I will be traveling to Paris with friends mid September and staying in the LeMarais area for appxox two weeks. Any suggestions as to how to best spend my time after we do the tourist sites?

One of the pleasures or Paris is just wandering the streets and finding your own little gems.

Ten quick things to do in the Marais1) Spend two hours sitting in the Place des Vosges people watching (2)Eat lunch at Bofinger, try the choucroute and the steack tartare; (2)
find l'As de Felafel and eat a felafel sandwich while standing on the street (4) go to the Picasso museum (5) walk around looking at the wall plaques memorializing Jews shipped off to concentration camps, noting especially the memorials to whole schools of children deported together; (6) go to the Musee Carnavelet to see how Parisians have lived over the centuries (7) go to the Monoprix on St Paul to see how they live today, especially the supermarket in the basement (8) eat at the Cafe des Musees on the rue de Turenne (9) find the Cirque d'Hiver and go to a performance if there is one (10) go to Temps des Cerises for lunch; watch your fellow Americans come up, look at it and reject it based on its appearance while it fills with happy French people (it looks like a pizza place in Jersey City.) Bonus: shop your way up one side of rue de Francs Bourgeoises and down the other. Oh, no, I gave away a whole bunch of secrets!

Hi G,

With only 2 weeks in Paris, it is unlikely that you will have run out of tourist sites.

Have you seen these?

Paris Superthread
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34519236

100 Great Things to Do in Paris
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...mp;tid=1277898

Degas’s Paris Walks
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34712768

Jacquemart-Andre’ Museum http://tinyurl.com/p9pol
This is particularly recommended for Sunday Brunch.

I think Cirque d'Hiver is just in winter (hence, "hiver&quot.
http://www.cirquedhiver.com/

Travelnut is right. Normal opening at end of October or beginning of November

Akislander gave you a list of som of the most enjoyable things to do in that area. We have done most of them several times and and some of them many many times.

Place de Vosges is such a special, especially watching the kids playing there. Pick up food from the numerous bakeries nearby (you notice I refer to bakery items as 'food'), or sandwiches etc.. and relax.

The Marais is full of wonderful shops (don't ask me how I know..) and restaurants and is a great area to stroll through day or night. It's close to St. Louis and the Bastille area (Bofingers).

You've made a wise choice in choosing that area to stay in.

Enjoy,

Nina