Paris in Late January: Suggestions for How to Spend Two Days & A Few Photographs

This past January – under a month ago, in fact – my father and littlest brother spent a week attending a trade show in Essen, Germany… the weekend following their business trip, they boarded a train to Paree and came to visit me! It was oh-so wonderful to see two of my very favorite people, if only for a few days. Unfortunately, the week prior to their arrival in Paris I suffered from an awful cold, and therefore wasn’t feeling particularly well while they were here. Still, I managed to pull myself out of bed on both Saturday and Sunday, and we had a lovely time strolling around parts of the city I heart.

This was eleven-year-old Jack’s first time in Paris, and I made an effort to show him a few of my favorite-est arrondissements. If you happen to be visiting Paris for a weekend in late-January… my suggestions for how to pass two complete days are right below. Enjoy! ♥

day one

• Petit déjeuner at a quaint ‘lil boulangerie… nearly anywhere is sure to be terrific.
• Begin your morning, as we did, at the Jardin des Plantes. Because it’s pretty.
• Stroll about the Latin Quarter for a wee bit. Or perhaps take the metro from Jussieu to Cluny la Sorbonne. Exit Boulevard Saint Michel and you’re a merely short walk from Notre Dame. You’ll also be quite close to the Luxembourg Gardens at this point, so if you have the energy why not pop by?
• After visiting the Notre Dame cathedral (the line to enter was especially short on the dreary morn we went) hop on over to Shakespeare & Company, the bookshop. It’s cute.
• Then treat yourself to something yummy for lunch… there are heaps of cafés in le Quartier Latin worth visiting.
• As you’re fairly close, perhaps wander around Saint-Germain-des-Prés for a bit, or maybe instead explore the fourth arrondissement… an afternoon at the Pompidou? Or you can do as my father, baby brother, and I did… take the metro to Montmartre, marvel at the view from the Sacré-Cœur, and enjoy the Place du Tertre.
• Around this point of our day, I was utterly exhausted and headed back to my apartment while dad and Jackie made their way to the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Élysées.
• A satisfying meal and a warm shower are highly recommend at this time. You ought to rest up for tomorrow, after all. ♥
  

  ---

day two

• Pain au chocolat for breaky-fast, obviously.
• Afterwards, head toward the lovely Tour Eiffel. I recommend taking metro line 8 to Ecole Militare and walking from there. You’ll also be crazy close to Hôtel des Invalides, so why not spend an hour or so at Musée de l’Armée?
• I also suggest strolling throughout the seventh arrondissement. Maybe visit Le Bon Marché for a bit of shopping and such?
• After popping by the Eiffel Tower, we headed straight for my absolute favorite museum in Paris (because, impressionism), Musée d’Orsay, and spent the entirety of our afternoon there. ♥
• I then headed home to prepare for class on Monday, but my father and Jack continued on… they ambled through the Marais (metro: Saint Paul), visited a pâtisserie, and treated themselves to a classic French dîner.
  

  ---

And so, there you have it! My miniature two-day guide to Paris. Come visit, please?

xoxo,

Abby