Springtime in Paris

trench (on sale!) // dress // sunnies // earrings // purse c/o Dagne Dover // tights // shoes (old, similar)

Springtime might be a bit of an overstatement seeing how it was 36 degrees fahrenheit the morning I arrived in Paris. I didn't exactly pack for such chilly temps, especially since I'll be spending the bulk of my time in warmer Italy, but I did throw a pair of tights into my suitcase at the last minute. Best. Decision. Ever.

Fortunately, as the day/week went on it warmed up considerably and the sun even came out. We had a little bit of rain on my second day in Paris, but I was armed with my tights and favorite cold/wet travel shoes (shh, they are PVC and you can see more of my favorite shoes for travel here).

Despite the temps, I was determined to dress for spring. This gorgeous green dress (last seen here and recently restocked here) seemed perfect for a spring(ish) day in Paris, which began in the Palais Royal and ended with a stroll through Montmartre.

The Palais Royal and its adjoining garden is one of my most favorite spaces in Paris. It is such a beautiful and serene oasis in the heart of Paris. It is also home to my favorite coffee shop Cafè Kitsune (which is actually a Japanese brand/company). After a delightful morning, I met up with Kelly and her family for brunch at Ladurèe before heading up to explore Montmartre.

After the Marais, Montmartre is my favorite neighborhood in Paris. And, fun fact, it was the home of Anna Maria Luisa's (the woman at the center of my research) mother, Marguerite Louise d'Orlean. Ok, brace yourself for a little history fun:

Marguerite (who was cousin to Louis XIV) was married to Cosimo III, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The marriage, however, was less than happy. Marguerite was madly in love with her other cousin Prince Charles of Lorraine, who she had to leave behind in France to marry the Tuscan Grand Duke. Marguerite never warmed to Cosimo III or Florence, but she did have three children including Anna Maria Luisa.

Having fulfilled her duty to produce heirs, Marguerite pleaded with Cosimo and her cousin Louis XIV to be allowed to return to court at Versailles. Eventually after years of pleading and misbehaving she was allowed to return to France. As punishment, however, Louis XIV forbade her from returning to Versailles. Instead she was forced to reside in, and was never allowed to step foot outside of, the convent of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre. This church and convent, which dates from the 12th century still stands beside the more famous Sacrè-Cœur. Not one to adhere to such personal restrictions, Marguerite constantly snuck out to return to court where she enjoyed high-stakes gambling. Marguerite's ability to get out of her arranged marriage and return to her native country was unprecedented at the time.

Hope you enjoyed a little springtime in Paris with a side of history!

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Paris is Always a Good Idea

There is a reason they say that Paris is always a good idea... because it is! And I will take any excuse to go. It is one of my all-time favorite places to visit. You can find more of my Paris posts here.

I was a little late purchasing my ticket to Italy this year (I have to wait for the university to purchase it if I don't want to go out of pocket), so when it finally came time to book there weren't a lot of good flights left. Most of my options had me laying over in Paris for eight hours or more. Long layovers seem like such a waist to me (and also they are miserable), so when I realized that Kelly and I were actually going to be in Paris at the same time, I decided to turn my layover into a stop over.

I was still, however, stuck taking the early flight into Paris. What is the early flight you ask? Well, most trans-Atlantic flights are timed so you fly overnight and arrive the next day around late-morning or mid-day. This flight, unfortunately, left at 3:30 pm and arrived in Paris at 5:45 am (that's 11:45 for my internal clock). So instead of just having to power through a half day before getting to crash, I had to stay awake an additional full day. I did it, but it wasn't pretty. As hard as it is, throwing yourself into local time is the key to avoiding jet lag (you can read more of my jet lag tips here).

Not only did I arrive super early, but it was a Sunday. I basically had Paris all to myself for several hours. It was great, although so chilly! According to my phone, I strolled almost ten miles before getting to check in to my hotel! Eventually, I did check in, enjoyed my favorite falafel in the Marais, and met up with Kelly and her husband to see the Eiffel Tower and get dinner.

As always, Paris was worth every minute of sleep deprivation.

Au revoir!

History in High Heel’s Paris Map

Outside of Italy, Paris will always be my favorite city. I love visiting Paris, and I go whenever I can. I was fortunate enough to visit three times last year, and with each trip I fell even more in love with the city. My last trip in November was especially meaningful, as it was just six days after the terrorist attacks. But Parisians are resilient, and we joined them in their refusal to be terrorized.

Since returning home, I have finally been able to put together a (somewhat) comprehensive custom Google map of Paris. I love creating custom Google maps, it is the best way to share information on a particular place. The best part is that you can save the map and reference it while traveling. I am particularly proud of my efforts to map as many gorgeous Parisian doors as I could, and tracking down some amazing (but often kept secret) photo spots.

Click here to see my map of Paris. Bookmark/save this link to access the map while traveling.

And here is a great blog post that walks you through creating, accessing, and saving custom google maps.

Feel free to comment with suggestions to add to the map, or things I overlooked.


More of my posts from Paris:
Six Things to do on a Rainy Day in Paris
Postcards from Paris
A Stroll Through Montmartre
Lots of Dots in Paris
Where to Find the Best Parisian Doors
Two Gardens in Paris

Six Things to do on a Rainy Day in Paris

In a perfect world, we would only travel when the weather was perfect. But as we know, that just isn't going to happen. Traveling during the summer months in Europe will typically ensure better weather, but that sunshine also comes with more crowds and higher prices. If you want to travel off season, which I highly recommend, you don't have to let weather ruin your good time. As Britt and I discovered on our trip to Paris last month, there are lots of things to do on rainy days in Paris!

Here are six fun things you can do in Paris on a rainy (or supper cold) day:

Visit the Catacombs
The catacombs of Paris are equally creepy and cool. Unlike the catacombs on Rome, they contain lots and lots of human bones (of about 6 million people). The catacombs were started in the 18th century to solve two of Paris's problems - over flowing cemeteries and frequent cave-ins. The millions of bones placed in networks of old mines soon became a curiosity for travelers and have remained so today. The arrangement of the bones is also striking, some might even say they are artistic and beautiful. It is definitely a unique (and dry) experience.

Go on a Sewer Tour
Believe it or not, Paris's sewers have a long and fascinating history. The city constructed its first sewer in the 14th century but it wasn't until Napoleon III that the modern day sewer system was born. Like the metro, Paris pioneered the idea of underground waste and water management. It might be a smelly tour, but it is definitely fascinating to explore some of the early parts of Paris's still-functioning historic sewer (there is also a museum).

Explore the Historic Covered Galleries
Modern day travelers aren't the only ones annoyed by Paris's temperamental weather. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, enclosing small shopping streets under glass roofs became a popular means to weather-proof a day spent shopping, dining, or sneaking away for something a bit more sinister. Today these historic covered arcades are hidden architectural gems full of shops, antique stores, book stores, and cafes. There are quite a few left in the city, you just have to know where to look! Most are on the right bank and relatively clustered together, making it easy to visit many of them in the same day. There is a great guide here.

Get a Museum Pass
Paris has some of the greatest museums in the world, which are perfect for bad-weather days. Both the Louvre and the d'Orsay have great restaurants, cafes, and wifi. There is even a shopping mall underground connect to the Louvre. If you can, try to plan your museum visits for the days with the worst weather, and to save money and time, you can purchase a museum pass. And here is one of my best Paris tips: there is a tobacco shop in the underground shopping area of the Louvre that sells tickets and museum cards and, unlike the main entrances, they rarely have a line!

Make New Friends at the Cat Cafe

Britt and I loved the cat cafe! Such a wonderful idea. Fill a cafe with adorable rescue cats and let people love them and play with them. It really is a win-win. Take my word for it, cake and coffee taste even better with sweet kitty cuddles. Just make sure you book ahead, reservations are required! You can check out their website here.

Go Shopping
When all else fails you can indulge in one of Paris's greatest pastimes - fashion! I think it goes without saying that the city has amazing shopping. The big department stores Galeries Lafayette and Printemps are perfect for rainy days (again they have it all, coffee, food, and wifi lol).


Remember, Paris is always a good idea, rain or shine!

Outfit: Bright Tights, Big City

dress // shirt (old, similar) // bow (similar) // coat // tights // bag // shoes // headband

My favorite day in Paris was definitely our third day. We finally saw the sun and, although it was still very chilly, we decided to rent bikes for the afternoon. We started our morning with a stroll through our favorite neighborhood (which was also where we stayed), the Marais. Not only is this neighborhood lively, but it is also home to some of the city's most beautiful and colorful doors, which I have mapped here (I have a serious obsession with Parisian doors).

I love just strolling the Marais while periodically stopping to enjoy coffee, pastries, and the brightly-colored doors. Door gazing isn't exactly Britt's favorite pastime, but she is a good sport and is easily bribed with macarons. Inspired by the doors' jewel-toned hues, I wore my favorite blue/teal tights paired with my favorite Zara dress, complete with pussy bow (I can't resist a good bow). I blame Kate Spade and Blair Waldorf for my love of brightly-colored and patterned tights and pussy bows.

After our morning stroll, we grabbed our bikes from Paris Bike Tours (only 15 euro for the day and so much easier than having to return the Vélib’ bikes every 30 min) and headed towards the Isle of Saint Louis, one of my favorite spots in the city. The island is not only beautiful and serene, but filled with colorful doors, quaint cafes, and gorgeous views of the Seine. From there we biked to the Laduree on Rue Bonaparte to pick up some much needed snacks, before carrying on to the Luxembourg Gardens. We spent the rest of our afternoon having a macaron picnic in the gardens while enjoying the sunshine. Talk about a perfect day!


What your perfect day in Paris look like?

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Outfit: A Stroll Through Montmartre

coat (on sale!) // dress (old, some sizes still available here, similar here, here, and here) // petite beret (last seen here) // scarf (also here) // tights // shoes // sunnies


After two days of chilly temps, gusting wind, and lots of rain, Britt and I were delighted to find that Sunday's weather forecast in Paris called for clear skies (although still very chilly). We decided to make the most of the nice weather and spend our day strolling the adorable streets of Montmartre.

Montmartre is a district of Paris that sits on a hill north of the city's historic center. Before the eighteenth century, this area sat outside the city limits of Paris and was largely agricultural, devoted mainly to the production of wine. By the twentieth century, however, the area had become a hotspot for artists. The cheap wine, affordable housing, and stunning views of the city and surrounding countryside attracted the likes of Renoir, Picasso, and Van Gogh.

Today, Montmartre is still a trendy and lively neighborhood of Paris. Britt and I started our day with a walking tour to learn more about the history and art of the area (we love Paris-Walks). Afterwards, we visited the stunning Basilica of the Sacré Cœur before warming up with some traditional hot wine (Britt's favorite). We spent the rest of our morning and early afternoon wandering all of the gorgeous little streets (check out Britt's blogger strut above) and sampling delights at the bakery that won the award for the world's best baguette in 2015 -- Le Grenier a Pain. Montmartre is known for having the best baguettes and pastries... and yes, it was amazing!

Since we were already in northern Paris, we decided to hop on the metro before sunset and head southwest to the area of Paris just across the river from the Eiffel Tower. Most people go to the green area (the Champs de Mars) that surrounds the tower to capture their pics. And while you most certainly should snap some pics of Paris's most iconic architecture from the Champs de Mars, I also like to take pictures from across the river. Two of the best places are the Trocadèro (no secret there) and the Avenue Camoëns (which is still kind of a secret).

Despite the sunshine, it was still a very chilly day and I was so happy to have my yellow J.Crew wool peacoat and giant plaid blanket scarf... and what is in outfit in Paris without my all-time favorite accessory, my petite beret!

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Outfit: Parisian Plaid

dress (also love this one) // sweater (similar) // coat // scarf // tights // shoes // bag // sunnies

After a cold and rainy first day in Paris, Britt and I were excited to get a little reprieve from the rain on our second day in the city. It was still a very cold morning, but at least the rain didn’t arrive until the afternoon. 

We started our day with breakfast at Laduree and then took advantage of the dry weather and headed to my favorite bridge, Ponte Alexandre III. After snapping some photos we strolled down Rue Saint-Dominique, which gives a great view of the Eiffel tower. We walked all the way to the Champ de Mars before the rain and wind struck. 

For the occasion, I wore my new plaid dress from Brooks Brothers that my friend Kelly was kind enough to hem and bring to Florence for me. I wasn’t exactly prepared for the last minute cold snap, but fortunately Kelly also brought me my yellow J.Crew peacoat, which kept me nice and toasty. I love the bright yellow color of the coat paired with this navy and black plaid dress.

To escape the cold and ridiculous wind that arrived that afternoon, Britt and I scurried to the Musèe d’Orsay, which not only has an amazing collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art, but also was exhibiting a special show on nineteenth century prostitution in Paris. The show was fascinating to say the least and I highly recommend it. 

After a long and cold day, Britt and I warmed ourselves with some hot wine and yummy falafels (I am obsessed with the falafel in Paris) before collapsing in our hotel room.

On another note, I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving yesterday. I have to say it was weird going to work. Fortunately, Jen hosted a wonderful dinner at her house complete with turkey and stuffing! I am sad I am missing all the great shopping today (my yellow coat is on super sale), but it is probably for the best!

PS - The Preppy Printshop is have its own Black Friday special, buy one 8X10" print and get one FREE! Click here for more information.

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