Paris Travel Guide

Part 1 of my guide to Paris!

I spent my honeymoon in France, over 30 years ago. I’ve let decades pass by without another visit to Paris. As a pastry chef and someone who LOVES to travel, this lapse is hard to fathom. My best friend, Jen, and I have traveled to Thailand (far) and Duluth, MN (near) together. We’ve had Paris on our travel bucket list for as long as we’ve been friends. Jen and I met on the first day of Kindergarten for our oldest boys, which was 20 years ago. She is my perfect travel companion. We both love food, art, dancing, walking, and a sense of adventure that always leads to the unexpected. The week we spent in Paris last fall (Sept/Oct) was filled with all of that.

We were in Paris for a week and filled our days and nights with as much as we could see. We’re already planning our return because there is so much we missed. Jen and I had a loose itinerary and some pre-planned restaurant reservations, but also left ourselves open to being spontaneous. In this three-part Paris Guide, I take you through it all, the highlights, and some of the rare moments that weren’t as successful. We didn’t have many misses because I leaned heavily on my friends who live in the city and have done the hard work of eating their way around Paris. I am so grateful to my friends Dorie Greenspan, David Lebovitz, and Jane Bertch, who shared their restaurant and bakery tips with me. Be sure to check them out!

Part 1 (below) is all about booking the Airbnb of our dreams, packing for the flight and a week in Paris.

Stay tuned for even more Paris fun tomorrow and Thursday! Up next, Part 2: bakeries, restaurants + shopping!