Thanksgiving in Paris
It has been a dream for my mom and I to go to Paris and see the real Mona Lisa for as long as I can remember.
My mom raised me to appreciate and enjoy art. We frequented museums, read books on art, and spent a lot of time creating. When I was in elementary school, my mom opened an art gallery and named it Mona’s Place. Even though the logo was a pop art rendition of Mona Lisa, visitors would often call my mom Mona. An international trip was something that seemed impossible as a kid and I have been lucky to be able to travel during college and more recent years. Once my mom and I traveled to Ireland, ideas for Paris began and it started to seem possible. We decided my 30th birthday was the excuse we needed and booked our travel for November 2022. We wanted to see a lot but not feel too rushed, so we didn’t plan too much in advance of landing in France. Here’s a few of our favorite things and what we did over our American Thanksgiving in Paris.
Day 1
We both had overnight flights and arrived in Paris early in the morning. We took an Uber (easy to use) to Hotel La Bourdonnais near the Eiffel Tower. We were mesmerized by everything out the car window - the rooflines, the stadiums, the metro, and billboards to name a few. Since our room wasn’t quite ready when we arrived, we ventured around the neighborhood. We walked by French bakeries and laughed when we spotted an American grocery store with all the Thanksgiving fixins. It’s kind of ironic that our first meal in Paris was an American brunch, but everything tastes better in France. We then took our first of many Eiffel Tower photos and admired all of the architecture in the 7th arrondissement. You don’t need to research too much in Paris - every street you traverse has something special to notice. We came across the Lavirotte Building, one of the best surviving examples of Art Nouveau architecture. Then we checked into our hotel for a much needed nap before some dinner. I loved our hotel! While still small, our room was larger than anticipated and had updated amenities. It also had the older charm with double windows that opened to a flower box overlooking the street below. I thought it was reasonably priced for the location. We could walk to the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, and there was a metro stop nearby.
Day 2
We woke up much later than we anticipated and got dressed for a little photoshoot. This was something I was planning to surprise my mom with, but then she had the same idea. It’s so nice having these photos to commemorate our trip - especially since my mom is not the biggest fan of being photographed. Our photographer Gabi knew the best photo op locations near our hotel and gave us recommendations for our stay. After our photos, we shared a baguette at Merci Jérôme Kléber. It was so delicious and much cheaper than it would be in the US. I also loved their quirky logo of a man in a beret. We then walked by the Arc de Triomphe on our way to the metro, where we boarded a subway train to Montmartre. We climbed up to Sacre Coure and looked at the city from afar. There is a square with street artists nearby and it was neat to see the various styles and to watch live portraits being painted. At Gabi’s recommendation, we then headed to the Christmas market at Tuileries Gardens. It was more like an amusement park, but we enjoyed sipping on some mulled wine and cider as we walked around the gardens and observed the Louvre in closer proximity. Since that wasn’t enough for one day, we walked by Notre Dame. Although it is still under construction after the fire, it was cool to see the exterior and try to read the french comics plastered on the temporary barriers. My high school French is a little rusty. We then stopped at Le Bon Marché since we had time to kill before our dinner reservation. This department store was unexpectedly cool and we were surprised to see the Black Friday celebrations in Paris. We made our way to didon. which was a delicious first real meal in Paris. It did seem more popular with tourists though. We enjoyed the cauliflower, gnocchi, and fish.
Day 3
We also woke up later than anticipated on Saturday - this is a trend that continued each day. We ended up eating a croissant on the go each morning and I highly recommend it. First stop (after the croissant cuz priorities) was our English tour at The Centre Pompidou, a multidisciplinary modern art center. After some confusion finding the group, we were guided through some of the highlights and lesser-known works. It especially was neat to see a Jannis Kounellis work since the Walker Art Center was currently showing his work too. We probably could have spent all day at the museum, but decided to head to Mao Dumpling Bar for lunch. It was a popular and trendy Chinese restaurant, but for good reason. Since the menu was in Chinese pinyin, I ordered in Chinese (or tried, but I think they preferred French). We shared some of my favorite dishes: dan dan noodles, dumplings, and cucumber salad. Next stop was Merci, a dangerous stop for our wallets. I’d compare it to America’s Anthropologie - a curated and fashionable collection of clothes and homeware. For dinner, we ate at a traditional brasserie near our hotel.
Day 4
After our daily breakfast along Rue Cler, we sampled and purchased chocolate to bring home as gifts. We then went to Sainte Chappelle, known for its elaborate stained glass. I still can’t get over the fact that it was initially constructed around 1238. No, that’s not a typo. I double checked. We decided to take the subway to Palais Garnier (Opera House) and the timing could not have worked out better. I had heard to just walk into the lobby for free, but I think we accidentally went in the tour entrance. Since we already came that far and learned that it was closing in 45 minutes for a matinee, we decided to buy a self-tour ticket after all. Worth it! The architecture is unreal and the Chagall ceiling is a must see. Coming back for a ballet performance is now on my bucket list. I also kept thinking how amazing it is that Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed here too. We walked through Galeries Lafayette, but it just seemed like a mall to us. I’d only recommend it to someone interested in the French luxury brands. In the evening, we went to Cave Vino Sapiens for a glass of wine and charcuterie before our Seine dinner cruise. We knew it was touristy, but liked the experience and food more than we expected. I just wouldn’t recommend finishing your ‘free’ bottle of wine if you need to wake up early.
Day 5
Started the day with our croissant in an Uber. We had tickets to the Louvre at 9:30am. Finally, we got to see Mona in person. Well, the painting in person. You could spend multiple days in the Louvre plus some. We focused on hitting the highlights and everything else was a bonus. A funny memory is that we initially walked in the Galerie d'Apollon and were mesmerized by the paintings on the walls and carved paintings on the ceiling that we didn’t even notice the crown jewels in the center of the room. I was navigating back to them later and got all confused until a guard pointed out that they were in the same room and we just didn’t even notice. There is so much to look at and we were mesmerized by the old wood floors, molding, marble steps, along with all the art. Apparently, we only leave museums once we get hungry. Next, we headed to the nearby Kodawari Ramen, a great Japanese spot designed to make you feel like you are in a fish market. We wandered a bit more and then rested our feet in a cafe. It’s always nice to slow down and have some moments like that. Before heading back to our hotel, we had an appointment with Mara Paris, a contemporary jeweler with a small showroom. Then the last item on our itinerary was one of my favorites - a multi-course tasting dinner at Michelin-starred Aspic. I am so glad I made this reservation and it was so nice to treat my mom for Christmas. Experiences > things! I have become a bit of a foodie and had so much fun eating so many new things and combinations that are unheard of. Lime butter and bread, raspberry chocolate lobster, among many other things. Dinner lasted 3 hours! It was a good thing we packed our suitcases beforehand. The lengthy dinner allowed us to reminisce over our trip and recap all the things we managed to pack into 5 days. We also tried to plot our next adventure and dreamed of coming back to Paris again. J'aime la France!
