Suggestions for 10 days in Paris
 

My wife and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary in Paris and are looking for suggestions of things that many tourists might miss.
We are big museum fans and are planning on the museum pass and are thinking of a day trip to Versailles but are also interested in the Parisian's Paris as well.
While I don't think we will have any trouble filling 10 days with unforgettable sights any suggestions would be appreciated.
Not sure if this makes a difference or not but my wife does speak french.(I am working on mine)
Thanks

Here's an out-of-the-mainstream, unusual museum my wife and I found very interesting. I am not the author of this report, but I find it to be accurate and complete:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ers-museum.cfm

If the Basilica in St Denis is not on your list, it is a magnificent site.

Also, the Louvre merits more than one visit. and with 10 days and a museum pass, I would want to revisit the museums rather than burn out on long marches through the larger ones.

I also enjoy visiting the covered passages.

My idea of a fun time in Paris is to go to a museum in the evening and have dinner after -- or go in the morning, have lunch and then toss the guidebook away for the afternoon, and just go to an arronidisement and walk around without a plan.

One of my favorites was the Nissam Camondo house/museum. A completely furnished house left to the City of Paris when the owner passed away. His family had all died in the concentration camps. Lovely house as one would live in the early 20th century. When asked, this place always pops into my mind.

I think that museum's name is Musée Nissim de Camondo, and my wife and I did enjoy it, along with the wonderful, nearby Parc Monceau. The entire neighborhood is elegant and worth a walk.

Happy 20th to you and Mrs. O!! Since you love museums, make sure to visit the Musee Rodin. It's in a gorgeous old hotel with a lovely garden. If you enjoy flea markets, there's a fun one at the Porte de Vanves on Saturdays and Sundays. Be sure to take Mrs. O on a river cruise along the Seine and share kisses under the bridges. My favorite day was when I took a whole day trip to Giverny to see Monet's breathtaking garden and house and then the palace at Versailles. The best meal that I had was at Le Cigale Recamier, but please avoid the restaurant Bouillon Racine like the plague because they seat all of the English speaking tourists on the first floor while they give better service to the locals upstairs. Mrs. O might enjoy a visit to an adorable jewelry shop called Nadine Delphine on Rue Princesse in the 6th arrondissment. Hope that helps, and bon voyage!

Go to brunch at the Jaquemart-André museum. Go to the Orangerie. Go out to the Ile des Impressionistes and see the tiny museum there and have lunch or dinner at the Maison Fournaise. Go to the typewriter museum and the museum of erotica. Visit the wonderful exhibits on the ground floor of the Musée de l'Armée. Go to the Musée du Taxi and the Musée de l'Eventail in Belleville. Go to Auvers-sur-Oise to see Vincent and Théo's graves and the wonderful Impressionist exhibits at the château there.

Fellow Canadian?

Museums in the list should include, as above + Rodin, Orsay, Marmottan, and Moyen Age (aka Cluny). I've also been to the Musee Carnavalet, which is house in two 18th century mansions and tells the history of Paris.

The Marmottan would get you into the 16th arrondissements, away from tourist crowds. Perhaps a wander around here, and dinner. I've stayed twice in the 16th and liked its shops and architecture (some Guimard buildings, he of the famed art deco metro entrances)

Boat cruise would be a must...as would doing it at night. I like Vedettes du Pont Neuf for thier location and boat size, but there is also the Bateaux Mouches and Parisiens, from Place d'Alma area.

Walking tours are a nice way to get away from guide books and let someone else take you around and tell stories. Paris Walks is one I've used before. Since you have french (some?) buy the Pariscope/Officiel des Spectacles weekly guide, I've taken some of their french language tours and they were quite good. Unlike the "tourist" tours, these are a bit more focused on particular sites instead of areas, and you see things not on other tours.

Also in those guides you will find concert listings. Pretty well eevery night of the week there will be classical concerts, usually in local churches. Some quite good musicians. There is also a 'candlight' concert at St Chapelle which wuld be a nice complement to a day time tour to see the stained glass.

Ile St Louis as a nice place to walk, buy some souvenirs, get some cheese, wine, chocolate...and some good places for lunch and dinnner. It is one of the places I go to at lteast once per trip. Views of Seine, mansions,etc..

Place des Vosges and Palais Royal are in my books must see squares/parks. Lunch at PdV, followed by browsing underneath arcades...and then into Marais, not a bad plan. Village St Paul is a cool area to walk around in that area.

If you like looking at high end antiques (or buying), across the street from the Louvre is the 3 story Louvre des Antiquaires which is kind of like a museum but everything is for sale.

For a wander, boulevard St Germain is a nice choice. Start at Seine, east end, and finish at Orsay. Along the way, detours to Luxembourg Gardens, Musee Moyen Age, St Germain des Pres church (with lunch in the quare, perhaps famous Cafe de Flore or a croque monsieur at Cafe Bonaparte). In this generla area is the Pantheon (bit of Dan Brown) and, at the east end, the Arene de Lutece which is a roman arena, quiet place.

Another quiet place to sit for a bit is the Square du Vert Galant, at the western tip of Ile de la Cite. very nice garden and views...and right next to Seine cruise boats.

Eiffel will be on your list. For a dramatic approach to it, take the Metro to Trocadero, cross street and pass between the two large buildings of the Palais Chaillot and wham, great view of tower.

Versailles is a nice day trip. You can do it either via a coach tour (Parisvision, Cityrama,etc..) or easily go on your own using RER. If on own, go early to avoid the coach tours. The visit itself is the chateau and then the large , very large, grounds. Some coach tours do a Versailles/GIverny combo. I've been to Giverny, but driving. Another place in the same theme is Auvers sur Oise, where Van Gogh painted and died. Very nice small town with VG sites.

If you're looking for the off beat, do a search for Kerouac's posts. He has one about an ethnic walking tour and some posts of places in Paris that tourists (and many Parisians) don't see.

If you go to the Rodin Museum contrast this with the Maillol Museum (same area) and the Bourdelle Museum in Montparnasse. All three are sculptors.

Very close to the Bourdelle Museum is the Post Museum with old mailboxes and a room full of French stamps. The post card selection in the gift shop is first rate.

Another unusual museum is the Lock and Key Museum in the Marais. Opening hours are limited.

Hi again -

I have to disagree with Michel-Paris about the Marmottan. I found it to be a very disappointing musueum and wished that I had gone to another instead.

Something a bit off the beaten path would be the Canal St Martin. Don't do the cruise, but you might be lucky enough to watch one of the boats going thru the locks.

I suppose it may not appeal to all, but the Marmottan does have the world's largest collections of Monets, and the Nympheas in the basement were quite stunning last time I was there. Part of the "package" with this museum is getting away from central Paris to go see a bit more of the less trod paths.

How about the Paris Opera Ballet, or an opera at the Palais Garnier?

http://www.operadeparis.fr/cns11/liv..._SELECT_SEASON

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