London & Paris 2025

We spent a full week immersed in London at Christmastime, staying near Piccadilly Circus, right in the heart of the city’s holiday buzz. From this perfectly central base, we explored London’s glittering light displays, historic landmarks, world-class museums, and cozy pubs during what truly feels like the city’s most magical season. Our days were filled with wandering beneath the glowing arches of Regent...

Postman’s Park & G. F. Watts Tucked behind busy streets, Postman’s Park felt like a pause in London’s heartbeat. Quiet benches, worn paths, and old gravestones pressed close to surrounding buildings—history layered tightly here. What drew us in was the wall of hand-painted ceramic plaques: George Frederic Watts’ Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice. Each plaque tells a brief, devastating story—ordinary...

Parliament Visit We stepped into the heart of British democracy — and into nearly a thousand years of history — as we visited the Houses of Parliament while both chambers were in session. We entered through Westminster Hall, the enormous stone chamber begun in 1097 and completed around 1099. The moment we walked inside, the scale of it washed over us: a vast floor of ancient stones polished by centuries of...

Tower Bridge, London We took the Tube to Tower Hill Station, emerging beside the ancient stone walls of the Tower of London. Just a couple of blocks away, Tower Bridge rose ahead of us—massive, ornate, and unmistakably London. Walking through this area felt like moving through layers of history, centuries stacked one atop another. We arrived early for our timed tickets, and with a friendly smile, the attendant...

Rudy’s Pizza, Soho After drinks at a bar on Rupert Street, we wandered only a few minutes before the glow of Rudy’s Soho pulled us in. Casual, lively, no fuss—exactly what we wanted. The scent hit first: hot dough, tomato, and that unmistakable wood-fired char. We ordered a Neapolitan pizza, and almost before we’d settled in, it arrived. From order to table was just minutes—blistered crust, soft center...

Rue des Archives — Le Marais, Paris We stayed at 54 Rue des Archives, in the Marais — not a hotel, not a replica, but a real Parisian building that has been standing for centuries. To reach the apartment, we climbed two flights of narrow, wooden spiral stairs, the treads deeply worn and cupped from generations of footsteps. The wood was smooth and soft underfoot, hollowed by time rather than design. Each step...

Le Oken Café — Le Marais Our first afternoon in Paris, we wandered just one block from the apartment and landed at a corner café that immediately felt right. Le Oken wasn’t flashy or precious — just steady, warm, and comfortably Parisian. By the third visit we had the same waiter each time, which somehow made us feel like we’d been quietly folded into the neighborhood. Richard ordered the beef tartare. The...

Inside Notre-Dame, while Mass was underway, I lit a candle in quiet remembrance of Ger, my brother-in-law, who passed away while we were on this journey. The cathedral was filled with chanting—three priests, incense in the air, the low echo of voices rising into stone that has held prayers for centuries. As the flame caught, it felt steady and deliberate, a small light in an immense space. Grief and gratitude sat...

After the Louvre Museum, we crossed the river to the Musée d’Orsay—and quickly realized we hadn’t given ourselves nearly enough time. Both museums are overwhelming in the best possible way, with collections so deep and varied they demand hours, even days. Orsay felt especially unforgettable: the soaring interior of the former train station, the immense clock faces overlooking the Seine, and the elegant way...

Le Jules Verne — A Night Above Paris Reservations for Le Jules Verne were made exactly 90 days out. We requested window seating in the main dining room—no guarantees, just hope. Tuxedos for both of us. This was a special night with Richard, one we wanted to remember. At 7:00 p.m., we rode the private elevator up through one of the Eiffel Tower’s girder legs, steel rushing past as Paris dropped away beneath us...

The Louvre Museum is massive—almost impossible to fully grasp in a single visit. Old Paris wrapped around a modern heart, with the glass pyramid rising from the historic stone like a quiet provocation. Despite the crowds, the museum handled the flow remarkably well. We made our way to see the Mona Lisa—smaller than imagined, surrounded by people, yet strangely magnetic. Her eyes really did seem to follow us...

After touring the Louvre and the Orsay, we walked west through the Tuileries, the Louvre glowing behind us at one end and the ancient Luxor Obelisk rising at the other. We passed the site of the Olympic torch balloon, a quiet marker of recent history, and continued on toward the obelisk standing at the head of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, its long, tree-lined corridor stretching all the way to the Arc de...

We’re kicking off the holiday season with a magical trip to Europe in December 2025 — starting with a week in London, followed by a scenic ride on the Eurostar (Chunnel train) to Paris, just in time for Christmas festivities. In Paris, we’ll be staying in an Airbnb in the 3rd Arrondissement, the heart of the Marais — perfect for strolling to cafés, museums, and festive markets. Plans include a dinner at the...