We just returned from our 8th trip to Paris and I thought I would share the following:

We arrived on Sunday, April 9th and returned on Saturtday, April 15. This was our first April visit and the weather really cooperated. We were expecting rain, but it was dry and the temperature was warmer than we anticipated. (We did not use our raincoat liners, though gloves, scarves and hats were useful at night.)

We stayed at the Hotel Leveque on Rue Cler (wait a second, while I don my asbestos suit to deal with the flames that will surely follow). We enjoy Rue Cler and have stayed at the Hotel Leveque, the Motte Piquet and the Champ du Mars in the past. We have also stayed in the 5th and in Neuilly. The price is right and we like the location. Thank goodness for personal choice. BTW, we started staying on Rue Cler before ever seeing a RS guide.

On Sunday, we went to Jim Haynes’ for of his Sunday night dinners. I had heard about them for years and thought that they sounded like fun. I was a little skeptical, though, but we had a very enjoyable time. We met some interesting people and had a good dinner. The guest chef was a man from Pennsylvania who made a Columbia 1905 salad (we’re from the Tampa area and thought it quite apropos), shrimp gumbo with rice, a terrific creamed spinach and a to die for bread pudding with whisky sauce. The conversation was good and everyone I met was definitely worth meeting.

Monday, we went on a Segway tour. The tour included places about which we already knew, but it was so much fun to ride a Segway around Paris! We went on the tour with an Australian family who were on a month-long European adventure. Unfortunately for one Parisian man, Segways are not a good thing. He was so busy looking at us that he did not notice the car in front of him and crashed into it. The good news is that no one was hurt.

We ate some really good meals. Everyday, we started with breakfast at a bakery on rue St. Dominique. They are very nice and have a little eat-in area and make a good cafe au lait and the breads....

We ate one lunch at Chez Pierro. I wanted to go as they are a no smoking restaurant and I wanted to support them. We had a serrano ham tartlet. It was tasty, but very light. It was more appropriate after a morning of shopping than after a morning of hiking around the city.

One dinner was at La Petite Bosquet on rue de l’Exposition - North African menu. We each had a tagine that was served with couscous and baklava for dessert. The flavors were good, the quantity sufficient and price fair. Another night we ate at Le Petit Troquet just down the street from La Petite Bosquet. That was a delightful experience. The food was delicious, the ambiance very civilized and the service excellent. It was another no smoking restaurant. Bistrot B on Avenue Bosquet served another good meal - onion soup and steak frites.

We went to the Rodin Museum, shopping, shopping and a little more shopping. Thankfully, my husband was there to carry the heavy things. We explored new areas and old discovering little things that are special to us.

We used the cyber cafe on rue de l’Exposition. Used Roissybus to get to the hotel and Parishuttle to return to the airport.

Just a little something to share.

Thank you for sharing - glad you had good weather. Can you tell me the name of the bakery on Rue St. Dominique? I will be staying on that street next year for 10 nights.

Thanks for sharing this. I was interested to hear about the Jim Haynes dinner and the Segway tour. As for Rue Cler responses - tempest in a teapot.

Gariem - The bakery is Michel Arnous at 112 rue Saint Dominique - it's right across from the Fontaine de Mars.

And, let me correct my earlier typo - Le Petit Bosquet. (I am still suffering from jet lag.)

parisonmymind2;

Can't wait to hear more!!!

Nice trip report, parisonmymind2. My wife and I have a dinner scheduled with Jim Haynes on May 14th. We are a bit aprehensive about it, but think it will be different and fun. Would you care to share what the "dress code" was like at his dinner? How well do you think two middle-aged, middle-class mid-westerners will fit into his mix of diners? We have traveled to Europe four years in a row, so kind of have our feet wet, but Paris is still a bit intimidating for us.

Any other tips or advice would be appreciated, too!

Thanks - Dave
[email protected]

Dave,
You'll fit right in at Jim's. I was concerned that it would be too high brow for us, but Jim assured me it would be fun and that we would fit right in. My husband and I are 50ish, middle class Floridians (with lots of midwestern influences).

We met all sorts of very nice people. Some were ex-pats (not just American), some were tourists, and some were French. Some people had been there before and many of us were first-timers. Next time we go to Paris, I will definitely include a Sunday night.

Dress was sort of a business casual. I wore a Chico's Travelers outfit of black pants, black shell and red jacket. My husband wore black docker's type pants and a turleneck.

Jim is really nice and has a knack for remembering names. I was impressed that he remembered who I was throughout the evening when there were about 90 guests.

Thanks parisonmymind2! My wife says she has the Chico's pants and the shell, so she should be all set!

I appreciate the words of encouragement - we are looking forward to it.

Dave

Have fun. I think you could go in jeans and, dare I say, white tennies, and fit right in.

Don't be intimidated by Paris. It is a wonderful place and we have only had one bad experience in eight visits.

If you're lucky enough to go to Paris, you're lucky. Life is good.

parisonmymind2, sounds like you had a brilliant trip! I'm curious to know more about this segway tour you took. Did it take long to get the grasp of how to ride one? How long was the tour? Was it expensive? The restaurants you went to sound delicious. Glad you had a good time over there, I'm off to Paris in September.

parisonmymind!
Glad you had a good time, I too, really liked the area. We rented the ParisPerfect apt that looks down at the Hotel Leveque.
We would stop by that bakery every day for an afternoon sweet to take back to the apt
Wasn't that cyber cafe nice? They were very pleasant and there were enough computers that we never had to wait.
I am not from Tampa, so you must tell me, what kind of salad is that? lol

Great trip report!
Forgive my ignorance, but who is Jim
Haynes and what are the dinners he has?
Thanks

Nice one...keep going !

Jim Haynes lives in Paris and opens his home to stangers/travelers/etc to have dinner and conversation. Some people enjoy it.
I think you can Google him and even see his photo.

Now I know who Jim Haynes is, can you please enlighten me as to what a Segway is, please?
Ta.

lol, Segway Tours are those scooter things that you stand on and ride around on. A friend of mine did it in Paris also and they had a fantastic and fun time, although falling down is a real hazard.

http://www.citysegwaytours.com/paris/

Thanks Scarlett.
We were in Paris last Dec but don't recall seeing any....glad it wasn't something important we missed!

The Segway Tours were 70 Euros each - www.citysegwaytours.com/paris. We had a lesson in advance that lasted close to an hour. I am far from coordinated and had no problems at all. We booked online and met our guide at the south pillar of the Eiffel Tower. We then walked to the Fat Tire Bie Co. office to get our lesson and start our tour.

A 1905 salad is served at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. It incldes romaine lettuce, ham, cheese and an olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar dressing (I suspect google search would find the recipe).