Thing I notice along the way.
48 hours in Paris
A few places, details and moments that stayed with me.
Paris is one of those cities that makes me look a little closer.
The façades, the café terraces, the chairs facing the street, the flowers spilling from balconies, the old signs, the brass details, the light reflecting on the Seine.
There is always something worth looking at — even in the spaces between the places you came to see.
This time, I only had 48 hours. I wasn’t trying to see everything. I simply wanted to walk, revisit a city I already knew, and see what caught my eye.
Friday, the Paris way.
I arrived Friday afternoon, dropped my suitcase at 9Hotel Opéra and almost immediately went back outside.
I loved the neighbourhood from the start. I walked with no particular plan, stopping at exhibitions along the way and eventually finding myself crossing Pont Alexandre III as the afternoon slowly turned into evening.
Dinner was at Vagenende — French food surrounded by mirrors, warm light and beautiful Art Nouveau details. The kind of room you keep looking around while eating.
And the night didn’t end there.
We found our way to Cravan, a very Parisian cocktail bar with beautiful interiors, good drinks and, more than anything, the kindest people.
One of those places you don’t necessarily plan for, but end up remembering.
A Kir Royal, a Monaco, another drink…
Very Paris. Very weekend.
Paris, between things.
Saturday started at Maison&Objet — hours of furniture, materials, objects, colours and ideas. Plenty to look at, photograph and mentally take home with me.
But some of my favourite moments happened between the things I had actually planned.
Lunch with friends at Camille: a very good entrecôte, duck and long conversations around the table.
Then éclairs from La Maison du Chocolat, taken to the park and eaten outside.
Simple, but one of those little moments I still think about.
Later came Maison Baccarat — crystal, craftsmanship, beautiful rooms and champagne. A completely different atmosphere from the Paris I had been walking through just a few hours earlier.
And somehow, throughout the weekend, there was always another glass appearing.
Kir Royals, Monacos, and Champagne, of course.
Sunday, slowly.
Sunday had no real agenda. Just Paris.
We wandered through Montmartre, eventually finding our way into the cemetery — unexpectedly one of the places that stayed with me most.
Quiet, beautiful and strangely fascinating. Sculptures, stone, typography, flowers and weathered surfaces everywhere you look.
Then lunch at Le Cabanon de la Butte. A table overlooking Paris, a beautiful view, bone marrow I can still remember the taste of and, naturally, one last Monaco.
Some meals stay with you because everything comes together: the food, the place, the view and the exact moment you were there.
48 hours later.
Back to 9Hotel Opéra, where my suitcase had been waiting for me all day, then Charles de Gaulle and home to Madrid.
48 hours.
Many kilometres walked.
More than a few Kir Royals.
A Monaco or two.
Champagne, of course.
And quite a few little things I didn’t expect to remember as much as I do.
Not nearly enough time for Paris. But enough to notice a few things.
Because good things are meant to be shared.
A small edit of the things I would actually recommend, revisit or take home.
01 STAY
9Hotel Opera
02 DRINKS
Cravan
03 PÂTISSERIE
La Maison du Chocolat
04 EAT
Vagenede
Camille
Le Cabanon de la Butte
THE NOTE
A note worth opening.
A monthly edit of places, objects, ideas and things worth noticing.