KATIE KENNEDY

More Snapshots from Paris
📍 Le Vendome, Paris

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It’s been almost a whole week since I came home from Paris. With a bit of downtime over the weekend, I’ve finally gone through my photography. I’ve even found my favorite images from the trip. In such a beautiful and historic city, there’s a lot of eye candy! While the City of Lights is just so inspiring, and I could probably write about it for the rest of the year, I wanted to share the top highlights from my most recent trip. Here are even more snapshots from Paris.

Staying at Hotel Bienvenue

When planning a trip to Paris, the most daunting task is to find the right hotel for your stay. Last time, I stayed at Hôtel des Grand Boulevards and loved it! Located in the 2nd arrondissement, it’s in a great location and has a wonderful rooftop bar. Since I knew that David and I would hardly be at the hotel except to rest our heads, I wasn’t worried about luxury and wanted to find a great price. Touriste Hotel Group has four Paris locations and is such a great value. Hotel Bienvenue is the newest addition, and we just simply loved our stay there. The beautifully decorated rooms were cozy, but our bathroom was so big that it felt like a second room. My favorite thing about our stay was its proximity to three different metro lines so that we could explore all of Paris in just a few easy steps.

Shopping in Le Marais

Available on the Right Bank, Le Marais is such a vibrant neighborhood that must be explored! Also known as the 4th arrondissement, it is known for its trendy boutiques and ever-growing list of must-visit dining. On this particular visit, my number one destination was Buly 1803. This vintage-inspired apothecary offers an entire collection of fragrances and other beauty items. With their classical music playing, you’ll be tempted to spend hours admiring each beautifully packaged item. Perfumes are always one of my favorite souvenirs, and I came home with a bottle of Venus de Milo. Made in collaboration with the Louvre Museum, it features notes of mandarin, jasmine, and amber. As you check out, their incredible staff will kindly add a customized calligraphy label to make the purchase feel special. If you aren’t able to get to Le Marais, no need to worry! They have two additional locations on the Left Bank and purchases can be shipped worldwide.

Experiencing Paris Café Dining

When asked by a local what my draw to Paris was, my knee-jerk answer was all about food. The simple ingredients used in most signature dishes are perfectly prepared. The results are meals and flavors that stay with you. I honestly don’t think we had one average meal during our entire visit to France. While the restaurants probably deserve a dedicated blog post, a quick list may be what you need to plan your own trip: Le Moulin de la Galette, Le Precope, Le Grand Vefour, and Bistrot Richelieu are just to name a few. If you’re eating lunch, I highly recommend taking advantage of their three-course lunch specials. 

Visiting the Maison de Victor Hugo

Are there any other fans of Les Miserables there? It’s my favorite play and is something that my Dad and I have really bonded over. In fact, he’s the one who first introduced me to Les Miserables. After all, it’s one of the most incredible father-daughter stories I can think of. It leaves me in tears after each and every listen. The original writer, Victor Hugo, is considered one of France’s most beloved authors. If you look closely, you’ll find monuments to him almost everywhere. In Le Marais, right on Les Place des Vosges, you can visit the apartment he called home for sixteen years. Now, Maison de Victor Hugo has been turned into a museum so you can learn more about the life of this national hero. Although our visit was relatively quick, as they were about to close, it was one of my favorite stops on our Paris tour. 

Tea Time at Ladurée

After a morning of walking miles and miles throughout the city, we arrived at Ladurée thirsty and ready for tea time. While our visit was at the location on Rue Royale, near the Vendome, there are locations throughout the city. We sipped on tea and champagne cocktails in the dining room and ordered a few plates of macaroons and pastries. While it’s not the most well-balanced lunch, it was an excellent opportunity to sit and relax. Before going back to our hotel, we were sure to stop by the boutique next store and pick up some macaroons. Just so you know, they make for the perfect midnight snack, as we very soon found out!

Seeing the Louvre, Of Course!

No first-time visit to Paris should ever be complete without visiting the Louvre. It is the world’s most visited museum and contains more than 380,000 works of art from prehistory to the 21st century. The most famous works are the three ladies: the Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa, and Nike of Samothrace. I would like to add Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix (see above) to that list. I cannot recommend opting for the audio tour enough! It walks you through nearly every painting and can turn your visit into a really meaningful experience. The Louvre is vast and winding, so don’t worry too much if you don’t cover every square inch of the museum.

Aimlessly Wandering

The French have the word Flâner. While there is no direct translation to English, it roughly means wandering without a destination. Away from the shopping, dining, and museums, some of the best time spent is just walking through the city without a goal. Paris is such a stunning city and needs to be explored at any time of day, rain or shine. Each day during our visit, we dedicated a lot of time to aimlessly wandering. Along the way, we found beautiful hotels, quirky boutiques, and stunning spaces that are on our radar for a return visit. When you travel to Paris, who knows what you’ll discover?

Nearly 1,200 words, and there’s so much more to be said. While so many have written about each element of the city, it’s genuinely something you have to experience for yourself. Cheers to your travels and you finding your own snapshots in Paris!

Love from Paris,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

Exploring the Left Bank
📍 Le Pont Alexandre, Paris

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The beautiful Seine River. It’s one of the most important markers in Paris and is a great guide to help navigate the city. Paris is often divided into two areas, Rive Gauche and Rive Droite. This translate to Left Bank and Right Bank. While frequent visitors and locals alike may be partial to one over the other, they are both worth exploring. The Right Bank boasts the Louvre and other incredible museums, while the Left Bank seems to have more history and renowned vintage shopping. On previous trips, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Rive Droite via Le Vendome and Le Marais. That’s why I decided to make the Left Bank a top priority on this most recent trip. Join me for some exploring on Left Bank.

Breakfast at a Historic Cafe

Excited for the full day ahead of us, we got bright and early and started from our hotel in the 2nd arrondissement. The first destination was for a quintessential Parisian breakfast at one of the famous Left Bank Cafes. Essential their are two camps, Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore. Both were a favorite amongst the Paris literary set, think Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and have an identical menu. While I can’t strongly recommend one over the over, I genuinely loved our breakfast at Les Deux Magots. We watched the city come alive with our croissants, café alongé, and jus d’orange. Next time, I’ll give Café de Flore or La Bonaparte a try. 

Visiting the Musee Rodin

After breakfast and some aimless exploring, we made our way to the Musée Rodin. Auguste Rodin is best known for The Thinker and The Kiss (see above) but is also considered the founder of modern sculpture. Many friends so highly recommended this particular museum. I was so excited to see the space in person. He had such a gift for expressing such emotion in his 3-Dimensional work, and it was a joy to see it up close and personal. As always, I highly recommend the audio tour to completely understand what you’re taking in. After the interior tour, enjoy a coffee to stay and enjoy the back gardens that have even more of Rodin’s work. 

Exploring Les Invalides

most widely talked about museum, especially compared to the Louvre and D’Orsay. If you’re a history buff or francophile, I cannot recommend this museum enough. Inside this complex, you’ll find several museums about the military history of France. Just beyond the cathedral, which was absolutely stunning, you’ll also find the tomb of Napoleon. Although he was exiled twice, I was in awe of how much his country still feels for him and the memorial that was created in his honor. With its gilded sculptures, the famous Pont Alexandre III bridge leads straight to Les Invalides and serves as the perfect path to fall in love with French history.

There’s just so much more to be said about Le Rive Gauche. From picnicking under the Eiffel Tower to dinner at Le Procope, one of the oldest restaurants in Paris, there’s is so much to love about the Left Bank. If you’re planning your very first trip to Paris, please be sure to make both sides of the Seine River a priority.

Love from Paris,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

What to Know About Paris
📍 Palais Garnier, Paris

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Bonjour de Paris! After an unintentional break away from social media and blogging, I’m so happy to be back after a long trip to Paris and Provence. The perfect recipe for a stellar vacation was equal parts exploration and relaxation. I kept thinking it felt like a second honeymoon, and I’m so thankful for our time abroad. I’ll be sharing all of the details from our trip soon, but first, I wanted to talk about the preconceived notions of traveling to France. You may have heard some negative comments from loved ones who have traveled to the ‘City of Lights.’ If you’re toying with the idea of traveling to Paris yourself, I wanted to help squelch some of those misconceptions. Here’s what to know about Paris.

Are Parisians really that rude?

No. This comment is probably the number one feedback from traveling Americans. Maybe it’s just because of luck, but I’ve never really encountered the rude Parisian. The biggest thing to remember is that Paris is a bustling city. Like in any city, locals don’t have time to cater to tourists. From a restaurant standpoint, it’s critical to have a few French phrases in your pocket to greet and ask for a table. This little act truly goes a long way.

Is Paris a safe city?

Yes, but with reason. Again, Paris is a big city with different levels of ‘safety’ in particular neighborhoods. On this trip, David and I took the crowded metro, had late night walks back to our hotel, and strolled through more touristy parts of town. There was never a point where I felt uncomfortable or unsafe. Keep in mind that I was never alone and am very used to city living. It’s most important to trust your instinct and know that Ubers are readily available in the city for you to get to your next destination.

Is French food even worth it?

A resounding yes! I have a deep love for food, and it was one of my top reasons for wanting to visit Paris in the first place. The ingredients are simple, the flavors are awe-inspiring, and the meals are so memorable. I genuinely don’t think we had a bad meal once while we were in France. There’s your standard French fare, think escargot and bœuf bourguignon, but don’t forget to try different cuisines that have made their place in French culture, like Vietnamese and Lebanese.

Is speaking French essential?

No, but make an effort. The vast majority of Parisians will speak English to varying degrees. At hotels, boutiques, and restaurants in particular, you’ll be less likely to have a language barrier. However, as a guest in their country I think the least you can do is learn a few key phrases to help bridge the gap.

• Parlez vous anglais? Do you speak English?
• S’il vous plaît. Please.
•  L’addition, s’il vous plaît. The bill, please.
• Bonjour (day) and Bonsoir (evening): Hello.
• Merci. Thank you.
• Au revoir. Goodbye. 
• Ou sont les toilettes? Where are the toilets? 
• Excusez-moi. Excuse me. 

Is the fashion like Emily in Paris?

No. From my point of view, most of the people who were dressing like Emily were American tourists looking for an Instagram moment I know we really want to believe that French fashion is all bright colors and designer labels, but that’s just not typically the case. Parisian style is undoubtedly effortless and chic, but it’s also extremely practical. Imagine staples with a twist and comfortable sneakers to get around the streets of Paris.

Are the museums touristy?

Yes, but that’s the fun! I recently read that there’s a huge difference between a spot being touristy and a tourist trap. There’s no shame in going somewhere that is popular amongst tourists. The top art museums in Paris host some of the most precious pieces of art in the world, but you won’t always see local Parisians there. Bar Hemingway is a favorite amongst Americans, but it’s a must-visit for any literature lover. When visiting a new city, let yourself be a tourist and have fun finding local favorites along the way. 

Is Paris too big to enjoy fully?

Not with a Metro card! It’s easy to underestimate how spread out the city of Paris is. It could take you hours to walk from one site to the next. My first piece of advice? Wear your most comfortable pair of sneakers. I highly recommend Vejas sneakers. The second piece of advice? Get from Point A to Point B via the Metro. It’s clean, efficient, and surprisingly easy to navigate. It saved us so much time as we traveled around the city and is cheaper than Uber.

Is a trip to Paris worth it?

Absolutely, 100%. Paris has something to offer every single visitor. Whether your focus is shopping, art, dining, or history, there’s so much to uncover. Often, all of those mediums are infused together. It should be every traveler’s bucket list. I promise you, especially if you come with an open mind, that you’ll be sure to fall in love with this incredibly romantic city.

Paris, I absolutely love you! I can’t wait to keep sharing my travels and adventures. If you have any questions about French travel, I’m more than happy to answer. If I can convince anyone to finally take the plunge and book your trip, than I consider my posts to be a success!

Love from Paris,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.