Heavens top five in Paris...what is yours?
Mar 21st, 2006, 07:59 AM
#1
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Heavens top five in Paris...what is yours?
OK, never been to Paris, but after doing quite a bit of research on here, talking with friends, and lurking on Fodors, this is what I have made my top five must-do's on our first trip to Paris for our 25th wedding anniversary at the end of April:
1. See the Eiffel Tower during the day and during the night. It is not so important to go up in it, but to see it from many angles.
2. To go visit a street market and shop for fruit and flowers and just enjoy the scene.
3. To see the Mona Lisa and the Louvre (don't know why I HAVE to do this, but I do)
4. Sit at a very well positioned cafe (Cafe' de Flore?) and sip wine in the afternoon and watch the world go by...maybe munching on bread and cheese, a little pate...
5. Take a river boat ride on the Seine, during the night, I think, or day and night.
We are traveling with another couple, and my DH, and they probably have different ideas. I just know that on our trip, I must do these five things, at least, to feel that I have been in Paris.
Anything you would add or take away?
1. See the Eiffel Tower during the day and during the night. It is not so important to go up in it, but to see it from many angles.
2. To go visit a street market and shop for fruit and flowers and just enjoy the scene.
3. To see the Mona Lisa and the Louvre (don't know why I HAVE to do this, but I do)
4. Sit at a very well positioned cafe (Cafe' de Flore?) and sip wine in the afternoon and watch the world go by...maybe munching on bread and cheese, a little pate...
5. Take a river boat ride on the Seine, during the night, I think, or day and night.
We are traveling with another couple, and my DH, and they probably have different ideas. I just know that on our trip, I must do these five things, at least, to feel that I have been in Paris.
Anything you would add or take away?
Mar 21st, 2006, 08:20 AM
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I leave for my first trip to Paris in 6 days and must see:
Louvre & d'Orsay, for many reasons but I am most looking forward to admiring
The Wedding Feast at Cana and Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, two works I've admired from afar for many years.
Walking the river Seine
Choucroute garnie
Picnic at Jardin du Luxembourg
Trying as many different wines and cheeses as I can and deciding my favorites
Louvre & d'Orsay, for many reasons but I am most looking forward to admiring
The Wedding Feast at Cana and Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, two works I've admired from afar for many years.
Walking the river Seine
Choucroute garnie
Picnic at Jardin du Luxembourg
Trying as many different wines and cheeses as I can and deciding my favorites
Mar 21st, 2006, 08:31 AM
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Hard to limit it to five so I'll list the things I do on most of my vists:
1. Wander around a new (to me) neighborhood.
2. Visit Sainte Chapelle in the late afternoon on a sunny day.
3. Visit my Kandinsky at the Beaubourg.
4. Visit the Rodin Museum and Gardens.
5. Sit at Café Mabillon sipping a Kir Royale whilst on people/puppy watch.
1. Wander around a new (to me) neighborhood.
2. Visit Sainte Chapelle in the late afternoon on a sunny day.
3. Visit my Kandinsky at the Beaubourg.
4. Visit the Rodin Museum and Gardens.
5. Sit at Café Mabillon sipping a Kir Royale whilst on people/puppy watch.
Mar 21st, 2006, 08:46 AM
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After 8 trips to Paris and looking forward to many more, I think the following are my top 5:
Walking through Paris in almost any direction and stopping at a cafe for coffee or wine. Our favorite cafe is the Cafe Bonaparte just around the corner from the Cafe Flore. Sit outside if you can.
Walking through a beautiful park; my favorites are the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuilleries and Place des Vosges. Sit on a bench, have a picnic and watch the people.
Ste. Chapelle - to me, it is the most magnificent sight in Paris. Go when the sun is shining to appreciate the beautiful stained glass.
A boat trip on the Seine. Go late in the day so you see the Eiffel Tower both in the daylight and after dark.
The Musee D'Orsay both for the building and for the Impressionists.
Walking through Paris in almost any direction and stopping at a cafe for coffee or wine. Our favorite cafe is the Cafe Bonaparte just around the corner from the Cafe Flore. Sit outside if you can.
Walking through a beautiful park; my favorites are the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuilleries and Place des Vosges. Sit on a bench, have a picnic and watch the people.
Ste. Chapelle - to me, it is the most magnificent sight in Paris. Go when the sun is shining to appreciate the beautiful stained glass.
A boat trip on the Seine. Go late in the day so you see the Eiffel Tower both in the daylight and after dark.
The Musee D'Orsay both for the building and for the Impressionists.
Mar 21st, 2006, 09:01 AM
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Heavens, I wouldn't change a thing! I could add 100, but here's a couple. Picnics: on a bench along the Seine, in the Luxembourg Gardens, on a bench in Pere Lachaise, in your apartment or hotel room at midnight. Get lost walking in the 5th, 6th & or 7th, and stop for some coffee or wine at a cafe only after several hours of simply wandering. Shop/browse at supermarkets and Monoprix-type stores, just to get a feel for the different rythyms and tastes of this amazing city. And when you're at the Louvre, stand ourside in the middle of the Cour Caree or at the Pyramid, and just look around, and soak in the history.
Mar 21st, 2006, 10:29 AM
#7
Hello Heavens: We spent our 25th in Paris and Provence, and have truly enjoyed everything mentioned here as favourites. Here are mine:
1. Having early morning coffee and croissant on arrival day, just sitting in the sun at a small cafe and breathing in Paris;
2. Watching fathers in the Jardin du Luxembourg play with their children;
3. Watching young couples power-walking in the parks, her hand to his elbow;
4. Checking out the produce arm-in-arm with the local greengrocer, who loved to find me fresh fruit;
5. Streetlamps casting an amber glow as we walked back to the hotel after a fasionably late bistro dinner;
and, of course, all of your suggestions.
Hope your celebration is wonderful!
1. Having early morning coffee and croissant on arrival day, just sitting in the sun at a small cafe and breathing in Paris;
2. Watching fathers in the Jardin du Luxembourg play with their children;
3. Watching young couples power-walking in the parks, her hand to his elbow;
4. Checking out the produce arm-in-arm with the local greengrocer, who loved to find me fresh fruit;
5. Streetlamps casting an amber glow as we walked back to the hotel after a fasionably late bistro dinner;
and, of course, all of your suggestions.
Hope your celebration is wonderful!
Mar 21st, 2006, 11:07 AM
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Only 5?
Food: of all the places I've gone, France is my epicurean heaven.
So:
Cafe au lait anywhere, but especially in the morning, outside
Cold melon and iced tea in late afternoon in a cafe, outside
Cold white wine and biscuits in a cafe in the evening (outside of course)
Crepes in a little cafe on Rue Cler, outside.
and putting together a picnic by browsing:
bakery for fresh crusty rolls,
fromagerie for cheese, and
grocery for bottles of cold fruit drink,
stop in a wine shop for wine,
stop at a market for fruit in season
Then go to the grassy park by Eiffel Tower and sit, sip, nibble and watch Parisian families (grand parents to nursing babies to frolicking dogs to courting couples) until the tower lights up!
Food: of all the places I've gone, France is my epicurean heaven.
So:
Cafe au lait anywhere, but especially in the morning, outside
Cold melon and iced tea in late afternoon in a cafe, outside
Cold white wine and biscuits in a cafe in the evening (outside of course)
Crepes in a little cafe on Rue Cler, outside.
and putting together a picnic by browsing:
bakery for fresh crusty rolls,
fromagerie for cheese, and
grocery for bottles of cold fruit drink,
stop in a wine shop for wine,
stop at a market for fruit in season
Then go to the grassy park by Eiffel Tower and sit, sip, nibble and watch Parisian families (grand parents to nursing babies to frolicking dogs to courting couples) until the tower lights up!
Mar 21st, 2006, 03:23 PM
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These are all great ideas. I do have a question about the picnics. If you go to a public park, can you take a bottle of wine and some glasses and drink it then and there? And how about on the boats? Thanks all for your ideas. My list is growing...
Mar 21st, 2006, 05:09 PM
#10
Your lists are exellent. I have sipped wine in parcs with no problems.
I love walking in the rain in Paris and it's an excuse to pop into a new place you may not have noticed til you were soaking and wanted to dry off a bit.
I love walking in the rain in Paris and it's an excuse to pop into a new place you may not have noticed til you were soaking and wanted to dry off a bit.
Mar 21st, 2006, 05:14 PM
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Ok...here goes,...
Get a journal, find a reasonable cafe on the champs de lysee, and just write and write and write while enjoying a glass of wine.
Drink as much parisian coffee as possible. Eat as many croque monsieurs as you can handle.
See the Mona Lisa.
Visit the Notre Dame.
Find a nice pharmacy and stock up on your fave skin care products. I got a bunch of weleda for pretty cheap.
Get a journal, find a reasonable cafe on the champs de lysee, and just write and write and write while enjoying a glass of wine.
Drink as much parisian coffee as possible. Eat as many croque monsieurs as you can handle.
See the Mona Lisa.
Visit the Notre Dame.
Find a nice pharmacy and stock up on your fave skin care products. I got a bunch of weleda for pretty cheap.
Mar 21st, 2006, 05:25 PM
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I think everyone needs to see the Mona Lisa at least once, but I want to caution you not to be too disappointed. It is not the largest painting in the Louvre, it is in a glass case and it is surrounded by a crowd of people, all of them jostling to get a better view. I personally enjoy the Egyptian antiquities, the David paintings, and the excavations under the Louvre. Then I would go to the Musee d'Orsay and see Degas' Little Dancer.
Mar 21st, 2006, 06:16 PM
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PICNICS: ok to bring wine but don't sit on the grass (find a bench). You may wish to buy glasses once you arrive and use them as your picnic glasses--they make a great souvenir.
BOAT RIDES: We've only ever brought Champagne on the Vedettes boats and it was never a problem. Don't forget to use the coupon:
http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com
Another great place to enjoy a glass of wine whilst the sun is settin is on the pedestrian bridge, Pont des Arts.
BOAT RIDES: We've only ever brought Champagne on the Vedettes boats and it was never a problem. Don't forget to use the coupon:
http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com
Another great place to enjoy a glass of wine whilst the sun is settin is on the pedestrian bridge, Pont des Arts.
Mar 22nd, 2006, 06:42 AM
#14
mvor beat me to it! Heavens, yes you can bring wine to the park, just don't walk or sit on the grass (in most places) often that is even posted. sit in the metal chairs or on a bench. I don't know about boats.
Mar 22nd, 2006, 07:12 AM
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Paris is our favorite city and we have visited often. Thinking back to our first trip I would list these top 5:
Eiffel Tower - not only see it but go up to the top. It is a tourist spot but it is not to be missed
The Louvre/Musee D'Orsay - Spend a half a day at each and enjoy all the different art (my favorite, the Raft of the Medusa)
Champs D'Lysee/Arc D' Triumph - walk down the promenade from the Ferris Wheel to the Arc D' Triumph and then go up inside the Arc and view the city from the top
River tour at night with all the buildings and monuments lit up plus the Eiffel Tower shimmering on the hour.
Finally, the Rodin Museum. What a beutiful place. View The Kiss in the early morning with the sun shining through the window. It will bring a tear to your eye.
Enjoy your trip and be prepared to become a lifelong Paris lover...
Eiffel Tower - not only see it but go up to the top. It is a tourist spot but it is not to be missed
The Louvre/Musee D'Orsay - Spend a half a day at each and enjoy all the different art (my favorite, the Raft of the Medusa)
Champs D'Lysee/Arc D' Triumph - walk down the promenade from the Ferris Wheel to the Arc D' Triumph and then go up inside the Arc and view the city from the top
River tour at night with all the buildings and monuments lit up plus the Eiffel Tower shimmering on the hour.
Finally, the Rodin Museum. What a beutiful place. View The Kiss in the early morning with the sun shining through the window. It will bring a tear to your eye.
Enjoy your trip and be prepared to become a lifelong Paris lover...
Mar 22nd, 2006, 07:35 AM
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Have coffee and take pictures of each other atop the Au Printemps [Maison] roof deck, mornings with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
See Paris Story, then tour the Opera Garnier and have lunch at Le Grand Cafe.
Walk southerly through the passages of the 2nd [from the Le Pelitier Metro], hang out for a while in the Gardens of the Palais Royale, where the tulips will be in full bloom. Stop along the way at La Creperie, right inside the Passage des Panoramas, and have a "Coupe Amarena." Make a dinner reservation at Le Vaudeville.
Relax with others relaxing and people watching on the Pont des Arts, the little pedestrian footbridge below the Ile de La Cite.
Take rides on the Batobus and follow the sightseeing suggestions in their brochurre.
See Paris Story, then tour the Opera Garnier and have lunch at Le Grand Cafe.
Walk southerly through the passages of the 2nd [from the Le Pelitier Metro], hang out for a while in the Gardens of the Palais Royale, where the tulips will be in full bloom. Stop along the way at La Creperie, right inside the Passage des Panoramas, and have a "Coupe Amarena." Make a dinner reservation at Le Vaudeville.
Relax with others relaxing and people watching on the Pont des Arts, the little pedestrian footbridge below the Ile de La Cite.
Take rides on the Batobus and follow the sightseeing suggestions in their brochurre.
Mar 22nd, 2006, 07:48 AM
#17
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All sounds great. Yes, if we get to 6, 7, and 8, will do the park at Luxemburg for a picnic (or some other park) and the Orsay, and also the Rodin has been strongly recommended.
We are just not big museum people. I would rather be out enjoying the energy of the city and the people. I can be amused for hours just watching the people come and go, what they are wearing, where they are going...it is fascinating, IMO.
Thanks again for your wonderful Paris expertise. I think I will be very happy just to "be" in this amazing city...
We are just not big museum people. I would rather be out enjoying the energy of the city and the people. I can be amused for hours just watching the people come and go, what they are wearing, where they are going...it is fascinating, IMO.
Thanks again for your wonderful Paris expertise. I think I will be very happy just to "be" in this amazing city...
Mar 22nd, 2006, 08:18 AM
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Just to add to the picnic/wine/bench concept...
This may seem intuitive, but we've found ourselves with the wine, cheese, bread, fruit, pate, tapenade, etc at the perfect bench in the perfect location - only to have forgotten the corkscrew, or cups, or knives. So always remember and never forget to include among your food purchases a trip to the Monoprix or other store to pick up les couteaux et tasses en plastiques (plastic knives and cups), and a corkscrew if you didn't bring one or if it was confiscated(!)
By the way, our two favorite benches in the Luxembourg Gardens are in the children's playground, and adjacent to the mini-Statue of Liberty. But we have many more to try out!
This may seem intuitive, but we've found ourselves with the wine, cheese, bread, fruit, pate, tapenade, etc at the perfect bench in the perfect location - only to have forgotten the corkscrew, or cups, or knives. So always remember and never forget to include among your food purchases a trip to the Monoprix or other store to pick up les couteaux et tasses en plastiques (plastic knives and cups), and a corkscrew if you didn't bring one or if it was confiscated(!)
By the way, our two favorite benches in the Luxembourg Gardens are in the children's playground, and adjacent to the mini-Statue of Liberty. But we have many more to try out!
Mar 22nd, 2006, 09:53 AM
#19
Heavens, Hey don't feel bad about the museum thing (or lack thereof). For many people it is just not their cup of tea (me included)... I am so bad it is a well-known joke among my traveling friends about trying to get me into museums (let's just say it's not an easy thing to do)
;-)
;-)
