PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA

Yes, Paris is indeed a good idea – especially for the first time as in the case of our kids.  And seeing it all dressed up for Christmas is for me an added bonus.  Yes, it’s pre-Thanksgiving in Paris, but that holiday is not celebrated in this country so what the heck!  And those “Black Friday” sales in many stores are “Black Week” so there are many options to help out the economy.

Alas, as much careful vetting as I do to pick the best hotel that works for our family, sometimes the choice doesn’t pan out. So it was a prompt au revoir to the Novotel Les Halles after the first night and what worked out to be a stellar move to Fauchon L’Hotel.

Below — every day for breakfast.  And not just one basket!

The name is likely familiar to many as Fauchon is a Parisian brand known for their exquisite and extensive gourmet products.  The hotel opened in 2018 and is the first for Fauchon.  The attention to branding at the hotel is amazing, down to utilizing their signature pink color on the hair dryers.  The hotel is part of Leading Hotels of the World which properties offer the same benefits as Amex Platinum cards — upgrades if available, breakfast included, early check in/late checkout, etc. But there’s no fee to be a member. The properties are higher end, for sure, but there can be big differences in the rates for hotels offered in a given city.

Below, moving from one hotel to the other — it takes an army.

Back to Paris.  We utilized the Tripit app to log all travel details and then shared the info with each other.  Some were time specific — tickets to the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay — while others were simply time allotted to be in a certain area for shopping or eating or something cultural.  Each of us had our own priorities.

The number of restaurants in Paris is staggering.  And they all look delicious when you gaze through the window.  We had some pre-arranged dinners, such as a group gathering with dear LA friends who happened to be in Paris as well, and an early birthday celebration for daughter Hannah.  Then it was a bit of negotiating with son Sam as he culled his hospitality industry friends for their recommendations.  We had more options than we had meals to enjoy.

Below, a true shopper’s paradise:  Le Bon Marche — essentially a smaller and more “manageable” Harrod’s

One special evening was in a Parisian apartment where a wine industry friend of Sam’s resides with her husband (a law professor at The Sorbonne).  That was particularly fascinating ascending to the 6th floor in a tiny glass elevator like you see in movies.  There simply is no room in the home for excess — Maryann did a spectacular job of utilizing the space sans clutter.  And she entertains often with a kitchen that most Americans would describe as smaller than many of the bathrooms we’re fortunate to have in our homes.  Below, the apartment — beautifully decorated and yet cozy.

On to more monuments and museums. I missed out on the Louvre this trip as I volunteered to manage the hotel move (shown above).  Even with a portion closed due to the recent stunning heist, it is always a staggering experience.  From there we toured the Notre Dame Cathedral (reopened in December 2024) which is still undergoing renovations since the 2019 fire.  To date, of the $928 million raised, more than $740 million has been spent.  It is estimated work will continue throughout this decade.  Travel tip:  I highly recommend reserving “timed entry” tickets for the Louvre but it isn’t necessary for Notre Dame.

We enjoyed walking up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, with a quick stop at the Georges V Four Seasons Hotel.  The holiday decorations are nothing short of a masterpiece by legendary florist Jeff Leatham (likewise at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills).  The personnel happily welcomed us “looky-loos” with no judgement!  Below, in the lobby area.

From there, we split up with Bruce and Hannah going to Versailles while Sam and I had a bit of retail therapy.  Everyone gets choices which makes these trips go more smoothly. By the way, one can be at Versailles via Uber in roughly 40 minutes from Paris. Dinner that evening was La Petite Chaise, the oldest restaurant in Paris which dates back to 1680.  Literally “The Little Chair,” the seating was cozy and felt like we were in a library. The food was traditional French bistro with great frites, of course.

Below, seeing the Zootopia 2 poster in French!  Hannah worked on the film — little did we know it would go on to worldwide box office domination! 

Then, walking back from dinner.  The “City of Lights” below.

The following day was our timed entry for Musee d’Orsay, so we used the morning hours to visit the Shakespere and Company Bookstore, on the Left Bank across from Notre Dame.  Opened in 1951, it is wonderful to see so many people not just perusing but buying actual books.  It is highly recommended if you haven’t been there.  We then browsed the many vendors selling their art along the Seine with fortunate timing as the frequent rain put a damper on their ability to stay open.  After some purchases and lunch, it was off to the museum.

Personally I much prefer the Musee d’Orsay as a fan of impressionist and post-impressionist art (it houses the largest collection of masterpieces), but likewise for the manageable size of the museum.  One can easily visit in a day and feel a sense of seeing most all exhibits.  Below, is there a more iconic site than the clocks at the museum?  There are two. The building was originally a rail station, and the clocks are from that era.  The photo below was taken from the inside cafe.  The far right side in the distance is Montmartre.

Our dinner hosted by wonderful L.A. friends of more than 10 years was at Chez Andre, another classic bistro that could accommodate 15 of us!  We knew some folks (the hosts’ family from LA and their dear friends from Vienna with whom we dined last year on their home turf).  Others became fast friends and the dinner lasted nearly four hours in true Paris style.  An aside about how we originally met years ago in LA — John & Otto had the box next to us for our Friday night series at the Hollywood Bowl.  The hubby’s custom of peering over to see what food others bring was the start of a beautiful and cherished friendship.

Sometimes, the last day turns out to be the best day.  In our case, it was jam packed:  a timed entry to the top of the Eiffel Tower, followed by last minute shopping, a visit to the incredible Picasso Museum, lunch somewhere and then an early birthday celebration for Hannah.  We picked a favorite of ours on the Left Bank — L’Atelier Joel Robouchon.  We criss-crossed the city like pros.

If you had to choose but one dessert … 

Post dinner happy and sated ..

And that, as they say in french, is La fin.  Back home to our “real” lives sans a daily feast of croissants but just in time for the holiday season.

Below, at the top of the Eiffel Tower