100 Great things to do in Paris

Thanks Desiree, when I go to the store this afternoon I will look for it.
Judy

thanks desiree i am also off to buy a new gourmet and i will be bringing it to paris with me in april

Geeeeee... I thought this would be *our* list of the 100 great things we have done. Before I go out to nab *my* copy of Gourmet Magazine I'll toss out a few.

1. Sit in a cafe with a glass of wine, some bread and pate and watch Paris go by. Rain or shine it's fascinating.

2. Walk along the Seine on the Left Bank from Pont Alexander to Ile St. Louis.

3. Take the 3 hr Canal St. Martin cruise that goes from near Musee D'Orsay to Parc de la Villette.

4. Attend a ballet performacne at Paris Opera Palais Garnier and stare at the Chagall ceiling. Also at the ballet too

5. Visit the Arab Institute [not the correct full name] and see the building and what exhibit is on. Maybe the small craft fair will be there too!

Who's up for numbers 5-10 here?? Only 95 to go

No. 1 is my personal favorite minus the pate, but I have a few to add.

6. Stroll the Champs Elysees for hours and just people watch and go in and out of shops, cafes, etc.

7. Sit in the Tuilleries with your feet up and a good book or magazine or just watch the people.

8. Spend hours and hours in the Louvre just relishing in all that wonderful art!

9. Take the boat ride down the Seine on a warm evening.

10. Have a wonderful expensive meal at a great French restaurant and just enjoy it for hours and hours and hours.

11. Take the trip to Versaille when the fountains and music are on and just imagine what Heaven is like!! That is it!

12. Spend a Spring or Summer afternoon in Giverny and see why Monet painted some of the most gorgeous paintings around! It is a most breathtaking display of flowers ever!

13. Take pictures and more pictures and bring plenty of film, because there is never a time when you won't want to snap something! Paris is magnifique!

14. Take a Saturday morning jog in the Luxembourg Gardens.

15. Stroll around the Carre Rive Gauche, window shopping for antiques.

16. Spend the day in Chartres and wander the streets of the town (a mini Venice of sorts) after touring the cathedral.

17. Spend a cloudy afternoon in the Musee D'Orsay or the Musee Marmottan.

18. Sit in the park behind Notre Dame while lunching on a fresh baguette sandwich, an eclair chocolat and an Orangina.

19. Take a seat in a chair at Jardin du Luxembourg and watch the children push the sailboats around the pond
20. Enjoy the world's most 'artful' packaging and display of anything (designer clothes, pretty pastries, fancy cheese...)
21. Picnic in Parc Monceau and watch the joggers (Parisians or tourists?), the kids out of school, beautiful flowers
22. Go into the garden at Musee Rodin and "line up" the Thinker, Napoleon's gold dome and the Tour Eiffel

23. Sit at the counter and have lunch with the neighborhood workers and shoppers in the food halls at Galleries Lafayette.

24. Buy French Sea Salt at the Bon Marche department stores food halls.

25. Buy one of those little Eiffel Tower replicas to always remind you of Paris.

27. Learn one good sentence in French you can always use. I like, "Je voudrais une verre de vin rouge.", translated, "I'd like a glass of red wine. It breaks the ice!

28. To see Paris from a different level, take a ride on one of those ferry boats on the Seine from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower.

29. Try an eclair in every shop that sells one.

30. Buy some sweet smelly French soap to use in your hotel room.

31. Buy some french toothpaste. It seems silly, but its fun.

32. Rent a car, drive to somewhere outside Paris.

Stroll Pere Lachaise Cemetery, map in hand, on a sunny Fall day when the leaves are turning.
Visit the Cluny Museum & drink in the richness of the tapestries, preferably when there's hardly anyone around.
Go to the Rue Mouffetard Market when it's in full swing.

Ooops! Should have numbered them - that's #s 33, 34, & 35.

A visit to sacre cur is a must. (I probably just mispelled that....). Then sit in the little plaza with all of the artists and have a nice lunch and glass of wine. Visit the underground tombs near Notre Dame.

39. Visit St. Chappelle on a sunny day.
40. Return to St. Chapelle on a cloudy day and absorb the difference.
41. Buy a crepe in rue Cler (this is a MUST).
42. Visit the tippy-top of the Samaritaine department store. Enjoy the 360° view.

43: Take the Metro to Abbesses (rain (take an Umbrella) or shine (sun-glasses)) and walk upwards to the Sacre-Coeur (follow the Fodor's Exploring Paris Walk)
44: Have a wine/beer and a crepe (don't be rude!) in the Maison Rose 45: Resist buying truly awful paintings in, what is incorrectly called, the "Artist's Square" , but enjoy nonetheless
46. Explore the little church between the Maison Rose & the Sacre Cour
47. Enjoy the view from the top - all of Paris is before you
48. Walk to the bottem of the steps and enjoy a good meal in one of the great local ethnic restaurants

to the top

49. Go to Place des Vosges (Marais) and have a glass of wine there.
50. Have a cup of tea or brunch at Mariage Frères (THE tea salon), Rue du Bourg-Tibourg (4th arr.).
51. Buy a macaron at Ladurée (Rue Royale, Champs-Elysées or at Printemps Dept. Store)
52. Stroll around Rue du Cherchi-Midi (6th arr.) and around Place St-Sulpice (6th arr.) and just watch the nice little shops, art galleries and bistrots.
53. Go to street market Rue de Buci (6th arr./also open Sunday mornings) and buy some strawberries or cherries.

Desiree: GREAT THREAD!!!

54. Walk Paris at night - magical. Ride the large ferris wheel.
55. Go the Degas pastel room at the Musee d'Orsay and see the bronze sculptures as well.
56. Try different cheeses for lunch from a frommage shop and buy breads from the boulangerie to accompany them along with wine from the vin shop. Then take it all and sit in the gardens at Invalides to eat.
57. Go through the Hermes shop to see the lovely selections of scarves. You don't have to buy one, just touch one.
58. Ask for free samples at the cosmetics counters - many times they're things we can't get in the US.
59. Be in Notre Dame at Christmas Eve - even if you're outside - the music and the bells are wonderful!

60. Go to Saint Chappelle in the evening for a classical music concert
61. buy a bread in a small boulangerie and eat it before you get to your hotel
62. when in Tuleries give your partner a passionate kiss regardless what age you are
63. on Wednesday afternoon when children are off from school go to Champs de Mars and watch them playing

The "biggies" may be covered already, but we're not done *yet*...

64. Go grocery shopping! Not only is it nice to have fruit and cheese at the hotel, but it's a little taste of what your life might be like if you *lived* in Paris... sigh...

65. Walk along the Champs-Elysées. Look for the metal street-corner posts that have been pushed over (do those things have a name?), and set them back up as your little contribution to keeping Paris beautiful.

66. Hang out at La Defense during lunch hour on a weekday. Sit on the steps at the Grande Arche, getting some fresh air or having lunch, along with all the office workers who are doing the same.

67. Get pictures at a photo booth in the Metro, preferably with your friend/family member/sweetheart.

- Quicksilver -

(P.S. Did #37 and #38 go AWOL?)

68. Do but a painting near Sacre Couer. You'll treasure it forever.

69. Take a day trip to Reims to see and taste the world's truly great champagne.

70. Walk, walk, walk. Try that small side street for true serendipity

71. Go to a neighborhood brocantes/flea market at Place St. Sulpice or Rue Mouffetard and buy as many things as you can carry.
72. Some Sunday, hang out with the accordian player at the base of the Rue Mouffetard market, and join in the singing and dancing.
73. Spend an afternoon at the Musee Carnavalet, dreaming of being an aristocrat in the France of Louis XV and living in one of the exquisite rooms.
74. Don't be a snob about the Beaubourg, take the exterior elevator to the top floor and marvel at the permanent collection, especially the Matisses, and at the extraordinary views of Paris.
75. Take a ride on the Vedettes Pont Neuf at night--magnificent and very different from a daylight experience.

sample a different flavor ice cream at Bertillon each day spent in Paris.

77. Tour the bars and bistros, looking for the most hideous bathroom in Paris and perhaps the whole world.

78. Keep an eye on the blue street signs on the corners of buildings as you walk around, and hoard the silly street names you find (Rue des Mauvais Garcons, Rue de Chats quie Peche...)

79. Go to the basement of BHV and buy small hardware items, sighns, drawer pulls, etc. for your home.

80. Relax in the Parc du Champ de Mars and watch the sun go down and the Eiffel Tower light up, gradually.

81. Eat lunch or dinner at at least one place where the servers do *not* speak any English; muddle through if you must, and then feel triumphant.

Great Thread!! I'm going to print it out when we reach 100. I'll fill in #26 so we really have a 100. I think 36, 37 & 38 are Jill's.

26. Watch the sun set over Paris from the second level of the Eiffel Tower.

82. Eat crepes at every street stand that sells them and do your own comparison!

83. Shop for treasures at a flea market.

84. Stroll down the Rue du Seine on the left bank and look at the many art galleries.
85. At the end of the Rue du Seine go through an archway and in front of you is the Pont des Arts and the Louvre.
86. Stop on the middle of the Pont des Arts and have your picture taken with the Eiffel tower behind you.

Wow! This is one of the best threads I've seen in more than two years on this site.

xxx (#39-42)

I have another one: 87. Jump into a public bus and go right to the terminal - you might discover a completely different Paris - be it in Neuilly, Porte de Versailles or Porte de la Chapelle (you can still go back by the metro).

Are we going to let those Italy fans beat us to 100??

BTW I got my Gourmet Magazine today and have informed the whole house that interrupting me this evening would NOT be healthy

88. Move to Paris!

Mais oui...Paris est plus bonne que Italie, n'est-ce pas?

89. Do the "chocolate mousse tour" (ok, that's unofficial) of the cafes and then walk--a lot. (hey, I lost weight in Paris)
90. Since the highbrow bit is pretty much covered....L'es Egouts ala Les Miserables! (forgive my French spelling--that's the sewer tour.)
91. Ride the flume in the little carnival (is it still there?) on the edge of Tuilleries.

92. Sit on the steps somewhere

Because I don't want other postings to have beaten "us" to 100. . .

93. Take pictures of the IM Pei Pyramid at the Louvre during the day and at night.
94. Go to Monoprix and do "cheap" shopping for beaded bracelets, necklaces, and other things that Parisians are currently wearing.
95. Go the top of Samartine no matter what the weather is like.
96. Try wines from lots of different wine shops and order different wines with every dinner (and lunch! ).
97. Talk in French with French people when you're eating/shopping. They appreciate the effort (and usually respond in English actually).
98. Go to the impressionist floor at the Musee D'Orsay. View the Renoir on one side, the Monet on the other, and the Eiffel Tower straight through the window. Think how lucky you are to be in Paris!
99. Walk along the Seine with absolutely no place to be, no time limit. Enjoy the view.
100. Start planning your next trip to Paris.

Do you see the difference between these two posts?

100 great things to do in PARIS
100 great things to do in ITALY

A few people stated that "we" should win. We are not comparing Rome and Paris or France and Italy. Maybe someone should start a list of 100 great things to do in France.

I am amazed!! I posted 100 Great Things to do in Paris because that was a major portion of Gourmet magazine's Paris issue.
It was just supposed to be a kind of "heads up".

And the wealth of info and feedback is fantasic. I wonder where Elvira and Elaine are?? Their ideas on the subject certainly would have put us over the top! I'll wait a few more days in the hope that they will chime in and then cut/paste the entire thread.

My thanks to everyone who took the time to respond

101. Go the same cafe each morning and flirt with the waiter (by day 3 he'll flirt back).
102. Light a candle at Notre Dame for anyone you love whose heart hurts.
103. Be on the streets very early in the morning when the produce is being delivered and shops opening for the day.
104. Stand at a corner with your map and camer looking totally helpless until some delightful Parisian asks if s/he can help you (they will!).
105. Walk across bridges on a foggy morning.

106. Buy a book at the Shakespeare and Company bookstore and have them stamp the inside cover with their seal.
107. Take time out from running for place to place, sit in a cafe, have a glass of wine and watch the people go by.
108. Go to Balzac's House in the 16th. If you try, you imagine what this house was like before the city built up around it.
109. Eat every eclair, croissant and crepe you can.
110. Bring a bottle wine home and drink while looking at your pictures from Paris.

Desiree,

Just brought home my copy of Gourmet. Thanks so much for the heads-up! What a fabulous issue!! I never would have seen it if you hadn't shared. That's what makes this forum so wonderful. Highly recommend the magazine to anyone loving Paris and great food!! LOL with sfowler - I'm with you - don't bother me until I'm done. Is there anyone who can recommend a great crepe making pan. After seeing the recipe I'm dreaming of all the wonderful sugar crepes we had in Paris and curious to try making my own. If anyone knows of a good brand or has any secrets to share in making great crepes please let me know!

Please sir, may we have some more?

111. Climb up to the top of Notre Dame's towers and savour the view. (mind, take your asthma puffer with you!)

112. Go to Sacre Coeur late afternoon on a Sunday and watch the sunset over Paris and enjoy the over peole gathered on the steps...our favorite memory.

Thanks Desiree for the heads up about this issue. I don't subscribe to Gourmet and would have missed it otherwise. I'll definitely hang on to this issue for my trip in April.

113. Visiting the Catacombs which was one of the more unique tours I did while on a vacation. (It was either the Catacombs or the sewer tour...what a gloomy family I have )

And Leslie, I am with you on the Sacre Cour memory. It was our only blue sky day in February. People were sitting on the steps listening to French guys sing Beatles music with their accents! Also, the street performers who looked like statues, but would suddenly move when you put money in their bucket.

1. Short drive to Germany.
2. Short drive to the Netherlands
3. Short drive to Luxemberg.
etc

Art. SHAME ON YOU!

Desiree:

I hope the editors of Gourmet give you an extra issue or two free. I rarely purchase this magazine, but bought it today because of your recommendation! Thanks. You're right; it is a keeper.

I bought one too.

I wonder if their sales were up this month due to this post?!

Just bought my copy today! It's great! (Also, to the top for Dawn)

112. Ride the metro somewhere, anywhere.

113. Walk somewhere the tourists don't walk.

114. Wander the streets of the Marias.

115. Have a cafe au lait with a crusty baguette with jam and butter for breakfast. Every morning.

116. Have a crusty baguette with brie and butter for lunch.

117. Have french butter.

118. Eat at alain Ducasse's restaurant "Spoon" for a lovely experience. http://www.spoon.tm.fr/

119. Say "Hi" to a gargoyle at Notre Dam.

120. Drink French wine at lunch and dinner.

Oh, please, stop! I've only got 2 weeks! How can I manage all these goodies....I guess I just won't sleep!

topping for Kelly

Wow, Paris was great!

You have to go and tour the Eiffel Tower! It is amazing.
Walk around at night just wandering the streets with nothing on your mind except enjoying yourself.
Take as many pictures as you can and buy as many things as you can. It is well worth the money spent to have a life time of memories.

121. Order a pitcher of the most lucious, rich hot chocolate in Paris at Angelina's on the rue de Rivoli.

122. Explore the canals of Paris and follow the canals all the way up to Parc de la Vilette.

123.Buy some french yaourt.....the ones in the little glass jars are so delicious.

I enjoy going to an area with a lot of restaurants--like the rue mouffetard area, for example, looking at the menus and choosing a place to eat dinner

I enjoy the small museums in paris---marmatton is spectacular---

the performers outside beauborg are generally interesting---as are the buskers outside cafe flore.

i like seeing american films with french subtitles.

Shanna -

It took you THREE DAYS to get a waiter to flirt with you? Perhaps you need some work on your technique.

-OK. My favorite thing to do in Paris is to walk all day long sightseeing and shopping and then go pick up wine, cheese, pate, and raspberries at the market. Then go to my hotel room and run a hot bath. I sit on my balcony or by the open window and enjoy my goodies and then take a long soak. Marveilleux.

-Running a close second is to go to La Place Des Vosges about an hour before sunset and take off my shoes and sit on my jacket in the grass and watch all the people doing the same thing. I usually try to have a bottle of wine to share. The setting sun casts a lovely hue of apricot on the beautiful buildings.
C'est parfait.

-not far behind is to search all day for something wonderful and elusive - for example, a red coat, or violet earrings, and to pay an outrageous sum for it. Then go back to the room and dress for dinner, wearing of course this beauteous thing. It makes the aching feet count for something.

Can you tell I'm a Francophile with a capital Franc?!

Just ended my first visit to Paris, and I'm writing from Barcelona. Here's one I haven't seen:
Find one of the karaoke bars near Pompideau Center or in the Latin Quarter. Listen to the French patrons attempt American songs, then sing one yourself, and enjoy the enthusiastic applause of the French audience. Have your partner take a snap as a memento of this moment.

here's another couple:

Go on the tour of the city's sewers (not as gross as it sounds.) They are huge underground streets that were designed to enable troops to move round the city. They don't smell. Well only a little bit and not like you'd think.

Drink Kir Royale before every meal. To me this is the quintessesntial Parisian drink.

Jump on the train and go to the Air and space Museum. France has a noble history of avaiation. Indeed they started it with the Montgolfiers. This museum starts from there, goes through Lois Bleriot right up to the most modern Miraage fighters. Then there's the Arianne space rockets. This particular little boy (in a shabby old body) was absolutely enthralled.

Topping for Bruce who is looking for a romantic thing to to in Paris!

Paris is soooooo over rated!!!!

To Not a [Thinker]:"Overrated" is soooooo one word. When you get to the third grade you will be exposed to the concept. soooooo long.

I just returned from Rome & while I had a marvelous trip, I will have to state that Paris remains to be my favorite city to visit. For those of you who don't agree...just post somewhere else!

Eat Jewish food in the Jewish Quarter - Rue des Rosiers. This area is wonderful and the small restaurants and food venders so very colorful. The food is great and the smells wonderful!

Thanks to all of you for your postings. I spent 12 days in Paris in September and these postings have made me so home sick. Hopefully next September I will be returning to Paris and seeing Italy for the 1st time.

Bringing to the top for Granny.

Adding this one: Have a soufflé at "La Cigale", Rue Chomel 11bis, 7th

ttt for school girl

ttt

no one has mentioned the picasso museum. it is a jewel of a museum...you can follow picasso's ever changing style.

ttt

topping

t

Topping for Jamie

topping for more

ttt

ttt

www.viaduc-des-arts.com/english/index
_eng.htm

Stroll around Viaduc des Arts in 12th arr.

Topping for Helen.

Voilˆ!

Spend a while listening to a jazz-combo play on the sidewalk in the Saint-Germain area. Don't forget to "donate".

ttt for April

Pick a favorite bridge and stand there around sunset and watch as they turn on the lights on all the bridges in succession before finally turning on the lights on the EIffel Tower. Its absolutely magical.

Enjoy a warm pain au chocolat and cafe creme for breakfast.

Tour the ruins of original Louvre in the basement of the museum.

Take a sketchpad to the Louvre or Musee d'Orsay and sketch anything and everything.

Buy a warm crepe buerre sucre from a crepe stand on a cold day.

Eat a pannini mozarella tomate for lunch (or your own pannini of choice)

Mmm... Moules frites. (mussels in a white wine sauce served with hot french fries)

Buy a good scarf and knot it around your neck like the Parisians do. Well, only if you go in winter.

teach people to be nice

OK, Have done some of these and Paris is
my #1 destination when I leave USA. Got in here late but need help! How do I get
a copy of March 2002 Gourmet Magazine?
andy

Topping for Mia.

... more stuff than you can do in one weekend though. ;o)

topping

qu'est-ce quec'est "topping" and "ttt"

Ira!

ttt = to the top

topping = when you add a new message to a thread -- even if you only write 'ttt' it goes to the to again.
Useful with interesting threads.

This message is now going to the top again and will sink again, unless somebody else is adding something.

I know I'm jumping in late and I've lost track of the numbers, but I have to weigh in so I'll make it up:

146: Wander the pompidou and laugh out loud "I AM A GOOD BOY!!!" (don't know if that exhibit is still around, but the thought makes me smile.

147: Lay in the grass of the Champs du Mars with your shoes and socks off reading a book and drinking local wine out of the bottle.

Ahhhhhh the memories

OH MY GOD! Sorry for the enthusiasm, but this is a great thread! I'm wasting time at work reading it! I'm headed to Paris for 5 days (my first time there), hopefully I'll be able to fit some of these wonderful things in!

Aim, you never waste time, when reading about Paris....

What about ice-skating in front of the Hotel de Ville right now?

Greatest impromptu entertainment in all my travels: a cafe across from where tourist buses unload...pure entertainment for free (minus the cost of the Diabolo Menthe) There happened to be a turkish-style public toilet (raised feet and just the hole) right there, and every so often a new, naive tourist in polyester pants would emerge sopping wet up to the ankles! It was hysterical.

Topping especially for Sallyanne...

Musee' Jacquemart - Andre'

158 Boulevard Haussmann
75008 Paris
www.misee-jacquemart-andre.com

A lovely museum that you can spend minutes or hours in. The pictures are breathtaking.

Go into St. Suilpice church. Turn right to find two wonderful Delacroix murals!
"Important TIP*: When standing there between the paintings, look to your right & over your shoulder for the box on the wall -- you will find a light switch, so you can see the paintings in all their glory (the church can be quite gloomy!)

Oh la la il faut qu'on fait des bizzes partout de Paris! I searched this incroyable string of messages for "kiss" and ONLY found a reference for "kiss" in the Tuileries! Ufff da! (Pardonez-moi for mixing the nationalities Well let's add:

148: Kiss in the streets, preferably so passionately that the locals remark about your kissing! (kissing in public, in case you haven't experienced it, miam, is a cause celebre for Parisien/Parisiennes)

149: Kiss in cafe's, preferably with a great view, like Notre Dame as the sun sets

150: Kiss at the top of some tall object that has entered the realm of myth, like near the famous gargoyle at Notre Dame, at the top of La Tour Eiffel (hopefully not while being jostled by the incredible crowds, try late at night), or on the steps in front of Montmartre, or on Les Quais de la Seine.

151: Kiss anywhere and any time you feel like it. This is Paris! It is a wonderful city and 10 times more charming when you are there and you are in love.

Jim

topping
this post is incredible!
add more please!

152. Take a nap in the grass next to the eiffel tower.

153: pour moi, i loved having a pique-nique on the lawn of the Champs de Mars after the grass guards were gone. The view of la Tour Eiffel at night while sprawled out with une bouteille du vin rouge, c'est incroyable!!

Topping for Lisa!

Beatchick,

Thanks for topping this again!

Visit a small, lesser known museum.
Get a copy of the weekly what's on Pariscope and you'll know what I mean. Hundreds of museums around, we almost never talk about.

Beatchick, enjoy your Paris trip!

Wow! So many suggestions - and I've only got 3 days in Paris! Where to start?!

If possible, meet a friend in Paris.
It is a treat to share the time and the experience with someone you know and can share the memory with later

My husband and I met friends for dinner one night in Paris-we all walked back to our hotel after, talking and sharing stories about our stay. Now-a couple of years later, we still mention it to each other and try to plan future coinciding trips.

154

Spend a couple of hours at the Pont Alexandre III (bridge)admiring it's spectacular beauty, see the Eiffel Tower from here and watch the tour boats going up and down the Seine. Especially nice at dusk.

Enjoy
Larry J

Thanks Mary!

We are going to be in Paris in 3 weeks for our hoenymoon..thank you so much for topping this!

We were in Paris in February for 4 days. We found this 3-hour tour of the Louvre to be excellent.

http://www.gettingaway.com/directory/europe/france/paris/louvre.htm

It was very easy to follow. Some of the exhibits were closed so you have to follow the signs to the next exhibit.

We only have four days in Paris!! Where to start?? Have printed out this list for reference. Thank you!!

Sainte-Chapelle
Musee Rodin - have a picnic
Crepes from the Crepe guy on the Rue Cler - hope he's still with us
Climbing Notre-Dame
Walking, walking and more walking to explore the nuances of each part of the city
Sipping wine at a cafe with a view of any major site just to let you know how lucky you are to be in Paris

155. Go to the rose garden in the Bois de Bologne. Takes some effort to find it, but it is fantastic.

Go to BHV and spend as much time as possible in the basement hardware store .. if you like hardware that is. Then go to the wonderful Bricolage Cafe rght there, and have a snack. It is a replica of grandpere's workshop.

Go into a Monoprix or other large super marche. You'll see canned or botted products that we pay $$, for a fraction of the price here. Bring home a bottle of cassis for your kir.

Eat those wonderful and hard to find here, little pastry swans filled with real whipped cream.

See the marionettes in the Luxembourg Gardens. The enthusiastic children in the audience are a delight to watch. Almost as much fun as the show itself. There are several shows a week.

To walk off some of that whipped cream, take the easy and peaceful 2 mile (?) promenade along the viaduct near the Bastille Opera House.

Watch the toddlers at play in the playgrounds and parks, especially the Place des Voges.

Buy a Chet Baker CD, or other favorite artist, from one of the many small stores with the CD racks outside. Prices are cheap and knock wood, quality has always been good.

Smile & say Bon Jour and you will receive the same in return.

Another neat thing to do if you are not 'night life' people, is to go to a movie after dinner. They have the latest American pictures and the French are appreciative audiences - ie. quiet and love American films. If you only speak English, look for v.o. (version originale) - English with French subtitles.

Make sure that it is says v.o. We rushed into a theater one night and as soon as we heard 'Je suis Forrest, Forrest Gump', we realized our error. The manager was very nice and gave us our money back, and we walked across the street and saw the English version.

Agreeing & disagreeing with Nina above, do see a movie but go ahead and see it in French without subtitles...

I saw "Blade 2" w/ Wesley Snipes last summer in Switzerland with a French speaking friend who lives there (*got* to be one of the worst movies of all times but that's another topic). We had a blast... not like you really needed to understand the dialog & fun to sit in the theater with all the locals.

Yes, nina, the cinema!!
We saw the French film Ridicule in London so we had subtitles, but what a difference in audiences!
We have never attempted French cinema though- it would be too frustrating to see a film and not follow the language, my French is really basically Menu French with some Thanks you's and good nights thrown in

Kiss a handsome Frenchman in public without worrying if anyone cares or is watching you.

Enjoy a simple but delicious lunch with a glass of wine in the basement food hall of Galeries Lafayette.

Great thread!

I haven't seen this one mentioned.

I LOVED my early morning walks! I was usually out by 6:30...a good two hours before the city starts to hum.

It would be dark when I started out so the monuments were still softly lit. I found myself invariably heading for the Seine and the Iles.

The city slept, but the cafe owners, bakers and market vendors would be out and always had a friendly greeting. The heavenly aroma from each patisserie! The sidewalks glistened like jewels from being hosed down before cafe tables are set out. It was like a fairyland.

I know it's earlier than most people start their day, but I saw a different Paris on those walks...one whose memories I still treasure.

After about 6-7 kms, I'd return to the hotel more than ready for that lovely coffee and rolls in the room!

Just back from five wonderful days in Paris. The city was absolutely packed.
Not that many Americans and Japanese people as usual, but I repeat, it was very, very crowded (mainly Europeans) and we mainly visited smaller and less known museums and places.

A place to add here:
The Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, photographer, near Gaite metro stop in the 14th arr.
A delightful small photo museum and it's air-conditioned!!
A very nice thing, when it's so hot and sticky, as it was during our five days stay.

In reply to the earlier mention of the crepe stand on rue Cler and "hope he is still with us"..I have sad news. When we were in Paris in Feb. we went to the crepe stand and it was closed. A notice was there telling of the passing and the service planned for the proprietor. I suppose this has probably been noted before on this board since its been a few months. I will be in Paris next week and will be
interested to check out the stand again. I can't imagine it will be the same. However, I will enjoy and say thanks for all the great crepes of the past and the new ones to come.

Just adding another one!

If you should be in Paris before October 12, 2003, and if you are a fan of Marlene Dietrich, don't miss the special exhibit at the Musee Galliera "Creaton of a Myth".

The museum is located on 10, Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie in the 16th arr. (almost opposite the Musee Guimet).
Metro stops: Iena or Alma-Marceau.

The museum is open daily 10 AM to 6 PM, except for Mondays and public holidays.
Entrance is 7 Euro (includes audioguide in French or English).

Leaving July 7! The exhibit is on top of my list, next to the Rolling Stones gig, of course.

Very useful information.Bravo!!!

Just topping this after having visited the Marlene Dietrich exhibit.
Highly recommended. Some 250 items mostly from the Film Museum in Berlin.

Sorry forgot about this nice detail:
No lines or crowds at all compared to what we saw outside the Louvre, d'Orsay, etc.

topping again

ttt

this is such a nice thread...
some of my favs/suggestions:
160. window shop in le marais, enjoy
the beautiful, unique details of french display.
161. visit the palais de tokyo and other alternative galleries like le plateau, Mains d'ouevre, Air de Paris, and Squart Rivoli. accept work outside of monet, challenge your ideas on art and aesthetics. make a note to spend less time watching tv like friends and who wants to marry a millionare, to spend more time learning and understanding contemporary art and artists.
162. Gaze at the view of Paris from the Centre Pompidou, top floor. Think about how lucky you are to have extra cash for things like travel. I know i feel fortunate.
163. Check your email at an internet cafe, surrounded by 100 teenage french boys (and a few girls) playing video games.
Send you friends terribly romantic emails about your stay in Paris...remember to save a copy of each in your 'saved' folder to read sometime later when you want to relive your experiences.
164. If your with your husband, wife or lover, go back to your hotel in the middle of the day and make love like you did when you first got together. Think about why you love that person...and tell them. Leave hotel flushed and happy, make out in the street,
eat crepes, drink wine...repeat daily.
165. Shop for inexpensive, trendy fashion at H&M and Zara. Buy a couple little things for your friends back home. enjoy telling them that the beautiful ring you brought them was only 2 euro.
166. Drop into the pop-in, shake your booty, drink cheap pitchers, flirt with indy rock french boys that are much too young for a woman your age! naughty girl.

What a nice thread. I live in Israel and am off to Paris in just 5 days. I can't believe I'll be spending 11 days over there. Been there before 8 and 9 years ago, and so happy to be going again.

Listen to a string quartet play --- in the Metro!

topping

Taking advice from one of the earlier posters about this, my hubby and I kissed everywhere we possibly could - on bridges, in cafes, on the seine, on top of the double-decker bus, in the parks, it was terrific! Haven't kissed that much in the previous 40 years. The great part was, we continued kissing our way through Switzerland and Italy! What a trip!

Sit at an outdoor cafe and nurse a citron presse' for as long as you want.

(It's a do-it-yourself lemonade: a glass of fresh-squeeezed lemon juice, a pitcher of water, and lots of sugar.)

Anybody know how to get a real accented "e" on this site?

Like this?

é

If this actually works once I post it, you type

<ALT>130 (with the 130 being on the numeric keypad).

Yés!

Thanks for bringing this one back up. I'm printing it out to take with me next week. I'll only have four days in Paris but am sure I can get through a few things on this list.

WillTravel: é- it works-do you know how to do the other French accents?

bump

è ALT+0232
é ALT+0233
ê ALT+0234
ë ALT+0235

http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/international/bylanguage/french.html

167. Sit in a little corner table at the Closerie de Lilas and write a short story with a stub of a pencil. Celebrate a good day's work with a brandy. Always leave with a little more left unwritten, to prime the pump for tomorrow. Then go find her and choose a place for dinner. It doesn't much matter where.

I love this thread and thought I might top it to see if anyone has anything to add. I suppose it's not possible to add anything more wonderful about this great city, but who knows?

Go to the Sunday afternoon free organ recital at Notre Dame. Get there early or you won't get a seat!

Have hot chocolate at any of the Chez Paul's in Paris with any of their pasteries and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Buy chocolates at a supermarché and take it home for your friends. It's cheap and elegant!

I have to say what I love about this thread is the lack of criticism posted. On a lot of threads, people spend time belittling others' interests. Well done, Paris-lovers!

ttt

Meet your best friend in Paris and find the most beautiful wedding dress... then surprise her by paying for it. After the tears of joy , spend five entire days with no agenda. Just walk, eat, drink wine, shop and enjoy!!!!

Time your visit to the beautiful, gothic chapel of Sainte Chapelle so that your are standing facing the south wall as the sunlight from behind the stained glass travels across and creates a kaleidoscope of light and color. It's glorious. On our honeymoon my husband and I saw the chapel on a cloudy day. The next morning was sunny and, during breakfast, we on a whim decided to visit again, just to see the sunlight through the windows. It was one of the most memorable sights of our trip.

Also, choose one absolutely favorite food and have it every day for lunch at different restaurants, pastisseries, boulangeries, or charcuteries. I love chestnuts, and I had the most amazing pastries made with chestnuts every day for lunch -- not with lunch, FOR lunch!

my favorite thing to do in paris is WALK, WALK AND WALK some more...

One of my favorite things to do is attend Evensong at famous churches. So go to Evensong at Notre Dame. It's offered Monday through Friday at 5:45 and on Sunday at 5:30. Usually there are no lines and it's a great way to see famous churches.

Go into every bakery and get a croissant, saumon quiche etc.
Find Poulane and if you are nice, they may give you a tour of their ovens.

Wow, no wonder people return to Paris over and over. There is so much to do and see. Reading this post has really made me excited for my upcoming trip (as if I were not excited enough!). 44 days and counting!

topping, I love this thread and cant wait to return in Sept!

something else to do in Paris....make love to a Parisien..(or -ne)...but the details of this lovely interlude will never make the pages of Gourmet.

The cover of the Gourmet Magazine at Barnes and Nobles is all about New York. I read this post, and I ran out to buy the March issue but did not b/c the cover said it was all about NYC. Am I missing something? To my knowledge, there is only one issue nation wide, but I could be wrong. I live in MA.

Anyone know what is going on?

"Am I missing something?"

Yep!

This thread was posted in February, 2001.

Your library may have the March issue from that year, though.

OOPS! I guess this thread has been alive for quite some time. I feel like a dope!

Here's a great tip from stormygirl's 5/04 trip report:

...Back to our search of the squat. Ironically we found it directly across the street from the Gap. 59 Rue Rivoli. It's called Chez Robert Electron Libre and if you like art at all it is awesome! 6 or so floors of artist squatters, each room used as a studio. Artists painting, sculpting, chatting with each other. Everything for sale. Everything on display including themselves. Some extremely eclectic, some modern, some trashy. Every space, every inch in the building is adorned with art or would be art. We spoke to one of the artists and he told us it has been there for 3 years. a few live there but mainly it's just their studios. Absolutely unique and a great find in the Marais.

topping... it's one of my favorite threads here.

Can't wait to do some of these things again in September!

What fun! On this date last month in 2004, I had just returned to Paris from an overnight stay in Giverny, and spoke in French only for the last 9 days of my stay:
1. learn whatever French you can and try some of it out. While in Paris, leave the cd or MP3 headphones off and enjoy the language and the street sounds.
2. Visit a marche local to your hotel, and then return a few days later to compliment the shops on your purchases and chat about your stay.
3. Go to Jardin du Luxumbourg on a Wednesday afternoon for hte marionette show
4. Do your own pastry search and become a regular at your fave patisserie. (I dropped a few pounds from all the walking).
5. Sit outside at a cafe for a long lunch and people watch.
6. buy something you cannot get at home.
7. ask the waitor to suggest something.
8. Go native- wear scarves!
9. Walk til you drop, and then sit & people-watch
10. Listen to the ecclectic mix on french radio!

Topping for my Sept. trip planning

Skatterfly & BarbaraF, drool! Paris in September (said in the Homer's "mmm donuts" voice). I've always wanted to be in Paris in September, especially hanging out near the Sorbonne. sigh! Have fun, you two!!

I love coming back to this thread. It helps me dream of my next trip while reminiscing about the last one.

Here are my contributions:

- At Christmas, spend an evening eating crepes and looking at the incredibly creative, gorgeous holiday window displays at Samaritaine and other big department stores.

-Walk the entire Promenade Plantee (on top of the Viaduct des Artes). Marvel at the intricate flower beds (with greenery and blooms even in January). Check out the French jogging fashions (hard shoes, full makeup, mohair scarves, jewelry, etc.) Look into people's apartment windows, since you are up on their level, for a glimpse of French life. Find the building with the massive statues of women on the top.

- Watch the Friday night rollerblading race through the city from a cafe. http://travel.discovery.com/ideas/culture_attractions/101/cities/3.html

- Purchase champagne, pate, etc. and eat in the bathtub with French radio playing and French bubblebath.

- Check out the houseboats in the canal near the Bastille.

- Each day, pick one theme for your pictures, i.e. only architectural details like doorknobs, only birds in various settings, only dogs...

- Pretend you are moving there and walk around your favorite neighborhood looking for "louer" signs in apartment windows(I think that's the word??)

Blue Swimmer: These are fab!! I plan on doing some of these in Sept., especially the bathtub scene.

BlueSwimmer....please help me locate Promenade Plantee/Viaduct des Arts on my map. Is it at one end of the Pont des Arts? Sounds like a great walk for my next visit. Thanks for your great ideas.

Marthag-

Here's a link to a website with a map of the location of the Promenade Plantee (also called the Coulee Vert in Paris):

http://www.promenade-plantee.org/

It's in French, but if you click on "acces" you will get a map. Click in the area near the Bastille, and it will zoom in so you can see the streets more clearly.

I don't remember the exact intersection, but it was on the Avenue Daumesnil. The Viaduct des Arts is a set of artisans' studios built into the arches below the old viaduct. They are really interesting to peak into as you stroll through the area, which is full of furniture and decorating shops.

The Promenade is on top of the viaduct. At most cross streets you will see a staircase going up, which leads you to the Promenade.

We took it all the way to the end, far out in the 12th, where it dips to street level and becomes a bigger park with paths that are apparently popular with skateboarders/rollerbladers.

We've been to Paris a few times, and have seen all of the traditional sights, so this was a great way to get some exercise and see a different side of Paris. Here's a link to someone's travel blog, with a nice picture of the Promenade in summer with lavendar in bloom: http://www.aba.clara.net/abasplace/Paris/plantee.html

Have a fabulous trip!

Barb-

Just make sure you drink your champers out of a plastic cup! A broken glass in the bathtub can really mar the glorious experience

Have a wonderful trip!

ninasdream: Do you know what time on Wednesday afternoon the marionette show in the Jardin du Luxumbourg is? Thanks.

One of my favorite things to do in Paris was taking the self-guided tour of the Opera Garnier. Quite an impressive building, inside and out!

Then, go across the street to the world-famous Cafe de les Paix, sit at an outdoor table, and have a beverage or two.

Try crossing the Seine on as many different bridges as possible. Stop at each new one, and take in the view of the city, and how it changes from bridge to bridge. I walked most of the time I was in Paris, and depending on where I was headed, I often had several options, so when possible, I'd just go a little further to cross at a bridge I hadn't used before. I still didn't get across that many, forced, I guess to go back and complete my mission.

fabulous! thanks for topping this. trip to Paris, number ??? coming up in 10 days!

Going back to Paris in Sept. Can't wait. One of my favorites was hanging out at Cafe Flore and the Rue Cler Market. Thoroughly enjoyed this thread.

Charlieg- the time I had was off by 15 minutes. Wednesday Saturday and Sunday 3:15 and 4:30, but I would double check.
Reddvelvet- my favorite was Marche Moufferat.
Lizziepayne - crossing bridges- what fun!

completely forgot this one - seek out (or merely be thrilled to have stumbled across) various little plaques peppered throughout Paris, commemorating this event or that event that happened on such date.

for instance, one poignant one I came across was dated August 25, 1944 - a young man died on that spot, the day Paris was liberated. (wonder how many of those plaques are to be found around the city).

I'll agree with flygirl about the poignant individual memorials. Each year on Liberation Day in May (France's VE observance), a small floral tribute adorns each of these markers.

Oh, Flygirl, that is sad & awesome, indeed. I've never seen any of those, though. Maybe I need to keep my eyes peeled. The only thing I ever saw was the memorial in the Marais for the bombing in the 70s/80s??

ttt

Drink a bottle of wine on the Canal St. Martin one evening.

Going to Notre Dame and listening to the choir sing church hymns, softly, in French.

It was my third visit to Notre Dame and this was the first time I had heard the choir. What a lovely, heart-warming experience it was.

Has anyone mentioned the great souvenir shopping on Blvd. De Clichy?

Having coffee and crepes in one of their cafes while talking to friends until the wee hours....

Driving through French countryside with French folk song playing in the radio ..

Adding for 111op (suggestions for what to do in Paris when you've been before):

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34496680

Selfishly adding my name to this post for reference for my trip to Paris, ooh la la (planning to use many of these great suggestions; will add some more after my trip!)

So glad to see this thread revived!
Did this very thing in June at the suggestion of Judith Mahoney Pasternak author of "Timeless Places".
I walked up the hill called the Montagne Ste. Genevieve crowned by the eighteenth century Pantheon, where the Montagne falls away into one of the city's most charming neighborhoods, the Contrascarpe-Mouffetard Quarter.
Zig-zagging through and around the Quarter starting at Rue Monge I came upon the Arenes De Lutece, the Roman built arena when the city was still called Lutetia and still in use today. Then walking up the hill to the corner of Rue St.Jacques and Rue Soufflot, You will see ahead of you , just across the Seine, the fifteenth-century Tour St. Jacques. On your right is the great dome of the Pantheon; a mile away on your left, reaching into the sky is the Eiffel Tower; and behind you , the Arenes DE Lutece./
You are truly at the corner of the Centuries. You at at the corner of today and tomorrow. For more than any city of the Western World, PARIS is both a city of now, timeless rather than frozen in time.
What a feeling!

ttt

Walk along the Seine in August and count the tour busses at the Pont d'Alma (near the Eiffel Tower). I counted 120 of them - not included in the ones hidden behind the Bateaux Mouches buildings - on the north side of the Seine in 2002. I prefer to be free to walk and where I want to walk and when at any time of the day or night. And not get rushed from one place to another.

Go to the Champs Elysees and have a profiterole after midnight in February in a Cafe that is full of people. Paris never sleeps.

Do not fear Paris. I was full of fear when I planned 6 days in Paris in 1998. Then I and my family arrived and we got off the train from Brussels, tired and hungry. I had my best lunch there - in the Gare du Nord - ever - upstairs in the train station!! Then I knew I was in for a completely wonderful time!

*Do* be polite in Paris. After some trial and error - the customs are clear now. It is polite to say hello and goodbye when entering *any* shop. Take the time to learn *3* words - Bonjour, Merci, Au Revoir (bonejoohr, mehrsee, oh rehvwahr). These three words will set you apart from all the tourists who don't bother.

*Do* go to a concert in the sans-pareil Saint Chapelle - even in the evening darkness it is wonderful. Although I must admit that my most ecstatic experience there was when a all-guy group (college students I think) gave an impromptu a capella recital there in the cathedral. Ahhhh I got a near terminal case of goosebumps at the sound of their voices filling the volume of the space already filled with light from the heavenly stained glass windows (quelle chair de poule)!!

And for more goosebumps, consider taking in the movie (recently released in Aug 2004) named: "Before Sunset" - shot in Paris. It captures Paris and relationships in a most interesting and incredibly romantic way.

Bonsoir tout le monde,
AbbeB

Go to Tracadero at 9 or 10 PM and watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle for 10 minutes-breath taking. Does so every hour on the hour until 2 AM
Do a Monet Day-go to Giverny, come back to Paris and go to the Orsay Museum and look at Monet's paintings there.
Try Place d'Aligre for a really great market every day but Monday and part of it under a permanent roof-try a glass of wine at the Baron Bouge there, a funky, fun bar.
Don't miss St Etienne du Mont to the left of the Pantheon-I think it is the most beautiful church in Paris. Then wander down Rue Mouffetard-the best street in Paris for food shopping.
Near Nation is an interesting cemetery where LaFayette and his wife are buried along with many of those beheaded at Nation during the revolution. It is the Picpus Cemetery, open at 2 PM and there is a small fee to enter.
Dianne

How wonderful to see this thread revived again as my wife and I will be returning to Paris once again on Saturday. After reviewing this list again, I felt compelled to offer this very important tip. Don't overplan! Leave your datebook, cell phone, and alarm clock at home. Live in the moment. lose track of time and the city of Paris will unfold before you! Explore new neighborhoods. Hop on a bus. Stop look and listen. Romance flourishes without schedules!

Planning ensures you have a clue about where to find romantic places and views.

ttt

just topping...

just a few more days until I can try some of these suggestions myself! can't wait, can't wait, can't wait!!!

any new ones?

Wow! This thread is still around? Years ago, I used to come here all the time, around the time of my one and only magical 6-day trip to Paris with my brother and my elderly Mom. I can't remember what my user name was then, but I do remember this fantastic thread. I was so smitten that I printed out the entire thread -- every post! And kept it in my Paris box. The final post on my printout was dated 12/11/2002! I've got a lot of catching up to do!

Everyone with a Paris trip coming up: consider printing out this thread! Everyone who's been and who can't get back soon enough: ditto. Just reading it can bring back quite a lot of the magic that infected your spirit on your trip! My heartfelt thanks to everyone who kept it around for the past 3 years, and to everyone who adds to it from now on, too.

168. Humm nobody has mentioned dancing in Paris "en plein aire" along the Seine. How much more romantic can that be? In summer it is pretty much official now - there are areas for tango, salsa, swing right by the river near the Institute du Monde Arabe near the Latin Quarter. The dancing can go all night long on nice summer evenings. I have even done a tango or two there. Ahhhh the memories

-AbbeB

169. Explore "hidden Montmartre," the back streets behind the icky tourist-trap areas.

170. Check out the occasional flea market at Place des Abbesses. Eat at Le Basilic.

171. Buy an English book at W.H. Smith; read it at Angelina's, eating a Mont Blanc and drinking tea or chocolate.

172. Take out a quarter-rotisserie chicken from Rue Buci with some vegetables and have a picnic by the Seine.

173. Go to the "ethnic" grocery stores in the 9th and 10th.

174. Spend a whole trip absorbing the "feel" of the city without going to tourist sites.

175. Shop for Christmas ornaments at Bon Marche. Eat at the nearby restaurant, "La Petite" something. I don't remember what it's called, but back when I lived there [as a young child] we went every Saturday for the Moules Farcis, liver, and chocolate cake.

176. Play in the Luxembourg playgrounds. All ages.

177. Go to the used English bookstore "San Francisco Book Company" of Odeon and meet all the artsy expats.

178. Dine at Allard at lunch. Order the chicken, chocolate charlotte, and duck/haricots salad.

179. Eat on the boat/restaurant/thing overlooking Notre Dame. Order the chicken.

180. Explore the architecturally-rich streets by Park Monceau (off Ave. Hoche.)

181. Eat at a Moroccan restaurant in the Latin Quarter.

182. Have tea at Passage Dauphine, in the Passage Dauphine. Order the the des celts and the ice cream or chocolate thing.

Don't mind me. Bookmarking for later.

Too much for me to read tonight too... but I'm pleased that I ran across this!

Topping for anyone going to Paris!

I just found this thread this morning "by accident." I saved most of that issue of Gourmet and it was wonderful! I LOVED reading all the various ideas that have evolved since 2/22/01.

I have a couple to add:

Find an area in Paris that you've never heard or read about, take a bus/metro/walk to where you choose, and just walk around and see what that area has to offer. It could become your own "neighorhood" for the day.

High Tea at one of the $$$$ hotels (Ritz/George Cinq/Meurice, etc.

Hopefully, this will bring this thread back to the top and others can continue to add! It's wonderful and I printed the whole length out!

Joy

Thanks for bringing this back!

ttt

What a wonderful thread! Great ideas -

I just received this advice from a friend of mine -

"Here's my 2 cents worth about a MUST SEE thing in Paris, namely St. Denis and its basilica. It's a longish subway ride out there, but not hard to do, and for my money, the absolutely best thing you can do in Paris. Others, to whom I've made this recommendation, agree violently."

Has anyone been? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Enjoyed 100 great things to do in Paris.
Yes, I guess you are over 100, but here's a couple of added extras that I enjoyed, and slightly different:
Musee de BACCARAT, now at 11 place des Etats Unis, 75116 Paris on Iena line (No.9) or Boissier (line 6). For info the museum was previously located on rue de Paradis, 10 Arr.
Chateaux SCEAUX. Located on the outskirts of Paris (south), via RER line. The chateaux is worthy of a visit plus the grounds were designed by Le Notre.
(Check at both websites via Google)-Jay

ttt
As my last - and third - visit to Paris was in 2000, I didn't see this long thread until now. We only have 3 days at the end of a 6 week drive in France and Spain starting late August, but I have taken note of many of the great suggestions. Let's face it Paris-lovers, one can never see it all unless one sells the farm and moves to this amazing city.
I do have one to add to the list. We are booked to do the 4 hour Segway Night Tour. We always wanted to try one, so thought as we've seen a lot of the city during the daytime, the lights would be a gas this way. Anyone interested see http://www.citysegwaytours.com/paris/ A little pricey, but what the hell. Who knows whether trip #5 is in the cards.
Also, we got a fabulous hotel rate via hotwire.com for the 4 Star Le Meridien Montparnasse for only $127/night. Our past favorite, Hotel d'Aubusson, has gotten too expensive, and both are 4 star. Better location at d'Aubusson, but no facilities at all. Never used hotwire outside the US, but haven't been disappointed yet. Au revoir all.

Topping for a Thanksgiving in Paris

I am a sommelier and just returned from Paris. I went to an intimate wine tasting, which was quite off the beaten path...The Wine Loft. Oliver leads a great wine tasting in his loft in a new & hip area of Paris. We tasted 7 wines, all French of course which was a very pleasant experience. I recommend it for people who of course have interest in wine and don't want to follow the mass crowds of tourists. You can check out Olivier's site www.o-chateau.com

Marking for reference.

Buy an icecream from Amorino - http://www.amorino.fr/boutiques.htm. We bought ours at the Ille St.Louis store. It was the most expensive, biggest, creamiest, sloppiest(?) and best icecream I have ever had. We sat down near the Seine and while we "wrestled" with our icecream we watched a drug bust unfold (just some kids wih grass).

get your OWN boat to sail at the Tuileries

watch the guys dressed up as white statues do their thing whenever someone tosses a Euro in their hat

look at the carvings on all the bridges

see how many Smart Cars the Parisians can fit into one parking place

buy a bird at the bird market

find the 'center of Paris' plaque in front of Notre Dame

buy a gargoyle at the tacky souvenir shops near Notre Dame (my son now has a collection of huge gargoyles - that somehow I always end up carryng around Paris for him!)

Go to Paris Plage - an small area at the side of the Seine with sand, beach chairs and umbrellas

ride a double decker train - sit upstairs

go to Parc Asterix

go to a fashion show

wow! I had the honor of posting the 200th reply! Pretty cool considering I've only been a Fodorite for less than a week. Glad to be here!

What a great thread!
-Don't eat any old crepe, eat a crepe filled with _Nutella_!
-Try to visit in late June for the Fete de la Musique, when there are free concerts all over the city [I stumbled on this one by accident and had a blast]
-Have a seat in front of the Nike of Samothrace and just contemplate her.
-Stand in front of the Madonna of the Rocks in the Louvre and snicker at the Da Vinci Code author...just because you can
-go to the less frequented churches: St Germain des Pres, St-Sulpice, St-Severin
and here's one I haven't gotten to do
yet, but it's on my list for next time:
-Take the train to the suburb of Auvers-sur-l'Oise and take flowers to the grave of Vincent van Gogh, then wander around the town finding the locales of the paintings done in the last weeks of his life

Oh, one more: Browse the antique shops at the Louvre des Antiquaires

Stand in back of Venus and see the Papparazzi de Milo.

I'm going to Paris (again) in two weeks and can't wait! A suggestion for those who have been there a couple of times: pick a theme for your trip. One time I looked for carousels all over Paris; another time, terra cotta architecture;another, markets.
These pursuits took me all over into neighborhoods I would not have visited otherwise.

What a wonderful thread! But, how many of the older suggestions are still valid? I would love to go see the Eiffel Tower sparkle, but, do they still do that? The world is changing so much these days... If anyone knows of a tip that is out of date, would you mind posting it?

Yes, it sparkles, if you look at the right time, about 11 pm Paris time, I think. You can check it out yourself from the comfort of your home at:

www.abcparislive.com/eiffel_tower_webcams.htm

AJ

Bookmarking.

^^^ for heavens from the US board

ttt

bookmarking

I hope this was not mentioned... but get a great haircut while in Paris.

JBQ...I think you should explaain that one.

This is a great thread. Wondering if people also have a top 10 (or 100) of day trips from Paris. If it is ok, I'll start:
One day in Champagne (which should get better in 2007 when they claim there will be a new TGV stop somewhere in the region). The itinerary might go something like: train to Epernay, stop at Laurent-Perrier, Moet, lunch in the town at La Theatre restaurant or some small bistro followed by a visit to Krug (if they allow such things). If I could get a taxi, might replace Krug with Bollinger and Duval-Leroy in Aÿ, but that may be stretching it a bit. Then the 1.5 hour train ride back to Gare de l'Est. No?

Wow, so many of my favorite things to do in Paris were already listed, but here are a few more that I thought of...

- visit the following types of stores and marvel at the different (and more stylish) choices they offer: lighting fixtures; kitchen utensils (ex: E. Dehillerin); plumbing fixtures (ex: sinks, faucets).

- see an Opera (fantastique)

- wander and just get lost (6th, 3rd and 4th are my favorite places to get lost)

- attend a mass at Notre Dame (even if you're not religious, its very spiritual; and often have choir/organ music)

- visit the Pantheon

I love Paris!

marking for later...thanks everyone.

> but get a great haircut while in Paris.

Ce n'est pas trop difficile d'explicque - mais c'est diffile de faire en anglais. You see, difficult as it is to believe, not everybody speaks Anglais in Paris. My first haircut was difficult because I didn't speak french very well, and the person who cut my hair didn't evidently speak Anglais comfortablé. The second and third time (la deuxieme et la troixeme fois) que j'ai mes cheveux coupe par les artistes francais it was much more comfortable as then I could parlé a bit better in french and then finally J'ai peut parle avec mme. au suject des sa fille et sa vie une peu, et croyais mois c'est plus joyante quand on puis parle avec les citoyens et les citoyennes de la ile de la cite en la langue native naturelement.

But please don't let the this low language hurdle slow you down. Just please respect the French Language. It is a beautiful thing and I find it a wondeful thing to listen to French music and poetry in French - try Cabrel, Jacques Brel, Brassens, Isabel Boulet, Parapluies de Cherbourg, Notre Dame de Paris (by Cocciante and Plamondon and ah bien dur Hugo),etc. Ah comme ca c'est suffit.

HAHAHA! I have let my Gourmet subscription run out, and almost went to the store to buy the March issue! Oh well, 5 years too late. Here's my additions!
--Let one of the people at Sacre Couer that everyone else is shooing away, actually do your sketch. My family and I posed for one, and it is our favorite souveneir(sp?)
--Try driving in Paris, get lost, and ask for directions, then blow a kiss to the person who helped you!--Then you have a nice story to tell everyone back home about how nice and helpful the French were.
--Say a little thank you prayer that you didn't get hit while doing the above in the crazy traffic in Paris
--Take the bus a few times instead of the Metro so you can see some of the city as you drive by.
--Go to the Eiffel Tower on a drizzling day, but approach it from Trocadero Square. The Tower is reflected in the wet pavement and makes for some interesting pics.
Enjoy Paris for whoever is going now!

Posted a 'a great thing' I did in 2004, now have another!
Walk the "La Promenade Plantee" with entrance in Avenue Daumesnil (The beginning) Open 9-6 in Summer.
This green strip runs 4.5km (3 miles) on an old railway viaduct. It's elevated position makes it easy to gaze down at the street below. Planted with roses, lavender and other shrubs some of which are climbing over archways and trellises.
The walk ends just beyond Jardin de Reuilly which in itself is beautiful.
Going down steps onto the street once more one can walk up rue Daumesnil to
the metro at Place Felix Eboue. Sit and relax over a beer, glass of wine or a coffee before heading back.
One of the nicest great things I've done in Paris!

Not sure what number you guys are up to but here are a few experiences I didn't notice on the list...

Dine with Jim Haynes at his place in Montparnasse (search for posts and his weblink under "Jim Haynes")...interesting way to meet people from all walks of life.

Write out a postcard from the Champ de Mars and mail it from the post office in the Eiffel Tower...will be marked "Eiffel Tower" (I know this sounds tres touristy but people back home really get a kick out of this).

Find the crepe-making guy on one of the streets in the Latin Quarter and order a Nutella or butter & sugar crepe - every night if possible.

Wash your clothes in a laundromat and ask a local for help with the machines...it's a fun way to strike up a conversation (and find out about the best places to eat)!

Visit the outdoor markets...the bird and flower markets are especially interesting and make for some neat (yes, I said "neat") Kodak moments.

Take an inexpensive, 30-minute cooking class at Atelier des Chefs www.atelierdeschefs.com (and don't forget to compliment the chef as you enjoy your meal afterwards!

Peruse the Greek restaurants in the pedestrian-only area of the Latin Quarter and enjoy their brazen solicitions for a meal (they'll actually throw plates onto the ground to get your attention!).

Shop at a Parisian supermarket and bring back some goodies to keep at your hotel room for those late night (or early, early morning) munchies!

Going back in mid-May...hope to do all of the above and more!

Christina

Go to an old, rowdy Jazz club in the latin quarter such as Caveau de la Huchette, pay 10 euro to the guy in the tiny ticket window because you can already hear how good the music is out on the street, buy a Pelforth Brun in the bottle from the surly bartender upstairs, walk down the ancient stone spiral staircase and enter the 'caveau', an ancient stone room with vaulted ceilings, packed with amazing dancers. Take your place on the wood bench, and watch the trombonist fill his cheeks while frenchmen dip and twirl the gals. Fantastique.

Finally, when relaxing at your accommodation with a laptop and/or an internet cafe, bring up the website listed below and send some Paris e-cards to your favorite folk back home. They'll love them.

http://hotels.parishotels.com/ecards/create.php?f=eiffel_tower/1_4.jpg&template=&lang=en

Here's something that'll occupy a full day...

Buy a ticket on a bateau moche, and catch the first barge of the day (1000 or so). That ticket is good all day on that particular company's barges. Get off at each stop, spend an hour or two walking around the 'hood, make your way back to the pickup point for the next barge and the NEXT stop. Barges stop running at 2100 or so.

Two things we always do in Paris. Make a visit to the flea market in Clingincourt and buy Tee Shirts for our grandchildren on the Rue de Rivoli.

Two other things to do...spend some time walking on the Rue du Paradise looking in all the shops selling china and porcelaine and crystal and visiting the wonderful Musee of Natural History. (I forget the name)... really an outstanding display and presentation.

Flirt with a cute Frenchman in a Parisian cafe! (Or girl...)

ttt, great ideas, especially looking forward to checking out that jazz club recommendation in the Latin Quarter

ttt, great ideas, especially looking forward to checking out that jazz club recommendation in the Latin Quarter


My bride and I visited that nightclub back in 2004, and were disappointed. The few couples on the dance floor were very very expert, and it was more like a floor show than anything else, a fine spectator event but uninviting of participation. Band was mediocre, at best.

This thread started in 2001, and it's going & going & going..... Amazing!

These are wodnerful ideas!!! I'm headed to Paris on Wednesday by myself and was a little nervous about what do for 7-days! Excellent posts! I have not gone through all of these but are there any suggestions for hotels? I fly into CDG. Thanks!
* 2-3 stars on the hotels

I'm scribbling like mad in the margins of my guidebook.

Buy a sandwich from an outside market and then eat in a nearby park.

See a play at the Comedie-Francais and an opera at the Opera Garnier!

Don't overbook, walk and enjoy!

Also meant to add ...buy a book at Shakespeare and Co and read at the Luxembourg Garden or along the Seine! (many read in these gardens). Once, we were going to attend a play at the Comedie-Francais and it was in French..so we read the Moliere plays ahead of time along the Seine River...read mine in English..my daugher read hers in French .

Linger over cafe au lait in your room or apartment, windows open, and soak up the sights and sounds before you venture forth.

Resolutely stick to your French, ignoring your own embarrassment, after the other person has indicated it would be easier to communicate en Anglais. Comfort isn't everything.

bookmarking...thank you to everyone for such wonderful ideas!

I will put in a plug for doing the "sewer tour" in Paris. I found it to be fascinating. The entrance is around the corner from La Tour Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower) along the Seine. It shows the history of sanitation in a very impressive way - and walking on gratings with the sewers rushing along beneath you (visible through the grate!) is something you will NEVER forget. For you "floaty pen" collectors out there - they sell a pen showing the big iron ball that they push through the sewers to cleam them - it floats back and forth in the pen in a most amusing fashion.

I am an engineer - so I find it Cool that there is an engineer at the top of the tower (M. Eiffel of course) and there is a bust of an engineer in the sewer (Sorry I don't recall his name). And the tours of the sewer have been going on for over 100 years - longer than the Eiffel tower has been standing!!

AbbeB

A couple more....

Walk down the Champs-Elysees on New Year's Eve with your bottle of champagne and celebrate the New Year!

Go wine shopping at Lavinia.

Chat with friends over hot chocolate and pastries at Christian Constant.

Visit the Church of Alexandre Nevsky and stop for a Russian lunch at a nearby cafe. Don't forget the vodka!

Go shopping for spices at Hediard.

Taste all of the mustards at Maille on Place de la Madeleine.

Has anyone noticed this one - if you take a laptop to Paris and reset the time from (in my case)Eastern Standard Time to local Paris time, the time there is called Romance Time. Really!

amazed at how long this post has been going on for....and at how useful it has been. We are leaving for Paris in 6 days for our honeymoon.

bookmarking...

Say bonjour to the uniformed ladies at Poilane and stock up on bread and gateaux de pommes.

Find a movie in english with french subtitles and enjoy the ambiance.

Go to Sacre Coeur - when the nuns are singing.

The beauty of their voices in such a magnificent building gave me goosebumps.

Fantastic - brings back so many memories plus lots of ideas for our 3 days in Paris in October.

One question - why does the print turn orange/red when I move my curser over it?

ttt

bookmarking for upcoming trip. Thank you all!!

quel string! No one has mentioned the charming Butte Aux Cailles area in the 13th arr, south of the Place D'Italie. It is hilly, and full of great patisseries and little cafés. Just south of that is the Square des Peupliers with some very nice small streets around it.

had to bookmark for upcoming trip

Visit the Cognacq-Jay Museum, an intimate museum showcasing the private collection of Ernest Cognacq (who founded the Samaritaine department stores) and his wife, Marie-Louise Jay. There are delightful paintings, porcelains, furniture, etc -- mostly 18th century (paintings by Canaletto, Fragonard, Greuze, Chardin, Boucher, Watteau, and Tiepolo). Quite a change from the wonderful, but overcroweded Louvre and Musee D'Orsay. When we were there there were only a few other people in the whole museum. Well worth the trip.
Metro: St. Paul 8, rue de Elzevir

What a great thread! The wonderful posts are making me miss my favorite city - need my annual fix soon. I haven't read everything, so I can't number these, and I apologize if they are repeats - but here are my favorite things to do in Paris:

- Stay in an apartment so you can experience Paris like a Parisian (we always stay in the 7th). You will be surprised how quickly you settle into la vie Parisienne!

- Walk in as many different neighborhoods as you can. There are wonderful surprises around every corner.

- One of my favorite Paris memories is running in the Champs de Mars in the early morning, right after sun-up. I shared the park with a few other runners, the trash men cleaning up after the previous evenings festivities, and a few bench-sleepers. Running down the cool, shaded allées on either side of the park, towards the Eiffel Tower in one direction, and then towards the Ecole Militaire in the other direction, was magical.

- Shop everywhere - for cheese, for bread, for chocolates, for clothes, for wine, etc. In most shops, even the smallest purchase is packaged with care (and French style).

- Ask questions. Speak whatever French you can. I have found most Parisians to be very tolerant, helpful, and (yes, really) friendly. My husband did very well with only "Bonjour", "Merci", "Au revoir" and his favorite phrase - "Une Leffe pression, s'il vous plait".

Bon voyage!

Thanks to all! I'm going in September for the second time and I'm getting more and more excited. I'll print this.

bookmarking

What a great thread! I will be spending a month (March) in France (I have an apt. rented in the 19th Arrond.). Yes, I know it's far away, but with a month, I needed to save costs and it's only a train trip away to go to the city. I'm taking this list with me and checking off items as I do them. I must say, though, I do love Italy (maybe because I'm part Sicilian). Each country has its own charm and flavor. Merci for the list. (Note to self: learn some French. lol)

walk the passages ending at Le Grand Colbert for lunch

Visit Pere Lachaise and walk very slowly through the section with monuments to the camps and the resistance

Head over to Montmarte and visit Sacre Coeur. Have lunch at La Mascotte. The shellfish will astound you

Take a hamman, drink mint tea and head out for Moroccan or Berber food after same

Visit the Eiffel Tower at night and then catch a cab home with a ride among the monuments

We are heading back to Paris in September for our third visit. I cannot wait.

What a super list of ideas - thanks so very much!

These are all after dark suggestions:

Sit on the grass in the Champs de Mars with a bottle of wine and watch the Eiffel Tower twinkle.

Go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe to view the city lights including the sparkling ET.

Go to the illuminated Notre Dame. You can see how Victor Hugo was inspired to write The Hunchback. It is spooky and thrilling!

Walk along the Seine, enjoy the lights and music and people of all walks having the time of their life.

Stand on the Pont Alexander III and make out with a significant other, or anyone who catches your fancy!

(And is willing.)

We just came back from our 7th trip to Paris and we found new things to do each day of the 8 we were there. Try the Segway tour, it is fun, easy and a different way to see parts of the greatest city in the World!

WOW, what a great list. Have a few to add though:
Go to the Picasso Museum if half the collection isn't on loan to other museums (I plan to find this out somehow before we go in April)
Go to L'Orangerie now that it's reopened

Go to the ladies room at Le Grand Cafe--even the walk to it is fantastic (sorry guys, but you can check out the mens rr)

Go to Le Bilboquet for jazz--at Club St. Germain 13 rue St. Benoit, 6 E

Go to the Memorial de la Deportation behind Notre Dam--sombre but moving

Paris is my most favourite city in the world! We try and get back there at least once a year. Can I add a couple to your list?

You have not lived until you have had oysters at "La Coupole"

Pamper yourself to the most delicious hot chocolate at "Des Maggots"

Thank you for a wonderful thread......

Be there on Bastille Day (July 14)so you can spend the evening laying on a blanket beneath the Eiffel Tower watching the fireworks with all the Parisian families. Don't forget your wine.

Topping for even more wonderful ideas

ttt

• Go to Longchamp race course and see the immaculate-bred Thoroughbreds run on the impeccably-tended turf. (And even cash a few bets!)

• Stay in the very room a celebrated figure (in my case, Beaudelaire) once occupied, then go to that person’s final resting place (in his case, the cemetary in Montmartre.

• Eat at Yugaraj, the best Indian restaurant in Paris.

• Bore into the sprawling flea market, Marches aux Puces de St-Ouen, and come out with a few choice items, like a cameo for the wife-at-home-who-doesn’t fly and a leather jacket that makes me look slimmer

•

- Eat at Le Chartier restaurant close to Montmartre (does anyone know exactly where?). Not exactly a restful and romantic place, but not to be missed.

Thank you. Thank you.

I've got to add something we did on both trips to Paris: have a cocktail at Bar Hemingway at the Ritz. On our last trip the head bartender made me two drinks just by asking me quesitions on what I like and don't like in terms of taste and he claimed he had never made either of them before. Colin Field, the head bartender, has written a book and if he is there he will autograph it for you.

Rent a bike and ride from the Latin Quarter to the Sacre Couer. Amazing because you have to stop every 2 minutes to look at the map to make sure you are going in the right direction. Riding through the different neighborhoods is tremendous. Paris will never look the same after riding a bike.

Have an afternoon tea at Mariage.

On our trip to Paris in November, 2006 my wife and I had tea at Bar Vendome at the Ritz...it was a great experience.

Drop in for a dance class at Centre de Danse du Marais http://www.paris-danse.fr/pdf/programme-cours-sept-2006-v31.pdf
Great teachers from all over the world, including the the Paris Opera Ballet. Charming studios in a house built around 1600-- old fashioned wooden floor on which they still sprinkle water, rosin box in the corner... like traveling back in time.

You people have a major problem. #1-Go to Paris and get laid.

bkm

bookmarking

I was only there two years ago for three days but I'm going back in November. But I did a few things that aren't on the list...

My friends at home are shopaholics, like myself, so I thought they might appreciate seeing pictures of the gorgeous display windows where I shopped. It was Easter time so the chocolate shop windows were especially magnificent, as well as the new spring clothes lines. The girls oohd and ahhd at these pictures. And the one pair of shoes that were so cute but so expensive are now forever mine, captured in photo... two pairs in two different colors!

Also take a leisurely tour of the Opera Garnier remembering that it was the inspiration for the Phantom of the Opera. Downstairs in the hall of mirrors, you'll swear that he appears out of the corner of your eye.

Only go to the center observation deck of the Eiffel Tower so you can say to yourself, "I have to come back and do the top next time."

Sleep with your windows open so you can hear the sounds of the city.

Walk from the Eiffel Tower to the Champs Elysee and you will pass the entrance to the tunnel where to this day people place flowers and pictures in memory of Princess Diana.

What a wonderful list! Another wonderful thing to do in Paris is to watch the children on the carousel in Jardain des Plantes.

bookmarking

BKM

Plan your time in Paris to include the first weekend in Oct and attend Nuit Blanche.

What is Nuit Blanche?

bear: Just type "nuit blanche" in the search box, and you'll get many posts about it. Sounds like fun!

If you are overwhelmed with the city and would like to relax and recharge, head out to the Bibliotheque Nationale Francois-Mitterand and walk across the new passerelle Simone de Beauvoir over the Seine to the beautiful and peaceful parc de Bercy(If it's warm enough you could always stop for a swim in the Piscine Josephine Baker which floats on the seine next to the Bibliotheque Nationale).

The children of the world statues by Rachid Khimoune are interesting, as is the walk through the beautiful park to Bercy village at Cour St. Emilion(the site of the old wine storehouses, once the biggest wine market in the world, and now a restaurant,shopping and entertainment centre).

Jump on the metro and take the fully automated and driverless line 14 back in to the centre of Paris.

kaz: What a great tip... Merci!

Hope this has not been mentioned yet - the thread is so rich it's hard to tell! Walk the full length of the Promenade Plantee - a 3 mile long, 10 yard wide "garden" running along an old railroad right-of-way. We found it on our last trip there - a reminder that there are always new discoveries in this endlessly-fascinating city, however many times one has visited.

I'm planning my first trip to France. After reading this, should we just spend the entire 10 days in Paris? If so and we do some day trips, where do you suggest? Normandy and Versailles for sure...what else?

Thanks

Although many people choose (or are limited to) a shorter time in Paris, my wife (Claude E.A. Bear) and I have found even five weeks too short a time to do everything we wanted to do. If you plan to return to Paris or to France again, I would say spend the entire 10 days based in Paris and take a day trip or two to places like Versailles, Chartres, Giverny, etc. that are easily reached from Paris.

We are planning some overnight side trips the next time we visit (for about 4 weeks) but it is our fourth time in Paris, so we are more selective about what to do there and interested in trying out other cities. For a first-timer, I would recommend all the time you can possibly devote to Paris.

Hi, we are going to Paris at 8 Juli for 4 days, for the 5 th. time. We love live blues music, can any one tell me some names of clubs where we can go ? What a great thread! We love Paris !!!!

Bookmarking for a girl trip in Oct. Anyone have any shopping tips to add??

Thing to do: Buy ice cream at one of the great places on Ile St. Louis and sit on the Quai d'Orleans and enjoy the treat and the view.

SS

For those of us for whom shopping means food delicacies, I have two "can't miss" suggestions:

1. Buy some loose Pates de Fruits (square sugar candies in exquisite fruit flavors) from Hediard, at Place de la Madelaine and a few other locations, and get a few boxes of them to take home as hostess gifts. When you run out of them, try mail ordering them from the U.S. or wherever.

2. Stroll through Fouchons (not far from Hediard), Paris' answer to New York's Zabar. If you can't find it somewhere at Fouchons, it isn't really worth eating.

Every trip to Paris now I spend part of one evening with a bottle of wine on the Pont Des Arts with, it seems, everyone else in Paris. Some people spread out a regular picnic and others just stand and watch the lights and boats. Some play music but everyone is there.

This is the bridge from last April, but during the day...
http://pjk.smugmug.com/photos/145507375-L.jpg

Pjk

Bookmarking - I am sooo homesick for Paris (which I have only visited, but it felt like home).

Stupid question: can you see the Eiffel Tower lit at night from the bridges that are closer to Notre Dame--or is it too far around bends in the river?

Hopingtotravel,

This photo was taken at the Pont au Change on the Quai de la Megisserie side which shows you can still see it!
http://tinyurl.com/ytcm5l

Beatchick, looks great.
Think I would have also enjoyed the Joyce, Dublin and Sylvia Beach conversation!

bookmarking

thanks so much

Walk through the tiny Place Furstemburg in the 6th. Years ago there used to be a bench there. I would get up very early, take my breakfast from the Hotel de Seine on rue de Seine... and eat it on that one lonely bench on Place Furstemburg. Very peaceful as I was always the only person there. Happy Travels!

bk. Thanks everyone!

ttt thanks everyone.

bookmarking for future reference

Another -- Go to the Belleville Arts Festival (middle of May) and wander the streets and visit over 100 real French artists' studios open to the public.

http://www.ateliers-artistes-belleville.org/

SS

bookmarking

These are great suggestions! Do you think they all still apply in 2007?

bookmarking

bookmarking

bookmarking

Wow so many things I had 1 1/2 day in Paris in Dec but this gives me ideas I am thinking of going back in May was only
going to do 2 1/2 days but now I am thinking skip Rome and just
do Paris

ttt

So great to see I am not the only one afflicted with this Paris thing. Preparing for another visit in May - never tire of the place. One thing not mentioned that vastly increases the experience is the "trip before the trip" As soon as I book a trip I try to immerse myself in the experience. I read novels about the place I am going, or written by famous authors from the place (If you have never read Les Mis - do it.) or history books. I don't mean the dull schoolbook types but ones that go deeply into a subject that gets you to feel like you know the characters involved- the gossips and scandals and foibles. When I was a stay at home mother and, believe it or not,I saved refunds from grocery box tops for 10 years to fund a 2 week trip to Paris - I found a book about the revolution that I based our trip on. Each chapter gives you a story about a character from the revolution and then tells you how to find places that figured in the story. It is long out of print but due to the wonders of technology - downloadable free from the web from a wonderful website.

http://www.archive.org/details/wayofthetumbrils001360mbp

I give it to you as my gift (I have horded my copy carefully.) Luckily, my trips now are not so few and far between. And now, for this trip, I have been reading through the many wonderful histories of Paris by G Lenotre on that website. And, more technology - when locations are mentioned- I can pull them up on Google - street view and actually move around the area - see if that place is still there - do I want to go there? So many historic spots - so little time! Thus , I have actually "been in Paris" for several months now building up an appreciation of what I will see. For example, when we went to the house that Robespierre lived in, now a restaurant bar - the proprietor was amazed that I knew that I was in the Duplay's dining room. He started giving me everything he could that had the name of the place on it and papers he had about it. Telling me that most French people don't have a clue about what happened there. Nice moment! So, in effect, you will generate you own unique to do list - not that these suggestion are not great as well. One trip is never enough!