We laced up our sneakers and set out for a full day of city-soaking. We started in Montmartre on Rue des Martyrs, on a mission for the neighborhood’s best croissants. We found them at Farine & O, which was hands-down Lav’s and my favorite boulangerie of the several we visited. Buttery and puffy and flaky and buttery. And gosh, so buttery!
The streets of Montmartre hold such a beautiful mix of bright (or dark) murals and renegade wall art.
And then, you round a corner and find yourself on a rue lined with pristinely Parisian buildings.
Oh, to be the child that sits on the back of this bike and cruises around Paris with mom or dad. LUCKY.
We followed the crowds to Sacre Couer and hung out for a moment on the jam-packed terrace overlooking the city.
And then made our descent, in search of lunch and a quiet place to sit.
We Metro-ed back toward Ile de la Cite, grabbed a couple of savory crepes with a couple of cups of vin chaud, and sat on a bench near Notre Dame to savor the good life.
We wandered through the Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation, a monument built in honor of the 200,000 French people that were deported to Nazi concentration camps during World War II.
Our feet started to feel their usual wear in mid-afternoon, so we headed back toward the apartment. We passed this kid-filled plaza on the way and paused for minute to watch them play – I missed Juliette somethin’ fierce.
And so we stopped at Pierre Herme and loaded up on macarons for the little ones. Mama’s coming home with treats, Jules!
We spent awhile at our sunny abode, snacking on the assortment of goodies we’d collected over the previous couple of days. I challenge you to find a window better than this one!
This balcony was our happy place.
Lav and I split up for a bit to do some shopping in the Marais and then reconvened to head south and stroll the streets of St. Germain.
Our miles and miles of walking hit me like bag of bricks on Saturday afternoon, so we actually spent more time sitting than strolling – suddenly, I was beat. But still, there are sights to be seen from a cafe terrace!
…or a quaint Brasserie!
We dined at Boucherie Rouliere that night, wanting to close out our trip with the French staples of onion soup and steak frites. We came here last year as well and have declared it an official must-visit anytime we’re in Paris – the space is happy and bustling, the service is friendly, and the soup is extra-cheesy.
We took the circuitous route home, reveling in the joy of a packed terraces, bright lights, and a sidewalk quartet.
We rounded out the night with crepes from La Droguerie in the Marais. NUTELLLLLLLA!
We happily discovered on Sunday morning that daylight savings had ended during the night, so we found ourselves with an extra hour before we had to head to the airport. I set out with my camera before the sun had fully come up, wanting to enjoy a few quiet moments with the city. My dear, dear city.
I thought about turning around at the Pompidou, but checked my watch and decided to just keep on trekking.
The Tuilieries was nearly deserted, leaving me free to snap endless photos of those quintessential green chairs. I love those green chairs.
This was the point at which I decided I better book it back to the Marais. Sights seen.
I met up with La Verne for one last croissant and coffee before heading back to the apartment to finish packing up.
And then it was time to squeeze back into that tiny elevator and bump our suitcases along the sidewalks to the RER. Don’t let Lav’s friendly smile fool you – we were crying on the inside as we said goodbye to our sweet little street…
It was a long day of travel back to Seattle – we toasted to La Verne’s birthday with glasses of in-flight Prosecco somewhere over the Atlantic and watched three or four movies. I was feeling some pretty serious post-Paris blues, but the moment Juliette’s and Shane’s faces came into view at the top of the airport escalator, all felt right again. Paris will always be there, ready to welcome us back the next time those $500 flights show up in my inbox. And it will be as magical as ever.