Paris – Day #1
Midnight in Paris (in the Fall)
As if almost on cue, a gentle misting rain greeted us arriving into Paris at nearly noon today from Newark, New Jersey. Paris represents our first France destination of this maiden dad and daughter “European Vacation” adventure. Thankfully, minus the Griswolds!
Lauren had first visited Paris along with her Rider University girlfriends during the senior year of her study abroad semester spent teaching Spanish kids English while residing in Barcelona, Spain for 12 weeks back in 2014.
I always secretly hoped she and I would have an opportunity to visit the “Continent’ later in life, and by our incredibly good fortune - here we are.
We’re staying in the Left Bank, specially Saint Germain (6th arrondissement) bordering the Latin Quarter known for the literary and artistic celebrities who lived and worked here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was the meeting point for existentialists, painters, and writers, most notably, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tomorrow we explore this historic area on foot.
I suddenly feel like Owen Wilson’s (Gil Pender) character from the Woody Allen movie - Midnight in Paris. Am I really here?
Our whirlwind day began, as we walked along the Seine River admiring the local artists’ sketch drawings making our way to the Louvre in search of Miss Lisa. Even with our museum map in hand, we were often challenged to find her amidst the other works of the Renaissance Era artists.
Note: “Love Locks” Bridge (aka Pont des Arts Bridge) located near the Lourve, had replaced its locks (additional weight caused bridge to partially collapse in 2008) with plexiglas. It still remains a romantic way to cross the Seine.
Later this afternoon, we walked along Rue Dauphine enjoying crepes rolled up in a newspaper with nary a care in the world. Are we really doing this?
We arrived next at the majestic Eiffel Tower. We took the lift up to the 2nd floor. Arriving we toasted vacation day #1 along with these breathtaking views of Paris with Champagne in hand as the sun struggled to break through today’s moody gray clouds and slightly cooler than average temperatures.
Dinner was at Le Petite Chase (est. 1680). One of the oldest restaurants in Paris. The restaurant resides in a small house along Rue de Grenelle. Seated next to locals all night, we enjoyed duck confit, onion soup (no need to say French when in France) white wine and red fruit pavlova. Lauren and I first had this light and delicious dessert in New Zealand. Its taste brought back that glorious 10pm sunset in Queenstown.
While our Friday itinerary had included drinks at a local jazz bar, I somehow convinced Lauren we should head back to the hotel a bit early with plans for an early start come Saturday.
Seven years removed from our dad and daughter UK trip (2018) my 60-something knees now suggested we treat this adventure as a marathon not a sprint!
Exhausted from our nearly seven hour transatlantic flight through the night……it’s almost Midnight in Paris but we are smiling.
Pinch me. We are Parisians for the next 24 hours.
9/26/25
Dad & Daughter
Paris, France
#liveyourdash
Midnight in Paris (in the Fall)
As if almost on cue, a gentle misting rain greeted us arriving into Paris at nearly noon today from Newark, New Jersey. Paris represents our first France destination of this maiden dad and daughter “European Vacation” adventure. Thankfully, minus the Griswolds!
Lauren had first visited Paris along with her Rider University girlfriends during the senior year of her study abroad semester spent teaching Spanish kids English while residing in Barcelona, Spain for 12 weeks back in 2014.
I always secretly hoped she and I would have an opportunity to visit the “Continent’ later in life, and by our incredibly good fortune - here we are.
We’re staying in the Left Bank, specially Saint Germain (6th arrondissement) bordering the Latin Quarter known for the literary and artistic celebrities who lived and worked here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was the meeting point for existentialists, painters, and writers, most notably, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tomorrow we explore this historic area on foot.
I suddenly feel like Owen Wilson’s (Gil Pender) character from the Woody Allen movie - Midnight in Paris. Am I really here?
Our whirlwind day began, as we walked along the Seine River admiring the local artists’ sketch drawings making our way to the Louvre in search of Miss Lisa. Even with our museum map in hand, we were often challenged to find her amidst the other works of the Renaissance Era artists.
Note: “Love Locks” Bridge (aka Pont des Arts Bridge) located near the Lourve, had replaced its locks (additional weight caused bridge to partially collapse in 2008) with plexiglas. It still remains a romantic way to cross the Seine.
Later this afternoon, we walked along Rue Dauphine enjoying crepes rolled up in a newspaper with nary a care in the world. Are we really doing this?
We arrived next at the majestic Eiffel Tower. We took the lift up to the 2nd floor. Arriving we toasted vacation day #1 along with these breathtaking views of Paris with Champagne in hand as the sun struggled to break through today’s moody gray clouds and slightly cooler than average temperatures.
Dinner was at Le Petite Chase (est. 1680). One of the oldest restaurants in Paris. The restaurant resides in a small house along Rue de Grenelle. Seated next to locals all night, we enjoyed duck confit, onion soup (no need to say French when in France) white wine and red fruit pavlova. Lauren and I first had this light and delicious dessert in New Zealand. Its taste brought back that glorious 10pm sunset in Queenstown.
While our Friday itinerary had included drinks at a local jazz bar, I somehow convinced Lauren we should head back to the hotel a bit early with plans for an early start come Saturday.
Seven years removed from our dad and daughter UK trip (2018) my 60-something knees now suggested we treat this adventure as a marathon not a sprint!
Exhausted from our nearly seven hour transatlantic flight through the night……it’s almost Midnight in Paris but we are smiling.
Pinch me. We are Parisians for the next 24 hours.
9/26/25
Dad & Daughter
Paris, France
#liveyourdash
© Scott Kern