Oftentimes when you mention France, everyone automatically assumes your going to Paris. That is normal for anyone who is not French because it is one of the many places you’re encouraged to visit, because it is considered the city of love.
While my many trips to Paris have always been memorable and extremely fulfilling, I honestly have to say that my last trip to France, during Fashion Week, proved to be the most amazing trip for me. Although the trip was scheduled for work to shoot one of our beauties for this story, I was even more excited about this particular visit because of my invitation to see the Elie Saab show in Paris, along with an invitation to Cesare Paciotti shoe collection at Bar du Hotel, Hotel Plaza Athenee—absolutely breathtaking experiences and worth every dime.
So we decided we needed to take in more of Paris, but I wanted to have a different experience that would be for a different kind of travel. The young, fashion-forward kind of bride that still loves Paris and all she brings but wanted the quaint small town experience that would remind her why she fell in love. So I found Sannois. I wanted to fluff it up for our readers; therefore, I decided to Google some more information about the beautiful quaint town. However, I found very little that would make headlines for big city seekers. Ultimately, I gave up on it and said why is Sannois and its beauty not enough to move our readers to travel? It moved me. It left a lasting impression on me. So here goes.
Sannois is by far one of the most beautiful, warm suburbs I have been to since my travels to Bari (Italy), and Seville (Spain). It’s a nice train ride from Paris, 12.5 km to be exact. The train stop is Sannois. Once you get to your destination depending where you stay, hotel, bed & breakfast, you can either walk, take a bus, or taxi. We tried them all. The walk was great it allowed us to explore the small town, and see the shops that made the town homey. They had their typical shops: dry cleaners, laundromat, grocery store, school, church, restaurants, bakery, bars, post office, etc. After a week we started to discover more and more great little boutiques, and the owners started to recognize us, and look for us to return. Everyone began to recognize the strangers… we felt at home. We were even able to find a vintage shop where we were able to grab a vintage Dior purse for a steal. We were in fashion heaven.
We dined at a French Tunisian family-owned restaurant and they were gracious enough to allow us to shoot some of our images in their establishment. This couple generously gave us the beautiful tidbits of the small town and we know we had chosen wisely. Hosting us was an effortless task, as they often host wedding reception there for various customers. The setup was designed to accommodate a decent size group and even provide live music. The food was magnificent and the service worth writing about. True hospitality.
So while Paris maybe everyone’s default dream place to go to when visiting France, you may still be able to enjoy both sides of the coin by staying in Sannois, and traveling to Paris which is no more than 45 minute train ride that will allow you to commute in peace with your beloved.
Photographer Yuji Watanabe, Hair and makeup by Chanelle Morris, Location Sannois France, Dresses by Yumi Katsura.
