A Simple Guide to Paris, Part 1

After attending the Paris Writing Workshop last summer, a friend was traveling to Europe to celebrate graduating law school and taking the bar. She asked if I would send her a list of things to do in Paris and London for her and her boyfriend. At first I thought I'd write a short email of places to see and food to eat, but it was virtually impossible to keep the list shorter than about two pages. As I typed, I felt like I was reliving my time there.

Since then, a few others have asked me to send them my list of things to do in Paris. I've made few changes after spending another month there this summer, and I offer it here as a way to, yet again, remember and relive my experiences.

There is enough in Paris to keep a traveler occupied for fifty years, but here are the few experiences I found to be most valuable and memorable, if you're only there for a week or so.

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I spent most of my time in the Notre Dame/Saint Michel area, and further south on the Left Bank, between Rue Saint Jacques/Mouffetard, and Luxembourg Garden areas. It’s a lovely little neighborhood, and one of the oldest in Paris. 

Activities

Some/No Cost:
Picnics – My favorite thing to do in Paris is buy a baguette, some cheese, and a bottle of wine, and picnic somewhere beautiful with a group of friends. The best places are the Champs de Mars (the park by the Eiffel tower), the Quai Saint Bernard, and the quais by Notre Dame. When I look back, those times were more fun than a visit to any famous tourist site.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Luxembourg Garden – Luxembourg metro stop. This is where Hemingway used to walk through on his way to Gertrude Stein’s house. It has gorgeous fountains and lots of green space.

Walks along the Seine – I loved walking by the river with no particular destination:
There are street vendors all along the river near the Notre Dame. Some fun souvenirs for pretty cheap, and it’s fun to walk by and look at it all.
I recommend walking from Notre Dame along the Left bank (by the Saint Michel fountain) to the “Lovers’ bridge” or “Pont de Beaux Arts,” which was the first pedestrian-only bridge in Paris. It is famous because couples will buy a lock, write their names on it, lock it onto the bridge, and then throw the key into the river, sealing their love forever (until the city of Paris replaces the metal panels every few months...). After you cross Lovers’ bridge, walk around the Louvre pyramid and into the Jardins de Tuileries. After a nice long walk through the beautiful garden, you’ll come to the Place du Condorde, where Anne Hathaway threw her blackberry into one of the ornate fountains in Devil Wears Prada. If you keep walking, you’ll walk right up the Champs Elysses to the Arc de Triomphe. This is a long walk, but you'll go by plenty of cafes to rest and have a glass of wine.

Monmartre – Blanche or Pigalle metro stops. This is the artsy district of Paris. Sacre Coeur basilica is one of my favorite places in Paris and it lends incredible views of the city. The area is great for wandering: Moulin Rouge, Pigalle, and really fun restaurants and cafes. It's a hill-y area, so wear walking shoes!

Sacre Coeur Basilica

Le Marais – This is an area on the Right bank that used to be known as the Jewish quarter, but is becoming a really hip and popular section of the city. Known for their Sunday brunch here, it is divine. There are also some great falafel places around there, too. Place de Vosges is the lovely, shaded plaza where Victor Hugo lived.

Notre Dame – The line is usually long but the inside is absolutely beautiful. If you don't want to wait in line, though, walk around to the back, sit on a bench and admire the architecture.

Cost

Museums & Sites –

• The Louvre is pretty, but overwhelming. As a first timer, it's definitely something to see, but I don't feel the need to go again...
• Musee d’Orsay is worth the 9-euro entry fee. You’ll find Renoir, Degas, Monet, and other very moving impressionists works.
• L’Orangerie – “The Orange Grove,” Napoleon built this place because he wanted fresh-squeezed orange juice every morning. Monet’s Water Lillies are here, as well as other Impressionist artists like Picasso and Renoir. Very cool and not too expensive, 9 euro or around there.
• Rodin museum and gardens – “The Thinker” is here, and many other sculptures and works. On a pleasant day, the gardens are a wonderful place to have a picnic.
• Versailles – If you have an empty half- to full-day, I recommend going out to Versailles. The palace and gardens are overwhelmingly gorgeous, and the town itself is very charming. Tickets to see the palace run about 21 euros, plus the 45-minute train to get out there.

Inside Musee d'Orsay

Next up, Part 2: Food and Drink!

Fireman's Ball and Good Friends

Today is Bastille Day, a day off from classes and a chance to recover from this weekend. It has been cold and rainy for the majority of my time here, but today the sun is trying to peak out. Hopefully it'll be a clear night for the Bastille Day fireworks!

Halfway through the best Italian EVER.

My friend Amanda has been here since Thursday. She was a first-year student with me last year, lives in New York, and is a beautiful writer, though she looks like she'll punch you in the face if you try to compliment her. She came to visit before she makes a permanent move to Paris in September! We drank entirely too much wine, ate croque monsieur, Italian food, and gyros, sat by the river, and talked about last year as if it had just happened.

In the spirit of tradition, we went to the Fireman's Ball last night. These are Bastille Day rituals when Firehouses across Paris open their doors and host amazing parties with lights, DJs and dance floors. Although it was a different experience than last year, it is still fun to be in the middle of a huge outdoor European party surrounded by French firemen. Always entertaining to see.

Tomorrow, our group of Fellows is workshopping a story I wrote on Kilimanjaro, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they think of it. Somewhat frustratingly, I'm finding it difficult this year to write well. It's always hard, and the intimidating talent around me isn't helping. Trying to hone my editing skills, I plan to use the next two weeks to revise the pieces that I've written.

This week is more writing for me, and then Amanda and our other friend Chelsea come to Paris on Wednesday! More time with writer friends, and it makes my heart so happy. Have a wonderful week!

abs antics by the river. She can be inSeine sometimes.

Back at the firehouse

No more candids for us.

Tricia, my Virginia buddy!

In case we were unclear about where the DJ was...