My Life in Paris and Travels Around France
Now more than ever, I think Valentine’s Day should be less about grand gestures and more about doing heartfelt things to honor the people you love, whether that’s a friend, a family member, a partner, or yourself. I created this list of Valentine’s Day gift ideas for Francophiles last year and updated it this year. There’s a little something for everyone – I think these French-inspired gifts (all available online) would make the day extra special!
One of my favorite things about being in someone’s home is looking through their collection of books, usually amassed over many years. When I moved to Paris, I had to leave most of my books at home in Dallas due to weight restrictions. One day I’ll be reunited with my collection of books. This morning I was flipping through some of the books here and started thinking about my favorite coffee table books about France.
I had the unique opportunity to visit the restoration atelier at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent in Paris. Normally, these special areas aren’t open to the public. It was an incredible experience to learn more about Saint Laurent and his work.
Hôtel de Lauzun is one of those mythical places you hear about in Paris – stunning, filled to the brim with history including former residents like Baudelaire, and almost impossible to get into and see. From the outside it looks like just about any other hôtel particulier on Île Saint-Louis, except for the wonderfully ornate dolphin-shaped gutters. But even then, there really isn’t an indication of how spectacular it is inside.
Rue du Bac is one of my favorite streets in Paris. It’s filled with everything I love about the city from cafés and restaurants to chocolate shops and patisseries, great shopping, and truly so much more. One of my weekly Paris traditions is buying the flowers on Rue du Bac from the best “shop,” Sanjina Fleurs.
