Several friends have asked for my opinion about the “must see” places in Paris, so I’ve created a Google Doc, which I’ll share here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NfIwiAeZlm8oRuetyyEmorfY9y4O7NaG3zbedO7mpPA/edit
For Janet’s visit, I sent the doc as a kind of menu – and her top picks were:
- La Basilica du Sacré Cœur & Montmartre
- Boat Cruise
- Père Lachaise Cemetery
- Outdoor market
- Jardin du Luxembourg
- Tuileries & Place de la Concorde
- Galeries Lafayette
- Musée D’Orsay & L’Orangerie
- Seeing the Eiffel Tower, & Arc de Triomphe
Janet arrived at CDG on the afternoon of Thursday, 19 January. Our apartment in Vincennes is about one hour away (we use the RER trains A and B, which take us directly from apartment to the Terminal 1 airport shuttle). Leaving the airport, we went directly back to the apartment. Thursday was a day to settle-in, have an easy dinner in the apartment, and get to bed early.
Friday, 20 January (21,092 steps today)
The below-freezing temperature (in the forecast all week) would not stop our fun. Thankfully, the weather remained clear, so we bundled-up with hats, coats, gloves and scarves, and hit the ground running! Armed with a pocket-full of Métro tickets, Paris was at our disposal. Beginning at the Arc de Triomphe, we walked down the Champs-Elysées to Paris’ largest square (and home of the Luxor Obelisk) Place de la Concorde, through the lovely (but frozen) Jardin des Tuileries and past the Musée du Louvre and its glass pyramide. Today was our day to see the Impressionist art at the Musée d’Orsay, which was an easy walk across the Seine. It was nice to warm-up with a stroll among the world’s largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, including masterpieces by Monet, Cézanne, and Van Gogh. The museum also has a couple of nice restaurants, so it was the perfect place for lunch.
Saturday, 21 January (19,486 steps)
Mark was able to join us for the weekend – so we planned to see some sights he had not yet had a chance to do since we arrived in August. The Saturday morning plan was to explore the neighborhood of Montmartre and a visit to the Basilica du Sacré Cœur. While in Monmartre, we walked past some landmarks such as the restaurant, La Maison Rose, Paris’ last remaining vineyard (Clos Montmartre, planted in 1932), the 17th Century Moulin de la Galette, and the touristy Moulin Rouge.
From the north Paris hill of Montmartre, we took a bus down to the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank, where we walked past the frozen fountains in le Jardin du Luxembourg, viewed the Panthéon, and visited Saint-Sulpice. The day was complete after a walk through Ile de la Cité, past Notre Dame, and across the Seine to the Hôtel de Ville.
Sunday, 22 January (16,915 steps)
This morning, Mark, Janet and I headed straight for the Marché de la Bastille, a twice-weekly open air market which has some great stalls for fresh and prepared foods, flowers, and gift items.
The market is held near the Place de la Bastille, which was originally the site of the infamous Bastille prison. The monument in the center of the traffic circle, le Colonne de Juillet, serves as a monument to both the Revolution of July 1830 (when the middle-class revolted against Bourbon King Charles X) and to the earlier French Revolution of 1789. Atop the column, you see the gold figure, Spirit of Freedom, and the inscription at its base is translated to read: “To the glory of the French citizens who armed themselves and fought for the defense of public liberties during the memorable days of July 27, 28, 29, 1830”
The best croissants in Paris can be found at Blé Sucré, which is only about a ten-minute walk from Place de la Bastille. Sadly, we arrived too late – they were all sold-out! We purchased some cookies, and pointed ourselves toward our next destination: a tour boat on the Seine. Despite the frigid temp, we were pleased that the sky had cleared and the sun was shining. Our one-hour cruise on Vedettes du Pont Neuf was a nice way to sit and watch some of the best sites of Paris glide past us.
There was still a bit of sunlight left in the day after the cruise, so our last stop was at one of Paris’ best-known (and at over 100 acres, its largest) cemeteries, Père Lachaise. According to Wikipedia, over 3.5 million people visit every year, making Père Lachaise the world’s most visited cemetery. Built in 1804, it is home to many striking monuments for WWI and WWII, including memorials to those who perished at Nazi concentration camps. Family crypts, both small and large, are embellished with lovely stained-glass and statuary. Some of the famous people buried here include composer Frédéric Chopin, Oscar Wilde, and American rock star, Jim Morrison. We weren’t at the cemetery for an hour when we started hearing bells. The workers sweep the streets within the cemetery ringing a bell to alert visitors that it is closing time. We did not want to spend the night at Père Lachaise!
Monday, 23 January (23,685 steps)
Janet and I started the day with a walk through the frozen Tuileries gardens to visit the lovely Musée de L’Orangerie, the small museum of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, which holds Monet’s eight enormous Water Lilies (Les Nymphéas) masterpieces.
After a morning of culture, it was time to get our steps in for the day. No place better than Paris to walk, because everywhere you turn, it’s a Kodak Moment! Leaving L’Orangerie, we walked across the Seine to the Left Bank. Past Paris’ most beautiful bridge, Pont Alexandre III, the Grand Palais, and golden domed Invalides and along the frosty path to the Eiffel Tower.
A little more walking, a quick lunch of crêpes from a street vendor, and we took the Métro up to the 9th Arrondissement, past the Palais Garnier (old Opéra) to the famous department stores (Les Grands Magazins) in Paris, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. I’m not much of a shopper, and these stores have some pretty high-end labels, but Printemps is not to be missed for their brasserie and rooftop view. The brasserie Printemps is under a stained-glass dome – you’ll feel as though you’re inside a Tiffany lamp! We had fancy hot chocolates while we rested our feet for a bit.
After our yummy treat, we went up to the 9th floor rooftop terrace. You get one of the best 360-degree views of Paris from here: Sacré Cœur, Eiffel Tower, Opéra, Grand Palais . . . we were there at sunset on a foggy day. I wasn’t sure how good the view would be, but I think the effect was pretty cool.
Tuesday, 24 January (24,174 steps)
Determined to have Janet taste the very best croissant in Paris, our first stop this morning was back at Blé Sucré. Success! We each had a croissant – buttery and soft on the inside, buttery and crisp on the outside. Did I mention buttery??
After reveling in the glory of the perfect pastry and a hot cup of café crème, it was time for more WALKING. I took Janet to one of my favorite churches, Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis (which dates back to the 1600s), in le Marais.
Another church we ducked-into was Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais, also in le Marais, right behind the Hôtel de Ville. This church (dating from the late 1400s) is a little less grand, and a little less-cared-for on the outside, but lovely and old, and we were treated to nuns singing while we were there.
Rounding-out our Tour of Cathedrals for the day, we ended with a visit to Notre Dame. Even with a line outside, the crowds move quickly, and you can take your time once inside. They still have their nativity village on display – about 40 feet of figures and tiny buildings, some mechanical, including a crèche with Mary, Joseph and Jesus. As always, the rest of the cathedral, including the Rose Window, pipe organ, vaulted ceilings, chandeliers, and stained-glass windows, is gorgeous.
We headed back to the apartment in Vincennes, and decided to walk into the forest, le Bois de Vincennes, which lies along the South-Eastern edge of the city. There are miles of trails in the Bois, and you’ll always see lots of people walking dogs, riding bikes, exercising, and even riding horses. Parts of the Bois are quiet and shady with chestnut trees, and there is a large open space where folks often take their dogs off-leash to run-off some steam. Winter is probably the least picturesque season, but Janet took a lovely photo of an icy stream.
Wednesday, 25 January (7,078 steps)
This week went by too quickly, but I was so pleased that we were able to see everything on Janet’s list, and then some! With a midday flight, we took our time in the morning before getting on the train for the airport. It was such a great pleasure to have Janet visit us, and Mark and I are so thankful for the time we could spend with Janet in this beautiful city.
Thanks for a great week. I enjoyed catching up with you as well as exploring the city. I thought Paris was very picturesque!
We were so thrilled to have you here, Janet. Thanks for coming all this way!!