Just an ordinary room at the Hotel des Grands Hommes
Almost 20 years ago, when Belovedest and I first went to Paris, we stayed at the Hotel des Grands Hommes (the hotel of the great men, NOT the hotel of the big guys). I don’t even remember how the hotel was chosen, but we really enjoyed it, and have been back a few times since then, but not recently.
But when we were planning for our anniversary, it seemed an obvious choice, and it was a BRILLIANT selection. They continue to enhance the rooms and the common areas, and literally every corner of every section of the hotel is beautiful and holds delights. Our room was small, of course, but beautifully appointed, with a bathroom that was both spacious and utterly immaculate.
Chambre 31 – our delectalicious room.
Hotel des Grands Hommes – at the Place du Pantheon (seriously, literally 30 feet from the Pantheon). Gracious, English-speaking staff, a beautiful hotel, excellent service – I can’t recommend it highly enough.
One of the oddest experiences we always have in Paris is that we seem to hear the same songs over and over – and not necessarily things like top 40 hits! Our very first visit, we hear Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” at LEAST four different places – it became almost bizarre…
This trip, we heard these two. For this first one, I defy you to sit and watch this without at least wanting to dance.
And the other song we heard repeatedly was an oldie. We hear a lot of blues, soul and jazz when we’re in Paris. Maybe it’s just where we hang out, or maybe it’s a wider-spread thing…
So that was my Paris, this trip… Blissful, beautiful, and full of love…
What a lovely travel report, Janice! Thanks for sharing the bliss.
Where are you hearing this music? I lived in Japan for a while and worked at various shopping malls. The shopping malls and department stores all had subscriptions to a music service so it was the same in each place and changed at the same time. It was always a wide variety – a little bit of J-Pop, some Top 40, oldies, even a few Latin tunes.
It could be the same type of music service in Paris.
Enjoy the rest of your trip!
I know some of it was from radio, some of it was the DJ playing in the Stade de France, but you're entirely right that others could have been a music service. Thanks for that insight!
Janice, I don't know if you'll see this, but I learned in French class last night that Sinatra's "My Way" is a cover of "Comme d'habitude" by Claude François, France's decades-ago answer to Brad Pitt. The song, in any form, is kind of an anthem here. Another well-loved song, "Vous les Femmes," was used in a lovely little filmlet called "Comme un Air," which you can find on YouTube ( http://youtu.be/2MNBcKhhGI0 ). As always, I love your blog, but most especially when your time in Paris coincided with mine!
I've always liked "Comme D'Habitude" and I never really knew who's version came first. Thanks!
Those rooms are truly beautiful. Makes me think of capsule wardrobes!
Janice, Could you do a capsule wardrobe on the room you stayed in! It would be fun to see!
Karen
Beautiful very French room! The 5th is a great area. I second this request: a capusle inspired by this room decor, please. :-)
Clapping along. :)
I adore that classic French wallpaper/fabric decor. I got to stay in a hotel of similar style once–alas, they redecorated a few years later.
What a lovely room – perfectly Parisian! Looking into this hotel for a Paris/Bordeaux Music and Markets tour in the fall – merci!
Sigh…it seems all my favorite bloggers are going to France, are in France (living or visiting), or have just returned from France! I'm going get out my French books, order up some language lessons, and start saving my pennies. I'm so glad you've had a chance to return to a hotel with memories, and find that it only changed for the better. Enjoy the rest of your trip (if you are still traveling).
Ooh, lush! Those Frenchies really know how to decorate a room, don't they?
If you were in Paris March 20, it was International Happiness Day, and Pharell Williams partnered with the UN Foundation to celebrate. That song was all over the U.S. last week too, and I dance around each time I see the video.
I loved your Paris posts. And thank you for arranging to post while gone – I needed the reminders of a different approach to dressing (and shopping).