Couple of Right Bank items...

Went to Place Vendome to check out the high end jewellers and see if any celebs going into Ritz.

Went to relax in Palais Royal park, check out the architectural features, watch locals doing tai-chi. On way out, check Guimard metro entrance.

Walk over to Louvre des Antiquaires, building with 3 floors of high end antique dealers.

At the top of my list for my next visit is Foundation Henri Cartier Bresson. The permanent collection of photos are varied but most interesting to me are those of the vanished populations of France and around the world. Photographers were sent to photograph indigenous peoples before they were absorbed into the greater cultures.
http://www.henricartierbresson.org/p...collect_en.htm

Great museum with many Berthe Marisot paintings in their permenant collection but that has a special exhibit of her work until July 1st is the Monet Marmottan. This is also where the Monet "Impression Sunrise" painting resides. http://www.marmottan.com/

Do you enjoy opera or ballet? Maybe you'd enjoy a night at Opera Garnier and if so, I'd recommend a seat up in the balcony under that fabulous Chagall ceiling!
http://www.operadeparis.fr/en/calendrier/2012-05/

Concerts presented by Radio France given in several venues. Here's the May calander:
http://sites.radiofrance.fr/chaines/...alendrier.php#

Perhaps an Art Nouveau walking tour?
http://artnouveau.pagesperso-orange....ris/bestof.htm

Just because I did it today I'll add that you should rent a bike and ride on the Coulée Verte du Sud Parisien (a bike greenway) from Place de Catalogne behind Gare Montparnasse outside the city to the Parc de Sceaux:

http://www.af3v.org/spip.php?page=imprimer&voie=27

http://www.parc-de-sceaux-92.net/

The Parc was designed by André Le Nôtre, and Jean-Baptiste Colbert (finance minister for Louis XIV) built a château here. Today a 19th century château stands in its place and serves as the Museum of the Île-de-France. The grounds are fantastic and great to bike around. Adjacent to the Parc is a pretty old time neighborhood with cobbled streets and 17th and 18th century houses and lots of restos and cafés in a pleasant, lively and slightly posh environment.

http://domaine-de-sceaux.hauts-de-seine.net/

http://www.sceaux.fr/fr/culture-lois...sme/index.html

I didn't see this mentioned anywhere but my husband and I really enjoyed the little Musee du Vin.

http://www.museeduvinparis.com/en/useful-information

It had a lot of historical equipment and was very cave-like. We got to sample some wine at the end. Fun for a short afternoon.

One place I never see mentioned is the Clemenceau Museum.
http://www.musee-clemenceau.fr/fr/index.php

It's in the very apartment in which he lived and has been left exactly how it was the day he died. The school next door was going to buy the building to expand so a Canadian/American businessman who was a great admirer bought the whole building so the museum could be undisturbed. My wife and I spent about an hour there and we the sole visitors.

Afterwards, we found it was a pleasant stroll through Passy to the Marmottan.

Victor Hugo museum, Place des Vosges, where he lived for several years.

Fontainebleau is wonderful and just a short train ride from Paris.

The Orangerie museum has a wonderful collection of Impressionist paintings. It had been closed for quite a while so we weren't able to see it till our third trip to Paris in
2010.

It's been many years since I've been there, but I loved Malmaison (home of Napoleon and Josephine), which is not far outside of Paris.

We love the Parc des Buttes Chaumont in the 19th.
We even made a point of finding a hotel near it on one of our visits so we could walk thru it several times, at different times of day to see the light changes.

Surfergirl, thanks for the mention of Caillebotte, I just got turned on to him on my last visit to Paris. One painting I can't remember the name, of snow topped roofs of Paris. I'm trying to see if there's any of his work here in the US. Also, I'm a Westside Angeleno. Paris is a long ways away from CA, but not in my mind.

bookmarking....it's the thing I love about Paris! You never have seen it all and there are some fantastic suggestions here.

Statue of Liberty? Well, perhaps the original ones

There are 3 to see in Paris.

Jardin de Luxembourg (bronze model)
Ile aux Cygnes, near Pont de Grenelle
Musee des Art et Metiers (original plaster)

An artist I discovered a few year's back was Camille Claudel. I was visiting Rodin museum and saw a stunning sculpture of a girl's head.

Later, there was a movie of her life starring Isabelle Adjani. She led a tumultuous life.

Someone I'd like to find out more about on a trip there.

late dinner at Les Ombres......5th floor of musee branly. reservations required. most unbelievable view of eiffel tower.
sound and light show at versailles. not sure it runs in may. l'eau nocturnes musicales....something like that. that was the highlight of my first paris visit.

i love the thread...great ideas for our summer trip.

@jobo -- Well, living in LA, you are in luck! The Norton Simon has two Caillebotte paintings, although only one is currently on display. Both boating scenes, the more prominent and arguably "better" work is on display, but the more obscure, the Yellow Boat, is sitting in their vaults. A pity.

http://www.nortonsimon.org/collectio...tte%2C+Gustave

Bookmarking

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Anyone has been to Val de Grace? I have read many good comments on the church ,library and gardens.Thanks in advance.

I asked the same question on this forum about a year ago and received many fantastic ideas. You may find this thread useful. Bon voyage!

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-new-ideas.cfm

We loved the small museum at the Pasteur Institute. Pasteur lived his final years in an apt there and his tomb Is also there-- very beautiful. Museum has a nice display of his scientific and artistic accomplishments. Worth a couple of hours for repeat Paris visitors. Walk able from the Pasteur metro station. http://www.pasteur.fr/ip/easysite/pa...pasteur/musees

Bookmarking