Missing Paris...

My dear mother sent me the DVD Julie and Julia which I love and have watched 3 times in the last two days. One reason I love it is the story of Julia Child is just fascinating. The other is Paris.

I miss Paris.

I don't know what it is. It wasn't my first trip alone and it wasn't even my first city trip in Europe. But Paris was completely unlike anything I had imagined. I loved it there. And as excited as I am for my other upcoming trips, I just might have to make Paris an annual thing.

Thankfully, I'm not alone. I became part of an online Paris-loving forum while I was travel planning and the ladies (and lads) there are hilarious, fun and just plain nice (very unusual in travel forums). They spend most of their time online planning for their next trip to Paris or living vicariously through another member who is going to Paris.

Recently a member named Annette, who has a daughter my age and gave me lots of encouragement and good advice, posted her list of the top 20 things to see and do in Paris. After reading the list, I thought I'd share it with you so you can see what you can do in Paris besides the Eiffel Tower (which I never went up in). Enjoy! (PS: Darryl is her husband)

1. Eiffel Tower Arrive by metro at the Trocadero stop to ensure that you get that absolute "WOW" postcard view. 2. *Arc de Trioumphe (cross thru the tunnel under the street and buy a ticket to the top—in my opinion, a better view than from the Eiffel) 9€ After visiting the Arc, take a stroll down the Champs Elysées and stop at Laudurée (75, avenue des Champs Elysées) and buy some macarons (my favorite flavors are pistachio and caramel au beurre salé) 3. Notre Dame—go inside and take a look around (free, enter on the right) If you’re there on Sunday, there’s a free organ concert at 5:30 pm, and the Gregorian Chant service at 10:00 am is interesting too. If you have time and the line isn’t too long, the climb to the top is said to be worthwhile but I’ve never been up (the line forms on the left corner as you’re looking at the front—they only let 20 up at a time. I think it’s 6€). Also nearby is *Sainte-Chapelle (8€)—if it’s a sunny day, the stained glass in the upstairs chapel will be glorious! Afterward, cross the bridge behind Notre Dame, enjoy the street performers on the bridge, and take a walk down the main drag of the Ile St. Louis. Have an ice cream cone at Berthillion’s (31, Rue St Louis en l'ile; if the line is too long or they’re closed, many places on the island sell this brand exclusive to Paris, and very good!) 4. *Louvre—Closed Tuesday; 9.50€ or 6€ Wed. & Fri. after 6 pm. If you mostly want to see “The Big 3” (Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Milo) you can follow this route to save time: http://www.louvre.fr/llv/activite/detail....115&bmLocale=en If you won’t have time on this visit to see Versailles, then you’ll also want to visit Napoleon’s apartments in the Louvre to get a taste of what Versailles is like (skip it if you’re short on time). Take a walk in the Tuilleries when you’re done in the museum, and if you want a snack, head across the street to Angelina’s for a cup of their famous hot chocolate (226 Rue de Rivoli). If you’re not “museumed out” go to one of my favorite museums, the nearby *Orangerie (7.50€; Monet’s huge water lilies). See the Obelisk at Pl. du Concorde (on the sidewalk on the Champs Elysées side of the obelisk, you will see the bronze plaque indicating where Marie Antoinette was guillotined) 5. Jardin Luxembourg—(free) the gardens should be beautiful in April! If you’re there on a weekend or Wednesday afternoon, you can watch the children sail their boats on the big pond. Nearby is the *Pantheon (7€) which is quite interesting. 6. *Musée d’Orsay—8€ This is Darryl’s favorite museum in Paris. Not as overwhelming as the Louvre. Closed on Monday. (You can buy a ticket for 13€ to see d’Orsay and the Orangerie on the same day) 7. Sacre Coeur—(free); After your visit here, head to the right before going down the stairs to the Pl. du Tertre, which is an area frequently shown on TV. Artists, very touristy, but still fun. 8. *Musée Nissim de Camondo—6€; 63 rue de Monceau; another of my favorite museums—this is the actual home of the Camondo family, a Jewish banker and collector of fine art and furniture. He willed the home and it’s contents to France before his death, and shortly afterward his only surviving daughter and her family were transported to Auschwitz and were never seen again. His only son lost his life serving France in WWI as a fighter pilot. Tragic story, but it’s a gorgeous home that gives you a feel for how the wealthy lived at the turn of the century. One of the few places where you can see the kitchen. Take a walk thru the nearby Parc Monceau afterward and see the Roman colonnade around the pond on the northeast end. 9. *Musée Rodin & Gardens—6€ (1€ for gardens only) Closed Monday. This is where The Thinker, The Kiss, Gates of Hell, etc. are located. Love this museum! If you’re pressed for time, it’s worth just going into the garden—you can see a lot! 10. River Cruise—We’ve done several and they’re all about the same. 11. *Opera Garnier—(8 or 9€) Worth a visit to see the opulent interior! There are English tours on Wed., Sat. & Sun at 11:30 and 2:30 I believe, but we’ve never been able to catch one. It’s just fun to wander around inside on your own tho! While you’re in this area, walk behind the Opera and down Bl. Haussmann and see Galleries Lafayette and Printemps, two of the “grand magasins” (huge department stores). Go inside Galleries Lafayette if you have time to see the gorgeous stained glass dome above the cosmetics department. You can also go up onto the roof for a great view over Paris (free). 12. Stroll along the Seine—cross the bridges, enjoy the quais. Pont des Arts is nice at sunset—you can see the Eiffel twinkle from here (5 minutes at the top of each hour after dark until 1 am). Stop in the middle of every bridge you cross, pinch yourself and repeat three times, "I am in Paris!" 13. Bakery Tour—I’ve been on 2 of these and they’re worth every penny! Gérard Mulot patisserie tour on Thusdays (11€; you’re shown macaron making and chocolate making, and get lots of samples) and Au Grand Richelieu boulangerie tours on Wednesdays (9€; shown how to make croissants, baguettes and chocolate croissants; again…yummy samples) http://www.meetingthefrench.com/meet-par....ac80b3f1168f3fa 14. *Les Invalides & Musée de l’Armée—Military museum and Napoleon’s Tomb (8.50€) 15. Explore a market street—Rue Montorgueil, Rue Mouffetard, Rue de Levis or Rue des Martyrs—don’t be afraid to go into a cheese shop, watch the butcher, etc. If you can take food back to your room (or rent an apartment), buy the iconic dinner of a rotisserie chicken and roasted potatoes cooked underneath in the drippings! 16. Explore a street market—A few good ones are held at Bastille (Sun. & Thurs. 7:30 am – 2 pm); Ave. du Pres. Wilson (Wed. & Sat 7:30 -2:00); Grenelle (Wed. & Sun 7:30-2); Pick out a few things for a picnic! Cheese, baguette, olives, pastries, etc! 17. Must try: Crepes from a street stand (try Nutella with banana or Citron Sucre [lemon sugar]); almond croissants; macarons; raisin snails; croissants; chocolate croissants; lemon tart; Berthillion ice cream; Amorino gelato; thick hot chocolate (Angelina’s, Les Deux Magots, Amorino); …hmm, can you tell I’m all about the sweets?!! 18. Grande Epicerie at Bon Marché—this is one of the world’s most amazing grocery stores! A great place to find unusual gifts to bring home. Fleur de sel or herbes de Provence are usually appreciated by the cooks in your life and are inexpensive and easy to pack. 19. *Versailles—Take RER C toward Versailles and get off at Versailles Rive Gauche. After exploring the chateau, be sure to take time to see the charming Hamlet! See the Petit Trianon and/or the Trianon if time permits. There’s a little train you can board to ride to the outer regions of the grounds. 20. St. Denis—the French equivalent of Westminster Abbey. Nearly all the kings and queens of France were crowned here and are buried here. Take metro line 13 direction St-Denis/Unversité (be careful, as the line splits at La Fourche—make sure you’re not on a train to Asnieres-Gennevilliers). Get off 1 stop before the end at Basilique de St. Denis (exit the metro and head to the right, then another right at the city square). 5.50€ entrance and 4.50€ for an audioguide that is worth listening to. Misc. Info: Metro—The best (and cheapest) way around the metro is with a Navigo Découvert pass which is available for purchase Sunday-Wednesday, and is good for a week of travel on the metro, bus and RER within Paris (zones 1 & 2) from Monday – Sunday. Costs 17.40€, plus 5€ one-time fee for the card and plastic holder. Load with hebdomadaire ("hebdo"—a week). If you think you’ll be doing more walking than metroing, just buy yourself a carnet of tickets (pack of 10) for 11.40€ (but remember you need one ticket each time you enter the metro, so 2 for a round trip). Remember to save your ticket until you exit. Here’s a video that shows you how to navigate the metro: http://www.geobeats.com/videoclips/france/paris/how-to-ride-metro