Last week, I went to Paris with female friends, for a mix of work and pleasure. Here are a few photos, if you’d like to see…
In the past, I’ve mostly visited Paris in the winter, so it was a treat to spend time there in the springtime. The parks exploded with flowers, and babies toddled around in the grass.
A few friends were able to join, too, which was really fun.
We rented a family’s home in the 11th arrondissement, a beautiful neighborhood that feels relaxed and residential.
Guess Who, but make it French!
Each morning started at a café, like Boot Café in the Marais.
How cute are their stackable circus stools?
We stopped for coffee so many times on the trip that it became a running joke. We’d walk a few blocks, get a coffee, walk a few more blocks, then sit down at a café…
Another morning, we ventured to the 7th arrondissement, near the Eiffel Tower and the Rodin Museum.
Morgane’s brown shirt; my striped shirt
For breakfast, I was thrilled to go to the apartment of Morgane Sezalory, Sezane’s founder and creative director, who I’ve known for years. Sitting in her kitchen, we talked about so many things — family, divorce, work, love, aging, kids, nothing felt off the table. She was turning 40 in a few days, so we talked bout the panic that comes before it and the calm that comes after, haha.
She set out a plate of berries, and we were soon joined by her very fluffy cat.
Afterward, feeling inspired, I wandered over to the nearby Sézane store, full of embroidered dresses, wide-leg jeans…
…and these gorgeous shoes!
Other shops we loved were Merci (a three-story concept shop), Bonton (children’s clothes and toys), and Mélodie Graphiques (a stationery store).
Another afternoon, we headed to the David Hockey exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. He’s 87 years old and still wears his signature round glasses.
We wandered through room after room filled with paintings — I kept walking into a new space and saying “WOW!” out loud without even realizing it. The saturated colors! The English countryside! The thousand-yard stares!
One of my favorite paintings took up an entire wall — above is just a small part — and featured people at an art exhibit. I’m not a huge dog person, but that bulldog stole my heart.
We also had a magical lunch at Mokonuts, which may be the best restaurant in Paris (bold statement, I know!).
Owned by a husband and wife — Moko Hirayama and Omar Koreitem — the tiny gem is open only for lunch, and the small menu changes daily. We devoured labneh with fluffy pita, crunchy asparagus, grilled squid, and pork atop bursting green peas. [Update from a reader named Morgan: Mokonuts is publishing a cookbook in September!]
It was one of those long leisurely meals where the conversation meandered from parenting preteens to business bookkeeping to whether people talk dirty in bed, haha. Meanwhile, between bites, we all kept exclaiming, “This is the most delicious meal I’ve ever had,” and “Omg is this the best restaurant in Paris? …the world?”
Finally, on our last night, we just stayed home. (Sometimes, while traveling, it’s so nice to do nothing, don’t you think?) We grazed on cheese and olives and chips and chatted with the windows open. Then we watched a couple episodes of The Four Seasons, as one does.
The whole trip felt so good. Although I came back to grumpy boys (“Never leave again!”) and a week of jetlag (“It’s 3 a.m. in Paris right now!”), my heart felt full and buzzy with female friendship and wanderlust. If you’ve been to Paris, or live there, what are your recs? Where do you like to travel most? I’d love to hear.
We’re also doing another Cup of Jo post today about the clothing color I saw everywhere and a Big Salad issue tomorrow about things we spotted people wearing in Paris, so please sign up here, if you’re interested. Thank you so much! xoxo
P.S. Our 2024 Paris trip, and our 2023 Paris trip. Plus, two magical Paris itineraries.
(City photos and Hockney sign by Alison Piepmeyer. Sézane photos by Stella Blackmon. This post is sponsored by Sézane, a brand we have loved and worn for many years. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Cup of Jo.)
