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I was delighted to return to Paris for another week while Bryan was in London on his work trip. My friend Karina kindly offered for me and Bailey to stay at her place, so again I got to experience the city feeling like a local. She has a lovely apartment with a patio in the 11th arrondissement.

The first night of my stay overlapped with our friends Seth and Kerry again, so we agreed to meet up for dinner. Walking into the Montmartre neighborhood, I noticed that the streets and bars were packed with people. At first I thought it was something related to soccer, but then I realized they were all wearing Tour de France shirts and watching the race on TV. As I got closer, I saw barricades set up in the street. Apparently I had stumbled onto the course, where the cyclists had passed through only minutes earlier. At that point, they were racing towards the Champs-Élysées to finish the race. It was exciting to see the crowds and to know that, if I were more tuned into world sporting events, I could’ve even seen the race!

I was glad I left Bailey at home since things were a little crazy in the streets as the race was ending:

I found Seth and Kerry, and we sat outside induldging in French onion soup (it’s just onion soup here), beef bourgignon, and goat cheese salad.

Then we walked up to one of my favorite places in Paris, the Sacré Couer, for a glimpse of the sunset and moonrise.

It was good to see friends again. They were heading off to Germany, so we said goodnight, and I settled into my solo (with a dog) week in Paris.

Dog Friendly Activities

Bailey and I continued seeking out dog-friendly activities in the city, and we found some great ones.

Coulée Verte

Paris has a 4.5km path that takes you up above the city (I learned that it was the model for the highline in NYC), through lush gardens and green spaces, and under tunnels. It gets you fully in touch with nature, and it’s dog friendly. Just make sure to check the entry and exit points to know where you can access the trail.

Bois de Vincennes & Chateau de Vincennes

The Coulée Verte leads all the way to the Vincennes forest, the largest green space in Paris, where there are loads of trails to walk with your dog. We walked through the forest and caught a glimpse of the Chateau de Vincennes. I was originally thinking of staying out in this area, but it was a lot quieter with less to do, and I was glad I chose to stay in Paris.

Le Bone Appart

We made a return visit to Bailey’s favorite dog cafe, Le Bone Appart. She found a lot of dog friends to play with and enjoyed a croissant-shaped cookie.

Canal Saint-Martin

We didn’t spend a lot of time here, but it was a nice place to walk with Bailey, and I’d like to revisit it someday. Apparently people even go swimming in the canal when the weather is hot.

Humans-only Activities

Food Tour

I’m not sure if you really need to go on a food tour in Paris, because it’s so easy to find amazing meals and snacks everywhere. Just pop into any bakery or restaurant. But I had an Airbnb discount, so I booked a lunchtime tour with No Diet Club (a great name, by the way). It ended up being more like a walking tour with snacks along the way, which was nice for not feeling too stuffed. And I got to try some foods that I wouldn’t have found on my own, like falafel and the most incredible cream puffs (choupettes de chouchou) and raspberry-pistachio macarons.

59 Rivoli

After the food tour, I had a little bit of time left before work, so I stopped by 59 Rivoli, a six-story working art gallery on a main shopping street in Paris. The entire building is a creative masterpiece, from the quirky exterior to the painted staircases inside. There was so much to see in every room on every floor, and some of the artists were there working, so you could say hello.