Canicule !?

Tags

air conditioning, canicule, climatisation, heat wave

I’ve experienced hot weather in Paris before, for a day or two, but the forecast for our last week is daunting: highs in the 90’s — or even 100 degrees — almost every day!

The French call this a canicule. They usually happen in July and August — a big reason why I visit in May and June — but this year it’s early. Forecasts suggest that this week may be even worse than the historic heat wave of August, 2003, which caused the death of 15,000 people in France. Most of those people were already sick or elderly (!?), but it’s nevertheless a daunting figure!

Paris apartments rarely have air conditioning, nor does ours. We do have pretty decent cross-ventilation between courtyards on two sides, we don’t get much direct sun, and we have exterior shutters. Our strategy is to open the windows overnight when it’s cool(er), then keep the windows and shutters closed during the heat of the day.

The apartment came with a fancy Dyson fan but I went out on Saturday afternoon to buy a second fan for the other bedroom. There were lines of Parisians at Darty and a huge stack of fans right by the entrance, just like stores do with umbrellas when it rains.

When we go out we plan to spend as much time as possible in air conditioned places like museums and movie theaters. Jared has even researched which métro lines have a/c: 1,2,5,9 and 14.Wish us luck!

Update June 26, 2019: Fortunately, the forecast has become more moderate so it’s basically just a week of sunny, hot weather, not a deadly canicule. The strategy of opening up all our the windows at night (when it’s been deliciously cool) and closing both shutters and windows during the day has worked beautifully to keep our apartment cool, and it hasn’t been too hot to spend time outdoors either. Thanks to the friends and family who saw the news and/or my original post, but it looks as though all will be well!

Mot du jour: « plan c ». Eugène explained that on social networking sites this refers to a « plan climatisation », when you meet someone to take advantage of their a/c.

Assessment

This year’s Paris visit was very good, but also very different from my previous petits séjours.

The family parts of my visit were deeply rewarding. While I’ve spent time with family members on previous long stays — principally cousins Lisa, BJ and Brian — this was the first time, since my much shorter 2008 trip with my nephew Andy, that I’ve actually stayed in Paris with family: for eleven days at the start of the trip with cousins Jackie, Lisa and Aya, and almost a week at the end of May with Andy. I also had meals and an outing with Brian and his wife Sheila, as well as, after they left, an apéro with their (now our) friends Rick and Cheryl. It was the first time in my adult life I’ve shared a household with my cousins, apart from a short visit to Boston by Lisa and Aya a couple of years ago, and the first time that I’ve helped look after a four-year-old. Andy’s visit was very nostalgic for both of us, since it was the first trip we’ve taken together since our eleven-day trip to Paris ten years ago, when he was fifteen. He proved to be an avid flâneur and art enthusiast as well as a fan of planes, trains, space flight and gadgets. As I analyzed in my post Where is the Journey?, I realized this year that time with family and friends can itself be a satisfying “journey” whether or not physical travel is involved.

This was also the first time that none of my gay friends was scheduled to stay with me, although Stan and Q did crash for a couple of nights (as an “expected surprise”) and I took a three-day trip to Strasbourg with Zhizhong. Apart from my always-reliable friends Zhizhong and Elliot, the gay friends I have made here in prior years were either away or busy. The only time I set foot in a gay bar was one Sunday afternoon at Rosa Bonheur, and I only met two guys through social networking apps. The half dozen dinners I had with Theseus were enjoyable enough, but I realized from the start that he offered no possibility of an enduring friendship so in a larger sense it was a waste of time. The upshot was that this was by far the least gay of my long Paris stays. This was due in large part to my mood, but also to some extent because I was happily busy with family for much of my stay. Not, on balance, a drawback, but certainly a difference.

The apartments were excellent, apart from the problem with hot water in the shower of my second place (and the quickly-fixed gas leak). The second apartment’s rooftop location might have made it an oven in hot weather but every night during my stay was cool enough for sleep, and the superb cross-ventilation brought the cool air inside. The first apartment was in the remote 15ème, which proved surprisingly comfortable but a somewhat daunting 45-minute métro ride into the center; I was happy from that perspective to move to the central 2ème. Both apartments were rented through Airbnb, which avoided brokerage fees although it added smaller cleaning and overhead fees. As I noted before the trip, unregistered Airbnb’s are under legal attack, so it may become harder, and more expensive, to rent short-term in Paris.

Weather overall was just ok. There were some beautiful days but there were thunderstorms almost every afternoon and on the whole it was unusually cool. My conclusion is that there are no definite patterns to spring weather in Paris, except that I still consider June the safest month.

I averaged seven miles of walking per day — about twice my average at home — as usual for my Paris stays. I neither gained nor lost weight, also typical. I didn’t swim or go to the gym this year, partially because walking seems to maintain my fitness but also due to simple laziness. I was also somewhat deterred by how busy the many Parisian pools often seem to be. Another year I would hope to find an accessible pool that I could use at some quieter time of day.

In all my visits I’ve never once taken a class! This is primarily due to laziness, but also a desire to keep my time open for taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. Another year I hope I can motivate myself to take a cooking course and/or a French course.

After I realized all the cool stuff I was missing in the latter part of June I seriously considered extending my stay to the end of the month. I eventually decided to stick with my June 11 departure date because of attractions in Boston and the fact that I felt ready to head home. But another year I will try to include all of June in my stay, whether the overall visit is six or eight weeks. My previous pattern of the first two weeks of May somewhere else in Europe followed by six weeks in Paris still appeals.

As usual, I had good meals, saw a lot of stimulating art, and enjoyed exploring the endlessly interesting nooks and crannies of the city. Blogging every few days took quite a lot of time but continues to be a key facet of my petits séjours in Paris.

The dollar had weakened dramatically over the past two years, so this was a considerably more expensive trip than in 2016. My personal finances continue to be strong enough, however, that I really don’t care.

I would certainly consider another long stay in Paris, although I would also be open to trying the pattern in another city, or returning to Tokyo.

After June 11

Since my first year, when I came for the full months of April and May, my springs in Paris have included the full month of June. Initially I came for both May and June, but most recently I’ve gone somewhere else for the first two weeks of May (Italy in 2015 and the south of France in 2016), but then settled down in Paris for six weeks. This year, however, the schedule of my cousins — and the prospect of a May Day walk with Lisa! — brought me to Paris at the end of April. I rashly supposed that six weeks in Paris would be “enough,” and I didn’t feel the need for a longer break, so I scheduled my return flight for June 11.

Only after arriving and looking at the schedule for June did I realize how much I would be missing! I looked into extending to the end of the month. Changing my Delta flight would be punitively expensive, but I found a remarkably cheap direct flight on Norwegian Shuttle that would give me another couple of weeks here. I could stay in my cozy apartment for an additionaly week at the monthly rate, then could easily find another place for the last week. Only after a friend asked to stay with me in Boston for the first week I was scheduled back did I drop the idea and finally decide to stick with my original plan.

One of the many reasons to consider extending was the fact that my good friend Jared R. — who has stayed with me in Paris twice — is arriving for a week on June 12, the day after I leave! Partly for him, and partly to remind me to stay through the end of June in future years, here is a partial list of the cool stuff happening here in the latter part of June, plus my own favorites from earlier in the trip.

One of my favorite ephemeral things this year in Paris was the Au dela des limites immersive light show is on until September 9. The similar Klimt/Schiele/Hundertwasser light show is also good if one particularly likes those artists.

Surprisingly, none of the museum shows this year particularly floated my boat, but the gallery show that most strongly impressed me this year was of Afro Libio Basaldella (1912-1976), better known as “Afro,” at the Tornabuoni Art gallery in the Marais. The artist — who I hadn’t heard of — was born in Italy and worked there and in the U.S. One example is below, but if you like it please look at: [“Afro” Photo Set]. It closes on June 16.

Most importantly, La Fête de la Musique is, as always, on June 21. This has been an important part of my visits ever since I first stumbled on it in 2011: 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

The new exhibitions at the always-edgy-and-sometimes-fabulous Palais de Tokyo open on June 22. Update: they look pretty cool. Foolishly, I missed the exhibitions that closed in May.

Paris Gay Pride (the Marche des Fiertés LGBT) is on June 30 this year.

The Heures heureuses (happy hours), in which restaurants all over the city offer a little drink or a little tapas plate for 2 euros, have been slipping later each year, and in 2018 are 5-7 July. I wouldn’t extend just for that, but I did enjoy the occasion in prior years, when it was held in late June.

My general advice on things to do in Paris is in my post After the Top Ten Sights. Additionally, Time Out Paris has just launched a free weekly magazine, distributed in métro stations.

My New Home

Tags

Andy, apartments, Montorgueil, moonrise, Paris, rue Montorgueil, weather

On one occasion I was able to rent the same place — on the corner of rue Montorgueil and rue Saint Sauveur — for three years in a row. But every other year I’ve had to rent a new place because my previous apartments were no longer available. Consistency is the one real benefit of buying something here, but far outweighed by other factors.

This year’s apartment has some terrific advantages and a few distinct drawbacks, most of which I was aware of when I decided to reserve it.

The location is basically perfect: just a few blocks above rue Montorgueil, on the same physical street. Unlike prior places I’m not under continual surveillance by fabric porters, or forced to walk by a row of prostitutes to get to the nearest métro. The immediate neighborhood is profoundly quiet at night; while I loved the energy of being right on rue Montorgueil the cheerful noise of eating and drinking ran late into the night, especially on weekends.

The most remarkable benefit of this place is the light and air. Four large windows face east and four smaller skylights face west, so on a bright day I get direct sunshine all day long. By opening opposing windows I can get as much through ventilation as I want.

Morning sun

Afternoon sun

Cosy (if a tad kitschy) decor

Apart from the view onto rue Montorgueil, which was a mixed blessing, this apartment has the loveliest view of anywhere I’ve rented.

The charming view

A couple more pics out the windows from later in my stay:

Storm clouds and blue sky on the courtyard side

The moon rising across the street, from a roof window

The apartment is also one of the largest I’ve rented, and it has exposed beams which you only see in older buildings. This place has an elevator up four of the five flights, which I prefer for this level although I’m equally happy to live up three flights of stairs without an elevator.

This place does have a few drawbacks:

• The kitchen and bathroom fixtures haven’t been updated in decades. They work, but show their age.
• The hot water pressure in the shower is a trickle, and I’m told that nothing can be done about it. This isn’t a big issue for people who are used to camping out, like me and my nephew Andy (who will be visiting in a couple of weeks) but it could come as quite a shock to someone used to a reasonable quality hotel.
• The apartment is at the top of the building, so will be an oven in hot weather. This is mitigated somewhat by the excellent through ventilation, but my hope is that the weather will stay mild until I leave, in the second week of June. (Air conditioning is rare and inordinately expensive in Paris rental apartments.)
• There’s a school yard on the east side. It isn’t visible, but from 8:20 am to as late as 6 pm on school days the happy sound of children playing is almost continuous. I haven’t found this too annoying, and I have ear plugs and noise-cancelling headphones if necessary. I’m normally out and about in the daytime, however, and it’s beautifully quiet at night, when it’s more important.

Overall, I’m very happy here, and as long as the hot water doesn’t stop altogether, and we don’t get a heat wave, I think this will be a fully satisfactory home away from home.

Update: One additional drawback of the apartment has been definitively fixed, although it was eye-opening. From my arrival I noticed a sour smell in parts of the kitchen. It took a few days to decide that it was the odorant added to residential natural gas (THT) coming from somewhere near the gas meter. I messaged my host about this but she assured me that it was just a by-product of combustion interacting with air pollution. I was skeptical so I mixed up some soapy water and daubed it on the suspect junction, on the supply side of the meter. Bubbles immediately appeared, showing a rather fast gas leak. The leak was promptly fixed by a City of Paris professional and I have had no further problems. Ventilation in the apartment is so amazing that there was never a risk of explosion (or dying in my sleep!) but this reminds one of the need to be observant, and persistent.

Update: When you stay in a hotel you are shielded from the practicalities of managing an apartment, but when you rent for a month or more you encounter a variety of curious things. Three years ago I had to keep leaving the key with a neighbor to allow various mysterious processes to take place in my apartment while I was out and about. Early in this year’s stay I had a visitation by a team of three electrical engineers, who poked around in the electrical box. Then (unrelated I think) my landlord informed me that the electricity in the entire building would be out from 8:30 am to 5 pm on a particular day. I organized for this but in the event there was an electrician’s strike and it was rescheduled for a few days later, when the work finally got done. Most curiously, just now, I was working at my laptop in my sleeping shorts and two rough-hewn guys called out from the hall window. They said they needed to get onto the roof from my apartment in order to secure a window in the adjacent apartment that had been broken by a fallen antenna. I was a bit dubious about this until the landlord, who lives in the apartment below, stuck his head out his window, verified their bona fides, then came up to supervise while they climbed out the window and did their work. My nephew Andy had left early that morning; if he were still there it would have been quite a little impromptu get-together!

En Famille

Tags

Ali, apartment, Aya, bis, Jackie, Lisa, May Day, meals, neighborhoods, Paris, quater, ter, Virgule, weather, Zhizhong

The unique feature of this year’s petit séjour is that the first part is en famille. I’m staying for ten days in the 15ème arrondissement with my first cousin Jackie, her daughter Lisa and Lisa’s four-year-old daughter Aya.

Jackie, Aya and Lisa in our intensively furnished Airbnb in the 15ème

Our apartment is lovely, well-designed and filled with light. It’s also filled with a fascinating collection of bric-a-brac. The location is safe and quiet, well served with grocery stores and boulangeries, albeit completely lacking in anything that might interest a tourist (I haven’t noticed one since I’ve been here). We chose the area to be close to our friend — Lisa’s former partner — Ali. I’ll move to central Paris next week, but I have to admit that living here is perfectly pleasant, and perfectly Parisien.

The day I arrived the weather was dreadful, cold, windy and rainy. The flight was early but there was a SNAFU. The plane landed in the distant reaches of Charles de Gaulle airport, and the five buses sent to take us to the terminal left me behind, along with two dozen other passengers (and the entire crew). We waited for ten minutes or so on the freezing exit steps until the crew invited us back into the plane, where it was at least half an hour more before a sixth bus finally arrived to rescue us.

The was also a SNAFU concerning the address. Lisa had correctly told me that our building was at « 15 quater, rue A___ B____. ». I didn’t know what to make of quater, which isn’t in my Larousse, so I ignored it … to my sorrow! I was well acquainted with 15 bis, which means a second entry with the same number, somewhat like 15A. And I congratulated myself on having also encountered the enigmatic ter, which would in America be 15B. But Lisa had to explain by telephone, after the door code didn’t work at 15, that quater is yet another entry beyond ter!

15	15 Bis
15 Ter	15 Quater

After quater I personally give up but for the curious I offer this link. Jackie called me with the same problem when she arrived later in the day. I’m afraid I was laughing too hard to be properly sympathetic!  2019 Update: So far absolutely everyone (except one Uber driver) has been confused by Quater the first time they visit, even when we’ve tried to explain it beforehand.

One of the peak experiences my first year in Paris — 2010 — was a walk across half the city with Lisa on May Day. We planned my arrival to allow us to take another May Day walk, adjusting gracefully to the changed route of the march and the inclusion of my new hyper-radical first-cousin-twice-removed Aya. Luckily, the weather was much improved, so we had a delightful walk, after a longer bus ride than we had expected. We arrived at Place d’Italie a bit after the main demonstration, but still managed to borrow a red flag for a classic photo op.

Aya waving the Socialist banner to demand equal rights for all!

Zhizhong was busy at work that afternoon — on a jour férié ?!! — but he joined us later for a lovely reunion dinner, at Virgule, near Place d’Italie.

Jackie, Lisa, Aya, Bob and Zhizhong at our May Day dinner.

The adventure in dining begins!

That afternoon we noticed some curious posters, for another demonstration next Saturday.

Google Translate explains that la fête à Macron means “the party in [President] Macron.” Sounds like fun!

Mot du jour: faire la fête à, to beat up.

Encore !

Tags

apartment, France, Montorgueil, Paris, renting in paris, ventilation, view

After my second spring in Paris I was determined not to become “the guy who goes to Paris every spring.” But of course I now am that guy, and it isn’t so bad. Now if I ever decided to stay home for May and June my family and friends would be surprised and concerned. So, yes, I’m going back!

I was unable to rent the fabulous apartment I was in last year because the owner is using it himself for most of June. I’m on good terms with him, however, and I do hope to be able to stay there again another year.

The rental process this year was quite frustrating! After learning that last year’s apartment wasn’t available (despite appearing so on the web site) I made an offer on another place but didn’t hear back for several weeks (admittedly over Christmas). It turned out that Paris Attitude couldn’t receive emails from me with attachments, including any reply I tried to send to a message from them which had attachments. This led to a lot of misunderstanding and unhappiness! Especially when it turned out that the second place had also slipped through my fingers! Eventually I started calling them instead of emailing, and after I figured out what was going on I was able to send attachments by mailing to the broker’s gmail account. As an I.T. professional I was underwhelmed!

Fortunately, I ended up renting a very nice one-bedroom apartment in the same neighborhood as last year, arriving May 12 and leaving June 30. Full details on the apartment are at this link.

It’s the same price, and broadly similar, although I was so spoiled last year that I couldn’t help noticing some differences:

• Last year’s place looked down a side street, but the view from this year’s apartment is of buildings across the street;
• I got some afternoon sun last year but this apartment faces north so it will at best get reflected sun from across the street, or possibly a little in the bedroom;
• No desk (though there are several surfaces that it may be possible to re-purpose);
• Two windows on the street instead of three (yes I know, #firstworldproblems);
• One window in the bedroom, and that mysteriously blocked, in place of the two delightful windows on the courtyard last year;
• A bit smaller (49 sq m), though last year’s place was unnecessarily large (65 sq m);
• No elevator, but this year’s place on the French 2nd floor (vs. 3rd last year), and I rarely used the elevator last year anyway; and
• Last — and least — last year’s place had two sinks in the bathroom — not sure how I will survive, when guests visit, with only one!

Like last year’s place the apartment is fully furnished, and has Internet, wifi, washer, drier and dishwasher. Neither have microwave ovens, so I will either do without or get a cheap one again this year. Each unit has a sofa bed in the living room, a modern bathroom, and a separate toilet. Both places have through ventilation, with living room windows on the street and bedroom window on the courtyard. This year’s place doesn’t have many advantages over last year, but I do like the ceiling beams (poutres exposées), which I missed last year. [Updates on how the apartment turned out are in the next post.]

Kvetching aside, this year’s apartment looks lovely and comfy. I look forward to settling in there, and welcoming visitors to join me!

An Alfred Sisley Pilgrimage

Tags

Alfred Sisley, An Hour from Paris, Art, Brian, Brian Boyle, Cheryl, chip and pin, chip-and-signature, France, impressionism, Loing, meals, Moret-sur-Loing, RER, Rick, River Loing, Saint-Mammès, Sheila, Sheila Boyle, SNCF, train tickets, Trains

On Sunday I joined my cousin Brian Boyle, his wife Sheila, and their favorite travel couple — Rick and Cheryl — for a day trip to Moret-sur-Loing, where the impressionist painter Alfred Sisley lived and worked. We used the guide book I have so often appreciated, An Hour From Paris, by Annabel Simms.

Rick, Cheryl, Sheila and cousin Brian, setting out from the Gare de Lyon.

There’s an SNCF express train which takes just half an hour, but it wasn’t running this weekend so we took an RER D local that gets to Moret-sur-Loing in an hour.

You enter and leave Moret-sur-Loing through impressive gates in the medieval town wall.

You enter and leave Moret-sur-Loing through gates in the medieval wall.

After finding Sisley’s house we looked back at the town from the bridge over the Loing.

The cathedral and a mill building, from the bridge over the Loing.

We weren’t quite ready for lunch so we had coffees in Moret-sur-Loing and walked along the river to the adjacent town of Saint-Mammès. The banks of the Loing were quite lovely.

Sheila and Cheryl. Our walk continued across the river and over to the adjacent village of Saint-Mammès.

Sisley painted this scene, which looks much the same today.

Restaurants often close at 2 pm, especially in the provinces, so around 1:30 we followed a bunch of promising signs toward what we supposed was the center of town. After about a mile with no indications of commerce we stopped a kid on a bicycle and asked where the restaurants were. He was initially stumped, then waved vaguely back towards the river and said, « là-bas » (“down there”). After a more careful Google maps check I realized that we had been walking away from the restaurant area, and a fast walk would just get us there by 2 o’clock. We made it with moments to spare … but everything was already closed! Except a Turkish place that was waiting for another diner to finish … which served us a welcome if not exactly gourmet meal. Disaster narrowly avoided, we strolled back along the river bank and returned to Paris from the Saint-Mammès railroad station.

We had intentionally purchased one-way tickets in Paris because we weren’t sure which station we’d return from. There was nobody at the station, but I was able to buy tickets from the machine using one of my trusty chip-and-pin credit cards (not to be confused with the chip-and-signature cards that are becoming standard in the U.S.) I was bemused, however, to find that the provincial machine, unlike the one at Gare de Lyon, would only issue one ticket at a time, so I had to repeat the process five times. If none of us had had a chip-and-pin card we would have had to get 46 euros in coins from somewhere, which might have been quite a daunting task!

We wrapped up our excursion with drinks at the gorgeous restaurant in the Gare de Lyon, Le Train Bleu.

My full photo set is at: An Alfred Sisley Pilgrimage – Moret-sur-Loing

Yet Another Spring in Paris!

Tags

2ème arrondissement, apartment, euro to dollar exchange rate, exchange rate, Experimental Cocktail Club, layout, Montorgueil, Paris, rue Montorgueil, ventilation, view

I’m pleased to report that I’ve made arrangements to spend six weeks in Paris this spring! (May 13 to June 29) I’ve rented a lovely-looking apartment in the 2ème arrondissement, just two blocks from my beloved rue Montorgueil. Here’s a glimpse of the living room:The full description of the apartment is at this link. These were the criteria I used to select this place from hundreds of online options:

• Location is of course a primary consideration. I wanted to rent near the center of the city, in or near an animated area (bakeries, food stores, shops, cafés, restaurants, etc.), but not in an area that is too heavily trampled by tourists. This apartment is two blocks from bustling rue Montorgueil, which is active without being too touristy. The only wild card is whether daytime commercial activity on rue des Jeuneurs may be somewhat annoying. I’m sure it will be quiet at night, though, and while I loved looking out on the activity of rue Montorgueil I think it will be a lot easier to get to sleep in this apartment.
• Decor. Last year’s apartment was very well located, but it looked a bit rundown from the photos, and it turned out to be dirty and poorly maintained. It was 500 euros per month less than this one, but when you are spending 6-8 weeks in a place you really do want it to be pleasant. The photos of this place make it look truly inviting, even though it lacks the exposed beams that have graced most of my previous rental places.
  
• Stairs/Elevator. My first year both places I rented were on the French 5th floor — five flights up — with no elevator. The stairs weren’t a physical challenge but I felt psychologically distanced from the ground. For example, I would sometimes eat a stale baguette for breakfast instead of going down to buy a fresh one! In subsequent years I’ve rented on the French 3rd floor and had no issues. This apartment is on the French 3rd but also — a first for me — has an elevator! I hope I’ll mostly use the stairs but it will be nice not to have to schlep my big suitcase up three flights when I arrive.
• Amenities. High-speed internet and WiFi are now typical, but it would be a huge inconvenience to rent somewhere that didn’t offer them. I like a place with a washer/dryer, keeping in mind that most French units do a poor job of drying so you must plan on hanging most of your clothes anyway. A dishwasher isn’t essential, but is nice to have. I personally like to have a desk and chair for my computer, which this place offers.
• Layout and View. French apartments usually have no air conditioning, so it’s important to make sure they have good ventilation. The ideal configuration — which I found this year — is through ventilation between windows on the street and windows on the courtyard. It’s also appealing to get some sun and a view in the living room, while having the bedroom open onto the (usually) quieter courtyard. Because I like to invite friends to visit I prefer to have the toilet accessible both from the bedroom and from the sofa bed in the living room. (The apartment on the corner of rue Montorgueil and rue Saint-Sauveur that I rented for several years was in most respects wonderful, but having to go through the bedroom to get to the toilet was suboptimal.)
• Cost. I set a budget limit of 2,200 euros per month this year, and this apartment came in right at the top of my range. The extraordinary fall in the euro relative to the U.S. dollar will make this year’s petit sejour in Paris much cheaper than in prior years, however. In the past 12 months the euro has dropped from $1.38 to $1.09:  US Dollar to Euro Exchange Rate Graph – Mar 10, 2014 to Mar 6, 2015

Paris – After the Top Ten Sights

Tags

Albert Kahn museum, Alcohol, Alfred Sisley, An Hour from Paris, Arc de Triomphe, Bastille, Bercy Village, Bois de Vincennes, Canal Saint-Martin, Catacombs of Paris, Château, Château de Vincennes, crime, day trips, drinking, Eiffel Tower, Grand Palais, Institut du monde arabe, Jardin de Luxembourg, Jardin de Reuilly, l'Oasis d'Aboukir, Latin Quarter, L’Étoile Manquante, l’officiel des spectacles, LB Café, le Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, le musée du quai Branly, le Musée Jaquemart-André, Marais, Metro, Montmartre, Montorgueil, Moret-sur-Loing, mugging, Musée Carnavalet, Musée d’art moderne, Musée des Arts et Métiers, Musée Rodin, Musee d'Orsay, museums, Opéra Garnier, Open Café, Palais de Tokyo, Palais Royal, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Parc Floral, Parc Monceau, Parc Montsouris, Paris, Pariscope, Passy-Auteuil, Petit Palais, pickpockets, Place des Vosges, Pompidou, Pompidou Center, Promenade plantée, Provins, Public Drinking, Rambouillet, Rosa Bonheur, rue de Charonne, rue Montorgueil, safety, Seine, Senlis, train

The Top Ten Sights

[If you just want to see what my life in Paris has been like you can skip this post.]

On your first visit to Paris, like everyone else, you will go up the Eiffel Tower.

Iconic!

You will go to the Louvre and take a snapshot of the Mona Lisa.  You will gaze in awe at the facade of Notre-Dame. You will have an ice cream made by Berthillon on l’Île Saint-Louis. You will take a Bateau Mouche tour of the Seine. You will stroll along the Champs-Elysée up to the Arc de Triomphe.

Arc de Triomphe

You will eat a soggy crêpe at a stand in the Latin Quarter. You will climb the south slope of Montmartre up to Sacré Coeur and be dazzled by the view.

In all of those places you will be surrounded by other tourists doing exactly the same things, clutching their maps and mobile phones to ensure that they never stray from the well-worn Tourist Track.

Not only will you do these things, you must do them, and you should do them. Why? Because these places are iconic, and your friends would never forgive you if you didn’t. Because that’s what it means to go to Paris for the first time. And, last but not least, because they’re fabulous. It is not tragic that everywhere you go those first few days will be excruciatingly touristy. It’s normal.

Every travel book will tell you how to see the top ten tourist spots over your first few days, and I leave this task to them. But when you have gotten this out of your system — after your first few days, or on your second visit — read on. This post is about what to do after you’ve seen the top sights.

Getting Ready for More

First off you will need some technology. Get the RATP app, the Métro app and the TripAdvisor City Guide app that I describe in my Getting Into Paris post. These will help you get around and enable you to stray as far as you like from the beaten path without anxiety. And if your battery runs out just stroll for a bit until you run across a métro station. They all have detailed maps with a red dot labelled « Vous Etes Ici » (You Are Here). While you may have to change lines once or twice there will always be a station within a few blocks of your hotel.

Next, find out what’s happening in Paris. One excellent resource is the City of Paris English web site at this link (and there’s lots more on the French language site). For under a euro you can pick up a copy of Pariscope or l’officiel des spectacles at any newsstand (they come out on Wednesday). The text is in French but you should be able to puzzle out most of the listings even if you don’t read the language. Look in particular for exhibitions at the Grand Palais and Petit Palais.

Last but not least, shift gears. You are no longer checking off “must-see” sights. It is not important that you see the eleventh through twentieth best things in Paris. What you want now is to have some personally rewarding experiences, connecting in one way or other with this big, complex and fascinating city. Slow down, let your blood pressure drop a few points, and look up from your maps! What aspects of the city do you want to explore over these next few days?

Indoor or Outdoor?

The first big question is whether you’ll be exploring outdoors or looking for something under a roof. This obviously depends on weather as well as your own preferences. My one additional observation is that Paris can be lovely in the rain if you have the right gear to keep warm and dry, and you’ll want that gear anyway to get to an indoor destination if it’s raining.

Indoor Options

These are just a few suggestions out of a myriad of wonderful indoor options. Do two things in each case on line before you set out: Check the opening days and hours, and see what special exhibitions are on offer.

• Musée d’Orsay
  This wonderful museum is on many top-ten lists, but if not it certainly deserves top consideration as your next indoor destination. Buy your tickets on line or at a travel agent to avoid the ticket line, which can be more than an hour long. When you enter go left and take the elevator or escalators up to the fifth floor, to start with the Impressionist masterpieces. There’s plenty more on lower floors but you don’t want to risk getting tired before you reach the top.
• Pompidou Center
  The Pompidou is fun to look at since its structural elements and mechanical systems are on the outside, color coded. But it also has a great collection of modern art, an ok collection of contemporary art, and interesting rotating exhibitions. Your ticket also lets you see whatever is going on an the French first floor, opposite the escalators to the main floors. And whatever you do, check out the view from the top floor.
• Musée des Arts et Métiers
  If you like machines and technology allow a half-day for this enormous grab-bag of mechanical stuff, ranging from tiny scientific instruments to giant steam engines.
• Musée Carnavalet (closed for renovations until the end of 2019) This is the museum of the history of Paris. It’s also a marvelous grab-bag — of art, furnishings and memorabilia. Like all the City of Paris museums, it’s free, and closed on Mondays. But note that until the end of 2019 collections from the French Revolution, 19th century and the Belle Époque are closed for renovation.
• Opéra Garnier
  Strangely, I’ve never taken the tour of this utterly gorgeous building, but friends tell me it’s excellent. (I have been to several performances in the new opera building at Bastille. It’s a great space but you must reserve in the first few days tickets go on sale to get affordable tickets.)
• Catacombs of Paris
  These vast underground tunnels are where the bones are stashed when construction work wipes out a cemetery, most notably by Haussmann’s renovation of Paris in the mid 19th century. It’s ghoulish but fascinating. I’ve described the experience thusly: Ten minutes of “When do we get to the bones?” Ten minutes of silence. Then half an hour of “When do we get to the end of the bones?”
• Other Museums
  There are a hundred museums in Paris!  Among those I’ve enjoyed are le Musée Rodin (which needs good weather because at least half the masterpieces are in the extensive gardens), the odd and wonderful le Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, the informative Institut du monde arabe (which offers a great view from the roof even if you don’t want to buy a ticket to the museum), the primitive-art-museum-that-dare-not-speak-its-name le musée du quai Branly, one of several house-museums, le Musée Jaquemart-André, the city’s answer to the Pompidou, the Musée d’art moderne, and the adjacent — wild and wooly — contemporary art museum, the  Palais de Tokyo (but confirm first that the exhibitions are open). Some are quite obscure, but nearly all will reward your time. How about trying a museum that isn’t in the guidebook, or even in this post??  A full list is at this link.

Outdoor Options

• • People-Watching from a Café
    This is one of the most delightful things you can do in Paris. You can do it almost anywhere, but here are some of my favorite spots.
    • My favorite street for people watching is rue Montorgueil in the 2e, and my very favorite table is at the LB Café with a view down rue Tiquetonne as well as up and down Montorgueil. You will see all sorts of people, from stylish youths to women pushing baby carriages, to still-elegant retirees. Some foreign tourists — increasing every year — but still mostly French. Order an expensive coffee or kir and nurse it for an hour or two as you take in the passing parade!  Then become part of the parade yourself as you stroll up to the top of the street, beyond the arch, to check out the L’Oasis d’Aboukir.
    • A close second, though much more touristy, is L’Étoile Manquante on rue Vielle du Temple in the Marais, at the intersection with rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie. Or if you want a stronger gay flavor, the classic Open Café on rue des Archives.
    • Another busy and stylish place is Bercy Village, a posh shopping area at the Cour Saint-Émilion métro stop.
  •  Stroll Along the Promenade Plantée
    This is a linear park along the top of a disused railway viaduct – the (earlier) Parisian version of New York’s High Line. Depending on the season it has beautiful flowers, and always offers commanding city views. The elevated portion ends with a pedestrian bridge over the green center of the Jardin de Reuilly, a favorite sunbathing spot. You can plan lunch at le Janissaire, then continue another mile or so along a portion of the tracks that ran through a depressed cut. Or you can window shop your way back to Bastille by dozens of artist studios and art-related stores that have been created in the arches of the viaduct.
  • Have a Picnic
    There are so many great parks to choose from!  A few of my favorites are:
    • the lovely little Place des Vosges and the similar garden of the Palais Royal
    • the big and beautiful Jardin du Luxembourg
    • posh little Parc Monceau
    • large and hilly and un-touristy Parc Montsouris
    • spectacular though somewhat remote Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, which has the wonderful ginguette Rosa Bonheur in the top corner (near métro Botzaris), and the delightful little Temple de la Sibylle overlooking its man-made lake.
    • The Bois de Vincennes on the east side of Paris (like the Bois de Boulougne on the west) is dauntingly enormous, but there are great things to do there: rent a boat on the lake, visit the gorgeous Parc Floral, go to the brand-new zoo, tour the Château de Vincennes, etc. Just make sure the métro stop you go to is within walking distance of the part of the park you’re aiming for!

    But don’t limit yourself to parks. There are other lovely spots to picnic.

    • The banks of the Seine are classic spots for a picnic, especially around or in the vicinity of the two islands at the city’s center. Just go down one of the flights of steps and find your perfect spot.
    • Another favorite place to picnic is along the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin in the 10e. Most charming is the section from rue du Faubourg du Temple (where it emerges from its long tunnel) up to the bend when it turns towards the east.

    Everyone seems to have wine or beer with their picnics, except in parks where a sign specifically prohibits alcohol, but the legal picture in theory appears to be quite complex. My thought is that if others are drinking in the same area and you aren’t rowdy you are unlikely to get more than a warning. In particular there doesn’t seem to be an “open container” law like in the U.S., just prohibitions on actually drinking in public.

  • Take a Walking Tour
    Strangely, I’ve never taken an organized tour, but it should be worthwhile. There are good self-guided walking tours in the TripAdvisor City Guide app mentioned above, and if you speak French and have data on your mobile there are fascinating (albeit uneven) self-guided tours at ParisInconnu.com that I enjoyed in 2014.
  • Get Lost on Your Own!
    This is my favorite thing to do in Paris. You always find something interesting, especially if you’re willing to divert from your original plan to do down a curious alley or investigate an attractive patch of greenery. Here are some possible areas to try, but don’t let this list limit you. In each case zig-zag through the area, exploring side streets, arcades (passages) and alleys as well as the main street.
    • • Le Marais, 4e
        The lower Marais, the 4e arrondissement, is a classic area for strolling — and getting lost. There are plenty of restaurants and shops, open even on Sunday. The busiest and most touristy area is north of rue de Rivoli but I recommend a quieter stroll also on the other side of rue de Rivoli, including the little pedestrian area called Village Saint-Paul.
      • Montorgueil, 2e
        This is a nest of narrow pedestrianized streets chock full of shops, restaurants and bars.
      • Latin Quarter, 5e and 6e
        There are curious walking areas in every direction from the fountain of Saint Michel. Notice the throngs of tourists to the east. Check out the many bookstores downhill from Odéon. Stroll up past the Sorbonne to the Panthéon, then continue down to the charming old market street rue Mouffetard.
      • rue de Charonne, 11e
        This is a hip and slightly edgy area. Be sure to go up and down the side streets!
      • Montmartre, 18e
        Lots of tourists, but also lots of fun windy streets. Be sure to explore the north side of the hill as well as the busier south side.
      • Passy-Auteuil, 16e
        Yes, this is where the rich people live. And indeed there are sterile canyons of wealthy apartments. But some of those buildings are gorgeous, and there are some nice restaurants and bars there if you can put up with locals dripping with money and privilege (and English). Start at with a coffee at posh La Gare, at métro La Muette.

    I never worry much about safety in the daytime – you can basically go anywhere within the Peripherique highway (which you can’t cross without noticing!) At night you might want to ask your hotel if you plan to stray far from the touristy zones, but even in the dark much of the city feels quite safe. The type of crime you’re more likely to encounter is a pickpocket or mobile-snatcher on the métro, at a railroad station or in a crowded museum or other tourist area, though kids from the rougher suburbs are reputed to go in for street robberies now and then. There are also scams such as petitions, shell games, gold rings, etc. that you should just ignore. Paris is beefing up its police presence to reduce crime against tourists.

Day Trips Outside of Paris

In the unlikely event that you run out of things to do in Paris proper I am a big fan of the guidebook, An Hour From Paris. I’ve done a dozen day trips from it over my years in Paris, each accessible by train:

• • • Chantilly
    • Château d’Écouen – Musée national de la Renaissance
    • La Ferté-Milon and a 4-1/2 mile walk along the Canal de l’Ourcq (wonderful)
    • The Jean-Jacques Rousseau museum in Montmorency
    • Parc de Sceaux (only 15 minutes from Paris; gorgeous though rather recent restoration of Le Nôtre park)
    • Crécy-la-Chapelle (wonderful though requires a train change)
    • Conflans-Sainte-Honorine and Andrésy (wonderful)
    • Champs-sur-Marne (where the château has now reopened)
    • Albert Kahn museum and garden in Boulogne
    • Alfred Sisley Pilgrimage to Moret-sur-Loing
    • Senlis
    • Provins
    • Rambouillet

Eating!

Last but not least, Paris is a paradise for food. My own forays have only scratched the surface but you can check out Dining Off (and On) the Beaten Path if you like. The TripAdvisor City Guide has suggestions and reviews. You might also like the The Fork site or app, which allows online reservations and also offers discounts.

Getting Into Paris

Tags

CDG, Charles de Gaulle, chip and pin, Eurostar, Getting Into Paris, Metro, Orly, Paris by Train, RER, RoissyBus, taxi, TGV

Paris has a wonderful public transit system, but there are a few tricks that it helps to know in advance, depending on how you arrive and where in Paris you’re going. (This post is a work in progress that I will update as I get more information.) If you’re just interested in my experiences in Paris, however, you can jump to the next post.

I highly recommend the wonderful RATP app, for iOS and Android. The only problem is that it requires data, so you will need to find a WiFi (which the French pronounce as “wee-fee”) hotspot if you don’t have data in France. In that case you will also want to get a navigation app that doesn’t require data access, such as:

• Paris métro (99 cents) – Not as powerful as RATP, since you have to specify your starting métro station, it doesn’t include busses, and it’s limited to Paris and immediate suburbs.  Beginners may, however, prefer its relatively simple map and the fact that the index includes only Paris métro and RER stations.
• TripAdvisor City Guides – Paris – This doesn’t navigate but it has a good, zoomable city map that doesn’t require data. It also has lots of information on restaurants and sightseeing, all of which is downloaded to your phone so does not need data access. Allow some time to download the Paris City Guide via WiFi before you leave home.

Your navigation app — or your host — will help you find out where to go on the métro and RER once you get into the city. But you still have to get into Paris.

Charles de Gaulle Airport

Most international travelers will arive at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), in a northeastern suburb called Roissy. You have three main options for getting into Paris, although the confusing CDG website shows lots of others.

Taxi

If you feel like paying 50-70 euros follow the signs for taxis. Make sure you get a real one, with a Taxi sign on top. Yankee that I am, I’ve never done this, but if I were traveling with two or three other people, or had several pieces of heavy luggage, I would. If you don’t speak French you might prefer this option, although if you’re brave and frugal read on.

Paris by Train – RER

I have always come in on the suburban train system, or RER (pronounced “Air-Err-Air,” for just under 10 euros. Follow the signs for “Paris by Train,” or you can use the CDGVAL shuttle to take you directly to the nearest train station. (Don’t go to the TGV train station, you want the RER.)

You can get a train ticket either by waiting in line for a human vendor or by using one of the many vending machines. You can use U.S. credit cards or euro bills with the human, but the machines take only chip-and-pin cards or euro coins. (Note that the chip-and-signature cards currently being rolled out in the U.S. probably won’t work in these machines. You need a chip-and-pin card like the one I got from Andrews Federal Credit Union.) If you have euro bills but not enough coins there is a change machine in an obscure corner, or you may be able to get change from the Info desk if the line is shorter.

Once you have your ticket, use it to get onto the platform. Always save your train and métro tickets until you leave the station at your final destination. All the trains will be going to Paris, but it’s worth waiting for an express train. This will not say “express,” but there will be a scrolling sign showing the stations where each train stops, and you want one whose first stops outside the airport are Gare du Nord and Châtelet.  The train will continue to Saint-Michel and Denfert-Rochereau, and other irrelevant places. Depending on your location within the city you will probably want to get off at one of the Paris stations. If you have to take the métro and/or another RER line to get to your ultimate destination just keep using your train ticket.

The RER normally takes about an hour to get into the city, but there are often delays for one reason or another so it’s good if you have some mode of communication with your host. It may also take an additional half-hour or so by métro and/or RER if you’re not staying near one of the listed stations.

Note that you cannot rely on finding escalators or elevators at Paris métro and RER stations so you may end up carrying your luggage up and down quite a few flights of steps — good practice, probably, for when you arrive at your apartment!

RoissyBus

The RoissyBus takes you from the CDG terminals to Opéra. It costs 10 euros and you pay a person so there are no hassles with machines. If your destination is near Opéra you may find this useful.You will need to buy a métro ticket, however, if you can’t walk to your destination from Opéra.

My issue with RoissyBus was one time when there was a huge crowd at Opéra and busses to CDG kept filling up. I eventually caught my flight but it seemed needlessly stressful. The train basically never fills up, though it can be standing room only.

Orly Airport

The transport options are simlar at Orly, although I have never arrived there myself. It’s closer than CDG but it still takes about an hour to travel to or from the city center.

There is a bus between Place Denfert-Rochereau and Orly that appears to operate like the RoissyBus. It currently costs 7.50 euro.

Eurostar Train

The Eurostar runs from St. Pancras station in London through the Channel Tunnel to and from Gare du Nord in Paris, which is central and well-connected. All you need to do is buy a ticket and take the métro or RER to your destination.

Note that Eurostar prices vary widely depending on when you buy the ticket, like airplane tickest. Plan ahead!

Returning to the Airport

If you return to the airport by métro and/or RER you’ll want to confirm that the relevant métro and trains are running normally before you set off. You can check this (in French) on the RATP “state of the network” website. There are frequent strikes in France against all types of transport. When the RER is affected the strike usually takes the form of a reduced number of trains rather than a complete interruption of service. But if this is happening you will want to allow more time to catch your train, or you may want to switch to the RoissyBus.