3 Perfect Days in Paris

The other day, I got an e-mail from a friend of mine from my days in Cannes, asking for Paris recommendations for a long weekend to give to some friends of hers. While I considered just sending it off, I realized that I have never written such a post on here, and seeing as some of you may find this useful, I thought I might as well give it a go…

So, without further ado, Emiglia’s 3 Perfect Days in Paris:

Day 1 (Friday)
I’m a walker, so I walk everywhere. Nevertheless, get a “carnet de dix,” which is ten metro tickets at a discounted price. They also work on the bus, which is what you should do right now: find your way to the bus line 80 (which conveniently leaves from my house) and take it into the center of the city. If you have time to spare, ride the whole line: it leads from the 15th through the 7th to the 18th. If not, just get off by the Louvre.

If you’re visiting Paris on the weekend, I recommend against visiting the Louvre… but then again, I’m not one of those people who tries to see all the museums in a city. There are other museums to see, in my opinion, better ones, so take a look at the building (which is gorgeous), walk through the Jardin des Tuileries and visit the Musée de l’Orangerie instead. Then hit up Angelina on rue de Rivoli for hot chocolate and pastry (split a salad or a croque monsieur if you feel like you need real food).

If you’ve got your heart set on going to go to the Louvre, Angelina is a good place to go afterwards, but do NOT try to see the whole Louvre; it will only give you a headache. Pick two or three exhibits, see them, and leave. If you feel guilty, chocolate at Angelina will solve your problems.

When you’re done with the Louvre and the Tuileries, walk down to the Seine and walk along it until you come to the Ile-St-Louis. This is the oldest part of Paris–the first true Paris–and while there’s not too much to do here (except try famous Berthillon ice cream), it’s an interesting part of the city to see. Cross the bridge and wander through it on your way to the 5th.

The 5th arrondissement and the St-Michel neighborhood are the areas around the Sorbonne, also known as the Latin Quarter, because students used to come here and speak Latin. No one is speaking antiquated languages anymore, but students still come here to hang out and go out to bars. There are also lots of stores with touristy trinkets and more kebab shops than you ever thought you’d see in one place. Don’t buy anything–it’s all frightfully overpriced–but it’s still an interesting area to wander around.

When you’ve had enough cross over to Notre-Dame cathedral, which is right over the bridge. This gorgeous cathedral is definitely worth the wait to see. You should also stop over at the nearby Sainte-Chappelle to see the stained glass windows. This church is also still set up in the same way as it was in the Middle Ages, which is interesting, especially if you’ve spent your Sundays in a modern church.

You have two choices now: either walk along the boulevard Saint-Germain to take advantage of that infamous Paris shopping, or else make the trek from the 5th to the 7th along the Seine, where you’ll have exquisite views of the right bank and booksellers to peruse to keep you occupied. If you really can’t walk anymore, you can hop the RER C from St-Michel to Musée d’Orsay, where you should stop walking. Visit this train station-turned-museum, which houses 19th and 20th century art, and be sure to give yourself time for a wander through the sculpture garden.

From the Musée d’Orsay, continue along the Seine until you come to the Esplanade des Invalides, and check out the gorgeous Pont Alexandre III, a gift from the czar of Russia. Cross the Esplanade and continue along rue Saint-Dominique until you come to Café Constant: this is where you’re having dinner. Don’t bother with reservations–they don’t take any–but pull up a stool by the bar and have a glass of wine while you wait to be seated. The maitre d’/bartender speaks perfect English after a stint in Vermont, and he always makes great suggestions for those of you who don’t know what to order.

After dinner, continue along rue Saint-Dominique to Le Dome, where you should turn right onto avenue de la Bourdonnais, which will lead you to Paris’ most famous monument, the Eiffel Tower. The best time to climb is once it’s already dark, when the lights are sparkling and the queues are short. Climb to the top and check out the Champ de Mars and the Seine from above.

Day 2 (Saturday)

You saw most of Paris’ famous monuments yesterday, so today we’re going to venture into her culture instead. Number one on most people’s Paris to-do lists is shopping, and you can start at the famous Marché de Clignancourt, in the 18th. Take the métro to St-Ouen early in the morning to miss the crowds, and mosey around this giant market, offering everything from antiques to knockoff bags to cheap clothes. Stop for lunch at the Brasserie Biron, the perfect combination of ambiance and really great food. The owner’s dog, Ulysse, may hang around, but he won’t beg, even when succulent roast chickens sit right under his nose.

From Clignancourt, take the métro to the other part of the 18th, Montmartre. This neighborhood is a very special one in Paris: its citizens are extremely proud of their neighborhood, which used to be its own city. The mentality of the people living in the 18th really reflects this, as does the fact that it’s one of the only neighborhoods that’s completely self-sufficient: in the rest of Paris, you may need to travel to another arrondissement to find specialty stores like hardware, cooking supply or art stores, but in Montmartre–especially along the market street, rue Lepic, you’ll find it all.

Get off at Abbesses and wander around the Basilique Sacré-Coeur. Behind the Basilique, you’ll find street artists and tiny boutiques, but while it’s very picturesque, it’s also extremely overpriced. Instead, wind down the back streets of the hill, passing by the Clos Montmartre vineyard, the only vineyard within the city confines. Make sure you bring your camera for the walk: these are some of the prettiest streets of Paris. They will lead you down to rue Lepic, where you can pick something up for lunch: I suggest a picnic in one of the parks if the weather is nice.

Keep wandering down until you come to Pigalle, the red light district of Paris. There’s not much to do here (unless you’re into that sort of thing…) but it’s an interesting neighborhood to see.

Next, jump on the metro and head to the 19th : the parc des Buttes-Chaumont is one of the most beautiful in Paris, and there are views from the top of the hill on which it is built straight across Paris, to Montmartre, which you just left. Wander around this residential neighborhood to see a different side of Paris.

For dinner, make a reservation at Chapeau Melon, a wine cave in the 20th that does table d’hôte on the weekends. You won’t make any choices, but all four courses are sure to be amazing, and you can pick any wine to go along with them.

Day 3 (Sunday)

Most everything in Paris is closed on Sundays, with one small exception: the Marais, which is the Jewish quarter. Take a walk over to the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, and check out the vintage shops. There is also a museum devoted to the city of Paris in this area.

When you’re ready for lunch, there is only one answer: falafel. There are several stands, and each one has its followers, but one of the favorites is l’As du Fallafel. Line up outside and you’ll place your order with a waiter who comes down along the line. Then carry your sandwich to the Place des Vosges to eat.

Wander back up along the rue de Rivoli through the 4th, 3rd and 2nd, and you’ll eventually come to the 8th arrondissement, home to the famous Champs-Elysées. Climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for one of the best views of Paris: the “étoile” or star, which gives the métro stop its name, of the Champs-Elysées spanning out around you.

For dinner, try one of the restaurants on pretty rue Christine in the 6th: Le Christine is fancier while Chez Fernand is more down-home French cooking. Either way, make a reservation and be sure to stop by Café Laurent on the corner for an apéritif and some live jazz before dinner.

There’s obviously a ton more to do, but for a taste, this is the perfect weekend in my city… I’m working on my student visa as we speak and counting down the days til I get home…

Angelina
224, rue de Rivoli

Café Constant
139, rue Saint-Dominique

Chapeau Melon (CLOSED)
92, rue Rebeval
01 42 02 68 60

L’As du Fallafel
34, rue des Rosiers

Café Laurent
33, rue Dauphine

Le Christine
1, rue Christine
01 40 51 71 64

Chez Fernand
9, rue Christine
01 43 25 18 55