Bonjour de Paris!
It was an early arrival into the port of Le Havre, France. Nestled beside the Seine River estuary, Le Havre is France’s second largest port. Its central city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its Museum of Modern Art holds one of France’s largest Impressionist collections. It is impossible to ignore that these Seine waters have flowed from Paris, one of the world’s most celebrated cities, whose cultural and historic significance cannot be overstated.
So, for a Francophile like myself… the 6+ hours it took to travel to and from Paris was worth the three hours I had in the City of Lights.
Upon arriving in Paris, I quickly descended the bus and headed directly to the statue of Winston Churchill. This is a great meeting point between the Grand Palais and Petite Palais. Why was I in a hurry? Well, to meet a dear friend from Kabul, General (Ret) Eric Roussel. It was grand reunion with many hugs and bisous!
We were then off to a French luncheon at the Mini Palais where our reserved table awaited us on the sunny, warm patio of Paris in the Springtime. We opened with a toast to friendship with un verre de champagne. Per usual the French prix fixe menu offered the perfect option. I selected the duck confit and poached pears in spiced red wine for desert.
As this was a quick “touch and go” in Paris, we didn’t dine for long before it was time to make another move. We had a nice stroll up the Champs-Élysées to the “Lancel Corner” (as Gen Roussel calls it).
No surprise to those who know me best … Lancel calls my name each time I am in France! We had a fantastic time shopping at the Lancel Rond-Point des Champs Elysées and drinking un café. I found a lovely model, Nine de Lancel, from the late winter collection that is now part of my stable. And! Mom fell in love with Charlie de Lancel (petit modèle). Her collection is now +1!
Then, we were off like a flash with our Lancel Red shopping bags – Oh! It makes you feel so French. Back down the avenue to the Presse agent for post cards and mini glossy magazines. Always a good opportunity to practice my French with Cosmopolitan, marie claire, and marie france!
Finally, I had one more stop to make before alighting the bus back to Le Havre. Eric and I headed to the Pont Alexandre III. This charming bridge has a perfect view of the Seine and Le Tour d’Eiffel. It has become a tradition to have my picture taken at this very spot each time I am in Paris.
Oh! One final thing… no trip to Paris would be complete without a street vendor-made crêpe au Nutella. Mmmm!
I have to say the day in Paris was not for the faint of heart … we had some people watching (I’m pretty sure a Sliver Fox on a bicycle winked at Mom). I reconnected with a dear friend and discussed everything from French politics to theatre. The time was short, but the memories and conversations were sweet! Merci Beaucoup to Eric for a wonderful time and BMF reunion!
Until next time,
Your Polite Adventuress,
Kari
p.s. stay tuned for travel insights on Lille, France from Gen Roussel!
