Seeing Paris
Paris arrondissements, neighborhoods, day trips, museums, monuments, greenery, tours, guides, walks and wheels, cultural places open, closed and renovating
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Iconic Paris Walk Along the Seine
Sometimes views only change with the seasons. I had to wonder how many times these same scenes have been photographed over the years. The scenes are iconic and never seem to be boring. We went for a walk along the Seine yesterday between Gare d'Austerlitz and Cathrédale Notre-Dame de Paris. We enjoyed a salad for dinner on the Ile-Saint-Louis with the sun setting. People were lined up at the Batobus* stop for Notre-Dame. Were they all in line for the sunset cruise? Not all could be accommodated, and they waited for the next one.
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Treasure Hunt at Musée d’Orsay
We sat under the lion statue at the Musée d'Orsay counting up our scores: four teams. The four teams: a mother and daughter (12); three teenagers; the aunt and uncle; and two retired flight attendants. The post-hunt questions: "Did you ever find that chair?", "Where did you find Sarah Bernhadt?", "Did you see "The Voyager" statue?, "Wasn't it a fun way to see a museum?" Daisy de Plume scores a winner again with another hour and a half treasure hunt adventure. THATd'Or (Treasure hunt at the d'Orsay) is the newest addition
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Teenagers Visiting Paris
A Canadian journalist asked me how to visit Paris with teenagers. So I found out. Find some steps, a curb or grass to sit on in the afternoon. Bring a skateboard ( or longboard) to Paris and map out a city journey or practice session. Plan a picnic on a quai along the Seine or go on a bike tour. Run around the Louvre on a treasure hunt. Buy manga books or Goth and Lolita-style clothing in the Bastille area. Go shopping at any of the Paris malls or second-hand stores or go to a can-can show or how about that scary mansion in the tenth arrondissement on rue de…
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The Paris Zoo Reopens – An Afternoon Visit
The Paris Zoo (Parc Zoologique de Paris) celebrated its eightieth anniversary with a reopening in June 2014. The six-year closure was necessary to plan renovations. The zoo had never had been renovated or upgraded since 1934.
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How to Visit the Tour Saint-Jacques – Châtelet
If you want to begin your pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, begin at the Tour Saint-Jacques in Paris/Châtelet. Or skip the pilgrimage and reserve on line for the panoramic view from the top of the tower. Reservations open on line every Monday morning for one of seventeen available spots.
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Yves Saint Laurent Archives On The Internet
You might think that ball gowns are a thing of the past. In the second half of the 20th century, Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent traveled with the "jet-set", artists, fashionistas and aristocracy in a world alive now in memories and imaginations. In the 1950s and 1960s, this crowd wore the designs of Yves Saint Laurent to château balls. Today, the memories and imaginations are kept digitally alive.
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THATLou Hunts Treasure at the Louvre
The Louvre treasure hunt begins when "Daisy de Plume" sends you an email dropping hunting hints written with tongue in cheek humor. Once you set off on a THATLou (Treasure Hunt at the Louvre) treasure hunt, your eyes capture a multitude of treasure in one and half hours. Add to this the excitement of looking for specific treasures, taking specific photos for bonus points, posing in front of treasure in specific poses, learning to write a limerick, experimenting with strategy and naming your team.
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Handy QR Codes for Paris Buses and Museums
QR codes are a handy way to visit Paris. The Paris transportation system (RATP) uses the code at the bus stops. The Arts and Decoratifs Museum uses the codes for some of their exhibits. Two QR code readers available for my smart phone are Mobiletag and QRReader. Bus stops post the time before the next bus. It is rare to find a stop without this service. Look for the QR code on the sign. You will be taken to the RATP site for the next two arrival times. Until January 5, 2014 at the Musée des Arts décoratifs, bring your smartphone with a QR code app. Using the QR code…
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A Fat Tire Bike and Boat Tour
Monica asked me if I wanted to take the night time Fat Tire Bike Tour. It was the last day of August and the days were noticeably shorter. 2006 was the last time I wrote about the tour. It was time to go again! Still lots of fun and laughs; light on history, big on sights! The cycling group was much more diverse this time around: Germany, Mexico, Florida USA, Canada …. A wealth of travel information was exchanged among the group on the boat. Listening to strangers with a mutual Paris interest sharing tips was an added treat of the tour.
