Next week, Monica will rejoin me in Europe with a flight into Paris. For Americans, Paris is one of the most highly sought destinations and often, like it was for myself, competes with London for the first European city visited in one’s life.
If it’s your first trip to Europe, Paris will amaze you with a panorama of beautiful art and architecture. Each morning, an army of green clad trash collectors descends on the city and makes its beauty shine for another day of soups, cheese, crepes and wine. If you believe the people will be rude, they’ll likely meet your expectations. If, on the other hand, you smile and greet with “Bonjour” then ask “Parlez-Vous Anglais?” rather than “Do you speak English?” you’ll probably have a much better experience and soon notice more rude tourists than rude Parisians.
Favorite Paris Places
EuroDisney
It’s Europe’s No. 1 tourist attraction, catering to more people than any other destination on the continent. That’s worthy of mentioning here, and maybe, if you have kids, you, too, will want this on your agenda. However, in approximately five trips to Paris, I have not yet wandered into EuroDisney, but as Monica is a huge Disney fan, I foresee a trip in the near future.
The Louvre
The Louvre may also be a visit you want to delay but only because it is so spectacular. No other art museum will ever live up to the hype once you visit The Louvre. This is, by far, the most magnificent collection of art in the world – paintings, pottery, sculptures – it’s all here. It contains so much art, in fact, that you probably shouldn’t try to see it all in one visit. Even Napoleon III’s apartments are nestled inside. Choose a category that you want to emphasize or hire a local guide for the highlights then continue around the complex until you can’t fathom taking another step toward a piece of art in the near future. Don’t be too disappointed that the Mona Lisa is as small as your notepaper and you’re not allowed to stop there and gawk but instead must look while continuing a walking pace around its edges. There is plenty of other art that will amaze you. Also remember that the Louvre has many entrances so you do not have to wait in queue at the glass pyramid you recall in the Da Vinci Code as most tourists do. But do visit. Life is short.
Nearby on the Pont des Arts bridge, hawkers are happy to give you a lock and key on Europe’s most famous spot for locking your love eternally by throwing the key into the river below. When you return to Paris years later, just trust that your lock is still there and don’t go looking for it amidst the hundreds that have been added in the past couple of weeks.
The Eiffel Tower
You’ll hear many people tell you that you should visit the Eiffel Tower in the daytime and the nighttime for completely different perspectives. In a way they’re right, but don’t spend the time and money on two visits in one vacation. Just visit in late evening and be there when the lights start to flash on before eventually maintaining their brightness in that familiar yellow hue. Also, don’t depend on that brightly lit tower to be your landmark at the end of a late night. At around 1 a.m., the lights dim and the tower fades into the darkness.
From here, you’ll see the full 360 perspective of the Paris skyline, a wonderful blend of architecture and history with only one ugly dent, the Tour Montparnasse, finished in the early 1970s and hated by Parisians as an eyesore ever since. There is one way to avoid the Tour Montparnasse in your photographs and to replace it with the much more beautiful Eiffel Tower. Take those photos from the top of the Tour Montparnasse rather than from the Eiffel Tower. The building is easily reachable by public transportation.
Moulin Rouge
If you’re doing that EuroDisney thing with kids in tow above, you get a different sort of entertainment and should move on. However, we’ve never heard a disappointed visitor for the show at Paris’ classiest cabaret, teetering on the edge of Montmartre and the red light district.The women will be scantily clad and the easily offended should stay away but it’s a world apart from the sleazy strip joints back home with a Broadway-esque caliber performance and classy dancing. I’d order a ticket without the overpriced dinner and eat ahead of time in one of the many wonderful restaurants around Montmartre.
If you have a bit of extra time while waiting on the show, have your portrait painted at Place due Tertre or look up and take a stroll to the Basilica Sacre-Coeur.
Versailles
This is another full-day adventure if you’re ready to explore both the palace and the gardens of the royals. Both are spectacular and it’s worth the trip. You can reach the grounds easily by public transportation so don’t trust tour operators who may lead you to believe otherwise. It is, however, on the outskirts of the city and necessitates a good chunk of time.
Paris Shopping and Eating
If you like outdoor markets as much as Monica does, Paris will be your mecca. For food, antiques, or household goods that are just a bit too pricey in nearby Switzerland, everything you want can be found in these outdoor markets cascaded throughout the city.
When you’re done, take a break in the plethora of outdoor seating offered by Paris restaurants. I don’t remember ever eating at a Paris restaurant twice but I also don’t remember ever having a bad meal. Even better are those small quaint places that have to rearrange and squeeze you into a crowded spot that requires a few people to stand before you can be seated.
Working in Paris
For the perspective of working in Paris, we asked our friend Joel Scs, a business analyst in the IT department of a large bank in the popular La Defense business district. Joel moved from Parisian student to Parisian businessman five years ago.
He’s happy to be located in Paris and finds advantages there over other European cities: “Compared with a lot of other countries in Europe or in the world, the amount of vacation, the social security and work conditions in general are definitely an advantage.France is also a very ‘centralized’ country, so compared with other cities in France, it’s easier to find a job, in a lot of fields. Also, although the lifestyle may be more stressful here, there are a lot of different things to do after work.”
Joel squeezes into the subway daily still half asleep and arrives at work around 9:15 a.m. where “absorption of a cup of coffee is necessary, along with the usual social interaction that goes with it. Real work will start afterward and last until noon or so.” He then enjoys the classic Parisian lunch break from noon to around 2 p.m., although he’d like to stress that it does not always last the full two hours. People begin to depart around 6:30 in the evening and “often people will go have a drink, meet friends, do another activity, or just go home to their family.” Joel currently fills his evenings with dance lessons.
With a plethora of activities available, Joel finds it even more difficult to describe an “average” weekend in Paris. While the mundane tasks of shopping and laundry often get thrown into the weekend schedule, he also finds time for dancing tango and salsa, visiting a museum exhibit and having coffee with his girlfriend.
Joel offers “if you come and visit Paris, enjoy the food, the wine, the view on the monuments! If you want real restaurants, get out of the tourist areas. Lots of good places have nice dishes for 15 to 18 euros (sometimes less). You just may need to know where to look. Locals should definitely be able to help you with this last point!”
Ranking Paris
Paris is the cliff notes version of Europe for those who must choose a destination that offers the most value in the shortest period of time. Now that we’re living in Europe, I prefer the slower pace of visiting many smaller scale European cities for the full context. I give Paris an 8. What is your dream city to visit in Europe?
-Chris
