This week went by at a snail’s pace because of the heatwave that lingered over Paris from last Friday until yesterday. I spent way more time inside my apartment than I normally do, and it made me so appreciative that I wasn’t in Paris during the confinement period. That would’ve been a real challenge. This week’s Five Friday Finds from France features Louis Vuitton’s Reims City Guide, a Ladurée rose ice cream discovery, a perfect refreshing summer drink called the Hugo Spritz, and more!
Louis Vuitton Reims City Guide
If you love champagne, I highly recommend subscribing to Maison Ruinart’s newsletter. They only send something once or twice a month so it isn’t spammy and it is always informative and beautiful. When my mom and I went to Reims our visit to Maison Ruinart was a top highlight that we still talk about frequently.
Last week’s Ruinart email was about visiting the Crayères, which I’m dying to do again. The email also included a fun tidbit: the Louis Vuitton Reims City Guide is free to download now through the end of the vendanges (harvest). Louis Vuitton City Guides are really great and so rich. You can find everything: the best addresses and walks, how to spend 24 hours completely broken down for you by hour, and detailed information about the city from how to get there to specific etiquette tips and more. Download it on the App Store and you can spend your weekend dreaming about a future trip to Reims. I’ll be doing the same.
The Hugo Spritz
Speaking of Champagne, my favorite non-margarita drink of the summer is a Hugo Spritz. It’s light, refreshing, and perfect for getting through a heatwave (and not too sweet…I can’t stand overly sweet drinks). It’s relatively simple to make: you just need Champagne (or Prosecco), St. Germain (an elderflower liqueur – I love anything flowery), sparkling water, and lime and mint to garnish. You can see a recipe here.
I prefer my Hugo Spritz with Champagne instead of Prosecco because…who doesn’t prefer Champagne? However, I know that some purists say you should never mix Champagne with anything else. I’m not one of those people. Oh and by the way, I learned the hard way that it’s pronounced the French way, bien sûr: ‘Ugo’ Spritz.
Ladurée Rose Ice Cream
Continuing with flowery and refreshing summer treats, I tried the rose ice cream at Ladurée for the first time and it was divine. I rarely eat ice cream because when it’s hot enough to really crave it in Paris there are usually huge lines. But not in August because the city is empty. I happened to walk by a Ladurée yesterday and knew it was my moment.
The Ladurée rose ice cream is light, not too flowery or sweet, and basically heaven on earth on a hot day. Sign me up for rose flavored anything, but especially ice cream with a macaron on top. My only regret was not getting an extra rose macaron to add to the cup.
August Morning Walks
I think I spend half of August in Paris wishing that I was anywhere but Paris (thanks, Instagram). The other half of the time I’m pinching myself that I have this gorgeous time in Paris with the city to myself. I was definitely leaning more towards wanting to be anywhere but Paris (especially with the heat) until I started taking a different route on my morning walk.
The Seine has been like glass reflecting the bright blue sky, the green trees, and apartment buildings and bridges in shades of grey. Paris has given me so much energy and inspiration on these walks, but it also breaks my heart that more people can’t experience the city like this. I’ll keep sharing snaps from my walks on Instagram stories, so be sure to check those if you don’t already.
Classic French Comfort Food
After spending hours at La Grande Épicerie in the air conditioning last weekend let’s just say I didn’t leave empty-handed. I bought lots of ingredients to make comfort food classics from all types of different cuisines. I realized we hadn’t made anything that was super French in a while and decided on croque monsieurs and madames.
Every time we make these I wonder why we don’t make them more often. They’re easy, simple, and hit the spot every time. I love it as a weekend brunch option because you really can get the best of both breakfast and lunch worlds. There are tons of variations and different ways that you can make these. Romain shared his inspiration on Instagram – send me a email or DM if you have any questions about ingredients or steps.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s Five Friday Finds from France. Let me know what you think if you download the Louis Vuitton Reims City Guide. I’ll be back tomorrow with Weekend Links!