Anyone fancy a weekend in Paris? I was scrolling through my Facebook News Feed and my friend Claire had asked this question. I think I may have jumped out of my chair. Of course I fancied a weekend in Paris!
My Flight
After reading Claire’s post, I was booked on a flight a few hours later! It is the craziest thing I have ever done flying from Calgary, Canada to Paris for just two nights. I had enough KLM points for an economy seat on the flight and when I got to the airport, there was a business class seat available to upgrade to.
This was my first time in the new Calgary International Terminal and I had some time to sit back and enjoy it. One glass of wine in the lounge plus one glass of champagne when I boarded equals settling in for a nap for the 8 hour flight to Amsterdam. I was either really happy in the picture below or just drunk after having those 2 drinks.
The B&B
We booked My Home For You Luxury B&B located on Boulevard Poissonniere. I had the “Grands Boulevards Bedroom” and Claire had the “Guimet Bedroom”! Our host, Jean Étienne, the location, the rooms and the atmosphere were all perfect! I really enjoyed staying at this B&B. Rates range from €160 to €210 a night and there are packages available.
Claire had taken the Eurostar from London to Paris and we met at the B&B. We got all settled in and dressed up to go to the Opera. I had a new LBD and Christian Laboutin Mary-Jane’s to wear!
The Opera
We attended “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” at the Opéra Bastille. Hoffmann tells the story about the three great loves of his life. They are all renditions of his muse, Stella. My personal favourite was the automaton, Olympia.
I loved wearing my Mary-Jane’s and being dressed up. It’s so rare in my life these days to do so and it was a lot of fun!
Claire and I drank champagne during the intermissions and thoroughly enjoyed our evening at the opera!
Morning Run
One of the best things about being in a different city, is heading out in the morning for a run or a walk. If you’re early enough, you can see the city start to come alive without a lot of people around in the hot spots. I did a 8.6 km “run/stop for pictures/walk” from our B&B over to The Louvre and back.
Enjoying The Day In Paris
We headed out with no particular destination in mind. We stopped at a fantastic restaurant called “Le Compas” for brunch and enjoyed champagne and wine.
There are so many interesting things to see while walking the streets of Paris.
Shoes!
Sigh. I see the storefront up ahead and my heart beats faster, there it is, a store selling my favourite shoes, Christian Laboutin. I should have worn my Mary-Jane’s! I had to take pictures outside and go in and browse. When I return to work, I’m going to find a city with a store and apply. Maybe I can have an employee discount?
Le Café Marly
Location, location, location! We stopped at Le Café Marly for a snack. It is located on rue de Rivoli with views of the Louvre and Pyramid. It’s a little pricey, but worth it to sit and relax with this view. At the right angles, you can also see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
Leaves in Paris
As we made our way back to the B&B, we got distracted by the leaves. Fall is the most wonderful time of year for me. It’s the little things in life, like leaves, that are truly enjoyable.
Enjoying Paris In The Evening
We got all dressed up again for an evening out! We made three stops that evening – champagne, dinner and wine. A fabulous night out enjoying the Paris nightlife.
Food & Wine
I had a great weekend!
I got to travel, wear and look at shoes and consume a little bit of wine! The nice thing was we had both spent time in Paris before, so we were not focused on seeing the touristy sights. We were able to just relax, spend hours catching up and regarding all the french fries we ate – I have no words. Every weekend should be this perfect.
You must have:
- A sense of adventure (or a special kind of crazy)
- The freedom to pick up & take off for a few days
- Airline points that you’re okay with blowing on an international flight
- No particular itinerary in mind – no must-do’s other than having fun
- A fabulous friend to enjoy it all with!
Links
Jackie is “Mom” to one amazing son, an IT professional, and an obsessed traveller. She spends her time reading, golfing at Ladies League, and implementing software projects. Jackie has travelled to 7 continents and 90 countries and is always planning the next destination and adventure!
You have the right work life balance jackie, regards from Stavanger
Thank you! It took a while to figure it out!