Paris, June 2011

[nycgirl]

After about a year of planning and anticipation, my husband, sister, and I finally took a nice long trip to Paris, with a little side trip to Burgundy. It was their first trip to Paris. I had visited briefly about 6 years ago, so I was the “expert” of our group.

One of the first things I saw when we arrived was an ornate Art Noveau metro sign by Guimard. I was pleased to see it because I learned about Guimard during a modern art class I recently took. On the short walk to the apartment, I yammered on and on about how the organic design looks like vines sprouting fruit and how there’s one just like it at MoMA in NYC and how there used to be tons of them but they were replaced. For the duration of the trip, I tested my husband’s and sister’s factoid tolerance.



We rented a cozy apartment in the 5th. For our first French meal we ate at the small but popular bistro La Regalade St. Honore. Everything was delicious and beautifully presented.



The rice pudding with caramel was unreal and came in generous pot. Mmmm...



After we stuffed ourselves to maximum capacity, we went on a long walk and, of course, had a typically touristy photo shoot. I know you all have seen it a million times in photos, but the Louvre Pyramid looks so pretty at night.





One of the typical stately statues cast an ominous shadow.



The next day we had a walk with a Paris Greeter volunteer. He was a warm and friendly guy, and very knowledgeable about Paris. He is a town planner for the city, so he had studied a lot of history and architecture. It just so happened that he had the day off work today, so I feel lucky that we got him and grateful that he freely gave us his time.

He took us around the 19th arr, a very interesting and un-touristy area of Paris. Here is the Rotunde de la Villette, an 18th century toll house that was part of a wall built to ensure tax collection on goods coming into Paris. As you can imagine, the wall was unpopular with the public. There use to be 62 of these, but they were destroyed. This is one of the few surviving ones.



When I think of Parisian architecture, the first images that pop in my head are the typical Haussmanian buildings, but our greeter showed us some cool modern architecture, like this pie-wedge apartment building.



It was a mild and sunny day, perfect for a stroll along the water. I was really surprised how much ground we covered. Here we can barely see the Rotunde anymore.



We took a break for crepes, galettes, and cider at a cafe on the Basin de la Villette.



Back on our walk, we saw some cool street art, like this vibrant mural by Dacruz.



Funny little bit of graffiti. This caption translates to "No mother, no God, no dry food."



Another Dacruz mural. I like this guy.



Neat little bridge.



On to the Parc de Villete! The park is enormous and inviting, built in the former slaughterhouse district. Lots of kids were romping around the expansive lawns, enjoying the weather. This is La Geode, a movie theater that houses a giantic IMAX screen. It's 118 feet (36 meters) in diameter.



The park has these big, geometric, fire engine-red sculptures everywhere, and a real post-WWII submarine, named the Argonaut, that you can pop into.



As we were crossing a bridge, our greeter pointed out this hilarious "bike lane."



More pretty red sculptures.



Kids were having a ball on this spinning top.



Sis and I acted like kids ourselves when we spotted this huge bicycle wheel rising out of the ground.



This is the Cite de la Musique, one of Francois Mitterand's Grand Projects. It's a neat-looking building. I like how the doorways are all in different shapes.



Fontaine aux Lions.



More modern buildings. It was nice to see a side of Paris that isn't depicted in postcards.





We spent an enjoyable three hours with our greeter. He gave a great tour, as well as recommendations on places to eat. He was also a fun guy to talk to. He has a pretty adventurous life; he participates in couch-surfing (I would never have the guts) and had just come back from staying with a family in Georgia (the country, not the US state). It was a great experience hanging out with a local and, like I said before, I felt privileged that he chose to spend an afternoon of his day off with us.

Before parting ways, he showed us how to rent the Velib bikes and took out one himself, and we bicycled together for awhile til the time came to split up. Now that we spent some time off the beaten track, we next headed to that stronghold of thronging tourists... Montmartre.

[bjd]

Your pictures are a nice complement to Kerouac's insider photos of the various areas of Paris. The greeter idea is good since it shows you a different side of the city compared to most tourists.

If I may correct your translation of the cat graffiti, it's Ni Dieu Ni Maître Ni Croquettes. The Ni Dieu Ni Maître is the old anarchist slogan: "neither God nor master". Croquettes are Kibbles, or whatever dry cat food is called in N America.

[nycgirl]

Thanks. Yeah, he said something like that, but I couldn't remember exactly, and I didn't want to be a complete dork and take notes. So if I get something wrong, you can just assume it's due to my faulty memory, and not because my greeter was talking complete nonsense.

[nycgirl]

We bicycled to Montmartre and explored the area. It was very crowded near Sacre Couer, of course, but there were some quiet little streets. As I walked, I was reminded of movie scenes filmed in Montmartre from Amelie, The Red Balloon, and The 400 Blows.



Hilarious fountain.



This is an interesting statue. It references a short story called "The Man Who Could Walk Through Walls."



Throughout the trip I kept my eyes open for interesting street art. I spotted this white figure a few times all over the city, but this one unfortunately is graffitied over. I was on the lookout for the Space Invaders I had heard about, but never found any. Guess I'm not very observant.





I caught a glimpse of the golden dome of Les Invalides between the buildings.



While we were sitting at a bar, a group of performers came by and put on a little show. (There's another white figure on a window behind them.)



We climbed hundreds of steps to get to the Sacre Couer. It was an impressive, if ostentatious, building. While we were there taking in the view of the city, we were a little surprised to hear a voice calling out to us. A woman was climbing the steps to the dome and had gotten lost and couldn't find her way back down! We had no idea how to help her though. Well, I'm sure she got down eventually.



Our first full day in Paris sure fun, as well as an excellent workout. We bicycled back to our apartment, catching a lovely sunset on the way.

[fumobici]

Lovely photos, you see interesting details. Thanks.

[Deleted]

Great report, nycgirl. I hope there is lots more to come. I always love to see Paris through different eyes, and it is also nice to see some of the tourist sights that I forbid myself from covering, simply because my view of them has become too jaded.

On the Graphic Street Art thread, you can see some stuff by DaCruz. And I am constantly on the lookout for my own Space Invaders rather than using the Invader site to cheat. As for the White Man, he has been haunting Paris and some of the rest for the world for 30 years. His creator is Jérôme Mesnager.

[tod2]

Lovely to read on about your holiday nycgirl! Where about in the 5th was your apartment - perhaps give us a link? Thanks.

[nycgirl]

Tod, the apartment was on the border of the 5th and 13th. It wasn't as central as I thought it would be, but still nice. I liked it.

www.centreparis.com/short-term-rental/hopital-2/paris-5/1-bedroom_120.html

And here's my detailed Tripadvisor review.

www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k4668770-l34788526-Centreparis_apt_review_Hopital_2_in_the_5th_arr-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

[nycgirl]

Thanks Kerouac. The text is almost completely copied from my TA report, so sorry if it's boring.

Those are great threads, I really enjoyed them. I was hoping to run into more stuff like that.

[Deleted]

It's all there when you know where to look!

And no, nothing you have written is boring -- it is all fascinating! How nice for you to have found a site where we can also admire your photos.

Er... do you ever take good photos of NYC? We could certainly use more.

[nycgirl]

I have some of NYC that I've taken here and there, I should go through them one of these days. I have tons of good pictures of the Southwest. Even though there's plenty of opportunities here, I get caught up in the day-to-day grind and I take way more photos when I'm away.

[nycgirl]

On our second day in Paris, we grabbed the Velib bikes and headed to the Marais. I thought it was really funny my sister chose to wear a short romper and high-heeled wedges on the bike. I later learned that bicycling around in such attire isn't all that uncommon in Paris; I even saw a girl pedaling around in a skirt and Christian Louboutin stiletos. Wish I took a photo of her, but I'm not quick on the draw.

We had a nice, reasonably priced lunch of tapas-like Middle Eastern food at the cozy Chez Marianne. Afterwards, my sister and I went shopping while my husband predictably opted out in favor of hanging out in a bar. We browsed a few places, but our favorite was Coiffeur, a vintage shop on Rue de Rosiers (I think Kerouac mentioned that it was once an old hair salon?). It was tiny and crowded, but had very nicely currated merchandise. In no time at all, my sister and I had our arms loaded with bright, cheery sundresses for only 10 euros each. Great success!



We met up with my husband, who was contentedly sipping cocktails all this time. Which was fine by me, except for the fact that he can drink even faster than I can shop! Fortunately, being the amiable barfly he is, he had made friends with the bartenders, who graciously comped him a couple of drinks, so the damage wasn’t bad. He gets that a lot in New York, glad to see it works elsewhere.

At this point, my sister was tired, so we made plans to meet up later, and she went “home” to take a nap. My husband was feeling refreshed enough to do some more galivanting with me, so we went to 59 Rue de Rivoli. It sure was a festive-looking place.



Interesting story behind this place; about a dozen years ago it was a dilapidated old building where a group of artists squatted and worked. They were in danger of being evicted, but thanks to the mayor and the support of the public, the building was renovated and turned over to them. Now dozens of artists live there nearly free of charge, and the public can visit the place for free to see the artists at work.

We took our time wandering through the galleries. It was fun to see all the eclectic creations. I was really drawn to the work of a painter named Franceso. I bought a small, moody watercolor from him and he painted a quick portrait of me and my husband on the back of it. I love it, it’s my favorite souvenir from Paris.





Next we strolled through Place des Vosges.



I saw this eye-catching work of art as we walked through the passages.



We got some tasty gelato from Pozetto, before hopping on our trusty bikes to Bercy Village. We got a bite to eat and walked around, looking at the little shops that are housed in 19th century wine warehouses. We met up with my sister as planned and ended the day watching X-Men: First Class (yes, we are big dorks).

[mich64]

nycgirl I am enjoying your commentary and your choices of what to photograph. I am looking forward to what you all do next!
Cheers,
Mich

[sojoh]

nycgirl - It looks like you had a wonderful trip to Paris. The pictures from your walk with your Paris Greeter reminds me that I need to sign up for another walk.

[mossie]

Many thanks for your reports, I always stay in the 19e, it is such a varied area and has just about everything.

Your pic of the fountain in Montmartre which includes the little "eau non potable" sign is very funny.

[nycgirl]

Ha ha, yeah I chuckled at that. Guess people need to be reminded, in case they get tempted to drink from it.

[imec]

More great stuff here nycg! Thank you!

(That halibut (?) looks devine!)

[nycgirl]

I let my husband and sis sleep in the next day while I met up with Grndma, a fellow Tripadvisor member who happened to be visiting Paris at the same time as me. I woke up early and strolled the serenely empty streets on my way to meet her. It was nice to see Paris before the huge throngs of people got out of bed.

I was early, so I browsed a nice little street market.





I went to check out Rue Mouffetard, a market street I had heard good things about, but it wasn't open. I did spot another white figure, though.



I met up with Grndma and her friend, visiting from England, and we sat at a cafe and enjoyed coffee and conversation. They are lovely women and I had a good time getting to know them.

On my way to the D'Orsay, I came to this cute metro station with giant coins trailing across the ceilings. I really liked the metro stations in Paris, they were so clean and bright.



I met hubby and sis in front of the D'Orsay but changed my mind about seeing it today. It was the first Sunday of the month and entrance was free, so the line was insane. Instead we crossed the river over to the Tuileries.

As we walked through the Tuileries, I was surprised to see installations of several small gardens with different themes. This floral garden seemed to incorporate edible herbs and lettuces. (By the way, my sister is wearing the vintage dress she bought the day before.)







This one had vegetables planted inside bamboo cane structures. These little installations were part of an event called Rendez-vous aux Jardins that was happening for that weekend only. They were beautiful and I’m so happy we stumbled upon them.



We admired the sculptures outside L'Orangerie. I taught my husband art appreciation.



We took photos at the Place de la Concorde.



Sis and I had our Abbey Road moment on the Champs Elysees.



I checked out the luxury stores as we made our way up the avenue. Louis Vuitton had an eye-catching window display. The shoes, mounted on a rotating Ferris wheel, all had an animals motif; heels shaped like horse legs and zebras, things like that.





We took a break at McDonald's. It was a sweltering day, so my husband was irritated when his coke came without ice. (He's got a bit of an ice dependency problem). I, however, was impressed with their dessert selection. Their macarons were surprisingly good!



This was a long day, so to be continued...

[Deleted]

Your photos of Paris make the city look how we wished it looked all the time.

I have been promoting the McCafé concept as an alternative to Starbucks, because at least McDonald's is promoting French items (in France at least) while Starbucks is still stuck with their muffins and brownies. Those seemed cool in Paris 20 years ago, but their time as a exotic treat has passed. (Also, McCafé is much cheaper!)

[patricklondon]

You have a great eye for a striking photo, nycgirl. It's good to see the Rotonde at La Villette under some sort of restoration (by the look of it). Did you spot the seat and handle bars of the giant bicycle emerging from the soil in the park?

[nycgirl]

Thanks, everyone!

Aug 10, 2011 16:49:01 GMT kerouac2 said:

I have been promoting the McCafé concept as an alternative to Starbucks

Yeah, I find Starbucks to be exorbitant and their baked goods are almost inedible (at home, at least). Also, in Paris, I found McDonald's to be a more reliable source of Wifi; very important, especially for my sister who needed to call her husband on Skype.

Aug 10, 2011 17:00:12 GMT patricklondon said:

Did you spot the seat and handle bars of the giant bicycle emerging from the soil in the park?

Yeah, that was cool, but the photo I took wasn't very good.

[nycgirl]

It was exciting walking up the avenue and watching the Arc du Triomphe loom larger and larger. I had visited it before but I was still impressed by its enormity.



Next, we hopped on the metro to the Rodin Museum. There was no line at all, even though it was free that day. I loved it there, although the mansion itself was a little creaky. I'm a big fan of Rodin, and I also liked seeing the work of Camille Claudel. The grounds were my favorite part. It was so peaceful wandering among the hedges and sculptures.







We stayed til closing, then took a walk past Les Invalides and through Saint Germain. I liked discovering this statue of a funny centaur-like creature. It's quirky, even without some prankster accessorizing it with a road cone.



After breaking at a cafe, we decided on the spur of the moment to take the Seine cruise. I had purchased tickets online that we could redeem any day, and we decided tonight would be perfect. So we walked to Pont Neuf, picked up a bottle of wine, and hopped on the 9 pm cruise. We sat in the very front for an unobstructed view. The weather was gorgeous. We sat back and drank in the sights going by as we drank down our wine. The guide gave very interesting commentary about the sights as we passed.

Pont Alexander III against a backdrop of big, billowy clouds.



I think we went at the perfect time of day because we got to enjoy both daylight and sunset. Towards the end of the ride, the clouds turned luxurious shades of pink and lavender, and we caught a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower sparkling in the distance. It was one of my favorite moments of the trip.










Unfortunately, there was a downside to being blessed with such lovely, photogenic clouds. The sky grew ominously dark as soon as we disembarked. We quickly hopped on the nearest bikes and and hightailed it to the apartment, but we didn't make it before the floodgates opened and hit us with a vengeance. It was coming down so hard I could barely keep my eyes open (not ideal when riding a bike). By the time we got to the apartment we were completely soaked through. Not my favorite way to end the day. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

[sojoh]

Aug 10, 2011 16:49:01 GMT kerouac2 said:

I have been promoting the McCafé concept as an alternative to Starbucks, because at least McDonald's is promoting French items (in France at least) while Starbucks is still stuck with their muffins and brownies. Those seemed cool in Paris 20 years ago, but their time as a exotic treat has passed. (Also, McCafé is much cheaper!)

After seeing nycgirl's photo of the macarons and reading Kerouac's comment about McDonalds, I'm convinced that I need to go there!

[tod2]

WoW, nycgirl - wonderful pink skies over Paris! Must have been a really fantastic boat trip.
I like the way you took a photo of Saint Genevieve on the Pont de la Tournelle. This clearly shows why they call this statue the "rocketship" as it points skyward! As she is the Patron Saint of Paris and her ashes thrown into the Seine, it seems befitting that she now gazes down upon her last resting place.

[nycgirl]

Sis and I took the bikes out in the morning and stocked up at Franprix: bread, cheese, charcuterie, wine, terrines, pates, you name it. We picked up the ingredients for making dinner and also grabbed some good food souvenirs for the folks back home. We were so pleased bicycling back to the apartment with all those goodies.



We had our store-bought feast for lunch, then sis and I decided to go shopping. My husband, again, declined to join us. Girl’s day! First we went to Puces St. Ouen. We stumbled upon an artist we loved and each bought a small oil on canvas. We also found some fun, quirky jewelry and sis scored a cute outfit.

Next we took the metro to Palais Garnier, just to take a peek. I had really wanted to see a show that was playing there but it was sold out. Seeing a performance there is at the top of my list next time. Today, we just admired the building and browsed the gift shop. Next, we headed to Galeries Lafayette. I loved the dazzling Belle Epoque dome and the ornate balconies. Most of the stuff was pricey, but we found some cute affordable stuff.





We took a macaron break and enjoyed the view from the balcony. (The open-air terrace on the seventh floor was closed today for some reason.)

Mmmm...



After browsing their terrific (and expensive) perfume section, we headed out. Sis went “home,” but I wanted to go to a reading at Shakespeare and Co. The place was packed when I arrived, but I was able to sit upstairs. The guest was Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Owen Butler, reading from his book “Hell.” He was witty and engaging, and I just relaxed and listened while sitting in a comfy armchair in the old attic crammed to the ceiling with books.

I noticed a little nook, where lots of people had written sweet little notes in a variety of languages, expressing how special the place is to them. Instead of writing one myself, I tried to decipher them. ("La vida esta hecha de pequenas" = "Life is made of little girls"? I'm probably way off.)



The event had a nice, convivial atmosphere. I tried to be incognito and get some candid shots of the crowd, but at least two people noticed me...



Complimentary wine was passed out after the reading. I partook, and also helped myself to some water from the Wallace fountain in front of the store. I had regaled my husband and sis with the story behind the fountains, how Richard Wallace financed them to provide water to the poor and also promote temperance. Every time we stumbled upon one, I would start the story again, forgetting that I had already told them.



I went to the Velib station around the corner, hopped on a bike, and was at the apt in no time. We ate delicious pasta with mushroom sauce that my sister cooked, along with more cheese and bread, and washed it down with some wonderful (and dirt cheap!) wine.

[Deleted]

This is a very interesting report of a subject that has been covered so many times. It is an accomplishment to make many of these things seem new again.

[Deleted]

That was an excellent sunset on the Seine! (You might take a look at the Image Bank section to see where photos can be recycled if appropriate or when you have a fabulous 'square' picture that doesn't fit a 'round' hole.)

Galeries Lafayette is always an inspiring sight, even if I can't remember the last time I bought anything there.

I am sorry to say that the last time I set foot in Shakespeare & Co. was in... 1981.

[tod2]

Aug 11, 2011 17:34:36 GMT kerouac2 said:

I am sorry to say that the last time I set foot in Shakespeare & Co. was in... 1981.

That statement reminded me of the time I stayed in Hotel Esmeralda around the corner - my third trip to Paris. We walked past Shakespeare & Co. all the time but only peeked our heads in the door.
Last year I was determined to investigate the place with a vengeance after reading "Books, Baguettes & Bedbugs" by Jeremy Mercer. A delightful little read about his life in Paris and the deep connection with the book store.

So, I entered early one evening and made my way upstairs. That in itself was awkward as people kept coming down with more people behind them and you trying to go up with more people backing into your rear end! Quite off putting but I managed to see the beds, several folk just sitting in a chair reading and the little "kitchen" area where it looked like they made tea or a sandwich.
Just as I was walking past the front desk I plucked up the courage to ask the youngish lady behind it "Is Mr. Whitman still alive?" she looked up briefly and replied in the affirmative.
I thought to myself, I wonder how old he must be now as he was ancient when the book was printed in 2005.


nycgirl - I am so glad to hear someone else likes to know the history behind certain streets, buildings, etc. and that you pass the history on !
Did you tell your husband and sis that most of the Wallace fountains are just copies ? The original fountains had four different women - in the copies the women all have the same face, the same eyes and lips. There are other differences as well.

[nycgirl]

The weather was pretty gloomy the day we visited Versailles, but I had my heart set on going on a fountain day. The palace was as luxurious as I imagined. The Hall of Mirrors was very impressive, the photo doesn't do it justice. It must have been even more impressive originally, when the floor was covered with carpet that mirrored the paintings on the ceiling.



Although the art and furnishings were remarkably well-preserved, I was a little disappointed to learn that of all the scintillating chandeliers I saw, there is only one original in the entire palace. Oh well, I guess a violent upheaval of the monarchy is bound to result in some loss of property.



The grounds were my favorite part. Paying extra to see the fountains operating was worth it, they definitely had the “wow” factor when they were on. I also enjoyed the classical music that was piped into the grounds, it contributed to the grand atmosphere.

I'm really interested in Greek mythology so I liked the fountains that told a story. The Latona fountain depicts the tale of the mother of Apollo and Artemis, who was harassed by the local villagers for bearing children out of wedlock. She appealed to Zeus for help and he turned them into frogs.



The Apollo fountain.



This dramatic fountain depicted a Titan who was punished by the gods.



The gardens were so incredibly expansive that we sometimes felt like we had the place to ourselves.



After awhile, the rain started picking up. Sis was over it, so she left. My husband and I ducked for cover for a bit, and when the rain eased up, we kept going. I forced myself to ignore the uncomfortable squishiness of my shoes. We visited the pretty pink-columned Grand Trianon...



... and the Marie Antoinette’s quaint little hamlet. It was so serene out there. It's easy to see why Marie Antoinette enjoyed retreating from palace life to play in her artificially bucolic fantasy world.



We saw this adorable little gosling. His parents disapproved of the photo-taking and soon got pretty hostile!



We had such a great time exploring that the afternoon was gone before we knew it. We caught the train back to Paris and headed to the Eiffel Tower. We meandered around the Champ de Mars for awhile before taking the thrilling ride up to the top of the tower.



By the time we stepped out of the elevator, the sun had finally peeked out and cast a rosy glow over the city. After a full day of dreary weather, I was really grateful for such a lovely sunset.


One of the serendipitous side effects of the rain was getting a nice photo of the Tower in a puddle.



For dinner we ate at the acclaimed bistro L'Ami Jean. The restaurant was rustic and cozy and the meal was our favorite of the whole trip. Wish i had taken photos, but I was so famished that I temporarily forgot I was a nerdy tourist and consumed my food without documenting it!

[mich64]

Your photos are so truly beautiful nycg. Thank you for including the ones from Marie Antoinette's Hamlet, I have never seen it and the photos are lovely. I have been to Versailles and lucky to have a beautiful day with the fountains on, however, I became to tired to make it out to the Hamlet so thank you for showing it in your collection.
Cheers,
Mich