Paris diaries: heatwave, art days & spending time alone

After a week in northern Italy, we took the late afternoon train to Paris. It's my favorite way of traveling from Milan as it takes you through the mountains and it's so incredibly peaceful. I had bought Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller right before we left and it felt like the perfect reading companion for the journey. On my first morning there, I walked to Montmartre to get coffee and journal my intentions for this next part of the trip. I had a lot of alone time and journaled a lot during that week. One of my favorite museums in Paris is Musée Montmartre. I love walking through the Renoir Gardens and spending some time in the Suzanne Valadon Atelier. It's always quiet and peaceful and that morning was no different. It's one of the most overlooked museums in my opinion. After my visit, I walked around Montmartre a bit more and then eventually found my way to San Francisco Books. I didn't get anything but there were so many shelves and nooks to look at that I spent a good amount of time looking through everything. The next morning, I grabbed coffee to go with Marc before he had to leave for work and then walked to Musée Rodin, which I always try to go to when I'm in Paris. It was incredibly hot that week and visiting museums was one of the ways I managed to get a reprieve from the heat. I then went to Café de France and sat outside to people watch for a bit before visiting a few more bookshops. By the time the evenings rolled in, I was pretty exhausted from all the walking and heat so on most evenings, Marc and I just grabbed a quick bite somewhere or ate back at the apartment. Friday was an appointment day. I spent my morning journaling at Le Café en Rouge, which just opened and is owned by Jeanne Demas. The madeleine was really good and it was nice to have a quiet moment before heading to Le Labo. They invited me to their Saint-Honoré boutique to select a new fragrance to add to my collection and try their Paris exclusive scent, Vanille 44, which I really liked. It's not too sweet and even has a smoky, citrusy side to it. I ultimately went with Matcha 26 for the summer, but I'm adding the vanilla one to my wishlist. After that, I had an appointment at L'Appartement Cézanne. It was so fun to see all the clothes and accessories in person after shopping online for years. I tried pieces I would normally not have picked from the website and left with a crochet top and the prettiest summer dress. I ended my day reading at Chardin et Tuileries. It's famous for a reason and if you can find a quiet spot under the trees, it truly is so special. The next day, I had booked a time at Musée d'Orsay, which is located inside the former train station and you can easily spend many hours walking through the different galleries. They had a temporary exhibit on Renoir, which I really enjoyed, but the permanent collection also includes various Van Gogh, Monet, and Degas pieces. After grabbing lunch at Le Café Carousel, I spent some time at the Palais Royal Garden before having ice cream at Folle de Roule, which I really recommend if you can go right as they open since it gets really busy the longer you wait. I had a scoop of olive oil and another of Thai tea, which were both delicious. When we were there during the Paris Olympics and the Parisians had all left the city, Mark and I were able to go almost every day and the olive oil ice cream is still our favorite we've ever had. The heat finally broke later that night when a huge thunderstorm hit. There's truly no better feeling than when the sky opens and you can feel cold air for the first time in days. On my last full day, Mark had a bit more time in the morning so we had coffee together before I made my way to Musée Carnavalet, which is dedicated to the city's history. A big part of the museum is free, but I had booked tickets to see the Madame de Sivigny exhibit and then I sat in their garden to read and people watch for a bit. There was a lot of that during my time in Paris. Whenever I travel, I mostly do the things I like to do in my own city. I read and write at cafes, I walk, I people watch. It's my favorite way of traveling and taking in a different world. Thank you for coming along with me on this trip. I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you in the next one.