Posts by Sarah Raymond:

  • Outside Chez Janou restaurant on a pretty cobblestone street corner in Paris is one of our favorite places for classic French food.

    Paris in Three Days: Favorite Spots Then Vs. Now

    Once upon a time, I worked in the Paris tourism industry. It was 2008, Haven in Paris (boutique apartment rental agency that is now Haven In) had begun to take off, and I had the good fortune to get hired as its first full-timer and startup maven-in-training. I was based in New York, but was able to spend some time in Paris getting to know, the city and their portfolio of beautiful properties — including the teeny-tiny studio I would call home (yes, it really does have Sacré Coeur views from the shower). It was a dream job, totally worth celebrating Obama’s election from afar.

    Flash forward a decade (!!) to this August and my first work trip back to Paris since 2010. This time around, I’d just begun a global role for Context Travel, a connection initially made in my Haven in Paris days. Again, it made sense for me to come to Paris for a spot of training — though this time only for three days. Naturally, I called Erica, the owner of Haven in Paris at the time, to share the happy news. It even turned out that their Hôtel de Ville apartment I’d been admiring was free for a short last-minute stay, which added to the feeling of coming full circle.

    So off I headed to Paris, wondering just how many of my old haunts I could cover in three days. As it turned out, I had a true “then vs. now” experience, visiting none (zero!) of my tried-and-true favorites and instead trying a number of great new spots.

    Here’s my new Paris shortlist, a combination of top “now” spots from this past trip and my “then” favorites I can’t wait to revisit . . .

  • Paris Souvenirs: What You Shouldn’t Leave France Without

    Images courtesy of Marvin Shaouni, Cesarastudilo, Quinn.Anya Just like any other major city, Paris has its fair share of kitschy souvenirs on offer. Indeed, the word souvenir itself is French. And I’ll be the first to admit that I still have the mini Eiffel tower that my best friend brought back for me years ago. […]

  • Romantic Paris: Valentine’s Day in the City of Love

    Photos: fineartamerica.com, littlebrownpen.blogspot.com, www.azurs.net Paris has long been known as the City of Love, and with good reason. It is a place full of beauty, from the winding Seine river reflecting the city lights to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica perched upon the hill and the iconic Eiffel Tower that distinguishes its famous skyline. Even the classic rooftops […]

  • Train Travel in France – Fast, Pleasant & Eco-Friendly

    Photo www. jaunted.com. Today, the last Sunday in August, people all over France will pack their bags, shutter their vacation homes, and make the voyage back home – many to Paris. In the U.S., you might picture cars stuffed to the gills with bags and family members, hours spent stuck in long traffic jams. And […]

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