Paris Archives - Page 4 of 5

Lessons Learned: Amsterdam and Paris

What an adventure THAT was! Belovedest and I had a wonderful time - of course we did - we were together. And we learned some things that I think are worth sharing...

If you're connecting from a plane to a train, buy your train tickets in advance, even if you can't guarantee that you'll be on time. (and of course, you can't guarantee, because you're flying in, and planes are delayed) It's MUCH less expensive to purchase train tickets in advance, and you'll be assured of a seat. B and I had been promised by a couple of different people that it was ALWAYS easy to get train tickets from Paris to Amsterdam - au contraire, my friends!

When buying train tickets, even if you don't know your return time ... View the Post

Paris vs Chicago, and a Great Quote

April 3, 2014 What does Paris have that Chicago doesn't?

Bookstores - dozens and dozens of bookstores. It used to be a joke between Belovedest and me - "Oh look - a bookstore!" when we would walk past one, but it's sort of lost it's humor, because bookstores are so common in Paris, and so very uncommon in Chicago. You might say that it's because we stayed, this last trip, near the Universities. But that's a weak explanation - from my apartment window in Chicago, I can see buildings belonging to at least 3 universities - and there are very few bookstores in the entire downtown area... And what's interesting is that the French don't spend THAT much more time reading than American ... View the Post

Paris: Where We Stayed, What We Heard

Almost 20 years ago, when Belovedest and I first went to Paris, we stayed at the Hotel des Grands Hommes (the hotel of the great men, NOT the hotel of the big guys). I don't even remember how the hotel was chosen, but we really enjoyed it, and have been back a few times since then, but not recently. But when we were planning for our anniversary, it seemed an obvious choice, and it was a BRILLIANT selection. They continue to enhance the rooms and the common areas, and literally every corner of every section of the hotel is beautiful and holds delights. Our room was small, of course, but beautifully appointed, with a bathroom that was both spacious and utterly immaculate.

Hotel des ... View the Post

Paris: Where We Ate

March 26, 2014

It doesn't surprise you, I'm sure, to hear that Paris is a pretty excellent place to dine. I can't honestly remember ever having a truly bad meal there; most of the time I feel pretty confident walking into any restaurant or cafe that's at all busy, knowing that I'll eat pretty well, and occasionally have an astonishingly fun experience. So in alphabetical order, these are the places that I can remember dining last week:

Benoit, 20 rue Saint Martin, 75004

This is where we went for our anniversary dinner, and it was a great choice. The service was that perfect balance of warmth and respect that marks the very nicest places to dine. This Alain Ducasse charmer is rather tiny, and is the ... View the Post

Paris: What I Wore, What I Bought, What They Wore

March 25, 2014 Every time I travel, I realize that I could pack less. We realistically could have been able to get through most days with jeans, a sweater, and something to dress up a bit for dinner. The items that were out of my bag continually look like this:

Our weather was changeable - most days we started with jackets and ended up carrying them my late afternoon. I found that I really enjoyed my fingerless gloves - they're sort of whimsical compromise that proved to be just warm enough. And my ballet flats were great - they have enough support to be comfortable and excellent for walking. Despite all of the stereotypes, you could wear jeans every day in Paris and blend in ... View the Post

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