Paris, done all the touristy stuff...

Old Jun 1st, 2003, 10:35 PM
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Paris, done all the touristy stuff...

Fourth time in Paris, this time we are more interested in doing things at a slower pace.
Last time we were there we went to place des vosges on a Sunday and we loved it. any other similar experiences? what about Jardins de Luxoumbourg (sp)? or any other suggestions
Thank you all
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 12:06 AM
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Bonjour lol!

Just back from five wonderful days in Paris!

I suggest you have a look at the thread '100 Great Things to do in Paris' to which I just added another nice place to visit (Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson).

BTW, the Jardin du Luxembourg was absolutely packed these days. It was hot and sticky in the city, so a walk in the park was a nice thing to do.
You shouldn't run out of non-touristy things to do. Just walk in areas where you've never been before.
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 01:26 AM
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At your arrival airport you can buy for 70 eurocents the listings magazine Pariscope, with many ideas for afternoon and evening music and for temporary exhibitions that few tourists go to, and many Parisians.

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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 01:47 AM
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Have you been to the tea-rooms and hammam by the Paris Mosque? Located on the corner of rue Daubenton and rue Geoffroy Saint Hilaire. The tea rooms are splendid, with outdoor patio and covered terrace, and the sweet mint tea and pastries are cheap and tasty. I've never been to the Hammam myself, though I've heard its worthwhile. You might need to check the opening times and days, as I think it's open alternate days for men and women.
The mosque is right near the Jardin des Plantes and the Natural History Museum, and not far from the Institut du Monde Arabe, which often has interesting cultural exhibitions.
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 04:00 AM
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Hi lol,

Sunday brunch at the Jacquemar-Andre' museum followed by a stroll through the Parc Monceau and surrounding neighborhood is very nice.
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 04:02 AM
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Even with crowds, Luxembourg Gardens is wonderful.
Have you been to Pere Lechaise Cemetery? That's definitely worth your time.
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 05:03 AM
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I never really considered the Parks to be so "touristy" considering how many Parisians use them every day.
I never feel that a trip is complete without sitting in the Luxembourg Gardens for a couple of hours, just absorbing the loveliness of it all
Other suggestions might be the Passey area where Claude Monets home/museum is, walk the neighborhood, see the shops and interesting architecture.
The Parc aux Buttes is a little out of the way and wonderful.
Then there are the Markets. The bird market, the rue Cler market, the Flea Markets.
Then you have the vineyards in Montmarte.
Personally, after our 4th, 5th visits, we were content to skip the big tourist attractions (although I must go to museums every visit) and we just walked, stopping for meals and then continuing. No real plan, just walking and being there.
Have fun!
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 06:33 AM
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I think a visit to Basilique St-Denis at the end of Metro line 13 is worth a visit. It has some wonderful sculptures on the tombs.

An early morning stroll along the top of the Viaduc des Arts among the plantings and treetops is very refreshing. Start at the Opera Bastille end walk towards the Gare de Lyon. Return at street level when the shops and studios have opened.

When you return to Place de la Bastille walk up Blvd Richard Lenoir to the Canal St Martin for a leisurely canal boat ride.
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 07:07 AM
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St.Denis basilic is a must, please dont miss it, is worth the long metro trip. Everytime I go to Paris ,I always go back there..I have visited many cathedrals in France, but I never felt so peaceful or spiritual like in St.Denis...The tombs are a work of art, all in marbles but the details and carvings are exceptionals..
Have a nice trip,
Ciao, kismet
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 01:15 PM
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thank you all for the responses.
can you please tell me more about Pere Lachaise Cemetery and how to get there?
thank you
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 01:23 PM
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I love Jardin du Luxembourg! My mom and I went picnic shopping in a pedestrian market south of the Monteparness cemetary and then had a wonderful lunch on the grass watching the kids sail their boats in the pond!
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 01:34 PM
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How about a canal ride on the Canal St. Martin? You get the boats at Bastille Metro Stop. The boats go up and down locks to La Villette & it takes about 2 1/2 hours. (You might call and make a reservation, when we did this recently the boat was quite full).

You can also take the Metro to Chateaux Vincennes -- it's at the end of the Metro line marked Vincennes.

Stroll the streets on the "backside" of Montmartre (behind Sacre Couer).

Stroll around the area near the Marmattan Museum, nice area, cafes, etc. Closest Metro is LaMuette.

Have you seen the view from Montparnasse Tower? Many repeat visitors still never make it up there.

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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 02:26 PM
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My two favorite things in Paris are markets and passages. The markets are everyday except Monday but in different arrondissements on different days. Patricia Wells in the Food Lover's Guide to Paris lists them and I believe there is also a listing in the Eyewitness guide to Paris. But the best is a book called Paris in a Basket by Nicolle Meyer and Amanda Smith. They tell you a bit about the flavor of the market and the arrondissement it's in.

The other neat thing to do to get into areas of Paris you might not otherwise see is to take in the passages, covered streets often glass-roofed. There are many of these in the 1st and 2nd and a few in the 9th and 10th. Go to http://www.timeout.com/paris/feature...ng/arches.html for a list of some of the more interesting passages with a bit of info on the types of shops or attractions therein.
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 02:34 PM
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Re Pere Lachaise:

http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgr...view=full&pg=3

...will tell you the metro stops, the streets w/entrances, and even Rants & Raves ratings (currently at 4.7 out of 5!)
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 02:44 PM
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Just back from Paris. I second (third, fouth?) the Jardin de Luxembourg as a great place to relax. We spent a LOT of time there. Go to one of the marionette shows in the park. The kids are so cute. They shout at all the characters. There is a free exhibit of new artists showing large works based on the animal theme in the park.

If you are interested in museums, try the Louvre on Monday night when it is open until 9:45pm. It was not crowded at all. Of course there is so much in there to see it is great to pick a particular section or two and enjoy the art to yourself.

The Jacquesmart Andre and Parc Monceau are good suggestions too.

If you like to shop, spend the day poking around the boutiques of Saint Germain or spend some time in the the Galeries Lafayette (I really like to shop).

It stays light until 10pm these days so you have plenty of time to wander around the city. We stayed up late, taking advantage of the museums night openings, and had late dinners. That meant that all the tourists were gone from the restaurants.
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 03:45 PM
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I recommend the shopping passages too. I walked them with my Dad in May and really enjoyed them. I used an itinerary I found in "Lonely Planet Paris Condensed."

You might also find the "squat art" building on r. Rivoli very near the Chatelet metro stop. It's art is very modern and I've only ever walked past it 'cause I'm not a big modern art fan. But the exterior alone is worth walking past. I've been by 3 years in a row and it's different every time. You can key 'squat' 'art' 'paris' into google and come up with other locations.
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 04:53 PM
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I also did the Paris Arcades/covered passageways on a rainy afternoon in April. The Paris tourist office website had a lot of information on them in their section called - Reports - which I saved to a word file. Plus I used a book called Walking Paris by G. Desmons.
Mara
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 05:09 PM
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I spent a month in Paris so was also looking for sites not touted in the guide books. Parc Monceau, Jacquemart-Andre, Nissam Comondo house/museum are a few of my favorites. I also enjoyed spending some time in Jardin du Trocadero across from the Eiffel Tower - kids skating, playing in the fountain pool, fountains going off periodically - took a book but never bothered reading as it was such great people watching.

I also second the Paris Canal boat trip - you see a very different area of Paris and the narrator (live) is a lot of fun.

If you haven't visited Bonjour Paris (bparis.com) please do as I got a lot of ideas from that site.

For a day out of Paris, I highly recommend Rouen. I have a report on my day there. [email protected]
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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 05:41 PM
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Here's another recommendation for Pere LaChaise and a HUGE tip. DO NOT get off the subway at Pere LaChaise...ride one stop further to Gambetta. Here, there's a lovely square with cafes (for fortifying yourself and visiting "nice" restrooms). As you head toward the (northern) entrance, stop in one of the florist shops and buy a map. Costs about $2 and is much more comprehensive than those on the web or in the tour guides, which omit many, many lanes (and the printing is in the proper direction) which makes it difficult to find the graves you're seeking. At any rate, this enables you to walk through DOWNHILL. This cemetary along a very steep hill! If Jim Morrison's grave is at the top of your list, you'll have saved the best for last (and you won't have had to hike up that hill for Oscar Wilde, who's near the top!). When you get to the bottom, skip the restrooms near the "main" entrance (ugh!) and head south on Menilmontant ("montant" means climbing, though easterly, not southerly) Ave where you'll find cafes with fine restroom facilities.

Montmartre is another terrific place to explore. Get off the subway at Lamarck Caulaincourt. Head over to rue Caulaincourt where there is a cafe with tables set on a deck perched over one of those steep sidewalks (steps, actually) with magnificent views.

Get a copy of the "Routard Paris" (Amazon, etc.). Chock full of dining destinations/cafes/wine bars NOT in all the tour guides, magazine articles, and so forth, accompanied by things do see and do all around, also not included in all the tour guides. Look beyond the 1st through 8th. The 16th is especially nice.

Another fabulous resource is "Bistros of Paris" by the Hamburgers. You'll inadvertently find charming neighborhoods to explore just by selecting appealing places to visit for lunch or dinner...

And, here's another recommendation for Basilique St-Denis - awesome!

We found the cruise down (we started at the north) Canal St. Martin (after a wonderful lunch on the way) a totally relaxing and enjoyable way to spend a beautiful afternoon.

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Old Jun 2nd, 2003, 05:41 PM
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If you really feel you've done all the "touristy stuff," and I do find that a bit hard to believe, as I'm going on something like 53 visits to Paris and I don't feel as though I've exhausted even the tourist sites, per se (some of them I just love to visit and revisit), check out Julian Green's book "Paris." It will completely change your approach to Paris and definitely steer you away from anything "touristy."
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