An itinerary fit for two days…or two months (mon dieu.)

My wish and hope for you is that you have more than a weekend in Paris. Alors, a visitor’s mindset is that it’s always ‘le weekend’…plus, few days in Paris is better than no time in Paris at all!

Most years, I spend most of October in France. And most of that time is spent in Paris.

(By the way, October is the best month to be in Paris – if you ask me.)

There is something magical about any time spent in the French capital, particularly if you’re a visitor to the city. Even if you have just a weekend in Paris, you can take a ‘flaneur’ or ‘flaneuse’ approach, which just means one who wanders for pleasure and without aim.

If your ideal Paris weekend includes a desire to hit the major museums and monuments, or if you haven’t visited before, you may wish to spend your time differently and take a meandering approach on a return visit. This relaxed, curious method of exploring the city can be frustrating for someone who has limited time or is visiting for the first time — I get that.

If you had only a weekend to spend in Paris, would you run around checking off boxes, seeing as many sights as possible, and queueing to see a famous piece of art? Or would you stroll along the Seine, linger over a book in a cafe, and picnic in a park?

I will guide you not by ‘what to do on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.’ I will instead give you the framework resulting from my many favorite days and weeks in the city. And if you have visited before, I believe this ‘Weekend in Paris’ way of experiencing the city will open up its beauty to you in a whole new way.

Let the mindset of the purposeful wandering of the flâneur be your guide.

Pick an arrondissement and make it your base for the whole time you’re there.

It’s most convenient to choose your accommodation in this neighborhood as well, but you don’t have to.

A few favorites:

Choose a pâtisserie you can go back to each morning of your trip.

Of course the one you choose would ideally be near your accommodation so that you can get to know the people there and greet them every morning or so, almost as if you lived there.

A few suggestions:

I also love visiting Stohrer, the oldest pâtisserie in Paris (located in the Marais))

Get a place with a balcony.

Not a 100% necessary move, but one that is certainly enjoyable. I like drinking my local coffee and/or wine on a balcony that’s private to me, as well as enjoying the big windows and absorbing Paris in motion from above. (Recommended apartments listed at end of post!)

Bring your own picnic to a park.

Some recommended parks for picnics:

Suggested picnic goods:

Rent bikes using the Velib system.

Or, take a stroll on the Seine

Be a flâneur/flâneuse.

One of the greatest pleasures of Paris is simply wandering the streets with no plan. Put on your best walking shoes, soak in the beauty, and give it a try — you never know what you might find.

Not sure where to start? I love strolling from Saint-Germain-des-Prés past the Notre Dame cathedral, some of the most beautiful bridges across the Seine, and the Île Saint Louis, perhaps stopping for ice cream at Berthillon or in to see the impressive stained glass at Saint Chapelle. Nearby you’ll find one of my favorite tucked-away squares, Place Dauphine. This is one of my favorite self-led walking tours in all the city and the recipe for the perfect Paris day. Enjoy <3

Discover French wine at a local wine bar.

Wander into a wine bar at happy hour or later in the evening. Discover regions of wine (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, etc.) and enjoy the free-flowing inexpensive wines. Particularly good on a Paris weekend. I love:

Dine at a classic bistro.

Lingering over classic French food at a long-standing Parisian bistro is always a good idea. A few I recommend:

Sit en terrasse for a few hours.

Like the seated version of being a flaneur, one of the very best ways to experience Paris is to watch the world pass by from a cafe. You can’t go too far without running into one, but here are some cafe etiquette tips, along with a few favorite cafes:

Try out a newer restaurant.

Modern Paris has a variety of cultures and cuisines to sample. Check out Septime, Semilla, Verjus, Papillion, and Frenchie (to name a few) for some fantastic food that’s more modern than classic. There are also some incredible restaurants with non-French cuisine if you’re looking for more options. Pick up the book The New Paris before your trip for more.

A few more (local) dining resources:

Enjoy some of the excellent lesser-known museums.

If you’ve seen them before, I highly recommend skipping the fight with the crowds at The Louvre and D’Orsay. Many of the smaller museums of Paris are sadly overlooked by even frequent visitors. The three I’d head to first are:

Go in search of France’s regional cuisines.

There is a lot to love about Parisian food, and don’t think just in terms of French food! However, here are a few to taste from other regions of France while you’re in the city.

Explore the French pharmacy – especially if you’re interested in skincare.

And, Choose Your Own Adventure

Make a pilgrimage to Shakespeare and Company, Paris’s most famous English bookstore. It’s a friendly and important home to a lot of the city’s past and present literary scene.

See the Eiffel Tower up close. If you’ve already stood under it/beside it, check out a new angle or sit at a cafe that has a view of it. (I once tried to skip the Eiffel Tower on a visit, insisting I didn’t need to visit it, but I caved and went to see it and lo and behold, it still charms.) Another good, somewhat hidden spot to view it is the rooftop terrace of the Galeries Lafayettes — simply go to the 7th floor of the department store for a (free) panoramic view of Paris.

Versailles is truly a sight to behold, and it’s a quick train ride from Paris. If you’re really interested in going, it’s very worth it. However, there is so much to do/see in Paris I usually recommend staying in the city if you only have limited time. It remains one of the best day trips from Paris.

What to pack for a weekend in Paris:

How to Make French Friends (or at the least, have the best chance of starting off on a good foot wherever you go:)

Say ‘bonjour’ or ‘bonsoir’ and ‘merci, au revoir’ as you enter and exit any storefront or restaurant.  Even if you don’t speak any other French, it’s an important part of French culture to say these things upon entry/exit and will you put you miles ahead of others for service and general friendliness when in Paris.

Also, it may sound funny but smiling is generally frowned upon (ha.) You’ll find that French people may not be as warm and friendly as you’re used to in other places, especially if you’re coming from the States. Remember, this does not mean they’re not lovely people — and you might find that out with a little bit of spoken French and/or working to fit into French culture while you’re there.

Where to Stay in Paris

Bon voyage <3

:: share or save these tips for later ::

The post It’s Always ‘Le Weekend’ in Paris: Paris Itinerary appeared first on Part-Time Traveler.

I have this strange ritual I repeat every time I land in Paris.

I almost don’t want to tell you about it, because I am aware that it’s random and a bit odd. But it takes me right back to some of the happiest moments of my life. So, I hold onto the habits (and even come clean with them here, to you.)
After dropping off my bags where I’m staying, is to immediately head to the nearest French chain grocery store — Carrefour, Monoprix, it matters not. The red lipstick and ballet flats emerge, and calm comes over me as I take to the Parisian streets.
I then proceed to pick up the same four things: a bit of both carottes rapées and celery rémoulade salads, (I told you this was random…) a wheel of cheese (the stinkier the better,) and a bottle of French red wine that’s under 10 euros. Perhaps I also get a fresh baguette.

This is my simple ritual.

I once saw Paris in a Bollywood film. It was the first film I ever watched in India. And though my plan was to head home from Italy after months of traveling, something about seeing Paris on the screen (in India, of all places) meant that I had to go there.
And so although it made no practical sense, and though I had been before a handful of times, I made plans to spend a month living in Paris. I wanted to linger. I wanted to relax there.

I found a cheap apartment, the kind you can’t fully stand up in, through a friend-of-a-friend. He was an American and an officer in the Navy, enough of a dreamer and a Francophile to keep a pied-a-terre in one of the nicest parts of the city. It was a former maid’s quarters, with a toilet in the hall and a switch on the wall to turn the water from the tiny sink to the shower stall…but it was Paris, and for a short month, it was mine.

So perhaps it was this first “real” experience that left me craving an appartment stay in Paris whenever my mind wanders to a distant place. I almost wish Paris wasn’t this place for me because it’s so cliche. But it happened, and the city is one of my favorite places on Earth to be romantic. And I don’t even need anyone but myself for that to be the case. (In fact, I prefer being in Paris alone!)

So while I’ve stayed in some beautiful hotels in Paris (this one is still my favorite,) here are the reasons I’ll always opt for renting an apartment in Paris:

The chance to feel like you live in Paris. (A girl can dream, right?)

To have your neighborhood pâtisserie and market, if only just for the week. (Utilisez votre français!)

To have access to a kitchen to enjoy the treats you find at French markets and shops. (Le Bon Marche, anyone?)

To experience residential areas of the city, where there is a lower concentration of tourists and visitors. (This helps with the pretending like you live there part.)

To more intimately know one arrondissement of the many magical parts of Paris. (My favorites are Le Marais (this stay,) Saint Germain-des-Pres, and Republique.)

I have gotten in the habit of choosing a different neighborhood to use as a base and home for longer stays, and it’s my favorite way to explore not just Paris but any city. I try to stay mostly around there and act (i.e. pretend) that I live there as much as I can. (Especially well-suited to Paris, if you ask me.)

To have a place to call your own, to create the habits and the memories that stay with you long after you leave. (Clearly, mine do!)

French friends are quick to remind me that “a vacation in Paris is not the same as living in Paris.” That is to say, that the fantasy of being there temporarily is different from the reality of living there (even if it is in an apartment.)

Still, even if it is a short-lived reverie, it remains a dream in which I can live…so long as there are apartment rentals and cheap plane tickets. <3

Merci beaucoup to Cobblestone Paris for hosting my stay.

(They even have a local come and greet you when you arrive!)
Minimum stay is often as few as three nights.
The apartment featured is called ‘La Charme du Marais’ if you wish to stay there

~

More Paris Stories:

Paris in Black and White // The City of (Unexpected) Love // The Beauty of the French Pharmacy

The post An Apartment in Paris is Always a Good Idea appeared first on Part-Time Traveler.

For what does the city of love and light have to offer a solo traveler?

Love, and light.

You stroll contemplatively. You have days where your only agenda is to go by a certain ice cream shop or pop in to a particular bookstore. You look up at the rows of structured buildings and admire the stretch of intricate, iron balconies placed delicately upon beige facades.

You pick one arrondissement and decide: this is your home for the next two weeks. Maybe later it becomes a month.

You explore the neighborhood, find the cheapest place for wine in the evenings and cafe au lait in the mornings. The pâtissier begins to recognize you as the days pass slowly into evenings. You sit in parks and public squares and watch life and the city go by.

You dine alone for three hours, sit in a cafe with a glass or two or champagne, cherish three courses, and end with a cafe gourmand. No one rushes you. No one hassles you. You write in your journal or lose yourself in thought. And you enjoy every single minute.

Oh! But Paris isn’t for changing planes, it’s for changing your outlook.”

You fill your petit fridge with pungent French cheeses and cheap bottles of good wine. You walk to the open-air market and buy sweet, fresh fruit, or stop in the supermarché to have some tangy celery root remoulade on hand. You make yourself a picnic night after night.

You bike leisurely along the river, or over beneath the Eiffel Tower, just for the tiny thrill of going a bit faster after an aimless stroll.

You greet everyone with ‘bonjour’ and leave everyone with ‘merci, au revoir.’  You overhear conversations in French, and have no idea what they’re saying but you like the way their words echo as they speak.

Perhaps you wear bright red lipstick and little black dresses with colorful scarves or tiny ballet flats. Perhaps you feel elegant just by walking outside. Paris has a way of making you stand up straighter, and also relaxing into your true self. You both care deeply and not at all.

You discover impressive sights, yet cherish more the small street corners or pieces of art or unremarkable but beautiful cafes you never knew you wanted to see. You stumble upon a new favorite arrondissement, and make a note for your next visit.

Paris isn’t just a place for some. It’s a ritual. It’s a song, a dance, and poem that is lived and breathed. It is simple, subtle. It is both refreshingly old and startlingly new.

You connect with Paris because it connects you to yourself. You’re not just there observing through a looking-glass or a camera lens — you are just living. It is both the simplest and most decadent thing you can imagine.

You remember who we you before your heart was ever broken. You love Paris not for who or what or where it is, but for how it brings out the best in you. You adapt — even just for a few days or weeks. You are independent, strong, slow, present.

As a little girl, you always thought Paris was the place you’d go to with the love of your life — there would be hand holding, champagne toasting, and kissing under the Eiffel Tower. It’s a good thing you didn’t wait for that to happen…that’s the danger of letting the world or society or expectations define a person or a place for you. When we simply arrive, let go, and let time or a place or a journey flow, life often surprises us with something even better than we had initially imagined.

When in Paris, go it alone. It is not strange to take yourself on dates. It’s even encouraged that you buy yourself chocolates and pastries, fresh flowers, and fine meals. It’s romance, for one. You can think of nothing you need more in this moment.

Are we romanticizing Paris, even when dreaming of being there alone? Of course. But isn’t it exciting to know that you can live slowly, breathe deeply, and accept things as they are — not as we presume they will be?

Something about the way Paris moves teaches us to reflect it, if we are open to it. We find beauty and peace in simplicity and slow presence, deep thought. We find the beauty in a single moment. And as we see the world, we begin to see ourselves. We find ourselves seeking — and seeing — the beauty in our surroundings, in ourselves.

Respirer Paris, cela conserve l’ame. | Breathe Paris in, it nourishes the soul. – Victor Hugo

The post The City of (Unexpected) Love appeared first on Part-Time Traveler.

This is the story of a travel writer (aka not beauty blogger) who like many, loves visiting Paris and goes as often as possible. It’s the story of choosing a different arrondissement for each visit and making a point to discover the neighborhood as much as possible. The mode of discovery is  always the same: wandering aimlessly on Parisian streets and through alleyways (see also: flâneur) and trying (or not trying, because how very Parisian) to do so with an air of calm (read: not wide-eyed and smiling.) This latest visit is the story of an accidental French love affair…with the pharmacy.

The arrondissement in question for this visit was Saint Germain-des-Pres (6th.) I knew that I would be roaming towards Le Grand Epicerie (just do it, people) for its food and wine. I wrote down the restaurants and cafes I wanted to sit for hours in, and had a few names from new local friends as well. I had a few museums and parks to see. I’d bike by the Eiffel Tower and walk along the Seine, because…Paris! (Already failing at proposed Parisian coolness.)

Normally I would do my best to avoid any obvious area of Paris that draws in a crowd. Yet on this mildly sunny day, slowly walking against a brisk wind, a horde of people at the corner of Rue Bonaparte and Rue de Four caught my attention. Swarms of women elegantly exiting…a pharmacy? Sans health issues requiring a prescription, I popped my head in to take a closer look.

Suddenly the elegance and refinement seems to have dissipated from the air. Women clutched to green plastic shopping baskets as they frantically wove in and out of narrow lanes. These weren’t just Parisians running errands. Puzzled, I stepped aside and asked myself: what were all these people, tourists even, doing buying medicine?

After more than half a dozen visits to Paris, apparently I was the last woman to hear about the magnificent draw of French pharmacy beauty, in this case specifically City Pharma (26 Rue de Four.) There was something more to this — there had to be! Overwhelmed by this new discovery, I did what any good travel writer would do — I went home to do some research alongside my friend Google.

In all my trips to Paris various themes had emerged: art, architecture, food, wine, (bread!) These are the beautiful pursuits that the French have mastered and that I have always sought to learn from. How had French beauty, which is really skincare…illuded me all this time?

As a traveler, I’m fascinated by the routines and daily lives of people in countries other than my own. How does another culture do things differently, and sometimes, better? The answers may surprise us, even in something as simple as how we take care of our skin.

Illusion no more. I sought out to explore armed with the knowledge of many, still not quite sure what I’d find delving into the shelves at City Pharma.

Two hours there and four months since then, I have a solid staple of new skin care obsessions that I feel compelled to share.

Many of the products I discovered have a cult beauty appeal, but for me I am just glad to have found such a sensible approach to skin care, especially for my sensitive skin. I’m already planning my next visit to France for when the supply runs low (any excuse, non?)

French Pharmacy Skincare Favorites

A few quick notes:

• The names below are clickable, which I thought could be helpful as most can be a bit tricky to find in the USA.
• Brands such as Nuxe and La Roche Posay (two of my favorites) have even started selling at Target! <3 (Keep in mind, you save at least half and sometimes more by buying in France.)
• Many products are also available on Amazon now (at that same higher price point. But still!)

Essentials:

Bioderma Micellar Water: When I first heard that French women don’t like to wash their faces with tap water, I thought it was quite silly. After trying this French favorite in place of my face cleanser, I get it. For one thing, it is so much easier and more convenient to wash your face this way (no sink required!) Micellar water consists of tiny little oil particles in water that draw out dirt and oil from your face. Best of all, it’s gentle for sensitive and acne-prone skin (like mine!)

Simple brand sells micellar water in most drugstores for a very reasonable price (I use their face wipes) but this Bioderma bottle is a favorite for a reason. I love using it as a makeup remover as well. No residue is left on your face, and it just feels incredibly fresh. It’s also perfect to take on the road (many pharmacies sell mini-bottles, which I will definitely be picking up next time.) Who knew!

Embroylisse Lait-Creme Concentre: Another cult classic I had never heard of, this is, quite simply, the best moisturizer I’ve ever encountered. It works with all skin types and for many different uses. I picked up the one made with orange by recommendation from the pharmacist and I love it, but I’m looking forward to getting a tube of this classic original.

Nuxe Huile Prodigeuse: This might ‘take the cake’ as my favorite product of all. Made of a blend of several different natural oils, it’s incredibly soothing and somehow still light. Best of all, it smells like pure heaven. I don’t love scents and hardly wear perfume, but I can’t even believe how much I love the way this smells. Use on hair, face, or body (best of all right after a shower or bath!)

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk: Well known to many in the States, it’s the only dry shampoo I use. Get a big bottle for a big discount when in France. Another beauty fix that saves a lot of time, and is great for traveling when showers are less accessible.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir: This is tough to list as an essential because it’s a bit pricey, but I picked up a small bottle of this and it’s my favorite little luxury. It works as a toner and refresher, similar to a thermal water, but with essential oils it just smells lovely and acts as a pick-me-up when I’m feeling sick or tired (often when traveling, especially for long journeys in a plane or car.)

Avene Thermal Water Spray: Again, the skeptic in me thought: why would I buy and carry around water to spray on my face? First I can’t wash my face with tap water and now I have to spray it with special water from a can? Alas, I bought a tiny bottle to try — and fell in love. It’s literally adding moisture to the skin, but there’s something else about this water that soothes, smooths, and softens my face and calms my sensitive skin. I love to spray it on after cleansing (and while on a plane!) or if my face feels particularly dry.

Other favorites:

• Caudalie Instant Detox Mask: my favorite face mask. Feels indulgent and cooling. (All Caudalie products are available in the US, but so, so much cheaper if you buy in France.)
• Klorane Shampoo with Oat Milk: Like the dry shampoo, but the real deal. Gentle but clean feeling.
• La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo: Incredible treatment for troubled, acne-prone skin (available at Target, but keep in mind  the European formulation is different from the product sold in the USA.)
• Caudalie Vino Source Moisture Sorbet: Discovered this at home but bought at a discount in France. Very, very light yet effective moisturizer.
• Luxe Reve de Miel lip balm: A bit pricey in the US, but a delightful matte lip balm with a huge fan club.

Cytol Nat Centella cream (not pictured): I can’t find this for sale online anywhere other than Amazon, where it comes in at $30. I bought it for around 6 euros, so I’m going to have a hard time replacing it at home for that price but it’s essential for me. Heals scars, sunburns, inflammation, or my case, redness and spots from acne. Incredible stuff. (Update: I recently bought La Roche Posay Cicaplast B5 and I also love this for soothing troubled skin!)

Lucky for many of us, most of these products are available outside of the French pharmacy (decent availability in US and UK.) They run about 50% less if you buy them in France (especially at City Pharma, which has significantly lower prices than other French pharmacies,) so it may be worth holding off if you plan to buy and have a trip coming up.

Before this accidental discovery, the only product I’d really taken to while traveling was Tiger Balm (best thing ever.) So even if you have never considered shopping or foreign beauty products an appealing part of travel, the French pharmacy for me was a lesson — in the discoveries we find even when we think we know a city or a culture. With an open mind, there’s no telling what we might encounter when wandering on any given afternoon.  And if you’re not planning a trip but wish to discover a bit of the self-care and sensuality of Paris, this is a small window into bringing that experience home.

Ever since the incident in Colombia, I’ve come to value small acts of self-care and luxury no longer as frivolous or indulgent but as little acts of kindness to ourselves. Things like scented candles, long walks, soft fabrics, and healthy skin care awaken our senses and enhance the quality of life in ever-small but significant ways.

With my French pharmacy favorites, it isn’t so much about the products themselves (though I’ll admit, I’m a convert for life) as the experience of discovering them, and the memories they bring to life each time that I use them.

The post The Beauty of the French Pharmacy appeared first on Part-Time Traveler.

See: Rome in Black and White

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