Paris Rendezvous with Mom

My mom and I continued our tradition of travel together with a multi-city sojourn, built around her academic meeting at The Hague. We rendezvoused in Paris on Sunday, a city that we were both eager to return to after recent visits that whet our appetites. Unfortunately, Jerel was unable to join us…someone has to pay the bills! We stayed in two different quaint hotels on the Left Bank, near Jardin de Luxembourg, and within striking distance of many major attractions (for hardy walkers or metro aficionados).

We filled each day to the brim strolling Paris’ eclectic neighborhoods, sampling its vast array of impressive museums and churches, and pausing frequently to enjoy the café culture. Not surprisingly, the Louvre won our vote for best - and most exhausting - museum, as well as for most worth-it café splurge (great service, food and ambience). The other museums on our agenda were no slouches either: the Rodin Museum, in an 18th century mansion on beautiful grounds, the Petit Palais, featuring an exhibit on William Blake, and Musée du Luxembourg, featuring “Lippi: The Renaissance in Prato”.

My favourite church was Sainte-Chapelle, built by King Louis IX in 1248 to house an expensive Jesus’ crown of thorns and known for its amazing stained glass. For the record, Notre Dame was ineligible to win favourite church as we did not re-visit this time. The award for coolest neighborhood goes to Marais, a hip and chic area that mixes old and new and has historic ties to the Jewish community.

Our evenings were equally packed, and we ended each day in a pleasant state of exhaustion. Our entertainment choices included a sunset cruise on the Seine and a variety of classical concerts amplified by their amazing venues (Vivaldi at Eglise Madelaine, Chopin at St. Julien-le-Pauvre, and Baroque choral at St. Clothilde). Our one ‘eventless’ evening was equally memorable – a baguette and cheese picnic on Pont des Arts, a local tradition that is now in jeopardy due to new laws on public wine consumption! As we left Paris for Brussels, we both felt that that although we now had a much better grip on the city, our appetites for Paris were still not sated…

For more photos please click here.