Paris, In Good Company
I begin writing with the Chopin Piano Competition playing softly as it feels like an overture to my time in Paris. This third visit was already dear to me before we arrived. Miles and I first came in 2014 for our honeymoon, then again in 2016, and this time we brought my parents for their first time in France. My parents pictured this trip for over a year and from experience I knew the loveliest way to meet Paris is to plan a little, then let the day open like a curtain. We kept a few anchor reservations and left space for wandering. I hope this small itinerary gives you a foundation to explore with the people you love.
Where we stayed
We chose an Airbnb so we could be together and have room to breathe. The Marais pulled us back for all the right reasons, medieval facades, the Seine and Notre Dame close by, and streets lined with bakeries, boutiques, and cafés. Our apartment hid inside a quiet garden courtyard and the air smelled like damp stone and jasmine. Step outside and the scene changed to scooter bells, shop windows, and the low hum of conversation. It felt like living inside a vintage postcard.
Day 1
We landed at CDG near 10:30 in the morning from SFO, short on sleep and caffeine, eager to tuck our suitcases away and find a first meal. Those first minutes on new ground always hold a small flutter and we know a warm bonjour seems to open doors.
Lunch at Le Pick Clops
We found a perfect outside corner to watch the city go by, and an interior room that glowed like a mid century diner. Though we tested our French vocabulary, the hostess offered English menus without fuss. Miles ordered an espresso and I raised a glass of wine to celebrate our arrival. We shared warm slices of bread with ham and melted cheese and a crisp green salad. Simple things taste extraordinary when you are new to a place.
Dinner at Au Bourguignon du Marais
My parents arrived all safe and sound from their train at Gare du Nord. That evening we tucked into a cozy table I had booked in advance. Something sparkling to begin. The boeuf bourguignon was deeply comforting, the kind of dish that settles into memory. We cracked the top of a crème brûlée and walked home through lamplight to our little apartment.
Day 2
We woke rested and laced our running shoes for a 10k to the Eiffel Tower. The path along the Seine felt like a film reel, bridges and reflections and a sky that kept shifting. My parents attended mass at Notre Dame Cathedral for devotion and prayer while experiencing the care of restoration that shows in every line and carving. It is moving to stand in a place rebuilt with such craftsmanship.
A rainy afternoon called for history, so we wandered to the Musée Carnavalet. In Paris’s oldest museum the city speaks room by room as we let the past surround us.
Part wine bar, part bookstore, and completely irresistible. We found two tables and drifted into conversation with neighbors at the bar. Tips for favorite shops, where to wander next, where we had come from. Miles had a perfect ham baguette. My parents enjoyed generous pours. The room felt like a living room for strangers who are not strangers for long.
A citywide sports event had traffic in a knot, so the taxi ride felt like a chase scene, but we reached the dock near the Eiffel Tower in time for sunset. The boat moved with a steady rhythm. The clock at the Musée d’Orsay looked like pure theater. The gilded Pont Alexandre III glowed while Notre Dame and the Louvre passed like pages in a book. People waved from the banks and we took in the joy of two groups dancing, one to salsa and one to swing. The city felt wide awake and deeply kind.
Day 3
Sacré Cœur and Montmartre
The Metro is simple once you find your bearings. A few wrong turns became part of our story while laughing it off. The view from Sacré Cœur is a vision that lasts. Artists sketched portraits in the square and while touristy or not, the charm holds. We picked up Pierre Hermé macarons, sat under a cloudy sky, and watched the afternoon unspool.
Dinner at Candelaria
We searched for tacos in Paris and found a tiny taqueria that felt like home. Counter service, a handful of seats, crisp chips with guacamole, and tender pork confit tacos. Through a small door beside the grill, a candlelit tequila bar appeared like a secret. Two moods in one address, both just right.
Day 4
Morning pastries and tea
We wandered through the Marais and found Petite Île in the third arrondissement, an artisanal bakery that blends French and Taiwanese traditions. My pain au chocolat had a crackling shell of buttery golden bliss and just enough chocolate.
Miles chose yet another ham and cheese croissant. I ordered a warm chai and he had espresso. Later we sat at Comptor Turenne for more Mariage Frères tea, rattan chairs in the perfect Paris green, and watched people move through their morning. No one seemed in a hurry. A tea or a coffee in Paris is the perfect compliment for sitting and noticing.
We saved music for our last evening. My dad loves jazz and live music, so this felt like a small gift to share together. I love 1940s jazz, the language of it, and the hush it puts over a room.
The calendar listed a trio named Ghost Buster Keaton and I could not resist. The club is a stone cellar with low archways, a warm glow, and close chairs. The room filled, then softened. Swing with a little blues and the ache of ballads. They played favorites, Lazy River, Sweet Lorraine, Polka Dots and Moonbeams, and a solid tempo of Seven Come Eleven. We left with an album tucked under an arm and that feeling that follows a perfect set.
Writing this brings it all back. There is always more I wish I could have shown my parents, yet this visit felt full and a trip of a lifetime to share with them. For Miles and me, we will always have Paris.
Shops to remember
Mamz’Elle Swing : 35 bis Rue du Roi de Sicile
Bérénice founded Mam’zelle Swing in 1995 and she might be the kindest shopkeeper I have met. The little boutique holds garments from the 1920s through the 1970s, curated in the dreamiest way. Classic silhouettes in every hue line the racks and the accessories are a delight. I cherish a hat I found there and think of her shop windows often.
Officine Universelle Buly : 19 Rue Vieille du Temple
I discovered Buly in the book, Makers Paris and loved how they tell stories through scent. In the shop the staff guided us to notes that felt like us while a calligrapher personalized our boxes. My mom and I chose perfumes, and Miles left with a very chic moustache comb engraved with his initials, now the crown jewel of his travel kit! The whole visit felt like stepping into another time.
Lovingly,
– Michelle
A vintage friendly travel tip
Leave a little room in your suitcase for treasures you will meet on your journey!
– Keaton Holiday 🐾
Photos: "Un café s'il vous plaît" by Benjamin Miles | Camera: FujiFilm X100V