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Paris in the Fall

Here are some short notes about some things that might be worth doing in Paris. Recognize that I am usually there in November so the weather may be different.

DN Restaurants A few comments about the Style of the Restaurants
Pere Claude This is a nice place for a Sunday Evening. It is on La Motte Piquet-Grenelle, a good street for walking around. Walk past Ecole Militare for the glorious view of the Eiffel Tower with the Palais de Trocadero in the background. Depending on energy, walk thru Tower across bridge and up to the Palais (just for views). Alternatively take Metro to Trocadero and walk down across Seine (some other time). Avoid looking at the incredibly ugly `memorial' built in front of the Ecole Militaire, presumably by someone who hated war, or perhaps Paris.
Petit Nicois Tucked away in 7th not far from Tour Eiffel. This place has a good Boulliabaise, and a nice simple Grilled Chicken. I happen to love their Salmon Tartare, for me the nearly perfect lunch. Reasonable prices. Not particularly cute, but sort of in an interesting area around Rue Cler.
Ami Louis If you love the Clintons you may want to go to a favorite of theirs. I love it. Best $150 chicken in the world. Unbelievable $50 Foie Gras (last time I was there it was $50, and that's a good while ago). But you have the feeling that Napoleon III may drop in anytime. Of course, you could only afford to go there back when Clinton was in power. Bush has now probably drained your wallet enough for you to not be able to afford it any longer.
DN Sights The list of sights can, and does, fill whole books. So here are just a few things that are highlights for me.
The Tops Go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, don't bother to go to the top of the Tour Eiffel. Go up the Tour Eiffel, mind you, but the top is `too high' to offer an interesting perspective. The Primier/Deuxieme Etage is far enough up.
Porte de Clingancourt Sunday Morning, if I recall correctly, the antique market north of Clingancourt is open. You have to wander thru a North African / Arab`street bazar' to get there, but starting about 3 blocks north of the Metro Stop you fall into `Antique Land' which is definitely worth seeing. This could be listed under `Shopping' but unless you want to pack a floor-to-cieling vestiare into your suitcase you are more likely to look than to buy. The bazar part of the market is a good source of cheap, but genuinely typical, gifts to bring back home. Since I Hermes scarves have now passed $200, the $5 Pashminas from the market begin to look a whole lot more attractive.
St. Chapelle The Jewel of the Royal French. On Ile de la Cite not far from Notre Dame. It is tucked inside a courtyard of the Palace of Justice.
Sacre Cour Do this on a nice clear day, as view out over Paris is better than the view inside the Church. Quirky part of town to wander around. Wildly touristy, but so what? But be ready to do battle with street painters who will want to paint your picture.
Pere Lachaise It sounds crazy, but this cemetery is a wonderful place full of great old crypts, odd memorial statues and touching tributes. Also artists ranging from Chopin to Jim Morrison. Oddly relaxing.
DN Museums Style
Musee d'Orsay The best. Take an early lunch (11:45 to 12:00, no Frenchman would ever be caught eating then) in the Museum's resturant. The food is ok, and the art is glorious.
Musee Marmottan This is a Jewel. Lots of Mary Cassatt---a good Philadelphia Collection. It's small, the house itself is beautiful. Don't miss the Monets in the basement. Good shopping on the nearby streets in the 16th.
Louvre Don't miss the sculpture Garden. Also the Royal Apartments. They were designed for you, and I might suggest you just move in (and invite your friends to visit).
Musee Picasso You have to be a real Picasso fan, but since I am, it works for me. Just wandering around in Le Marais is enough of a treat, but the art is a definite `icing' on the cake.
Centre Pompidou I think I'd go to Musee d'Orsay twice before I went to Pompidou once, but the area is interesting (it was the old food market---Les Halles) and there are a few things in the modern collection worth seeing. By in large it is an experiment if French Modern architecture that failed.
DN Shopping There are several different areas that are good for shopping.
Opera Contrary to our expectations, shopping at Place de la Opera was wonderful, particularly at Zara, but also up and down the block. This area is now called Opera-Grenier as the official `Opera House' is now a somewhat larger theater down near the Bastille.
Grands Magazins The great department stores, Galleries Lafayette and Au Printemps are swell. One has a great zingy `kids' shop on top floor.
Bon Marche Another shopping area over in the 6th/7th. Lots of good stores. Many on and off Boulevard Raspail.
St. Germain The heart of the `Left Bank'. Swell for shopping and sightseeing. Do the obligatory stop for coffee/drink across from the Church.
The 16th After visiting the Musee Marmottan, wandering around the 16th (Rue de la Pompe, Av. Victor Hugo, ...) is nice shopping. Franck et Fils is a nice high-line department store.
Le Marais I love wandering around the back streets of Le Marais. Trendy futuristic shops run by some of tomorrow's great successes mixed in with lots of tommorrow's failures.
Faubourg St. Honore Everbody expensive in the world. Spend $4,000 or $5,000 for a nice litte dress at Hermes. Visit the other shops you love so much. Come with $. Leave with less $.
DN Food Generally the restaurants are so good in Paris that it seems almost redundant to have other alternatives. But if I eat a full Lunch and Dinner every day, the pounds pile up. So it's nice to get some `street food' once in a while. A picnic in any Parc is almost invariable a pleasant experience.
Ile de la Cite Visit Berthillion for Ice Cream. Visit Notre Dame to Save your Soul.
Creperies Paris is full of Creperies and Bars which have `Crepes Windows'. For about $2 you'll get a pleasant dessert or `tide me over' should you need one. Unfortunately this is one food item in Paris that has wildly variable quality. While it is hard to make a crepe horrible, it isn't difficult to make it quite ordinary. Over the years we've tried them lots of places and gradually get `favoriates' in different parts of town.
Rue Cler Near the Hotel de la Bourdonnais is Rue Cler. It is a classic French `Market Street'. We often overeat so badly that one meal of roast chicken, bread, cheese and wine eaten in the Champ de Mars by the Eiffel Tower, or in the Hotel Room, is wonderful.
St. Michel There are countless little streets full of touristy little resturants that ought to be full of `kids' during the summer. Food won't likely be particularly good, but something might attract.
Le Procope Another tourist spot that I happen to like anyway. It has a bit of the feel of an earlier century, and often a boisterous joyous crowd.
DN Parks Paris is full of various types of parks. Here are a few.
Parc Monceau Antonia's favorite Paris Parc. She wants an apartment overlooking it so she can watch her children play among the wonderful architectural whimsies.
Butte Chaumont Baron Haussman took over a garbage dump, installed a 300 foot mountain and a lake, and created a wonderful, if bizzare, Parc up in the North West part of Paris.
Parc Montsouris A nice Parc with a very colorful dining pavillion. Food isn't good, but it sure is a pretty place on a nice day.



© Copyright 2003 David Ness.
Last update: 2003-02-13 02:41:42 EST