Bon Voyage: Paris Intel / Summer 2023
In which I return to the city with all les touristes. Plus, SJP and Fudgie the Whale.
Bonjour, bonjour, bonjour! Following nearly three months in the States, I am back in Paris and so, it seems, are you, your cousins, my cousins, and my friends’ best friend from college! :) Because the city is bursting from its Pharrell-designed, Louis Vuitton seams with visitors, and I’m a jetlagged fool unable to get out of bed before 9 or motivate at all until around noon, this week’s intro will be light on substance in the form of words, but heavy on assistance in the form of links. Meaning, I’m going to put everything I’ve written about Paris (that still has relevance) in this one post—plus, some previously published recommendations for local tours, activities, and sites.
Read it. Bookmark it. Share it with your neighbors. Or skip it entirely and scroll straight to the regular “clickable” section if you’re not headed this way anytime soon. Oh, and remember: If you, or someone you know, want more personal guidance or suggestions than what’s listed below, please email me about rates for 1:1 consultations and itinerary-building.
I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with a more reflective recap. ’Til then, bon week-end and bon voyage, mes amies. xx — Sara
Know Before You Go
Say ‘Bonjour’ everywhere, book ahead at restos, and other do’s and don’ts.
Your Arrival
How to get to/from the Paris airports.
Where to Stay
Where to Eat & Drink
Tours & Experiences I’ve Taken
Context Travel (intimate group or private walks on food, history, and art)
Secret Journeys (exclusive/VIP experiences focusing on art, fashion, and culture)
Paris by Mouth (tours/tastings for insider intel on French cuisine and traditions)
La Cuisine (fun, hands-on pastry and cooking classes)
The Seen (private tours of modern and contemporary art galleries)
Women of Paris (women-focused history and art walks)
Fat Tire (fun bike or “skip the line” outings to the Eiffel Tower and Versailles)
Activities and Sites I Love
The Musée de Montmartre, also known as Renoir’s former home, is a hidden, oft-overlooked gem up in the 18th. The permanent collection tells the history of the quartier and all the artists who lived and worked up there. Behind the museum, there's a beautiful garden and a working vineyard.
The Hotel de la Marine is neither a hotel nor a museum about aquatic life. Rather, it was home to the French navy for 200 years after being built by King Louis the XV’s chief architect, which explains its opulent design. Those who desire a Versailles fix, but don’t feel like schlepping outside the peripherique, will get it inside this 18th-century mansion via a technologically-advanced experience.
Contemporary art lovers should hightail it to the Pinault Collection inside the Bourse de la Commerce designed by architect Tadao Ando. Wind up the sunlit rotunda, whose main expo rotates seasonally, and then get lost in the side room galleries of permanent collections.
Bookworms! Go get lost amongst the shelves of the famous English-language bookstore Shakespeare & Co.
If shopping is on the agenda, La Samaritaine blends history and modernity with a ground floor section that boasts some of the most unique, Paris-designed “souvenirs” to take home.
For haute fashion and modern art admirers, designer Agnes B’s museum is well worth a visit; as is the Fondation Cartier, Fondation Louis Vuitton, and the floating barge on the Seine, Fluctuart, which highlights street and urban art.
Visiting a weekly local market is the ultimate slice-of-Paris-life. Each arrondissement has at least one (most are open from 8a.m.-1p.m.), but Marché D'Aligre is actually open every day (except Monday). There's so much character among the vendors and a large variety of seasonal produce to choose from, not to mention first-rate artisan shops nearby.
Picnic-ing is another quintessential Parisian pastime, so be like a local and have one at Place des Vosges, Parc Monceau, Buttes Chaumont—or on a boat! Place des Vosges is less a park than it is a grand garden, but with four distinct grassy quadrants smack in the center of the city, it makes for a noble choice. There are lots more lawns to choose from inside Parc Monceau, way on the other end of town in the tony 8th arrondissement, but you still won’t get lost within it. Buttes Chaumont, on the other hand, is a hike in itself just to reach its northern hills. Once inside, it's probably the most similar to Central Park in size, depth, and range. It’s also one of the few parks that allow dogs. Finally, renting a small electric boat along the Bassin de la Villette has become a summer tradition amongst my friends. There’s nothing quite like drinking wine and snacking on cheese while gliding along the canal. Book ahead in summer!
Beyond Paris
If you want to explore France, but not go too far from Paris
If you’re going to Marseille, my favorite French city by the sea
If you’re going to Bordeaux, which is way more than just vineyards
While there, check out this emerging ’hood near the Cité du Vin
If you’re going to le sud (the south), consider this spot and this spot
Clickable
Dear Millennials: Life used to be so simple. | Slate
On networking: “If you are not having fun, it's okay to leave.” | Gloria
Ambitious about friendships? Here for it. | ELLE
Immersive experiences are traps and we fall for them. | Vanity Fair
“Home is a fantasy; it doesn’t really belong to you.” Wisdom from Parker Posey. | Vulture
And just like that…Aidan is back. | The NY Times
Solo road-tripping through America: “Aloneness claims me.” | The Atlantic
Fear shmear. Just “start before you’re ready.” | Lens
In a “quest for the best” we “hopelessly feed a sense of want.” | The NY Times
Watchable
I watched this very meta tribute to New York, Sex and the City, and, well, YOU, several times. If, like me, you follow SJP on Instagram, you know she can be poetic with words, so this “Hello, You” theme felt on par with her wit and sass. Whether it is about her, her character, Carrie, or, well, YOU, I suppose is inconsequential. Despite a few questionable moments—who still carries cash on them, let alone in their shoe?—it’s still a lovely little look at Carrie and the woman who brought her to life for those of us who maybe saw (and still see!?) some of ourselves in her and her friends via their tales of “sex and the city.” Plus, there’s a construction worker with long, gemstone-emblazoned nails! I also loved all the nods to OG SATC: the post-its, the Fendi clutches, and, of course, the bus splash. What did you think?
Currently Overthinking…
…whether to take on a certain assignment…where to travel end of August…
Souvenir: Fudgie the Whale
Thankfully, our friend Fudgie isn’t extinct: We had this iconic ice cream cake from Carvel on Father’s Day last weekend. But it was still a throwback to spoon into it. The chocolate crunchies inside! The white icing outside! The melty chocolate fudge all around! It’s been a while since I tasted any of it, but every kid’s birthday party had a Carvel cake when I was young. (Remember Cookie Puss??) Personally, I preferred a “brown bonnet” aka a soft serve covered in hard chocolate, or a “flying saucer” ice cream sandwich. (Strawberry for the former, and pistachio ice cream for the latter, but the cookies always stuck to the roof of my mouth!) What was your fave?
Thanks for share this, Love Paris
Thank you so much for shouting out "Start Before You're Ready"!