A day in Paris

Paris, France

Morning - sidewalk cafe

Cold morning air sits on the wrought-iron chairs outside a café terrace. I stroll past the small tables on a wide, tree-lined footpath. The Champs-Élysées stretches between the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe, and these café terraces are part of its classic street life.

Morning - outdoor cafe

Butter and warm pastry rise from the bakery counter beside this round table. I sip an espresso and keep a croissant pur beurre for breakfast. Bakers layer rich butter into yeast dough and bake these crescents fresh each morning, with flaky golden layers and a tender centre.

Golden Hour - city skyline

Soft late light spreads across the skyline as the sun dips below the horizon. I watch from the terraced gardens on this steep hill. Sacré-Cœur, a white travertine basilica on Montmartre, sits at the highest natural elevation in Paris and looks over the city.

Golden Hour - street corner

Warm streetlamps come on at this corner while the air turns cooler. I adjust my jacket and stay on the pavement. Modern Parisians favour a tailored, understated style, with neutral colours and a classic trench coat for evenings like this.

Night - city avenue

Voices and traffic fill this broad avenue as night settles in. I laugh as I head along the footpath between the trees. Twelve broad avenues meet at the Arc de Triomphe, and its rooftop platform looks straight down the Champs-Élysées.

Night - bistro table

Caramelised onions scent the air above this bistro table under small lights. I sit down and order French onion soup. Deeply caramelised onions simmer in beef broth with herbs and wine, and the soup arrives piping hot in a ceramic crock under a toasted bread crouton.

Night - Eiffel Tower

Iron latticework glows above the public lawns of the Champ de Mars. I look up at the illuminated Eiffel Tower. Conceived as a temporary exhibition monument, it became the defining symbol of the French capital, and visitors climb the stairs or take elevators for views of the river and avenues.

Night - city overlook

Cool night air meets me on this overlook above the city lights. I wave goodbye before I leave Montmartre. September and October bring comfortable temperatures and autumnal light, a better time to come than July and August, when crowds and heatwaves arrive.