Paris with Luke

Years ago, I took Gavin on a Mother/Son trip to Paris.  We had an absolute blast.  I will never forget that trip and neither will he. And for years to follow…Luke has wanted to go on the same trip. Luke finally reached a similar age and I told him buddy if you can ace this year of school and work your tail off, we’re going. And…come the springtime when Luke made honor roll for the second time this school year, I booked the trip of his little dreams.

I have finally succumbed to working with a travel agent. And I say that in a way like I’ve never worked with one before.  That’s not true. I  have. But this time, I’m using him for everything. His name is Jonathan.  And he’s the bomb. Jonathan’s team  helped me with every single detail so I could continue on with my crazy ass life and not miss a beat. Thank goodness for them because at this point in my life when people say “how do you do it all” I say: with people like Jonathan.

Here’s how it went down…

Paris, Day 1

We arrived from a red eye flight (which I recommend if you’re looking to maximize your time but of course if traveling with a kid or a person who is easily jet lagged, be aware and plan for a loose schedule on day 1).

We checked into Cheval Blanc which is well…for snobs like me.  This place is not normal and there are plenty of other, much less grand places to stay so don’t judge…just enjoy the ride of my story here…

When we entered the room, there were welcome bags, a metallic horse shaped balloon (which for someone who is obsessed with balloons and party styling I was pretty blown away by these small touches), fresh juices, apples, popcorn, wine and more. I just about died and Luke didn’t know which corner to hit first. It was a remarkable, first class experience. 

We opened the doors to our balcony and we were just struck with so much architectural beauty. It took a few minutes but then our eye caught sight of the Eiffel tour and it was as pretty as I had remembered it.

We took the red eye and I had explained to Luke before leaving, that it was important to sleep on the plane so he could wake up rested for the new time zone.  He was too excited.  And couldn’t sleep a wink.  Maybe an hour or so.

So when we arrived at the hotel…we were both quite sleepy.  I suggested we lay down and set my alarm for one hour’s worth of sleep and then start our day. We passed out instantly. It was hard for me to wake up when the alarm went off but I forced myself…I was in Paris! Luke couldn’t swing it. So I said, I’ll go upstairs to get us lunch and give him a few more minutes.

I got myself dressed and went up to the 7th floor to check out the restaurant.  It was pretty much the most stunning place ever. Super cool, bright yellow, black and red decor, floor to ceiling windows and a straight shot view of the Tower.  Boom.  It was amazing.

I ordered a latte and had a quick bite that was out of this world (a poached egg on a croissant AH!  With ham)!! And brought out a plate of smoked salmon and creme fraiche for Luke. He finally got up, ate and off we went.

Our first activity (which was perfectly timed for the late afternoon) was a scavenger hunt at the Louvre. This was awesome. Our guide’s name was André and he was a doll.  He had his work cut out for him with Luke because Luke was still quite tired and can’t focus for too long on a good day!  But André was so great. He kept asking questions to keep Luke engaged and at the end…Luke found the treasure!  It was super cute and a GREAT way to see the Louvre!!

(Note: Rachel from Fly Smoother (Jonathan’s team) booked all activities for me. If you’re looking to do the same, google search and sort by best reviews, there are tons of these activities organized throughout Paris!)

When we got back to the hotel, Luke caught sight of their electric bikes that he’d been dying to take out since we had arrived at the hotel. I was not jazzed about this because the city is very busy + congested, I don’t know my way around and truthfully those bikes look a bit dangerous and definitely too big for Luke. We went for one ride around the block and called it quits. I much rather walk!

That night for dinner, Luke and I had planned to go rogue and stroll around the streets near our hotel because it’s located in such a great area on the Seine River and just in case we were too tired to go out, I didn’t want to be tied to a reservation. We strolled around and passed the most beautiful buildings.  So many are covered in flowers.  It was just stunning to see. We chose the sweetest looking french bistro called Vagenende and had a traditional, Parisian sidewalk meal of course including French onion soup and a cheese board. It was absolute perfection.

We were in bed right after dinner and got ourselves a really good sleep….

Paris, Day 2

One of the memories I had with Gavin was the bike ride around the city.
So I booked a Fat Tire bike tour for me and Luke as they were so easy and great the last time around.

Different from the time I was with Gavin, the weather was a bit cool. I had planned very cute outfits but did not factor in the wind. So I had to buy a hoodie from Fat Tire when we checked in for our bikes.  I was later mistook for the tour guide.

Our bike tour guide was adorable and our group was a great mix of really cool people.

We got to see so much of Paris while safely riding around.  We learned a ton of history including stories of many Kings, the military school and the military recovery center.

We got to stop for lunch at a beautiful, outdoor cafe in the Tulleries Gardens where we joined a few new Australian friends from the bike tour to eat (and have champagne!) with.

Luke got a bit tired towards the end (total tour including lunch was 4 hours) but overall powered through.

We hopped into a taxi once we were done and went back to the hotel.  We freshened up, did an outfit change and off we went to the Eiffel Tower!

Luke and I went all the way to the top, learned some really interesting facts about the city of Paris and the history of your views from the tower and then we walked down to work off some of the baguettes we ate that day.

Dinner that night was a tasting menu. Luke’s dream. 

Jonathan had sent me a list of highly recommended restaurants and this one sounded the most special to me:  Le Chateaubriand. It was perfect. It wasn’t a long, drawn out tasting menu that took 3 hours and made you feel like you had to be rolled out of there after. It was fresh, light bites leading up to a perfectly cooked lamb loin finished with a delectable dessert. Luke loved the food, we met a really nice couple sitting next to us and we even got to meet the chef who…was from Toronto! So cool. 

Don’t laugh but when we got back to the hotel, it was already 10pm and Luke was not ready for bed. His birthday wish from me was to have Caviar while watching the Eiffel tower sparkle and in the restaurant on top of our hotel, I was able to fulfill this birthday wish.

It was a day to remember. Every detail was perfect, the sites were incredible, the food was insane and we had plenty of rest time when needed.

Paris, Day 3 (our last full day)

Our activity for the morning wasn’t starting till 11am today so we were able to sleep in. Felt good. Slept till 10.

Went upstairs to grab breakfast…we were planning to keep it light because our activity for the day was…a food tour!

Well “keep it light” doesn’t exist in Paris. I sat down and ordered a latte. They served my one cup with a basket of croissants (2 chocolate and 2 plain), a basket of baguettes (looked there were at least 6) and 3 pastries. I mean…WHAT? It’s only me and Luke and I haven’t even ordered breakfast yet.

Needless to say…I was quite full for the food tour and feared my stomach may burst into flames BUT … I handled myself very well.  Luckily, I’m a pig.

Our food tour was AMAZING.  Many of you asked me who it was through and truth be told I have no clue. Same as everything else, Jonathan’s team booked it for me and I just showed up. (There are tons of these guides so it’s an easy Google search OR - we recently did the “Secret Food Tour” in Toronto and it was AWESOME. I believe they have an operation in Paris too!).

Our guide walked us through the cutest streets all right around our hotel (!) where we sampled the best of the best: Olive oil, Chocolate pastries, charcuterie, cheeses and wine.  It was DELICIOUS! We had a blast and it wasn’t too short and wasn’t too long.

Our plan for the afternoon was to spend some time in and around the hotel. First, we hit the pool. Omg.  This pool. It was STUNNING! And Luke owned it. There was no one there when we went for a swim.  The pool is lengthy and skinny and is surrounded by mirrors and screens. While you swim, the screens flash to birds flying along towards the Eiffel tower graphic. Truly quite remarkable.

The spa is on the same floor as the pool and looks like something out of Dior Heaven. Pink, black, white, floral, bamboo. Bah. I felt like a fairy princess in there.

Then … the shops. I wondered on over to the super chic department store that was next to our hotel. Gah. I had to buy something of course. 

Last but not least, we topped off another perfect day with a dinner cruise on the Sein River. Luke threw a blazer on, I wore my new dress. It was incredible. The boat was so modern and cool, the food was dynamite, the views were stellar.  The one miss that I will share here because I do not want any of you to miss out on this if you book an experience like this dinner cruise…

When we walked on, the host brought us to our seat and it was in the middle of the boat.  NOT on the window. I actually almost fainted. Last time I was in Paris I had booked everything so I had the option to book by the window and of course took it.  This time, I forgot to mention the window and in having someone else book for me, I forgot to ask. It sort of killed my soul but I got over it.  I had a truly wonderful evening with my little man.

On our final day, there was one stop I just had to make before heading to the airport…

SADELLE’S!
I had been researching for our trip and when I discovered that my fave spot from NYC was also in Paris I just had to check it out. It couldn’t have been cooler. Located in the Kith Shop, it was designed with the same turquoise details that you see in Manhattan, tons of gorgeous people and the same delicious food. I was so happy.

Overall, this trip was absolutely perfect. We had the most wonderful time together and we did it right. All the right sites, food, hotel, everything…was a trip Luke and I will never forget. And our time together? Priceless. I think it’s so important to spend one on one time with your children if you can. I know for a fact…they appreciate it.