Markets, Museums, and Multiple Seats: A Paris Trip Report
Oct 16th, 2008, 07:03 PM
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Markets, Museums, and Multiple Seats: A Paris Trip Report
Just arrived back yesterday from a wonderful week in Paris, and thought I'd share a few experiences.
A 75 minute flight delay resulted in 30-some people being moved off our plane to another flight in order to connect with a cruise ship in Barcelona. This left multiple empty seats on a flight that wouldn't have been full anyway, so I moved to a center row of 3 seats, which let me lay down and sleep for a good portion of the trip over. A nice surprise which let my husband have both our seats in the exit row, which I had booked to accommodate his long legs(he's 6'7"
Upon arrival at CDG, we moved quickly through passport control(less than 10 minutes), claimed our luggage, got some euro from the ATM and went to the lower level of terminal 2, where I bought RER tix and Carte Orange coupons.
We rode the RER to Denfert-Rochereau, where we connected with line 6 to Passy. I had thought we would visit a museum, but after shopping for supplies, and taking a walk around our neighborhood, we went back to our apartment to unpack, and take a nap. We later walked across the Seine, enjoying the fresh air, and went for an early dinner at a little bar/bistro. I don't remember the name of the place, but we had a nice meal with wine for about 50 euro total.
Thursday we headed for the Louvre where we bought 2-day museum passes. We viewed the Napoleon Apartments and the Rubens Room, then left to stroll through the Tuileries, which are starting to look like fall, but still had a lot of beautiful flowers. We went to Angelina's for lunch.
Our afternoon adventure was a trip to Pompidou Centre. The Stravinski Fountain is a pleasure to see, especially watching the little children on their scooters racing around in the warm sun under their parents' watchful eyes.
We started up the escalator to the Museum, but DH got a bad spell of vertigo halfway up and got off the escalator on the 3rd level, intending to go inside the building to take an elevator down. No such luck! There was no access to this floor by elevator, and when we went into the research library to ask for an alternate way down, we were told there wasn't any way down but the outside escalator. DH insisted that he would not be able to go outside, but he needed someone to help him find an alternate way; we ended up being escorted down the freight elevator by a very kind security guard whose English was not much better than my French, but who seemed to comprehend "le vertige tres mauvais". Having spied the Amorino Gelato nearby, we stopped for gelato and watched the students sketching the Pompidou.
We next went to Musee Quai Branly, which stays open late on Thursdays.
The building and gardens of this 2-year old museum are worth a visit.
The exhibits are many and varied, covering anthropology and native culture of five continents: North and South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa. My favorite exhibits were the native costumes and textiles. This museum labels exhibits in English as well as French, which adds to my ability to enjoy the posted information to the fullest.
Friday Morning we met a group at Denfert-Rochereau station, where we were bussed to Rungis Market for a tour of the amazing commercial food market there. They have 7 pavilions, each larger than a gymnasium: seafood, meat and game, poultry, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and cheese. The tour was amazing and was ended with a meal in one of the on-site restaurants.
Having risen before 4 AM, we headed home for a nap, then went to the Musee des Arts et Metiers in the 3rd arr. This fascinating museum is divided into 7 categories: scientific instruments, materials, construction, communication, energy, mechanics, and transportation. This has something for everybody, but would be especially good for school-age kids.
Dinner was a visit to the Chinese neighborhood around Place d'Italie, then home for a walk near Costa Rica square in Passy.
I had originally planned go to Versailles on Saturday, but there were so many other things on the list, we decided to skip it for this trip(I'll just have to go back to Paris again!)
We spent the late morning in the Petit Palais; a special exhibit by celebrity portrait photographer Patrick Demarchelier was on, and was fabulous! It is on through January 4th, 2009, so if you are going to Paris it is well worth seeing, and is free.
We started to go to the Grand Palais for the Picasso and the Masters Exhibit, but the lines were horrendous, so we strolled over to the Champs Elysee, where there was a fete celebrating 100 years of French aeronautic history.
Sunday included a visit to a street market at the metro stop at Corvisart. We gathered up some lovely things, including a roast chicken and potatoes, wrinkly red heirloom tomatoes and mixed baby greens for a salad, tarte aux amandes, and fruit.
We ended up with 2 nice meals from our shopping spree.
In the afternoon, we visited the Palais de la Decouverte. The museum is in the back part of the Grand Palais, and includes exhibits on meteorology, chemistry, biology, a planetarium and exhibits about the solar system. This museum has a lot of hands-on discovery interactive exhibits, but all of the placards are in French only. Once again, a nice place for school-age kids.
Monday we started with the Musee Jacquemart-Andre, with its' special Van Dyke exhibit. A beautiful grand home and museum.
We had lunch at Le Printemps on the roof for the view, and bought a baby gift for my granddaughter who was born the next day. The afternoon was a visit to the Natural History Museum in the Jardins des Plantes. I'm a jeweler, so I like to see these museums everywhere I travel. We visited only the minerology exhibit, but combined tickets could be bought to include the Grande Gallerie d'Evolution. I recommend the minerology museum only for true rock hounds; labeling was poor and the hall was too dimly lit.
Tuesday, our last day, included a visit to Musee Carnavalet, the museum of the history of the city of Paris. Situated in 2 side-by-side townhouses, this is a wealth of objets d'art, furniture, and artwork from the various eras of Parisian history. Allow at least 2 hours, and enjoy the fact that it is free.
We spent the last night of our trip at Opera Bastille. Rigoletto was performed, and it was a nice ending to a fun, different kind of week in Paris. We capped the evening by learning of the birth of our granddaughter, so I was glad to head home to meet her.
Thanks to all the Fodorites who helped me plan--I learned so much from all of you and had a great trip!
Barb
A 75 minute flight delay resulted in 30-some people being moved off our plane to another flight in order to connect with a cruise ship in Barcelona. This left multiple empty seats on a flight that wouldn't have been full anyway, so I moved to a center row of 3 seats, which let me lay down and sleep for a good portion of the trip over. A nice surprise which let my husband have both our seats in the exit row, which I had booked to accommodate his long legs(he's 6'7"
Upon arrival at CDG, we moved quickly through passport control(less than 10 minutes), claimed our luggage, got some euro from the ATM and went to the lower level of terminal 2, where I bought RER tix and Carte Orange coupons.
We rode the RER to Denfert-Rochereau, where we connected with line 6 to Passy. I had thought we would visit a museum, but after shopping for supplies, and taking a walk around our neighborhood, we went back to our apartment to unpack, and take a nap. We later walked across the Seine, enjoying the fresh air, and went for an early dinner at a little bar/bistro. I don't remember the name of the place, but we had a nice meal with wine for about 50 euro total.
Thursday we headed for the Louvre where we bought 2-day museum passes. We viewed the Napoleon Apartments and the Rubens Room, then left to stroll through the Tuileries, which are starting to look like fall, but still had a lot of beautiful flowers. We went to Angelina's for lunch.
Our afternoon adventure was a trip to Pompidou Centre. The Stravinski Fountain is a pleasure to see, especially watching the little children on their scooters racing around in the warm sun under their parents' watchful eyes.
We started up the escalator to the Museum, but DH got a bad spell of vertigo halfway up and got off the escalator on the 3rd level, intending to go inside the building to take an elevator down. No such luck! There was no access to this floor by elevator, and when we went into the research library to ask for an alternate way down, we were told there wasn't any way down but the outside escalator. DH insisted that he would not be able to go outside, but he needed someone to help him find an alternate way; we ended up being escorted down the freight elevator by a very kind security guard whose English was not much better than my French, but who seemed to comprehend "le vertige tres mauvais". Having spied the Amorino Gelato nearby, we stopped for gelato and watched the students sketching the Pompidou.
We next went to Musee Quai Branly, which stays open late on Thursdays.
The building and gardens of this 2-year old museum are worth a visit.
The exhibits are many and varied, covering anthropology and native culture of five continents: North and South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa. My favorite exhibits were the native costumes and textiles. This museum labels exhibits in English as well as French, which adds to my ability to enjoy the posted information to the fullest.
Friday Morning we met a group at Denfert-Rochereau station, where we were bussed to Rungis Market for a tour of the amazing commercial food market there. They have 7 pavilions, each larger than a gymnasium: seafood, meat and game, poultry, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and cheese. The tour was amazing and was ended with a meal in one of the on-site restaurants.
Having risen before 4 AM, we headed home for a nap, then went to the Musee des Arts et Metiers in the 3rd arr. This fascinating museum is divided into 7 categories: scientific instruments, materials, construction, communication, energy, mechanics, and transportation. This has something for everybody, but would be especially good for school-age kids.
Dinner was a visit to the Chinese neighborhood around Place d'Italie, then home for a walk near Costa Rica square in Passy.
I had originally planned go to Versailles on Saturday, but there were so many other things on the list, we decided to skip it for this trip(I'll just have to go back to Paris again!)
We spent the late morning in the Petit Palais; a special exhibit by celebrity portrait photographer Patrick Demarchelier was on, and was fabulous! It is on through January 4th, 2009, so if you are going to Paris it is well worth seeing, and is free.
We started to go to the Grand Palais for the Picasso and the Masters Exhibit, but the lines were horrendous, so we strolled over to the Champs Elysee, where there was a fete celebrating 100 years of French aeronautic history.
Sunday included a visit to a street market at the metro stop at Corvisart. We gathered up some lovely things, including a roast chicken and potatoes, wrinkly red heirloom tomatoes and mixed baby greens for a salad, tarte aux amandes, and fruit.
We ended up with 2 nice meals from our shopping spree.
In the afternoon, we visited the Palais de la Decouverte. The museum is in the back part of the Grand Palais, and includes exhibits on meteorology, chemistry, biology, a planetarium and exhibits about the solar system. This museum has a lot of hands-on discovery interactive exhibits, but all of the placards are in French only. Once again, a nice place for school-age kids.
Monday we started with the Musee Jacquemart-Andre, with its' special Van Dyke exhibit. A beautiful grand home and museum.
We had lunch at Le Printemps on the roof for the view, and bought a baby gift for my granddaughter who was born the next day. The afternoon was a visit to the Natural History Museum in the Jardins des Plantes. I'm a jeweler, so I like to see these museums everywhere I travel. We visited only the minerology exhibit, but combined tickets could be bought to include the Grande Gallerie d'Evolution. I recommend the minerology museum only for true rock hounds; labeling was poor and the hall was too dimly lit.
Tuesday, our last day, included a visit to Musee Carnavalet, the museum of the history of the city of Paris. Situated in 2 side-by-side townhouses, this is a wealth of objets d'art, furniture, and artwork from the various eras of Parisian history. Allow at least 2 hours, and enjoy the fact that it is free.
We spent the last night of our trip at Opera Bastille. Rigoletto was performed, and it was a nice ending to a fun, different kind of week in Paris. We capped the evening by learning of the birth of our granddaughter, so I was glad to head home to meet her.
Thanks to all the Fodorites who helped me plan--I learned so much from all of you and had a great trip!
Barb
Oct 17th, 2008, 07:40 PM
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Thanks, Barb. Great report! Don't you LOVE those chickens and potatoes? We'll be back there in early November and can't wait to have that!
I've copied your notes on the Petit Palais exhibit--thanks for the reminder that I want to see that.
I've copied your notes on the Petit Palais exhibit--thanks for the reminder that I want to see that.
Oct 17th, 2008, 08:59 PM
#5
I have to say, we had our 6th trip to Paris in Sept. a few weeks ago and you have given us a few new ideas for next year.
I really enjoyed your report!
As your granddaughter grows, make sure you hit the childrens shops on Vavin(near Lux. Gardens) for absolutely adorable clothes at not too bad prices. Another shop we love(we have 2 granddaughters)is at the corner of Montparnasse and Raspail(can't remember the name). It has really unusual items but kind of pricy.
We've only been back a few weeks, and I can't wait until we return.
I really enjoyed your report!
As your granddaughter grows, make sure you hit the childrens shops on Vavin(near Lux. Gardens) for absolutely adorable clothes at not too bad prices. Another shop we love(we have 2 granddaughters)is at the corner of Montparnasse and Raspail(can't remember the name). It has really unusual items but kind of pricy.
We've only been back a few weeks, and I can't wait until we return.
Oct 18th, 2008, 07:19 AM
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Thanks, everyone for the comments. After planning for six months, it's hard to believe that the trip has come and gone! We had a lot of fun seeking out the less well-known and unusual, but I already have a list created for next time.
Paris draws one in, and it is so much fun to begin to have a small sense of familiarity with certain neighborhoods and venues.
I am very glad that I practiced my French lessons; many times my rudimentary knowledge, coupled with my mini Oxford, allowed me to converse with and get information from people who didn't speak much English. I can understand both spoken and written French better than I speak it, but that may be because at home, I have no opportunity to use the language. I certainly do enjoy my limited ability in any event.
Thanks again to all who helped me plan; next spring I go to Spain for a first visit, so I'm sure I'll be a frequent Fodor reader.
Barb
Paris draws one in, and it is so much fun to begin to have a small sense of familiarity with certain neighborhoods and venues.
I am very glad that I practiced my French lessons; many times my rudimentary knowledge, coupled with my mini Oxford, allowed me to converse with and get information from people who didn't speak much English. I can understand both spoken and written French better than I speak it, but that may be because at home, I have no opportunity to use the language. I certainly do enjoy my limited ability in any event.
Thanks again to all who helped me plan; next spring I go to Spain for a first visit, so I'm sure I'll be a frequent Fodor reader.
Barb
Oct 18th, 2008, 09:04 AM
#8
I'm going to Paris in a little over two weeks, and you have given me some good ideas. Unfortunately I now have far too many good ideas. Glad you mentioned the horrendous lines for the Picasso exhibit; I'll try to get tickets in advance for that.
Oct 18th, 2008, 04:22 PM
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JulieVikmanis--I didn't see Andrew Zimmer's show on Rungis, but it was Anthony's Bourdain's show that gave me the idea.
Nikki--we walked past the Grand Palais on the Sunday and there were huge crowds; we went around the corner and went to the Palais des Decouverte and 7 vanloads of Gendarmes were parked in front, When we asked why so many, we were told they were there because of the large crowds. There was also a fete in the nearby park celebrating 100 years of French aeronautic history. Getting tix in advance is a good idea.
Nikki--we walked past the Grand Palais on the Sunday and there were huge crowds; we went around the corner and went to the Palais des Decouverte and 7 vanloads of Gendarmes were parked in front, When we asked why so many, we were told they were there because of the large crowds. There was also a fete in the nearby park celebrating 100 years of French aeronautic history. Getting tix in advance is a good idea.
Feb 18th, 2009, 06:34 PM
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Barb-
thanks for responding to my other thread and referencing your trip report. i enjoyed it so much and see that you did a lot of things on our list!! sounds like an amazing week in paris!
dina
thanks for responding to my other thread and referencing your trip report. i enjoyed it so much and see that you did a lot of things on our list!! sounds like an amazing week in paris!
dina
