On Your First Trip to Paris

by Jasmine Tan | May 24, 2018

Dear Chloe,

Europe awaits, Paris is calling. There's nothing as special as a first trip to Paris. It's so exciting to hear you talk about your plans for the trip at work. All the anticipation and preparation has got all of us a Picnic so psyched too! Go forth with an open heart and mind. Let your eyes and mouth do the feasting. Baguettes, croissants, cheese, wine and pastries. The Louvre, the Seine, the bridges, the sunsets and the architecture.

Experience a croissant or pain au chocolat fresh from the bakery in the morning with it's crisp, shatttering, buttery goodness. Order up a plateau de fruits de mer and a cool bottle of Sancerre and see if you can turn on the charm and bring an old- school Parisian waiter to a smile. Sit by a sidewalk cafe and with a noisette, watching the Parisians go by, pretending you've got all the time in the world and JP Sartre in your pocket. The coffee may not taste like much but being in the moment is priceless. After you've worked up an appetite climbing up and down the Buren columns in the Palais Royal (Imperative for an awesome Insta pic and to burn off all the pastries you'll eat.), walk down Rue Villedo for some Udon. If you're feeling hipster, join the line for the bistro. If you're feeling old-school, head to the restaurant two doors down. Both are the same and very good.

Drink a bottle of wine by the Seine with a baguette and some Comte, as you sit by the river with your feet dangling over the water. And if the weather is good, you'll be surrounded by a dozen others; don't forget to strike up a conversation. (Do it now. It's easier when you're young and attractive.) Enjoy a Berthillon ice-cream as you cross from Ile St. Louis to the Left Bank. Eat an pistachio- chocolate escargot from Du Pain et des Idees, and down a beer by the canal St. Martin. Live your Amelie dreams as you skip pebbles by the locks of the canal. And let's not forget to stop by tiny hole- in- the- wall wine bars or caves to sample local wines with some charcuterie. Where your host, will be your waiter, chef and sommelier and may just be a wealth of knowledge if you are interested in enough to ask. You just may be offered some apple brandy someone's grandmother made in Normandy.

Wander the big boulevards but don't neglect the tiny passages. Take photos. In fact, go overboard. There's none so special as a first trip to Paris. Be a tourist. You are one. Ignore the naysayers that counsel "How not to be a tourist in Paris". Embrace it. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower if it tickles your fancy, stand in line to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa, take a cruise down the Seine in a Bateau Mouche. Do all that and more but don't ignore the little streets and alleyways, the neighborhood market streets and the smaller museums housed in old aristocratic houses, it's often where you find the most unexpected surprises.

And how about a little love song to Paris with this video to set you in the mood?

Safe Travels! Have the time of your life, say hi to Josephine, and we can't wait for you to return so we can hear all about it! And here are a couple of essentials you might need for your travels.

A Travel Book to chronicle your journey, a slim flask to stay hydrated, and some pens to write and draw it all down.