Our first day in New York City began around 4pm when we arrived at our hotel after traveling.  I had booked our hotel so long ago, I had sort of forgotten where exactly it was located and what sort of decor it would be, but when we arrived, I remembered instantly and it was a perfect little boutique hotel for us with a fabulous location on Park Avenue in Midtown.  It was out of the hustle and bustle but close to everything!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Our last day in Paris came way too soon and this trip was the first that I really wasn’t ready to head home. For some reason this time, whether it was the gorgeous Spring weather or the need for more rest, more inspiration, I had a really hard time leaving. So we made sure our last morning (our flight left at 1pm) was memorable. We woke up that morning to another beautiful blue sky Spring day… even warmer than the days before. We got up, got ready and wandered along the Seine down to the Ile St. Louis to our favorite boulangerie again. It was warm enough to not even need a coat and we grabbed croissants and pain au chocolat and sparkling water and wandered back to Notre Dame. This is becoming one of my favorite things about our trips to Paris, the little traditions we’re beginning, the things we do again and again because we have fallen in love with them. Sitting beneath the back of Notre Dame (which is always empty because everyone is at the front), in a little park on a French park bench, we sat and ate our French breakfast. Nick then wandered around for a bit and took some lovely photos and I checked our flight info and status on my phone, took a couple instagrams and just relaxed, taking in all that was around me.

When the time came we hopped on the RER and sped out toward Charles de Gaulle to catch our flight to London, then to Seattle and finally home to Portland.

As I look back this week, I already am missing Paris. Overall, this trip was absolutely fantastic without anything going wrong even in the least. And looking ahead, Nick and I have already decided that our next trip will be next April, heading back to Paris for a few days and then taking the train around and exploring the French countryside and the French Riviera.

France will always be that place for us that holds so many memories, so many traditions, so many moments. It’s a place that treats us well and that has made us fall in love with it over and over again. Every time we land in Paris, Nick and I both know that in a way we are “home,” that we are in that place that has become so much for us and that place that we will always hold so very dear.

All photos copyright Nick Nieto: NickNieto.com

Trip Info:

What I wore: Gap black legging skinnies, J Crew white crew neck t shirt, Gap black cardigan, Zara scarf, Cole Haan gray metallic loafers, Dooney & Bourke handbag, Banana Republic sunglasses

Where we stayed: Hotel le Notre Dame

Airlines we flew home: British Airways, Alaska Air

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Where to Stay in France

Paris in the springtime is unlike any other time of year and there was almost an air of freshness, in the people, in the trees, in the whole feeling of the city. We happened to spend a few days in Paris as great warm weather rolled in and everybody was so enjoying the sunshine and the 70 degree weather that it made the whole city come alive, made it even more magical than usual.

We started our second day in Paris this time at our favorite boulangerie for breakfast croissants and pain au chocolat which is becoming a nice tradition. Saint Martin boulangerie is on the Ile St. Louis (a small island in the middle of the Seine River and houses some of the oldest buildings in all of Paris) and is a tiny little bakery that serves some of the best pastries in the city in our opinion. It’s a favorite of ours and we always make a visit there when we go to Paris. Just down the street from it heading back to the Left Bank is a little market that we stopped in and bought Orangina to go with our breakfast, then headed down toward St. Chappelle to have our breakfast in a little triangle shaped park. First of all there is nothing in the world like a true French croissant, nothing even compares here in the States and to sit in Paris, looking at the gorgeous white stone buildings that are hundreds of years old around you, there is nothing better in the world.

After a leisurely breakfast in the park, we headed to St. Chappelle which Nick had read about and really wanted to see. It’s a little chapel built in the middle of a bunch of old palace buildings, hidden from view from the outside. But wow, nothing compares when you go inside of it. The stained glass windows went probably 50 feet up, the ceilings and walls were painted fleur di lis in gold enamel. It was incredible and apparently one of the Louis’s had it built inside the old palace in Paris for his pleasure. It was absolutely gorgeous to say the least and definite must see for anybody going to Paris.

After that we did a little shopping up in the Opera district and walked through the large Apple store up there, always a must for Nick. Then we jumped back on the Metro and within minutes were back on the Left bank and back at our hotel. We had lunch right across the street from Notre Dame at a little brasserie. I enjoyed one my favorites, a “sandwich mixte” which is french bread, ham and cheese with chunks of butter thrown in there too. It’s delicious! And Nick enjoyed a “French hotdog” which is basically a hot dog in a french bread loaf. To say the least, we quite enjoyed a leisurely lunch watching people and ending it with cafe au lait.

As we were deciding what to do for the afternoon, the weather was getting really warm and we decided to be very Parisian and enjoy the afternoon lounging in a park. So we went to Laduree on the Rue Bonaparte, picked up a box of macarons and headed to the Tuleries Gardens near the Louvre. We grabbed two lounge chairs and sat for over an hour enjoying macarons and Orangina. It truly was one of those moments that I never wanted to leave. While we were sitting there Nick asked me what my favorite thing about Paris is. It took me a moment to really think about it, as there is so much I love, but as I sat there looking around at this gorgeous setting, I realized that the single best thing about Paris for me is how I feel when I’m there, how the city makes me feel.

I have never felt the feeling I get in Paris anywhere else and I’m not even sure how to put it in words exactly but I think that everybody in their lives has pivotal moments when they figure out major parts of themselves. For me, every time I step foot in Paris, I feel like a whole part of myself is finally alive, a part of myself that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. It’s almost as if in a previous life I was from there and I’m finally coming home, like I’m finally becoming whole again.

Paris is one of those places in the world that isn’t like anywhere else. It’s old, reserved, sophisticated, intricate, organized. It mixes the old with the new, it has an elegance, a very “art nuveau” kind of curvy, intricate and sophisticated feeling about it. And if you watch long enough, if you look long enough at your surroundings in Paris, there are literally no words to describe what you see. Paris is everything all at once, it’s exotic, it’s reserved, it’s elegant. It’s busy, it’s big, it’s old. But if you take the time, if you spend a moment just taking it all in, just feeling all that exudes from the city, I find that Paris will always be like no where else and she will always hold the key to my heart.

All photos copyright Nick Nieto – NickNieto.com

Trip Info:

What I wore: Banana Republic dark flare denim, Zara navy trench, Cole Haan gray metallic loafers, blue plaid J Crew button up shirt, J Crew mint sweater, Dooney & Bourke handbag

Where we stayed: Hotel le Notre Dame

Where we shopped: Printemps on Blvd Hausmann, Laduree on Rue Bonaparte, Saint Martin boulangerie on the Ile St. Louis

Headed to Paris?

Here are all my posts on the city.

Where to Stay in France

It’s no secret that I love Paris, no secret that it’s Nick and my’s favorite place to go, no secret that it’s a gorgeous place. So when we’re ever in the area, we always make a stop in Paris and it’s becoming quite a nice tradition we have. In October last year during our trip to Rome, we flew over to Paris just for a night and it wasn’t nearly long enough in my favorite city so this time we made sure to have about 2 1/2 days there and stay 2 nights and it still wasn’t long enough for me but definitely it was a joy.

Ever since I was a little girl, it seems I’ve loved all things Paris, and I’m not sure why exactly though I think much of it had to do with my love of travel, my need to see the world and that Eiffel Tower decor could really let me imagine it. So after my first trip back to Paris (after being there as a kid) on our honeymoon, Nick and I fell in love with the city all over again. And ever since we’ve been to Paris 3 times in the past year and a half and if I could, I’d be there more often than that.

Paris for me is like no where else in the world. I don’t speak the language yet (I’m learning currently), I am not directly French in recent heritage, but somehow I feel more like myself in Paris than anywhere else in the world. A feeling comes over me whenever I’m there, a feeling a deep recognition, of belonging, of a deep love for place. I’ve seen a lot of the world and I hope to see more and more every year of my life, but never have I had such a deep connection to a place as I do in Paris and in France.

This trip was priceless in so many ways but to end it in Paris, in the city that Nick and I both adore, made it icing on the cake. It was the first sunny semi-warm day we’ve ever had in Paris, as both other visits have been in the Fall and have been cloudy and overcast mostly. Paris is always beautiful no matter the weather and it’s perhaps one of the prettiest cities I’ve seen in the gray and the rain, but it is breathtaking with a blue sky backdrop. The city truly comes alive in nice weather, truly transports you to another world.

We spent our first day there visiting some of our favorite locals, starting at my Eiffel Tower which has begun a beautiful tradition as our first stop always when we visit. Then we meandered across the Seine and up to the Trocadero which had lovely views of the tower with the clear blue sky behind it. Nick took photos and I sat on the stairs of the Trocadero just taking it all in. It’s one of my favorite things to do in Paris, to find a seat and just stare at all that’s around me, to breathe it in, to hold it forever. After a while we wandered through the Right Bank, up to the Place Victor Hugo and then headed East back to the Arc du Triumphe and the Champs Elysees. Along the way we stopped at Zara for a little shopping for me on the Avenue Victor Hugo. Then we continued on to the Arc du Triumphe and again while Nick took the time to take some gorgeous photos at sunset of the monument, I took a seat on a park bench a little ways away and just watched the city move around me. The sun set slowly and as the blue sky turned to all shades of color, I held on to it as long as I could. There is something that moves inside me when I’m there, something that tells me my love affair with this city will always be a huge part of my life.

After the sun set, we meandered down the Champs Elysees and ended up having dinner at a little brasserie near the Louvre on our way back to our hotel. We have stayed at a fabulous hotel the last couple times in Paris, one that I would highly recommend. We stay at Hotel le Notre Dame, which is literally across the street from Notre Dame Cathedral. We open our windows each morning and night to see the church in all it’s glory right there. It’s absolutely amazing to see that day and night and this hotel, decorated by Christian Lecroix is truly a delight. It’s small and very “boutiquey,” which we love. Though it does come with a bit of a higher price tag than we usually spend in Europe per night, but it’s always kind of our treat to ourselves to stay here, and believe me, the view is definitely worth the money.

We finished our first night in Paris admiring our view and falling asleep in the most beautiful city in the world. I know that
Paris doesn’t resonate with everyone the way it does for us, but I do know that if you have seen many places, some of them really do resonate with you. Few of them mean something very deep to us, and for me, Paris is that meaningful place. It’s a city that I always feel like I belong, a place that matches my personality, a place that I always feel accepted. I know someday Paris will be a bigger part of my daily life and I can’t wait for that…but for now I’m looking at all these beautiful photos from our first day and will be dreaming of my city until I can get back.

All photos copyright Nick Nieto – NickNieto.com

Trip Info:

What I wore: Banana Republic dark flare denim, Zara navy trench, H&M orange and white stripe long sleeve t-shirt, J. Crew watercolor scarf, polka dot Keds for Madewell shoes, Dooney & Bourke handbag

Where we Stayed: Hotel le Notre Dame

What we flew to Paris from Marrakech: EasyJet

Headed to Paris?

Here are all my posts on the city.

Where to Stay in France

Our second day in London was even better than the first, as we slept in and woke up to a beautiful blue sky sunny day. London comes alive when it’s nice weather and everyone was really enjoying the Spring day. We got up, got ready and grabbed a cab and headed down to one of our favorite British chain restaurants, Giraffe, for a traditional English breakfast complete with British sausage, eggs, fried potatoes, bacon and baked beans. We sipped smoothies and enjoyed our leisurely breakfast. This is a really cool British chain and they have them all over… I love their motto: “Love, Eat, Live.”

After breakfast, we had seen bikes to rent in Hyde Park the day before and since the weather was so beautiful, we decided to do it. We spent an hour just strolling around and biking our bikes through the park. It was a gorgeous day truly and everyone was out enjoying it, which made us feel like a true part of the city. Hyde Park is truly one of the most beautiful large parks I’ve ever seen and everything was just beginning to bloom which made it all the better. It’s such a great park that ranges through so many different types of settings, from kids playing soccer to little ponds to Kensington Palace gardens to bike paths. I always enjoy going through the park when we’re in London and it makes you feel like you belong there, like even if you lived in London, you’d frequent it just as much.

After our bike ride, we meandered back to our hotel through the park and just enjoyed a leisurely stroll under the London blue sky. We then packed up and headed to Queen Victoria train station in a cab, where we changed onto a train headed to London Gatwick airport for our flight to Marrakech. Gatwick was amazing! I’ve never flown through there before and I would gladly go through again… it was fabulous! After a quick lunch at the airport, we headed to our gate and boarded our flight to Marrakech on EasyJet… another of our favorites in Europe.

Overall, our stop in London was wonderful. I love this city for what it is and it’s a place that I always enjoy returning to, even if only for a few days.

Trip Info:

What I wore: Banana Republic dark flare denim, Zara navy trench coat, Keds for Madewell polka dot shoes, J.Crew chambray button up shirt, gray and white poke dot scarf from Gap, Dooney & Bourke handbag

Where we stayed: The Metropolitan London

What airlines we flew: EasyJet to Marrakech

***also changed up the blog a bit, hope you enjoy!

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