Paris Post-Pandemic
Paris is my favorite city. It’s where I feel most alive and I’ve never felt farther away than the last year, knowing entry was forbidden. Predicting that vaccinated travelers may be allowed in time for summer, I jumped on a terrific airfare in March so I could hopefully visit.
Having just returned, I’m happy to report Paris is alive again. Those haunting pictures of the desolate Champs d’Élysées and shuttered cafes usually teeming with outdoor patrons, are gone. Avenue Kléber is bustling with workers lunching on weekdays, and queues have formed outside Dior and Chanel. Save for a mask mandate indoors and enforced hand sanitizing upon entering museums and stores, life seems…well, normal.
Things are still a little quiet, though. The usually buzzing lobby of Le Bristol, one of my homes away from home, had only a few people and the foot traffic outside was lighter. I’ve always been amazed at the genuine warmth I feel here, which is somewhat rare for a hotel awarded a Palace distinction. Maybe it’s that it’s family owned and there is a house cat running around, but either way, I’ve never been happier to walk through that revolving door. A recent refurbishment has brought the still very classic accommodations more into the 21st Century. Gone are the flowery embellishments, replaced by more modern fabrics and a more muted palette; but the historic, old-fashioned grandeur still abounds.
For someone who has visited Paris as many times as I, I wondered how to occupy my time, but new openings kept me busy. The long-awaited reopening of Le Samaritaine department store coincided with my visit. The Art Nouveau masterpiece has been completely redone, a new contemporary building has opened in back and hotel junkies are eagerly awaiting the opening of Cheval Blanc, which occupies the façade of the main building overlooking the Seine.
Nearby, the historic circular Bourse de Commerce has been transformed into a contemporary art museum housing the Pinault Collection. The eternally chic Hôtel Costes has opened a fresh new annex called Le Castiglione with a separate entrance, and a light contemporary aesthetic by Christian Liagre completely different than Jacques Garcia’s signature brooding black, red and gold that remains in the original building. Over on Place de la Concorde, the regal Hôtel de la Marine has opened to the public, which housed France’s maritime headquarters for centuries. While there, I popped next door to the Rosewood Hôtel de Crillon for a peek at the decadent Karl Lagerfeld designed Les Grands Appartements .
Rarely do I get out of town, but the extended stay gave me two opportunities. I’ve always wanted to visit Claude Monet’s house in Giverny, just 50 minutes away. My jaded presumption was that it would be touristy, but it’s absolutely the charming experience people have told me. Monet’s distinguished paintings truly came to life as I stood on that famous arched green bridge over the pond and gazed at the water lilies and canoes he so beautifully depicted.
I also visited Chantilly, just 25 minutes away. There lies an imposing chateau the likes of the Loire Valley. Aside from the ornate interiors, the estate has sprawling gardens with all sorts of animals and interesting structures, and was designed by the same landscape architect as Versailles. Save time to explore the delightful town and sample the famous crème de Chantilly atop some ice cream. Or stay the night at Auberge Jeu de Paume, a Relais & Chateaux property right on the grounds of the chateau. Hire a driver if you do go just for the day, as taxis are hard to find and bus delays may cause you to miss a train back to town.
Paris isn’t all hunky dory just yet. You’ll see closed storefronts and certain famed institutions that haven’t reopened, but surely you’re encountering that at home. Paris is reinventing itself (the outdoor pop up restaurant scene is exploding), as we all are in adjusting to the new normal. But what’s old is new, and what’s new is new, and Paris will never go out of style. In fact, I would say now more than ever, la joie de vivre is more present than it has ever been. Paris, je t’aime.
