Salon du Vintage

Optical Vintage. 'Nough said. Alyssa tried to buy them all. But seriously, vintage Chanel for 40 euros? You can't beat that.

Seemingly a warehouse, the space was full of one of a kind finds.

The shops had the cutest set-ups (and accessories!)

You can get vintage / secondhand scarves at almost any thrift shop for 5 euros.

When we heard about the Salon du Vintage in the Marais we were on board right away. Little did we know that Alyssa would spend an hour trying on vintage glasses. Anyway, the atmosphere was robust for a Sunday morning. Beer was being sold, vintage purchases were being made, and we got to experience the best of Paris thrifting without all of the complicated navigating and odd hours.

Faux Pas #3

As Lucia and I sat along the Seine enjoying the beautiful weather (it rained for 5 days straight...) THIS man crossed our path. And by crossed our path, I mean jogged by us wearing blue jeans. Not once, but twice. Obviously it's a fashion faux pas, but seriously? I can't imagine what decisions in his life led him to jog through Paris wearing jeans. Not only does that look appallingly uncomfortable (I can only imagine, as I have and never will experience his pain) but makes him look like an idiot. Let's be real.

Along the Seine

As per usual, Lucia and I were blending in with the many chic Parisians while relaxing along the Seine. I've been telling Lucia, on a consistent basis, that I am going to feature her on our blog. Well, today is the day! Lucia looks good everyday. She loves neutrals, and is, to be blunt, a classy bitch. She can be seen here lookin' hot in her new jacket purchased in a tiny shop in the Marais, a black t-shirt dress and tights, and the edgy new studded boots she splurged on just days ago. I'm sure you'll be seeing more of her soon.

                    (I was there too, hopefully looking slightly more attractive than the old man running in jeans.)

Monet's Gardens

We knew we absolutely had to make it to Giverny to see Monet's Gardens before it got too chilly, so Sunday morning we headed to the train station for an SNCF adventure. When we arrived, the gardens did not disappoint. The picturesque (literally) scenes left us imagining Monet there himself painting his famous "Water Lilies" series.

Centre Pompidou

The modern construction of the museum gives it a cool unfinished vibe. While we love it, the French have differing opinions to the building that officially opened in 1977.

Pino Pascali. Le penne di Esopo, 1968.

Mario Merz. Igloo di Giap, 1968.

Yes, that is Alyssa, and yes, she is wearing cheeta pants. She is also taking a picture of a room installed in the Palais de l'Élysée from 1972-4 by artist Yaacov Agam for President Pompidou. The masterpiece was transferred to the museum in 2000.

Jean Dubuffet. Le Jardin d'hiver, 1968-1970.

The view from the inside of the Pompidou is one of the best in Paris, even on a rainy day. 

What to do on a rainy Friday afternoon in Paris with no class? Visit le Centre Pompidou of course! Although we spent nearly the entire afternoon inside taking in all the breathtaking works of modern art, we will for sure be making a second stop back here before our time in Paris is up. After all, it is the largest modern art museum in all of Europe.

Faux Pas #2

We're not huge on sober PDA. And we're definitely not huge on middle-aged tourist in running sneakers under the Arc de Triomph PDA.  Let me just tell you, this went on for well over five minutes.  Lots of sloppy tongue was involved.  We're glad that folks this old can still have the hots for each other,  we just really wish we didn't have to be a part of it.

Champs-Élysées

We could eat Ladureé macarons all day every day.

A line down the block just to get inside Louis Vuitton.

Just a pretty pic of our final destination: l'Arc de Triomph.

Photo Credit: Some stranger I probably shouldn't have trusted my camera with. 

After being in Paris for almost 3 weeks, we finally stopped at the Arc de Triomph. As we walked down the Champs-Élysées (only the most famous avenue in the world) with Ladureé macarons in hand, we were reminded just how lucky we are to be living in this beautiful city.  We can't wait to see what it looks like all lit up at Christmastime.

Comme des Garçons

After finishing up with Balenciaga, we headed next door to the Comme des Garçons exhibit, called White Drama. We were shocked by the futuristic concepts and surprising silhouettes that were truly breathtaking. Comme des Garçons actually means "as boys" in French and is Tokyo based. Founded in 1969, it is relatively new in the fashion world compared to the legendary Balenciaga, founded in 1918. Even so, the contrast between the two houses worked perfectly, leaving the viewer appreciative of both the classic and innovative garment.

Balenciaga

Wearing see-through black lace was cool in the 1960s too!

The most intricate beading we have ever seen.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Bows on bows, circa 1957.

True life, I wish I was Belle and could wear this dress.

Bad ass.

When we came to Paris we knew we would have many opportunities to experience high fashion, but had no idea there would be this many available so soon. Balenciaga: Fashion Collector, featured many of his darker designs from the mid 20th century that left us in pining after the simple elegance of his designs.

Louis Vuitton

Sunday we stopped by Les Arts Decoratifs (a non-profit museum of decorative arts located in the Louvre) to catch the last day of the Louis Vuitton / Marc Jacobs exhibit. The exhibition tells the story of the lives of the two designers who have been and continue to be hugely influential in the development of contemporary fashion.  Needless to say, our afternoon was well spent getting to know the LV brand that began in 1854 with the creator of luggage, Louis Vuitton himself, and how it has evolved since 1997 under creative director, Marc Jacobs, the "king of grunge."  

Le Président

Real live picture of Hollande taken seconds before we shook hands.

Just the main entrance to le Palais de l'Elysée. No big deal.

Grand ballroom where the State hosts large events.

François's desk. We're on a first name basis now.

This weekend we participated in les Journées du Patrimoine, which loosely translates to "French heritage weekend." Unfortunately, there really isn't any way to liken this to anything in America, but basically for two days, a select number of museums, châteaus, and government buildings are open to the public. For free. 

As we perused the list of options we decided to visit le Palais de l'Elysée (the President's house), undaunted by tales of the 5 hour line we would encounter. This experience is comprable to touring the White House, except this is the only weekend of the year the house is open to the public.

Confident we got there early enough to only stand in line for two hours (scoff), boy were we wrong. We hit the four hour mark and could see the entrance to the gates when the man in front of us muttered, "C'est le President!" and the rest is history. Needless to say, getting to meet François Hollande as well as his partner, Valérie Trierweiler was one of the absolute highlights of our trip thus far.

Oh yeah, and his house was insanely beautiful.

Versailles

Breathtakingly beautiful view from the gold gilded windows of Versailles Palace.

Larger-than-life stilettos (made of pots and pans) by modern artist Joana Vasconcelos.

Marie Antoinette's bedroom - ugly, right?

Descending the many stairs of the gardens.

Photo Credit: Tori Simkovic

The reflection of the clouds on the water was simply incredible.