from the archives

looking back at Paris, 10 years later

Paris is having it’s moment in the spotlight this summer. But let’s be honest, it’s kind of always in the spotlight.

Paris has that effortless main character energy. And through the years, through the changes, through the construction, it still captures that timeless elegance that have enamored generations of travelers. The architecture, the landmarks, iconic through the decades, a remarkable continuity so deliberately preserved in an ever changing world.

It’s been 10 years since I studied in Paris. 10 years since that first trip to Europe. 10 years since that first glimpse of a city that felt so foreign and so quickly became familiar. 10 years since I woke up to a cinematic view of Place des Victoires. When it was a little too easy to romanticize life, even with the reality of, well, life in Paris, was constantly bringing me back down to earth around every turn.

2014 was a different time. A time when I existed blissfully with a brick phone that barely needed charging. A time when I would navigate the labyrinth of streets with a paper map. And getting lost was a part of the experience. Where around every wrong turn might be a view that could take my breath away. A time when I was terrified of speaking broken French, and felt my own foreignness in the city, even as routines developed and the absurdly beautiful streets of the 1er arrondissement felt as familiar as home.

But 10 years later, I still cherish the memories of seeing so many beautiful places for the very first time. And while the quality of the photos come with a bit of a blur, the memories are just the right amount of hazy. A hazy map of a city that will always be etched in my mind guiding muscle memory for future trips.

One summer, two thousand photos, and a core memory that will be a part of everywhere I go.

// Rue Sainte Anne

The Sawtelle of Paris, a relief for a student abroad. The familiarities of a Taiwanese restaurant that brought a special ache. A reminder that immigrants can create community anywhere.

// Rue Montorgueil

The food street that carried me through. A first introduction in the fuzzy delirium of jet lag, filed away as the street with a name I would surely butcher. A historic market street, a personal cafeteria. Countless steps taken up and down these blocks.

// Saint Eustache

That church I walked by hundreds of times that summer.

// Galerie Vivienne

An obsession developed around the covered galleries throughout the city. And this one will always hold a special place in my heart.

// Galeries Lafayette & Palais Garnier

I’ll never forget the first time I saw the façade of L’Opera. In the rain. In a trance. How could a building in the modern age look like that?

I’ll never forget the first time I saw the dome of Galeries Lafayette. A palacial shopping destination. No wonder the tourists get dumped on the curb by busloads.

Parisian grandeur is unmatched.

louvre

The subtle flex of being able to get lost in the depths of the Louvre whenever I wanted. The perks of having an Art History student ID. The surreality of having this global cultural institution a 10 minute walk away.

A tiny icon. Art history book pages come to life. Fan girling over Jacques Louis David. The iconic glass pyramid at all hours of day and night.

pompidou

My unexpected favorite museum, with a view I couldn’t stop going back to. Perhaps the genesis of my adoration for contemporary art museums, even as a girl who’s favorite art periods start with the Renaissance and end with Rococo.

I mean, who could resist the allure of these panoramic views?

And then the whimsical Stravinsky fountain, reflecting the boldness of Centre Pompidou’s architecture, distinctly modern sculptures against the backdrop of a gothic church. Quickly, unexpectedly, becoming one of my favorite little nooks in the city. Always worth a detour when walking through the area.

a moment for the left bank

I’ve determined, for better or worse, that I am, at heart, a right bank girl. But when given the opportunity, I happily cross any of the bridges over to the other side.

One of the first days included a walking tour that took us across the Seine and into the Latin Quarter. Over to the Sorbonne, hello to the Pantheon (under construction at the time) and into Jardin du Luxembourg. Admittedly a very good jardin, as jardins go. Even as a right bank girlie.

a moment for montmartre

Another introduction to the city involved a scavenger hunt around Montmartre. Dropped off in Pigalle, and tasked to make our way up to the Sacre Coeur. A scavenger hunt done without the help of a data plan or translation app. Where we learned what a funiculaire was. And thus could skip the stairs.

The charm of this charming neighborhood really did get me. After all, it was the mid 2010s. La Maison Rose was an Instagram darling on the level of the Melrose pink wall and photos of pierced yolks dribbling over avocado toast. On many evenings, as daylight lingered in the skies until late, we’d pilgrammage up here to see the sun set over the city. The graffiti along the cityscape becoming familiar sights to identify.

many moments for the marais

A walking tour of the Marais offered an orientation that would prove quite useful even years later. This adjacent neighborhood to home base was just different enough to be a source of excitement.

I don’t believe I quite appreciated the beauty of Place des Vosges until I reflected on it through photos much later. In the moment, it was a perfect escape from the bustle beyond. But the brief reprieve was overshadowed by the curiosity for what wonders the other side might reveal.

// The Mosque

One of the first field trips on the trip. complete with a mint tea moment

// The Notre Dame

Mother of all churches. Many years pre-fire. Many visits for a non Catholic. A new appreciation for gothic architecture.

the island(s)

Two little islands in the middle of the river, a fixation of mine. Especially Ile Saint Louis. Tiny in the best way. With the best ice cream. And the most perfect walk into La Bastille.

the walk

Of the tens of thousands of steps taken every day, one walk became second nature. Saying hello to the Tour Eiffel from Trocadero, and walking along the water, past my favorite bridge, to the Concorde of Devil Wears Prada fame.

And another one, from Tuileries all the way down Champs-Elysees to the Arc.

And up the many, many, many steps. For the view. Always, for the view.

juillet

Mid july was a turning point. When a cold wet June turned into blue skies and a relentless sun. When strolling through the park felt like premium summer. When ice cream cones were enjoyed under the shade. When walking home from the 14 juillet firework festivities had an energy and ease that often wasn’t felt in the city center at midnight.

// Le Tour

Even as a passive viewer from the sidewalks, a sense of excitement as bikers buzzed through and fans lined the streets. This, and the World Cup, made us feel more cultured than the average American in sporting tastes.

day trips

Weekends were meant for traveling beyond the 20 arrondissement escargot.

FONTAINEBLEAU

A low key sleeper hit. Much less golden than Versailles, but regal, historic, and grand in its own way. And much more peaceful of a tour.

VERSAILLES

Lived up to my most glistening dreams. Even in spite of the crowds and the clouds. A grandeur that I can’t help but compare every other palace to (which is, perhaps why I am so often unimpressed around Europe). The gilded halls and perfectly pruned gardens will always have my heart.

The hall of mirrors really is over the top in every day and I applaud this level of commitment to the aesthetic. If there isn’t this level of gold, I am not interested. The Buckingham Palace could never. Versailles ruined me.

A moment for the gardens. Impeccable. As far as the eye can see. And the perfect pink palace that Marie Antoinette was banished to, a dollhouse in my dreams.

GIVERNY

Not even a fan of Impressionism, really, but to be walking in the source material of Monet’s garden paintings softened even my stone heart. The billowing willows and perfect lilies. And the artists of today using the same backdrop as a muse.

// L’ORANGERIE

Back in Paris, a museum of stunning lily pad panoramas in a perfect 1 hour museum.

LES PUCES DE SAINT-OUEN

One day, we even made it to the outskirts of the city, to wander the cluttered pathways filled with antiques. There, I picked up an original copy of a Dickens book. A leather crossbody bag. And, to heal my basic 20 year old heart, a heart charm that says “Je t’aime”

// Les Bouquinistes

Another fixation, obsession. The pop up vendors filled with books and prints, lining the riverside paths. Always making me stop along the quai.

A night walk. To see a sunrise that never really showed herself. But it’s fine. Because the peace of city lights in quiet darkness lighting up the landmarks is itself a rite of passage.

// PETIT PALAIS

if I’m being truly honest, I’m more of a grand palais kinda gal, but given that one was…unattainable, there is a certain pretty poise in the petit one.

Pere La Chaise was not a place I had known about until rather late in my Paris stay. But it was unexpectedly one of my favorite little excursions. The peace walking through the shaded cobblestone paths, the reverence to generations past.

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Food on a student budget in Paris affords you…very little. The occasional prix fixe dejuener with house wine and chocolate mousse. A street crepe. A lot of Paul and Brioche Doree. Packaged salads from Exki. Sometimes a bakery sandwich. And let’s be honest, Starbucks and McDo. An indulgent falafel sandwich. A Thursday morning galette from the Marche Bastille.

I remember shying away from the 10€ chocolat chaud from Angelina. But happily biting into a giant macaron from Laduree. It was the little things that meant the most.

and of course, the soldes that were happening all month, that I could hardly partake in. but in the form of better fast fashion. after all, coming home with Bershka felt more cultured than Forever 21 those days.

et c’est tout. see you later, paris. for our ten year anniversary.