I've been dreaming about this trip so long I can't even pinpoint how long it's been on my mind. But about five years ago, I put a deadline on my dreams and promised myself I would visit Italy to celebrate my 40th birthday.
While what I originally envisioned—renting a villa in Tuscany with my closest friends—didn't quite happen, I wouldn't change anything about our trip.
Accounts from our friends who took their own trips to Europe and many, many YouTube videos and articles helped us narrow down what to do, where to go, and how to go about it.
Our first stop was Paris. My mother-in-law, who is also celebrating a milestone birthday this year, wanted to visit the City of Lights.
I have been interested in visiting Paris since hearing the stories of Black Americans seeking refuge and even finding success in the city. Stories about Josephine Baker, WWII veterans, and even Blacks leaving for Paris after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 all leapt into my mind as we made our way across the Atlantic Ocean.
On the plane, I relistened to an episode of This American Life where a Black American shared the lightness she felt in Paris versus living in the US. And how her Americanness gave her privileges over the African and Muslim who moved to the country.
At home, I feel more Black than American, and I wondered how my relationship to those identities would change on my travels to Europe. Because there's always a shift when I go outside the country. My American identity seems to outweigh my Blackness, and it was no different in Paris and parts of Italy.
We touched down in Paris early Sunday morning. It was freezing cold, which made for a miserable start. Exhausted from traveling and thrusted into the light of day while on the East Coast it was still the middle of the night.
Our hotel was located in the 12th arrondissement, and right next to the metro, which made travel to anywhere in Paris super easy. And no matter where you find yourself, you can always locate a restaurant or cafe with no problem. So, you’ll find little recommendations in this recap because for most of the places we visited, I simply pulled out my phone and used Google maps to find somewhere good to eat. I will say, I tried to walk far away from tourist areas to avoid overpriced and mediocre food. Though, we did get caught up around the Louvre.
Travel days are always rough, especially when you're crossing several time zones, so we didn't get up to much that first day. We visited a garden and had dinner at ANCO, where I had my favorite dish in Paris. I had an incredible mushroom risotto with edamame and decorated with Parmesan crisps. To drink, I enjoyed Goudale’s Blond Ale, which was reminiscent of Belgian-style beers.
Our first full day in Paris, we spent most of our morning at the Louvre, walking around the museum and surrounding gardens until our feet ached. The museum is one of the most popular in the world, and it’s for a reason. I highly recommend getting a ticket in advance to skip the lines. And I would say the Louvre is a must-see if you enjoy museums. Lunch was pretty mediocre, so we won’t waste our time there.
That night, we stayed by our hotel, stopping into a brasserie for drinks and light snacks and then walking down the block for pizza and wine. The owner of the pizza shop fell in love with my sister, which made for good jokes around the table.
Buzzing on alcohol and the simple joy of being in Paris, we popped into a local store for beer. The shop owner snuck us a four pack of Leffe beer since they weren't allowed to sell alcohol so late into the night.
We skipped back to our hotel, me, my husband, and his sister crowding into our small hotel room to talk about everything and nothing. One of our rituals when the three of us get together. By the end of the night, we were filled with booze and only walked a few steps from our hotel. Probably my favorite thing about this trip is the walkability of each city we visited and how easy it was to pop into a shop or restaurant.
We woke up to a rainy day in Paris. Spring brings occasional showers, which we expected throughout our trip, but this day was particularly wet. Though, we were still able to spend a majority of our time outside. Our first stop was Notre Dame, which is still under meticulous construction from the 2019 fire and then made our way into the Latin Quarter, the most beautiful neighborhood we visited in Paris.
After another mediocre lunch, we walked over to the Pantheon where Josephine Baker was entombed, the only Black woman to be buried there. The rain let up enough for us to visit the Jardin des Plantes.
Before heading back to our room, we stopped into Pierre Hermé for the most delicious macarons. The macarons were soft, pillowy. The Rose, Litchi & Raspberry macaron tasted like sticking your nose into a fragrant bud. The praline macaron transported me to River Street in Savannah. Yes, I’m still thinking about them.
For dinner, we dined at East Mamma, an Italian restaurant part of the Big Mamma’s group. I tried to avoid Italian food while in Paris, but surprisingly there were so many Italian restaurants, I gave in.
I had a toothsome pesto pasta and a gin hibiscus tonic. And because we were in Europe, where my lactose intolerance was completely absent, I took every chance to eat all the creamy foods I stopped eating more than a decade ago. My order for tiramisu prompted a waiter to bring the entire pan to the table like nonna was serving it to me in her kitchen.
Every single bite was delicious. Rich, creamy layers that coated the insides of my mouth with bitter espresso and chocolate and cookie bits that had turned as soft as the mascarpone. The magic of tiramisu is the balance of bitterness against sweet. I walked home returning to each delicious spoonful
Our last day in Paris, we spent under the Eiffel Tower freezing in line to venture up to the top. There was a moment when the sun came out and the crowd was seconds away from breaking out in song. My sister and I might have started singing just a little. After two hours of shuffling through the line, we took the elevator up to the first level of the Eiffel Tower. Now I'm afraid of heights, so the ride up and walk down were terrifying for me. But I made it.
We stopped by a nearby market where there was so much delicious street food. I stopped by a stand where I got the most delicious noodles.
We walked back over to the Arc de Triomphe and then headed over to the Champs Elysees to do some window shopping. Our last night in Paris, we enjoyed an extravagant dinner at L’European with oysters and steak with bearnaise sauce and whiskey. It was a mostly delicious meal, even though salt came nowhere near my steak.
And then my husband and I were off the next morning to Italy, which I’ll share with you next week.
I didn’t expect to fall so in love with this city, but I did. The ease of walking through the city and popping into any boulangerie or brasserie that caught my eye. Everyone is just so well dressed, even standing the metro is a sight to see. The city is beautiful. The people are beautiful. The desserts are phenomenal. I’m already plotting my return.
What’s Good
What Paris means to Black Americans
Tracing Cognac’s Historical Connection to Black Culture in America
For anyone heading to CBC in the next few weeks: Vegas (Beer), Baby!
Thank you for reading!
Until next time,
Stephanie
About me: I'm Stephanie Grant, a born-and-bred ATLien and the writer behind this newsletter. I’m also a content creator for the food and beverage industry and one of the hosts of the award-winning Good Beer Hunting podcast. In 2023, I launched The Share Community, a digital space for women and non-binary people of color who want to advance their career in the beer industry. You can also find more of my work on Instagram.
I felt the same way about Paris- I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did but now have to go back. Can’t wait to read about Italy!
Sounds like a lovely trip! Thanks for "Sharing" =)