Happy Monday! We’re back home, semi-recovered from jetlag, and back at it this week. Joe and I had a great time in France (as evidenced by the postcards I posted here and here); this was our third trip to Paris, so we felt like we got to know the city even more and had plenty of time to just wander and relax, without the pressure of seeing all the major tourist sites. It should come as no surprise that having a week and a half to let your mind rest and be inspired by Paris has left me with lots of things to tell you about, not least of which are a few more snapshots of some of my favorite moments. Today I’ll share these with you; next week I’ll post about our visit to the 13th and 14th arrondissements (which are a little off the beaten path); and in between, I have lots of cool recipes, stores and new discoveries to share too. I’m excited! Here’s a diary of some of my favorite moments (apologies in advance for the length. This took a lot of editing as it was!):
RESTAURANTS WE’VE KNOWN, LOVED, OR PLAN TO MAKE IT TO SOMEDAY
Le Hibou (6eme) | Le Comptoir (6eme) | L’Avant Comptoir (6eme) | Les Antiquaires (7eme) | L’As du Falafel (4eme)| Evi Evane (6eme) | Il Vicolo (6eme) | Four Seasons George V, for fancy cocktails or high tea (8eme) | Pozzetto (4eme) | Spring (1eme) | Firmin Le Barbier (7eme) | Bob’s Juice Bar (10eme) | Cojean (9eme) | Le Bistrot de Paris (7eme) | Il Vicolo (6eme)
SHOPS TO CHECK OUT
Androuet (Cheese shops) | Assouline (Books) | Le Bon Marche and Le Grand Epicerie (Luxury Dept. Store and Food Hall) | Nicolas (Chain of wine shops) | Marche Raspail (Farmers Market) | Bellerose (Cute little boutique) | Comptoir des Cotonniers (Women’s Clothing – they have a couple stores in the NY area, but no others in the US!)
OTHER MOMENTS I LOVED
I posted a bunch of Instagrams while we were in Paris, which you can check out here!
gorgeous editorial design on this post!
I’m so jealous, looks like it was an amazing trip!
Love the way you blog btw and your instagram account is stunning :)
Oh god, this is so dreamy! JUST what I needed on this monday morning. I’m so glad you had a great time!
This post is beautifully set up and is the perfect dreamy insight into Paris this Monday morning.. love so much and glad you had a great trip! Can’t wait to read more.
This is my dream vacation, I so hope I get to go to Paris soon. All your pics are amazing.
I love this recap! This is dangerous for anyone with a travel bug to read!!
Fabulous! I need to recount my travels from Paris too, already dreaming to go back !
Hung on every word, every photo in this post. We recently visited and even when you return home, there is just something that makes you want to hold onto Paris with all your might. I got to do a little bit of that through this post. Thanks Victoria. Looks like it was a lovely trip!
Welcome back! I love these recaps – it makes me feel like I got to go back with you.
Hi Victoria! You’re becoming quite a Parisian! Your suggestions are all great and I really enjoy seeing Paris through your eyes.
Thank you, Laurence! I can’t wait to share more about our walk with everyone next week! ;)
Lovely snapshots!! The instagram graffiti cracked me up! This is what it’s come to indeed. ;)
xo Andrea
Wonderful and Marvelous
I love this post! You all seemed to have figured out exactly how to do vacations in Paris correctly.
Glad you enjoyed yourself!
Louisa
This looks so dreamy! I especially love the idea of renting an apartment and shopping at local markets and slowing down enough to sit in a park and see what real Parisians do, not just visit all of the “normal” photo-worthy spots (though those are fun too!) This is my dream vacay – thanks for planning it out for me! :) Haha.
gorgeous post! I’m hoping to make it to Paris and other parts of Europe (relatives in Scotland and France, outside of Paris) sometime this coming year. Definitely pinning this post for the recommendations!
Thanks for sharing. xx
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
Hi Victoria! You should check out the wine shop Sherry-Lehmann near Bloomingdales. I am almost positive they carry your beloved rose Champagne!
Ohhh, thank you so much for the tip! I’ve seen regular NV Henriot Brut Champagne, but have a sneaking suspicion finding the 2005 rose will be harder here. I can’t wait to check that shop though. Thanks for the rec!
Happy to help! You should also check out Moore Brothers which is near Union Square. I don’t think they carry that particular label but they are a fantastic little wine shop that carries small label vineyards, mainly European, so I am willing to bet they would have some alternatives. (I am partial to the NV Bereche et Fils Brut).
Such beautiful pictures! I’m so jealous. I love Paris. My favorite is just walking along the Seine and looking at all of the vendor’s books/magazines etc.
Catherine
http://www.myinnerfabulous.com
Oh my, these photos make me want to be back there so bad! I only got a few days there at the beginning of this month, but it was enough to fall in love with the city. And speaking of love, my bf and I got engaged while we were there(!), so I know there will be more trips back in the future! I’ll definitely save your recommendations (wish I had them before we left!) and want to take French lessons. Did your lessons help a lot? We stayed in the same area (between 6th and 7th at 22 Rue De L Universite) and felt that knowing a bit more than the basic phrases would have beneficial.
Félicitations (congrats) on your engagement, AnnMarie! That’s wonderful. How romantic!
I’ve been taking lessons since September of last year, and most recently, hired a tutor based in Germany to chat with 1-2 times a week for an hour, totally in French. I learned basic traveler/tourist French several years ago, so these lessons were more for my interest in the language and working towards becoming very proficient. That being said, it did help a lot with communicating more difficult concepts and understanding what the heck people were saying to me. The hardest part is native speakers — anywhere in the world — speak so fast, so I find it always takes my ear about a week to re-tune to the new language around me!
Thank you so much! I’m definitely inspired to learn so I appreciate the feedback :)
Bookmarking this! Such gorgeous photos!
Ahh, your photographs are SO making me crave a trip back to France! J.D. and I honeymooned there 6 years ago and there truly is no better place. I’m dying to go on a girls trip there with my mom and sister, and another trip with J.D. and our daughter. Your pictures are perfect. Loving seeing them all!
LOVE your trip recap… so beautiful. I stumbled across this entry while planning fora trip of my own to Paris! Can I ask–how did you find your apartment?
Hi Morgan! Of course — I found it through Air BnB. No special tricks — we just put in filters for neighborhoods we liked and all the amenities that were of interest. Then I just scoured all the listings! Hope that helps. Two other good apartment sites other than Air BnB are One Fine Stay and Haven in Paris.