I found myself happily in Alice Polack’s Paris a few days ago, reading her “Paris Edit- The iPhone Note I’ve Been Sending to Friends Visiting Paris - Now Public” list of personal recommendations with her “notes to friends” for each place listed. She’s Paris-born and this matters to me. When I commented that I live in Paris, and I loved her list I was surprised at her response. She wrote back, “Oh thanks so much for the nice message!! Did I forgot some places?” To which I responded, “It's not possible for you to forget places on your own list...”
I’ve been thinking about her response for days, and it inspired me to write today’s post which has been a mumble of musings in my head until today — the usual way that these writings begin.
And, of course, as I was in my “habitude” this morning having my morning hōjicha and reading Substack, the newsfeed fed me Emily’s post which caught my attention because I found the title so ironic: “the paris influencers you shouldn’t listen to - and why it’s not what you think.” Ironic because she belongs to the click of young expat “Influencers” in Paris that her post addresses.
In her piece she shares about her imposter syndrome in not sharing “her list” more formally on a “dormant” website after living in Paris for twelve years. I was surprised to learn this, of course, but I also understand because Emily and I have been in Paris for a decade and it does get complicated the longer you are here.
In my experience the need to share all of my coveted and very special Paris details and addresses becomes less of an urge the longer I live here, maybe this is what becoming Parisian really feels like.
Anyway, the point is, it’s YOUR list. And, this is why people want it. (And, this was the point of Emily’s post too: she shares the links to her Influencer peers’ accounts so that you can find your match.)
The truth is, now more than ever, anyone can ask the all-knowing robots, or Google search until their eyes fall out.
And, everyone on the internet has an opinion about what should and shouldn’t be seen and experienced in Paris. Add to this the enormous swell of expats (mostly American) who have flocked to this city and brought with them an instant expertise on what you should not miss.
Just today I saw a new Reel promoting a “comprehensive” guide compiled over the last year of living in Paris which will be on sale soon — with a pinned Google map of “hidden gems that aren’t on every map.”
I have a confession to make.
I’ve loved Paris for nearly twenty years, since my very first visit, and I’ve lived in Paris for ten years, and I still have not found every hidden gem, nor do I make any claim to know them.
What is a “hidden gem” anyway?
Hidden from whom?
When I looked on her map I smiled, because the map tells me more about this cutie than it does about Paris. It tells me about HER Paris. And, this is what people buy when they buy her guide and her map.
If the guide you are buying is filled with new, hidden gems that were not here last year, five years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago, thousands of years ago…you are buying the Paris story of the story maker.
Just as I was typing that last paragraph, I checked my email and divine timing literally placed an email from Paris Je t’aime in my Inbox with the Subject: “Paris Travel Guide & Sacred Paris - Interview with Paris Je t’aime - Outlook Travel” which made me smile at the synchronicity. Paris Je t’aime is the official tourism office for Paris in the city, I became a business member as soon as Sacred Paris became a French company. I believe so whole-heartedly in supporting local business and in local businesses networking with each other.
Sadly, the email is presented as an exclusive invitation for Sacred Paris, and its Founder (me), but it’s a glorified ad buy pitch. The ads priced between €2895 and €8695 will determine how much editorial Sacred Paris gets in the guide — and then this guide will be presented to the public as a non-biased guide to Paris.
For those of you who don’t know, I was an associate publisher for a city magazine in a past life. I can hear my boss Malcolm saying “no quid pro quo” as I read the email. This was something he constantly said to advertising clients of the magazine as he led the magazine with integrity not wanting to mix advertising with editorial.
This does not happen in Paris.
It is a pay-to-play city, a city that favors Influencers with reach who have ShopMy links and get Press invitations to fashion brand pop-ups, and the newest butter shop openings.
Paris guides are filled with affiliate marketing partnerships, sponsorships and brand favors; partnerships that include an exchange of money for the sharing of content. I was also a luxury travel writer and Influencer ten years ago and I know this world well.
This doesn’t mean that we are writing and sharing content that we don’t endorse, in a perfect world there is alignment, it does mean that a business agreement took place and this always matters.
You are buying the Paris story of the story maker.
You are often buying the marketing of that story maker’s partners.
And, as both Alice and Emily exemplify, it is important to know the source of the information and to ask yourself if you want to be inside the story of the story maker’s Paris.
Which brings me to the most important questions:
What is it about Paris that you love?
When you visit Paris, how do you want to feel?
What calls you to this city?
What personal connection do you have to Paris?
What things matter to you about visiting a place?
What one thing will you be sad about not seeing in Paris when you visit?
I don’t sell a guide to Paris.
I have written two guides: Discovering Mary Magdalene in Paris Guide and a Slow Travel Itinerary for the Marais, but honestly you can find all of the inspiration you need right here on the Sacred Paris Substack. I created the Sacred Paris Companion months ago, it is an anthology of every piece I’ve written and shared on Substack organized by theme so that you can find your way more easily.
I’ve shared 20 Mini Pilgrimages in Paris, one for each arrondissment (neighborhood), along with my own pinned Google maps which you can easily download with other free gifts here. I’ve written about shops, and little museums, and very special places in Paris, and even about the river — all through my own lens of loving this city with my whole heart and founding the first and only slow, sacred travel agency in Paris.
It is always my hope to give more than I take.
One of my most favorite Parisian places to look for city inspiration is My Little Paris, a French resource I have looked up to for many, many years.
There is something to be said for the French, and the way they share their city.
A city I feel blessed to call my home.
From this city of stories,
P.S. I recently added my name to the community of EU writers who object to the use of AI scanning our writing without our consent, which is a breach of EU privacy laws. I’m grateful that Substack has disabled this feature on the Sacred Paris publication as a result. I prefer to have as little space between me and you, my beloved readers, as possible. I have a long career of writing and publishing in my past, I love to write and share here, and I’m grateful to each one of you here with me.
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