Inspiration

Two nights in Paris with Carolyn Boyd and her teenage daughter

Guest Expert

5 min read

Author and travel writer Carolyn Boyd revisits Paris with her teenage daughter, wondering how it will differ from their last trip four years ago. They shop, see Monet first-hand and eat anywhere but Mcdonalds on a joyous couple of days in the French capital.

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No matter how old you are, the sight of the Eiffel Tower with its lights twinkling above the Parisian skyline will always inspire a sense of wonder. As my daughter and I crossed the city in a taxi after arriving late, we craned our necks to see glances of its most famous monument through the darkness. By the time we reached our hotel, La Tour Eiffel was less than a kilometre away and it peeped over the rooftops as if to say ‘Bienvenue’.

We were in Paris for our first mother-and-daughter weekend away. Our previous family trip, when she was nine, had been a resounding success, with visits to the magical Atelier des Lumières, with its sound and light art shows; and the fairground rides at the Jardin d’Acclimatiation in the Bois de Boulogne. But now Edie was 13, it was time to try out some more sophisticated haunts, so I planned a trip that would allow us to take in the city slowly. As two flaneuses, we would shop, eat, see some museums and tick off a few of the famous sights; Tik-tok demanded it, of course.

The next morning, we stepped out of the Hotel Passy Eiffel and strolled the five minutes to the Trocadéro for a majestic view of the Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower. After a few snaps among the ball-gown-clad influencers, we wandered on to the Palais Galliera fashion museum. Here, the exhibits took us on a journey through time, from the big bustles of the 18th century to 1920s flapper girl evening dresses. Some of the information panels explained how key moments in fashion had been in tandem with women’s liberation, a fact I enthusiastically explained to Edie, but which fell on deaf ears as she admired the display of trainers. The Fashion on the Move exhibition (on until January 2025) was particularly fun – with displays of swimming costumes through the ages; showing the wool bathing suits that were de rigueur 100 years ago.

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The presence of Patisserie Cyril Lignac opposite the museum invited blatant disregard for our own bikini bodies (well, mine anyway) and so on exiting the museum, we indulged in a mid-morning snack. The pain au chocolat was the biggest and best Edie had ever had. It fuelled our onward stroll up to the Arc de Triomphe for a quick photo before the Metro sped us towards lunch near Les Halles.

Having persuaded her that we could do McDonalds anywhere, but please not Paris, we booked in for a classic Parisian bistro experience at La Tour Montlhéry – Chez Denise complete with red gingham napkins, the whirl of black-clad waiters and the menu of hearty dishes. This historic restaurant is now a stark contrast to the modern shopping centre stands on the site of the former incarnation of Les Halles food market, where 12 ornate steel and glass pavilions held the food that fed Paris until it was demolished in the 1960s.

In the 19th century, bistros such as Chez Denise fed the workers at Les Halles, a fact I enthusiastically relayed to Edie as she stared at me blankly and asked: ‘Can we order now?’ Her own enthusiasm was quickly restored after a huge plate of Poulet Rôti Fermier and frites; followed by the most gargantuan mousse au chocolat we’ve ever seen.

Even the best of Parisian bistro desserts can’t anaesthetise the pain of the modern retail dungeon that is Westfield Forum des Halles;, so after a short while in its airless surrounds, I led us towards the more pleasant shopping arcades that run between the Grand Boulevards of the 1st and 2nd arrondissements. These 19th-century arcades are thriving hubs of independent shops, starting at Passage Verdeau, we then wandered through the Passage Jouffroy, home to the Musée Grévin wax work museum and a number of alluring cafés.

One shop won us both over, the Galerie Portfolio was selling reproductions of bright tourism posters and art prints – we bagged two souvenirs and walked on to Passage des Panoramas, famous for its cosy bistros and stamp and coin collectors’ shops. Then we took a quick detour around La Bourse, the old stock exchange, where we spotted a few of the city’s newest adornments – the mosaics by the anonymous street artist Ememem, who fills potholes and cracks in the pavements of European cities with beautiful, colourful designs.

After a stroll through the chic Galerie Vivienne, with its designer boutiques and art galleries, we crossed the road to the Bibliothèque Nationale, where the elaborate Oval Room had recently reopened after renovation. Hotel staff had recommended we have a look, so we took a detour inside. The hushed atmosphere of the library, with its exquisite coupole glass roof and rows and rows of books stole our attention for a good 20 minutes.

Our second day saw us take in more of the city’s big hitters. Having noticed recently that Edie had a screen saver on her phone of Monet’s Water Lilies, I’d enquired as to how to she had discovered the artistic masterpiece. The answer was ‘Tiktok’ (followed by, ‘Why, how do you know about it?’) I thought it would be worth us seeing the real thing.

In the Musée de l’Orangerie, the eight-metre wide, curved panels are drenched in natural light from the skylights, allowing you to see in intricate detail the brushstrokes and sweeps that Monet himself made a century ago. Our brief lesson in the history of art took just half an hour before an ice cream in the Jardins des Tuileries outside proved a more appealing option.

Finally, it was time to see Paris’ most iconic attraction. A timed ticket for the Eiffel Tower saw us walk past the snaking queue and before long we were shuffling into the lift to be whisked up to the second level and then the top. The 360-degree view of the City of Light laid out around us made for an incredible sight; from there we could see everything the city had to offer, from the Bois de Boulogne where we rode the rollercoasters last time; to the Sacre Coeur where we might go on the next visit. As we rode the Metro over the River Seine back towards our hotel at Passy, the Eiffel Tower’s lights came on and started to sparkle in the dusky pink sky; a magical sight whatever your age.

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Carolyn Boyd

Guest Expert

Carolyn is one of the UK’s leading food and travel writers and an expert on France. She likes nothing more than telling a good story, packed with expert insight and inspirational recommendations. Her writing for The Guardian, The Times, National Geographic Traveller and many more has seen her cycle across France, seeking out its beauty, culture and delectable produce in search of some of the most delicious and exciting experiences in travel.

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