Stacey and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary in Paris. Here are my thoughts on our trip.
Impressions
- It was cold! Way colder than I thought. We expected hot summer weather and while it was sunny beautiful 70 during day things got chilly with wind in morning or at night. And foolishly neither of us brought jackets.
- Scarfs - Parisisns would wear them to the beach with a bathing suit. They are everywhere, no matter how hot.
- Fashion - see note about scarfs. But everyone has it, men and women. American’s dress ugly by comparison.
- Paris is a very beautiful city - Especially this historic sections, even the streets and houses are gorgeous. Their opaque white facades shine in the morning and evening light
- Despite that the streets in the morning smell like piss, due to the sitting on the steps drinking activities that go on in the summer evenings
- Impossible to eat low carb - the baguettes, the croissants, the Pan Au Raisen etc etc
- Everyone speaks French, not a surprise but it really makes me sound like a cretin speaking English
- "there is a strike right now..." Is a common phrase in Paris and it will impact your trip. For me my return train from Lux was cancelled and I had to wait 2 hours in the village of Mertz.
- Parisians are nice, we didn’t meet a single rude person, from strangers on the streets to hotel staff, to taxi drivers to waiters.
- They really do say "voila"
- They have a pharmacy every couple of blocks, with big neon green crosses; they seem to be as common as Starbucks on Seattle.
- My Allergies were bad - I sneezed and sneezed
Where we Stayed
Hotel les Dames du Pantheon - Right across the street from the Pantheon. Great location.
Where we Ate
Chez Julien - nice French restaurant near Notre Dame - great location and very good food
Cafe Procope - oldest cafe in Paris - I had the calf's head stew, very flavorful but a little too much texture in the neck skin for me, though I did eat the tongue. The French Onion Soup was amazing.
Auberge Saint Roch - - probably one of our best meals we had. The salads were so good and our pan friend sea bass was fresh and yummy
Yachts De Paris - amazing, fancy 4 course meal on a boat at night on the Seine.
Gaudeamus - a small cafe near the Pantheon with great solid French food
Ristorante Terra Nova - a delicious Italian place just around the corner from our hotel
Boulangerie Patisserie - small bakery a block from our hotel with delicious pastries
Levinqui Danse - modern French food - not bad, not amazing
What We Did
Musee D' Orsay
Musee D' Oranjerie - or as I call it : The Church of Monet
The Louvre - you'll get lost, your feet will hurt, you'll walk forever
Eiffel Tower - skip the line tour - elevator to the first level and then waited in line for elevator to the top level. The wind was whipping up high and we were cold, bit airy going up all exposed like that.
Museum of the Medieval Age - amazing 1500’s tapestries of The Lady and The Unicorn
The Pantheon
Notre Dame - Dawn Patrol in the morning
Church of Saint Sulpice
Church of Eustache
Sainte-Chapelle - mind glowingly beautiful stain glassed soaring architecture
Dinner Cruise on The Seine with Yahcts De Paris
Arc D Triomphe - ticket to the top to watch the sunset
Big Bus tour riding around through the historic section
Hotel Invaledes - Napoleon's Tomb (from the outside)
Scare Coer - Dawn Patrol to watch the sunrise
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