France - Paris - Travel Story

Written by Dorothy Pan Sunday, 11 September 2011 14:15

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Paris - Travel Story, Tips & Pictures

Ah Paris…the city of romance; with its delicate and artistic food, its clean neo-classical stone architecture, and its strong influence in art, fashion and all things luxury it’s easy to see why. Paris is unlike any city in France, or the world for that matter. Though the pace at which people move is quite a few notches faster than in any other area of France, people here still take the time to relax. Whether it's a picnic at one of dozens of beautiful parks or people watching on the terrace of the local cafe with a coffee and a buttery croissant, Parisians certainly know how to enjoy life.

Eating Crepes in Montparnasse

We were famished by the time we arrived by train from Sarlat so we set out for dinner in a wonderful little area near the Montparnasse station known for its rows of authentic crepe restaurants on the left bank of the Seine. All the restaurants seemed very charming, but the one that caught our eye was a tiny place painted in bright red, which stood out from the neutrality of the rest of the street. It looked as though it was made to be the focal point of a piece of art. The Creperie de Pont-Aven was just as vibrant on the inside as it was on the outside. To fully indulge in the art of crepe eating one must order a side of cider, which is served in a small ceramic pitcher with matching cups that look like small rice bowls. The bubbly, slightly sweet cider paired wonderfully with our savoury ham and cheese buckwheat crepe.

 

Paris By Night

After dinner we decided to walk off our food and see a bit of Paris by night. We walked along the tree-lined street of Champs Elysées to see the Arc de Triomphe. Then we made our way over to see the beautiful Eiffel Tower in all its lit up glory. Paris was given the nickname, “the city of light” for its early implementation of street lighting, but they certainly live up to the name in other ways. The Eiffel Tower at night, with its delicate twinkling lights, is a beautiful sight to behold.

 

Lively & Artistic Montmartre

The next day we went to the Montmartre area to see the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, a church dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus. The Roman Catholic basilica sits at the summit of the Montmartre hill, the highest point in the city at 130m high, offering a wonderful view of Paris. The beautiful white façade is made of travertine that releases calcite allowing the basilica to stay white despite weathering and pollution.

 

The area around Sacré-Coeur is famous for its local artisans which fill the main square during the day. Famous artists that once painted in the area include Salvador Dalí, Modigliani, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse, Renois, Degas, Picasso and Van Gogh. We stopped here for a bite to eat before making our way around Place du Tertre where the artists had set up, ready to show off their stunning creations. There's a great Dali museum, Espace Dali, in the area that is well worth a visit. Another interesting sight is the Vigne de Montmartre, the most famous vineyard in Paris. Though the wines are quite expensive, you can take heart in the fact that the earnings are used to help social institutions.

 

Magnificent Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame de Paris is regarded by many to be one of the most exceptional examples of Gothic architecture in Europe. It was one of the first structures in the world to use an arched buttress called the flying buttress, which is mostly associated with Gothic church architecture. If you walk around to the back of the church you will see these characteristic arched buttresses pushing against the walls of the nave. Currently, the cathedral holds the official chair of the Archbishop of Paris. It also houses a reliquary containing the alleged Crown of Thorns – the very one that Jesus wore around his head during his crucifixion. In 1238 it was offered to Louis IX, the then King of France by Baldwin II, the Latin Emperor of Constantinople in an effort to gain support for his failing empire. The construction of the church was successfully completed by 1345.

Wandering along the Seine

There is a beautiful view of Paris from the top of the cathedral along with some quirky gargoyles perched along the ledges, but the line to get tickets is long and moves at the pace of molasses so we did a walk through of the cathedral’s interiors and continued on our way. We walked along the Seine River to the Centre Pompidou. This building, recognizable by its inside-out appearance, is home to a large public library, the Musée National d’Art Moderne (which houses the second largest collection of contemporary art in the world behind MOMA in New York City), and IRCAM, a European institute for musical research. We didn’t venture in to the building, but wandered around the Place Georges Pompidou instead taking pictures of the peculiar sculptures and street performers.

Up Up the Eiffel Tower

We walked up Champs Elysées to the metro that would take us to the Eiffel Tower. Going up the tower for a full view of the city is a quintessential Paris tourist activity. The line up for the tickets is long and tedious - for us it was well over an hour. If you want to avoid this lengthy queue you can purchase tickets in advance for a specific time, however if you do this you will be at the mercy of Mother Nature. If you are a bit stressed for time, like we were, it might be worth the gamble as lining up took up a large chunk of our already short day. The view from atop the Eiffel Tower was great, but was it worth the long line up? The jury is still out on that one. If it is your first time in Paris it might be something that you would like to do just to say that you've done it, but note that there are plenty of other viewpoints that are quite lovely and have much shorter line ups.

 

Bastille District

For dinner that evening we decided to head to the bustling Bastille area. Though many people know Bastille for the famous monument that represents the storming of the Bastille prison took place in 1789, just walk down one of the lively streets and you will get a good sense of the diversity that makes up Paris’ nightlife. We found plenty of bars and clubs, but very few restaurants. The one we finally did find was called, “Sans Culottes”, which translates to “Without Trousers”. Sans Culottes was actually the name of a poorly dressed and equipped group of lower class militants that made up the majority of the army during the French Revolution. The décor and atmosphere of the restaurant - worn wooden furniture, low lighting, aged creaky floors, and the smell of an antique barn - really reflected this and made us feel like we were actually in that era.

Sweet & Delicious Elegant Breakfast

The following day we got an early start as we excitedly made our way over to a beautiful little tearoom on rue de Rivoli called Angelina. We had heard wonderful things about their luxurious hot chocolate and pastries, but it was the elegance of the classic Belle Epoque design that really captivated us. Angelina was founded in 1903 and has since seen the likes of Coco Chanel, Proust, as well as some of France’s finest fashion designers. 

The Louvre

After thoroughly enjoying our decadent breakfast of thick velvety hot chocolate and select pastries, we waddled our way over to the Louvre for an afternoon of art, culture, and history. This celebrated museum began as a dark fortress in the 12th century and has transformed over the ages to the stunning structure that dominates central Paris today. The Louvre houses some of the most impressive and recognized pieces in the world, but beyond that the architecture alone is worth spending a good chunk of the day exploring and admiring. It would take days to go through the whole museum in detail, but if you have the time this would definitely be worth at least day in your itinerary.

We had lunch at the food court in the Carrousel du Louvre beneath the glass pyramid. Though we would normally never eat at a food court, especially in Paris (there is a reason why this is the only food court in all of Paris), we found this one to be particularly interesting and different. It was called the “Universal Resto” and offered foods from around the world. Keep in mind that the quality of food is still very much of food court calibre, but it was worth a try just because it was different than anything we had at home.

Arc de Triomphe

The next item on our itinerary was to go up to the top of second most famous monument in Paris, the Arc de Triomphe, for a panoramic view of Paris. I found the view here to be much nicer than the view from the Eiffel Tower because we were not as high up and could therefore see the details of the streets below. The Arc sits in the middle of a large road junction known historically as Place de l’Etoile, which translates to “Square of the Star”, named because it is the centre meeting point of 12 straight avenues, making it look like a starburst. It has since been renamed Place Charles de Gaulle after the death of General and President Charles de Gaulle.

Charming Restaurants in Montmartre

We ended our day back in the art district of Montmartre, this time to purchase a piece of art, then met up with a couple of friends for a fondue dinner. Our original plan was to go to a fondue restaurant called Le Refuge des Fondues, which is a whimsical little restaurant that, from the outside, looks more like a small circus show than a restaurant. The main draw to this restaurant is the fact that they serve their wine in a baby bottle! Unfortunately, as we approached the restaurant we could see that there were no lights on. It turns out they were closed for summer holidays. 

One thing to keep in mind when visiting France in August is that during this month many restaurants and shops close down for summer vacation. 

We walked around in search of another fondue restaurant, but unable to find one that specializes in it, we settled for a restaurant that had it as part of their menu. This was not your typical fondue of cheese, chocolate, or broth, but rather of cooking oil, which was different and interesting, but not as flavourful as broth in my opinion.

Moulin Rouge

After dinner we took a walk to see the famous red windmill of the Moulin Rouge. We did not go in for the show, but I am told that the romance of turn-of-the-century France is still very much portrayed in the décor of the club’s interior. It was an establishment that allowed the wealthy citizens to visit the romantically chic slums of Montmartre and socialize with all walks of life. Its extravagant design and innovative forms of entertainment (it was the birthplace of the modern form of the can-can) were the winning elements that brought people of all vocations together.

 

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