I was invited to a conference for work and decided to come early and spend the weekend. I flew Iceland Air in Saga Premium. This is a great airline and l enjoy the ease of connecting through Reykjavik. Saga Premium is similar to first class on a US domestic carrier with wider seats, full-service meals, and drinks but not the lay flat beds of other airlines.
I arranged my private airport transfer through my hotel for €65. I arrived at the Hotel de Fleurie just off St Germain des Pres in the 6th Arrondissement. This is my favorite neighborhood. I love how colorful it is, and how many cafes and stores are nearby. I can walk to almost anything from here, and I did. I put about 40 miles on my feet during my entire stay. The hotel has 5 floors, the rooms are small but have air conditioning and they have a reasonably priced breakfast every morning, Of course, I had to eat a croissant every morning.
One of my tricks to getting used to the time change is to book a night tour. So after I unpacked (yes I am one of those people who unpack everything if I am staying more than one night) I set my alarm for an hour and a half later and woke up around 5 pm. The first meal I always want in Paris is escargot with tomato salad. Since I have stayed in this neighborhood a few times before I know a few good places to sit outside with a glass of wine, my favorite food, and people watch. For this meal, I ate at Cafe Le Quartier General and as usual, it did not disappoint. I ate here twice on this trip and brought one of my coworkers on our last night in town, of course, we ordered escargot again.
From there I took a leisurely stroll to the Left Bank where I was meeting my tour group in front of the Shakspeare and Company Bookstore. I was a little early so I ordered my Parisian drink of choice a St Germain Spritz and enjoyed the lively scene of this cute little alley. At 9 pm I joined the small group for our Haunted Paris Tour- Legends, True Crime, Ghosts, & More. This tour focuses on the dark side of Paris. There were several ghost stories, including the famous ghosts of Notre Dame Cathedral. We visited the location of the famous Demon Barbor, which is said to be the real inspiration for Sweeney Todd. By the way, this is now a garage for police vehicles but they still have an artifact on one of the lower levels. At the Conciergerie, we heard about the Reign of Terror and the imprisonment and beheading of Queen Marie Antoinette. We learned about the Morgue where thousands of visitors would come to see the dead. If the body was not claimed their personal belongings would be sold in the “gift shop” and nothing was cleaned, it was sold as is. We ended at the place that used to house the Holy Innocents Cemetary which now is the Fountain of Innocents. In 1786 what remained of the bodies buried there were moved to the Catacombs. It is said that 2 million bodies were buried there, one on top of the other in mass pits that could hold up to 1500 people. Matt is an amazing tour guide and we learned so much and had some laughs along the way as well, which were surprising considering the tour. I highly recommend this tour as a perfect way to overcome jetlag and explore a part of Paris you might not otherwise learn about.
Paris was experiencing a heat wave so the next two days were going to be 100+ degrees but that didnt stop me. I put on a sundress and good walking sandals and met my guide Geoffrey at the Église de Saint Germain des Prés for our Vines in Saint-Germain-des-Prés? Tour. I had no idea that there were vines in the heart of Paris and in fact there are about 10 vineyards that still exist in the city of Paris. This is one of the oldest churches in Paris, built around the year 1000, so this small vineyard is rooted in the same soil dating back to the Middle Ages. Geoffrey explains the wine history of the once powerful Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés while we walk to the Marché couvert Saint-Germain. It was just perfect that on this day it was just the two of us. A table was set outside of the market and we delighted in the most amazing bread, cheese, and of course wine. it was the best possible breakfast on a Sunday morning in Paris. I needed to walk off some of the calories so I spent the next three hours exploring the Luxembourg Gardens and the area around Saint Sulpice. I found what would end up being my favorite St Germain Spritz in all of my cafe visits at Les Editeurs. I enjoyed two of them and a Caprese sandwich for lunch while taking in the sights of the bustling Paris streets.
After lunch, I took some time to wander the tent markets that line a number of the streets in Saint Germain des Pres. I came home with a beautiful handcrafted ring, dried fruit, and pistachio and creme brule nougat…so delish.
I went back to the hotel to freshen up and rest a bit before dinner and my night tour in a Vintage 1963 Peugeot. There were only two of us on this tour and our guide Stoyan was fantastic, we drove all over the city and saw places I had never been. We even stumbled upon a film crew at the Place des Vosges, although we never did find out what movie they were shooting. Our meeting point was the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville and at the end of the tour, I chose a lovely walk across the bridge, past Notre Dame, and back to my hotel.
After another wonderfully exhausted sleep, I woke up early to grab breakfast before my walking tour with Guide and Photographer Thomas. Since it was just the two of us, he met me at my hotel and we covered about 6 miles of the city from the Jardin Luxembourg in Saint Germain des Pres to the Pantheon in the Latin Quarter, with a quick picture at one of the Emily in Paris locations “Gabriel’s Restaurant” which is really called the Ristorante Terra Nera. It was so fun to have someone to take pictures of me since when traveling solo it’s not always easy. There are any number of Instagram Photo tours you can take but this was much more fun as it was a walking tour with pictures as a bonus. If you are looking for a great photographer to take you on a fun tour of Paris then I highly recommend Thomas. You can find all of his tour options on his website Thomas Tours.
After all that walking I was hungry so of course, it was time to visit Café Les Deux Magots, which is possibly the most famous left bank café on the Boulevard St. Germain. Hemmingway, Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were known to frequent this charming cafe. This is where I find the best Duck foie gras and Poilâne toast and of course another St Germain Spritz, to take some of the heat away from this 104° day.
Geoffrey had recommended Restaurant La Poissonnerie so this is where I had my final meal before my work conference began and I was joined by my friend from work. It was a fantastic meal of wine, cherry tomatoes in fennel oil with fresh bread from the bakery across the street. I had the pork belly and she had the seasonal menu fish of the day which was cod.
It was a whirlwind three days but now it was time to go to work. Until next time, Paris you always will be a place I want to come back to.
Happy Travels