Place des Vosges on a chilly day in Paris

On a freezing Paris morning, we headed off on foot to Place des Vosges, just near the Marais district on the Right Bank. Our walk from rue St Sulpice took us past Notre Dame Cathedral and Paris’ impressive town hall, Hotel de Ville. It was then an easy ten minute walk to Place des Vosges, a unique square of 36 symmetrical buildings.

The parkland in the middle of the square makes a lovely quiet spot to rest and is a favourite amongst local residents, and braving the icy winds, we sat on a park bench and ate baguettes. We then wandered under the arcaded verandahs on all four sides of the square which are home to a few restaurants and professional offices, and many galleries.

The former home of Victor Hugo is now open as a museum about the author but with the weather becoming even colder, we opted to give it a miss and make our way home.

A cosy café opposite Notre Dame beckoned us in, and we warmed up with hearty soup before returning to our apartment for a quiet afternoon. Paris turned on her charm for us in the afternoon with a heavy snowfall, but thankfully we were indoors.

By the time the evening arrived the snow had stopped so we made our way back to St Michel for a typically French meal on our last evening in Paris. Le Bistrot 38 offered a delicious ‘Le Menu’ for €12 and we enjoyed snails, Beef Burgundy and apple tart. It was a very tasty way to finish our stay in Paris.

Next we’re heading south to the Languedoc region for a week.