HOME TOUR

In our 15 years of marriage we have left our kids three times to go away for our wedding anniversary. Not a great track record but reality when you live so far from family. For our 9th anniversary we went to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and technically it was an “early celebration of 10” because we were anticipating a possible pregnancy. Because this one was a big one–our 15th and I was already in France for a creative retreat, we were able to make this happen, a few months late but better that than never.  Paris is one of those cities that just the thought of evokes all kinds of romance. Matt speaks French which makes travels here easier and Paris is his favorite city. The Parisian’s love of food, fashion and lingering makes it the perfect place to have an anniversary trip.

LE BRISTOL

Yes, yes I did want to stay here because of Claris the Chicest Mouse in Paris.  I’m apparently very influenced by my kid’s books. This is a luxury hotel, there’s no getting around it. It was a very major splurge for us specifically because of our anniversary. What we didn’t know going in to it was that the King and Queen of England were also going to be staying here at the same time and we would have to go through security to get in and out of the hotel for that first day. It kinda made it magical and because we had no kids with us, we weren’t in a rush to get anywhere.

I arrived after Matt having taken a morning train from Avignon and met him as my taxi pulled up. The ride being a little more than an hour from Gare de Lyon to Le Bristol because of all the road closures from the royal visit. Oh but it was worth the hassle. The room was stunning, view of the Eiffel Tower and a lovely red awning, all so much more than I expected. Add an enormous bouquet of roses and it was perfect.

MORNING DELIGHTS

I’m not a morning person but there’s also this tension for me when we are on vacation because I don’t want to waste a single minute. Breakfast slowed down my pace, each morning in their sunny breakfast room we lingered. Our first morning, we enjoyed a slow start and then I scooted off to the spa where Matt had booked a massage. He swam in the rooftop indoor pool. It was a rainy fall morning so we were glad to be inside. By afternoon weather was clearing and we wandered out to explore.

WANDERING PARIS IN THE RAIN

Hands down one of my favorite things to do…wander. Paris is a sight for the eyes too. We walked to Musee d’orsay, had a quick bite in their cafe in front of the big clock and then walked to St. Germain stopping in a few fancy shops. I had it in my head that I wanted a Chanel purse. But I didn’t realize there were so many options at the flagship store, how expensive they actually are and quickly got overwhelmed. I know we travel more often than most and live in a nice old house but we’ve also worked hard for a long time and sacrifice other things to be able to travel. I don’t own designer bags or accessories although I do splurge on clothing, especially dresses, every now and then. My mom was a purse lady though. She owned several Louis Vuitton bags through my childhood, selling them all over the years. But a Chanel bag in Paris…she would be proud!

SAINT CHAPELLE

This was one of those sites I’ve seen before in Paris but the memory of awe was so strong I wanted to see it again. A few years ago when we were in Paris, we couldn’t get tickets to Sainte-Chapelle. This time however we were able and enjoyed it thoroughly without kids.

On a walk from Sainte-Chapelle to the Picasso museum, we stopped at this incredibly charming cafe and found a seat right by the door. The atmosphere was perfection.

PICASSO MUSEUM

I’d give this one a “meh”. I think I was just confused. The Picasso Museum had just recently opened from an extended closure for remodel. Why call it a “museum” when there’s only a handful of rooms in the basement and a lot of empty walls? The outside is spectacular.

EATING IN PARIS

We let Le Bristol book all our dinner reservations. Their concierge was able to get us in to some spectacular 1 and 2 Michelin-starred restaurants. Our first night, dinner was at Maison Rostang. Our second dinner in Paris was my favorite at Le Clarence. A short 10 minute walk from the hotel, it was inside a charming private mansion. The stunning French decor was exactly what I had hoped for and at 7 courses and a whopping 3 hours, it’s was a culinary delight and quite the experience. Our last dinner was at the hotel at 114 Faubourg. Lunch was just quick bites while wandering the streets. I like to leave room for spontaneity with the assurance of a good dinner reservation.

Merci Paris for a lovely time indeed. I’d go back in a heartbeat, especially given how challenging 2024 has already been. Sometimes you just need to dig deep into those memories to float you through the harder seasons. Which is why trips like these are important. I’ll take an anniversary trip to Paris any day.