by Kate Simon
First published 1966
Kate Simon takes readers on an intimate tour through the Paris she knows and loves. Writing as both insider and guide, Simon shares the cafes where she lingered over morning coffee, the markets where she bought fresh bread, and the quiet squares where she watched daily life unfold. She reveals which neighborhoods reward wandering and which museums hide their best treasures in forgotten corners. Simon describes the rhythm of Parisian days, from the early morning bustle of vendors setting up stalls to the late evening conversations that spill from bistros onto sidewalks. Her recommendations spring from personal experience rather than guidebook convention. She points readers toward the small pleasures that make Paris memorable: a perfect croissant, an unexpected garden, a bookshop that stays open past midnight. Simon writes for travelers who want to experience Paris as residents do, finding joy in ordinary moments and everyday discoveries.
Genres: travel, memoir, cultural, food-writing
Vibes: cozy, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: insider-perspective, personal-journey
Setting: Paris
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
Paperback · Tarcherperigree