Happy Monday from Paris. After a quiet weekend, it’s business as usual. At least by my observations. Which is why I recommend staying within the inner arrondissements at the heart of Paris—mainly the 8th, 7th, and 6th. It was easy to get around, and we felt comfortable. On Sunday, a marathon blocked some traffic on our way to lunch at La Fontaine de Mars, but it was nothing major.
Note to self about arriving on a Friday morning around 7 a.m. local time: the traffic was brutal. A drive of half an hour or so easily became an hour and a half of bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Arriving at Le Bristol Hotel was special, and having a room ready was a luxury worth considering, especially if you want a few more hours of rest.
We pushed through day one, had breakfast upon arrival, and reviewed our dining reservations with head concierge Tony. Then we headed to the Ritz for lunch and crossed the Seine to the Left Bank to walk off the jet lag.
When I asked locals about the riots, I tended to get a shrug and a business-as-usual expression, often accompanied by a hand waving into the distance to indicate that they were taking place far from where we were.
Later in the day, when I asked our friend Thierry about the riots, he also made the point that they were not happening around us. Earlier, a taxi driver had told us that protests would take place around here the following weekend, so stay tuned.
But protests are a way of life in Paris. Not once have we felt uncomfortable walking the streets during a dozen years of often twice-a-year trips.
Still on day one, after finding our sea legs and trying to stay awake, we cozied up at Café Antonia at Le Bristol for a dinner of buttery, delicious sole meunière that made us thankful to be back in Paris. Then we were in bed by 9:30 p.m. We had made it.
Action Line: You can’t always let headlines make decisions for you. Nothing compares to having your Berlutis on the ground and getting the lay of the land with your own two eyes. Need help planning a trip to Paris? I know just the guy to help you. Email me at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com.
