Paris in the Spring

By Kate Breen | February 27, 2023

I love Paris. Always have and always will. My first trip here was during a 11th grade school trip, organized by our history teacher Mrs. Perry, from Watertown High. We’d spend months plotting and planning the trip, saving money for our individual tickets, walking through the details and emergency protocols and of course, working on our French. The trip was of course, amazingly memorable and I knew I had to be back.

What I didn’t know was that Paris for me would just a few years later, end up feeling like a home away from home. I thought about buying a little pied-a-terre on Ile Saint Louis and becoming as French as this American Irish girl could. I traveled back and forth to Paris countless times for work, vacationing there when time would allow it and even having my first date in the city of love with Alex, who is now my husband.

Over the years since then, Alex and I have returned for trips together, separately for work as well as Alex’s sailing and most recently this past fall with my mom and our four sweet kids.

A lot has changed over the years. I’m a grown up now. No longer growing up or “figuring myself out”. No longer trying to figure out who I am but, finally knowing who I am. Being confident in that person and completely at peace that I am not for everyone and that everyone is not for me. I know now that fashion is something I love but I’m defined by so much more than that. In the past, it had been all who I was. Other things that have changed are the people of course. Many remain the same but, so many are new. My favorite local bookstore is gone, the line at Angelina’s Cafe is out of control, the pharmacy has moved (around the corner which clearly is 10 steps too far) and my favorite hotel is sadly far more popular then it used to be.

But evolution is good. We all evolve, get older, stronger, smarter (hopefully) and grow into the people we are. Our past is part of us but, it doesn’t define who we are.

And so Paris. As I returned this morning to my very favorite hotel that I’ve been coming to for the past 25+ years, I felt at ease. The reentry to the fashion world can be a bit of a shock to the system for this suburban mom of four but it’s a part of me that I truly love. The past, the history of it all, old friendships and memories, being around the talent, art and beauty of it all is incredibly inspiring and humbling. And to have it all here, in this amazing city is truly the cherry on top.

Here’s my “must do” list if you find yourself in Paris:

1- Visit Socrates (the cat) at The Bristol

2 – Stand in the ridiculously long line for le chocolat chaud and croque monsieur at Angelina’s or grab a quick to go and walk through the Tuileries gardens (stop at the Merry go Round!) to the Place du Concorde

3 – Check out Librairie 7L, an amazing book store founded by Karl Lagerfeld

4 – Explore the George Pompidou Center Museum (designed by Renzo Piano, who designed San Ramon’s City Center (fun fact)

5- Take a walk down Rue Faubourg St Honore and pop into as many shops as you can

6 – Visit the Louve of course

7- See Sacre Coure in Montmartre and get a hotdog to go as your browse the great stores and the Dali museum while you’re there!

8- Walk around Ile Saint Louis and Ile de la Cite. Grab lunch at a corner bistro, stare at the architecture, roam the streets and take in as much of the beauty as you can.