Printemps à Paris

 

Ken and I are heading abroad in May, and the details of our trip are slowly starting to come together, so I thought I’d share what we’ve got in the lineup so far for Paris, the first stop on our journey…

 

First things first, we’ve rented a flat on the Île Saint-Louis, a self-contained, atmospheric island on the River Seine.We chose to stay in a flat in a discreet neighborhood, as opposed to a hotel because we want the experience of feeling less like a tourist and more like a local.  The flat is adjacent to the island’s mainstreet with quaint restaurants, art galleries, and shops selling everything from cheese to silk scarves, and the island’s central location should be a great home base for zipping around the city. The image above is the street view from our place. Notice the Seine? Metro Stop: Cité

 

Paris’ bike rental scheme, Velib, was implemented in 2007 about a year after my last visit to Paris, so it’s something I look forward to doing this time around. Ken and I both love to bike, and it sounds like it will be a great way to get from point A to point B without missing anything in between.

Photo via Aromas & Sabores.

 

Of course, no french exchange would be complete without a stop at Laduree for macarons. Per my friend, Nina’s, recommendation, we plan to indulge at the Laduree Bonaparte location in St. Germain and have tea in their blue velvet tea room upstairs (Thanks Nina!). Metro Stop: Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Photo via With Love From Kat

 

Hunting for flea market treasures is a love of mine, and to do so in Paris? Well that’s just about a dream come true. We plan to brush up on our negotiating skills at Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, the largest flea market in the city, and we may venture onto some of the smaller markets scattered around the city depending on how we’re feeling.   Metro Stop: Porte de Clignancourt

 

Since we’ll be there in May, we’re hoping it will be warm enough to pick up a baguette + cheese, roll out a blanket and enjoy lunch and a nap en plein air in one of Paris’ blooming parks. Two parks we’re eyeing up are Parc des Buttes Chaumont (Metro Stop: Buttes Chaumont) and Luxembourg Gardens (Metro Stop: Odeon).

Photo by Virginie Garnier.

 

Housing such famous works such as The Thinker, The Rodin Museum, is located in sculptor Auguste Rodin’s private working studio, an 18th century mansion on La Rive Gauche (southern bank) of Paris. This one makes our ‘to see’ list not only for the more than 6,000 Rodin sculptures, but also the graceful architecture and manicured grounds.

Photo via Tea Time in Wonderland.

 

Though there’s so much to see and do in a foreign city, probably my favorite thing to do is  simply to hunker down in a cafe and take in the scene, the people, and the everyday life playing out around me. Two cafes on our scout list are Cafe Louise (Metro Stop: Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre) and La Caleche (Metro Stop: Opéra). (Thanks for the reco, Suzanne!)

Photo via Svetlana Karner

And that’s what we’ve got so far! Next on the itinerary are Switzerland and Italy. Do you have any suggestions for what we should do and see? Please share!