Paris in details
I recently traveled to Paris for my honeymoon and couldn't stop zooming in
A few days ago I returned from a ten day trip to Paris (with a one day unplanned layover in Dublin) and I am still adjusting back to life in America. Watching the whole new season of Selling Sunset was a nice companion to getting as close to inbox zero as possible and now I am prying myself from the “take me back” phase of post vacation life. Every time I open my phone I scan through my photos and have quickly come to realize my favorite keepsakes from the trip (besides photos of my husband) are the little moments: door handles, animals in paintings, sun shadows and of course park life. Philadelphia needs more parks, and bread, and wine under $10 but I digress. I can’t help but share some of my favorite slices of Paris along with some of the best spots I ate/drank, shopped, and was inspired.
Parc de Sceaux
We spent the first few days really pounding the pavement through an extensive shopping lists we’d both made (mine was mostly book shops, Daves was sneakers) and by the fifth day I just wanted to touch some well manicured grass. Parc de Sceaux was otherworldly and we found it hard to leave. I think we clocked nearly three hours there with a crepe pit stop and didn’t cover it all. There’s a train nearby and a small street with shops and snacks. Really take your time here.
This is one of my first stops every Paris trip, a compact but expertly curated shop that always has more than a few things that I love. I was on a mission to try on Puma Speedcats as they’ve been hard to find in the states and I was happy to be rerouted to the Adidas SM11-LS Taekwondo which I instantly became obsessed with. The shopkeep was tipped off as I kept saying “I’m obsessed” over and over while switching positions in the mirror. Grab a snack on the way out at the tiny coffee bar window through the book shop!
When I first visited Merci in 2009 it was a new concept store that’s scale was beyond my wildest imaginations. A new interpretation of a department store that mixed things more freely and had a high low approach that was so exciting and democratic. I didn’t know then but it was an early inspiration for my shop YOWIE, I was there as a designer traveling for inspiration for a yet to be launched children’s brand by American Eagle. Now Merci is a bit like Disney for people looking for the perfect souvenir but it still has it’s charm and remains on the pulse of trends with an evolving pop-up space on the ground floor. The cafe next store features this floor to ceiling bookshelf that made me want to crack open ANY of the books I’ve purchased over the last year.
Set behind unassuming doors and through a stunning courtyard sits David Zwriner, one of my favorite New York galleries given an extra sense of romance in Paris. The current show features ceramic work by Shio Kusaka that sunned perfectly under the frosted glass roof of the gallery.
The mecca of stuffed bookshops. I usually leave with a magazine (not too heavy to take back) and a mini tote. You really could be here for hours.
Marche aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves
For the second half of our trip we stayed at La Conversation on the Left Bank. Earlier in the week we trekked to the Saint-Ouen Flea Market which multiple friends recommended but I ended up preferring this smaller one in the South. It happens on Saturday + Sunday and felt like more of a neighborhood gathering of friends sharing things they found or no longer loved. Saint-Ouen was great but felt both picked through and like all of the other patrons were designers sourcing for their latest restaurant project. I still regret not getting a HUGE original Texas Chainsaw Massacre poster from a sweet vendor but I am manifesting a trip back very soon. Je t'aurai!
Perrotin
The show on view by KOAK was my favorite of the week. I took so many photos. The color pallettes! The line work! The frames! It was perfect. Take a second when upstairs to look through the dreamy windows and watch the palms blow in the breeze.
Galerie Vivienne as seen in Zazie Dans Le Métro, stumbled upon this by accident!
My favorite dinner of the trip was a pizza and natural wine space a short walk from our hotel in Oberkampf. The orange wine was divine and six euros! I live in a state with the worst liquor laws so I had a second glass to celebrate. We did one of the surprise pies which ended up being a perfect pepperoni pizza which came out on a handmade ceramic pizza stone. We even made friends with our seat mates! Make a reservation!
The final verdict – Make reservations at your dream spots a few weeks in advance, some only take phone reservations in French but many are booked online and make sure you’re not booking the wait list. There were a few places we couldn’t get into as I was trying to be laid back this trip (Cafe Mary Celeste, Chez Janou, Parcelles) but I’ll be back soon. Also stop and take the door photo, you won’t regret it. My husband kept telling me to take my time, and I needed to hear that. Some details are going to inspiring me for future ceramics, for project paint finishes, for hardware or just for fun and I am glad I have them in my phone until my next visit! Au revoir!