The Low-Down On Paris

(notes from a trip in 2003)

Transportation: I definitely recommend the Paris Metro and RER trains. You can get daily or multi-day passes (Paris Visite) that are unlimited rides. The Metro is by-and-large safe, easy to use, and fast, and the network covers the whole city, the airports and Versailles.

"Must-See's":

· The Louvre -- do NOT miss the hallway leading up to the Mona Lisa itself. It is primarily religious art, but the colors are beautiful; that whole floor of the Louvre was my favorite -- it includes Winged Victory and several Botticellis. Expect to spend most of a day in the Louvre; I would go early in your trip, before you're tired of museums.

--> The Louvre has a couple of cafes on the balcony of the second or third floor. We ate outside at the one that's more of a restaurant; it would be on the left as you face the front of the Louvre. Lunch was good and the view is great; it would be a fun place even for a snack.

· The Musee d' Orsay: This museum has all of the Impressionist works in it, among other things. It is fabulous; I have pictures with me and my favorite Van Goghs, Renoirs and Monets - amazing. I would allow 3-4 hours at least.

· Tour Eiffel: We went to see the Eiffel Tower at night, ~9-11pm, and that was a great time to go. We got to see the sun set over Paris, and it was less crowded than during the day. It is breezy, but the day we were there it had been hot, so it was nice at night.

· Versailles: This is a day-trip. The train ride is ~45 minutes from Paris. There are 2 main tours of the palace, the King and Dauphin's Apartments, and the Queen's Apartments. When you get there, get in the shortest line and see that one first. Once you've purchased your ticket and seen the first exhibit, you can skip to the front of the line and go in a separate entrance for the second exhibit; it saves a lot of time. There are also vast gardens with the palace. We didn't have time to go, but they are supposed to be lovely. There is a tram that you can take to the main buildings in the garden.

· Notre Dame: This doesn't take long, but it is a beautiful cathedral. We did it on our first day, while we were still energetic, so we climbed all the way up the bell towers to the top. If you're up to it, the view is lovely and you get to see the bell and the gargoyles up close.

--> After you're done at Notre Dame, you can cross from Ille de la Cite to the Ille de St. Louis. Right where the bridge hits and to the right, there is a cafe that supposedly serves the best ice cream in Paris (Berthillion is the brand, I think). We ate there and it was yummy! I had Honey Nougat, I think, and it was wonderful.

· There are some "quaint" neighborhoods in Paris that you shouldn't miss as well; I liked them the best.

o Monmartre: (Made famous by the Moulin Rouge) The church at the top of the hill here is Sacre Coeur, which is beautiful. While we were there, the Nuns were singing; very lovely. As you face the church, to the left and around the corner, there is a square called "Place du Terte". It was one of my favorite spots in Paris. It is a good place to go to have an early dinner and people-watch. Also, there is a large number of street-artists, with water colors, etc. for sale. It is a bit touristy, but in the nicest way. The artists tend to leave around 5-6 pm; it may be later in the Summer. I would recommend La Mere Catherine as a restaurant; I liked their French Onion soup and Goat Cheese salad - desserts were also good.

o Le Marais (pronounced Ma-Ray): Originally the Jewish neighborhood, I thought this area had the best and most-unique shopping, along Rue de Rosiers and the surrounding streets is the best. There is a beautiful square called "Place des Vosges" that has art galleries, restaurants and the Victor Hugo museum. It is worth it to spend an afternoon wandering here and then go to dinner; do not miss it.

--> If you like tea AT ALL, or if you just like the food that goes with tea, do NOT miss Mariage Freres, #30 Rue de Bourg. I had sampled their tea in the States, but it is difficult to find. The experience of going to their tea shop was a lot of fun. I highly recommend their Croque Monsieur (fancy French-style cheese sandwich, but theirs has smoked salmon!), scones, and their Apricot tart. Their teas are wonderful; my favorite is called Pleine Lune, but they have hundreds of types. It is the oldest tea company in France. The tea house is open from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm daily.

o The Latin Quarter and Saint Germain are also worth visiting, but we spent less time there, so I do not have as many ideas for you.