When you land in Charles de Gaulle airport, taxiing to the gate can feel longer than the flight. Itโs big. And if itโs not a long taxi, it means you might be closer to home than the gate.
That was us on this trip. And unfortunately, before deplaning we had to wait until the wheelchairs were available. My daughter Izzy recently had ankle surgery from a cross country running injury, and much to her despair (โDad itโs embarrassingโ) we were on the wheelchair list. We were joined by all the other crips including an overweight gentleman crutching forward with a duty-free bag of smokes, chocolates, and whiskey.
Thankfully after we took a shuttle bus to the gate, we were met by our pre-booked Meet and Greet representative. He whisked us through customs, gathered our bags and introduced us to our driver.
In case you miss home, driving into Paris during rush hour is like Boston traffic with Star Wars speeder bikes from Return of the Jedi. Motorcyclists fly by as if youโre a tree on Endor. Horns beep, lights flash, and fenders, like ours, are boot-kicked to express displeasure. Bienvenue en France.
Arriving at Le Bristol Hotel you can take a deep breath and be thankful youโre there.
My in-laws Dick and Debbie Young met us in the lobby as we proceeded to glorious Cafรฉ Antonia while waiting for our room. A Cafรฉ crรจme and tomato and cheese omelet later, our room was ready. We unpacked a few items and kept moving. Because itโs always a good idea to keep moving on the first morning. Typically, we walk to lunch at the Mini Palais but this time (reminder, one of us is on crutches) we took a taxi to Paul Bert.ย
โIn another life, should I come back as a restaurant, Iโd like to be the Bistrot Paul Bert, my idea of the quintessential Paris bistro,โ explains Patricia Wells in her must-have Food Loverโs Guide to Paris app. โWhile meat and game reign here, fish lovers will also find a good selectionโsole meuniere, scallops roasted whole in their shellโฆHis classic version of steak frites is among the best in town.โ You can see from my pics below why.
After lunch is always a good time to rest from a full night of travel in preparation for dinner. Itโs also a nice time to stroll Saint Honore to work up your appetite. It would be a shame to show up to dinner stuffed like a goose.
To get the evening off on the right foot, the bar at Le Bristol is a perfect meeting place. If, for no other reason, to sip their house made rum cocktailโan amuse-bouche in a glassโto motivate an on-time rendezvous.
Our first dinner on this trip was at one of our favorites, the Shang Palace within the Shangri-La Hotelโa beautiful palace hotel located in the ritzy 16th arrondissement. On the Right Bank of the Seine, it overlooks the Eiffel Tower where after dinner, if you time it right, youโll see it glitter with diamond-sparkling lights displayed every hour, on the hour, for five minutes.
Ordering at the Shang can be a challenge. Thankfully Becky ordered a number of dishes for the table, including the must have Peking duck. The wine list can be daunting too, but donโt be intimidated. The sommelier is there to guide you, as is the waiter. Relax. Enjoy your champagne. Youโre in Paris.
Read more on my recent trip to Paris in my recent post:ย Paris Update: Notre-Dame, Protests and Your Survival Guy
Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.