Paris Archives - Page 4 of 5

Paris: Politics and Pollution

The first thing we noticed when we got to Paris last Saturday was that there was an election soon! The Paris government very wisely puts up temporary "walls" upon which the political posters are affixed - a brilliant solution that minimizes the amount of paper glued to walls, and gives all candidates equal opportunity to expose their ideas to the public, without having to be concerned about raising huge amounts of money.

The single most amazing thing to me when I saw these posters was that more than half of the candidates that I saw on posters were women. I know, I know, we're supposed to be used to this sort of thing by now, but after watching the interchangeable contesting the Republican gubernatorial ... View the Post

I Worry too Much about Packing, Especially for Paris…

March 7, 2014 Do you worry too much about what to pack? Anticipation is a lot of the fun, but it's possible to reach a point in preparation where you drive yourself slightly nuts; I have reached that point with preparing for Paris next week. For a while, I would just wear something that I really loved, and then (after laundering) hang it onto the rack designated for Paris packing. Okay, so now about 50% of my closet is ready to pack. Clearly not going to work out, eh? And then I get panicky - what should I take? What if I forget something I really love? Will it all fit in my suitcase? You would think that I'd never done this before, or that what I pack will be the most important thing ... View the Post

From Dream to Suitcase

January 31, 2014 We'll be in Paris soon, and I'm already daydreaming about what we'll do while we're there... First off, I'm trying really hard to look upon the whole flying process as positively as possible. I can sit for 8 hours without a whole lot of trouble - I've done it at work for decades, so being on an airplane isn't that big an adjustment. I can hold hands with Belovedest, relax, and listen to music or some of my favorite apps on my phone. I've recently downloaded Insight Timer, which has dozens of guided meditations that are grand for relaxing... and then I can switch to one of the many apps that is just one long soundtrack of thunderstorms. A bottle of water, some skin serum, and I'm good ... View the Post

Paris – planning again!

September 2, 2013

We're going to be staying at the lovely Hotel des Grandes Hommes (Hotel of the Great Men, NOT Hotel of the Big Guys), which is in the Place du Pantheon. It's the hotel we stayed in on our very first trip to Paris, back in 1995 or so. It's very lovely, and it is impossible to get lost getting back to the hotel because you can see the Pantheon from almost anywhere in Paris. There is, however, that pesky bit about walking uphill at the end of a very long day...

We're delighted to be able to secure a room here, because the first THREE hotels we tried were all booked full. Six months in advance. Gotta plan ahead, eh? This is a neighborhood we know like the back of our hands, and the hotel is only a 10 minute ... View the Post

Paris: scarf shopping at Crimson

October 19, 2012

Crimson is an absolutely irresistible, tiny little Paris shop that specializes in cashmere. A dreadful temptation...

The above is a close-up of the scarf I purchased. It's a bit sheer-ish, and it's FIVE FEET WIDE, and SEVEN FEET LONG... It is about the most gorgeous thing I've ever owned; it looks great with black, delicious with grey, and I have a hunch I'll be able to wear it for decades.

I could have bought another sweater, or another dress, but this scarf will outlast anything like that, and will remain gorgeous long after another piece of clothing is forgotten! love,

Janice ... View the Post

Paris: shopping @ Agnes B., Muji, French Trotters

Of COURSE we shopped. It would require super-human discipline for belovedest and I to stay out of stores in Paris. Partly, of course, shops in Paris are a great opportunity to get some insights into the French aesthetic - the way the stores are arranged, the way the merchandise is displayed - it's just NOT like shopping in Chicago.And then, there are some stores that just don't exist in Chicago - specifically Agnes B. (who had a store here which closed a few years ago), Muji, and French Trotters. If I were absolutely forced to purchase all of my clothing from one store, it would be Agnes B.; her designs appeal to me completely. And Muji is just cool - streamlined products of every possible sort. French Trotters ... View the Post

Parisiennes: White Jeans in October

Women of all ages were still wearing white jeans, without seeming to even consider that they might be "out of season". Except for avoiding slush and puddles, why NOT wear white jeans all year 'round? The ban on white is sort of archaic, isn't it?

Jeans – J Brand, plaid shirt – Patagonia, loafers – Vaneli, sweater – Sheinside, pink loafers - Valentino

Jeans – J Brand, sweater – Elizabeth and James, oxfords – Mel, flowered sweater – Dolce & Gabbana, kitten-heel pumps – Stuart Weitzman

Jeans – J Brand, blouse – Equipment, white leather jacket – Blk Dnm, purple flats – Puma, chambray shirt – Madewell, cardigan – Zadig & Voltaire, pink flats - Modcloth

Jeans – J ... View the Post

Paris: Hotel Pavillon des Lettres

Our hotel was perfect. It's rare that anybody can say that with complete sincerity, but in this case, there was absolutely nothing we would have changed.

The Pavillon des Lettres is a 26-room hotel, designed around the theme of authors. Rather than numbering the rooms, they assign each of them a letter (hence the 26 works our very well). Each room is then dedicated to an author who's last name begins with the letter of the room.

We stayed in Ibsen. It was very small by the American standard of "one must be able to square-dance in one's hotel room" (yet another reason to pack lightly!), but exquisitely designed, quiet, and comfortable.

Anybody who believe that Parisians are rude has never stayed at this hotel ... View the Post

My favorite Paris street art

December 16, 2011

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Paris shopping: agnès b.

Since I’ve quit shopping, I’m starting to really notice the garments upon which I frequently rely when I’m scrambling to get dressed. Foremost among them has to be my agnès b. cardigan. It’s made of a sweatshirt fabric, and has pearlized snaps down the front. I can wear it almost anywhere I would wear a black cashmere cardigan, but it’s more… relaxed? Cool? Fun? All of the above, I think.

The agnès b. stores that I’ve been to in Paris (Village de Bercy, rue de Marseille, rue de Castiglione) all share the same qualities of clarity, light, and ease of shopping. Nothing is crowded, things aren’t layered to the point of being impossible to dissect, and everything looks terribly appealing. ... View the Post

Paris shopping: Clif Shoes

I'm rather drawn to accessories that have a menswear flair - especially in shoes. Men's shoes are timeless in their styling, and their quality is unparalleled. Clif leather goods are beautifully well made, and they seem to emphasize the quality and the beauty of leather. It's hard to explain; just go there if you get a chance and see if it makes more sense to you!

My last wardrobe addition, from our trip in March:

I adore them. ... View the Post

Paris shopping: Les bouquinistes

It is impossible to walk through Paris and not see the (approximately 200) dark green book "boxes" along the Seine. In addition to selling the usual posters, postcards and refrigerator magnets, one can find amazing old books and magazines. Unfortunately, unless you can read French, there's not necessarily a lot which might be of interest.

Except... I've started buying magazines which were released the month that I was born. They're a fascinating little snapshot of history, and it gives me a good reason to support a Parisian cultural institution. They're easy to carry back in my suitcase, and they only cost, on average, around 10 Euros.

In the next few days, I'll post some more information about my most ... View the Post