A Perfect Summer Day in Paris
Every time I return to the city of lights, I feel more comfortable finding my way around and hope I stand out a little less as the American in Paris. This was absolutely one of our best visits to date. I had a new favorite dress in my suitcase and wanted to show it off while visiting all of my favorite spots in the city.
Outfit Details: Gal Meets Glam Dress (Also comes in Pink, Light Blue, and Navy. Find sold out styles on Poshmark here, use code DONNARIGGINS to get $5 off your first purchase), Jeffrey Campbell Raffia Sandals, Zara Bucket Bag, Kendra Scott Necklace
We arrived in late August and the weather could not have been more perfect. I felt so comfortable touring the city in my Gal Meets Glam wrap dress and my favorite raffia sandals. We started our morning with a cappuccino in the cafe at our adorable boutique hotel.
Then we visited my favorite museum in Paris, the Musee de L’Orangerie to see Monet’s “Water Lilies.” We did not arrive as early as we had on our previous visit and the crowds definitely changed the vibe in the normally peaceful oval rooms. The paintings were no less remarkable though and I even noticed some details I hadn’t seen before like the layering technique called scumbling that Monet used to show depth.
Next we wandered through the Tuileries Gardens making our way over to the Musee D’Orsay. At the D’Orsay we found our favorite sculpture, “Dante’s Inferno,” explored the crowded Van Gogh exhibit, and took the elevator to the fifth floor to find the rest of my favorite impressionist pieces. I also finally stood in line for the famous clock view which looks out over the Louvre toward Montmartre in the back room on the fifth floor.
By this time, we were ready for lunch and I was so excited to try another restaurant on my favorite photographer Jamie Beck’s Paris guide. We took an Uber over to Trieze which is an adorable restaurant owned by a Charleston, SC native. According to Jamie, it is the best place to find fried chicken (that’s not fried) and southern style biscuits, and after two weeks in Europe this southern girl was craving comfort food. We sat on the front patio savoring every delicious bite and looking out toward our next stop, the Luxembourg Gardens.
After our late lunch we strolled through the Luxembourg Gardens, then made our way back toward the Eiffel Tower. We walked along the Seine as the sun set and the Eiffel Tower started her sparkling light show. The perfect end to a perfect day.
Later that night we walked from our hotel to Candelaria. This restaurant has the most amazing, authentic Mexican tacos. There are three tacos on the menu and we ordered two of each and some fresh guacamole. I’ve seriously only ever had tacos this good in Mexico, and I live in Texas!
The best part of this restaurant is the hidden speakeasy behind the kitchen. Dan did not believe me that we could venture past the plain white door, and actually waited for me to go through first before following me. We entered a dimly lit backroom with a chic bar area and were greeted with an impressive drink list, largely tequila based of course. We enjoyed people watching and reminiscing on our favorite moments from this trip. See more from our latest adventure in Croatia and Italy here, here, and here.
