Paola is an Italian mom, woman and engineer who has always been passionate about the web and shopping, a traveler, lover of Nordic style, design, good food and fashion... When Isabella was born, she decided to start her own blog SissiWorld where she shares her passions with many other moms.
Over the years, the blog has grown and evolved, becoming a business and a real lifestyle magazine for moms and kids.
Paola and Sissi are two cosmopolitans: they have always loved to travel and discover new horizons.
Inevitably, our capital city has also found its place in their hearts and today, for our new edition of #ParisSecretByMariePuce, we have the pleasure to present you all their favorite places.
"Undoubtedly, my favorite city in the world is Paris, followed by London and Rome. I love everything that the City of Light represents: fashion, luxury, glamour, vintage elegance, Belle Époque vestiges, bohemian style, its alleys, its gastronomy, its culture, its stores...
When we haven't visited the French capital for a while, we start to feel nostalgic and a great need to visit it again, in order to discover new secret places that we haven't discovered on other occasions.
Having been to Paris many times and knowing everything that is touristy and unmissable (the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the barges on the Seine, Montmartre, the many museums...), we tend to look for those places that are not in the guidebooks and have a lovely charm to add to our very secret (but not anymore!) list of special places in Paris."
LAKE DAUMESNIL AND BOIS DE VINCENNES
This green lung, which does not usually appear as one of the highlights of Paris, is a spectacular garden that deserves to be visited. It was created in 1860 by Napoleon III and includes four lakes (Lac des Minimes, Lac de Gravelle, Lac Daumesnil, and Lac de Saint-Mandé), a castle, a racetrack, a velodrome, a tropical garden, and a zoo.
Next to the Daumesnil lake, you can discover one of the most romantic places in Paris: a pavilion with Greek columns and many bridges. In the north of the forest, you will find the Château de Vincennes, once a royal residence.
CAFE' DES DEUX MOULINS
A must for all movie lovers and lovers of Amélie, because this is the café where her protagonist works. It is located in the Pigalle district, between the Moulin Rouge and the Moulin de la Galette, and was on the verge of bankruptcy before being rented for the shooting of the very famous movie. Today, you can find many souvenirs, photos and references to the fabulous world of Amélie!
THE GARDEN COURTYARD OF THE PLAZA ATHÉNÉE
It would be a dream to stay in this luxurious five star hotel overlooking the Eiffel Tower and in the heart of the capital. However, we can content ourselves by visiting its magnificent Cour Jardin restaurant located in a spectacular interior patio, a green, colorful and sunny garden in the heart of Paris!
SAINTE CHAPELLE
This unknown monument, or at least less known than others, is located on the Ile de la Cité. It is an impressive gothic work that will leave you speechless.
Its imposing stained glass windows create a real spectacle of light and color.
You can also continue your visit to the Conciergerie, a unique historical site located right next to the Sainte-Chapelle in the Palais de la Cité, a former revolutionary court where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned.
THE GREAT MOSQUE OF PARIS
In addition to the minaret, there is also a magnificent hammam surrounded by Arab architecture.The Great Mosque of Paris, located in the Latin Quarter, is the largest in France and the second largest in Europe. Built at the end of the First World War, it is inspired by the Hispano-Moorish mosques.
THE " I LOVE YOU " WALL
After visiting the Pont des Arts, also known as the "bridge of padlocks", don't miss the wall of love located in the Montmartre district. On this original work of 10 meters by 4, designed by the artist Frederic Baron with the collaboration of Claire Kito, you will find how to say "I love you" in 311 different languages.
LE TRAIN BLEU
Visiting Le Train Bleu is like dining in a royal palace! This luxurious restaurant was designed as a buffet for travelers at the Gare de Lyon: it is located inside the station. It is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved corners of the Parisian Belle Époque in the capital and personalities such as Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dalí or Jean Gabin were among its guests.
COVERED PASSAGES
Covered passages were the equivalent of 19th-century shopping malls. Some of them have survived the passage of time, retaining the sophistication and Parisian elegance of the time with minor modifications like glass ceilings.
The Galerie Vivienne is well worth a visit: luxury boutiques, interior design stores, antique shops, art galleries, restaurants, one of the oldest bookstores in the city, and many other businesses. The famous fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier opened his first boutique here. Not to be missed: the Jousseaume bookstore, one of the most atmospheric in Paris, where writers such as Emile Zola and Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette have passed through.
MUSEUM OF CLUNY
The ancient Gallo-Roman baths date back to the 1st century A.D., while the Gothic Hotel de Cluny is one of the few examples of medieval civil architecture in the French capital.
This museum is worth a visit not only for its incredible collection of medieval artifacts (it is also known as the National Museum of the Middle Ages) but also for the magnificent manor house and garden in which it is located.
RUE CRÉMIEUX
This residential street is known for the colorful facades of its houses: a traffic-free street, not far from the Gare de Lyon, that is reminiscent of an open-air gallery.
Let yourself be enchanted by the wonderful works of art: pastel-colored frescoes, drawings of black cats watching over the houses, store signs dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, old clocks, trompe-l'oeil, butterflies painted on the walls and many other particularities to discover.
