I love going to the city, but I like returning home even more.
We traveled to Chicago last weekend for one night to spend the day eating great food, doing a little shopping, taking a historical architecture boat tour (which is pretty amazing) and exploring some new shops. On Instagram, I had come across a sweet little French store call P.O.S.H. and was determined to find it and we did, and what a gem.
The shop was located in a beautiful historical building which still had the originally wooden built-ins and woodwork throughout the shop. Antique paintings, mirrors and French books lined the walls and floors scattered between home décor items, French soaps, books, drinkware and French/English antiques. It was a prefect, little French shop.
I traveled to Paris in 2002 while studying abroad and doing an internship in London that summer. I got to see the Eiffel Tower, eat at amazing French cafes, and visit the Palace of Versailles all which left a strong impression on me. The culture, the people, the architecture, the history, the food, the gardens, etc. were all incredibly beautiful and whimsical. But the little French shops were sweet, small and organized in a traditional shop keeping manner (items on display, some sorted by color, small arrangements of goods, etc.) It was almost enchanting each time you entered a little shop.
This French store in downtown Chicago carried me back to my college years and my time in London and Paris. And the shop was very enchanting and filled with interesting items both old and new. My big purchase was a French sugar and milk (creamer) set which the words sugar and cream are in French.
The store was the worth the short walk and then we headed out to boat for the historical architecture tour. The Chicago Architecture Society does an amazing 90-minute tour down the Chicago River. The guides who lead the tours tend to be retired college history professors and they are full of interesting information. Seeing Chicago from the river is different than walking the streets, a completely different perspective. The buildings, both old and new, give way to change and progression. The city is always changing but its historical roots run deep as we listen to stories about the Great Chicago Fire, the World’s Fair, the building of the first skyscraper in Chicago (it was a whole 9 stories tall) and other interesting facts about Chicago, the buildings, the people, and the history.
Highly recommend a boat tour from the water, from the river and if you love anything old, French or English, then go to hunt down the little French Shop called P.O.S.H. It’s always fun to go the city, even better to come home to the country (with my new French sugar and creamer set).
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