Paris is Magnifique

I visited Paris in early March, 2009 and it is one of the most beautiful cities I've seen.  There are many sides to Paris, with something appealing to everyone.  Whether it be famous landmarks, art museums, architecture, historic churches, a walk along the Seine, shopping or eating fantastic food, the city will entice you. 

The City is very compact and with a fantastic and easy-to-use metro system, everything is readily accessible.  I stayed in the Latin Quarter just four blocks from Notre Dame Cathedral.  The Latin Quarter is filled with restaurants and bars, and being near the Sorbonne university, there is always something going on.  

Some of my favorite spots in Paris include the following:

(1) I would start on the Left Bank with the Musee D' Orsay, which is an extensive art museum in a restored train station.

  The French Impressionist artwork is amazing.  If you are lucky enough to be in Paris the first Sunday of the month, the museum is also free. 

(2) Walking along the Left Bank, the Eiffel Tower is not to be missed.  If you are lucky enough to go at night, the Eiffel Tower lit up is truly beautiful.  You will find yourself walking around Paris trying to catch a glance of the Eiffel Tower from different angles--both during the day and at night.  The pictures in movies do not do it justice.

(3) While I thought it would be too touristy at first, a boat trip on the Seine is a lot of fun.  The boat trips are about an hour and you get to see many different bridges while cruising past beautiful scenery on both sides of the Seine.

   If you are in Paris for a romantic vacation, a boat trip is part of the fun.

(4) In the center part of the City, not many tourists seem to go there, but one of my favorite spots is Ile St. Louis, the island directly behind Notre Dame Cathedral.  The Ile St. Louis is famous for ice cream and I lost track of how many scoops I ate.  The Ile St. Louis is a nice escape from all the tourists around Notre Dame.  The crowds seem to melt away as soon as you cross the bridge into Ile St. Louis.

(5) Sainte Chapelle Cathedral is truly beautiful.  If you are lucky enough to be there at night, a concert is not to be missed.

(6) Arc De Triomphe is interesting to get to.  The Arc sits in a very scary traffic circle in the middle of twelve boulevards.

  The only way to get there without getting hit (unless you can run really fast) is to take an underground tunnel, which is fairly well marked.

(7) Walking, walking, walking.  Paris is a walking city and to go easy on the budget, there are fantastic cheese shops, bread shops, wine shops, fruit and vegetable shops and pastry shops.  For fun, pack your own wine corker, cups and plates and have a picnic in the park.  It's a beautiful way to see Paris and a great way to eat cheaply.  For a pastry treat, try Gerard Mulot (I think there are two locations) which makes pastry an art form.  

(8) Galeries Lafayette Department Store--There is a beautiful glass ceiling (which is in the photos) and a nice bar to splurge on a glass of champagne.

  Hidden in the basement for foodies is an unbelievable food hall with everything from mounds and mounds of spices to an olive bar to a cheese stand to a butcher.  I could spend hours just roaming the food halls.

There is so much to see in Paris that no one will be disappointed.   A simple "bonjour"(hello) and a smile will go a long way.  One of my favorite experiences was a restaurant in the Latin Quarter called Brasserie Balzar.  I tried a few words of French (and I know my pronunciation was horrible at best) but the waiters were incredibly helpful trying to teach me a few words (I now love tartes au citron--lemon tarts).

If you are thinking about a trip to Paris, this traveler highly recommends it.