I'm off to Paris in a couple of weks for a week and I'm a regular visitor. This means I've seen all the usual "must sees".

What i'm after here is suggestions for lesser known treasures or musuems etc.

I have Chatres down as a day trip. Any other good day trips? (the Rough Guide is as much use as a chocolate teapot on this issue).

For info - I speak reasonable french, but not enough to want to spend the evening at a lecture on cartesian dualism.

Stade de France?
http://www.stadefrance.fr/accueil-visites.html

or Parc des Princes?
http://www.psg.fr/fr/ticketing/0,,,001.html

Museé du Moyen Age (Cluny) if you've not already been - or La Villette?

http://www.cite-sciences.fr/english/indexFLASH.htm

Have you seen the Musée du Quai Branly? The Cité de l'Architecture which just opened at the beginning of the month? Or the Musée de l'Immigration that just opened last week?

www.quaibranly.fr
www.citechaillot.fr
www.histoire-immigration.fr

http://www.musee-erotisme.com/

Sorry david the devil made me do it!

Look up Nukesafe's "just back from Paris" trip report. He and his DW were repeat visitors and found A LOT of new and different things to do.

How about:-

La Grande Mosquée de Paris (Paris Grand Mosque)
Built between 1922 and 1926, close to the Jardin des Plantes, this Hispano-Moorish mosque caters for France’s Muslim community. There is free access and guided tours to the sunken garden and patios. The prayer room, however, remains closed to the non-Muslim public. There is also an authentic hammam (Turkish bath) with masseurs at hand, as well as a wonderful mosaic courtyard complete with fig trees and a fountain - the perfect setting for enjoying a sweet mint tea served in tiny gilded glasses with some honeyed baklava. In the adjoining restaurant, couscous and other Arabic dishes are served.

1 place du Puits-de-l’Ermite (access via 39 rue Géoffroy-St-Hillaire), 5th
Tel: (01) 4535 9733.
Website: www.mosquee-de-paris.org
Opening hours: Mon, Wed, Thurs and Sat 1000-2100, Fri 1400-2100 (women); Tues 1400-2100, Sun 1000-2100 (men); tours Sat-Thurs 0900-1200 and 1400-1800 (winter), Sat-Thurs 0900-1200 and 1400-2200 (summer); closed Muslim holidays.
Admission charge; free to tearoom.

Or - the 'other Statue' of Liberty - 1.5k south along the river from 'La Tour'.

(I'm assuming you've done the Pompidou Centre which is my favourite museum in Paris, but worth a revisit for the ever-changing temporary exhibitions of things like album cover art and architects models from the 50's)

How about the wine museum? DH & I have that on our "Must Do" list.

http://www.museeduvin.com/english/

We are going to plan our visit around lunch & have the Menu Bacchus b/c I really want the scarf!

If you do go to the Musee du vin , do the lunch , otherwise it's not terribly interesting.

Not a day trip, but we have the Basilica St-Denis on out list for next month, for the windows and a short course in French monarcy history.

You might also enjoy the Musee de Legion d'Honneur. It just reopened last year and there are some exhibits of interest to americans and English.

There are also several new exhibits at the Musee de l'Armee .

I've got to get my act together here.

Another short day trip with an intersting museum is St-Germain-en-Laye. The town itself is just nice to walk around in especially if there is a market going on. I'm pretty sure there is on on sundays.

We hope to see you in London next month..check you email.

Jody

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

The Jaquemart museum was on my to do list but the other suggestions are great. Keep 'em coming.


Avalon - you have limey mail.

If you haven't been to the Petit Palais since it re-opened , it was a highlight of our last trip.

Got the limey mail!

The "Orangerie" has reopened again. Also, have you been to the "Carnavalat" in the Marais-- one of our favorites.

If you are an Edith Piaf fan, consider applying to visit her museum. In a private resdience, it is not often done but worth the effort. My brother counts it as the highlight of his trip last August.

I also speak (somewhat) reasonable French but not enough to want to spend the evening at a lecture on cartesian dualism. (OK, I'm lying, I actually might go to that, I'd probably understand no less in French than in English, and I'd go hoping to absorb something by osmosis.)

However, there are lots of places I don't go with my friends and family because they speak less French than I do. If I were on my own, I might try the theater. When I was traveling one summer while I was in college, I went to the Comedie Francaise and saw Cyrano de Bergerac. I'd do something like that now if I were alone or with a French speaking companion. Or to a cafe-theatre. That sounds ingriguing to me. Or to hear French musicians and singers.

One thing I really enjoyed was a performance by the early music ensemble Ultreia at the Cluny museum. They play an amazing assortment of odd instruments in a room surrounded by sculpted heads that were broken off from Notre Dame during the revolution and only discovered in 1977 at a construction site in the basement of a bank. The schedule is on the museum's web site:

http://www.musee-moyenage.fr/homes/e...vite_event.htm

If you are an Edith Piaf fan, >>>>>

I seem to have an image problem.....

I have seen her grave though.

All great ideas - keep 'em coming and I'll report back on the one's I go and see.

Have you been to Mont Saint Michel? There are a number of day trips for that or if you have a car- but that can be tiring. You can train there as well. I have also heard in Chartres to look for the Malcolm Miller tour- just gather in the library/store near the Cathedral. All on Google. Or take a cooking or language class.

If you like parades..Nov 11th,,big Armistice day parade up the Champs Elysee to the Arc. We went last year and it was really impressive. Maybe Sarkozy will wave at you.

Armistice day is a great idea.

The American Museum in Giverny.