Notes from Paris

observations and musing from a few solo days in Paris

I just returned from a short solo trip to Paris, and while a longer post chock full of recommendations is forthcoming, I wanted to send a short letter with some condensed thoughts and things that inspired me in the meantime. I’ve traveled solo before, and I’ve been to Paris many, many times, but this was my first trip visiting Paris by myself- I’m still processing the experience but in short, it was absolutely wonderful and I wish I’d done it sooner.

Paris is kind of that perfect place to be alone, because you’re not really ever alone, ya know? It’s like being alone, together. In a city that is super vibrant and beautiful and inspiring and really just all around perfect. This is always the case, but I found that especially on this trip, I could walk for miles and miles and still not feel like I want to stop. There is so much to see and it’s such an easy city to get around in that it really highlighted just how short my trip was. I stayed for four nights, and I really tried not to make any concrete plans- I wanted to be able to stroll and stop on a whim, because that’s the entire point of traveling alone, right? Doing whatever you want, whenever you want. Of course, I had some things on a list that I wanted to see and do if I could, but I didn’t put too much pressure on myself to actually see or do any/ all of them.

I stayed at Hotel Le Grand Mazarin, a spot that had been on my list for a long time. In fact, I’d even eaten in the restaurant bar on one of my last trips, and it was so good that I knew I’d stay there in the future. Designed by Martin Brudnizki, the hotel is packed with warmth and color and pattern. He’s currently one of my favorite designers on the scene today, and is really shining in the field of hospitality (but you must check out his home tour, if you haven’t seen it already). I will definitely stay here again.

I really leaned into the indulgence and relaxation on this trip- I had a long and dreamy facial at the Dior spa at Plaza Athénée, I ordered room service multiple times, I actually got in the hotel pool (with a glass of champagne!), and I stopped whenever the sun peeked out from behind the clouds to sit in a cafe with a glass (or two) of wine.

I also made it a priority to hit some of the smaller brocantes around the city on the weekend, which was nice. They are pretty hit or miss (more details on these coming soon), but I was able to find some pretty things to bring home with me.

I usually travel to Paris in the off season to avoid the heat and the crowds- usually in March and October or November (I have spent many Thanksgivings here, which is lovely!) But this time, it was so nice to see the city in bloom, with leaves on the trees. Leaves! A novel concept.

I also tried to squeeze in some culture, and bought some last minute tickets to see a baroque Bach concert at Saint Chapelle as the sun set through the stained glass windows. These kinds of concerts are one of my favorite things to do in Paris, as you can often get to see the inside of a beautiful building + listen to some beautiful music at one time. I use Classictic to find concerts!

I also like to save any big designer shopping or pick up any specific French brands when I’m in Paris- since I try to go once a year, this isn’t too hard to do! But it also means that when I’m there, I really go HAM with some shopping. But the cheaper prices combined with the VAT refund make it really tempting…

I’m still processing my thoughts on solo travel in general, but I think it’s important to state that I don’t have a single negative or “con” in regards to traveling alone after this trip. Put simply, it was perfect. Nick and I personally haven’t been traveling at all because our dog, Max, is 15 and has a lot of health problems- and we’d rather not risk it (and also feel lucky to have this time with him!) But this, combined with a rough and stressful 2024 left me feeling like I really needed some time way to indulge myself. An incredible privilege that I’m so grateful for- but the biggest privilege of all is time. This is more clear to me now than ever, and spending time with yourself is so, so important.

More in-depth recommendations and a full map of customized pins is coming soon- I know a lot of you have Paris on your 2025 agenda, and I’ve gotten a lot of messages asking for recs! So I’m bumping this up on the list, and should share it soon. But in the meantime, keep an eye on my IG to see a shopping haul, a hotel review, and a really fun shopping trip where I customized some servingware- a fantastic souvenir that I plan to use for years to come!

Until next time, Paris. xx