Our Week in Paris

Bonjour Friends!

This week, Laura asked if she could see the Left Bank walking tour route I'd designed for some American guests. Fair request. So we strapped our tiny Lion to the back of the bike and made it a family affair!

We had two stops along the route. First, the playground at Luxembourg Gardens, then at Oroyona on Rue Mouffetard, where the Lion happily devoured a crepe.

I put together a time-lapse video of our ride (below) that captures the route from a cyclist's perspective. 👇👇 It’s a little long, I think, but I’m still experimenting with this format. Let me know if you like seeing videos like this.

Linking You to Paris

➡️ Ten things to know about Brassaï, the eye of Paris: An in-depth profile of Hungarian-born photographer Brassaï, who captured the nocturnal, mysterious soul of 1920s-1960s Paris through his groundbreaking night photography and documentation of the city's secret underground world.

➡️ Five Paris restaurants reimagining the classics: Le Monde spotlights five Paris restaurants that reimagine French classics, blending tradition with creative twists to deliver refined, contemporary takes on beloved dishes.

➡️ The Marais is Paris' Gateway to Japan — Where to Eat and Stay: Explores how the Marais neighborhood has become a hub for Japanese culture in Paris, featuring Japanese-French fusion restaurants, traditional tea ceremonies, matcha cafés, and authentic Japanese crafts shops.

➡️ Must-do activities in Paris this weekend: Paris Secret provides a comprehensive weekend guide featuring dozens of activities, including immersive exhibitions at Atelier des Lumières, dining at historic brasseries like Le Procope.

ANNOUNCEMENT
Multi-Day Paris Adventures Coming Soon!

Tour guests have been asking for longer Paris experiences. We've been working on something special: Multi-day adventures that go deeper than any walking tour.

Small groups, curated by locals, with visits to parts of Paris most visitors never see.

Join the waitlist to learn more as we finalize the details.

Oh, and you might even meet the Mystery Parisian on one of our adventures!

VISITING PARIS
Why You Need to See Paris From the River
(And a Fun Way to Do It)

Paris makes perfect sense from the Seine. The city grew around this river for over 2,000 years, and every king, emperor, and urban planner designed their additions to look good from the water.

You can see the monuments from street level all you want, but until you float past them on the river, you're missing how they all connect. The bridges, the palaces, the way the Left and Right Banks talk to each other across the water.

Most visitors know about the classic boat tours. Vedettes Pont Neuf gives you solid commentary and comfortable boats with guides who actually know their history. For dinner cruises, Bateaux Parisiens offers a complete experience with proper meals and evening lighting that allow the monuments glow.

Both are good choices if you want someone to explain what you're seeing or if you're celebrating something special.

But there's another option most people never consider: Batobus

Paris has a water taxi system. It's not marketed as a tourist boat, but practically speaking, it's a river cruise at your own pace for 23 euros.

The whole loop took us about an hour and forty minutes without getting off. There are nine stops: Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées, Louvre, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Notre-Dame, Jardin des Plantes, Hôtel de Ville, Beaugrenelle, and Musée d'Orsay. Boats come every 15 to 20 minutes.

You can hop on at the Eiffel Tower, ride to Saint-Germain to browse bookstores, then catch the next boat to Notre-Dame. Explore the island, then boat over to the Louvre area. You're covering serious distance without wearing out your feet.

I finally took our son on the Batobus. It was the first time for both of us! Sometimes you need a four-year-old to push you into doing obvious things.

He spent the entire loop on the back deck, watching familiar landmarks from a new angle. The next day, I went back alone with my laptop and wrote most of this newsletter while floating past Notre-Dame. Not a terrible office.

FRENCH SONG OF THE WEEK
Bohemian Rhapsody Flashmob

Switching things up this week. Instead of a French song, I'm sharing something that happened in one of my favorite Paris squares that perfectly captures why I love this city.

Place de la Contrescarpe in the 5th arrondissement is where I often pause during tours. Small square, great cafés, the kind of neighborhood energy that feels authentically Parisian. If you've walked with me through the Latin Quarter, we've probably grabbed a drink here.

Recently, this square became the stage for an incredible flash mob performance of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. The performance is stunning.

The square has history. Hemingway lived nearby and wrote about the cafés. It's been a gathering place for artists, students, and locals for generations. Watching people from different backgrounds come together here to perform one of rock's most ambitious songs feels like the neighborhood's spirit made visible.

PARIS LOVE AFFAIR TOURS
Discover Paris With Me

Want to experience Paris beyond the guidebooks? Join me for private walking and/or biking tours for fascinating stories, hidden corners, and local insights that make this city extraordinary. From the bohemian streets of Montmartre to the medieval layers of the Marais, each tour combines history, recommendations, and the kind of authentic discoveries that turn a visit into a love affair with Paris.