| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Nick |
Paris?Anyone here in or close to Paris?I have a day to spend there, and am looking for things to do... |
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| Chez |
Last time I went to Paris (see how cosmopolitan I am?! See!) we walked from the Sacre Coer in Montmarte all the way down to the centre of the city, stopping regularly for coffee and cake and those fantastic pancake things. And then we wandered along the river and looked at all the artists and postcard stalls, ditto coffee/cake/pancakes.
It was great - I really felt that I'd experienced the city, rather than picking a tourist attraction or two and just going for those. |
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| dougal |
Re: Paris?
Roughly when? And what day of the week? (Quite a lot closes Sunday, and some places Monday). And how well do you know the place? (Are you looking for seriously off-the-beaten-track places?) And do you have any preferences or dislikes? One could (but few would) spend many days and still not cover the Louvre... The Musee d'Orsay shows how to convert a railway station unbelievably (the good impressionist stuff is way upstairs - as is the cafe behind the clockface) and its got a very elegant indeed (but affordable) restaurant. However the better Monets (inc "Sunrise, an impression") are in the Musee Marmottan http://www.paris.org/Musees/Marmottan/marmottan.e.html If you want a day out of Paris, Monet's garden at Giverny is fabulous at this time of year. (Possible, but not easy without wheels.) And if you don't want to go up Eiffel's tower, you can go down the sewers... http://www.paris.org/Musees/Egouts/info.html You might want to search out (Rue de Cherche Midi) the home of Poilane's bread http://www.poilane.fr/index.php?index_module=listings&index_theme=english&index_template=en_histoire.htm, or Gosselin's baguette a l'ancienne (Faubourg St Honoré, a little further East than the Louvre) or some other speciality... Chaqu' un a son gout. Have you been to Chartier? Its silly cheap, the food ain't special, but the place (and staff) have been fossilised for a hundred years. And its completely real, not restored... If you're down in the 15th near the big exhibition halls, you might wish to know about the Os à Moelle, and also the existance of the charcuterie buffet (& etc) in its "Cave" (*tiny* wine bar) across the road. Things I *still* haven't done include visiting the science museum http://www.paris.org/Musees/Cite/ touring the vast Rungis market in the early am http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0803/p13s02-lifo.html or even seeing the Pere Lachaise cemetary http://www.paris.org/Expos/PereLachaise/ 
And I have recommendations for the Terminus Nord brasserie opposite Eurostar's Gare du Nord, but I've never had the time to fill. |
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| Behemoth |
I like the Eifell tower, meccano for the insane. | ||||||
| Nick |
June 18th. And, to be honest, I was after company rather than a list of places, although all gratefully received. 
I shall enjoy it walking, nibbling and looking, if the weather holds. Tourist stuff on the Saturday (by force), and culture on Friday night, work on Monday, but Sunday is Mine. |
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| Northern_Lad |
There's a windmill on a hill if company's all your after. |
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| Behemoth |
Aaaahh, I'll send the number of an agency I know. |
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| Nick |
You two are sick.
(Le Moulin isn't showing anything great at the moment, and Friday we're off to something to do with horses, apparently.) |
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| dougal |
The brother with a flat in the 17eme isn't really Downsizer material.
However, should you really want a lightly-used executive jet, I'm sure he'd return your call... Paris is relatively quiet (shut) on Sunday. Brother frequently goes out to the Guinguettes on the Marne for Sunday lunch. Its a sort of partial escape from the city, but not from accordions... |
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| MarkS |
that would be Pigalle then ? |
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| Nick |
Gervase goes to Paris? Does he know Le Dougal?
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| Nick |
Hm. Private jet. I don't think so. It appears to be the Paris Airshow, so I may find the skies a wee bit crowded... | ||||||
| LynneA |
Sainte Chapelle - the other end of the island to Notre Dame.
Lower storey is a Byzantine influenced chapel - richly coloured mosaic tiles. The upper storey is fantastic, near floor to ceiling stained glass. Like standing in the middle of a kaleidascope. Also - Berthillon, round the back of Notre Dame over the bridge to the smaller island. Countless flavours of sorbet. I highly recommend the Pear, Mango and especially Chocolat Noir. |
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| dougal |
Re: Paris?
BBC2 tonight at 9 Seems they had the same idea !!
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| Jonnyboy |
What's your budget? |
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| sean |
Er, he's back now. Try to keep up. |
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| Nick |
Had about £3,000 to spend.
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| MarkS |
for the day? That's a lot of blonds. |
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| Nick |
Yeah, it was.
And no, not for the day. Three and a half. And there were 16 of us. |