brilliant evening walk in Paris on a canal

Arrival and First Impressions

I arrived in Paris almost a week ago after being away for two years. Being back in the city in spring felt marvelous. We stayed in the 19th, just up from Bolivar, and it’s a fantastic neighborhood. Most of the week was spent walking, eating, drinking, and shopping, with a few museums and parks sprinkled in.

Where We Ate (and Drank)

Some of the cafes and restaurants we ate at include:

We also had drinks(wine) at Septime Cave and Giclette.  

A meal at home, in Paris.

The Joy of the Local Shops

The provisions up the street from our spot were excellent. We bought countless croissants and baguettes from the local boulangeries on Rue de Sècrétan and baskets of sweet strawberries and fragrant French peaches from the stylish woman at the fruit stand. At the fromagerie, an older couple offered  tastes as they sold us glorious hunks of Tomme, wedges of Bleu d’Auvergne, and a small wheel of fresh goat cheese. The pate at the local butcher seemed excellent, as did the prosciutto from the nearby  Italian grocery. Two take-out Asian delis offered satay, Vietnamese spring rolls, and a daily sushi set that was fresh and affordable. Stocking up for the week, we picked up French butter, crème fraîche, Greek yogurt, and jarred herring from the nearby kosher supermarket.

Vintage Finds and Beautiful Things

The shopping was been fantastic—from small vintage shops to the curated secondhand miracle that is Thank God I’m a VIP, which seems to stock every patterned shirt, mesh sweater, wool jacket, and crisp cotton blouse you could ever dream of from 1980s designers like Cacharel, Özbek, Gigli, Louis Féraud, Kenzo, Saint Laurent, and more. My daughter-in-law and sister went hard for the flirty pastel spring confections by Tara Jarmon. At the same time, I got excited about the crazy metallics and excellent orange cottons at 6 Sisters and the bright clothes at A Go Go. We hit the kitchen supply store E. Dehillerin, the wine shop (Giclette), the skincare aisles at Pharmacie Secrétan, and every floor of the ever-more-branded (but still iconic) Merci. And oh, a new crossover bag from Jack Gomme, a treat. 

One of the amazing Hockney landscapes at the show

Why I Came: Hockney at the Fondation Louis Vuitton

I traveled to Paris this time–the precipitating event–because of the David Hockney show at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Running from April to September 2025, this major retrospective features over 1,000 of Hockney’s works, spanning his early career to the present, with many pieces that have never been exhibited together before. 

As someone who admires Hockey as a lifelong learner–he was an early tech adopter and has created brilliant art using design tools and an iPad–I didn’t want to miss a show that I knew would reflect his curiosity and brilliance (and sense of beauty). 

My time at the show truly exceeded my expectations. There were numerous pieces, ranging from early portraits that referenced a frame within a frame or hints of Cavafy-inspired queerness to mid-career-defining masterpieces like A Bigger Splash and later computer-assisted multi-panel drawings depicting mirror worlds, Normandy, and Yorkshire, that held immense visual impact, emotion, and storytelling. 

The show also highlighted Hockney’s work ethic and commitment to his craft. In 2020, during the pandemic lockdown, he set a challenge for himself to create 220 paintings—and he was 83 years old at the time. Watching this artist progress from youth to maturity, age, and eventually move into old age while continuously producing fresh, thoughtful, and compelling work inspires me. 

Hockney, Cardplayers

People, Kindness, and Connection

This week in Paris was also about the people: family members who gathered from across the United States to spend this week together, a local friend we saw (and shopped with), and the many service workers in shops, restaurants, bars, buses, and cars throughout the city who were helpful, polite, and supportive of my clumsy attempts to speak French. Bonus points and thank yous to the sommeliers who guided us through ambitious and joyful bottles of wine, plus a few digestifs and some bulles de champagne.

What I’m Taking Home

Before I came to Paris, I looked forward to this visit for six months, anticipating and planning. Once I arrived, I was active, walking five to six miles a day, speaking French, and savoring everything I could touch (or see). 

As I prepared to leave, I wondered when I’d return and thought about what life lessons I’d take home. It’s not every day you get to watch someone like Hockney model a life of curiosity, discipline, and joy well into his eighties—and it’s not every day you get to spend three hours at the table with loved ones enjoying a meal, talking, and laughing.  

This past week, I had the chance to do both. And that felt great.

Arrival and First Impressions

I arrived in Paris almost a week ago after being away for two years. Being back in the city in spring felt marvelous. We stayed in the 19th, just up from Bolivar, and it’s a fantastic neighborhood. Most of the week was spent walking, eating, drinking, and shopping, with a few museums and parks sprinkled in.

Where We Ate (and Drank)

Some of the cafes and restaurants we ate at include:

We also had drinks(wine) at Septime Cave and Giclette.  

A meal at home, in Paris.

The Joy of the Local Shops

The provisions up the street from our spot were excellent. We bought countless croissants and baguettes from the local boulangeries on Rue de Sècrétan and baskets of sweet strawberries and fragrant French peaches from the stylish woman at the fruit stand. At the fromagerie, an older couple offered  tastes as they sold us glorious hunks of Tomme, wedges of Bleu d’Auvergne, and a small wheel of fresh goat cheese. The pate at the local butcher seemed excellent, as did the prosciutto from the nearby  Italian grocery. Two take-out Asian delis offered satay, Vietnamese spring rolls, and a daily sushi set that was fresh and affordable. Stocking up for the week, we picked up French butter, crème fraîche, Greek yogurt, and jarred herring from the nearby kosher supermarket.

Vintage Finds and Beautiful Things

The shopping was been fantastic—from small vintage shops to the curated secondhand miracle that is Thank God I’m a VIP, which seems to stock every patterned shirt, mesh sweater, wool jacket, and crisp cotton blouse you could ever dream of from 1980s designers like Cacharel, Özbek, Gigli, Louis Féraud, Kenzo, Saint Laurent, and more. My daughter-in-law and sister went hard for the flirty pastel spring confections by Tara Jarmon. At the same time, I got excited about the crazy metallics and excellent orange cottons at 6 Sisters and the bright clothes at A Go Go. We hit the kitchen supply store E. Dehillerin, the wine shop (Giclette), the skincare aisles at Pharmacie Secrétan, and every floor of the ever-more-branded (but still iconic) Merci. And oh, a new crossover bag from Jack Gomme, a treat. 

One of the amazing Hockney landscapes at the show

Why I Came: Hockney at the Fondation Louis Vuitton

I traveled to Paris this time–the precipitating event–because of the David Hockney show at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Running from April to September 2025, this major retrospective features over 1,000 of Hockney’s works, spanning his early career to the present, with many pieces that have never been exhibited together before. 

As someone who admires Hockey as a lifelong learner–he was an early tech adopter and has created brilliant art using design tools and an iPad–I didn’t want to miss a show that I knew would reflect his curiosity and brilliance (and sense of beauty). 

My time at the show truly exceeded my expectations. There were numerous pieces, ranging from early portraits that referenced a frame within a frame or hints of Cavafy-inspired queerness to mid-career-defining masterpieces like A Bigger Splash and later computer-assisted multi-panel drawings depicting mirror worlds, Normandy, and Yorkshire, that held immense visual impact, emotion, and storytelling. 

The show also highlighted Hockney’s work ethic and commitment to his craft. In 2020, during the pandemic lockdown, he set a challenge for himself to create 220 paintings—and he was 83 years old at the time. Watching this artist progress from youth to maturity, age, and eventually move into old age while continuously producing fresh, thoughtful, and compelling work inspires me. 

Hockney, Cardplayers

People, Kindness, and Connection

This week in Paris was also about the people: family members who gathered from across the United States to spend this week together, a local friend we saw (and shopped with), and the many service workers in shops, restaurants, bars, buses, and cars throughout the city who were helpful, polite, and supportive of my clumsy attempts to speak French. Bonus points and thank yous to the sommeliers who guided us through ambitious and joyful bottles of wine, plus a few digestifs and some bulles de champagne.

What I’m Taking Home

Before I came to Paris, I looked forward to this visit for six months, anticipating and planning. Once I arrived, I was active, walking five to six miles a day, speaking French, and savoring everything I could touch (or see). 

As I prepared to leave, I wondered when I’d return and thought about what life lessons I’d take home. It’s not every day you get to watch someone like Hockney model a life of curiosity, discipline, and joy well into his eighties—and it’s not every day you get to spend three hours at the table with loved ones enjoying a meal, talking, and laughing.  

This past week, I had the chance to do both. And that felt great.