A Bucket List item + a Memento
Last year I checked off something on my bucket list: I went to an opera at the Paris Opera House (Palais Garnier). It was just as glorious as I had imagined.
I had taken my son to Paris and jumped at the chance to attend a performance of Handel’s Julius Caesar. We had a tiny box with two kind gentlemen who were big fans of the opera. We enjoyed chatting with them.
The boxes each have a little vestibule where you can hang your coat, leave your bags, and check your appearance (and the door locks from the inside, so when you close the door, no one can enter unless they show their ticket to an usher).
(Note: if you plan to attend, try to find a box where you can sit in the front seats. If you sit in the two behind them, visibility is not as good. The theatre is old and was built for being seen rather than seeing the performance.)
The opera was slated to last four hours with two intermissions but I was so tired that it felt like a balm to sit in such beauty, safe and warm, surrounded by kind people listening to the finest opera in the world.
Afterwards we had dinner at Le Grand Café Capucines and walked home through the Place Vendôme which sparkled as if it was filled with diamonds because of the light rain. Total magic.
Fast forward to this 2025 and the Palais Garnier is celebrating its 150th anniversary. To celebrate this momentous occasion, they commissioned Les Nereides (the Parisian jewelry company I’ve been promoting here in the US) to create jewelry to commemorate the celebration. One of the pieces is a mini opera house pendant, and Les Néréides was kind enough to send me one of them when they became available in the US.
I love it so much, and it means a lot because of my visit last year. Wearing it is like carrying a bit of the magic of that night with me. It would be a beautiful gift for any francophile or music lover.
Here is a link to the entire Opera Collection. Please use code LAURIE15 for 15% off any regular priced items.
I am an affiliate for Les Néréides which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase—at no additional cost to you. I only share products I truly love and believe in. Les Néréides is a brand I personally admire and have collaborated with.