Our family of four just came back from 2 1/2 weeks in France. Spent four days in Paris, nine days with a tour group on bikes in Brittany/Normandy, and then three days on our own working our way back to CDG.<BR><BR>Our four nights in Paris were anchored in Le Marais at the much recommended three-star, Caron de Beaumarchais. Our opinion? We loved Le Marais. Fun, fun, fun. The location of the hotel was perfect and the host/owner was a dear. Our last night there was 90 degrees, so the hotel's very functioning air conditioning was of great value.<BR><BR>However, if you are considering this hotel,please go to the Rants and Raves section and read some of the more negative posts. They are not off the mark. We would stay there again in a heartbeat, but if room size is an issue for you, this isn't the place. <BR><BR>Since we had been to Paris several times before, we thought we'd just "hang," trying to visit neighborhoods we'd never seen. We also thought it would be fun to check out all the Passages, the "malls" of the 1800's. And we'd never made it to Pere LaChaise cemetery before, so that was a goal.<BR><BR>The first afternoon, we checked out Place Dauphine. This is the quiet neighborhood at the tip of Ile de la Cite where Simone Signoret and Yves Montand lived (in separate apartments). After a short nap, we went to Le Trumulou, a restaurant near the Hotel de Ville. Upscale French cuisine it wasn't; wonderful French experience it was. No Americans. Mostly locals. Great lapin a la moutarde. And the best Kirs we have ever had.<BR><BR>We walked along the Seine that night after dinner. We love how events constantly go on along the river. That night there were dancing lessons (I think it was Brittany folk dancing)on one bank, while up and down the river there were small enclaves of musicians and dancing couples. We took the 1/2 hour Ponts Vendettes as the cap to the evening.<BR><BR>The next day we went to pick up our train tickets in the Forum des Halles area, where we had never been. We really liked the area, and we enjoyed watching the lap swimmmers in the underground mall pool. Have never seen lap swimmers wearing snorkling equipment before. <BR><BR>We set out for the Cemetiere Pere LaChaise. Before we went in, we stopped at a little cafe across the street for lunch and had the best steak au poivre vert I've ever eaten. <BR><BR>We did the obligatory Jim Morrison grave visit, and I forced the kids to visit Edith Piaf's grave (they have never been quite as thrilled with her music as I have been), but all four of us were totally swept away by the area dedicated to the victims of the concentration camps. I just sobbed.<BR><BR>(Similarly, near our hotel is the huge monument dedicated to all those who died in the Holocaust, but more moving was a small plaque on the school adjacent to it talking about the children from it who were sent to and died in the camps.)<BR><BR>Finished the visit with homage to Oscar Wilde's grave. Luckily, the oldest one had just seen and appreciated the film "The Importance of Being Earnest" so she appreciated why I wanted to see it. Great notes around the gravesite. <BR><BR>That night, we went to Au Bascou for dinner. I don't see how the meal or the service could have been better. Truly one of the best meals we've ever had in Paris. We lucked out--no other tourists.<BR><BR>To be continued<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Great report. I look forward to the next chapter. I have never been to Pere LaChaise but I am a great cemetary fan. They tell so much about a particular time and place

Part II: We kept passing the Centre Pompidou, and kept resisting the impulse to visit. We are museum-maniacs, all four of us, and were determined to break our addiction for just one trip. No museum cards this trip. Yet it was so tempting--loved the outside.<BR><BR>On this our third day, we visited the passages of the area between Opera and Montmartre: Galerie Montmartre, Gallerie Feydeau, Pas de Panoramas, then Pas Jouffrey, Pas Verdeau. Tons of antiques, prints, old postcards. Tiny tucked away cafes. Exquisite fabric shops. Our youngest begged to go to the Musee Grevin, a wax museum there, and we relented. It was a hoot! Expensive but fun. The Hall of Mirrors there was great.<BR><BR>The Passage des Prince in the area was closed.<BR><BR>We took the Metro Richelieu Drout to Bastille to get on a Canauxrama tour of Canal St. Martin, another thing we'd never done. It was interesting, but as is the case with most boat trips, becomes a bit too long (2 1/2 hours). It was great to see the La Villette area with its museums and astounding playground, however. I had no idea such a place existed. What a wonderful concept for Paris children.<BR><BR>Ate that night at Colimacon just up the street from the hotel. It is the perfect Marais experience. We're upstairs in a timbered roof, stuccoed wall room overlooking all the action on the street. One feels as though he's stepped back in time, until...one realizes that playing on the restaurant's music system is Gloria Gaynor singing, "I Will Survive." Again, we loved Le Marais!<BR><BR>The duck, the snails and the chocolate sauce on any of the desserts were first rate. <BR><BR>The next day we did more neighborhoods and passages. We always like to visit the pet stores along the Right Bank, so we walked along those shops from Le Marais down to the Louvre area. (We have decided to start our own business in France: "Rent a French Dog.")<BR><BR>Had hot chocolate at Angelina's, then searched out the exclusive passages of the neighborhood: Place Choiseul, Galerie Colbert, Galerie Vivienne, and Galerie Vero-Dodat.<BR><BR>In all our times in Paris, we had never see the Jardin du Palais Royal, nor had we visited the Place Vendome, so it was great to see how the other half lived.<BR><BR>We skipped up to St. Denis/Sebastopal area to check out the fashion industry. Fascinating. We ended up at the wrong end in the middle of a flea market backed by sex shops, so we got out of there quickly. <BR><BR>Our last dinner was a Auberge de la Reine on the Ile de St. Louis. Their postings about their sorrow regarding Sept. 11 were quite touching.<BR><BR>To Be Continued Later

Your report is a gem - many thanks!

Dinner at Auberge de la Reine on the Ile de St. Louis. How was it? Full of American tourists? Was it pricy or reasonable (40 euro/person including wine)?

Amy, what a wonderful report. Your love of Paris jumps off the screen. Can't wait for the rest of this. Aren't the passages fun? You feel like such a discoverer as you stroll through them.

Fantastic report and I love the way you did a themed visit, I am definitely storing away that idea for future trips.<BR><BR>Thank you.

VERY nice, Amy, a wonderful unvarnished report. We look forward to part 2.

Thanks a real freakin' lot, amy. After reading your report, I'm all weepy because I'm homesick. Your report made me realize how much I miss Paris, you rotten so-and-so. Please do me a big fat favor and don't write such good reports.

Mike: I'm always bad about figuring the cost with wine. I do know that we told the girls to scout the street for their choice. We set our price limit at 25 Euros per person for a fixed price meal, so that means Auberge had to come in at or under. <BR><BR>It was a good meal with very kind service. Yes, the place was full of American tourists, but it still had a good "feel" to it. <BR><BR>Our favorite place on the Isle, Le Monde des Chimeres, is usually full of locals. It didn't look very busy and that worried the kids. I'm hoping the reason for its lack of business was that the Islanders were en vacances.<BR><BR>Why is it our favorite? It was the first restaurant my husband and I visited in Paris, and later, it would be the first my children visited. We were the only Americans both times, and the proprietress absolutely coddled my children. What a way to be introduced to Paris and France!<BR><BR>I think Le Monde de Chimeres "canard avec pommes" is still our gold standard for what duck should be. <BR><BR>I hope someone can report how this restaurant is doing.

topping report one.