Paris, dressed in green
After one long and one short flight, we arrived in Paris Thursday night. We checked into our apartment, grabbed a quick bite nearby, and called it a night. Friday morning we awoke to find the forecast hadn’t been April Fooling; a light snow was already falling.
We like to get outdoors and walk as much as possible on the first day to help reset ourselves to the new time zone. So we took a stroll around the nearby Tuileries, explored the area, and picked up some provisions for the apartment.
A light snow fell on and off all day, though nothing stuck on the ground. Even though I’ve visited Paris in December, this is the coldest it’s ever been when I’ve been here, and the first time it’s snowed.
Temperatures hovered just above freezing most of the day, but I was comfortable in my down coat and sneakers (with wool socks). It was snowing when most of these pictures were taken, though the camera didn’t catch it. (I’d forgotten I had that mask around my arm to keep handy, and le Monsier didn’t notice it either.)
Paris is definitely quieter than it was when we visited last October. Though I don’t know if it’s the weather keeping people indoors or there are just fewer tourists this time. But it’s a nice kind of “quiet,” and I’m enjoying it.
But green wasn’t just in the landscape. There is a lot of (bright) color in shop windows this season, especially green.
So what are people wearing? Still mostly winter clothes, in predominantly black and neutrals. What I’ve seen most are black or navy puffer coats, or camel wool coats. Sneakers or chonky boots, as in the photos above. I’ll be taking notes over the next few days and post a Paris style update.
We have a couple of sunny days in the forecast, and plan to get outside to make the most of them. It’s still quite chilly, so I’m grateful for my down coat.
Shop green…
Packing vs. shopping
Whenever I post a travel wardrobe, I always get some comments to the effect of, “why pack so much? You can shop for what you need there.” What you see in the shop windows above is one reason I don’t count on being able to do that. The shops have already turned over their merchandise, and are full of cotton, linen, sandals, and other warm weather clothing.
Prior experience has taught me not to count on the weather matching the seasonal shop merchandise. And desperation shopping often leads to poor purchasing decisions. I’d rather have what I need, and shop casually rather than urgently.
Plus, because I’m so short, I can’t count on items being wearable off the rack because they often need hemming or other alterations. When I CAN wear something immediately while traveling, it’s a happy surprise rather than something I plan on.
Travel so far…
It’s been a bit easier traveling this time, as some restrictions and paperwork requirements (traveler locator forms, testing requirements) have been dropped. Masks are still required on public transit, and we put ours on to go into shops or other public spaces. We’re not the only ones, either.
As I mentioned above, crowds are definitely thinner than what we experienced last fall. Heathrow airport seemed to be back up to its usual number of travelers, and our flight from London to Paris was pretty full.
We’ll be heading out the door in a bit to enjoy some sunshine and more of Paris. I’ll be sharing images and updates on my Instagram feed and Stories, so follow me there to travel along. À bientôt!
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Have a wonderful time!
It looks wonderful; i love having no crowds. ENJOY!
How fun to travel with you to Paris. I loved seeing the shop windows – we can window shop along with you. Curious if you are a fragrance lover – what a great place to look for a new one! Have a wonderful time….
I am still checking the weather app two times a day haha. Layering is not something I am particularly good at but the forecast rather dictates this. I’ll see how it goes.
Greetje
No mask lanyard? Very useful when going in and out of places while walking. Vera Bradley sells pretty ones in solids and prints. No doubt others do, as well.
Beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful photos. Thank you so much for posting them. Have a fabulous vacation.
So excited for you to be able to travel for fun again. Thanks for keeping us up with current restrictions and practices. You look sparkly happy!!
We’re loving seeing Paris through your eyes. Remember, there’s no such thing as too many pictures and commentary.
Enjoy your trip!! Can’t wait to see more pictures so I can travel vicariously with you.
Oh my gosh. I’m enjoying Paris again vicariously through you! Makes me nostalgic. Paris looks beautiful with her bare streets. I would love to get a recap of hotels you like as well as restaurants and shopping. My husband and I haven’t tried getting an apartment there yet. Tell us all!
It should be Spring break travel time. Maybe last Fall’s poor Covid situation turned people off from planning Spring breaks. I imagine that the Parisians will be out once the weather improves.
It’s definitely better to pack what you need and not count on being able to buy it once you get there. It takes me back to a trip I had where I was stuck in my motel room because I hadn’t had a cup of coffee in 48 hours and I had a horrible headache. If only I had had some aspirin or Tylenol in my bag. Trying to manage purchasing that in a country where I didn’t speak the language when I had blinding headache was a problem. So take what you need and shop for fun stuff instead.
Gorgeous photos, Susan! Yesterday, it snowed in Brittany.
Please continue with your fashion reports from Paris – photos of shop windows & what people are wearing.
That mesh, market bag style Longchamp bag caught my eye.
Your Dior photo reminded me of the re-opening of Galerie Dior, with its displays of vintage gowns & restaurants, as posted in…
https://myfrenchcountryhomemagazine.com/the-grand-opening-of-galerie-Dior/
Try to visit the Louis Vuitton Exhibition, the art and building are absolutely amazing.
Thank you for taking us along for April in Paris, what a treat. The last time I was there in April, I got a suntan from walking around and sitting in the park! Stay warm and have a lovely time.
PS Those green and white joggers are delightful.
You are right about not counting on shopping while travelling. My walking shoes literally fell apart in Cornwall, and the little village we were staying in had no shoe stores at all. Luckily I had a backup pair — a bit too casual, but at least wearable. Who wants to lose valuable tourist time shopping for something as hit-or-miss to find as good travel shoes? By the way, now my second pair is, surprisingly, Kaydee ballet flats by Crocs! Very comfortable with the arch support I need, easily packable, light as a feather, waterproof, and respectable enough to wear to a restaurant.
Your down coat turned out to be perfect for colder weather than you expected. And your photography is wonderful! You are taking us with you.
My husband loves to travel in April, most of the time perfect weather. I am sure it will get warmer, but us Ca. girls like warm weather.
Enjoy and have a good time.
Thank you for sharing your always lovely photos! And I completely agree with you – why count on being able to buy things when you want to spend your time exploring Paris? I don’t think you overpacked – it was all so well- planned.
And if a beautiful piece/pieces fall into your lap, well, c’est un heureux accident!” .
Always enjoy following your trips, Susan! Stay warm!
April weather is fickle, but it is perfect for seeing blossoms and trees leafing out in fresh green, as your photos show. It can be chilly, but layering fixes that. Also perfect for walking outdoors without overheating. Fleece-lined footless tights and wool socks are my secret weapons.
I have had to replace items that broke on a trip. I don’t like to waste time this way. I always carry extra footwear and an extra fabric crossbody bag for this reason…and extra shoelaces. As for clothing, my size is hard to find anywhere. One delayed suitcase incident proved that point. I like to stay near shopping on the first day after arrival, just in case. I can’t bear travelling with carry-on only when travelling for weeks.
Have the best time in my all time favorite city ( well tied with Prague but for different reasons! )
You look and sound so so happy! Enjoy every moment!
Can we see some pix of your apartment rental?
I will share at the end of our stay.
Our April in Paris trip (some years ago) was cold and windy. So I can sympathize with you! I definitely agree with your comment about bringing what you’ll need vs buying when you’re there. Seasons play into that in addition to the exchange rates. Have a wonderful time!
Got sidetracked and forgot to add this comment yesterday. I was overjoyed to see you mention that you are wearing WOOL SOCKS!!! Now that may seem a bit extreme but let me explain. I live in Canada and we have WINTER (similar in parts of the USA). I am so tired of seeing women in the dead of Winter wearing their no show socks……looks so out of place and invites frost bitten ankles or perhaps arthritis. What I have gleaned from over hearing conversations is that they don’t have the self confidence to wear anything except what they perceive to be “in”/fashionable. What works in California or Florida in Winter is not appropriate for where we do have Winter but come hell or knee deep snow they are wearing no show socks anyway.. Warm socks can be just as fabulous and fashionable as no show socks. I know it is late in the season and soon no show socks will be appropriate most places but it sure would help to show some warm socks come next November!
Paris does look quiet in your pictures, but when I was there a couple of weeks ago in warmer weather, the jardins were PACKED.
What a cheerful trip! We travelled to France at this time nine years ago and left a cold, snowy England to find an equally cold and snowy northern France waiting for us. Not that it made the slightest difference to our enjoyment. When spring is in the air and all around, you just need proper coat, proper shoes. Voila!