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-   -   Paris in May First Visit (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/paris-in-may-first-visit-1705934/)

AJPeabody Mar 31st, 2022 05:21 AM

We went to an evening concert in the Ste-Chapelle. The stained glass was essentially invisible without external light (the sun).

TDudette Mar 31st, 2022 06:26 AM

Dfrosty and annhig, I'm happily jealous of your gtg!

K_marie, re your St. C. question, there was some window lighting the night I attended a concert, but as AJP wrote, nothing compares to a sunny morning view.

Nikki Mar 31st, 2022 06:54 AM

The lighting in Sainte Chapelle at night is all inside, so you can’t see the light through the stained glass. If you do go to a concert, you should go during the day as well. The chapel is unheated, by the way, so be prepared if it is cold out.

I went to a concert there many years ago, so I don’t know whether this is still true, but in the evening, access to Sainte Chapelle was through the adjacent courthouse building. The halls and restrooms were sufficiently shabby to make me think of the old courthouse in Boston, among others. And I heard a tour guide tell the story of how at some point they ran out of space for storage in the courthouse, so they piled up files against the windows in Sainte Chapelle, causing substantial damage. I can easily picture the decision making involved..

zebec Mar 31st, 2022 07:47 AM

Another Ste Chappppele suggestion. Nowadays those musical performances seem to be almost exclusively chamber groups. Nothing wrong with that. But on occasion, they've also put on small medieval music outfits, such as 'Ars Antiqua'. Given the rarity of the latter kind, it might be an idea to scan the complete scheduled offerings.
I am done. The city of

KTtravel Mar 31st, 2022 11:23 AM

I have been to an evening concert in the chapel and, while the windows aren't at their best, it is still a beautiful and special place to be. I enjoyed the concert but was glad to have also visited in the daytime to fully enjoy the beauty of the windows.

millie2112 Mar 31st, 2022 02:26 PM

I really like the Louvre. If you go on their website they have something called visitor trails. They give you highlights of certain parts of the museum. each trail takes 1.5 hours. We did this when I took my kids to Paris for the first time. I knew they could not manage hours, so this was perfect.

annhig Apr 3rd, 2022 12:01 PM


Originally Posted by Nikki (Post 17348930)
The lighting in Sainte Chapelle at night is all inside, so you can’t see the light through the stained glass. If you do go to a concert, you should go during the day as well. The chapel is unheated, by the way, so be prepared if it is cold out.

I went to a concert there many years ago, so I don’t know whether this is still true, but in the evening, access to Sainte Chapelle was through the adjacent courthouse building. The halls and restrooms were sufficiently shabby to make me think of the old courthouse in Boston, among others. And I heard a tour guide tell the story of how at some point they ran out of space for storage in the courthouse, so they piled up files against the windows in Sainte Chapelle, causing substantial damage. I can easily picture the decision making involved..

Nikki, at a loose end one day when Bill was working [he had an IT contract in Paris many moons ago] I took myself off to the Palais de Justice on the Ile de la Cite and after wandering around its rather seedy corridors which were just as you describe, I found a court where I could watch a case. It turned out to be the sentencing of a immigrant for some minor offence and though the procedure was a little different to ours in England the general picture was the same - a long peroration by his counsel about how he could go to join his family in Holland, somewhere to live, and a job there with a family member [shades of the innumerable clients I had represented who had painting and decorating jobs with their uncles starting Monday] all derailed by this one question from the President of the Court "and does he speak Dutch?" I seem to remember he got 2 years.

zebec Apr 5th, 2022 07:13 AM

Yo OP DF, the Fodors site title-page is currently featuring a '30 Top Things to Do in Paris' article. Might be worth a peek.
I am done. the travel righting

AJPeabody Apr 5th, 2022 08:13 AM

The problem with the top of the Eifel Tower is that the Eifel Tower is not in the view. Instead, go to the top of the Montparnasse Tower a little before sunset. The view is better since it doesn't include the Montparnasse Tower (a blot on any Paris view) and does include the Eifel Tower. If you time it right, lots of sites will become illuminated around dusk.

An unusual way to view Paris, from the height of the Eifel Tower but with no tower at all is from a tethered balloon. It is weather dependent (no wind, no rain). French balloons have only one "O."
https://www.ballondeparis.com/en/

dfrostnh Apr 6th, 2022 12:08 AM

Yikes, tetheres balloon sounds a little scary but a view from a different tower sounds nice.
zebec, I have a pinterest board to preserve some tips that I like best. I haven't done a possible itinerary yet. Got a little nervous reading Southern France lodging's tips which included getting a purse I can wear inside my clothing. Already have new anti theft travel purse. Need to empty phone of 100s of photos. Will communicate with stay home dh via WhatsApp.

hope my trip has days like my favorite in Rome. Major objective was to visit a shop selling Murano glass. Enjoyed walking down narrow alley or street. Found a restaurant serving wonderful stuffed squash blossoms. Continued on to discover huge crowd looking at a famous fountain. I was stunned by the number of people. Although it didn't have a famous fountain I like Plaza Navarro better. Walked thru on way to cooking school which was fun. There will be so many things to do in Paris that I hope I will accidentally discover some of them on my way to and from some scheduled visits. I think I will try to take both a ride on the Seine and the other river with one of them being at night.

I am enjoying all the links and suggestions to help me plan. You folks are wonderful.

Nikki Apr 6th, 2022 04:30 AM

I don’t understand why you have to empty your phone’s photos. What’s App is fine but so are regular texts, at least on our phone plan. An anti-theft purse sounds good but I have never worn one under my clothes.

You shouldn’t need to take any more precautions in France than you did in Italy.

raincitygirl Apr 6th, 2022 06:32 AM


Originally Posted by Nikki (Post 17350887)
I don’t understand why you have to empty your phone’s photos. What’s App is fine but so are regular texts, at least on our phone plan. An anti-theft purse sounds good but I have never worn one under my clothes.

You shouldn’t need to take any more precautions in France than you did in Italy.

+1
No need to wear a purse under your clothes. I just use my normal purse and wear it cross body in crowded situations. Paris does have annoying scammers (as do big Italian cities), such as the guys at Sacre Coeur who will come up behind you and attempt to tie a friendship bracelet on your wrist and then demand money for it, the "golden ring" scammers who drop a ring on the ground then try to give it to you saying it must be yours, then encourage you to keep it while asking for 5 euros for it, the groups of girls who run up to you asking if you speak English and offering postcards for sale distracting you while one of them tries to pickpocket you. Just be aware and don't engage with these randoms who approach you. On transit be careful of your purse.

AJPeabody Apr 6th, 2022 06:35 AM

The tethered balloon is quite safe. Riders are in a circular cage, no way to fall or even to jump out. When we went there was a school group on the same ascent, all perfectly safe. And, when you get home, which will be better?: I took this picture from a building or I took this picture from a balloon?

dfrostnh Apr 7th, 2022 01:44 AM


Originally Posted by Nikki (Post 17350887)
I don’t understand why you have to empty your phone’s photos. What’s App is fine but so are regular texts, at least on our phone plan. An anti-theft purse sounds good but I have never worn one under my clothes.

You shouldn’t need to take any more precautions in France than you did in Italy.

I have an inexpensive Tracfone which seems to be full. Dh added more memory but the phone doesn't seem to be accessing it. I bought a photo stick to back up photos so I might as well put most of existing photos on the photo stick and/or transfer to my desktop. When I changed phones all my existing photos transferred and I know some go back to 2014.

Also my phone is locked so I can't put in. French card for phone calls and the phone can't be used outside of the US. I'll double check but I thought regular texting used phone not internet.

AJPeabody, I'll think about it. Just being in Paris is going to be a big deal.

owner of small hotel in southern France where our group will be staying advised to wear a purse under clothing.

shelemm Apr 7th, 2022 05:25 AM

My vote is the picture from a building if the building is the Basilique du Sacre Coeur. Then you get the Byzantine architecture in the foreground with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Bellarosa70032 Apr 7th, 2022 06:13 AM


Originally Posted by PatrickLondon (Post 17346206)
One of my regular things is to visit the BHV department store (opposite the Hōtel de Ville). I've picked up all sorts of small kitchen and household items there - place mats, cushion covers, egg cups, even a baking tray/mould for making macarons (or trying to). The basement there also has some potential souvenirs, like those distinctively French house number plaques and assorted signs, even if you're not interested in the rest of the DIY/hardware stuff. Plus, it has a fair range of cafés and restaurants.

Another recommendation for BHV. I absolutely loved going through the basement. A great souvenir they have is their shopping bag--it has the map of the city of Paris printed on it, is only a few Euros, and fold up to almost nothing.


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