Do you have a favorite family summer escape? We do. Two actually...lucky us. And one of them is pretty Paris. Want to tag along?
Not sure why I feel this way, but Paris has always felt more like home and a deep emotional connection to me than my own country.
Lucky for me, my family loves Paris like I do. Phew.
We've been spending time together, wandering this beautiful city end to end, north to south, Rive Gauche and Rive Droit, since Parker was a baby.
The memories we've created, and the thousands of moments full of pure magic we've enjoyed, are probably the most joyful moments of our lives.
Oh, and all the ice cream...on the daily.
Skipping through the 16th century Marais? Yes please.
Capturing the quiet, cozy hours of family love, as we soak in Paris cafe culture? All the yes.
And of course, amping up the romance with the love of my life. This is oh so important, non?
This is Cafe St Regis, perhaps our favorite family spot in Paris. And this photo is everything.
If Mike and I had to choose a last meal, I am quite sure this would be it. Or...perhaps steak frites au poivre a Chez Julien across the bridge...
We chose Ile St Louis as the ideal neighborhood to spend time in with the kids when they were tiny babies. It sits in the middle of the Seine, with very few streets or cars, so the babes could run quite free without Mike and I holding on to them for dear life as we wandered to the grocery, boulangerie, and of course, the legendary ice cream Berthillon is just mere steps away.
It's funny, how we chose to spend every summer so many years ago on the Seine, with all the beautiful neighborhoods of Paris.
Now, with two teenagers and a husband that row, almost our entire life is spent on the water. Mike is now obsessed with how to start a Paris Rowing Club, and has big plans next week when we land to visit a boathouse he has found outside of Paris, and get the kids involved.
So, off we go. We are so blessed to have this family time together - far away from work and home - where we can really connect and make the magic happen together.
A bientot!
Photography by Bethany Fritz/Maypole Studios and David Bacher.