For years I dreamt of taking Anjali to Paris for her 16th birthday, then Covid-19 happened. I felt hesitant to take a long flight to a foreign country where we had less control over the risks of exposure to/infection from COVID. Then, France announced detailed guidelines for US tourists in early June, and hubby’s persuasive reasoning coupled with the fact that we are all vaccinated, swayed me to be cautiously optimistic and book flights to Paris. It was an anxious process of negative PCR tests 72 hours prior to flying, and the need to also test negative before we could return to the US. We used the tousantiCovid app while we were in France to enter restaurants and public places (which turned out to be a very pragmatic use of technology and public health surveillance).
Paris Highlights
Paris is overwhelming, there are hundreds of interesting places of cultural and artistic significance, and many indulging activities. We split seven nights between the Champs-Élysées area and Montmatre. Doing one key activity a day made for a less-hectic and relaxing vacation.
A highlight for us was the nighttime river cruise on the Seine. It was a gorgeous night. The Bateaux Parisiens boat set sail just as the Eiffel Tower light turned on. All the historic buildings along the Seine glimmered like brilliant diamonds as the evening light turned to indigo. My heart was so grateful at one moment, that tears filled my eyes.
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I took a walking food tour with Paris by mouth that was an AMAZING EXPERIENCE. I highly recommend this tour to foodies. I learned so much about baguettes, cheese, wine, chocolates and pastry. I love the idea that instead of getting everything at the grocery store; the French have patisseries, boulangeries, fromageries and charcuteries, where quality is valued over convenience.
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Loire Valley
We spent three nights in the Loire Valley, also visiting with some friends. This was a nice contrast to the Parisian cosmopolis. We used Amboise as our base within easy distance to Chateau Chenonceau, Amboise and Close Luce. Chenonceau is seated on an idyllic bank of the river Cher, and represented a typical chateau of the French nobility. It even had dueling gardens designed by a wife on one side, and the mistress on the other!
Clos Luce was the last residence of Leonardo Da Vinci. I realized his genius applying observations from the natural world into art, architecture and mechanical design. We continue to benefit from his designs; from the bicycle gears to motor boat propellers.
This was also our opportunity to be introduced to the lovely wines of the Loire Valley. My favorites were the blancs, Sancerre and the Vovrays. The Muscadets and Melon de Bourgogne were the drier whites, which rarely show up on US shelves.
Gourmand Discoveries
Oh! The food in France… I wish I could remember the exact point in time when I realized I was a foodie. I only know that the first time I visited Europe, I brought back a homemade tub of pesto from Italy and when I opened my suitcase at home, half my clothes were stained with olive oil and basil (my packing skills have since improved)!
Baguettes are a national treasure, with a traditional version which can only be made of four ingredients, water, flour, salt and yeast, with specific length and weight limitations. Biting into a warm freshly made baguette with melty spring cheeses and thinly sliced jamon is a life-altering experience (we did this while picnicking by the Eiffel Tower).
The patisseries in France are a work of art. You get your traditional morning pastries such as croissants and pain au raisins, but also the instagrammable tart citrons and mille feuille. Pierre Hermes and Christopher Adam are the patron saints of Macrons and Eclairs. Gallery Lafayette’s Maison and Gourmet is a great place to sample some of the finest French delicacies.
One realization was that trip advisor reviewed restaurants where reservations were made a month in advance could be disappointing (Josephine Chez du Monde: traditional French cuisine tastes bland to my curry girl palette). Instead, surprises can be found just browsing the sandwich boards in front of cafes. Les Fistons was one where we had a seasonal gazpacho and a lovely poached fish.
Despite fears and anxieties around Covid, we had a wonderful trip, and got around only with trains and the Metro. We were diligent about wearing a mask, most everyplace had hand sanitizer dispensers (some even with foot pedals for hands-free pumping), and the national COVID app, tousantiCOVID worked fantastic; it provided a COVID pass (QR code) for anyone with a vaccination certification and a negative COVID test within 72-hours. The app had daily updates of national and zip code level vaccination, positivity, and ICU admission rates, and was able to notify you if anyone who was within two meters of you has tested positive (based on place and time of QR code scanning).
Paris certainly claimed a larger place in my heart.
Notes to self:
- City Mapper is great, especially when it tells you what exit to take when there are 14 exists to a metro station like Gare St Lazzare
- Next time stay in Le Marais (4th Arr) or St Germaine de Pre (6th Arr), these are less touristy
