Paris, France

Sidewalk Cafe Paris France
Sidewalk Cafe - Paris, France
Notre-Dame Cathedral Paris France
Notre-Dame Cathedral 
- Paris, France
Louvre Museum Arcade Ferris Wheel Paris France
Louvre Museum from Arcade Ferris Wheel
- Paris, France
Lunch Paris France French Food
Lunch - Paris, France
Parade Carnaval Tropical de Paris Paris France
Parade for Carnaval Tropical de Paris 
- Paris, France
Artsy Place di Tertre Montmartre Paris France
Artsy Place di Tertre in Montmartre 
- Paris, France
Eiffel Tower Lit Night Paris France
Eiffel Tower Lit at Night - Paris, France
So French Paris France Man
So French! - Paris, France
Paris, France (6/30-7/5/2011) – Paris! Let’s say it again, Paris, possibly the most beautiful and romantic city in the world! 

My wife, Pat, says, “Falling in love in Paris all over again” - Paris must be good because all she had was me... I think. 

We stayed with our friend Tom in a large apartment in the up-and-coming Bastille area surrounded by classic French cafes and stores. With a bit of walking and using the comprehensive metro system, we could visit all of Paris within minutes.

Besides visiting the famous sights reviewed below, we had a chance to ‘live’ Paris enjoying breakfasts of coffee and croissants purchased fresh each morning at the corner shop, stopping for drinks and lunch and people watching at outside cafes, buying dinner at the Sunday Marche Bastille open market, and having lunch in the small picturesque winding streets of the Latin Quarter. If you can during your visit to Paris, plan a few extra days to just enjoy doing this.

We also wandered the famous Champs Elysees and the neighboring parks, the Arc de Triomphe viewing the lively parade for Carnaval Tropical de Paris, strolling along the Seine River and streets of Paris at night, taking a boat ride along the Seine River, going to the Paris’ summer arcade where we rode the ferris wheel for wonderful views of Paris, watching the performers at the Pompidou and young lovers be affectionate everywhere in the city, and seeing the interesting exhibit of medals of European orders.

A highlight has our visit to Paris was visiting Montmartre (the center of Paris’ golden age in the 1880’s) and its gleaming white Basilique du Sacre-Coeur. At Montmartre, having lunch at an outside café on artsy place di Tertre (see photo), we probably sat where Picasso told Dali that melted watches would never catch on.

The Left Bank's St-Germain-des-Pres is the traditional and still fashionable hub of the cafe scene. A great day trip is out to Versailles that housed the most flamboyant royal court since ancient Rome. Versailles was home to the French monarchy at the height of its glory. The century-long heyday lasted from 1682, when Louis XIV brought his court of more than 6,000 to Versailles from Paris, until 1789, when he and his queen, Marie Antoinette, were notified that an angry mob was headed their way. With 700 rooms and famous 225-arce park with formal gardens, Versailles will leave a lasting impression on you.

We love this quote about Paris: "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then whenever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." - Ernest Hemingway

Famous Eiffel Tower Paris France
Famous Eiffel Tower - Paris, France
Some information about Paris... Paris is truly one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world, filled with history and remaining influential in the areas of culture, art, fashion, food, and design. Located in the north or France on the Seine River, Paris is one of the largest cities in the world with 2.2 million people living in the dense central city and almost 12 million people living in the metropolitan area.

Left Bank Paris France
Left Bank - Paris, France
A large part of Paris is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Paris has the second highest number of Michelin-restaurants in the world (after Tokyo) and contains numerous iconic landmarks that are the world's most visited tourist sights such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge, Lido, etc. with 45 million tourists annually.

Please see our other 10 travel posts on beautiful France:

Loire Valley, France

Mont Saint Michel & Saint Malo, France

Strasbourg - Alsace, France

Alsace Wine Villages, France

Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux Wine Country, Saint Emilion, Paulliac, & Cognac, France 

Burgundy & Cote d'Or Wine Country, France 

Chablis, Dijon, & Vezelay, France

Champagne Route, France

Reims (Champagne Capital), France
 
 
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3 comments:

  1. I'm going to Paris in a month and have been nervous about not speaking French. I'll only be there for a few days, so I won't get to see Versailles. What would you recommend seeing above all else?

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    1. Hello, Jordan - as you know, what to visit in Paris when you have limited time is personal choice - don't miss sitting in an outdoor cafe having lunch or a drink and watching the world go by. We are not huge museum goers but loved the Louvre and Pompidou. Do treat yourself to a good French restaurant for dinner - yum! We like wandering through the older area of the Left Bank's St-Germian-des-Pres - great for that outdoor cafe. Also liked visiting Montmartre. And if you can, do visit some classic sights like the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and Champs Elysees. Hey, if there is enough time, just fall in love... All the best, Wayne Dunlap, Plan Your Escape™

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  2. Hi, last couple of months we had a great trip on car ferry to France with them, had a visit to Paris, whole family enjoyed a lot with fun activities. French people were so polite, helped us in guiding our trip properly. Its a nice trip we never forgot in our life too!

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