6.30am When I visit Paris I like nothing better than rising early before the rest of the city awakes, with a clear mind and fresh energy for the day ahead.
7am I take a brisk walk to the Place de la Bastille market (on Thursdays and Sundays) and pick up my petit dejuener on my way. I love to go early and buy my favourite French cheeses - ripe Camemberts and maybe a Sainte-Maure de Touraine, as a reminder of my days spent living in Tours.
9am I wander back through the beautiful Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris in the Marais, and stop for coffee. Time for my notebook and sketches.
10.30am How can I resist popping in to one of my favourite fashion boutiques Merci, full of stylist temptations?
11am I stroll down to the Siene and look out toward Notre Dame, checking to see the renovation progress since the fire in 2019, passing by La Samaritaine department store and L'Hotel Cheval Blanc that has one of the best views of the river.
12pm I cross teh river at the Pont des Arts (a bridge famous for its love locks) and pop into Buly 1803 to buy sme tuberose soap.
1pm Walking along the Rive Gauche, the southern bank of the River Siene, I head towards Musee d'Orsay: a recurring pilgrimage to my favourite works of art and the museum's latest exhibitions. I'll stop in for a short while and visit Manet's 'Olympia' and 'Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe'.
2pm I journey out of the city centre to the Chateau de Versailles, celebrating its 400 year anniversary in 2023. The majestic entrane gates are said to be covered in 100,000 sheets of gold leaf - shining brilliantly in the sun exacty as the Sun King Louis XIV would have wanted. Sometimes I stay late till the sun sets and listen to the music at the Royal Opera House.
6pm I arrive back in Paris in the late afternoon and meet a friend for an early dinner. I'll reserve Monsieur Dior at 30 Montaigne to try chef Jean Imbert's latest creations, who is know for his refined and elegant dishes.
8pm I walk home in the spring twilight, passing the twinkling windows of the Place Vendome stores as the city's nightlife begins to murmur all the way from Le Marais to Montmartre.
