Family Reunions
Paris, Normandy & the South Coast in 10 days
Trip Highlights
Some journeys are about ticking off sights. This one was about retracing a life chapter. Thirty years ago, work had brought them to France, years filled with discovery, travel, and the quiet anticipation of welcoming their first child.
Decades later, they returned as a family. Spots designed a journey from the shores of Normandy to the boulevards of Paris, then south through Provence’s lavender fields to the harbors of Marseille. Each stop balanced memory with discovery, transforming the couple’s history into an experience their children could now share.
Our Role
- Private airport transfers and chauffeur service for seamless travel
- Exclusive access to experiences beyond the standard itinerary
- Curated, off-the-beaten-path routes tailored to their story
- Dining arranged with care for dietary needs
Paris
After a long journey from Taiwan, we designed a soft landing in Paris, beginning at the Bourse de Commerce, a newly renovated art space that blends architecture and design.
In the afternoon, to avoid the heat and crowds, we arranged a private Seine cruise. With the boat to themselves, they drifted past Paris’s landmarks at an unhurried pace, listening to stories that connected the Paris they once knew with the one they were rediscovering now.
Our curated spots
Monmartre & Pigalle
The second day shifted from observing to participating. The morning began with a private pastry class that gave them a hands-on connection to Parisian life. Later, a private guide led them on a walking tour through Montmartre and Pigalle, balancing landmarks like Sacré-Cœur with quiet backstreets still alive with artists’ studios.
Lunch was at a traditional bouillon — once the canteen of Parisian workers, now preserved in both menu and atmosphere. The day closed at the Moulin Rouge, where champagne and cabaret brought a glittering finale to an itinerary designed to capture Paris’s many textures.
Versailles
Since they had visited Versailles before, we avoided the standard palace route and curated a return that revealed a different side of the estate. A reserved golf cart carried them directly to the Grand and Petit Trianon, often overlooked but rich with history and far from the palace crowds.
By the Grand Canal, we arranged a picnic with fresh market provisions, complete with wine and cheese tasting by a sommelier. Rather than rushing back, they stayed into the evening for the summer fireworks in the gardens.
Carefully timed and seamlessly planned, it was Versailles experienced not as tourists, but as returning guests.
Normandy — Mont Saint-Michel & Étretat
Just three hours from Paris, Normandy’s dramatic cliffs, historic towns, and coastal cuisine made for an ideal two-day escape.
At Mont Saint-Michel, the medieval abbey (a UNESCO World Heritage site) seemed to rise straight from the sea. We timed their visit precisely with the tides, a detail most travelers miss, so they could experience both of its striking faces: first as an island, then as a sandbank connected to the mainland.
The next day, a private driver brought them to Étretat, where the chalk cliffs that once inspired Monet framed their coastal hike. The day ended with a seafood dinner by the water, a local moment that tied Normandy’s natural drama to its culinary heritage, and a meaningful nod to their hometown of Kaohsiung, a coastal city in Taiwan also known for its exceptional seafood.
Provence to Marseille
For their journey south, we gave the family freedom on the open road — a road trip through Provence that echoed the parents’ early adventures together. With the route and hotels arranged in advance, they were free to linger in Avignon, pause in villages like Gordes and Roussillon, and arrive in Marseille without the stress of logistics.
Their stay ended at a seaside hotel with sweeping views of the Mediterranean. To complete the experience, we arranged a private guide for the Calanques, leading them on a balanced hike that revealed some of the region’s most spectacular vistas.
Paris Finale
We closed the trip with a day that reflected their love of souvenirs with a story. The morning was spent at Paris’s largest vintage market, where they discovered art de la table pieces and ornaments to carry home.
Lunch was in Belleville, the heart of Paris’s Chinese community, where they reconnected with familiar flavors while seeing how culture adapts and thrives in new places. The evening ended with sunset at Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, a hidden hilltop garden with sweeping views across the city.
It was a fitting finale: a day that recalled their early years in France, but with new layers of meaning now shared as a family.
