Paris?

Latest Articles

Paris?
Page 1, 2 Next

Downsizer Forum Index -> Downsizing abroad

Author

Message

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 7:47 am Post subject: Paris?
Anyone here in or close to Paris? I have a day to spend there, and am looking for things to do...

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 8:10 am Post subject:

Last time I went to Paris (see how cosmopolitan I am?! See!) we walked from the Sacre Coer in Montmarte all the way down to the centre of the city, stopping regularly for coffee and cake and those fantastic pancake things. And then we wandered along the river and looked at all the artists and postcard stalls, ditto coffee/cake/pancakes.

It was great - I really felt that I'd experienced the city, rather than picking a tourist attraction or two and just going for those.

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 2:12 pm Post subject: Re: Paris?

Nick Howe wrote:

Anyone here in or close to Paris?

I have a day to spend there, and am looking for things to do...

Roughly when? And what day of the week? (Quite a lot closes Sunday, and some places Monday).
And how well do you know the place? (Are you looking for seriously off-the-beaten-track places?) And do you have any preferences or dislikes?

One could (but few would) spend many days and still not cover the Louvre...
The Musee d'Orsay shows how to convert a railway station unbelievably (the good impressionist stuff is way upstairs - as is the cafe behind the clockface) and its got a very elegant indeed (but affordable) restaurant.
However the better Monets (inc "Sunrise, an impression") are in the Musee Marmottan https://www.paris.org/Musees/Marmottan/marmottan.e.html
If you want a day out of Paris, Monet's garden at Giverny is fabulous at this time of year. (Possible, but not easy without wheels.)

And if you don't want to go up Eiffel's tower, you can go down the sewers... https://www.paris.org/Musees/Egouts/info.html

You might want to search out (Rue de Cherche Midi) the home of Poilane's bread https://www.poilane.fr/index.php?index_module=listings&index_theme=english&index_template=en_histoire.htm, or Gosselin's baguette a l'ancienne (Faubourg St Honor�, a little further East than the Louvre) or some other speciality... Chaqu' un a son gout.
Have you been to Chartier? Its silly cheap, the food ain't special, but the place (and staff) have been fossilised for a hundred years. And its completely real, not restored...
If you're down in the 15th near the big exhibition halls, you might wish to know about the Os � Moelle, and also the existance of the charcuterie buffet (& etc) in its "Cave" (*tiny* wine bar) across the road.

Things I *still* haven't done include visiting the science museum https://www.paris.org/Musees/Cite/
touring the vast Rungis market in the early am https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0803/p13s02-lifo.html
or even seeing the Pere Lachaise cemetary https://www.paris.org/Expos/PereLachaise/

And I have recommendations for the Terminus Nord brasserie opposite Eurostar's Gare du Nord, but I've never had the time to fill.

Last edited by dougal on Wed Jun 06, 07 2:15 pm; edited 1 time in total

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 2:15 pm Post subject:
I like the Eifell tower, meccano for the insane.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 2:24 pm Post subject:
June 18th. And, to be honest, I was after company rather than a list of places, although all gratefully received. I shall enjoy it walking, nibbling and looking, if the weather holds. Tourist stuff on the Saturday (by force), and culture on Friday night, work on Monday, but Sunday is Mine.

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 2:28 pm Post subject:

Nick Howe wrote:

June 18th. And, to be honest, I was after company rather than a list of places, although all gratefully received.

I shall enjoy it walking, nibbling and looking, if the weather holds. Tourist stuff on the Saturday (by force), and culture on Friday night, work on Monday, but Sunday is Mine.

There's a windmill on a hill if company's all your after.

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 2:28 pm Post subject:

Nick Howe wrote:

to be honest, I was after company

Aaaahh, I'll send the number of an agency I know.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 2:33 pm Post subject:
You two are sick. (Le Moulin isn't showing anything great at the moment, and Friday we're off to something to do with horses, apparently.)

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 2:42 pm Post subject:
The brother with a flat in the 17eme isn't really Downsizer material. However, should you really want a lightly-used executive jet, I'm sure he'd return your call... Paris is relatively quiet (shut) on Sunday. Brother frequently goes out to the Guinguettes on the Marne for Sunday lunch. Its a sort of partial escape from the city, but not from accordions...

MarkS

Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 2626

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 2:48 pm Post subject:

Nick Howe wrote:

June 18th. And, to be honest, I was after company rather than a list of places, although all gratefully received.

that would be Pigalle then ?

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 3:18 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

Its a sort of partial escape from the city, but not from accordions...

Gervase goes to Paris?

Does he know Le Dougal?

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 3:20 pm Post subject:
Hm. Private jet. I don't think so. It appears to be the Paris Airshow, so I may find the skies a wee bit crowded...

LynneA

Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Posts: 4893
Location: London N21

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 07 3:26 pm Post subject:

Sainte Chapelle - the other end of the island to Notre Dame.
Lower storey is a Byzantine influenced chapel - richly coloured mosaic tiles. The upper storey is fantastic, near floor to ceiling stained glass. Like standing in the middle of a kaleidascope.

Also - Berthillon, round the back of Notre Dame over the bridge to the smaller island. Countless flavours of sorbet. I highly recommend the Pear, Mango and especially Chocolat Noir.

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 7:13 pm Post subject: Re: Paris?

dougal wrote:

And if you don't want to go up Eiffel's tower, you can go down the sewers... https://www.paris.org/Musees/Egouts/info.html

BBC2 tonight at 9

Seems they had the same idea !!

Quote:

Sandrine Voillet tells the story of how Paris rose up from the blood-stained streets of the French revolution to become the worlds first great modern city in just 100 years. From restaurants to Rodin, from boulevards to bistros and from photography to the Impressionist painters, Paris led the way in transforming the way people lived, worked and played in cities.
Art historian Voillet reveals why Parisians loved their sewers and courtesans, but hated the Basilica of Sacr� Coeur and the Eiffel Tower.

*link*

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 10:12 pm Post subject:

Nick Howe wrote:

June 18th. And, to be honest, I was after company rather than a list of places,

What's your budget?

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Downsizing abroad	All times are GMT Page 1, 2 Next
Page 1 of 2

View Latest Posts