Just left this post in response to another. Thought I%26#39;d make it it%26#39;s own post in case anyone was interested. Added some things at the end. Enjoy!
%26quot;Just returned from Paris on Tuesday. My boyfriend and I also had two days there and crammed virtually every landmark into our schedule. We were exhausted, but it was well worth it as it was potentially our only visit to Paris. On our first day, we visited the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. We had dinner on the Champs Elysees on our walk to the Arc which was very convenient (The view of the Champs Elysees at night and the Tower across the way is beautiful...even if it rained during our visit...got some great pics!). On Day Two, we visited Notre Dame (and, yes, that road across the river does have a ridiculous amount of restaurants and shops from which to choose as well as the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore...by the way, LONG line to enter the Notre Dame%26#39;s tower. We skipped it and moved on.), Saint Chappelle (be prepared to stand on line and go through a security check), Sacre Coeur (going into the church is free, but it%26#39;s 5 Euros to enter the tower and crypt) and Montemarte (get there early, but not too early....Montemarte, the area behind Sacre Coeur, doesn%26#39;t start hoping until around 8 or 9. That%26#39;s when the street artists flood the walkways....It%26#39;s a bit expensive, but having our portraits done by a street artist was a fun experience and the portraits are a personalized keepsake.). We also managed to walk to the Moulin Rouge (great inexpensive shops along the way!) and had lunch at an outdoor cafe right across the street. It was a great place to people-watch as it%26#39;s right at the intersection of a very busy street. As I said, we were exhausted, but there was plenty of time in the day to even squeeze in a nap at our hotel between Metro stops.
TIPS: Take the Metro everywhere! We purchased a three day pass and it was certainly worth it. We never waited more than 3 or 4 minutes for a train and the system is easy to figure out. At times, there can be quite a bit of walking between lines, but the convenience and quick pace makes it worth it.
As far as the Louvre goes, get there early. It was our first stop and we were there by 9 on our first day. The line was very short to get it and it was easy to buy the tickets at the ticket machines inside. The instructions are in English and attendents are all over the place in case you need assistance. We made it to the Mona Lisa by 9:30 and, yes, there was a crowd of people, but I squeezed by way to the very front and got some great pictures. When we returned to the area on our way out, security had roped off the area and they were not allowing pictures at all. Go early to get pics!
Also, we went back to the Eiffel Tower on our last night. It%26#39;s worth seeing at night if you have the time. I was in awe at how it looks when it%26#39;s lit and even more impressed when it %26#39;sparkles.%26#39; It does so at the top of every hour for 10 minutes. Don%26#39;t miss it! Be sure to approached the Tower from the gardens in front of it. It makes for some great pictures and a breathtaking view. Not sure of the Metro stop%26#39;s name, but I think it%26#39;s %26quot;Ecole Militaire.%26quot; Don%26#39;t get off at the one that says %26quot;Tower%26quot; or %26quot;Tour%26quot; in it unless you want a shorter walk. %26quot;Ecole%26quot; brings you right to the gardens. It%26#39;s quaint and breathtaking. Also, go to the top if you can. They closed the top because of overcrowding so my boyfriend and I bought a ticket to the second floor. We were so disappointed, but when we arrived on the second floor, there was a place to buy tickets to the top! We did and it was very worth it (although you have to wait for a bit for an elevator down).
Bring a folding traveller%26#39;s umbrella like someone else already suggested. They forcasted rain for our entire trip, but it was on and off and the umbrellas we had literally fit in our coat pockets (when it wasn%26#39;t wet, of course). I also carried one of those Nike athletic bags instead of a purse. It was lightweight, convenient, and had enough room to hold all the goodies I purchased along the way and my wallet. It kept my hands free and was harder to lose.
OH! You MUST get off at the %26quot;Opera%26quot; stop on the Metro (sorry if I sound pushy!). The opera house is literally at the top of the Metro steps and is gorgeous! We visited it at night on our last night (after scampering to see Notre Dame and the Eiffel lit up too!) and it only took at about 10 minutes as there%26#39;s no walking to and from the Metro. We couldn%26#39;t go inside because it had just closed, but the building is so intricate and impressive. One of my favorites!
Invest in a great pair of walking shoes. If you%26#39;re taking the Metro everywhere, although there are stops just about everywhere, the walking is intense. It will leave you quite exhausted, but I found that the excitement of being in Paris and seeing what we saw kept our energy WAY up! Don%26#39;t worry about how far things are from one another. As I said, the Metro is fast, clean, and very efficient. White athletic shoes are virtually non-existent there...at least on French feet. I bought a pair of black Polo sport shoes and they were super comfy. My boyfriend also came prepared with gray sneakers. My boyfriend was also concerned about jeans, but we found that guys wore jeans all the time, except they were darker and in great condition. I didn%26#39;t see jeans on women at all. I wore black pants the whole trip with my black sneakers, a black or dark turtleneck or shirt, and, most importantly a cordurouy tan or jean 3/4 sleeve blazer. Shirt-jackets, jean or whatever, are very big there. I kept my Metro ticket stashed in my small shirt-jacket%26#39;s pocket. Oh! Metro tickets are quite small so be sure to always keep them tucked away in the same snug place so you don%26#39;t lose them.%26quot;
Au revoir! Hope these tips helped! :)
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I like your user name, I mean myusername. Very clever;)
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A very good read, and your tips are very helpful.
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I%26#39;m the aforementioned boyfriend for myusername%26#39;s post.
I%26#39;d like to add one thing.
The French people were incredibly friendly and polite. Both of us know essentilally no French but we tried to get the basics down before we went. We had no trouble getting around at all.
Everyone spoke at least a little english and we were never at a loss.
It actually kind of frustrated me. On a couple of occasions I wanted to try my French, so I would start the conversation in French only to have the other person respond in English! Obviously, they were just being polite and I was probably butchering their language! In any event, it was greatly appreciated.
I also noticed that most of the French are very quiet. They speak softly. This was never more evident than our train ride back to Charles De Gaulle when we were seated opposite three Italian travellers. Loud! Holy mackarel! :)
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Thanks for your detailed post. Reading all the trip accounts online makes my trip several weeks ago come alive again!
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Montemarte (get there early, but not too early....Montemarte, the area behind Sacre Coeur, doesn%26#39;t start hoping until around 8 or 9. That%26#39;s when the street artists flood the walkways....It%26#39;s a bit expensive, but having our portraits done by a street artist was a fun experience and the portraits are a personalized keepsake.
Can you tell me what day would be good to visit this area, I too want a painting. Would you be willing to tell me how much to budget for? How large is your painting? any tidbits, did you barter? thanks and welcom back, I still have 6 weeks! :-)
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Run4Fun,
I%26#39;m so jealous that you%26#39;ll be heading there in 6 weeks! I%26#39;ve only been home a few days, but long to go back!
You have a few choices as far as your portrait goes. There are artists there who literally walk the streets with large pads of paper and charcoal and pastels. There are tons of them lurking around every corner. The sketches are about 11 x 14 depending on which artist you choose. You literally stand in the street while they stand next to you sketching you. I paid 30 Euros for my portrait and my boyfriend did the same. Be careful. The artist can be a bit pushy. Anna, the woman who did my portrait, intially quoted me 20 and then charged me 30 Euros. The likeness isn%26#39;t fantastic, but I paid more for the experience than the portrait. Beware!
Another choice is to sit down and have your portrait done in either color or black and white. There is a square right behind Sacre Coeur where these artists display examples of their work and even sell paitings as well. The benefit to this is that you can see the style of the artist and their talent before you buy a portrait. I found that one of their portraits cost anywhere from 50-70 Euro which was a bit pricey for me. Check out the paintings being sold there. Not sure of the prices, but they range from the cheesy to the beautiful, most being of Paris and its landmarks. In the middle of the square there are even several cafes where you can grab a bite. You%26#39;ll also probably find several people with paper and scissors. They%26#39;ll cut out a sillohuette of you right there. They%26#39;re cute and quick. We didn%26#39;t get one. I think I heard them pricing them at 20 Euros.
Be sure to take a walk beyond the square where you%26#39;ll find many little shops. Most of them are souvineer shops and bakeries. Love those French pasteries! Walk it off and stroll downhill towards the Lapan Agile or %26quot;Agile Rabbit%26quot; (not sure of the spelling). It%26#39;s a small little building on the corner of a street near some beautiful gardens. It%26#39;s actually some sort of bar/strip club inside of a quaint pink and green building surrounding by benches and flowers. It%26#39;s very unassuming and unique.
This stop was certainly the highlight of our trip, even compared to the grandeur of Notre Dame or fame of the Eiffel Tower. Glad, and excited, that I can help! Have fun on your trip! :)
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What a great trip! I copied the whole thing for my notes.
We are leaving for Paris May 16 My first time!! I would like to buy a painting from one of the artist in the Montemarte area.
How do we get the painting home? From paris we are traveling down to the nice area and I don%26#39;t want to carry the painting around with me. Any advice (we live in the US)
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Bring a cardboard mailing tube, which you can get at a craft store or office supply store. A portrait will roll up quite small, and should not take up much room in your luggage. Mailing things, even to yourself, is somewhat problematic because it still has to clear customs. Better to carry it yourself.
Walt
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Check out the work of the various artists first.....find someone who draws the portrait in the manner that you like. They display their work.....if the likenes isn%26#39;t great, don%26#39;t commission them. Keep walking until you find someone you think is worth it.
** Ask if they have a fixative spray.....if they don%26#39;t buy one immediately and spray your portrait. Some renderings, in pastels or charcoal can actually fall off the paper and return to dust at the bottom of your cannister. The image you are left with will not be a great one!!! This happened to a friend of mine......be careful **
If they suddenly up the price of the portrait after you%26#39;ve negotiated a price, I don%26#39;t think I%26#39;d want to pay for it. Can%26#39;t you just walk away....they are the ones that are playing the game, not you. In the end, they%26#39;d rather have the price they initially negotiated than a useless portrait. I would think anyway....
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Thanks so much for the trip update~ I really find them invaluable as I plan our trip in July~
Sue
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