Paris multiple times, Hawaii, Alaska… and I’m sure other places! To me, you seem to have traveled way more than I have, but it’s all relative, I guess.
I’ve never been to Paris but I badly want to go.
J
I thought about that when I wrote this post, that 1. I have been lucky to travel as much as I have, and 2. To a newer reader, it seems like I travel a lot. I guess I feel that way because there have been so many years where we didn’t go anywhere. Not enough money, job and kid stuff, etc. We would plan a trip and have to cancel because our car needs the money, our house needs the money, our kid needs braces, that kind of thing. You’re right, we have traveled, but more often than not in our life it has been staycations rather than vacations. Or, our vacations were about visiting my family in Portland, which I love, but it would be nice to see other places, right? Being able to travel a bit more freely has been a more recent (and happy!) development.
I hope you can go to Paris, it’s so wonderful, I think you will LOVE it.