knoble

My 17-year-old daughter and I just returned last night from an absolutely outstanding trip (our first) to Paris. Here's what we did the first couple of days:<BR><BR>On Friday upon arriving at our hotel around 10 AM, we took a wonderful walk through the Luxembourg Gardens, and into a charming old neighborhood of narrow cobblestone streets where there is an open-air market on Rue Moffetard. Beautiful vegetables, meats, seafood, fruits and flowers, and everywhere you looked, a bakery piled high with breads, croissants, pastries -- mmm. We had our first outdoor cafe experience there (cafe creme and brioches), with a blue sky, warm sunshine, and churchbells from several directions -- just perfect. Then we walked on to Notre Dame and St Chappelle cathedrals, both very different, and both magnificent (I don't usually use that word, but it really fits). More walking back through some lovely neighborhoods on the left bank where we're staying, then a leisurely picnic lunch at the Luxembourg Gardens (panini, our new favorite to-go food -- baguettes, cut in half, lengthwise, layered with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, and grilled in a press -- along with sweet, juicy clementines we had bought earlier at the market). More walking, out to a great crepe restaurant for dinner, Creperie Josselin on Rue Montparnasse, then home to bed after having been up for 27 hours straight!<BR> <BR>On Saturday, we took the Metro to the famous flea market at Clingancourt, a huge warren of permanent shops selling everything from antiques, old postcards, dishes, books, etc., then to Montmartre, and Sacre Couer cathedral (there are a lot of those here). For those who may not know, this one is on top of a hill, overlooking all of Paris -- what a view! We walked downhill on Rue Lepic through an old neighborhood of charming, crookedy houses and shops, on to a lovely outdoor cafe at a square by the Abbesses Metro stop. We spend a leisurely hour or so people watching and checking out the most beautiful of Hector Guimard's Metro entrances. Then we did some shopping, took a rest, and went out to a wonderful dinner, at Le Polidor in the Latin Quarter. This place is about 150 years old, and was full of locals, casually dressed, seated at long tables. The food was country French, delicious (especially the spinach salad with nut oil dressing, and the boeuf bourginon), and very reasonably priced. To close out the evening, we took a Bateaux Mouches cruise on the Seine to see the lights of Paris from a different perspective. It is truly incredible how many huge, beautiful buildings and monuments there are here -- many more than in Washington DC.<BR><BR>To be continued...

Barb_in_Ga

More please...only 23 days til we leave and I'm eager to hear everyone's experiences. It's been less than a year since I visited Paris, but I'm eager to return.

happy2travel

knoble, thank you so much for the beginnings of a wonderful travel report. I'm glad that you had a wonderful trip! I will be visiting Paris in just over six weeks and your report makes me even more excited about it! <BR><BR>Can't wait to read more!<BR><BR>I am

LVSue

Knoble, how funny your description of Polidor is! My husband always called it &quot;The Long Tables,&quot; but I have never seen anyone else mention them.<BR><BR>Where did you stay? Somewhere near rue Montparnasse, I guess. I'm staying on rue Delambre (the next street over). Will it be easy to find Creperie Josselin (you are the second person this week to mention it)?

knoble

Hi LVSue,<BR>We stayed at Hotel Novanox right on Blvd Montparnasse close to the intersection of Boul. St. Michel. To see how close you will be to (and how easy it will be to find) Creperie Josselin, take a look at www.pagesjaunes.fr. They don't have a listing for it, but its little sister, Le Petit Josselin, is just across the street. Under &quot;nom,&quot; put Le Petit Josselin, and under &quot;localite,&quot; put Paris 14. You'll get a map, and photos up and down the street. Your hotel may be listed also. These photos really don't do justice to any of the locations, but they do give you an idea, and it sure is fun to have a picture in your mind of where you're going.

knoble

Here is the next installment of my trip report:<BR>On Sunday we took a bus trip to Brugges, Belgium through northern France�s beautiful countryside, past many ancient cathedrals, incredible chateaux, and the Sommes Valley. Brugges is a medieval town of about 25,000 centered around another huge cathedral (home to a Michelangelo statue of Mary and Jesus) built in the 900s. Such a charming and beautiful village; all the daffodils and fruit trees were in bloom. We had a great outdoor lunch�my daughter had, what else?, a Belgian waffle (yum!), and I had a delicious bowl of Nordsea fish soup AND a plate of the best �French� fries I ever had. Our tour guide had told us the Belgians were the inventors of this dish, and still deserved first prize � I agree! Many others at the caf� ate mussels and drank beer with their frites, also recommended. After lunch, we shopped: other Brugges specialties are lace and chocolate, so, of course, we bought some of each. We ended the trip with another boat tour, as the city is built on canals � it was very relaxing, and made me want to come back with my husband to spend a couple of days in one of the B&amp;Bs overlooking the water. Brugges may be too touristy for some, and I would definitely pick a weekday (or two) if I were to go again, but we really enjoyed it.<BR> <BR>Monday we slept in! Then went to the Louvre and saw some of the highlights, like the Mona Lisa. Just as we were entering the wing with the Flemish painters, they closed it! So a word of caution to check in with the information desk before starting your Louvre route � you really do need to plan, it�s that huge. Afterward, we went to lunch at Angelina�s across from the Louvre � the most incredible quiche and the most delicious hot chocolate. We took a rest at the hotel, and headed over to the Champs Elysses, where we got to see the Arc de Triomphe up close. This area is very commercialized, and attracts a lot of young people, with Virgin open until midnight, lots of cafes (including McDonalds, looking good as new after its reported trashing a few weeks before by anti-war protestors), chain restaurants, and movie theaters.<BR><BR>Tuesday was our Musee d�Orsay day. My daughter and I are both Impressionist and Art Noveau fans, so really appreciated their collections, and spent the greater part of the day there. Back for another rest, then, in the early evening (it stayed light until after 9:00 PM!) we took a stroll down Rue de la Fontaine in the 16th, where Hector Guimard of Metro fame designed several incredible apartment buildings. I would highly recommend this side trip to anyone interested in Art Noveau or architecture. From there we went to the Latin Quarter for a lovely outdoor caf� meal, then outstanding gelato for dessert from a small shop with a long line just off Rue Mazarine on Rue le Buci.<BR><BR>More to come...<BR>

LVSue

Thanks, knoble. I got zilch on pagesjaunes for either Le Petit Josselin or Creperie Josselin, but I'm sure I'll find it!

knoble

Thought I'd just wind up my trip report...<BR>Tuesday was our Musee d�Orsay day. My daughter and I are both Impressionist and Art Noveau fans, so really appreciated their collections, and spent the greater part of the day there. Back for another rest, then, in the early evening (it stayed light until after 9:00 PM!) we took a stroll down Rue de la Fontaine in the 16th, where Hector Guimard of Metro fame designed several incredible apartment buildings. I would highly recommend this side trip to anyone interested in Art Noveau or architecture. From there we went to the Latin Quarter for a lovely outdoor caf� meal, then outstanding gelato for dessert from a small shop with a long line just off Rue Mazarine on Rue le Buci.<BR><BR>On Wednesday, we had a very enjoyable two-hour brunch at a caf� facing the square in Place des Vosges. We took an unplanned, interesting stop at Victor Hugo�s home overlooking the square, then on to the Musee Carnavalet. This former mansion lived in by a 17th century socialite had wonderful rooms and furnishings, and a great collection of Parisian artifacts from Roman times through the 19th century. We especially enjoyed the rooms devoted to the Revolution, with models of, and keys to the Bastille, which had stood only a few blocks away. We continued our walk down the Rue Rosiers and Rue Pave (past the synagogue designed by Guimard, looking a little worse for wear), and on to the Hotel Sens, a turreted medieval �castle� overlooking the Seine, now housing a library. After another rest (by this time, afternoon rests were imperative � our feet were giving out!), we went back to the Latin Quarter for dinner. Two American girls we met in the gelato line told us what a great time they were having in Paris while they were studying at the Sorbonne, so my daughter decided she might like to do the same, and wanted to check out the �campus.� Although it was somewhat intimidating, she thinks the caf� scene all around balances it out, and, at this time, she seems determined to take two years of French and spend her junior year in Paris. If she does, I�ll just have to visit several times, and live vicariously through her for the rest of the year!<BR>

knoble

We started out our last day in the Catacombs � not for the claustrophobic or squeamish, but very interesting. We ended up going through the underground �streets� with a group of teenaged students who made it fun with ghosty noises and goofiness. From there we went back to Rue Rivoli to shop for souvenirs for the folks back home. Then we had our most fun dinner at Chartier in the 9th. This large, 100+-year-old restaurant has high ceilings, and an upstairs dining area (where we sat) overlooking the scores of diners sitting at long tables below. It is loud, with lots of families and inexpensive, tasty food. Our first tablemates were a German art historian who had been living in Paris for 10 years and taught French in the US each fall, and his young cousin from Germany on his spring break from school. They were just delightful, fun people who spoke fluent English, German and French (I�m in awe), and we conversed about travel and politics and lots of stuff. They were on their way to an 8:30 show at the Folies Bergere just down the street, so they had to eat and run. Our second tablemates were a young couple from Korea: he had been in Paris since January studying French (and his English was great, too!), and his friend was visiting him on her spring break. We compared notes on sightseeing in Paris, and cultural perspectives. It was just a very pleasant way to wrap up an incredible trip.<BR><BR>As other posters have said, if you are weighing whether to go or not, GO. And have a wonderful time!<BR>

wannago

Great trip report. How long is the bus ride to Brugges? Did you buy bus tickets in advance &amp; where do you buy the tickets/catch the bus? Would you recommend this as a day trip or over-nighter from Paris? Thanks.

ira

Hi Knoble,<BR><BR> Thanx for a great trip report.

hanl

What a great report. Sounds like you had a fabulous time <BR><BR>For LVSue, here's a link to the Cityvox site, they have an entry with map and photo for the Creperie Josselin - http://paris.cityvox.com/eng/paris/home.html

hanl

Oops, forgot to mention that on Cityvox, just enter Creperie Josselin in the search box and it'll come up...

Grasshopper

Knoble, Great goal for your daughter! My daughter spent her junior year in high school as an exchange student, then returned to spend a semester in Paris in college. It made a huge difference in her as a person. And I got to visit her both times! You will love sharing that experience with her through email and IMs.

knoble

Hello, wannago,
The trip to Brugge was through Paris Vision (website, www.parisvision.fr). Their office on Rue Rivoli (close to the Louvre) was the takeoff point for the trip, which took about 6 hours on the bus round trip (sitting and looking at the scenery go by after all the walking in Paris was a welcome change). There were two guides who spoke English, Spanish and French, made comments about the sights of interest, then led a brief, very interesting tour of Brugges before letting us roam around for about 3 or 4 hours to shop, eat lunch and sightsee until the concluding canal ride. Very worthwhile.

drebin

My husband and I just returned from Paris and Provence and had a great time. We ran into no Anti-Americanism (we only have rudimentary French), but in nearly every instance the people we encountered were warm and friendly.
I enjoyed knoble's recounting of her trip. Just to add a thought: I got the name of the Bee Shuttle from this website and called 2 weeks ahead to make reservations for them to pick us up at CDG and to return us there. They were great - on time and reasonable.
I would also add that the only way to see Paris is on foot. We walked and walked and walked. We stopped in at big churches and little ones. There was something to see at every corner -from beautiful architecture to interesting sculpture to just being fascinated with people-watching.
Also for a splurge on our last night we ate at Willi's Wine Bar (between the Lourve and Opera) and had a delicious meal.
Our 5 days in Provence were also wonderful and it really would take a year to begin to appreciate all the area has to offer.
I hope to return someday!

LVSue

Hanl, scary....I did as you suggested and....no matching records for Creperie josselin. Perhaps it is not my destiny to find CJ....

And, knoble, yes, yes, yes for junior year abroad.

hanl

LVSue, try this: go to http://paris.cityvox.com/eng/paris/eating-out.html, and in the search box (&quot;Search Eating out in Paris&quot just enter Josselin. I just tried it and it works! But be prepared to wait, as the site can be a bit slow...