When Noah and I were planning our trip to France the notion of including Paris in our visit took up all of three sentences,
Me: "Do you want to go to Paris?"
Noah: "No, not really."
Me: "Yeah, me either."
However, I intend to visit Paris, someday, if only to walk the city streets and become enveloped in the classic, timeless European aura.
*All photos complements of google images.*
Paris is known as the "Ile de France", or Island of France. It is not actually an island such that it is surrounded by water, and the etymology of the term is not actually clear. Wikipedia says, "The island may refer to the land between the rivers Oise, Marne and Seine, or it may also have been a reference to the Ile de la Cite, in which case "Island of France" was originally" a play on words.
The Ile de France includes Paris, Seine et Marne, Yvelines, Essonne, Hauts de Seine (upper Seine), Saint Denis, Val de Marne, and Val d'Oise, in case you were wondering.
The river Seine runs right through the center and the city itself offers a deep and rich history of architecture and culture. Just a smattering of well known tourist destinations are The Eiffel Tower, which towers above the city in la rive gauche (the left bank), the Louvre museum, the Orsay Museum, The Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart), and Notre Dame.
On The Musee d'Orsay, Wikipedia says, "located on the left bank of the Seine, it is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world, by painters including Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin and Van Gogh. It is one of the largest museums in Europe.
Looks cool inside ....
For me though, it is the Musee du Louvre that captures my interest. "A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are visible in the basement of the museum"
Sounds kind of spooky.
Note the scary clouds over the museum.
I heard it rains a lot in Paris.
Another popular landmark, the Sacre Coeur Basilica, is "located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Sacre-Coeur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the defeat of France in the 1871 Franco-Prussian War and the socialist Paris Commune of 1971 crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus."
Enough of the history lesson. Let's have some joie de vie!
As an American they will seat you earlier in the evening because that is when the waitstaff that speak English are working and they will need to translate the menu for you.
Me: "Do you want to go to Paris?"
Noah: "No, not really."Me: "Yeah, me either."
However, I intend to visit Paris, someday, if only to walk the city streets and become enveloped in the classic, timeless European aura.
*All photos complements of google images.*
Paris is known as the "Ile de France", or Island of France. It is not actually an island such that it is surrounded by water, and the etymology of the term is not actually clear. Wikipedia says, "The island may refer to the land between the rivers Oise, Marne and Seine, or it may also have been a reference to the Ile de la Cite, in which case "Island of France" was originally" a play on words.
The Ile de France includes Paris, Seine et Marne, Yvelines, Essonne, Hauts de Seine (upper Seine), Saint Denis, Val de Marne, and Val d'Oise, in case you were wondering.
The river Seine runs right through the center and the city itself offers a deep and rich history of architecture and culture. Just a smattering of well known tourist destinations are The Eiffel Tower, which towers above the city in la rive gauche (the left bank), the Louvre museum, the Orsay Museum, The Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart), and Notre Dame. On The Musee d'Orsay, Wikipedia says, "located on the left bank of the Seine, it is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world, by painters including Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin and Van Gogh. It is one of the largest museums in Europe. 
Looks cool inside ....
For me though, it is the Musee du Louvre that captures my interest. "A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are visible in the basement of the museum"
Sounds kind of spooky.
Note the scary clouds over the museum.
I heard it rains a lot in Paris.
Another popular landmark, the Sacre Coeur Basilica, is "located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Sacre-Coeur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the defeat of France in the 1871 Franco-Prussian War and the socialist Paris Commune of 1971 crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus."
Enough of the history lesson. Let's have some joie de vie!
So, where would one choose to find l'habitation en Paris?
According to Aurelia D'Andrea, the trendier right bank arrondissements (regions) has had all the affordable housing hogged by the hipsters (her words, not mine, I wouldn't know) and sent the rent sky high for all that's left. However, give the area around the Bastille (the 11th) and Canal St. Martin (10th) a try. For a more sedate atmosphere with an aura of security, "you'll love the 16th, which has a calm, homogenous ambience with a dash of Americana thrown in."
One thing I've noticed in my real estate explorations via the internet is that living areas in France are small and if you are lucky, you may be able to find a house with a garden, meaning, a small yard. In Paris, there will be no garden, and your apartment will be quite tiny. Tiny as in the whole thing being the size of your living room.
Aurelia also says that the rent will drop if the place has been on the market for more than a month. And if you are renting directly from the owner don't be afraid to negotiate.
Getting Around Paris
Public transportation is robust with options for everyone including the Metro (subway), bus, bike, boat (!), taxi, car ... but note that the Ile de France is divided into six transportation zones, the most critical to the average Parisian being zones 1, 2 and 3. Zone 5 is noteworthy as that is where the airport is. In zone 6 you can find rolling green farmland and small commuter towns.
Or, you can just hoof it. Being a compact (huge) city it is supposedly possible to walk from top to bottom in "several hours". And I would offer, with a good pair of comfy shoes.
I'm in Paris, What Should I Eat?
According to Shared Appetite, http://sharedappetite.com/eat/eat-like-a-local-in-paris/ eating in Paris is a science and an art.
For dinner, be sure to make une reservation. This evidently is done 2 weeks to 2 months (or more) in advance. Honestly, this seems extreme to me, but perhaps it is true.
As an American they will seat you earlier in the evening because that is when the waitstaff that speak English are working and they will need to translate the menu for you.
Happy news - it is not necessary or customary to leave tips in France. This is because the eating industry is revered and respected and employees make real wages. However, if you are feeling benevolent and jovial after drinking some fine French wine, feel free to extend your further gratitude by leaving another euro or two.
Fun and Useful Facts:
- Tap water is free and safe
- Mineral water costs money
- Most people drink the tap water
- There are no doggie bags
- Therefore
- It is expected that you finish everything on your plate else you be considered rude
- On the topic of rudeness, be sure to say "bonjour/bonsoir Madame/Monsieur" upon entering, and say "merci bien, or merci beaucoup" frequently whenever you see your waitperson, as well as when leaving the premises
Location in Perspective
Being the heart center of the country, Paris is just a 2 hour drive to the Normandy coast. Six hours in the car gets you to the French Alps. And to the French Riviera, a mere nine hours (I would stop in the middle in some lovely town and eat something delicious). Ten hours gets you to beautiful Barcelona, or, if you are smart, fly and get there in less than 2 hours. If you're feeling Bavarian, Munich is an 8 hour drive and the lovely town of Bern, Switzerland is under six hours by car. Again, flying would be faster but you would miss all that beautiful French scenery. 
I cannot even imagine what it would be like to live in Paris, other than there would always be something to do and somewhere to go. If you don't care about having lots of space and crave an ancient metropolitan style with deep historical, art, political, and architectural roots, it sounds like an amazing place to root down for a while.
Just for kicks, here is l'apartement I would choose for you!
For more amazing photos of this wondrous place in the Latin quarter, go here:
http://www.frenchestateagents.com/french-property-for-sale/view/61598AMU75/apartment-for-sale-in-paris-vi-paris-ile-de-france-france
Au Revoir for now!
Well done Heidi--or should I say eye-dee :) I love Musee d'Orsay and would visit that musee again before going to the Louvre. BTW, when you see Van Gogh's paintings in person you really understand that the man was tormented late in life. It is stunning, the difference of a photo of his work and the actual painting. The Hotel de Invalides is amazing and has Napoleon's tomb. Gates of Hell at the Rodin musee also very surreal, dark, bizarre to see in person.
ReplyDeleteGates if hell, next vacation destination!
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