Paris, Party of One

A few years ago, I was desperately needing a break from life and decided to book a solo trip to Palm Springs, hoping for a quiet, relaxing, and rejuvenating trip. It turned out being a terrible idea. Unbeknownst to me when I made my plans, Dinah Shore was happening and my hotel was Party Central. And no offense to Dinah Shore Weekend whatsoever, but it just wasn’t my jam. On top of that, I developed a terrible rash after swimming in the pool and had to go to the hospital when I got home. Sigh. I knew if I ever booked a solo trip again, I was going to make it the most girly, Serena style trip I possibly could. Cue Paris.

In my opinion, the best time to visit Paris is in August because many residents leave for vacation and it’s not crowded at all. I booked the shortest flight time possible, Spokane – Seattle – Paris in 11 hours. I left Spokane in the early afternoon and arrived in Paris around 8am. I made it to my hotel, The Peninsula, in about 45 minutes and was greeted with perfect touches in my room.

Minutes later, the doorbell rang and I was presented with a beautiful floral arrangement for my room. What a perfect start to my trip!

To avoid jetlag, I always force myself to stay awake until bedtime, rather than taking a nap upon arrival. To help with this, I booked a chocolate and pastry tasting tour for the afternoon. I took the 45 minute walk to the meeting point for the tour, making my way all along the Seine and stopping for a nutritious lunch before indulging on treats.

My simple tomato, burrata and greens salad was one of the tastiest I’ve ever had. Exquisite!

We started our tasting tour at the oldest chocolate shop in Paris, which was Marie Antoinette’s chocolatier and we hopped all around to taste a variety of modern and old-fashioned treats for about two and a half hours. Chocolates! Macaroons! Eclairs! Mousse! And so on… My favorite new-to-me treat were traditional chouquettes, which I’d describe as mini, squishy cream puffs without the filling. Perfection!

When I returned to my hotel, chilled champagne was waiting for me, a treat from The Peninsula. What a nice surprise!

Tomorrow, there’s more Serena style plans in the works.

Notes:

– This is the first post in my Paris Party of Oneseries. There will be more posts to follow.

– I’ve noticed when I travel without Colin, I get messages asking if everything is ok. I’m happy to say YES! I love my husband and he loves me and we are as happy as can be.