🇫🇷 Paris Lost Generation Walking Tour
Your Walk
You start in the Latin Quarter of Paris, where the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and James Joyce all called home.
🍽️ Your first stop is La Maison d'Isabelle - no, this bakery did not exist in the time of the Lost Generation, but is has some of the BEST pastry I've ever tasted. So good that I've gone twice in one day. Treat yourself to a buttery croissant 🥐, a sweet chausson aux pommes, or a classique pain au chocolat. No matter what you get, you can't go wrong. Do not forget your SVP (s'il te plaît, eng: "see-voo-play") aka "Please" when ordering.
🤓 Once you satiate your inner carboholic, walk your way south to Hemingway's First Paris Apartment and stop by the Pantheon en route. You can't go into Ernest's apartment, but you can still bask in the history of the place. Yes, he was a misogynistic asshole most days, but those were the times and we got some great reading from his revelry.
📚 Next up, you'll head to Shakespeare and Company at 37 Rue de la Bûcherie. Full disclosure, this is NOT the original location, but it's just as whimsical and inspiring. You can find the original Shakespeare and Company location a short distance away as well. Grab a book or two, and take them with you to your next stop... Lunch!
🍽️ You have four options for lunch, all places that Joyce, Fitzgerald, and other prominent writers and artists frequented:
- Les Deux Magots
- Café de Flore
- La Closerie des Lilas
- Le Select
Check out their Google Maps pages and pick your favorite.
🌳 You've filled your belly with escargot, steak tartare, and lots of champagne, now what? A stroll through a beautiful park, of course! Walk off your cafe lunch with a stroll in Jardin du Luxembourg, where Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein used to hang out. Walk through the magnificent gardens and find yourself a nice clean patch of lawn to settle down on for a cat nap.
🛍️ Ready for more exploring? It's time to head to the 1st (aka the 1st arrondissement) for some luxe walking. Meander through the center of Paris to Place Vendôme. Here you'll find all the major Paris fashion houses ready for you to pop in for a shopping spree. If you have money to burn, you can't go wrong with a visit to Chanel 😉 . If you're trying to keep your money in your bank account, that's cool too - indulge in some window shopping.
✨ Your next stop is the Ritz Paris. Would you believe that the likes of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and others stayed here as well!? In fact, Hemingway left several of his Louis Vuitton trunks here for 20+ years that the Ritz staff eventually had to threaten to throw them out in order for him to retrieve them. Good thing he did, since writing stored in his trucks was the basis of one of his final novels - A Moveable Feast. Don't let the pristine hotel staff scare you from going into the hotel. You'll be greeted by a gorgeous lobby, several bars, and tons of little lovely shops.
🍸 While you're at the Ritz, be sure to pop into Bar Hemingway to see if they have any open seats. If not, you can always make a reservation for later.
🍽️ There are plenty of restaurants near in the area to settle in for dinner. I suggest walking to the Palais Garnier for dazzling nighttime views of the famous opera house and then pop into a restaurant or brasserie that looks good to you.
🥃 If you're still dying for one last dose of the Last Generation, make your way to Harry's New York Bar. This bar played host to numerous members of the 1920s expatriate set in Paris and gave their customers a little slice of home 🇺🇸
Destinations
Reading to inspire you!
- A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway
- Tender Is the Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Ulysses, by James Joyce
- The Paris Bookseller, by Kerri Maher
- Shakespeare and Company, by Sylvia Beach
Additional Information, History, & References
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