1 TTHEHE BBESTEST OOFF PPARISARIS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 004_614419-ch01.indd4_614419-ch01.indd 1 88/10/10/10/10 33:59:59 PMPM 1 iscovering the City of Light and making it your own has always been the most compelling reason to visit Paris. If you’re a fi rst-timer, everything, of course, will be new to you. If you’ve been away for awhile, Dexpect changes: Taxi drivers may no longer correct your fractured French, but address you in English—tantamount to a revolution. More Parisians have a rudimentary knowledge of the language, and France, at least at fi rst glance, seems less xenopho- bic than in past years. Paris, aware of its role within a united Europe, is an international city. Parisians are attracted to foreign music, videos, and fi lms, especially those from America. The Most Unforgettable Travel Experiences Travel Unforgettable Most The Though Paris is in fl ux culturally and socially, it lures travelers for the same rea- sons as always. You’ll still fi nd such classic sights as the Tour Eiffel, Notre-Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, Sacré-Coeur, and all those atmospheric cafes, as well as daringly futuristic projects such as the Grande Arche de La Défense, the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, the Cité de la Musique, and the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand. Don’t forget the parks, gardens, and squares; the Champs- Elysées and other grand boulevards; and the river Seine and its quays. Paris’s beauty is still overwhelming, especially at night, when it truly is the City of Light. THE BEST OF PARIS THE BEST THE most unforgettable TRAVEL EXPERIENCES W Whiling Away an Afternoon in a Parisian Cafe: The cafes are where pas- sionate meetings of writers, artists, philosophers, thinkers, and revolutionaries once took place—and perhaps still do. Parisians stop by their favorite cafes to meet lovers and friends, to make new ones, or to sit in solitude with a news- paper or book. For our recommendations, see “The Top Cafes,” in chapter 6, “Where to Dine.” W Taking Afternoon Tea à la Française: Drinking tea in London has its charm, but the Parisian salon de thé is unique. Skip the cucumber-and-watercress sandwiches and delve into a luscious dessert such as the Mont Blanc, a creamy purée of sweetened chestnuts and meringue. The grandest Parisian tea salon is Angélina, 226 rue de Rivoli, 1er (& 01-42-60-82-00; Métro: Tuileries or Concorde; p. 165). W Strolling Along the Seine: Such painters as Sisley, Turner, and Monet have fallen under the Seine’s spell. On its banks, lovers still walk hand in hand, anglers cast their lines, and bouquinistes (secondhand-book dealers) peddle PREVIOUS PAGE: A typical scene at one of Paris’s many cafes. 2 004_614419-ch01.indd4_614419-ch01.indd 2 88/10/10/10/10 33:59:59 PMPM 1 THE BEST OF PARIS THE BEST The Most Unforgettable Travel Experiences Travel Unforgettable Most The Strolling the picturesque quays of the Seine. their mix of postcards, 100-year-old pornography, and tattered histories of Indochina. For more details on the sights and moments of Paris, see chapter 7, “Exploring Paris.” W Spending a Day at the Races: Paris boasts eight tracks for horse racing. The most famous and the classiest is Hippodrome de Longchamp, in the Bois de Boulogne, the site of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Grand Prix (p. 280). These and other top races are major social events, so you’ll have to dress up (buy your outfi t on rue du Faubourg St-Honoré). Take the Métro to Porte d’Auteuil and then a bus from there to the track. The racing newspaper Paris Turf and weekly entertainment magazines have details about race times. W Calling on the Dead: You don’t have to be a ghoul to be thrilled by a visit to Europe’s most famous cemetery, Père-Lachaise (p. 276). You can pay your respects to the resting places of Gertrude Stein and her longtime companion, Alice B. Toklas; Oscar Wilde; Yves Montand and Simone Signoret; Edith Piaf; Isadora Duncan; Abélard and Héloïse; Frédéric Chopin; Marcel Proust; Eugène Delacroix; Jim Morrison; and others. The tomb designs are intriguing and often eerie. Laid out in 1803 on a hill in Ménilmontant, the cemetery offers surprises with its bizarre monuments, unexpected views, and ornate sculpture. W Window-Shopping in the Faubourg St-Honoré: In the 1700s, the wealthi- est Parisians resided in the Faubourg St-Honoré; today, the quarter is home to stores catering to the rich, particularly on rue du Faubourg St-Honoré and avenue Montaigne. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s great to window-shop big names such as Hermès, Dior, Laroche, Courrèges, Cardin, and Saint Lau- rent. If you want to browse in the stores, be sure to dress the part. See chapter 9, “Shopping in Paris,” for the lowdown on these boutiques. 3 004_614419-ch01.indd4_614419-ch01.indd 3 88/10/10/10/10 33:59:59 PMPM 1 W Exploring Ile de la Cité’s Flower Market: A fi ne fi nish to any day (Mon– Sat) spent meandering along the Seine is a stroll through the Marché aux Fleurs, place Louis-Lépine (p. 337). You can buy rare fl owers, the gems of the French Riviera—bouquets that have inspired artists throughout the cen- turies. Even the most basic hotel room will feel like a luxury suite after you fi ll it with bunches of carnations, lavender, roses, and tulips. On Sundays, the area is transformed into the Marché aux Oiseaux, where you can admire rare birds from around the world. W Going Gourmet at Fauchon: An exotic world of food, Fauchon (p. 207) offers more than 20,000 products from around the globe. Everything you never knew you were missing is in aisle after aisle of coffees, spices, pastries, fruits, vegetables, rare Armagnacs, and much more. Take your pick: Tonga- nese mangoes, Scottish smoked salmon, preserved cocks’ combs, Romanian rose-petal jelly, blue-red Indian pomegranates, golden Tunisian dates, larks stuffed with foie gras, dark morels from France’s rich soil, Finnish reindeer’s tongue, century-old eggs from China, and a creole punch from Martinique, reputed to be the best anywhere. W Attending a Ballet or an Opera: In 1989, the Opéra Bastille (p. 345) was The Most Unforgettable Travel Experiences Travel Unforgettable Most The inaugurated to compete with the grande dame of the music scene, the Opéra Garnier (p. 346), which then was used solely for dance and soon closed for renovations. The Opéra Garnier reopened a few years ago, and opera has joined dance in the rococo splendor created by Charles Garnier, beneath a controversial ceiling by Chagall. The modern Opéra Bastille, France’s largest opera house, with curtains by designer Issey Miyake, has opera and symphony performances in four concert halls (its main hall seats 2,700). Whether for a performance of Bizet or Tharp, dress with pomp and circumstance. W Sipping Cocktails at Willi’s: Back THE BEST OF PARIS THE BEST in the early 1970s, the fi rst-timer to Paris might have arrived with a copy of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast and, taking the author’s endorsement to heart, headed for Harry’s Bar at “Sank roo doe Noo.” Harry’s is still around but now draws an older, more conservative clientele. Today’s chic younger expats head for Willi’s Wine Bar, 13 rue des Petits-Champs, 1er (& 01-42-61-05-09; www.willis winebar.com; Métro: Bourse, Palais Royal, or Pyramides; p. 358). Here, the long-haired young bar- tenders are mostly English, as are the waitresses, who are dressed in Laura Ashley garb. The place is like an informal club for Brits, Australians, and Yanks, especially in the afternoon. Some 300 wines Enjoying cocktails at Willi’s Wine Bar. await your selection. 4 004_614419-ch01.indd4_614419-ch01.indd 4 88/10/10/10/10 33:59:59 PMPM 1 THE BEST OF PARIS THE BEST The Best Splurge Hotels Splurge Best The Shopping along rue Montorgueil. W Checking Out the Marchés: A daily Parisian ritual is ambling through one of the open-air markets to buy fresh food—perhaps a properly creamy Camem- bert or a pumpkin-gold cantaloupe—to be eaten before sundown. Our favor- ite market is on rue Montorgueil, beginning at rue Rambuteau, 1er (Métro: Les Halles). During mornings at this grubby little cluster of food stalls, we’ve spotted some of France’s fi nest chefs stocking up for the day. For more details, see the box “Food Markets” in chapter 9. THE best SPLURGE HOTELS W Hôtel Ritz (15 place Vendôme, 1er; & 800/223-6800 or 01-43-16-30-30; www.ritzparis.com): This hotel, which gave the world the word “ritzy,” mean- ing posh, occupies a magnifi cent palace overlooking the octagonal borders of one of the most perfect squares in the world. The decor is pure opulence. Marcel Proust wrote parts of Remembrance of Things Past here, and the world’s greatest chef, Georges-Auguste Escoffi er, perfected many of his reci- pes in the Ritz kitchens. See p. 111. W Four Seasons Hotel George V (31 av. George V, 8e; & 800/332-3442 or 01-49-52-70-00; www.fourseasons.com): Humorist Art Buchwald once wrote, “Paris without the George V would be Cleveland.” The swanky address has long been a favorite of celebrities in every fi eld, including Duke Ellington, who once wrote in his memoirs that his suite was so big that he couldn’t fi nd the way out.