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Home , Angelina (tea house), Arc de Triomphe, Bois de Boulogne, Bois de Vincennes, Montparnasse Cemetery, Passy Cemetery

PARIS TIPS by Kerry Wilson

To Begin

Take a sightseeing tour by water, an absolute must for that first, jetlagged, day in -- for an overview of the beautiful city, and an up-close look at the ’s many bridges. Catch your bateau mouche at rather than at other embarkation points; Pont Neuf has its own metro station. Exit the metro, directly cross the bridge, and descend to the wharf. The one-and-one-half hour tour is ideal.

Recommended Exploratory Walks

Le Marais Go on a Sunday; it’s particularly lively on that day. This is the old Jewish Quarter. Everything is closed there on Saturdays. In Le Marais you’ll find the National Picasso Museum and the History of the City of Paris Museum. A swamp until the Middle Ages, towards the end of the nineteenth century this area surrounding became home to Jews ejected from Eastern . The synagogue at 10 rue Pavée was designed in 1913 by Art Nouveau architect Hector Guimard, famous for having designed several Paris metro stations. The streets are original cobblestone and some of Paris’s oldest houses still stand in the neighbourhood. Art galleries and upscale boutiques are gradually taking the place of modest family owned shops and businesses. Eat a falafel sandwich from a take-out stand. From there, same day, you may want to continue on to:

Place des Vosges This is a short walk from Le Marais. There are three dozen fine brick mansions with arcades built around a park, constructed under Henri IV. , among other famous Frenchmen, lived at number 6, now a museum. Restaurants, cafés and art galleries have found homes in what were once private residences. This is a lovely spot to stop for coffee. A door in the southwest corner of the complex opens onto a courtyard where you’ll find the Hôtel de Sully gardens and a photography museum. From here you can walk to the , a neighbourhood that once housed the infamous prison. A to the Revolution marks the spot.

La Promenade Plantée (or La Coulée Verte) This is a nature walk across a portion of the city along a former railway bed rehabilitated as a pedestrian and bicycle pathway. It crosses the 12th arrondissement for 4.5 kilometres. (The train terminal was at La Bastille, where the new Opera house stands.) One end of the Promenade begins behind the new Opera house and runs overtop the avenue Daumesnil to Reuilly Garden; this is the famous Viaduc des Arts.aL’allée Vivaldi is where artists’ workshops were built into the viaduct openings. They are below the walkway. You’ll pass through tunnels and over bridges and parks. The path ends at the Porte Dorée on the edge of the Bois de (a wood).

Bercy Village Former wine warehouses near the river house restaurants, bars and upscale shops. Adjacent to this lively pedestrian mall are lovely landscaped public gardens. You can relax in the gardens all afternoon. Bercy station’s unmanned metro train is very modern and worth a ride.

Latin Quarter This neighbourhood surrounds the (University of Paris). It’s filled with people all day and night. Take the metro to St-Michel. Start your walk at the big (you can’t miss it). Follow boulevard St-Michel along parallel side streets slanting somewhat to your left; cross boulevard St-Germain. On the left is the Musée de Cluny (Roman baths, worth a visit). Just outside the main entrance to the Sorbonne are sidewalk cafés, worth a stop.

Le A magnificent park at rue Soufflot, popular with families and students, friends and lovers. Take a picnic. The park contains and pools, statuary, large trees and gardens. The French Senate is housed in the on the site. There’s a playground for children, pony rides, and a puppet theatre. Visit the indoor botanical garden and Orangerie, or lounge around outside on one of a hundred chairs provided for that purpose. A small restaurant and buvette are popular, and there are public washrooms near park entrances. (Keep a coin or two handy.)

Place de la Contre Escarpe is behind the Panthéon (formerly a church, now a crypt where lie the remains of famous French citizens; worth a visit). A charming street dating from Roman times, La rue Mouffetard, runs off the square. The area has remained relatively unchanged because of its location on holy Saint Genevieve Hill, saved from Baron Haussmann’s redevelopment during the reign of III. There’s a regular outdoor market in the neighbourhood. Quaint restaurants and cafés surround the cobbled square.

St-Germain Take in the very old St-Germain Cathedral and Place de l’Odéon (statue of Danton in front of metro entrance). Locate the street across, called rue de l’Ancienne Comédie, with its original cobblestones and very old commercial establishments. Here is the oldest café in Paris, Le Procope. Look for La Jacobine tea-room in the same street, highly recommended.

L’Ile de la Cité & Ile Saint-Louis This is the original site of ancient Paris, and where the Cathédrale de Notre Dame was built. Take St-Michel or Hôtel de Ville metro. Visit the Roman excavations under the plaza in front of the Cathedral. Explore the lovely, very old neighbourhoods of Ile de la Cité and Ile St-Louis, on islands connected by bridges. This is where a good guidebook can help you identify historic landmarks. Enjoy ice cream at Berthillon. Cross the Seine and visit Shakespeare & Co., an English bookstore that is a Paris landmark.

Opéra Take Opéra metro. The Opéra has guided tours, if you’re interested. But this is the neighbourhood, too, of the big, gorgeous department stores Le Printemps and , known for both fashion and architecture. Tip: Le Printemps has a 9th floor cafeteria and outdoor rooftop terrace, highly recommended, great for families. Continue your walk to: Place Vendome You can window shop at top-drawer jewellery stores in this neighbourhood. The immense square with its green column is fabulous, a great place for photos. Visit the bar of a world-class hotel; there are several of the most beautiful hotels in the world here. Rue de Castiglione takes you to:

Rue de Rivoli There are more great hotels here, upscale boutiques and two English bookstores. You’re in the neighbourhood of the museum, the Palais Royal, and the Comédie Francaise. Enjoy window shopping under arcades along the Rivoli.

Champs Elysée This is where everyone goes to saunter and to be seen. From Place de la , walk on wide sidewalks all the way to the . This is a beautiful walk to do at dusk. The presidential palace is along this route, also famous restaurants and large shopping galleries. Notice, one Paris monument leads to another.

Montmartre Take the metro to Blanche and exit North (one stop further is Anvers, but this neighbourhood is a little seedy for night strolling). Explore the old, winding, climbing side streets until you glimpse the impressive hilltop Sacré Coeur, a medieval church overlooking Paris. (You may visit the church.) A long flight of stairs takes you to the hilltop, or you can ride the funicular (metro tickets valid). Artists paint and hawk their works on the . Tip: Go mid to late afternoon, not too late. Have a look around the square, walk the old streets, visit the little park, and then enjoy cocktails at a sidewalk café. (It doesn’t get more French than this!) If you like the evening atmosphere, stay on and listen to gypsy guitar music in a tavern on the square. ’s restaurants are largely tourist traps, so not recommended you plan on eating dinner here. Walk down the hill again and find a restaurant a little further away. Take a cab home if it’s late (metro runs later on weekends).

Things to See & Do

Tip: Pariscope, published every Wednesday, is your guide to What’s On everywhere. Always carry a city map and guidebook and bus and metro schedule. Buses are great for sightseeing, especially the ones that run along the Seine.

Seine River Walk On Sundays and holidays, roads along the river are closed to cars (all day between 9 and 5). Easy-to-follow routes have large signs posted showing the designated streets that alternate along the Right and Left banks of the Seine, running through tunnels, over historic bridges, and past . Walk eastward (upriver) from the (metro Bir-Hakeim) to the Musée d’Orsay and the Jardins des Tuileries.

Seine River Bike Rent a bike from a shop or use the city’s Vélib stands. There are enough bikes for everyone. Purchase a one-day (1 Euro) or seven-day (5 Euros) ticket at any service point. A huge security deposit is required (150 Euros) for these short-term hires due to theft and vandalism but you’ll get your money back in the end. Punch in the code on your ticket, press the button, and the bike is freed. The first thirty minutes are free; charges follow after. The second additional hour is 2 Euros. The third additional half-hour is 4 Euros. Paris has well indicated, designated bicycle lanes being upgraded all the time. Bus lanes are accessible to bicycles. Exercise caution – buses run the other way on some routes.

Seine River Night Drive If you have access to a car, or a driver, take a night drive along the banks of the Seine. The lights on monuments are spectacular. Head up the Right Bank, starting at Bercy. Drive by the at the Alexandra Bridge, cross the bridge, turn right and carry on, same direction, along the Left Bank to the Eiffel Tower. Cross the river again at the Trocadero Bridge and turn right (back on Right Bank). Continue along the river past , the Louvre, Place du Chatelet, and Hôtel de Ville (City Hall). Park your car here, and take a walk, stopping at a riverside café. Back in your car, follow the signs to La Bastille but, before getting to La Bastille, descend to the Georges Pompidou Expressway, which runs right alongside the river.

Jardin Shakespeare Open-air theatre in the , west side of Paris. Metro Porte Maillot and Bus 244 (Tel 01-42-76-64-67).

La Cartoucherie Open-air theatre in the , east side of Paris. Metro Vincennes.

Cemeteries In Paris, are beautiful parks and interesting sites to visit. Père Lachaise is the best known of them all (100 acres of graves of the famous and unknown, beautiful and crazy). Some unexpected cemeteries: ’s life- size studio in Cemetery; Mr. Pigeon’s fully dressed couple in bed in Cemetery; the Dog and Cat Cemetery in Clichy. in Nation (subway station, then walk to rue de Picpus) has of noble families as well as common graves for victims of the (some paraphrasing from websites here).

Miscellaneous

Flea Markets Porte de Clignancourt Flea Market open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Good for browsing. Small restaurants have good live music. Metro Porte de Clignancourt. Puces de Saint-Ouen open every day. Tip: Great destinations if you like graffiti. Beware of pickpockets!

Recommended Museums

Musée d’Orsay A must-see, if just for the architecture. But the art! Several single rooms are devoted exclusively to one Impressionist master after another. Best museum in Paris, if we had to pick one. Tip: The rooftop terrace off the cafeteria offers amazing views. L’Orangerie For Impressionist paintings, and especially for Monet’s Lilies, see this small museum, a very beautiful feature of the Tuileries Gardens.

Tip: If visiting the Louvre, pick one category and do it well; holdings are vast. The gift shop is interesting. Exit by the back into the Tuileries gardens. Stroll the gardens, highly recommended. Good cafés and beer gardens with much ambience under the trees.

Musée Marmottan-Monet For fans of Monet. One of the artist’s most important collections is located in this small private museum on the western edge of Paris near the Bois de Boulogne. The museum is situated at the far side of a park called the Jardin du . Here you will find Monet’s “Impression, Sunrise,” the painting that gave the Impressionist movement its name.

Musée Rodin Take a ticket that includes the Musée Maillol, if you like sculpture. Pick a nice day and stroll the gardens of the Musée Rodin. A good number of the sculptures are displayed out of doors; this is what makes it so special. Have a casual lunch at the buvette in the garden, or bring your own picnic and take a rest on a bench.

Musée Maillol For sculpture fans, see the Rodin Museum on the same ticket. This museum houses Maillol’s works (glimpsed in the Tuileries) as well as other well-known masterworks. The building’s architecture is itself a work of art. Classy but casual restaurant downstairs.

Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) Regular free exhibitions. Check the schedule. Highly recommended. See BHV below, for cafeteria across the street.

Petit Palais Now that you have seen Monet’s “Sunrise,” you should also see his “Sunset at Lavacourt,” in this frequently overlooked museum, . Here is an eclectic and free-of-charge collection owned by the City of Paris. There’s an enchanting outdoor garden where you can picnic. Located across from the Grand Palais and free of charge.

Tip: If visiting a museum in the morning, plan on lunching there. Many museums (like department stores) have cafés and restaurants onsite. Prices are reasonable and the timing will be great.

Food

Farmers’ markets (days open depend on the neighbourhood) are great if you are renting an apartment in Paris and cooking your own meals. But visit the Paris food markets anyway. They are fascinating places. Markets open usually mornings only.

Picnics can be constructed of ready-made foods from a traiteur, a charcuterie or boulangerie. Food is ready to eat and gourmet quality. You may drink wine in Paris parks although you may not always be allowed to sit on the grass! Department store self-serve cafeterias offer decent meals at reasonable prices: try BHV (Bazar de l’Hotel de Ville), or Le Printemps, both located in the neighbourhood of the old Opera. Bon Marché is in the 7th arrondissement and is the oldest, most beautiful department store in Paris, highly recommended as a site. Casino is the name of a casual cafeteria located overtop a supermarket at in the 12th arrondissement.

Tip: Great views, some panoramic, from the top-floor cafeterias of department stores.

Restaurant & Café Recommendations

Bon Marché department store café, level 2, rue de Babylone, 7th arrondissement. Good gourmet sandwiches, classy decor.

Le Printemps Déli-cieux department store self-serve, boulevard Haussmann. Panoramic view from rooftop terrace. Full hot lunch, sandwiches, cocktails.

La Jacobine, 59, rue Saint-André-des-Arts (Cour du Commerce) Saint-Germain-des- Pres. A very old tea salon and café open since revolutionary days. Serves light meals. Our favourite.

Angelina’s, 226, . Upscale tea salon with fabulous pastries.

Chez Caldé, 54, rue Saint-André-des-Arts (Latin Quarter) for coffee and desserts.

Café , (Place de la Madeleine). Busy, bright restaurant for lunch; good salads.

Le Petit Marcel 65, rue () for an elegant lunch or supper.

Le Zimmer, 1, place du Chatelet. Affordable brasserie/restaurant, open late.

Chez Prosper, 7, ave du Trone. Good, affordable restaurant, typical Parisian decor.

Le Grizzly, 7, rue Saint-Martin (Les Halles). Cozy wine bar and good restaurant.

Le Café de Paris, tiny rue de Buci (Saint-Germain-des-Près). Good restaurant. Jazz some evenings.

Le Train Bleu upstairs at train station. Special occasion (expensive) lunch or dinner, or just go for cocktails. Spectacular decor in a historic landmark.

Tip: If the sign says, ‘Restaurant’, you’ll be expected to order a full meal; go to a café if you want just drinks or coffee. Coffee, hot chocolate, and cake or ice cream is typically enjoyed around 4 or 5 in the afternoon – in a ‘café’. Afternoons are long in . Parisians have cocktails at 6 or 7 pm. Dinner is 8 pm or later. A ‘brasserie’ serves meals at all hours. The 15% service charge (or tip) is already included in your bill. Hotels

We prefer the rental apartment formula and like cooking for ourselves. But a Parisian friend recommends Les Degres de Notre Dame, located in the fun Latin Quarter, for couples looking for romance. This fairly expensive (but not over the top) hotel has rooms that are charmingly decorated, some windows looking out across the Seine to Notre- Dame Cathedral. Check out the website: http://lesdegreshotel.monsite.wanadoo.fr/page2.html