We left Avignon early in the morning, taking the 2.5 hour train ride back to Paris where we spent our last two nights in France. We made our way to our final hotel of the trip, the historic grand chateau – the St. James Hotel. What an amazing place to stay the night in Paris! More to follow on our hotel experience, but first…..how did we spend our final two days in Paris? Shopping of course! While our room was not yet ready, we walked a hearty two miles to the famous Champs Elysees for a bit of shopping, stopping to gaze at the Arch de Triomphe along the way. That “bit” turned into a 5 hour adventure, as we leisurely strolled the crowded, never-ending row of stores on either side. From Louis Vuitton to Guerlain to the huge Nespresso and Zara Home stores, I could not get enough of Parisian retail therapy.
As if the boutiques weren’t enough, the many restaurants seem to be calling our name, beckoning us to savor a final lunch. Although tempted to dine in my namesake “Bistro Chic” restaurant a la Napoleon, we decided to dine at the notable Laduree restaurant – most known for their gorgeous macarons and other delicious pastries. The interior of Laduree is amazing! It felt like stepping into an elegant, candy-colored tea room frequented by royalty. The service and menu selections were equally as good, albeit pricey. In fact, a Diet Coke (or Coke Light) was roughly $9 a glass, while a glass of Rose was a mere $7! Yet, our experience was so incredible that we opted to dine there for lunch the next day and we were just as impressed. If you ever have the good fortune of traveling to Paris, I highly recommend stopping into Laduree, if not for lunch, then for a drink in the quaint bar on the first floor.
Many hours, miles, and dollars later, we walked the two mile trip back to the St. James to check into our room (stay tuned for details on our suite!). After freshening up, we headed out once more, this time, straight for the iconic La Tour Eiffel or Eiffel Tower, via la Trocadero. The Trocadero is an area across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, that provides incredible views of the monument, especially at night. We spent a little over an hour soaking in the twinkling tower with hundreds of other tourists and locals. It was a perfect way to end a nearly perfect Parisian day.
