Paris: What Sites Exceeded Your Expectations?
 

Enough with the negative waves on the other post. Let's get some positive vibes going. So, what sites/things exceeded your expectations?

Feel free to mention the major "wow, just look at that" places, but also the little things that make Paris so special.

Good idea, NS,

Parc Monceau

Musee Jacquemart Andre'

The Batobus

The Montmartrebus (no 18 from Pl Pigalle).

Rue Montorgueil

The market at Pl Breteuil

((I))

Mariage Frères in the 6th. It was an excellent place to meet up with a friend and leisurely talk over a pot of tea.

The size and impact of the Eifel Tower. I still remember when I first came out of the subway, turned a corner and saw it square on in all its glory!

Wonderful topic!
Unlike most posters on this forum, I am not an experienced traveler. But I had wanted to visit Paris ever since my high school French teacher played Edith Piaf records during class. A few years ago when my son-in-law was stationed in Germany, he and my daughter treated me to a trip to Paris.

Well, even thirty-some years of anticipation did not prepare me for the magic of that beautiful city! EVERYTHING - even the toilet that was just a hole in the ground at Pere-Lachaise cemetery - was even better than I had imagined. Probably my favorite thing was just walking along the Seine - or touching walls in the Louvre that were built around 1100 A.D. - or sitting in a cafe drinking the best cafe au lait I have ever had - or the wine!

But my favorite memory of that trip is, just as we were leaving the city, playing Edith Piaf on the car stereo while my daughter filmed our last vision of the city. Today when I watch the video, there is "La Vie en Rose" as background music - still the perfect background music for Paris!

To visit Saint Chapelle and hear a classical music concert.

To dine in "Le Pamphlet" in the Marais.

To have an ice cream and sit at Berthillon on the Ile St. Louis watching wonderful life glide by.

To see the Impressionists' works at the Musee D'Orsay.

To see Berthe Morrisot's paintings at the Marmatton in the 16th arr.

St Chapelle – staggering.

The Eiffel Tower – it’s HUGE. I had no idea.

Pere La Chaise – just beautiful and fascinating

The Air and Space museum – Concords, mirages, and space rockets. Big boy heaven.

All the bridges over the Seine, especially at sunset.

Ste Chapelle - we almost didn't go - turns out that it was one of the most beautiful sites in Paris.

Wow--an even better idea, you're right.
Thanks, northshore, for the post. I love reading it!
Dina

Marmottan museum, still takes my breath away.

Orsay museum.

Louvre.

Vedettes de Pont Neuf evening boat cruise (not for dinner, but the Eiffel Tower ablaze with lights.)

Ste Chapelle on a sunny day, ditto Chartres cathedral.

Monet's house and pond at Giverny, at an uncrowded time of the morning, in June.

Saint Chapelle
Eiffel Tower
Most of the Gardens

I could go on and on. Paris,in itself, exceeded my expectations.

Call me Polyana, but I'd much rather focus on the positives, so thank you for this post.

I would have to say, "Paris", I went there expecting not to like it that much, I think I'd gotten tired of hearing everyone rave about it. I surprised myself by liking it a lot, and each day I spent there, I liked it more.

Just walking around Paris exceeded my expectations!

Great posting! The view from the top of Notre Dame! It was several hundred steps to the terrace level and I kept thinking - this better be worth it! It was so cool to see the gargoyles and see the streets of Paris from high. then we took another flight of steps to get even higher up - that was totally worth it!

The glass domes in Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps [over Cafe Flo in La Mode]. Rooftop view atop the second Au Printemps. There is a little cafe there also. Paris Story on rue Scribe. Guided tour at the Opera Garnier.

I just saw someone mention Giverny! That overwhelmed me. I stood on the Japanese bridge and cried! I decided at that moment that I would make a lifetime goal to visit Giverny once each of the 7 months that it is open. So far, I have 3 done and 4 to go!

Now you're talking!

Walking through the parks, particularly Les Jardins du Luxembourg, Parc Monceau and Les Buttes Chaumont. Even the tiny neighborhood parks where the children play!

The churches of St. Chappelle, St. Gervais - St. Protais and St. Sulpice.

The museums Le Louvre, musee d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaisme, and my new favorite, musee Nissim de Comondo.

The nighttime view of the city from any bridge under a full moon...
the food...the wine...the accents on those men...

Guess I should give someone else a turn!

Going back the second time this fall, there were plenty of do-overs as my Mom & Aunt had never been. This time, the ones that stood up to comparison from the first time I saw it were:

The Eiffel Tower (I got to go up twice this time!). A lovely giant that still awes me.

The Louvre's ceilings

Arc de Triomphe -- it's bigger than I remembered and this time I got to the top.

Also The Pantheon -- Rick Steves writes it off as a disappointment, but while it isn't as old or cool as Rome's Pantheon, Paris' is quite large and worth a look if you're in the neighborhood.

This time we got to meet a lot more French people, and as usual they were just as nice than the friendly New Yorkers I met last summer. And I'm not being facetious.

Jules

Jules

The grand view from on top the Arc de Triomphe at dusk when all the lights come on all over Paris.

Definitely Ste. Chappelle - it was like being inside a diamond. Very moving.

For me it was the city itself. I expected an unapproachable, intimidating city. I found a beautiful ancient but alive and vibrant place that was too exciting to believe. I will return again and again.

Seeing the Eiffel Tower from the balcony of our hotel room, lights twinkling at night above the tree-lined boulevard. I couldn't stop going to the balcony to see it!
Visiting the Louvre and loving the magnificent building itself as much as the art. Taking the Batobus at night, with bridges and buildings all lit up. Paris is lovelier than I'd even expected. (No dog poop in sight, or people peeing in the streets-- as some people had warned!)

Paris exceeded my expectations!
Everithin is magic!!
But, some places it's unbelieveble:

- Ille de Saint Louis

- The Arenes de Lutèce

- Place des Vosges

- Cafe Angelina (Rue de Rivoli)

- Montmartre

- Bois de Bologne

Deyrolle, an amazing taxidermy shop

Just walking everywhere, looking, touching, smelling and whispering to myself "I'm really in Paris."

Well it's not a site, but it is a "wow just look at that"... some of the street performers I saw in Paris were simply amazing.

Ste. Chapelle gets the "Took my breath away" award!
I was on the war path about checking unexposed 35mm film so was annoyed about going through Palace of Justice security. The first floor of the eglise was ok and DH and I were almost saying "is that all there is?" when we went up the stairs and literally gasped at the scene. I don't remember the time of day but the light was just magical! Put this on your list.

Second was surprise at the laciness of the Eiffel Tower-it is actually prettier than I'd anticipated.

I'm very tied to Italy but would choose Paris as a place to live if I could.

For my second trip to Paris, it was the pleasure of staying in an apartment, and seeing a different view of Parisian life than I had on my previous visit. I highly reccommend it if the logistics work out for you (need to be staying a week or more and have to have the right number of folks in the apartment to make it a really good buy).

The Musee Rodin and its beautiful gardens!!

I visited the Musee de Cluny for the first time in July and can't believe how wonderful it is.

Rodin Museum

Ste Chappelle

L'Orangiere (SP?) - Monet's Waterlilies were spellbinding!

Mass at Notre Dame
sunlight through the windows of St. Chapelle
food anywhere and everywhere
the people were wonderful;unlike the stereotype
Pont Neuf
the Louvre buildings and grounds
the Marais
the Mouffetard market
coffee and pastry in the opera tearoom

All of the above, especially, San Chapelle. It was my most cherished memory of Paris from my first visit, I won't say how long ago! Napoleons Tomb and the Army Museum are fascinating. I went to humor my husband, and hated to leave.

Paris, herself. What a beautiful city.

-The interior architecture of the Musée d'Orsay and its collections

-Paris lights at night

-The stained glass windows of Sainte Chapelle

-The Art Nouveau collection at Musée Maxim's

-The view of the back of Notre Dame de Paris from the terrace at the top of the Arab Institute

-The Louvre, specifically the building as well as its collections

-The rich collection of the Musée Carnavalet

-The market streets of rue des Lévis, rue Daguerre, and rue Mouffetarde

-Père Lachaise Cemetery in the fog one early morning

-Walking along the Promenade Plantée

-The general pleasure of café culture

Definitely "The Lady & the Unicorn" tapestries at the Cluny. Always appreciated tapestries. Once I saw these I became enraptured.

My most favorite sights (not sites) include my daughter, who I have now taken to Paris twice. Watching her tuck into Steak Frittes for lunch at a bistro on my birthday. Seeing her sitting so gracefully on the floor at the Pompidou, sketching the artwork. Watching her play at hide and seek in the Tuilleries. Everything in Paris has seemed new and even more special through the eyes of my child.

The number one thing that exceeded my expectations was the friendliness and warmth of the French people. That is my fondest memory of Paris. Well, that and the great food!! :-)

The Impressionist paintings at the Musee D'Orsay were wonderful.

The modern art museum of the city of Paris (currently under renovation) has an entire room taken up by a walls-and-ceiling work by Raoul Dufy - awesome!

http://www.v2asp.paris.fr/musees/MAM...cueil_angl.htm

WK