Rock Shic

#815 Springtime in Paris

Fresh-faced after landing via London -- there is nothing I find more revitalizing than the idea of exploring a new city in style!! #RockshicParis

The obligatory visit to the Louvre -- it just never gets old!  Make sure to either book your tickets on-line or have the hotel book it for you (many hotels also hold tickets on reserve).  It's a great time-saver because the last thing you want to do is to queue up in long lines when you're on holiday!

Walking through the Jardin du Luxembourg, light mist on our faces... Spring Time also = ever so chilly!  Good thing I've got my trusty Jimmy Choos to take me everywhere!  #Rockshic #ParisinStyle

Nothing like Spring Blossoms on charming, small, winding roads! #historicalParis

Standing in front of the Fontaines de la Concorde -- possibly the most photographed fountain in town! (Or the world?) #RockshicinParis

A multitude of colors on the Seine River... which, incidentally, also never gets old!  (Though in full confession I think I did get a tad bit grumpy with hubs on the river that day #FirstWorldProblems #RockshicinParis)

One of my all-time favorite roof-top portraits.  See post here on a girl and the Eiffel Tower.  #ThatViewTho

Something about gardens in Paris... it just oozes beauty and romance, doesn't it?

Entrance to the ever so lovely Jardin du Luxembourg.  They had a special art exhibit on.

The juxtaposition of modernity and the historical at the Louvre. This is why this museum will forever rank top in my heart.

Hanging with Kant -- the Grandfather of Existentialism, still my favorite philosophical genre of all time!

Bonjour!!!

Today's post is all about a trip down memory lane... which Facebook reminded me of earlier this morning (what can I say, I am a sentimentalist that way).  Can you believe these photos were taken nearly seven years ago? We were such babies back then... before we started having babies, and here I was thinking that I had a sure handle on the ways of the world back in my early twenties! Ha. 

Hubs and I were actually doubling down -- combining a trip to visit friends in London along with a quick jaunt to Paris... and also somewhere in between celebrating our "5 year."  It hadn't been quite five years since we were married in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, but certainly five since we had "hooked up."  Do people still use that term?! (She asks sheepishly).  How very basic of me! 

As they say, it was the best of times... and it was the worst of times.  The photos here all look very lovely and carefree (as photos so often do), and certainly don't do this beautiful city ample justice, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that emotions were running high, we were just at the tail end of a very long journey, and had been getting increasingly snappy at each other.  Case in point, hubs almost huffed off at the Louvre, "Gone with the Wind" style (people don't know this but he can be very dramatic!), and (unrelated to the Louvre), I had cried into my meal on our last night at the Ritz Paris (I'm talking big huge, not so pretty, rain-like tears).  Folks probably thought we were splitting up (over what is still likely the most expensive meal we've shared to date, eclipsed perhaps only by our five year wedding anniversary dinner at Masa... maaaybe) -- but really I was just super sad to bid adieu to this remarkable city, and more importantly, to my devoted partner-in-crime, who I knew I wouldn't be seeing for a bit as he would be hopping on a plane for yet another work trip via Charles de Gaulle.

So... the moral of the story is, if you're going to go, go out with a bang -- and if you're going to get all emotional and build memories, what better place to do it than in Paris? 

Happy Monday everyone!!! Hope you have a rocking week! 

Xxx

 

Related:

A girl and La Tour Eiffel

Sunday Afternoon at the Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Chateau Living in the City of Paris

Elegant Expecting (week 16) in Paris -- Rockshic Part I series

 

Beautiful, beguiling Paris at dusk

Still one of my all-time favorite shots #Paris #sculpturekick

Anyone who knows me knows that I've kind of got this thing for Napoleon Bonaparte... it's difficult to explain.

Lovers on the River Seine -- an oldie but a goodie!

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#318 A girl and La Tour Eiffel

Ah Paris, you never cease to charm!

Okay – so it is probably the most touristy thing one can do, and admittedly, Paris’s Eiffel Tower is possibly the world’s most photographed monument.  All that aside, I have to say, it was still worth a visit!  The last time we were here, hubby and I missed out – though we did manage to get a great view of the lit up tower atop the Arc de Triomphe. 

My advice?  Start at the Trocadéro esplanade, with a breathtakingly impressive view of the Eiffel Tower that doesn’t get old, then walk down via the Jardins du Trocadéro towards the tower.  I did it backwards (from the tower to the esplanade, but I think I would have enjoyed it far better in reverse). 

Oh, and while you’re there, check out the Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris, it’s right by the Trocadéro, and boasts a great contemporary collection!

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#307 Sunday afternoon at the Musée d'Orsay

#308 Château Living in Paris

#308 Château Living in Paris

During my brief but lovely trip to Paris, I had the pleasure of staying at the St. James Hotel, a little hideaway in the city of lights.  From the minute you enter the restyled villa (which also serves as a private club), you completely forget that you’re in the midst of the bustling Parisienne metropolis – just minutes away from the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower.  I literally had to do a double take as we pulled into the gated driveway! 

Inside, it’s a villa with personality, with fastidious attention on every opulent and elegant detail (designer Babmi Sloan and her eccentric tastes gave life to a whimsical mix of imperial-chic and sumptuous design, with just slight touch of the fanciful... balloon theme anyone?).  It took me a while just to walk around my own room and savor every exquisite embellishment (the lampshades, for instance, were awesome!).  The entire experience was like a charming modern-day reminder of an old-fashioned Paris.    

My room (#306) had two large French windows overlooking the main courtyard, with amazing sunlight that gleamed through the room, filling you with a sense of serenity and joy.  Just gazing outside onto the fountain every morning made me gleam with sheer delight.  My own private Paris!!! It was très romantique, pity that hubby couldn’t come along!  Though there is always next time…

#307 Sunday afternoon at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Renior – Bal du moulin de la Galette

Entrance to the Musée d'Orsay

Fresh off the plane to Paris, I decided to try and beat jetlag by taking a refreshing walk about town.  First stop, my lovely room at the Hotel St. James (featured here).  Next stop, tea and treats by pastry chef Christophe Michalak at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée.  Flying not only makes this chica thirsty but incredibly peckish!  Plus, it’s fashion week in Paris, so lots of prettykins can spotted at La Galerie des Gobelins. 

The real goal of the day, however, was to take in some culture at the Musée d'Orsay, the old Belle Epoque train station turned museum.  (All of the shops are closed on Sundays anyways!).  Having missed out on this museum the last time I was in Paris (hint: buy tickets on-line to skip the lines, or better yet, ask the hotel to book it for you! In my case, I was so thrilled to find that the St. James concierge actually had ready-to-use tickets for the day, score!).  The thrill of the museum really rests on its extensive collection of impressionism art (Monet, Manet, Renior, Degas, Cezanne)… to me it symbolizes the spirit of Paris and captures its very essence. 

Walking through the galleries is something akin to over-stimulus for the senses.  As a child, I learned about all of these masterworks from my artist dad, who is a big proponent of this particular genre.  Today, as I walk through wings upon wings of abundant artwork, I couldn’t help but think about dad and how he would absolutely love this!  Note to self: need to send parents to Paris as a thank-you gift for everything.  

The top of the museum also boasts a lovely little café where you can rest your feet and take in the views of the Seine.  What could be better? 

After taking in all of the art, I ambled over to Berthillon on Ile St-Louis, one of the most celebrated ice-cream parlors in Paris.  It’s only open from Wednesdays to Sundays, so of course this travelista had to make it a priority on her itinerary!

Renior – Madame Alphonse Daudet

Manet – Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe

A girl and the art she loves

Monet – La Rue Montorgueil