Scootoir

My cousin and I will be in Paris for 3 days next month at the end of a tour. We are 60 somethings and traveling sans husbands. We have both visited Paris and plan to focus our short time on the area from the Invalides, Musee d'Orsay and the islands. We have tickets to a concert at the Sainte Chapelle (hoping this will go on as planned) and plan to visit the Musee d'Orsay, attend a special church service, visit Notre Dame, stroll the islands, visit the Christmas market near St. Sulpice and hopefully shop at Bon Marche (food hall) and perhaps a Seine cruise.

If we had time to squeeze in one more thing what do you suggest? Is there something going on that we should not miss?

pariswat

Look at the galeries Lafayette - they have beautiful windows for Xmas.
See Kerouac's post about it.
Have dinner at L'institut du monde Arabe, with a view on Notre Dame (Zyriad ? is the name of the restaurant) ?

HAve fun...

fuzzbucket

If you can arrange the cruise during the evening, you would probably enjoy it much more - you could easily go after the concert at Sainte-Chapelle. The whole city is illuminated, including the bridges and monuments - the effect is absolutely magical. During the day, especially in winter, it's pretty dreary, IMO. Sun sets in December around 5PM. No need to buy tickets in advance, if you go to the dock at Pont Neuf, you'll need to pay cash (about 13EU each).
Make sure to bundle up really well.

I would second ParisWat's suggestion to visit Printemps and Galeries Lafayette (right next door to each other). Bon Marche doesn't compare as far as decorations and scope of merchandise. GL has an excellent food hall as well as several little niche restaurants in the basement and on the first floor. I would also suggest the Champs-Elysees market rather than the one at Saint-Sulpice.

Avalon2

If you are there on a Sunday or Thus. A visit to The Richard Lenoir market near Place Bastille is really fun. I consider it the best street market in Paris and I.ve been to all of them!

Avalon2

If you are there on a Sunday or Thus. A visit to The Richard Lenoir market near Place Bastille is really fun. I consider it the best street market in Paris and I.ve been to all of them!

Gretchen

It is also open at least one other day I think. We like the pl. Monge market on Sunday.

PalenQ

https://www.google.com/search?q=la+d...sAQIQw&dpr=1.1


La Defense is said to have a superb Christmas Market - a short metro or RER ride away.

pariswat

Nope. La defense Xmas market is not worth the trouble going there.

The one on les champs is for me the nicest.

ira

Hey Scoo,

Musée de l'Orangerie

Sunday brunch at http://www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/en

The Branly Museum http://www.quaibranly.fr/en/

Enjoy your visit.

Scootoir

Thank you for some great ideas. We will be in Paris Monday-Wednesday, flying home Thursday morning so we will miss the Richard Lenoir market and brunch at the Jacquemart-Andre. My cousin has not been to the Jacquemart-Andre so something new for her.

Maybe the trek to Galeries Lafayette will be worth it if it is beautifully decorated inside. I was so disappointed to hear about the Star Wars decor.

Perhaps we'll do the Seine cruise on our last evening as a way to say good-bye to the city--until next time of course. ;-)

ira

PS,

If you are visiting St Sulpice, check the schedule for organ concerts.

Scootoir

Thanks Ira, we will look into that.

denisea

Closer to the other sites you are planning to visit....the Pantheon and/or Musee Cluny. Musee Rodin would also be an option. The Christmas windows at Printemos and Galleries Lafayette vary from year to year and have things for young and old but not always appealing to everyone, IMO.

TDudette

Jacquemart-Andre is wonderful and I agree with denisea about Rodin--you might have time to do both.

djkbooks

If you will be here during the Visites de Noel, highly recommend...enchanting step back in time...

http://www.arts-forains.com/

sheila

Musee Rodin, I second. It's in your area. I loved it before and it has just been done up. So well worth the visit.

Pepper_von_snoot

Oh, I agree about the fabulous café @ Jackie Andre Musee.

I can remember having lunch there once when this woman (wearing a coat that looked like William Morris wallpaper) lost her glass eye whilst enjoying her soup.

The soup was so delicious that she didn't bother getting up to fetch it after it rolled across the floor and ended up next to a potted palm.

She just carried on eating her meal as she fished an eye patch out of her handbag to cover the offending orifice.

(Madame at the adjoining table was horrified and made semaphore gestures at the maître d'hotel.)

That was obviously some good soup!

I later saw her driving around Paris in a blue Buick.


Thin

welltraveledbrit

I like the Jaquemart Andre too, i do take the audio tour which is very good. I'd recommend combining it with a walk in Parc Monceau and a visit to another house museum, the charming Musée Nissim de Camondo which is nearby.

http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...ml?q=jaquemart

http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/en/m...im-de-camondo/

However, you mention <My cousin has not been to the Jacquemart-Andre so something new for her.> I presume this means you have been there before? What about something new for you too, have you been to the Marmottan Monet or one of my favorites the small Gustav Moureau museum?

http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...rmottan+Monet?

http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...rmottan+Monet?

I agree with Ira, the Quai Branly is also very much worth visiting and I can second Pariswat's suggestion of L'institut du Monde Arabe. I love the view from here and it combines wonderfully with a visit to the La Grande Mosquée de Paris and their delightful cafe.

http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...q=mosque+paris

PearlsandOysters

We got back from Paris a few weeks ago and a couple of really memorable combinations come to mind:

The opera at Opera Bastille (we did the Sunday afternoon performance) after lunch at Auberge Flora - http://www.pearlsandoysters.com/2015...usic-together/ The Opera is really worth seeing (we saw Don Giovanni)

Visit the Musée de Montmartre and Jardins Renior (they have a special Utrillo exhibit until February) followed by lunch at Prémices (open on Monday!) - a stunning combination. http://www.pearlsandoysters.com/2015...-paris-go-now/ This was Renior's studio and it is a gem of a museum esp. with the Utrillo exhibit who painted Montmartre almost exclusively.

Finally d'Orsay followed by lunch at Les Climats - http://www.pearlsandoysters.com/2015/11/30/les-climats/ It is a very short walk and a lovely place to lunch.

FabulousFrance

Sounds wonderful. I love Paris in December, and well really-anytime.

I find a short rest gets me back going with more energy to see all there is to see in Paris.
Two spots that are near to places you will already be:
The Chapel of the Miraculous Medal-St Catherines 140 Rue du Bac. Very near the Bon Marche food Hall. I find sitting in churches and parks very restful.

After browsing the Christmas markets at St Germain, head across the street to Café Les Deux Magots for a cup of hot chocolate and people watching among the twinkling lights - another nice resting spot.

Enjoy!