In planning our trip to France we decided to have a more structured time in Normandy and Paris would be seen at our leisure. There was no schedule and no agenda. Our only goal was to have a romantic getaway doing what we wanted. I highly recommend it regardless of your age.
You can find whatever you’re looking for in The City of Lights. We chose not to listen to the negatives and focus our energies on finding the beauty and fun available outside our hotel room. There was plenty of it and it was easy to find. Staying on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter made everything easily to reach. Our hotel offered a great complimentary breakfast, a complimentary bar in the evening, and a comfortable lounge with a large fireplace…great locations to start and finish the day.
Each day over breakfast we picked a location and walked as much as we could to see what different areas of the city had to offer. If something interesting showed up on our route we would check it out. Since you’re never far from a restaurant in Paris, we would frequently stop for a drink or a snack to enjoy the atmosphere of the bistros. There is so much interesting architecture in the city, I wished my head was on a swivel. Archways, doors, knockers, and gates are ever present and many are unique. We loved all of the international restaurants and the unique passageways through the center of some city blocks that were lined with little shops and great places to eat. You want to have dinner at an Italian restaurant located in a basement courtyard? No problem. It’s 6:30 and you want gelato at the coffee shop down the street that’s open until 8:00? That’s a problem. While you can get coffee prepared in a multitude of ways, thirty-six varieties of flavored teas, and all kinds of chocolates, gelato is not sold after 6:00. The explanation for this house rule got lost in translation so the problem was solved with American ingenuity. We went to the market around the corner, purchased two pints of our favorite flavors, and retreated to the hotel lounge to consume it in front of the fireplace. I think our disappointment disappeared after the second spoonful.
No one day was better than another. They were all wonderful. Walking along the banks of the Seine holding hands with the person you love is the best.
