Travel | Paris 2023

I got my wish: to spend an entire birthday in Paris.

But it almost didn't happen. After hours of delays, and a major disappointment the week before, I was almost convinced this wasn't for me. But still, the city of lights beckoned—and who am I to resist her call?

The first day brought bliss. I got lost for hours. Winding my way through perfectly crooked streets, beneath monuments and gorgeous summer skies. It was the best time and I couldn’t help but wonder, why is it on vacation that walking becomes a pleasure, not a nuisance?

Finding the joy and fragile, little moments is one of the reasons I’ve always loved to travel. I feel more alive on the road than anywhere else—I love the unknown, love getting lost, love eating foods I can’t pronounce.

And meeting people—my god, collecting friends around the world is one of my very favorite things. Eccentric, artistic souls who create out of their own unique lens shaped by travels, heritage, and everything they've encountered in life.

One of those lovely souls I met was Nathalie Lété. 

From her earliest works, she's drawn inspiration from vintage engravings of flora, fauna, and children's tales across the literary canon. Nathalie's work is also heavily influenced by folk art elements from her childhood and heritage in both Germany and China.

I left with quite a few silk scarves, and an order to arrive back at The Paris Market to share with the rest of you.

Architecture is another passion of mine, though more for the artform than the act of building itself. And Paris is home to some of the most beautiful surprises. Turn a street corner, take the next winding path, and you'll find centuries-old stone towering above your head.

Or an art exhibit from a time long past, such as Les Deux Plateaux where the Colonnes de Buren remain in Palais Royal with candy-striped black and white columns permanently installed. 

And then, of course, there is the food. Cafés where dogs are allowed to rest peacefully at your feet, massive windows to look out upon the world, impromptu photoshoots and the most scrumptious, petite raspberry tart. 

Joyeux Anniversaire, indeed!

The next two days of my adventures led to the charming and fabulous Agnès Costa, the woman behind one of the oldest perfumeries along the French Riviera. We took a tour through Musée du Parfum, where Fragonard's history exists.

Agnès is a kindred spirit. Delightful and kind, we spoke for hours one day and met for more again the next, exchanging stories and gifts I will treasure forever. 

And to close out the weekend, a ceramics fair at Saint-Sulpice with one of Paris Market's first employees who has since become a dear friend: Reba. 

It truly is a wonder, the things that can be sculpted by human hands.