Even with only a day and a half, the trip felt unmistakably Parisian. We landed and went straight to the Louvre, then stopped at a little café on the walk to our hotel before finally slowing down for a few hours. Standing on our little balcony at Résidence du Louvre, looking down onto a narrow cobblestone lane surrounded by old façades, flower boxes, café awnings, and rows of windows with iron railings, I felt transported to the 1700s, when carriage wheels clattered over the stones, vendors called from below, and voices carried between the buildings.

That evening, we traded the quiet little street for the grandeur of Palais Garnier and watched a ballet performance of Giselle. The next morning started with pastries at Ladurée before we set off again, making our way past the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower, wandering the streets and souvenir shops, and eventually boarding a cruise along the Seine. A light drizzle darkened the pavement and softened the skyline, making the gray, overcast weather feel more atmospheric than gloomy.