Travel: A Nous Deux Paris

I've been invited to participate in a competition organized by the Paris/Ile-de-France Regional Tourism Board. The task is to describe my version of an ideal weekend in my beloved Paris. As many of my regular readers know, I once had the privilege of calling Paris my home. What you may not know however is that my connection to the city is deeply personal because it happens to be where my husband and I began our married life together. Paris for me therefore remains a city of anticipation, new beginnings and countless pleasures. If I were to describe a perfect weekend en amoureux, it would go something like this:

Act I: Les Retrouvailles

I will meet my husband at London's St. Pancras station and board one of the last Eurostar trains to Paris. Our life in London is hectic and we really only have the weekends to reconnect so we will no doubt use the two hour journey to catch up with one another. Once we reach Paris we'll check into a small boutique hotel on Place du Mexico in the 16th arrondissement, Radisson Blu Le Metropolitan, just around the corner from our former home (for old times' sake).

We'll then go for a late dinner at Clos des Gourmets on Avenue Rapp just across the Seine in the 7th arrondissement. It's simple, unpretentious and delicious. We've been going there for years and it never, ever disappoints. We'll stroll back to our hotel through the Champs de Mars where we'll stand directly under the Eiffel Tower and my husband will look up and marvel at the structure's grace and intricacy (he does this each time - it's his thing).

Act II: Getting Reacquainted With "Our City"

Saturday will begin with a leisurely breakfast at Carette on Place du Trocadero just up the street from our hotel. There we will enjoy the oeufs brouillés en croûte which are divine and sip our steaming hot coffee while feigning to gaze at the Eiffel Tower. In actual fact, we'll be discreetly observing the not-so-discreet charms of the 16th's beau monde. It is one of the most glamorous "people-watching" places in all of Paris.

From there we will walk over to Passy and take the metro (Ligne 6) over pont de Bir-Hakeim so that we can take in the best view of the Eiffel Tower (for real this time) and make our way slowly to Galerie Kamel Mennour on rue Saint-André des Arts. Despite Paris' long history as a refuge for artists of all persuasions, it has been comparatively slow to embrace contemporary art. Kamel Mennour is helping change all that by introducing Parisians to a slew of talented contemporary artists including Huang Yong Ping and Spanish photographer Alberto Garcia-Ali. We will then stroll through the romantic neigborhoods of Paris' Left Bank stopping in for a late lunch in whatever random cafe appeals to us along the way.

We will end the afternoon at Librairie Galignani on rue de Rivoli - it has one of the best selection of art, fashion and history books I've ever encountered and is my favorite bookstore in the world. Before we get there, my husband will invariably warn me not to buy too many books (I always buy too many books which my poor husband then has to help me carry home). Despite his admonition, I will indeed buy too many books (I do this each time - it's my thing).

We'll then return to our hotel to relax and change for dinner. I will put on one of my favorite Azzedine Alaia dresses - Alaia is my husband's favorite designer because he says Alaia knows better than anyone how to subtly enhance a woman's natural assets. Incidentally, he doesn't know the cost of an average Alaia frock and I plan to keep it that way - I wouldn't want to spoil his pleasure. We'll then head off for a romantic dinner at Maison Blanche - we celebrated our first wedding anniversary there and it remains a special place for us.

Act III: Savoring the Last Moments

On Sunday we'll head over to le Marais. We'll have a nice breakfast at Cafe Les Marroniers on rue des Archives before we set out to stroll through the streets and admire the architecture. No plans, no itinerary. Sundays are meant for walking about aimlessly and just taking in the sites and smells. There is no better place to do this than in le Marais where the streets are closed off to cars on Sunday.

Our last stop will be Bar 228 (formerly known as Bar Le Fontainebleau) in l'Hotel Meurice. There, we will raise a glass to General Dietrich von Choltitz (if you know your history, you don't need me to explain why I raise my glass to him each time I'm there - Paris as we know and love it would not be here today for us to enjoy without his bravery).

We'll then reluctantly return to our hotel to collect our bags. My husband will complain about how heavy my bag is and I will promise him not to buy so many books next time. We'll board the Eurostar back to London savoring the fresh memories from our weekend before our train pulls into St. Pancras and the spell is broken. Au revoir Paris - à très bientôt.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

P.S. If you have suggestions or favorite places you would like to share with me, please do so. I would love to hear about them.

Image by Willy Ronis.

Comments

[Helene]

That all sounds totally awesome! Thanks Dahlia.

Helene

[Dahlia]

A family friend had shown me an ultra quaint area in Bercy Village in le 12eme arrondissement. She said that the area is under a cultural revival turning old small warehouses into hip restaurants, cafes and small shops. The street is made of cobblestone with a still visible trace of what used to be an old train track. I also had the best cocktail I ever had at Chai 33, where a lounge in Paris is truly a lounge, with low music and an overall very relaxing ambiance. You get off at Cour Saint-Emilion on the metro line 14 (purple). A must see!

My favorite restaurant in Paris is "Le Bistro du Boucher," it's a small franchise and the best one is in Antony, you'd have to take the RER train. They have a fantastic menu, and my favorite dish is Le Trilogie de Tartare, best beef tartare I've ever eaten. It melts in your mouth. I have never encountered another restaurant that has their tartare done quite the same way.

For something more lighthearted, there's "Flam's", a restaurant that keeps an old alsacian tradition of making Flammekueches, a sort of very thin pizza-like crust with all kinds of toppings. It is served on a wooden plank, and you can have the option of ordering as much as you want. There are a few locations, the last one I went to was near Montparnasse.

My mother's favorite restaurant is "Chez Papa" right next to the Cimetiere du Montparnasse. It's always full, not much privacy, but the ambiance is great. She loves to order their foie gras, a specialty of the house.

Finally, if you love Tunisian cuisine and you love couscous, there's Chez Hamadi in Le Quartier Latin. It's incredibly tiny, but the food is amazing. I love ordering the merguez sausage w/ couscous. Certainly will not disappoint.

Ok, I'm done :)