Hey madtownz, I was going to write about the same experience. On Fridays there is a 3pm mass at Sacre Couer. I had the same experience as you, it was so beautiful....

Remember that the Ste. Chapelle is best seen on a sunny day. The stained glass glows. Be ready to exchange one day for another depending on the weather. Museums for bad weather, outside stuff for good, if possible.

Fischerl..Love your itinerary. On our first trip to Paris, my mother and I ate pretty much the way you are planning. Lunches in cafes and dinner was in the room or walking along. We picked up a roasted chicken or sandwiches, bread, cheese and meats at the local places, sometimes crepes...we saved a lot of money doing this. We skipped the expensive dinners so we could do some fun stuff like the Fat Tire Bike Tours. You are going to love that. Also, in case you decide to do the boat ride, if you purchase on the internet before you go it will cost you 7E instead of 11E. We have done this for our upcoming trip in two weeks. You can use them any time. Here is the link:

http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/billet_en.php

And for what it's worth, no way would my mom go up the Eiffel, so hurrah for you for planning that for your daughter. :)

Enjoy!

fischerl, I think my post makes it clear, but just in case--the Fat Tire night bike tour includes in the price an hour long boat tour of the Seine. I wouldn't want you to buy tickets on line and then find you've paid for two basically-the- same tours. We loved the boat tour, but wouldn't have wanted to do two!

I second ( or third)the Fat Tire Bike Tour, we did the night one and loved it.

AS for picnics, they are very popular with tourists and locals alike,, in the summer on the pedestrian bridge( forget the dang name, but you will see it) that goes over the Seine it is COVERED with people who are having picnic, many of them locals.. seriously , picnics are fun and a great way to eat too.
I think you nicer lunches and picnics for dinners is a great idea,, and beware of the " 3 courses for 10 euros" tourist traps on Rue Mouffetard,, the food is not good.
A nice roast chicken and some good bread,,

Wow--I am so delighted with your encouraging responses; thanks again so very much. We'll try to picnic at the Rodin! (I appreciate all the food tips). And that's a great idea about adjusting our plans to fit the weather. I did notice on the Fat Tire website that the night tour includes a boat ride, so I removed the other "cruise" from the original plan.

And namaka, not to worry, if we are too wiped out we will skip the concert! But we love great music...I am so looking forward to this, and I can't thank you guys enough for taking the time and trouble to help make this a wonderful trip.

Sorry, I totally missed the Fat Tire and night cruise connection.

The flea market at Clignancourt is not in the 18th arrondissement; it is just outside the city in the suburb of St. Ouen. To get there you take the metro to Porte de Clignancourt, then walk past the highway overpass and turn left on rue des Rosiers. There are people selling stuff outdoors on the way there before you get to the highway, but that is clothing and everyday junk. The real flea market is beyond.

I would reconsider going Monday, however. I have been there on a Monday and it was much less lively than on Saturday or Sunday. Many of the stalls were closed. Many were open, though, so if it is the only time you can go, then so be it.

Hi
re newletter on travel by rail in Ireland, I live in Tullamore. My local station also has machines to purchase tickets (cash or cc).
Standard practice here is to put € euro sign before the amount, (like you do with $) so €45.18, although in some other euro countries (eg France) they do have it the way you do on the newsletter.

16:44 10/04/2008 forum:

I'm watching this conversation as my wife & I plan a day in Paris in June, passing through from London to the south by train. We had planned to do the sewer tour (seriously!) but it's closed Friday, so won't suit us,

http://www.statesman.com/life/conten...stories/travel

travel/03/16/0316sewers.html

Sorry, it didn't like the long URL. Please join the two together at /travel/ If there's a " /after travel/ remove it, it shouldn't be there (I keep removing it but when go to "previesw my post" it reappears!

it's a great description on the sewer tour


We might try the catacombs instead. I hope the weather suits you, May can sometimes be cold & wet in Paris. Last year we also spent a day there & found a decent small Greek restaurant in rue Mouffetard, which seems to be a road to suit every kind of taste & pocket. Run by friendly husband & wife team in their 60s. I paid about €15 each (wine extra). Hard to beat that. In 1978 we spent a week in Paris on the cheap & loved it. Usually bought bread & cheese & occasionally alcohol & picnicked every day. Got a week's metro + bus ticket (this may be awkward for you fischerl as your week starts on a Tuesday). Mobilis cards are excellent value if you plan to use the metro more than 5 times a day, but decide which zones you need, there are many websites about this, just type in mobilis paris visite to a search engine to get a flavour of the discussions.

By the way, fischerl, I live not too far from Kildare, which I believe is your favourite part of Ireland...

Nikki makes a good point about the flea market on Monday being sparse.

So, I checked on Mass schedules at Notre Dame. According to Paristriptips.com, there are masses weekdays at 8,9,and 12. I went to the actual Notre Dame site but my French isn't that good. Maybe someone else can confirm the Mass times.

So... Sunday go to Marche aux Puces and Monday do mass at Notre Dame and see Ste Chapelle.

I also checked the Les Fetes de Versailles and unfortunately, the ballet performances there don't start until July.

So sorry something got mixed up in my post above, please ignore the first bit!!. I'll try the url for the sewer tour again, my "preview my reply" didn't like it but it came out better in the actual post.

http://www.statesman.com/life/conten...316sewers.html

Bonjour! I lived in Paris for four glorious years and my son was born there. So, let me throw in my two cents, er centimes! The Eiffel Tower is most beautiful at night and the view of the illuminated city is stupendous. It is open very late. Consider visiting it then. Palais Garnier is my single favourite site in all of Paris. You can tour for a small fee, regardless of whether there will be ballets, or schooling in session. Don't miss it! Though you can visit a Traiteur (think Deli) or a Boucherie (think butcher shop with whole roasted chickens ready to eat!) and have a lovely picnic, a more French experience would be to grab a baguette sandwiche at lunchtime first of all. Just find the longest line at a Boulangerie that you can find! It will move amazingly quickly and for a just a couple of euros you will get delicious choices like roast chicken, tuna, ham and cheese, camembert, etc. This is the way in Paris to truly eat a French lunch. Dinners can be had for a reasonable sum so long as you select a bistro dining experience. You will find many wonderful prix fixe menus available to you that even include a picher of wine. Versailles is spectacular: go all day for sure, forget the flea market, and go on the weekend to see the fountains and don't miss the opera house part of the tour. Take an hour to rent a bike in the gardens and just enjoy. Take the small train around the gardens if you fancy a rest for you legs. There are many boats that give you the Seine experience. Again, I cannot stress how beautiful Paris is at night. Take the Bateau Mouches at night. Very cheap and goes very late. Treat yourself to the best hot chocolate in the world at Angelina's on Rue du Rivoli...but don't eat there. Expensive. It is a beautiful Salon du Tea. If you wish to write me privately, I will provide you with any number of restaurant suggestions. I would recommend one Belle Epoque restaurant dining experience. It is quintessentially French to sit in one of these old, beautiful establishments and sip a kir...even if you don't order a start, main meal, cheese, dessert and the most expensive wine and after dinner cognacs! Bon Voyage!

Cathies reply made me recall that right outside of Sacre Couer there is a small area where artists sell their paintings...would be a fun stop if you are in that area!

I bought two small water colours from one of the artists at Mont Martre and I adore them. I had them professionally framed when we got home and they are hanging in my dining room - it's a wonderful way to hold on to the memory of the holiday. The story behind the purchase is sweet. When we told my husband's parents, who have never been well-off, that we were going on this trip (our first to Europe) they started to save up, and just before we left presented us with a few hundred Australian dollars to buy ourselves something. I think that I am very lucky to have them both in my life.

On a more practical note, if your budget runs to this (about €25), consider an evening concert at St Chapelle. You will be able to enjoy the beauty of the stained glass and listen to the concert at the same time. I think it should be light by then well into the evening. It is one of my favourite memories of our trip. We had a quick dinner in our apartment, and then stopped for crepes on the walk back home after the concert.

St Cirq is right as always, the gardens at Musee Rodin should not be missed! And yes, there are people all over the grass on the Champ de Mars enjoying picnics.

Thanks again for all the help--I really appreciate it. I'll try to post a trip report when we return.

Ricardo, yes, I loved Kildare, because that's where we watched the jockeys exercising the race horses at dawn--a beautiful site! I long to go back someday...

You should really visit Sacre Ceur...it's one of the most beautiful place in Paris.

c14udie,, really you think so??? I have never heard anyone call it one of the most beautiful places.I personally think it is most beautiful from a distance.

I don't think the actual building is anything special, but the area around Sacré Coeur is very popular, & rightly so. Great views over the city, & the square where the painters & sketchers work away. I wonder if the funiculaire is fixed, it wasn't working May 2007. It's a good walk up the hill.

I only have one suggestion. Henri IV, 13, Place du Pont Neuf. This was THE BEST experience we had in Paris. It's a tiny (and, I found out after the fact, famous) wine bar at the extreme west (down-stream) end of the Ile de la Cité. It's on street of which Pont Neuf is a part (hence the address). They have THE BEST CHEESE I'VE EVER EATEN. Get the cheese plate for one (more than enough for 2 (or 3 small) people. And a glass of the house wine. We went three times. I would have lived there if Deb had let me.

Oh...and if it's a clear, sunny day....take a camera for Sainte Chappell. You will never be the same again.

Nice Itinerary---- here's a more nightlife/cultural suggestion to potentially add:

For a great night out in Paris, sip a kir royal at Café de la Paix before catching a performance at the Opera Garnier. Afterwards, depending on your budget, enjoy an oyster platter at Le Grand Café, or splurge a few steps away at Gerard Depardieu’s resto [La Fontaine Gaillon] just as the good crowd is arriving.

Bon voyage!