Paula Hynes: From Paris with Louvre

The Tuilleries gardens in Paris overlooked by the Louvre Museum

I feel rejuvenated after a relaxing weekend in Paris with Pete celebrating our wedding anniversary and a well-earned break after such a long, tiring spring.

Time really does fly; we were 23 years married and Paris truly is a city we love. We went there together as a couple the first year we started going out together and didn’t return until 2022 — what a transformation in the city over those years. 

Many see it as the city of love, but what is love? For many of us it is simply romantic walks and candlelit dinners, but in Paris it is the passion for life, the passion for food, the ability to follow your dreams and the love of fashion.

As we socialised for the weekend I feel as if Ireland could learn so many lessons from Paris given the challenges our country currently faces such as the cost of living, immigration, our hospitality sector seeing so many closures, the need to increase biodiversity and also how farmers are viewed in Ireland.

Many might view a trip to the French capital as a luxury, but the reality is we find it great value for money, we stayed right beside the Louvre in a wonderful boutique hotel, the most amazing location which would have cost us a lot more for similar accommodation in Ireland. 

The Christian Louboutin historical store is within a stone’s throw of the Louvre, down a side street with the original shop frontage.

But what struck me was there were so many restaurants nearby all of which were busy every day and mostly with local customers, but the cost of living is cheaper in Paris and overheads are lower so restaurants can afford to offer value for money and people can afford to eat out. 

From dawn to dusk the passion for food is evident; boulangerie start delivering freshly baked baguettes and pastries to hotels and cafes, restaurant menus name the breed of cattle they source beef from with Charolais and Aubrac being the most popular. Educating the customer on beef breeds gives them a sense of where food comes from.

As we visited some of our favourite places in the city, there is always a need to escape the hustle and bustle. Paris has so many wonderful parks and tree-lined streets. Coffee at Le Cafe Marly overlooking the Louvre Pyramid followed by a leisurely stroll in the adjoining Tuileries Gardens is so relaxing but also quite evident that it is a haven for urban biodiversity. 

It would seem that farmers are the only ones in Ireland being asked to prioritise biodiversity, French culture requires urban biodiversity as part of their quality of daily life and those green spaces have become huge areas for people to socialise in an effort to escape the concrete jungle.

It suddenly struck me that even Christian Louboutin needs the farmer in order to help produce a luxurious product.

An abundance of eateries, architecture, history and parks makes life so relaxing, but no trip would be complete without experiencing some fashion and Parisian chic. I’m not one for big brands but a girl has got to have heels and those who know me know I love my shoes. 

The Christian Louboutin historical store is within a stone’s throw of the Louvre, a quaint little store down a side street with the original shop frontage, the store opened 32 years ago. It’s a shop that really delivers that personal exclusive service and Louboutins are so so comfortable. 

Sipping complimentary champagne as I tried on many pairs, the choice was narrowed down and as I walked in the pair I was eventually treated to, the store assistant Mathilde told me they were made from the softest of fine calf leather. It suddenly struck me that even Christian Louboutin needs the farmer in order to help produce a luxurious product.

We have so many friends in Paris, many of whom dreamed of living there and following their passion in life, such as Gloria Villa, originally from Colombia, who dreamed of becoming a photographer. Ten years after moving to the city, she is now a phenomenal photographer with so many people flying in specially to have shoots with her, not only are her clients a huge boost to the tourist economy, but her images are also an advert for the city as she shoots in the most stunning locations.

Luca Pittalis moved to Paris from Sardinia 20 years ago in search of work and ever since has worked his way up through the restaurant trade. He now owns his own bar called Black Mad Crawler but what makes this bar special is that it has its very own micro-brewery. 

Luca Pittalis at his micro brewery in his bar in Paris

Using 25 different ingredients, Luca sources only the very best to ensure they produce quality refreshing beers that are a huge hit with customers. He sees farmers as an integral part of the craft beer brewing process and his attention to quality produce now sees his beer accepted in the Paris beer festival which runs in May this year.

Onorina Jomir grew up in Moldova, bordering Ukraine, it was part of the former Soviet Union. She told us over dinner one evening how, as a young girl, she spent her summers helping out on her relatives’ small farm in the countryside. She followed her dream of living in Paris and her passion for hair and make-up has seen her become one of the very best stylists and highly sought-after for weddings and photoshoots. 

Her business also employs many more stylists. Not only does she provide an amazing service to clients, she also knows the best stores in Paris to shop for cosmetics and the very best locations across France for weddings.

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Gloria, Luca, Onorina and so many more followed their dreams and passion, worked hard and have now become huge assets to Paris and the French economy. So many Irish emigrated to follow their dreams and build amazing careers and as a nation we must always ensure we are welcoming to immigrants who wish to build a better life for themselves, work hard and help drive our economy.

Paris is by no means perfect; the city faces its share of challenges, but I always feel safer there with a visible police presence who are equipped and capable of dealing with any situation that arises. With so many candidates putting themselves forward for local and European elections, perhaps a weekend trip to Paris might give them a few ideas on how to address the issues in Ireland. 

One thing for sure is, as a farmer I felt a little more appreciated by Parisian daily life.