Today we decided to focus our day around Saint Germain – I love this area. It’s where we stayed when I came years ago with my stepmum and brother… It’s so well kept and just generally beautiful!

Breakfast With a Surprise Twist

We had our breakfast, which oddly included an offer of cooked eggs today – not the case yesterday – so I jumped on that. They were delicious, made with what I suspect was a fairly generous amount of cream, butter, and cheese. We sat in a little conservatory area, which was lovely.

Jardin du Luxembourg – Royal, Revolutionary, and Really Pretty

After breakfast, we headed out to our first stop – the Gardens of Luxembourg (Jardin du Luxembourg). This palace and its grounds were commissioned by Catherine de’ Medici in 1612. She was inspired by the Boboli Gardens in Florence, which we’re visiting in a few days – so it’ll be fun to compare them!

During the French Revolution, the palace was used as a prison, and the grounds were neglected. Given they cover 25 hectares, I can’t imagine how much work it must’ve been to fix them up! They’re absolutely beautiful now.

These days, the palace houses the French Senate, and there are plenty of guards with big guns patrolling the area (not at all intimidating). There are fountains, statues of past royalty, and an orangerie that’s now part of the Musée du Luxembourg – sadly, it was closed today.

Church-Hopping, French-Style

Our next stop was Église Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the oldest church in Paris (Romanesque, dating back to the 6th century). On the way there, we ended up ducking into another church that was absolutely stunning – as they tend to be around here.

Craig commented that churches in France are much more convenient than the ones we visited in Japan and Southeast Asia – no need to take off your shoes!

Unexpected Culture Hit – Robert Doisneau

Next up: a bit of culture at a museum. I didn’t really know much about Musée Maillol or what the current exhibition was, but it turned out to be about Robert Doisneau, a French photographer who was part of the Resistance during WWII, forging IDs. Later, he became a freelance and humanist street photographer.

They were selling prints of his work, but not the ones we liked – particularly one photo of a risqué post-war shop window and the shocked reactions of passersby. (If you’re curious, look up: “Le regard oblique” by Robert Doisneau – it’s hilarious and so clever.)

Café de Flore – Jugs of Chocolate and Emily in Paris

After that, we wandered over to the beautiful Café de Flore, which had a queue out the front and a whole logistical ballet being conducted by the maître d’. Everything depended entirely on whether people were happy to sit inside or wanted the outside (we wanted front row, obviously – we really enjoy the sitting side-by- side people watching culture). I couldn’t figure out why it was so popular – it honestly felt like we had an audience the entire time – but turns out it’s always been iconic, thanks to famous writers and celebrities… and more recently, Emily in Paris. Of course.

It was beautiful though. We ordered hot chocolate (which came in jugs!), Craig tried his first foie gras – which he liked, but not as much as pâté – and I ordered another tarte Tatin. This one was quite different to the one I had in Montmartre: it was sour, served with crème fraîche, as opposed to sweet and served with ice cream. I think I prefer the sweet version.

One Last Wander Along the Seine

On our way back, we wandered back through the streets of Saint Germain, stopping in a couple of the many gorgeous boutiques and then walked along the Seine, stopping to browse the famous green market stalls with paintings, books, and other bits and pieces for sale. Sadly, I’ve read that a lot of the paintings these days are actually imported from China and passed off as original works by the “artist” manning the stall. Sometimes they even set up an easel and pretend to be painting… Don’t get sucked into that one! As Craig said, they’re selling more of a memory than anything else.

We also took a quick walk into the grounds of the Louvre. We’ve both been inside before, so this time we just wanted to admire the outside – the building is stunning. It began as a fortress (you can see where there used to be a moat) and then became a Renaissance Palace, and then, during the French Revolution, became a museum).

Rooftop Vibes (And a Quick Wardrobe Change)

We then returned to the hotel for our rooftop aperitif booking. As we arrived, we were immediately sent back to our room to change – both of us were wearing shorts. I’m glad we were hotel guests and hadn’t just come from somewhere else!

Once we were back up, we were seated on the edge of the building, with a stunning view out to the Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Cœur. Surreal spot. We sipped our drinks and took it all in.

Dinner With Guy Savoy (and a Spoonful of Humour)

Dinner that evening was at L’Atelier Maître Albert, a Guy Savoy (Michelin-starred chef) restaurant that serves rotisserie meats and glorious sides. It had a totally different vibe to the night before – inside an old building with a modern interior and much fancier service. Our waiter had a great sense of humour, which made it even better.

I was totally overwhelmed by the extensive wine list, so I just picked one of the two rosés available – a bit of a cop-out, but it was delicious and paired perfectly with the roast chicken we both ordered. We shared sides of potatoes dauphinoise (OH MY GOD), aubergine, and a bonus potato purée – “a gift from the restaurant.”

We’d had starters too, since most places offer set menus, so we were already full and knew dessert was still coming. We left a little mashed potato, which the waiter clearly wasn’t okay with. He came over and tried to serve it to Craig, who said, “No, no, I’m really full,” to which the waiter replied, “Ahhh, just one more spoonful,” and plopped it on his plate. Craig ate it obediently, and the waiter followed up with a triumphant, “Voilà!”

It was like watching a parent coax a child into eating dinner. Hilarious.

One Last Stroll

Absolutely knackered and full, we all but rolled our way back down the lively streets (apparently Tuesday goes off?), and into bed – ready for tomorrow’s departure to Strasbourg!

And that was Paris!

❤️ Laus

Next stop: Strasbourg and the Alsace region – home of half-timbered houses, fairytale villages, hilltop castles, and (hopefully) stretchy pants. Stay tuned for cheese, charm, and cobbled streets!