Paris favorites, off the beaten track
Jan 5th, 2018, 09:14 AM
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Now that would have been right up my alley, Belinda, as a musician (of sorts, not professional) and lover of the flea market. I am heading to Reims on Sunday to visit some friends but will put this on the list for next time!
Jan 5th, 2018, 04:31 PM
#23
Belinda, if you are in Paris in March, I would love to go to La Chope des Puces, I have thought of doing it several times but never made it there.
Lynnalan, have you been to the Musée des Arts Forain? It’s a wonderful collection of carnival arts in the old wine warehouses at Bercy, open only for guided tours in French, but fun to see even without understanding all the commentary. Must be reserved ahead.
http://arts-forains.com/en/
Lynnalan, have you been to the Musée des Arts Forain? It’s a wonderful collection of carnival arts in the old wine warehouses at Bercy, open only for guided tours in French, but fun to see even without understanding all the commentary. Must be reserved ahead.
http://arts-forains.com/en/
Jan 6th, 2018, 06:50 AM
#25
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,990
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you like walking perhaps try a stroll along the Canal Saint-Martin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Saint-Martin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Saint-Martin
Jan 6th, 2018, 07:55 AM
#26
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Love Arts-et-Metiers Museum - great for old technological innovations and one of Foucault's original pendulums swings in nave of old church.
http://www.arts-et-metiers.net/musee...or-information
http://www.arts-et-metiers.net/musee...or-information
Jan 8th, 2018, 01:27 PM
#27
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jan 8th, 2018, 05:20 PM
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks PalenQ.... Guinguettes - and canoes! This definitely seems worth a journey. And you used to lead cycling trips in Europe? My husband and I love to cycle! (especially in Europe where the drivers seem more bicycle friendly)
Jan 9th, 2018, 08:01 AM
#29
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,496
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lynnalan, are you aware of French Mystique's biking tours around Paris? Talk about off the beaten path!
https://www.frenchmystiquetours.com/
He used to do trip reports of his various rides near Paris (and farther away). It amazed me that he could find so much beautiful countryside so close to Paris, maybe a short train ride away. He'd just bike from village to village, taking a break at cafes, stopping at tiny champagne producers to buy a bottle, coming across chateaux that aren't the least bit famous.
I think this was the first bike ride he posted about, right along the Marne river in a beautiful suburb of Paris.
http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...ng-marne-river
If that report catches your fancy, you can read all of his at the same website. I've spent many winter evenings looking through them.
https://www.frenchmystiquetours.com/
He used to do trip reports of his various rides near Paris (and farther away). It amazed me that he could find so much beautiful countryside so close to Paris, maybe a short train ride away. He'd just bike from village to village, taking a break at cafes, stopping at tiny champagne producers to buy a bottle, coming across chateaux that aren't the least bit famous.
I think this was the first bike ride he posted about, right along the Marne river in a beautiful suburb of Paris.
http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...ng-marne-river
If that report catches your fancy, you can read all of his at the same website. I've spent many winter evenings looking through them.
Jan 9th, 2018, 12:01 PM
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks Coquelicot - yes I have seen his website and was even entertaining the idea of a day on the bike if the temps creep up a bit. It is chilly now (for me, a wimp) and I won't have all of my cold weather gear. But one of these days I definitely hope to make that part of my Paris itinerary!
Jan 10th, 2018, 07:19 AM
#34
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 116
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We have found that the best way to get to know a neighborhood is doing a Food Tour. You get the food, liquor and history in one tour. We have done approximately 20 Food tours in a variety of cities and countries and only a few have disappointed. For our upcoming Paris trip we are doing Secret Food Tours for Montmarte as we have never really explored that neighborhood However, there were many food tours in Paris that sound good including the Michelin Star Food tour.
Jan 10th, 2018, 02:32 PM
#35
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm a big fan of the smaller house museums in Paris including places like the Cognac-Jay, or the Gustav Moureau Museum. The Jaquemart-Andre pairs well with the nearby Musée Nissim de Camondo both of which are well worth seeing.
So Much More to See: Musée Jaquemart-André, Paris
So Much More to See: Musee National Gustave Moureau, Paris
The Grand Mosque is interesting to visit or how about going to the Louvre and seeing their Islamic collection
So Much More to See: The Islamic Collection at the Louvre
So Much More to See: Walking Through the Fifth
Hope this helps, there are lots more ideas on my blog So Much More to See: Paris
So Much More to See: Musée Jaquemart-André, Paris
So Much More to See: Musee National Gustave Moureau, Paris
The Grand Mosque is interesting to visit or how about going to the Louvre and seeing their Islamic collection
So Much More to See: The Islamic Collection at the Louvre
So Much More to See: Walking Through the Fifth
Hope this helps, there are lots more ideas on my blog So Much More to See: Paris
Jan 13th, 2018, 09:25 PM
#37
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 964
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Lynnalan,
Here is an except from my trip report about our trip to France this past summer, which describes some excursions to places that we had not visited on previous trips.
One day our excursion was to the Paris catacombs. Fortunately I had purchased timed tickets online about a month before our departure, because when we arrived, the line for people without pre-purchased tickets was five hours long. Yes, you read that right...FIVE HOURS! Fortunately, we only had to wait for about 15 minutes. We've been to ossuaries in various cities around the world, and they are always different. In Rome, as well as Kunta Hora in the Czech Republic (which I highly suggest you Google if you haven't seen it), bones are arranged in fanciful sculptures such as a coat of arms or a chandelier. In Palermo, The Convento dei Cappuccini has fully dressed skeletons affixed to the walls, surrounded by elaborate designs made from the bones. What the Paris catacombs may lack in creativity, it makes up for in research and education. There was plenty of information regarding the quarries that were dug under the city in order to excavate the stone used to build Paris, as well as the eventual reinforcement that was required once subsistence eventually started causing sink holes, which threatened the city structures above. There was also a good deal of documentation about the likely causes of death and the process for determining this. Altogether a very interesting and educational visit.
Another day we visited the Fondation Louis Vuitton, designed by Frank Geary, to see an excellent exhibition on contemporary artists of South Africa. The pieces ran the gamut from whimsical to moving, represented by a wide variety of media including found object sculptures, painting, photography and video. Having visited both the Geary designed Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Guggenheim in Bilbao, I was afraid that the building was going to be deja vu, but we were very impressed by the amount of outdoor space in which we could wander, especially on the roof, which really gave dramatic views of the external structure. Highly recommended for fans of modern architecture.
Our third excursion was to the Musee des Arts décoratifs, located in the Palais du Louvre, to see a Christian Dior retrospective that had opened recently. I'm not particularly interested in fashion, but I have to admit that, despite my reservations, it was very beautiful and very well laid out. It started with quite a bit of history on Dior's pre-designer life, including an art gallery that he opened in Paris, where many painters who went on to become famous surrealists first displayed their work. They were even able to display many of the actual paintings that were shown back then, which were loaned by private individuals as well as museums in Paris. Of course the clothing was the main event and there were literally hundreds of examples on display. The finale was in an absolutely gorgeous room with two story ceilings that had projections of constellations, nebulae, clouds and other dreamlike images, which reinforced the theme of the show - Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams.
Now that the weekend had arrived, we almost didn't know what to do with ourselves, so we went really crazy and decided to go to two museums in one day (clearly my definition of crazy has changed since my 20s). The first museum we went to was the Musée des Arts et Métiers, a sort of Museum of Science and Industry, chronicling the evolution of a wide range of technologies, starting in the 13th century and ranging to the present. This includes printing presses, looms, bridge building, deep-sea diving, automobiles, manned flight, computers, and space travel. The final room is a beautiful decommissioned church, which contains an example of Foucalt's pendulum, conceived to prove that the earth rotates. It also has a variety of airplanes suspended from the ceiling, that you can view up close by ascending a metal scaffolding located in the center of the room. The juxtaposition of the ancient church, with the modern inventions inside is very striking.
The other museum we visited was the Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, which is surely one of the most original museums we've ever been to. Displays are artfully arranged for aesthetic appeal more than by a particular theme, so a series of bird paintings may be accompanied by a large stuffed polar bear raised on his hind feet. Another display might be a picnic table covered with a red and white gingham tablecloth, set for dinner with fine China, flanked by two full-size stuffed apes. It's really quite difficult to explain but, but the quirkiness comes not from the items themselves, most of which are works of art in their own right, but from the unexpected combinations used in their display. A fascinating day.
The weather the next day was turning out to be a nice, so we decided to spend most of it outdoors, after first stopping for a drink at Le Train Bleu restaurant, located in the Gare de Lyon. The ornately painted rooms depicted over 40 cities and regions in France and is at once over the top and stunningly beautiful. From there it was a short walk to the Viaduc des Arts, in the 12th arrondissement. This is a beautiful park that was created on the raised former railway line near the Bastille, from which the New York highline must have certainly gotten its inspiration. It's a wonderful way to walk through a green space filled with flowers and trees and have a 3-story view of all of the adjacent architecture. Underneath the former rail line, the arches of the viaduct have been enclosed and are filled with shops, making excellent example of re-purposing existing architecture instead of demolishing and rebuilding.
Here is an except from my trip report about our trip to France this past summer, which describes some excursions to places that we had not visited on previous trips.
One day our excursion was to the Paris catacombs. Fortunately I had purchased timed tickets online about a month before our departure, because when we arrived, the line for people without pre-purchased tickets was five hours long. Yes, you read that right...FIVE HOURS! Fortunately, we only had to wait for about 15 minutes. We've been to ossuaries in various cities around the world, and they are always different. In Rome, as well as Kunta Hora in the Czech Republic (which I highly suggest you Google if you haven't seen it), bones are arranged in fanciful sculptures such as a coat of arms or a chandelier. In Palermo, The Convento dei Cappuccini has fully dressed skeletons affixed to the walls, surrounded by elaborate designs made from the bones. What the Paris catacombs may lack in creativity, it makes up for in research and education. There was plenty of information regarding the quarries that were dug under the city in order to excavate the stone used to build Paris, as well as the eventual reinforcement that was required once subsistence eventually started causing sink holes, which threatened the city structures above. There was also a good deal of documentation about the likely causes of death and the process for determining this. Altogether a very interesting and educational visit.
Another day we visited the Fondation Louis Vuitton, designed by Frank Geary, to see an excellent exhibition on contemporary artists of South Africa. The pieces ran the gamut from whimsical to moving, represented by a wide variety of media including found object sculptures, painting, photography and video. Having visited both the Geary designed Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Guggenheim in Bilbao, I was afraid that the building was going to be deja vu, but we were very impressed by the amount of outdoor space in which we could wander, especially on the roof, which really gave dramatic views of the external structure. Highly recommended for fans of modern architecture.
Our third excursion was to the Musee des Arts décoratifs, located in the Palais du Louvre, to see a Christian Dior retrospective that had opened recently. I'm not particularly interested in fashion, but I have to admit that, despite my reservations, it was very beautiful and very well laid out. It started with quite a bit of history on Dior's pre-designer life, including an art gallery that he opened in Paris, where many painters who went on to become famous surrealists first displayed their work. They were even able to display many of the actual paintings that were shown back then, which were loaned by private individuals as well as museums in Paris. Of course the clothing was the main event and there were literally hundreds of examples on display. The finale was in an absolutely gorgeous room with two story ceilings that had projections of constellations, nebulae, clouds and other dreamlike images, which reinforced the theme of the show - Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams.
Now that the weekend had arrived, we almost didn't know what to do with ourselves, so we went really crazy and decided to go to two museums in one day (clearly my definition of crazy has changed since my 20s). The first museum we went to was the Musée des Arts et Métiers, a sort of Museum of Science and Industry, chronicling the evolution of a wide range of technologies, starting in the 13th century and ranging to the present. This includes printing presses, looms, bridge building, deep-sea diving, automobiles, manned flight, computers, and space travel. The final room is a beautiful decommissioned church, which contains an example of Foucalt's pendulum, conceived to prove that the earth rotates. It also has a variety of airplanes suspended from the ceiling, that you can view up close by ascending a metal scaffolding located in the center of the room. The juxtaposition of the ancient church, with the modern inventions inside is very striking.
The other museum we visited was the Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, which is surely one of the most original museums we've ever been to. Displays are artfully arranged for aesthetic appeal more than by a particular theme, so a series of bird paintings may be accompanied by a large stuffed polar bear raised on his hind feet. Another display might be a picnic table covered with a red and white gingham tablecloth, set for dinner with fine China, flanked by two full-size stuffed apes. It's really quite difficult to explain but, but the quirkiness comes not from the items themselves, most of which are works of art in their own right, but from the unexpected combinations used in their display. A fascinating day.
The weather the next day was turning out to be a nice, so we decided to spend most of it outdoors, after first stopping for a drink at Le Train Bleu restaurant, located in the Gare de Lyon. The ornately painted rooms depicted over 40 cities and regions in France and is at once over the top and stunningly beautiful. From there it was a short walk to the Viaduc des Arts, in the 12th arrondissement. This is a beautiful park that was created on the raised former railway line near the Bastille, from which the New York highline must have certainly gotten its inspiration. It's a wonderful way to walk through a green space filled with flowers and trees and have a 3-story view of all of the adjacent architecture. Underneath the former rail line, the arches of the viaduct have been enclosed and are filled with shops, making excellent example of re-purposing existing architecture instead of demolishing and rebuilding.
Jan 22nd, 2018, 11:39 AM
#38
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks, all! I will try to get a full trip report posted but if work prevents/postpones that I wanted to share that a highlight was the Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, which I am not sure I would have found without these recommendations. I generally stay in the Marais and have been probably stumbling past it for years without visiting. What an interesting and unique place. I also enjoyed the cinema exhibit at the Musee de Montmartre (and the permanent collection - so much rich history in the village). I had a great week of eating, walking, and absorbing the serendipitous gifts of Paris. Grateful for the input which helped to shape my trip and provide many reasons to return (again and again and again ....)
Jan 26th, 2018, 02:41 AM
#39
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,866
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have you been to Basilique St Denis? Tombs of many french monarchs and -- IMHO -- a more mystical place than either Notre Dame of Sainte-Chapelle.
SS
SS
