Planning
a week or just a weekend with the gals?
Gratefully this is something
that is happening more and more and because of these trips we girls,
women and ladies come back refreshed and ready to tackle anything our
men, children and jobs can throw at us. Basically I think it’s
nearly as effective as a week at a spa or months at the shrink’s
office.
For
my money, you can’t find a more perfect location than Paris for a
gal’s getaway. Men like Paris, most sane men like it a lot and 99%
of the women I know LOVE Paris as in love, adore, cherish and don’t
want to leave. Why? Because Paris is all about beauty, with a little
history thrown in just for fun. If you’ve got just a few days to
capture all that is Paris, here are a few tips to make your planning
that much easier.
First
of all, don’t try to do everything but do combine a dose of
history, with a lot of walking, some culture, beaucoup de shopping,
and plenty of wine, French food & laughs. Booking an afternoon at
a Hammam can be an absolute gas as my friends and I found out several
years ago. It was the Mosquee de Paris that we tried and for only 38
euros per person we spent the better part of 3 hours there going from
steam room to even hotter steam room, then cooling off in a cold
water pool. A very businesslike woman scrubbed us down with a
powerful loofah and black soap until our skin shined. It might have
been when we were all sitting around drinking mint tea waiting for
our massages, in our birthday suits with a bunch of other ladies when
the giggles started.
Later
we drowned our embarrassment with some wonderful wine from Cahors and
a hefty steak from the Auvergne region at a darling bistro
specializing in the Lozere region not far from the Mosquee. It’s
these kind of out of the ordinary experiences that can make a trip to
Paris with the girls so special.
My
advice:
-
Book
one cultural experience in advance, such as seeing a ballet at the
Opera Garnier with its Marc Chagall ceiling
-
Go
to lots of wine bars and gastro pubs such as Les Papilles or Le
Chapeau Melon. Be sure to book ahead.
-
Shop
the Haute Marais (upper Marais) and spend time lingering on rue
Charlot stopping into its many unique designer shops many of which
can only be found in Paris.
-
Eat
in one historic bistro such as the Art Nouveau influenced Julien
-
Be
dangerous and get naked at the Hammam
-
Take
a cooking class, a walking tour or a photography class with your
group
-
Stroll
along the seine and picnic on the pont des art
Pick just one museum such as the
Rodin museum or L’Orangerie, buy tickets ahead of time and make
your afternoon there leisurely.
But
most of all get yourself to Paris….soon.
By
Doni
Belau
is the owner and editor of the Girls'
Guide to Paris,
a travel website and blog written by Parisian residents and insiders
covering everything from fashion to culture to foodie faves in the
city of light.