Paris was cold! High of 60 and rainy in the middle of July! Bummer! Of course, the day when the weather was at its worst was the day I decided to go to the Eiffel Tower. I made it up to the top level, but it was windy and very cold. Great view of the city though. Another fantastic destination was the Louvre which houses historic and famous pieces of art like the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo Da Vinci and the Venus Di Milo statue, thought to be by Alexandros of Antioch, with the arms of the statue never having been found.
Red Carpet Roxy in front of the Mona Lisa
Venus Di Milo statue
For evening drinks, a fun place to go is the Le Meurice Hotel in the Champs-Elysees where they have excellent champagne cocktails and an entertaining pianist accompanied by a percussionist on a snare drum. Not to far from there was the Buddha Bar, where the DJ spun an awesome variety of house music and Asian food is served. It reminded me of Tao in New York City with the cool vibe and Asian flare.
Red Carpet Roxy cocktailing at the Le Meurice Hotel
An good spot for local French food is La Rotunde in the Montparnasse area where authentic Caesar salads are served in the traditional way with raw eggs and escargot is always in demand. Also, be sure to stop at a boulangerie (bakery) for sandwiches made with fresh, homemade baguettes and local chevre (goat cheese), which was some of the best I have ever had because it was smooth, mild, and not pungent. Also, if you are a fan of chocolate, you must stop by Jeff de Bruges chocolatier in Montparnasse for an assortment of cocoa delights.
There is so much great shopping in Paris, but one of the street I found really charming was Rue de Riennes starting from Montparnasse Boulevard and running into St. Germain. You will find everything from Christian Dior to Celine to H&M-a wide variety for most tastes. What really made Paris special was the fact that is was Haute Couture this past week, and I attended and covered the Josep Font fashion show. For my complete coverage, click here. Beautiful models, stunning dresses, and a dramatic presentation made the show a standout.
Josep Font Haute Couture
