What can I tell you about Paris?
- There is so much more to Paris than the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées. Become a flâneur, and excel in it.
- Take your time. Savour the experience of buying bread in a boulangerie, cheese in a fromagerie, wine in a boutique du vin.
- Ignore any pompous Parisians. Learn a few words of French, and use them.
Paris has a strange hold over me. “Paris Me” smokes cigarettes and craves nostalgia like a drug. “Irish Me” does not smoke, and enjoys nostalgia but has learned to wean herself off it. I found a page in an old notebook last week entitled “That Paris Feeling”. Intense much? Yep.
“Complete belonging; your place. Every street corner makes you smile, yet a hint of sadness remains. This may never be your home again. A city brimming with memories, friendships, broken hearts, long nights and penniless days. Paris is a city sprinkled with gold dust, but after time everything loses its sparkle”.
I was lucky enough to live in Paris for a year in my early twenties. It was my first time living away from home, and I remember feeling sick to my stomach the night before my flight. My first week involved a few questionable choices (nobody actually wears a beret young Aislinn) but it wasn’t long before I considered myself a fully fledged Parisian.
Paris is one of those fascinating cities that has stood the test of time. Every street is seeped in history. Buildings are old, and unapologetically so. City dwellers are proud (sometimes confused for snobbery). Touristy locations have become victim to fast food chains but on the whole the city remains authentic. I am often asked to share my Paris tips with friends (they know I will force them upon them regardless) and I always start by insisting they stay in an apartment. Hotels limit your ability to feel like a true Parisian for the weekend.
Un Jour à Paris
The best bakery in Paris is Du Pain et Des Idées. I have walked for up to an hour to start the day with one of their pistachio chocolate pain au raisins. I usually eat it sitting by the Canal St Martin and watch the world go by in that wistful French way.
Afterwards, I will have my first coffee of the day at Chez Prune and continue to people watch. Paris is THE BEST people-watching city. How are Parisians so beautiful?
Afterwards I will take a city bike and head towards the river, stopping off at Les Tuileries. Following the main path through Les Tuileries will leave you at the Louvre, worth a trip if it’s your first time (my favourite museum in Paris is Musée D’Orsay and is just across the river). Usually I walk from the Louvre down to Notre Dame and stop at the little book stalls.
If I had the power to meet anyone from the past it would be Ernest Hemingway. His book “A Moveable Feast” is without a doubt the most beautiful love letter to Paris.
“There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other. … Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it.”
One of my favourite things to do in Paris is to visit Hemingway’s old haunts. And that’s where we will head to next …. Café de Flore is overpriced but well worth the extra money for a seat on the terrace and the ability to imagine you are a struggling author (just me?).
“…this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy”.
Next on the list is Montmartre. Widely known amongst the tourists, this area is home to the magnificent Sacré-Coeur, which offers the best panoramic view of the city (after the Eiffel Tower). My hidden gem in Montmartre is Musée de la Vie Romantique. It is heaven on earth. Don’t tell everyone. Please.
In Paris, I take hours to prepare for my dinner. Anyone who knows me will fall off their chair in disbelief upon reading that (I am a terrible cook and am probably Deliveroo’s best customer in Dublin). The process of curating your daily meal is a beautiful experience and involves visiting several specialist shops. My favourite area to do this in is Abbesses, right next to Montmartre. Rue Lepic and Rue Abbesses are full of gorgeous artisan shops and stalls selling fresh produce. The concept of “convenience over quality” does not exist in Paris. I still love how it feels to tuck a fresh baguette under my arm and to feel the weight of my bag grow heavier as I treat myself to far too much cheese and pastries.
Abbesses is also my favourite place to spend an evening, enjoying a glass of rosé on a terrace as the night grows dark.
It is here where our tour ends. For several reasons.
- Writing this makes me want to book a flight to Paris immediately.
- Writing this makes my heart grow sore.
- I have far too many recommendations to fit in one post.
I spotted this on my most recent trip to Paris, and it made me smile. It is a perfect depiction of the passion and intensity that I feel when I visit, and the exhaustion I feel when I leave.
Paris, je t’aime.
