A stroll around Paris

Possibilities, possibilities. This is forever the case in Paris, and all the more so if you’re staying centrally. Within 20 seconds of stepping outside my First Arrondissement hotel, Le Burgundy, I’m on Rue Saint-Honore, one of the world’s most feted high-end retail strips, lined with haute-couture, handbag, shoe and perfume stores.

While the likes of Dior and Chanel seduce — and promise to rack up the credit card bill — there is also attractive architecture to admire without the threat of debt. Especially striking, for me, is the Church of Saint-Roch, built in elegant baroque style between 1653 and 1740.

Dreamily portrayed in Impressionist paintings by Camille Pissaro in the late 19th century, Rue Saint-Honore runs for almost 2km, with side lanes and avenues tempting you in different directions.

Running parallel to the south is Rue de Rivoli, which borders the Jardin des Tuileries, a stroll-worthy landscaped park that flanks the River Seine and is bookended by imposing landmarks and gallery spaces (among them the Louvre Museum, the Petit Palais, and the Grand Palais).

Had it been raining, I’d have booked an exhibition ticket at one of those, but I’m in luck. The skies are cloudless, and the creamy stone of the Parisian buildings is resplendent in the sunshine.

Veering north of Rue Saint-Honore, I approach Place Vendome. One of the grandest of all squares in France, it’s framed by palatial neoclassical buildings housing government offices, luxury shops and five-star hotels (notably The Ritz).

Work on this octagonal square began at the end of the 17th century under Louis XIV, who was glorified in an equestrian statue here.

That was yanked down in the French Revolution and later replaced with a 44m-high column commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte. Modelled on Trajan’s Column in Rome, its materials included 1200 melted-down artillery pieces seized from the defeated Russian-Austrian troops in the Battle of Austerlitz (1805), one of the key military events of the Napoleonic Wars.

Pulled down by the rebels of the Paris Commune — which controlled this city for two months in 1871 — the Vendome column was rebuilt and later crowned with a statue of Napoleon.

Gazing up at him as I walk past, I amble by the jewellers of Rue de la Paix, one of the swankiest strips in the French version of Monopoly. Up ahead, I was looking forward to seeing the opulent facade of the Palais Garnier, a magnificent opera house that toasted its 150th anniversary in 2025.

But restoration work is ongoing to this Belle Epoque landmark and it’s currently cloaked with billboards (on my visit, there’s a massive advert featuring the Australian actor — and Chanel brand ambassador — Margot Robbie).

I’m momentarily enticed to escape the crisp winter temperatures in the Galeries Lafayette, one of the “grands magasins” (department stores) of Paris looming across the street.

But I resist, then turn around and head south along Boulevard des Capucines, pausing to admire La Madeleine, which resembles an ancient Roman temple, surrounded on all four sides by Corinthian columns.

It was initially supposed to be a monument to honour Napoleon’s military achievements but it has been a Catholic church dedicated to Mary Magdalene since its completion in 1842. Inside there are religious frescoes to examine, especially on the domed ceiling.

From La Madeleine, if you venture south along Rue Royale, the 3300-year-old Luxor Obelisk is sure to grab your attention. Gifted to the French by Egypt in the 1830s, it soars above the Place de la Concorde between the Jardin des Tuileries and the Champs-Elysees.

I continue walking across this vast cobbled square to the Seine, where I see the sightseeing boats known as the Bateaux Mouches drifting downstream towards the Eiffel Tower.

I walk in the same direction, shuffling beside other tourists along the elevated riverside path, with the setting sun making this afternoon feel even more special.

As the red ball of fire disappears from view, I stroll on to the footbridge called Passerelle Debilly, one of the many structures that span the Seine in this part of Paris.

It was apparently a clandestine meeting place for spies during the Cold War, but it’s now a hive of smiling selfie takers from around the world, with Gustave Eiffel’s masterpiece as the unbeatable backdrop. fact file + For more information on visiting Paris, see parisjetaime.com.