Paris: je t'aime... A small reveal and reminiscence...

Hermezzy

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Jul 14, 2012
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Paris...a city that has called to me my whole life. Thanks to all of you wonderful friends, my excitement was almost off the charts in the days leading up to my trip. I never take vacations and I've rarely needed one like I needed this one. This trip changed me...and I'll never forget it.

In case some of you may be bored by the travelogue component of this thread, I'll get to the most relevant stuff first: the shopping. A word in advance- no bags. I'm fine on H bags for now. I'm happy with what I got, though...these are things I already adore and am using heavily. :smile:

First: my first pair of Izmir sandals, in red. I've always wanted some of these and I can now safely say that they are most comfortable sandals I've ever worn. Now I want them in every color...
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Next: a black cashmere/silk losange scarf w/grey piping. I love losanges but this color, which I've wanted for awhile, is hard to find. This was actually the only black/grey one I could find in all the Paris stores.

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And then, a new citizen twill wallet in that gorgeous new H blue, bleu zanzibar! I love H blues and this one has taken me.

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I also picked up an adorable black Loewe elephant leather bag charm- it works beautifully with my H alfred!

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A new neckchain skull pendant from Alexander McQueen- the skull splits up into 3 pieces and has one black eye. :smile:

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And then a new bracelet from Dior:

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I'm not going to post pics of H stores (a lot of those were already posted in the "Paris Trip for Hermes" thread and the "Hermes Windows Around the World" thread, but I will add this one pic of the FSH I took on a particularly beautiful morning as I was walking to the Avenue Montaigne-

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My flight out of Reykjavik was delayed nearly 4 hours so by the time I got to Paris my first night all the H stores were closed. I still had enough energy to fulfill my first night goal: drinks at the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Hotel. The Place Vendome, lit up at night, was a stunning first sight out on the streets, and sharing conversation w/the one and only Colin Field was everything I thought it would be- a total joy.

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The next morning I fueled up at my hotel's excellent breakfast- I appreciated the Melia Vendome's superb morning food choices:

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My alfred bag had a wonderful time surveying the Palais Royal:

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An interesting picture showing real estate costs by arrondissement captured my attention:

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These charms at Faure le Page were adorable- can't wait for the full range to be released!

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No stop in Paris would be appropriate without a stop by Mademoiselle's apartment on the rue Cambon:

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I almost bought these amazing Loubie sneakers but alas, they were just a tiny bit too big...

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The Louvre glistened in the sunlight, and the mont blanc dessert at Angelina's cafe inside was a wonderful late-day respite:

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Thought I was sad time limitations prevented me from going to the actual building, the model of the Louis Vuitton Fondation in the flagship store on the champs elysees was striking:

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Day two was filled with more shops. All of those pics are on my IG (spe1901) so I won't add them here, but I will thank Quelle for her recommendation of visiting the Bon Marche, which was as stupendous of a department store as one may find anywhere:

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Hermezzy, I'm so happy to know that you had a wonderful trip! Thank you for sharing your photos! Congratulations on your lovely purchases, use them all in good health :heart:
 
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That left one final day- making purchases took up much of that, but I also enjoyed seeing the advertisement on the Opera of a new production of Alban Berg's expressionistic masterpiece, Wozzeck...something I would've enjoyed visiting had I had more time:

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If there's one thing the US lacks it is the plethora of all the incredible outdoor, red-awning'd cafes that Paris has. This salmon club meal on the rue Francois was perfect, and the people-watching was superb.

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Afternoon brought tea at the Park Hyatt Vendome- worth every euro and a perfect end to a busy day walking about town:

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The evening brought a concert at the Maison de Radio-a great program of Bartok, Britten and Scriabine, well-played by the orchestra:

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Walking along the seine after the concert to the Eiffel Tower, ablaze in light, was a wonder I'll always cherish. But after a late dinner in the Marais it was time to pack.

The next morning it was time to go to the airport. Unfortunately, the late arrival of the Icelandair gate attendants and the long lines at detaxe prevented me from checking out the H locations at CDG. I don't know if the frowny at the detaxe line was planted by one of us in line or an airport employee, but it humorously summed up my thoughts on standing in line for 75 minutes rather well:



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This is a but a tiny visual representation of the whole trip, but it provides a taste of a truly magical experience that gave me so much. I know now I must return to this city every year. Never before have I connected with a place like I did with Paris. Thank you all, for your recommendations (especially you, @QuelleFromage !) - you, tpf'ers, made this the trip of a lifetime for me... thank you for letting me share.
 
Thank you for taking us along with you to Paris by your lovely narrated posts. Those photos from FSH and others are as if we are there with you. This will put Paris as one of my must visit city in life!! Enjoy your goodies!!
 
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