An Autumn in Paris

There are few things more enchanting than autumn in Paris. The air is crisp, the leaves have begun to turn, and vin chaud (hot wine) warms your hands and your soul. As soon as my husband, Justin, and I arrived in Paris in mid-October it felt as if someone had switched on bright lights and turned up the music--cancan, of course.

As a general rule, we often pack a lot into our travel. Unless our feet hurt and we collapse on the bed at the end of each night, we tend to feel unsatisfied. While Justin and I had both previously visited the “City of Light,” this trip was no exception. The hours passed in what felt like minutes, hitting our “must-see” spots while also delving deeper into the distinct personalities of each neighborhood.

That said, in four nights we barely scratched the surface of this gorgeous and fascinating city.

Arc de Triomphe

True to form, we hit the ground running. We began our trek walking along the Seine River, crossed over to the Right Bank, and admired the iconic view of the Eiffel Tower from the Jardins du Trocadéro. The area was buzzing as the 20 kilomètres de Paris running event was taking place the following day. We made our way over to the Arc de Triomphe, an imposing structure honoring French victories and the soldiers who were lost in battle. I maintain there are few things more suspenseful than watching the cars navigate the traffic circle at La Place Charles de Gaulle, weaving in and out and eventually spilling onto one of the twelve surrounding avenues. Not to mention the tourists that risk life and limb to get that great photograph!

We continued on to the famed Champs-Élysées, with its spectacular tree-lined streets, high end shopping, and exceptional people watching. It is important to note at this point we began embarking on our search for the perfect French macaron and enacted a strict, regimented diet of French cuisine and nothing else. It was a difficult, but noble task. We loved it. First stop: mussels.

The expansive Jardin des Tuileries provided a great relaxation point, as small vendor stands offered up hot chocolate, mulled wine, and roasted chestnuts on 

Stained glass in Notre Dame Cathedral

this particularly nippy day. We continued on to the Notre Dame Cathedral where an evening mass was taking place, the sounds of music and prayer bursting through the expansive halls. The day’s final sun flooded through vibrant, stunning stained glass windows throughout. Raised on the Disney classics, it took a great deal of self-control to keep myself from breaking into song from the musical “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” while inside the cathedral. (So naturally, I waited until we were outside.)

We sat on the tip of the island inhabited by Notre Dame, Île de la Cité, in the company of other young couples who came prepared with wine and snacks to view the romantic sunset. It was wonderful to relax and see the grandeur of the city lights at night. We topped off our evening with dinner in the vibrant Latin Quarter, and of course, we made sure to sample several different flavors of French macarons while walking past the magical (on-the-hour) twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower.

The following day, we ventured slightly out to the Montmartre area in order to see the Sacré-Cœur Basilica and surrounding neighborhood. While there are admittedly a good number of tourist-oriented sites of this area, you can easily find more authentic pockets which appeal to the fascinating bohemian culture and personalities of the late 19^th-early 20^th century Belle Époque.

Crowd gathered for a performance outside of Sacré Cœur

In that vein, we opted to first visit the Musée de Montmartre. The museum is located in buildings over 300 years old, which served previously as home to Renoir as well as other famed artists and writers. The collection included paintings, photographs, posters and manuscripts telling the story of this eclectic neighborhood. We particularly enjoyed the works by Toulouse-Lautrec depicting the colorful lives of the bohemian performers and cabaret patrons.

As fans of the quirky French film, “Amélie,” we went in search of Café des Deux Moulins, the small café where the title character worked as a waitress. We took great joy in cracking the top layer of crème brulee, an act which Amelie’s character described as one of the greatest pleasures of life, and observed the Sunday afternoon espresso-fueled local buzz.

We briefly swept through the Quartier Pigalle to catch a glimpse at the iconic red windmill of the Moulin Rouge (cue more singing here) and toured the nearby Musée de l’Érotisme. While I cannot say I would recommend it, it was an eye opening experience to say the least. Not for the faint of heart.

A true highlight of the day was attending the Montmartre Wine Harvest Festival, an annual neighborhood happening since 1934. We sampled regional wines and artisan baguettes and cheeses while enjoying local music, dancing, and street performances.

Hoping to take things a bit more slowly, we spent the next day roaming around some of the nearby areas. We especially enjoyed Le Marais, a neighborhood formerly home to the Jewish population of Paris, now home to a thriving gay community. The area had a feel similar to the Mission District of San Francisco, an area known for its hip community, offbeat boutiques, and trendy restaurants. There are no shortage of bakeries, coffee shops, and art galleries to pore over.

It is just a short metro ride from Le Marais over to the university campuses of the Sorbonne and the eclectic, buzzing perpendicular Boulevards Saint-Michel and Saint-Germain.  Headed down the Boulevard Saint-Germain in search of the famous café, Les Deux Magots, we run into none other than Lenny Kravitz dining al fresco, looking as cool and famous as you would imagine in person.

Eiffel Tower

Along the Boulevard Saint-Germain we happened upon Restaurant La Jacobine for dinner. Tucked away in an unassuming alley, the restaurant features no more than 10 tables and serves up a mouth-watering French onion soup, Coq au vin, and escargot. Very highly recommended.

To commemorate our final evening, we ascended to the summit of the Eiffel Tower where we experienced the hourly twinkling lights from inside. (It is highly recommended you purchase your lift ticket as far in advance as possible!) Despite the late night chill, we watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle one last time from the ground before treating ourselves to an obligatory crepe with nutella and strawberries. Heaven.

We began our final day indulging in a morning espresso and delicious Croque Madame. With our hunger for French cuisine satiated, we spent the day gazing, mouths half open, at the magnificent impressionist and post-impressionist paintings at the Musee d’Orsay. The structure of the museum itself is breathtaking, as it formerly served as a train station built for the 1900 World’s Fair. Their collections are rather substantial with works from Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec; however, the museum itself is quite manageable in a few hours or a half-day.

Musée d'Orsay Clock in the Main Hall

It is true that Paris is one of the most romantic cities the world, and with good reason. There is romance in the atmosphere—the music, the cuisine, the art, the history, the people. No wonder it serves as the setting for some of our most charming, beloved films. Needless to say, it was hard to board that return flight. Au revoir, Paris, until we meet again!

    --Jennie Reed, Travel 100 Group