A Return to Paris

I arrived in Paris this afternoon. I had fun with the black and white train photos, so I decided to change it up today and make day one in Paris be a bit noir. I loved being back in my favorite city. I checked in my hotel, loaded up on delicious food, got my boots dusty in the parks, and wandered through the Louvre.  In one of my cooler moments, I tripped over my own tired legs and crashed on the sidewalk. Keeping it chic here in Paris.

Signature Hotel

For a second time, I stayed at the Hôtel Signature Saint Germain des Près. It is a perfect spot; I absolutely adore the neighborhood (and the proximity to La Grande Epicerie – yum!). This time my room was on the second floor; it was decorated in beautiful purples and teals, and I had an adorable little balcony overlooking rue Chomel. I can’t even imagine staying in Paris without a balcony. I could spend the rest of my life hanging out there listening to Paris street sounds.

La Grande Epicerie & A Picnic in the Park

I dropped my bags at the hotel and immediately headed to La Grande Epicerie Paris (a huge, beautiful gourmet grocery store – I have an homage to it here: Paris). I loaded up on all of my favorite French goodies … a ham and cheese sandwich, an eclair, chocolate mousse, flavored Evian waters, croissants, and fresh marshmallows.

Considering it was such a beautiful, sunny day, Alice from the Signature suggested that I visit the Jardin Catherine-Labouré and make a picnic of it. Lunch was delicious, I shared part of my sandwich(es, plural – don’t judge me! The ham and cheese is out of this world in France!) with some pigeons, and soaked up some sun and French air. It was complete heaven.

After my eclair, I decided to get a much needed a pick-me-up (I didn’t sleep well in Amsterdam) and some more sugar, so I headed to Angelina for some heavenly hot chocolate.  Everyone teased me, saying I must be going to back to Paris for love… you’re all right; I’m having a serious romance with the food.

Musée de l’Orangerie

On my first trip to Paris, I had such a good experience using the Paris Museum Pass that I decided to use it again. The closest location to buy one was as at the Musée de l’Orangerie, so I took the opportunity to walk the Rue du Bac, visit the Seine, and then pop in to see the beautiful Monets.

Jardin des Tuileries

Next, I strolled through the Jardin des Tuileries. With all the sun and blue skies, the gardens were full of people sunbathing, sleeping, and just hanging out. It has the best energy and really is one of my favorite places in Paris.

Musée du Louvre

The first time I visited the Louvre, I was so annoyed with the crowds and didn’t stay very long. However, I ended up with some really fun and interesting photos and regretted my impatience. So, the crowds were somehow worse this time, but I really tried to focus on the art through all of the insanity. It is still a little too much for me, but I am glad that I visited again with a different attitude.

Jardin du Palais Royal

My first time in Paris, I stayed a couple of blocks away from the Jardin du Palais Royal but somehow missed going. I read how beautiful and interesting it is for photography (it is), but I had never read about the fun, lively atmosphere. It was a Monday evening, and the garden was filled with kids playing. Some were on scooters, some playing games with balls, and others running around tagging each other. They were happy and laughing, and the sounds of their playing echoed off of all of the buildings around.

An Evening Walk

After all of the travel in the morning, I was pretty exhausted, so I enjoyed a beautiful sunset walk back to the hotel. At the hotel, I snuggled into bed, ate the chocolate mousse I bought earlier and watched a couple of French subtitled episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. Another Paris perfect day in the books.