Paris Revisited
Many might find this controversial, but my memories of visiting Paris as an adult are of vague disappointment. It not being quite what I wanted or hoped for. It was fine, but not great. So, I was both eager and a bit wary to finally return to the City of Lights in April 2026.
It had been 18 or so years since my last visit -- the longest gap in my life, by far, between visits. In fact, when I did the math to figure that number out, it caught me completely by surprise.
Paris was always in my life. My parents brought me for the first time when I was 6 months old. My mom recounts getting kicked out of the Abbey of Cluny because I was cooing to hear my echo. My next trip, with my mom and some of her friends, was in second grade. My teacher didn’t mark me absent from school because I went to a French Immersion School and she figured there was no better immersion than having to speak French in France. A few other trips followed in high school and college. In 2007, Patrick asked me to marry him as we crossed the Pont de la Tournelles. The question was expected and my answer was already assured. The circumstances were unexpected. Why not Paris, the City of Love? We were there again in 2008 and then… nothing. My traveling continued, and expanded, just not to France’s famed capitol. We planned to go in January 2022 but the covid-19 omicron variant was raging and it didn’t feel right.
Since we were going to be spending 6 weeks in Nice this past spring, getting back to Paris was pretty much non-negotiable (see my previous post about Nice and the 10 other countries we visited in early 2026). I was excited. And a little unsure. I've changed a lot since 2008. I was sure Paris had changed a lot. And certainly technology has changed a huge amount since 2008. Fancy phones with cameras! Electronic maps! Tap-to-pay! Online reviews! Online booking! But… what would I think of this wonderful old friend who I hadn’t seen in ages and who maybe didn’t feel as gilded as she once did?
Well, friends, unsurprisingly, I loved being back there. It felt good. It was wonderful to see all the bikes. It was cool to pass places and recognize them from decades ago. It also helped that I didn’t go in with high expectations or a need to see all the things.
That said, I did have an ambitious list of things I wanted to do:
Visit the catacombs for the first time
Take a boat on the canals
Wander Montmartre
Go inside the Sainte-Chapelle (for the first time?!?! that can’t be the case, but…)
See the exhibits and the rooftop view of the Arab World Institute
Visit the grand mosque
Look out over the city from the Galeries Lafayette
Maybe see a show at the Moulin Rouge
Go to the Musée des Art et Métiers
Enjoy the greenery of the Jardin des Plantes
Stroll the coulée vertes
See a friend’s exhibit at a left bank gallery
Check out the taxidermy at Deyrolle
My list was absolutely too ambitious for 5 or 6 days, but as a travel advisor with many clients who visit the city, I was on a mission. I booked some of these things in advance (essential for Paris) and then, fortunately, I gave myself a strong talking to and I relaxed into the City. I tried to let her guide me. I didn’t feel beholden to anything other than what I’d booked. Letting go wasn’t easy, or always successful, but it felt good. It felt right.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter what I did or didn’t do on my visit so I’m not going to take up the space to share that with you, other than to say that I did take that canal tour, strongly recommended by mom, and I loved it. And not only did Patrick and I enjoy the tour, but we enjoyed the tour with my 5th grade Paris exchange student and her family who still live in Paris. How cool is that??
What I am going to share with you are my thoughts about (re)visiting Paris, or indeed, any big city:
Please let Paris be both more and less than your expectations of it. Yes, it might be one of the most visited cities in the world but it’s also, ultimately, just a city. A city where people live and work and have daily lives that have absolutely nothing to do with those of us passing through for a few days. This is a good thing. This is what keeps it alive and changing.
Letting Paris be different than what we think of or want from her allows her to open herself up to us. It gives us space to learn more about her. To see her beyond what we’re told to see. I think it makes it a richer experience for us.
I get the “must see” and the “must do” lists. I really do. People feel like they might only have one opportunity to visit what is considered one of the greatest cities on earth and if they don’t see the top sites, they’ll have failed. Or somehow not “done” (ugh, I hate that turn of phrase and will have a post about it at some time) Paris “correctly.”
Please, for all that is holy, I know it’s hard, especially with social media, but I urge you to please, please, please let go of the “musts.” Here’s the thing -- you don’t “have” to do anything at all in Paris. There are no rules for things you must see or places you must visit. Please stop letting “must” guide you and instead, let your curiosity and interests guide you. Paris is a big city. There’s something for nearly everyone.
Why are you forcing yourself, along with 30,000 (!!!) other people a day, to shuffle quickly past a small, frankly not all that interesting painting stuck behind so much glass and the back of people’s heads and their cameras when you don’t even care about Renaissance art?? Here’s a secret: you do not need to see the Mona Lisa. You won’t have failed if you skip it. And you’ll probably have saved yourself a headache and some claustrophobia.Embrace technology. I love Google maps. Having it and Google reviews meant Patrick and I found restaurants and bars that we actually enjoyed instead of the vague disappointment we had when we ended up at places on earlier visits. It was super handy (though not as handy as London) to be able to pay for the metro with my phone. But also, don’t let technology control you. Wander. See where a little street leads. Check out a cute café just because you like the look of it, not because an influencer or a list told you it’s cool.
Paris is a wonderful city, especially when we let it be what it is rather than forcing our expectations on it. I hope you get to (re)visit it soon. It’s certainly on my mind!
Reach out if you want details on how to really enjoy the canal boat experience and for my thoughts on what I did and didn’t end up doing and why.
