Bonjour chérie.
Victoria and her charming daughters Arya & Ayla invite you to join them on their Parisian adventure! Read the article to find inspirations and ideas for your next trip from the sweetest and most kind hearted family!
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
It all began last summer with an impromptu invitation. It was the final day of our very first family trip to France & I received a message on Instagram from Charlotte sy Dimby with an invitation to visit her boutique, L'Île Aux Fées. We happened to be at Luxembourg Gardens that day, which is very close to the boutique, as Arya & Ayla wanted to sail boats around the Grand Bassin there. After sailing boats & grabbing a delicious lunch at the Mademoiselle Angelina tea room located in the park, we began our journey to L'Île Aux Fées. When we arrived, we were greeted with the warmest welcome from Charlotte as we entered the truly enchanting space she has created. Arya & Ayla immediately went up to one of the displays & began picking out a few small treasures for our journey home. I only wish we’d had more room in our luggage, as there were so many beautiful items to choose from!
Since then, it fills me with joy to say that I now consider Charlotte to be one of my dearest friends & sources of inspiration! We speak nearly every day & have collaborated on several occasions to create bespoke dress designs for Arya & Ayla, including the blue dresses they are wearing throughout this post. While planning our most recent trip to France, I reached out to Charlotte & she had the wonderful idea to work with the incredibly talented artist, Madeleine Hall, to create a map featuring the five places we would be visiting on one of our special days in Paris. In the end, we came up with a way to document what Arya & Ayla lovingly refer to as our “map day” that was interactive, beautiful, & educational along the way.
Without further ado, here are the five child friendly activities we did on our special “map day” in Paris!
Breakfast at Le Meurice
Our day began with breakfast at
Restaurant le Meurice Alain Ducasse. Inspired by the Salon de la Paix at the Château de Versailles, I could not have envisioned a more opulent setting! It was truly magnificent. The service was excellent & we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast, which included croissants & pains au chocolat created by world-renowned pastry chef Cédric Grolet.
The Eiffel Tower
After breakfast, we set off to see the the Eiffel Tower. We stopped by one of my favorite spots for photos, on
Rue de L’Université, where you can find the loveliest view of the Eiffel Tower, perfectly framed within the iconically Parisian Haussmannian style apartment buildings. I’ve linked the exact address where we took photos
here in case you would like to visit it as well. I never seem to grow tired of seeing this iconic landmark & would love to take Arya & Ayla up to the top to experience the panoramic city view during our next visit to Paris.
The Carousel of the Eiffel Tower
Every day since our previous trip to France, Arya & Ayla have asked to return to Paris to ride on a carousel. After exploring the grounds surrounding the Eiffel Tower, we went on several rides on the
Carousel of the Eiffel Tower. Seeing the looks of pure joy on Arya & Ayla’s faces was absolute bliss. More often than not, it is the simplest things that bring us the greatest joy!
Sailing Boats at Luxembourg Gardens
During our previous visit, Arya & Ayla had a wonderful time sailing boats around the Grand Bassin at the
Luxembourg Gardens. This tradition of renting hand-made wooden boats, known as the P’tits Voiliers, has been around for nearly 100 years. Initially the idea of Clément Paudeau in 1927, who created the wooden boats with sails hand sewn by his wife, the boats rented today have remained largely unchanged since Paudeau’s era, with the addition of new paint & sails over time. It was lovely watching Arya & Ayla partake in such a beloved Parisian tradition, especially since my parents were there to experience it with us this time.
Visiting Boutique L'île Aux Fées
Last, but certainly not least, was our visit to the enchanting
L'île Aux Fées boutique. As previously mentioned, this jewel box of a boutique is owned by my dear friend Charlotte & specializes in limited editions of handmade smocked dresses & baby outfits. My mom often says that Charlotte & I are kindred spirits, & I truly believe that. Charlotte is one of the kindest, loveliest, & most positive people I have ever met & I am incredibly grateful to have her in my life. If you love beautiful, handmade childrenswear as much as I do, then I highly recommend visiting her boutique or
online store. The quality & attention to detail is evident in each piece & I always look forward to seeing the new collections, as well as creating new dress designs for Arya & Ayla. This year, Charlotte had a special board set up for visitors to sign & create artwork that she will be displaying in the boutique. The girls each left their mark & I can’t wait to show them the final product during our next visit!
To receive personalised tips for your Paris trip or have a special map/illustrations made, please contact the Charlotte & Burlington family club by email at info@charlottesydimby.com or on Instagram @charlotteandburlington. You can join the club by clicking here too.
To see more detailed pictures read the article straight on Victoria's blog Gardenia Grove.
Follow Victoria on Instagram : @gardeniagrove @aryaandayla
What a dreamy day! Love this so much!
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