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The Perfect Visit to Paris
Tuesday, 22 June 2010 06:59
alt What would make for the perfect week in the city of magic, Paris? If you ever get to stop there for a few days, this is what a kiwi girl who has been living there for six months, has fallen in love with it more than ever before and would dare to call parts of it her own would go back for below. I have mentioned things I have already blogged about, but wanted to bring together what might make the place just as special for someone just passing through. The most obviously beautiful places to visit in Paris are it’s museums. Musée d'Orsay and it’s wonderful Impressionist collection and of course the spectacular Musée de Louvre are both a must. The latter deserves weeks not a day or a morning, but time is always short in this over-brimming city. Musée Rodin is a beautiful outside collection of statues and would be on my list too. Do something in the afternoon after you visit Musée d'Orsay and Musée Rodin, but take all day at Le Louvre. An afternoon tea at nearby decadent tearooms - Angelina’s - on Rue de Rivoli would be perfect after all that beautiful art. I recently wrote about these tearooms in my blog post on chocolat chaud. alt The Pompidou centre is the coolest contemporary art gallery and one of the most visited places in Paris. Also designed by Jean Nouvel and found near Le Marais or at metro stop Hôtel de Ville, you must fit it in too. alt One of my favourite walks is along Quai d'Orsay from l'Assemblée nationale, (it has it’s own metro stop or get out at metro stop Solferino. This is actually quite close to Musée d'Orsay, but would mean you spent a lot of time on your feet.) Then I would walk all the way along past gold topped Hôtel d'Invalides and the angels atop Pont Alexandre III, the most beautiful bridge in Paris, then past the Musée de Quai Branly to the Champs de Mars where the Eiffel Tower is located. The Musée de Quai Branly has a great collection of artifacts from ancient civilizations but the building designed by Jean Nouvel in coloured geometric blocks and with one wall like a garden path is a more interesting sight in and of itself. alt You will be tired after this walk. So lay on the grass below the Eiffel Tower with all the crowds of people and look up at it and enjoy. Bring a picnic. It’s always a chaotic and uncomfortable noisy pain to go up the tower. I would honestly skip it and wait for the view from Sacré-Cœur at Montmartre. Free and easy to reach. The Eiffel Tower is good from below and afar. alt If you do love modern architecture I really enjoyed my trip out to and up le Grand Arche at La Défense west of Paris. Its not so far away - the metro is quite direct. I loved the view from the top of the arch all the way down to the Arc de Triomphe in the rain, but the area is just an industrial area full of big buildings, as cool as I thought they all were. alt Another days walking would be well spent in Montmartre. But go up the back way. It’s much prettier. In fact all the little houses reminded me of parts of Wellington. Get out at metro stop Blanche or Abbesses and just head up the hill. There is a nice cafe called Maison Rose on Rue Cortot and back down behind the metro is Les Deux Moulins from Amélie (The French movie with Audrey Tautou) on Rue Lepic - although it’s all a little too touristy now. The sparkling church on top of the hill is a wonder from inside and outside - it’s Le Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. The view is amazing. alt Other lovely churches are Notre Dame of course, and the nearby Sainte Chapelle. A tiny chapel of the most wonderful stained glass windows and walls I have ever seen. Worth the 40 minute wait. Like Sacré-Cœur both are almost awkward to examine though. You feel like you are intruding into a sacred place and blush as some tourists flash their cameras and chat loudly. The Père Lachaise cemetery is well worth a visit too. alt alt alt alt The most spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower and the place to be seen taking your espresso is the square at Trocadéro . I never visited the museums there, but would have liked the time to. Montmartre and Trocadéro were two of the main reasons I left the left bank. Most Parisians pick a side to the Seine and like to stay there. The character of each bank is very different. Traditionally fashion and glamour was on the right bank - it also had more spunk. The left bank was the bank of academia and cafes. You can see some of all this still today. alt alt alt You didn’t think I would fail to tell you where to shop did you? As a whole destination with a range of stores is better than just a list of shops and addresses I suggest you shop around Le Marais, Sèvres-Babylone and then seek out the antiques and vintage wonders at Le Porte de Clignancourt. I’m a student, no millionaire, so did not spend as much time as I would like in the Golden Triangle, on Rue de la Paix and Rue Montaigne which are on the right bank (Rive Droite) near Le Champs-Elysées, but rest assured Dior and Chanel are right there in Paris too and as luxurious as you could want them to be. Yet I preferred the challenge of weaving through pretty crappy booths until I found the treasure troves at Porte de Clignancourt. Friends of mine have seen a stuffed giraffe’s head there on sale. I have seen huge chrome, cinematic lights and stuffed grizzly bears myself. Then there was the Chanel jacket (also in a former blog post) and many Burberry second-hand trenches that caught my eye. Look no farther for vintage jewels, shoes and dresses. Except maybe in Le Marais (metro stop St Paul.) alt Le Marais is really the perfect place to shop. It also has many little boutiques and absolutely all my favourite French designers, as well as some great vintage stop offs, there. Because this area can get quite complex below is a list for you. When you are done Le Loir dans la Théière at 3 Rue des Rosiers, which I have blogged about before is where you must get your well earned cake and hot chocolate. You will be walking a lot again. alt alt Vintage at: 32 Rue de Rosiers Matières à Refléxion: 19 Rue Poitou Mamz’Elle Swing: 35 bis Rue du Roi de Sicile Pretty box: 46 Rue de Saintonge Yukiko: 97 Rue Vieille-du-Temple Mode du Vue: 53 Rue Turenne Esprit Vinyle: 57 Rue de Saintonge Free’p’star: 8 Rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie La Jolie Garde-Robe: 15 Rue Commines Odetta: 76 Rue des Tournelle alt Designers: Shine: 15 Rue de Poitou Isabel Marant: 47 Rue de Saintonge APC: 112 Rue Vieille-du-Temple Princesse Tam Tam: 19 Rue Vieille-du-Temple Vanessa Bruno: 100 Rue Vieille-du-Temple 75003 Claudie Pierlot: 9 Rue des Blancs Manteaux Paul & Joe (Sister): 56-57 Rue Vieille-du-Temple Manoush: 75 Rue Vieille-du-Temple Bérénices: 52 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois Maje: 49-51Rue Vieille-du-Temple Check out this website: http://www.parismarais.com/ alt alt The other good place to go can get just as confusing. Get out at metro Sèvres-Babylone. I quite like the summery clothes in Bilba right outside the metro stop. Some cool, young French brands inside there. In addition to a few of the already mentioned designers you can also find a few other great stores in the area including Repetto (those famous ballet flats at 123 Rue de Rennes 75006) and Le Bon Marché - the only Grand Magasin I think is worth visiting. You can see my post on the Grands Magasins or department stores of Paris too. There is some great shoe shopping and some funky boutiques as you wander around Boulevard Raspail, Rue de Rennes, Rue de Grenelle, Rue du Dragon and Rue de Saint-Pères. Even along to Rue Saint-Sulpice and Rue Bonaparte is good for shopping. Wear comfortable shoes. You must check out Sonia Rykiel en route to Boulevard Saint Germain to the Café de Flore for an expensive unique Parisian experience at lunchtime after all this. And see also Zadig & Voltaire at 1 Rue du Vieux Colombier. If you are still not tired after this keep going down into the area on the other side of Boulevard Saint Germain and towards the Seine for some more cool boutiques. In particular Le Dressing de Brigitte at 85 Rue de Rennes 75006 and the store next door to it which is similar. In case everyone hadn’t noticed already everywhere I have mentioned is all mode de femmes. alt alt There are many beautiful gardens throughout Paris. Buttes Chaumont - a little bit more wild than the others - is a great place for a picnic, but can be a bit of a mission to get to. Tuileries is charming too. But if you only have time for one then visit the Jardin du Luxembourg. Like most parks there are lots of chairs as your not allowed to sit on the carefully cultivated Parisian grass. All the statues and great fountain where cute as a button French children push around mini sailboats puts it at the top of my list though. My very favourite French boulangerie can be found nearby too. Exit the Jardin du Luxembourg at Rue de Médicis and walk up Rue Soufflot to the Pantheon where Jean Moulin and Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s remains are kept - to mention a few notables. In the square in front of the Pantheon take the smaller road to the right of the building and up there on Rue des-Fossés-Saint-Jacques buy all the baguettes and almond croissants you could possibly eat. Take it down to the Jardin du Luxembourg for lunch. alt alt alt Another good place to picnic, although it’s best at twilight and with a bottle of French wine, is on the Pont des Arts. One of two wooden footbridges in Paris. It gets crazily busy on warm nights. As you can tell picnics are a big part of the Parisian life in springtime. And remember: all French wine is good. Places to eat inside? Or at least on the sidewalk. I admit to being no expert, but recommend the little French bistrots all over Paris for an onion soup or good steak. I like Benoit at 20 Rue St-Martin 75004 and to Le Citrouille at 9 Rue Grégoire de Tours 75006 to start you off. Bofinger is good too. 5-7 Rue de la Bastille 75004. I was a big fan of the burgers at Breakfast in America (17 Rue des Ecoles 75005) when you need a break from French food. A burger is actually a very Parisian choice. I enjoyed La Coupole too - a real Paris institution. 102 Bld du Montparnasse 75014. I never went to Le Fumoir, but I wish I had. 6 Rue de l'Amiral-Coligny 75001. A favourite was Bistrot Victoires at 6 Rue de la Vrillière 75001 and also A La Biche Au Bois at 45 Avenue Ledru-Rollin 75012.The New York Times’ travel website and concierge.com has lots of suggestions. alt If you have time to do some food shopping yourself because you are self-catering or planning a picnic then let me suggest a few things that should be on your grocery list. You certainly wont be missing out on the delicious food Paris has to offer if you do want to self-cater. Paris is notorious for avoiding the influx of large supermarket chain stores. This can make shopping a bit of a mission and expensive, but the specialist fromageries and charcuteries are protected and their products are to die for as a result. You must have the some French goat’s cheese - melted or warm on a baguette or in a salad. Try the terrine - thicker then pate. I like the terrine du lapin (yes rabbit.) Also the thick, juicy sauccisson I loved in Paris can be found in the charcuterie. There’s lots of other things to try in the fromageries and charcuteries so go wild before picking up some quiches, croissants, baguettes and eclairs at the boulangerie. If you don’t find yourself surrounded by such stores head to Rue Montorgueil, the organic market on Boulevard Raspail on Sunday mornings or Rue Mouffetard. I used to do my shopping on Rue Cler, Rue Grenelle and Rue Jean Nicot in the Seventh arrondisement. Don’t forget the chocolatiers either. There are some good ones in by shopping area on Rue Cler as well as at Michel Chaudun (149 Rue de l'Université 75007) which is nearby. I also like Le Maison du Chocolat 19 Rue de Sèvres 75006 and Pierre Hermé does the most wonderful chocolate as I have already blogged about. Get the Fleur de Sel chocolate and then you must, simply must, buy half a dozen macaroons. Even if you don’t like them. You will after Pierre’s. I’m salivating right now. Pierre Hermé: 72 Rue Bonaparte 75006 185 Rue de Vaugirard 75015 40 Boulevard Haussmann 75009 4 Rue Cambon 75001 alt If you are looking for accommodation in Paris and cant afford the gorgeous Hôtel Plaza Athénée(or anywhere else the Wallpaper guide recommends, that looks lovely, but is still out of my price range as a student) try this website http://www.homelidays.com/ because a small apartment in the heart of Paris makes the trip much more worthwhile. Skips the hostels in Paris as they are nearly as expensive and pretty awful. They charge you for everything and anything in Paris. It’s the city of love, but love is not free. A short term apartment rental arrangement is best. I like the left bank (Rive Gauche) best - 5th, 6th and 7th arrondisement. Or stay in Le Marais. alt alt Outside of Paris there are lots of pretty churches, villages, castles and forests to see. Day trips are very worthwhile. Giverny village is a gorgeous and flowery area where you can visit Claude Monet’s house and gardens. Chartres is another beautiful village, also an hour or two on the train out of Paris, where there is a lovely church. Disneyland Paris is great - you know the rest. Fontainebleau forest and the chateau nearby are lovely as is the chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte. The famous Palais de Versailles is and should be on everyone’s list - leave some energy to explore the gardens too. Villa Savoy is an interesting piece of architecture and marks a break in how buildings are designed. I found it interesting. Clearly you will need longer then a week. alt alt alt alt alt I filled you guys in one some of my favourite bars and clubs in the last post. Therefore take the rest of these ideas above and make them your own. Paris will do the rest. alt Bon voyage, bon courage et bonne chance! alt