As I expected, our honeymoon was a wonderful whirlwind. We drank too much wine, ate our weight in baguettes and generally had a grand ole time sauntering around Paris, Bordeaux and Hamburg (Germany.) I’m going to write three different posts dedicated to each city we visited because there are way too many pictures and anecdotes for just one post.
Paris was bustling with chic French women and men and boasted exquisite architecture. I certainly took note of the street style and plan on copying all of the effortless looks I spotted. Every building, every garden, every street was dreamy and totally picture-worthy. It was almost laughable, really, how picturesque the city was.
We really only stayed in Paris for four full days, which was definitely not enough time to see even half of the city. We spent most of our time in Le Marais, where our apartment was located.
Rue Montorgueil and Rue Montmartre were a five-minute walk from our apartment, and we spent a majority of our time there. Cheese, wine, meat, flower and clothing shops lined each street. We felt like locals here! Our “little area” perfectly fit my perception of Paris.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés, across le Seine, felt quieter, more residential and upscale but was absolutely lovely. We stopped in a bistro for a small lunch and glass of wine and made the obligatory visit to Ladurée. Not far from the Saint-Germain area was Notre-Dame Cathedral and Shakespeare & Company.
Of course, the Cathedral was as grand as we imagined. So many intricate stone carvings and enormous stained glass windows! Shakespeare & Company was an adorable little bookshop overflowing with customers/tourists. Thankfully, the staff spoke English, though.
We strolled through the Jardin du Palais Royal and Jardin des Tuileries. Then we made our way to the Pont Alexandre III bridge and Avenue Montaigne.
We window shopped on Avenue des Champs-Élysées, which was beyond crowded. Just to be in the presence of luxury fashion houses like Céline, Chloé, Louis Vuitton and Dior was incredible.
Friday was rainy and cold, so we took advantage of the weather and went to the Louvre. We were overwhelmed with the amount of exhibits and artifacts. It must take months to see everything.
Saturday was our dedicated shopping day. Chris wanted to go in E. Dehillerin, a famous cooking supply store. I went in COS and Espace Kiliwatch, a hip vintage store.
We definitely stayed busy, but it was a good busy. I loved floating around from store to bistro to landmark. Our favorite parts of the trip were not the tourist areas. We enjoyed getting lost and exploring on our own much more.
As far as where we ate, that’s an extensive list, but here goes!
Miss Bánh Mí – cute, delicious, friendly owner, unassuming
L’Escargot – a little touristy, traditional French food, pricey, decadent
Paul – basically the Starbucks of Paris but better, café/patisserie with reasonably priced coffee and food
Lockwood – casual atmosphere, cocktails and small bites, friendly British waiter
Bistrot Richelieu – ate breakfast here, affordable, delicious croissants
Le Square – elevated French cuisine at reasonable prices
Les Relais d’Alsace, Taverne Karlsbrau – strangest place we ate, would not recommend, it was a hasty, hangry decision, menu is all over the place
La Cuisine du Panier – quick lunch, fresh, ready-made Thai food
Au Rocher de Cancale – overpriced cafe on our favorite street, food looked decent
Washington Poste – brasserie, we only had wine and beer but it was a nice atmosphere
Bio ć Bon – organic health food grocery store, bought snacks and wine here
La Boucherie Roger Montorgueil – butcher’s shop, bought cured sausage
Nicolas la Madeleine – liquor store, knowledgeable staff, reasonable prices
Eric Kayser – the best baguette and beignets — it’s famous for a reason
Le Reparie de Bacchus – liquor store, again, knowledgeable staff and good prices
Café du Centre – irritable staff, a little touristy, great dessert! (I ordered the brioche en pain perdue which is like fried bread with salted caramel ice cream and caramel glaze)
LB – bar on a busy corner of Rue Montorgueil, great beer
La Fromagerie – cheese shop on Rue Montorguel, the owner suggested a hard cheese unique to Paris (it was amazing)
Ladurée – macarons, duh!, Marie Antoinette Tea flavor was interesting
Stohrer – patisserie, lots of macarons, caramels and chocolates
Les Pâtes Vivantes – authentic Chinese cuisine, known for homemade noodles, I ordered No.4, Chris ordered No. 2 (menu)
I know I’m missing a few probably, but these are the ones I remember! As far as where we (window) shopped…
Petit Bateau
Espace Kiliwatch
Shakespeare & Company
E. Dehilerin
A. Simon
COS
Baudou (just for fun, no babies in our future right now)
Zara
Hema
La Bovida Magasin Les Halles
Céline (did not buy anything)
Hermés (did not buy anything)
Stay tuned for the Bordeaux installment!
delight 