VOYAGES 003: Paris, France
The city is an atmosphere, not a list of locations to check off.
To say you’ve been Paris, is to tell people you saw the hallmarks. Classical structures that have lived through centuries of change, yet you know nothing of Paris itself. I have not lived in Paris, merely brushed against its skins and smelled its perfume. It was so brief yet I can barely recall the color of her hair, nor the color of her eyes, but the memory is rich.
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
-Ernest Hemingway (from A Movable Feast)
Two summers ago, my wife and I stayed in Paris for 4 days to commence a few weeks traveling between France & Switzerland. There was a ship handling class I was attending at Port Revel in central France. Far from the coast, we drive 1:25 scale model ships in a lake to test maneuvers and execute emergency situations that are otherwise unobtainable in a busy channel like Houston, until the real moment happens. That can be discussed at a later time for the maritime curious, but it’s far superior to working in a simulator and any reason to visit France is a win on my end.
With a list of recommendations compiled from friends, colleagues and locals, we scooped up an apartment on Airbnb overlooking the Les Halles subway stop in the 18th arrondissement. I prefer the flexibility of my own space versus a hotel, having a small kitchen to work out of and balcony for any number of reasons were a gem. We had a distant view of the Eiffel Tower in which to start and end the day while sipping a hot coffee or the last call Negronis. This was the place. From here we were capable of walking to many of our interests, occasionally grabbing an Uber or subway to cover larger distances. With that brief, yet enriching stay, we couldn’t put a dent on the list nor a city of this magnitude, but what we did opt for were superb, certainly many more would be too, but there are only so many hours in day. At the end, I’ll drop as full of a list that I can muster from recollection and notes.
Itinerary:
We used this list of recommendations amongst asking locals for their choices, then I’d scribble an itinerary in my journal each day that made the most sense in a fluid movement so we weren’t looking like total travelers referencing guides constantly. These “daily itineraries” were merely a suggestion of which way we intended to roam, regularly pivoting depending on our mood, length of lines and how the wind blew that day, rain included.
Day 1:
We arrived late afternoon, many hours past our intended time thanks to Lufthansa arriving late in Frankfurt, missing the connection and spending the better part of the day in the lounge. With bags dropped, the local grocer was a must for some bread and cheese, Negroni staples and a few bottles of wine for the apartment. Swing open all the doors, pop a cork and just sit back on the balcony as the city moved below our feet. La Fresque was directly below us making for an easy dinner choice of French staples. The balcony was calling so we popped back upstairs to watch people move about and kick back some drinks.
Day 2:
Put on your walking shoes, time for a late breakfast at Breizh Cafe. Yes it’s a chain, but they deliver strong, specializing in Brittany-style buckwheat galettes and crepes. Around the corner we passed a few hours in the Museum of Hunting & Nature, filled with taxidermy and hunting artifacts in a gorgeous building. After strolling, a stop at La Maison du Whisky was in store to stock the apartment. These folks have some wild selections, worth the stop. When the recommendation for Le Coq & Fils first came to me, I wasn’t very pumped about a chicken place. First, the French excel at chicken and secondly, a legit chef passed the idea so we did it and take his advice, do NOT pass on this. We walked up the hill to Le Tres Particuier for drinks, but it had a private party so back down the hill we went and headed to Harry’s New York Bar. It was good enough for Hemingway, it’s damn right good enough for you too. It wouldn’t be our last visit.
Day3:
Our morning stroll was cut short by heavy rain, so we took cover until it past before setting back out. At the time, Caractere de Cochon was already gaining popularity unbeknownst to us, making for a lengthy wait. Grab a sandwich or two from the finest meat and cheese selection then walk over to the park, Place de Vosges to enjoy it in the sun. We went to walking along the Seine, grabbing a drink at a little stand Cana en Seine across from Notre Dame as people skated, walked and biked past. I could have hung here for a few hours taking it all in. Au Pere Tranquille was the last stop for the afternoon right by our apartment, but it was more fitting to sit amongst people than on the balcony. For dinner we hit Bambino, a hip spot with a massive vinyl library spinning. It’s so good I followed their Spotify playlist. We aren’t scared to walk, so for a night cap Little Red Door was worth the stroll. To my wife’s disgust, I bummed a cig from a guy as we waited to get in. Call it a night.
Day 4:
After some coffee and croissants on the balcony, I finished A Moveable Feast by Hemingway on the couch and got moving. My wife wanted some specific things while here, so she shopped the fancy drag for a purse while I popped into the Leica store just to browse. She wasn’t done which gave me an afternoon excuse to visit Harry’s New York Bar once again. Go in the afternoon, it’s even better than at night for that perfect bar atmosphere done right. Already west, we walked onwards past Arc de Triomphe and towards the Eiffel Tower for a glance, but didn’t dare join the crowd. It was a ton of walking, but its our style. Afternoon cocktails upon the balcony were in store yet again. Come dinner, you had better make reservations for Septime which we couldn’t get into (top 50 restaurants), so we did their sister restaurant Clamato. Put your name down as its first come, first served, then get a drink at their bar Septime La Cava. This proved to be the best meal of the trip. Bubbles, oysters to start then let them guide the rest. The waiter gave us a few recs for after, a list I have lost but do recall hitting Bluebird & Redhouse on our way home. We opened a bottle of wine on the terrace back at the apartment to burn the midnight oil, looking at the Eiffel Tower lit up at night for one last time.
Day 5:
We had to move on, so off to the train station and points further south.
Here is the lengthy list of recs from our friends to browse.
Where to Eat:
-frenchie: really good modern french place. casual service. always solid.
-septime: always solid. fancy. one of the worlds 50 best restaurants. one michelin star.
-clamato: french/spanish seafood. casual dope.
-bambino: fuckin dope vinyl restaurant. super cool vibe. excellent food.
-caractere du cochon: easily the finest charcetierie shop i’ve ever been to. they have one sandwich daily that’s on an excellent baguette, gratuitous amounts of delicious butter, perfect dry cured ham, and their choice of cheese. great for a walking lunch.
-breizh cafe: usually one of my first stops. specializes in brittany-style buckwheat galettes and crepes. but modern ingredients and approach. think coltivare style pizza but in galettes.
-du pain et des idees: one of the most insane patisseries i’ve ever been to. absolutely world class pastries.
-poilane bakery: they focus on bread and it might be the most famous bread in paris. multiple locations. definitely worth a stop.
-berthillon, isle st louie: one of the best ice cream and sorbet joints i’ve ever been to. truly amazing.
-l’as de fallafel, marais: great for a street lunch. it’s in the old jewish section of the marais. it’s falafel. but really good falafel, on a street filled with probably ten falafel places. this one always has a line down the street. highly recommend.
-L’Avant Comptoir de la Terre, in the odeon: super badass place for a nice casual lunch. small plates and wine. fuckin awesome.
-bistrot paul bert, the 11th: classic of classic high quality traditional paris bistros. very fucking french. excellent.
-fromagerie laurent dubois: incredible cheese shop. one thing i like to do is get cheese here, grab charcuterie from caractere du cochon, and bread from du pain et idees and put together a picnic and go sit in the park at place de vosges and eat.
-macarons: laderee, and pierre hermes: they’re kind of a must and both establishments have multiple locations throughout paris
Where to Booze:
-maison du whiskey: fantastic liquor store full of stuff we can’t get here. old cognacs, armagnac, apple brandy
-little red door: my favorite cocktail bar in paris. not far from bambino. be a nice one-two punch for a night out.
-bar at the hotel bachaumont: the bar is small but quite good.
-candelaria, marais: mezcal and tequila bar. almost hesitate to put this on the list, but it’s a cool vibe if it’s not on the weekends. great space but it gets super packed.
-the bar at the george V hotel: it’s old rich white person badass. drinks are fucking expensive but it is quite the space. the hotel is beautiful and i don’t even want to know how much they spend on fresh flowers weekly. it’s kind of overwhelming.
-harry’s new york bar: this is the dive bar on the list. been there forever. hemingway loved it. super chill. about as divey as paris can get.
Great stuff here, buddy. The contribution and recommendations alone are great. But your photography is always what captures my attention.
"More please!"