J'adore Paris
WORDS:: Chyka Keebaugh
PHOTOS:: Lisa Atkinson
I am so excited to be travelling to the city of love!
It’s been years, and I can't wait to be sitting on a sunny street corner sipping my champagne and people watching in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Paris is one of those cities that is so easy to walk around and get lost in the beauty of the old facades and buildings.
Going back to Paris will be just like putting on an old shoe. A gorgeous one at that! I will wander the streets of the Marais, peeking into people’s courtyards or up into windows wondering about the people who live there and the lives they lead. I love just sitting on the sidewalk enjoying a coffee and watching the world go by. Paris is just about one of the only places where it is ok to look and stare. I will never tire of watching beautifully dressed people riding their bikes so gracefully with the perfect hat or bag tucked into their basket. There is an effortless beauty to the Parisians that I am sure every foreigner aspires to, I am certainly no different.
I am always so inspired when I am in France, and it can be as simple as a piece of fabric in an old window, a flower box full of bright bulbs or wandering an old flea market looking to find that something special. It is such a luxury in life to be able to stop and enjoy what is around me. To not be in a hurry and have the time to take in the heartbeat of such an amazing city.
Favourite things to see & places to go…
Climb the Eiffel Tower
Ride bikes everywhere and anywhere in Paris
Spend a day at the Louvre
Visit Notre Dame and walk around the old flower market
Have a picnic at the Tuileries garden
Visit George's Pompidou Centre
Spend a day exploring Montmartre; have yourself sketched and enjoy a glass of local red in the square
Wander around the streets of the Marais stopping at local cafes
Visit Lauduree for tea and a macaron (yes cheesy and touristy but fun to do)
Organise a walking tour at a local food market
A boat trip on the Bateaux Mouche
Five Cool Parisian Cafes to visit…
Having not visited Paris in a few years, I can't wait to go back and see all the new restaurants that have opened. The one thing you can be sure of is the coffee will be great and so too will the pastries. I will be sharing some new places that we discovery too while away so make sure you follow me on INSTAGRAM for daily updates. I know that when I travel pre-planning and research is the key, so I thought I would share a few of the tried and true favourites of friends and the handiest helper of all, Trip Adviser. Which is a great go to site when wanting to find something new and fun to enjoy.
Merce & The Muse Run by an American expat, this cafe offers American style coffee in a cool locale in upper Marais. Perfect for people watching and sipping a real latte!
1 bis rue Dupuis, 3rd, +33 9 5314 5304. Métro: Temple
Coutume Cafe Opened by an Australian-French Duo, this cafe is one for all the coffee obsessives out there. Roasting the beans on site, it’s a cafe-cum-coffee lab, but it’s popular so be prepared to wait.
47 rue de Babylone, 7th, +33 1 4551 5047, coutumecafe.com. Métro: Saint-François-Xavier
Le Petit Chateau d’Eau Close to the Canal Saint-Martin this gorgeous old cafe with flowery walls, leather booths and a zinc bar. Perfect for an espresso and humble French food at meal times.
34 rue du Château d'eau, 10th, +33 1 4208 7281. Métro: Jacques Bonsergent
Cafe De Flore A traditional cafe that is so quintessentially Parisian. In the heart of St Germain, you may not get the best coffee but this cafe is definitely bucket list worthy.
172 boulevard Saint Germain, 75006 Paris | Métro Saint Germain des Près
Cafe Kitsune This no seating cafe is the place to be seen come fashion week, grab a coffee to go and sit opposite in the gorgeous Palais Royal Gardens across the street.
51 Galerie de Montpellier, 75001| Métro Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre
Credits: Images via pinterest