We went to Paris for my 60th birthday. Two years ago. I had never been, my husband had been several times. Food is very important to us but so is history and art. We stayed in the 9th and the 5th, we sorted our days and restaurants based on timing, preferences , museums and recommendations on this board and others. Did we have a less than stellar meal? Maybe but c’est la vie
We had a wonderful trip for a lot of different reasons. But we did not over think it. We just enjoyed it,
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That will be my mantra.
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Thank you for saying this. Some people have beat a dead horse until it is a greasy pile of nothing. Just go, enjoy, and experience.
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I had a stellar mean IN the Louvre back when Angelina had a place there. Dreamy risotto, braised veal, and a steak tartare that I still dream about. All others have paled in comparison for me.
Mostly, though, I have used food as an excellent excuse to explore other neighborhoods that I might never get to see, and those have been the most rewarding travel experiences of my life. If I find myself seriously looking at a menu in a window, I know I’ve done something wrong.
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I dreamt about Paris since I was a little girl. My interest was piqued by Julia Child and her show The French Chef. I took French in junior high school as well as high school and further studied French literature in college (I was, however, an English major). I was thoroughly in love with France, the French culture, language, art, food, everything.
I got married at 23, and of course I wanted to go to Paris for our honeymoon. But we paid for our wedding and didn’t have enough to go to Paris. So, we took a car trip to Quebec City and Montreal. I was thrilled. There was plenty of French to be found.
I figured I’d make it to Paris after our two children were born. Well, not right away. We took family holidays instead. Then I figured I would go in my 30’s or 40’s. No. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis while I was in law school and it was a game changer. It was like living with an internal bomb. You never know when it will go off, but it will go off. That is a fact.
Having MS changed my life. I decided to live more boldly and ran for public office as head of a small town. I won and served two terms in office. I decided to abandon law school and public service to live out my dream career as a journalist/newspaper editor. Where did the time go? The kids went through college, got married, and I finally retired.
Now, I could pursue my dream and go to France. The plan was Paris for the first trip , then trips to Normandy/St. Michel, Champagne and wine areas, Lyon and Nice.
In 2019, I finally made it to Paris! It was amazing! But one week was not enough. So, I planned a trip for 2020 and of course that got cancelled. So, now I’m coming back to Paris in May 2022, along with my supportive and loving husband, who has been on a heckuva journey with me.
Someone on this board criticized me for saying I thought Paris was the most beautiful city in the world. But it’s true, I do. The people, culture, arts, music, architecture, history, language and glorious food and wine. I unabashedly love it all.
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Trish, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Go “behold” it all!
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Totally! After checking all the tourist boxes, we’ve done very little planning the past several trips and kinda just rolled with the punches exploring with no set agenda or dining plans (well maybe one or two).
It is indeed a beautiful city - don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Can’t wait to go back.
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