Paris! Architecture, Art, Cheese, Cuisine, Wine, Shopping, and More...

The Eiffel Tower as seen from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France — Eiffel Tower as Seen from the Top of the Arch de Triomphe

We recently had the good fortune to go on an adventure to Paris, Hauts-de-France, and Île-de-France. Following is a quote from our May 6, 2024 blog article.

Day One Adventure to the Château de Chantilly

"We wanted something chill for our first jet-lagged day. So, our first stop will be the Château de Chantilly, an equestrian paradise and the namesake of whipped cream. Yum! Then we'll be joining a tour and spending several days at another château near Paris. We'll keep that under wraps for now and share the high points with you while it unfolds. Then after having been separated from magnificent Paris for almost nine years, we'll finally shop and dine in Le Marais again, and other parts of the city for sure. While we know the linden trees usually start to bloom in June, we're hopeful they will be early this year. When their fragrance permeates central Paris, it's magical. If they haven't started to bloom yet, we'll head over to Dyptique at 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain and buy a linden-scented candle... We know our days in France will be filled with high-quality cheese, wine, and baguettes. And we can't wait to share the highlights with you."

We had previously visited Paris several times over the years. But we never experienced much of the French countryside or châteaus in the area around Paris. In March we had an opportunity to join a Cheese Journeys tour: Fairfield Greenwich Cheese Company Brie and Bubbly Around Paris. We wanted to start the tour free of jet lag. So we arrived a day early, checked into our hotel, freshened up, ordered a taxi with the G7 app and headed to the commune of Chantilly. Our hotel was by the Charles De Gaulle airport. So, the taxi trip to Chantilly was only about 30 minutes. On the return trip we found Uber to be a somewhat less expensive option. Note, this is not necessarily the case within the city of Paris. Later in the trip we used taxis in Paris and just flagged them down on the street with no need for an app.

It was lunch time when we arrived at the Château de Chantilly. We had purchased tickets online beforehand. So, we went into the grounds and found a nice restaurant, La Capitainerie, in the center of the château for lunch. They had nice wines by the glass and brasserie menu choices. We ordered a glass of white wine and a glass of the Affligem draft beer. Get the big glass. Trust us. We were looking for this beer later in the trip and found it again a few times.

Then we toured the lovely château, its gardens, and the stables. If you enjoy horse racing, or just love wandering through the stables and seeing horses and donkeys, this would be a wonderful place for you to visit. There's even an equestrian museum and opportunities to see dressage performances and learn how to make the classic Chantilly whipped cream. Check out the schedules on their website and book before you go.

Later in the afternoon we made our way into the village where we did shopping, had refreshments and ended the evening with a memorable dinner at Ô Bistrot Chic. If you go, you should reserve ahead of time. We were the first to arrive. But within 10 minutes it quickly filled up. It's obviously a local favorite. The server was super friendly and accommodating, with impeccable English. The food had us wanting to figure out how to prepare it at home. One of the appetizers we ordered was a crab rillette with organic egg and mayonnaise. We were still telling others about it a few days later. And one of the main course choices, le tigre qui pleure (the crying tiger), a Thai beef dish with a spicy sauce, was perfectly prepared and presented. Click the hyperlink to their website above and view the menu... Google Chrome will translate it for you if you use that browser.

In short, we were so glad we decided to visit Chantilly. It was a fun day that we'll never forget.

Enjoying a Cheese Journey in and around Paris

The next morning after a restful sleep, we were welcomed by the CEO and founder of Cheese Journeys, Anna Juhl, and her wonderful event manager, Jilly Stitch, for a warm welcome and introductions. Then it was on to the Chateau de Courances in Île de France, where we spent four days learning about and tasting cheese, pairing it with wine and champagne, enjoying memorably delicious meals prepared by affiliated chef Sylvain Jamois, touring the chateau and grounds, and much more. We learned about cheese on site at the chateau with courses led by Chris Palumbo and Laura Downey of Fairfield Greenwich Cheese Company (you can visit their shops in Connecticut or order their cheese boxes online) and Raw Cheese Power, a French and English cheese specialist, cheese-ager (affineur), and caterer. We even visited Fromagerie L'Oiseau where we learned about the cheese aging process and got to sample some of their amazing raw milk cheeses. And Winter Caplanson of New England Food & Farm taught us how she creates absolute magic photographing food. Then, before heading to Paris for three eventful days, we spent an afternoon at the Château de Fontainebleau, touring the gardens, learning about the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, and doing some shopping and enjoying refreshments in the town.

We spent the last three days of our Cheese Journey in Paris. On the morning of day five we checked into our hotel in Le Marais, Hotel Duo, and then spent several hours being led on a cheese, chocolate, and pastry-focused culinary tour of Le Marais neighborhood. We divided into two groups for this tour and our group was led by Jennifer Greco, a French cheese educator, culinary tour guide and food writer (check out her blog Chez Loulou). Le Marais is perhaps the most historic section of Paris, with houses and buildings dating back to the early 1400s. It was the home of Victor Hugo, who lived in a maison in the Place des Vosges, one of our favorite Parisian squares. His house is now a museum. Head there for a visit and then hang out for a picnic in the square.

We had some free time in the afternoon. So, we found a little cafe in the Latin Quarter for a refreshment. Then we headed over to the Musée d'Art Moderne in the 8th Arrondissement, to se the works of Raoul Dufy and others. You will be astounded by Dufy's La Fée Electricité, a massive fresco in an oval-shaped room. We spent so much time viewing this one work that we ran out of time trying to see more of the permanent collection before the museum closed (it's open from 10A to 6P every day but Thursday when it stays open until 9:30 P). Next time we'll have to go back to see more.

If you exit the museum near the gift/book shop, and turn left, you'll get a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower. So, snap a few selfies there and head on your way. We walked east along the Seine and crossed the river at the Pont de L'Alma, then headed down Avenue Rapp where we had stayed on our previous trip to Paris.

From there we walked to Rue Cler, a quaint little street with markets, cafes and shops tucked away in the middle of the 7th Arrondissement. Then we had a delicious prix fixe meal with great friends at Les Papilles, a gourmet bistro a little east of the Luxembourg Garden. If you go, they only serve wine. Have your waiter help you select a wine from the bottles adorning their walls. We finished the evening wandering through the Sorbonne neighborhood, grabbing a cocktail at a speakeasy, then crossing the Seine, viewing the city all lit up and reflecting in the river on our way back to our hotel.

A Croissant that we were in the process of making at a pastry class in Paris — Making Pastries at La Cuisine Paris

After breakfast on day two in Paris, we went to Paroles de Fromagers shop where we learned how to make fresh cheese and butter. It was a hands-on experience that we thoroughly enjoyed. Afterwards we had an opportunity to buy their cheeses at a discount. Yum! Then we had a group lunch before heading to La Cuisine Paris where we spent a few hours learning how to make croissants and other pastries. This too was an incredibly memorable, immersive experience, with laughs and smiles throughout. You really should consider making the time to take a class like this while in Paris. The City of Lights is known for its cuisine. So, if you do a similar class early in your trip, you'll appreciate the great food even more. By the way, when I googled The City of Lights, the AI overview was as follows:

Paris, also known as La Ville-Lumière in French, has been called the "City of Lights" for two reasons:

Gas Lighting

In the 1860s, Paris became one of the first major European cities to use gas street lamps to illuminate its streets at night. Some say that King Louis ordered the installation of nearly 3,000 street lanterns to prevent criminals from hiding in the shadows.

Age of Enlightenment

In the 18th century, Paris was a hub for the Age of Enlightenment, a philosophical movement that emphasized reason, science, and liberty. The city attracted many brilliant minds, including Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot, and some say the nickname refers to "enlightened minds".

We had some free time in the afternoon. So, we split up and did some shopping and found the treasures we had been looking for. Afterwards we had dinner with friends at Grandcoeur near our hotel. The food was wonderfully prepared and impeccably presented and the service was very friendly. Again, we recommend reservations because, by the time our cocktails had arrived, the place was humming. For cocktails in the evening, we recommend waiting in line at the Little Red Door. It's worth the wait. The line is because it's an intimate setting and they only let you in when there are enough seats available for your group. There's no standing at the bar because your attentive waiter will serve you.

L'Arc de Triomphe

Saturday was our last day in Paris and we really wanted to go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. We didn't make the time to do this during our previous visits to Paris and didn't want to miss the opportunity again. So, we excused ourselves from the morning Cheese Journeys food tour and went there instead. The walk up the spiral staircase to the top is not for the faint of heart. It was fine for us and we made it to the top without incident. The Arc de Triomphe is in the center of a large roundabout or traffic circle. To get there, you find the tunnel beneath the roundabout. There are signs to help you find your way. We didn't buy tickets in advance and we didn't have to wait long. We had arrived fairly early, though. At the base of the arch you can see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, We are so glad we took the time to do this because the unobstructed, 360-degree views from the top of the arch were remarkable.

After the arch we did some shopping and then rejoined our tour for lunch on a boat docked on the Seine. At lunch we had bountiful appetizers and salads and the wine kept flowing. It was a lot of fun and very well planned. It was so much fun to bid a fond farewell to the travelers we'd come to know over the past week.

The Louvre

After lunch we did a little shopping and then it was time to head to Louvre for the WithLocals "Explore the Louvre with a Local Guide" tour. Julien D'Artois was our tour guide. He showed us numerous highlights of the Louvre for a few hours. It was an unforgettable tour. We had been to the Louvre before but without doing a tour. We highly recommend it. If you have an opportunity to do this tour, we think Julien would be an excellent guide for anyone wanting to learn the stories within the art. Be sure to bring plenty of cash for a tip because he will blow you away with his knowledge and love of art.

As this was our last day, we decided to go back to our hotel, pack our things, and end it with a low key dinner at a brasserie near our hotel: La Brasserie Rue des Archives. It was a cosy place and the six of us enjoyed gourmet burgers, washing them down with beer and wine. Then we headed back to our hotel for a restful night's sleep.

Place Dauphine

Our flight was not until 1:35 PM. So, in the morning we decided to take a walk over to Place Dauphine, one of our favorite squares in Paris. Square is sort of a misnomer because it's triangular. We didn't expect anything to be open because it was rather early on a Sunday. But we got some nice photographs in the square and in the neighborhoods nearby. We returned to our hotel and had breakfast before meeting our taxi to head home. It was a magical vacation that has us contemplating a much longer stay in the future.

If you're looking for a more profound travel experience, be sure to read more at the Cheese Journeys website. They do tours like this all over Europe.

One last note: We followed the tips we provided in our post What Do 66 Inches and 54 Pounds Have In Common?, traveling to France for a week with just a carry on and a personal item. Wow that was liberating. We didn't even wear everything we brought and we had room to bring back a few purchases we made while traveling. If we can do it, you can too. You just need to plan and be intentional about what you pack.

Have you visited Paris and the surrounding areas? Let us know what you loved about your visit.

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