In our March Book of the Month, My Secret Guide to Paris by Lisa Schroeder, Nora’s grandmother leaves her a series of notes that take her off on a journey of the City of Lights. Today, we’re giving you a not-so secret guide to Paris, inspired by the locations featured in Lisa’s book!
Here are the locations that Nora’s grandmother sends her to visit through the messages in her letters.
Jean-Paul Hévin’s Chocolate Shop
Jean-Paul Hévin is a manufacturer of high-end chocolate, who actually owns FOUR shops in Paris, plus five in Japan and two in Hong Kong. Nora’s grandmother sends her to one of his shops in Paris to sample their hot chocolate.
The Musée de l’Orangerie is an art gallery located in the Tuileries Gardens in Paris, and features impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. Nora’s grandmother sends her here to view the eight Water Lilies murals by Claude Monet, among its other masterpieces.
The smaller of two natural islands on the Seine River in Paris, the Île Saint-Louis is connected to the mainland by four bridges. It is also connected by bridge to the Île de la Cité, which is home to Notre Dame Cathedral. Nora’s grandmother sends her here to visit some shops and eat ice cream.
Today, the Jardin du Luxembourg is owned by the French Senate, which meets at the Luxembourg Palace. But originally, the palace and its gardens were built as a residence for Marie de’ Medici, the widow of King Henry IV of France. The park today is famous for its vast lawns, beautiful flowers, and the Medici Fountain. Nora’s grandmother sends her here to see the beautiful garden, and catch a puppet show.
The Place du Tertre is a square in Paris’s Montmartre Quarter, famous for its many street artists, who set up shop in the open air every day and sell to tourists. Nora’s grandmother sends her here to visit a particular artist that she was fond of.
The Grand Palais, located in the Champs-Élysées, was originally built for the Universal Exposition of 1900. The large building houses an exhibition hall and a museum. Nora’s grandmother sends her here to attend a fashion show she helped plan, as part of her job.
For the comments: Have you been to Paris? What are your favorite places to visit? OR, if you’ve never been, where would you like to visit?
Novel Novice 