Paris 20 years later…
This is was my second visit to Paris after Philip and I and traveled with our children when they were 8, 5 and 3 . This time I have Hannah with me aged 23 and we didn’t have to find the playgrounds or public toilets or hassle with Richard about buying a giant Eiffel Tower souvenir.
However, like 20 years ago we did walk a lot and I think treading the Paris sidewalk on foot is the best and only way to explore this incredibly famous city and take in all the sights.
It was wonderful to become familiar with the arrondissements ( areas ) of Paris . We stayed in the 4 th called the Marais – known for its architecture, narrow streets with greats shops !!! and the largest Jewish community in Paris . After my arrival – two days before Hannah, I set off for the George Pompidou centre. Following my nose I found myself in streets lined with crowds shopping on a Sunday afternoon and lining up for Lebanese filled pita pockets and ice cream.
The Pompidou centre is huge , so I started as I meant to go on and ordered a wonderful lunch of fresh figs and prosciutto with a glass of wine on the roof top over looking Paris before walking down through the extensive galleries to the ground floor.
My dear friend Annie suggested my cute family owned hotel and and she gave me some good advice .
‘Spend time walking the narrow streets and become familiar with your surroundings’
Julie Le Clerc sent a list of her favourite eateries and where to find the best Macarons.
So… we walked for hours absorbing the Parisian the atmosphere, enthralled by the giant architecture, eating foie gras and crusty bread at typical Parisian cafés and delicious mussel chowder in the Latin quarter. Sitting on the side walk people watching enjoying a beer or glass of wine and visiting stunning galleries like L’ Orangerie with eye popping Monet murals . Even, doing the tourist ‘ thing ‘ and walked we up to the middle deck of the Eiffel Tower .
Our special find was the colourful perspex animals in the Natural History Museum gardens. The public gardens all over France are filled with colourful perenials and by now they are staring to look like Autumn is on its way.
There wasn’t enough time and sadly many of the galleries plus the Antique market were closed on the days of our visit. Well … that just means I have to go back.