Paris Recommendations-Quirky

[richardfinegold]

I’ve mentioned that we will be in France for two weeks. The highlight or us our time in Dordogne and Provence. We are flying into Paris because we have to and therefore decided to stay for a few days because, well, it’s Paris. OTOH my wife and I , both of us having been there multiple times before and after our marriage, have never been less interested. She wants to see the Dior Museum (I might beg off and go to a nice wine bar) and we both relish a visit to the Musee d’Orsay, but we actually can’t think of anything else. We don’t need to go to the Louvre and stand cheek to jowl with camera snapping Japanese tourists, and frankly the Eiffel Tower, Seine River Cruise, Notre Dame, Montmarte, Sacre Coeur, etc. are inspiring ennui.
I am wondering if anyone has a few off the beaten trail recommendations.

[Historian]

I suspect you have already 'done' Les Invalides (Napoleon's tomb and the Musee de l'armee) rfg but just in case... I love a good cemetery and Paris has fourteen: a bit much to do them all but there are lots of famous ex-people commemorated at Pere Lachaise, Montmartre and Montparnasse. Continuing this sightly macabre vein, have you seen the Catacombs?

[Pulcinella]

Don't forget that it's the Olympics!

https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/schedule

[HighlandDougie]

I suspect you have already 'done' Les Invalides (Napoleon's tomb and the Musee de l'armee) rfg but just in case... I love a good cemetery and Paris has fourteen: a bit much to do them all but there are lots of famous ex-people commemorated at Pere Lachaise, Montmartre and Montparnasse. Continuing this sightly macabre vein, have you seen the Catacombs?

I heartily endorse Historian's recommendation - Napoléon's tomb should at least be visited once in a lifetime - and the Museum is fascinating. And no visit to Paris would be complete with out a visit to:

https://melomania.com/fr/

And, of course:

https://www.museeliberation-leclerc-moulin.paris.fr/en/museum

[richardfinegold]

Don't forget that it's the Olympics!

https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/schedule

Thankfully we are ther a month after

[richardfinegold]

I heartily endorse Historian's recommendation - Napoléon's tomb should at least be visited once in a lifetime - and the Museum is fascinating. And no visit to Paris would be complete with out a visit to:

https://melomania.com/fr/

And, of course:

https://www.museeliberation-leclerc-moulin.paris.fr/en/museum

Thanks Historian and HD. I ‘ve been to Naps tomb, suspecting my wife will be bored , but of course she is attempting to drag me to the Dior Museum, and then we did go to Waterloo last year so maybe she might be interested for 10 minutes. The WWIi museum sounds interesting but is it a balanced museum? Is there time given to Vichy and the collaboration? If there isn’t then I might not be able to stomach a history that glosses over French military incompetence and ignores the active role that the defeated nation had in facilitating the aims of the Third Reich. And the CD store looks wonderful. Perhaps that is the ideal activity for me while she visits the Dior Museum

[richardfinegold]

I suspect you have already 'done' Les Invalides (Napoleon's tomb and the Musee de l'armee) rfg but just in case... I love a good cemetery and Paris has fourteen: a bit much to do them all but there are lots of famous ex-people commemorated at Pere Lachaise, Montmartre and Montparnasse. Continuing this sightly macabre vein, have you seen the Catacombs?

Been to the Catacombs but that was with the first wife so I will check on interest here. Rita (current wife-yesterday was 20 truly wonderful years) did the Roman catacombs together and it wasn’t a particular highlight for either of us. Rita and I have been to the cemetery where Chopin and Jim Morrison are buried and did talk about doing that again but I was interested in doing something new…

[Nick Armstrong]

I am wondering if anyone has a few off the beaten trail recommendations.

Have you been to the Musée Rodin (a very small distance east of the Invalides)? Depending on the time of day, it’s relatively tranquil, a beautiful and fascinating house and garden. Rodin’s bust of Mahler was a highlight for me.

https://www.musee-rodin.fr/

[HighlandDougie]

Thanks Historian and HD. I ‘ve been to Naps tomb, suspecting my wife will be bored , but of course she is attempting to drag me to the Dior Museum, and then we did go to Waterloo last year so maybe she might be interested for 10 minutes. The WWIi museum sounds interesting but is it a balanced museum? Is there time given to Vichy and the collaboration? If there isn’t then I might not be able to stomach a history that glosses over French military incompetence and ignores the active role that the defeated nation had in facilitating the aims of the Third Reich. And the CD store looks wonderful. Perhaps that is the ideal activity for me while she visits the Dior Museum

Richard

In my experience, French museums are "sérieux" about painting at least a semi-complete picture of what it is they are exhibiting or of the story they hope to tell. In Lyon, I recommend:

https://www.chrd.lyon.fr/

Like the rather fine de Gaulle Museum in Colombey-les-Deux Églises, it does not attempt to airbrush "inconvenient events" from history. Quite different - but no less well done - is in Vienne:

https://www.vienne-condrieu.com/patrimoine-culturel/musee-et-sites-gallo-romains-de-saint-romain-en-gal-saint-romain-en-gal/

And I strongly endorse Nick's recommendation of the Musée Rodin as a respite from the crowds elsewhere. Followed by an apéritif, you will be a more contented person.

[richardfinegold]

Have you been to the Musée Rodin (a very small distance east of the Invalides)? Depending on the time of day, it’s relatively tranquil, a beautiful and fascinating house and garden. Rodin’s bust of Mahler was a highlight for me.

https://www.musee-rodin.fr/

Yes, we have been there and I agree that it is an oasis of tranquility

[richardfinegold]

Richard

In my experience, French museums are "sérieux" about painting at least a semi-complete picture of what it is they are exhibiting or of the story they hope to tell. In Lyon, I recommend:

https://www.chrd.lyon.fr/

Like the rather fine de Gaulle Museum in Colombey-les-Deux Églises, it does not attempt to airbrush "inconvenient events" from history. Quite different - but no less well done - is in Vienne:

https://www.vienne-condrieu.com/patrimoine-culturel/musee-et-sites-gallo-romains-de-saint-romain-en-gal-saint-romain-en-gal/

And I strongly endorse Nick's recommendation of the Musée Rodin as a respite from the crowds elsewhere. Followed by an apéritif, you will be a more contented person.

I might have been a bit harsh yesterday, but I have read 3 books on Vichy in the past year and several years ago we were enthralled with the TV series A French Village. Your comments and recommendations are appreciated

[Mandryka]

I’ve mentioned that we will be in France for two weeks. The highlight or us our time in Dordogne and Provence. We are flying into Paris because we have to and therefore decided to stay for a few days because, well, it’s Paris. OTOH my wife and I , both of us having been there multiple times before and after our marriage, have never been less interested. She wants to see the Dior Museum (I might beg off and go to a nice wine bar) and we both relish a visit to the Musee d’Orsay, but we actually can’t think of anything else. We don’t need to go to the Louvre and stand cheek to jowl with camera snapping Japanese tourists, and frankly the Eiffel Tower, Seine River Cruise, Notre Dame, Montmarte, Sacre Coeur, etc. are inspiring ennui.
I am wondering if anyone has a few off the beaten trail recommendations.

Paris has a theatre which I find really congenial and distinctive, and so I always check if there's anything on there -- Bouffes du Nord. I also usually check for concerts at Salle Pleyel.

The museum of Music in the Cité de la Musique may be of interest too.

Although it's touristy, I quite like to wonder up Rue Mouffetard.

I also like to go to the bric a brac market in Vanves sometimes.

I always seem to stay in Montparnasse and so have got used to strolling through the cemetery -- I know it sounds weird, but the French seem to do that so it's not.

The park at Bercy is quite interesting if you're interested in urban spaces.

TBH I think the best thing about Paris is la flânerie -- it just seems to work in Paris so much better than in London or Berlin or even Rome. It's quite flat, so you can do it without getting tired. I generally choose a random station far out and have a wonder -- the last time was Belleville, and I found a cool market and a nice little studenty bistro to eat, the time before was in Pont de St Cloud and I got into a memorable argument with a waitress . . .

[vinteuil]

.
I lived in Paris 1991-1995 (quai d'Orléans, Île Saint-Louis).
As Mandryka indicates above, " the best thing about Paris is la flânerie". It is such a lovely city for walking about in.
Walking along the river, around the Marais, visiting the markets where Parisians do their shopping - boulevard Raspail, rue Cler, marché couvert de Passy, le Bon Marché rue de Sèvres, the Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville (BHV) with its amazing hardware department in the basement; a few churches (Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais for the Couperins; Saint-Sulpice, Saint-Eustache for Cavaillé-Coll).
My favourite museum is the Musée Marmottan : some go there because it has the first 'impressionist' painting : I go there for the Boillys -

https://www.marmottan.fr/en/

Another favourite (not least for the Proustian resonances) is the Musée Jacquemart-André

https://www.culturespaces.com/en/sites/jacquemart-andre-museum

https://www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/en

.

[richardfinegold]

Thanks to Mandryka and Vints for their suggestions

[Ein Heldenleben]

Richard - don’t follow my example and get your wallet stolen within 30 mins of arriving at the Gare Du Nord (at the Bastille metro to be precise) . If you are going on the Metro wear a money belt , don’t carry a shoulder bag or hand bag and ignore any offers of assistance from any one. Also be very careful using a bank card at a machine in a metro station. In the end I downloaded the Bolt app and used taxis. I really hate the Metro and always have done.

My visit last May was also enlivened by street riots and constant police sirens. At one point my son put out a burning bin just outside the Brasserie where we were eating. Funnily enough it make it all very memorable. I really think that Paris will struggle to cope with the Olympics - I got the impression that’s it’s transport and security infrastructure were creaking at the seams - worse than London and that’s saying something.

We were staying near the Elysée Palace which had hundreds of armed police around . The Musée D’Orsay and L’Orangerie were sadly marred by all the moronic selfie takers . I spent most of the time wandering out the streets to be honest as , with the exception of Rome , I don’t suppose any city in the world has such outstanding public architecture. Had some lovely walks on the Ile and along the riverbanks and around whatever arrondissement the Palace is in (8th? ) . The banks of the Ile are now on Friday and Sat evenings full of kids drinking al fresco.

Despite all the warnings it wasn’t much more expensive than London. The police and the hotel couldn’t have been more helpful. Didn’t meet a single impolite waiter or indeed Parisian - though my reasonable French might have helped .The one thing that really sticks in my mind having also stayed near the Porte Saint-Denis and also near St Germain on the Left Bank is the abundance of really good fruit, veg and food shops and indeed local non chain interesting shops abound . So I’d live there tomorrow …

Incidentally I regard Emily In Paris as practically documentary level in certain aspects of the French character.