I take you once again to my eternal Paris, I have many posts on the city in my blog, and had many without pictures just info, Do not like much the idea of posting without pictures so took about 6 posts on Paris and condense them here! You will bear with me as this, of course, will be in my black and white series, no pictures, Therefore, here is my take on Paris is indeed a mouvable feast !!! Hope you enjoy this post as I.
I have my TGV 1er Class electronic ticket loaded into my SNCF Grand Voyageur frequent traveler card , which due to business trips I was a frequent traveler on trains with perks lol!This is paperless so it has its advantages. My nearest station from home was initially Auray,and then Vannes. I love to come early and see the train, TGV and TER Bretagne come and go. Parking is free at Vannes by Rue de Strasbourg, and Auray as station recently renovated is paid parking. My trips initially from Versailles was from Rive Droite to Saint Lazare, and now is to Montparnasse, Then, personal trips by car !
Once in Paris, I walked, take the bus or metro in that order, I was there by the entrance to the glass modern looking Gare Montparnasse train station is nice. Inside, my stop for a refreshement is the Brasserie Océane (now closed) on the grandes lignes TGV platform (now closed here for the memories of always) The Tour Montparnasse always omnipresent and beautiful, and I worked here near it for a while, then Porte Maillot,and walk on the Champs-Elysées to the ave de la Grande Armée,grand indeed. I need it to be by the tour Eiffel side,as my business office for meetings is nearby and its always a good opportunity to see the steel lady. Great views on the window of it and the Invalides dome as well.
I have boys born in Florida USA, and as such their tastes are younger, wilder, and traditionally hamburgers lol!!! Yep, we went to tried the opening of the new Burger King at the train station Gare Saint Lazare. It was opening week and the first open in France so of course it was pack, never had to do a line for hamburgers, but I was drag into it !!! Burger King is back in France after a 15 years absent. And of course, they are from Florida !!! From there, of course, the boys again dragged me into the obvious Micromania store (their favorite store in France!) in the galerie commerciale Klepierre-Saint Lazare, (which sadly learned the store has closed) , and then went over across to the passage du havre for theFNAC store where I lost some euros again for been weak and soft lol !
I went to my old entry to Paris at gare Saint Lazare, Looks marvelous, you think you are in a shopping center and not a train station. You then go out into cour de Rome and walk into rue St Lazare and to my hotel of the trip! the magnificent Concorde Opera Hotel (now is a Hilton). The impression is real, wonderful; a great bar,the Golden Black bar and a wonderful French cuisine resto Terminus Cafe. So convenient to the Madeleine, Opera,department stores, and my favorite shopping street rue Tronchot leading to the Madeleine and around it.I took my family to an old acquitance from business trips , the Moulin à Caffé , 22 rue de Caumartin across the street. the gang love it Webpage: http://www.restaurant-lemoulinacaffe.fr/
In another trip as Paris is eternal, each time it brings you closer in, until it suffocates you inhaling a wonderful drug that makes you come back again and again and love it with each try. Paris is eternal, Paris Je t’aime, t’aimer, t’aimerai !!! I took my car and use one of my favorite parking at théatre Eduard VII facing 15, Rue Edouard VII a Vinci park. I arrived at my Hôtel le Colisée 6 rue de Colisée,just off the Champs-Elysées!!! Next day was my walks up to Porte Maillot. webpage: https://www.hotelcolisee.paris/fr/
I had already planned dinner around the area at Chez Clement, 9 Pl Saint André des Arts, just around the corner from the place Saint Michel.(the resto is closed as the chain sadly). This was our favorite chain of restaurant if you can call it a chain, only a handful of them. We have tried over the years the one at Bd des Capucines (near Opéra) near my old place of work, and done my kids birthday near our home at Bougival (Yvelines dept 78).
The next morning we got up early than usual and headed with my car and the gang, this time to hit up the Jardin du Luxembourg. It was a gorgeous day, and we came in grand on rue Auguste Comte on the side of rue de l’observatoire. There was not too many people at first and by noon the park was full. The little boat in the fountain with lots of families and kiddies around, the gorgeous Senat building of France,and the park ,the fountain of Médicis, and the Orangerie all gorgeous. We continue to be by the Panthéon. And the Church of St Etienne du Mont, service going on so we would not go inside but still lovely area. In time to get back to our car parked for free on street at rue Guynemer, and then, out onto bd St MIchel over the pont Saint Michel and the pont au Change into rue Rivoli and out to pl de la Concorde into the ave des Champs Elysées , and a tour around the Arc de Triomphe !!
We had our coffee and croissants at the famously nice Fouquet’s! before moving on to the event we love going for several years now. This is the event at the Maxim’s peniche by port de Suffren. Métro Bir-hakeim -private free parking by the quais. All was a wonderful day ,and plenty of money spent on goodies like Bessant chocolates and Touraine Amboise white and red wines of Domaine Dutertre (since visit them near Amboise),as well as foie gras, terrines, and duck ham from the SW or sud ouest of France near Auch. If you like gourmet, good wines, and be with the producers themselves this is the event in Paris, hear it here first, its a small event, better to come in the mornings early afternoon, the evenings is full, parking and boat lol !!!
We had for dinner the Au Petit Riche, 23 rue Le Peletier, 9éme walking from the grand dept stores on Haussmann to rue Le Peletier left , and it was a great choice. We were seated on second floor or 1er étage in France, nice view over the window on the street below, and away from the more noisy street level area. We had duck, califlower, coffee, and pastry peach mousse, all with plenty of red wine from Bourgueil,Chinon, and Saumur in the Loire area. The resto was recommended by the hotel staff and it was as usual when done by experts a great recommendation. https://www.restaurant-aupetitriche.com/
The next day ,I was able to take my leasure walks alone the Seine river by the Tour Eiffel.
We met at the Comptoir Principal , we were there only for a cup of coffee once early in the morning and another on the way out in the late afternoon as my boss chose it. However, the service was fast courteous and from what visitors are saying it seems a good place to be. I did stop by myself later on for an apéro! This is just around the Tour Eiffel where our office meetings were held. Webpage: https://www.comptoirprincipal.com/
Impressive as it was, there was time for lunch and again my meeting lunch was at the nice Villa Verdi Italian restaurant. Very friendly , got even to practice on my Italian a bit ::) There , I had escalope de dinde in pâte bolognaise or something like breaded cheese turkey with pasta and meat. there was a chocolate pudding in amaretto dessert and coffee expresso, the drink was a nice Italian red Santa Cristina Chianti Superiori 2015; very nice indeed. Again very good reviews by all. Again by the Tour Eiffel area! Webpage: https://villaverdi.webflow.io/
Later on ,went to my worse hotel ever at Paix République, blvd Saint Martin just 50 meters from République ,it was still great. Worse in room size, breakfast minimalisation, no AC, last day no elevator/lift, tighest shower room ever, for 3 days!!! Still it was Paris!!. What can I say, I got the virus, it’s call Parisinitis ,and it has no cure, stays with you for the rest of your life. Because we will always have Paris. Ricky in Casablanca was right !!! The Paix République Hotel :https://www.hotel-paix-republique.fr/
I did some ramblings walks around the place de la République ,and took a peek at blvd Magenta great for shopping inexpensive stuffs. Next day, had a get together at the Hotel Pullman Bercy it was a conference very nice place, and by nice Bercy Village. The get together with friends went well, however, I lost my portfolio with my name on it lol! There is always a first, never had this happenned before, and never found.Yes this is Paris too! The Hotel Pullman Bercy: https://www.pullmanpariscentrebercy.com/en/
While there, rather than eat at the hotel, took advantage of Bercy Village, its one of the trendies places in Paris with night action until the wee hours, and great places to mingle and share and know people or they can know you ::) All beautiful people. The place had one of my old hangouts in Paris, Casa del Campo, ironically the one I frequent was at the pl de la Republique and it closed to moved to Bercy Village. Right at 55 Cours Saint Emilion, and tapas and cruzcampo beers was heavens,love it, with good service in a Spanish style resto by a Venezuelan lady lol! The official Casa del Campo (scroll down last): https://www.casadelcampo.fr/contact.php
As this trip was beginning to be like a tourist trip,the next day move on to another hotel, once arriving at the hotel. It was under renovation no problem, breakfast was not available ,no problem, then ,they switch the key first night and while we were asleep , another couple was just going into our room !! ,panic, we yell, and they step out laughing , call reception, oh yes we notice, sorry, and that was it. Well, its invasion of privacy and we file with the tourist office and the police. There you go our tourist hotel experience in Paris. This was the Antin Trinité Hotel at 74 ave de Provence. The official Hôtel Antin Trinité :https://paris-hotel-antin.com/en/
Areas chic to discover in Paris, around Bastille, go to Rue de Charonne, rue Keller, for a feast of colors, with plenty of mangas, tattoos, and bars until very late…. by the Rue Roquette, plenty of Latin bars awaits you. Getting near pl de la Republique (one of my best areas) check out Rue Oberkampf, rue Saint-Maur, at the crossing with rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud with the best bistros full of people with the world. Dont forget to stop by the new cultural info center at the Pavillon de l’Arsenal ,metro Sully-Morland, and Bastille.
I was back in Paris, this time surviving the bit of cold weather. Specifically, I was around the 9éme arrondissement of Paris for it was my walking neighborhood when was working in Paris for several years. The historically wonderful Olympia at 28 Blvd des Capucines, you have the grands magasins or dept stores like Au Printemps at 64 blvd Haussmann, and Galeries Lafayette at 40 blvd Haussmann. The église de la Trinité at 3 rue de la Trinité just around from blvd haussmann and galeries lafayette, built in 1867, Casino de Paris, 16 rue de Clichy, Musée de la vie Romantique at 16 rue Chaptal anecdote that on 66 rue de la Rochefoucault, Victor Hugo lived here! at place Gustave Toudouze you will find a Wallace fountain and a Morris column. See the place St George where the lorette girls were the incarnation of a church and statue now in the plaza; and off of it is the rue St George with the théatre Saint George. You see the Musée Gustave Moreau at 14 rue La Rochefoucauld , the painter died here in 1898. By here you are in the area known by locals as the new Athens or Nouvelles Athénes. Rue Saint Lazare communicating at the no 58 with the 56 , and rue Taitbout, at no 80 gives access to Square Orléans of Napoleon III architecture where on the street at No 9 Chopin lived and at No 5 Georges Sand lived. You move into church or église Notre Dame de Lorette, 18bis rue de Châteaudun, built in 1823 . And don’t forget to walk the Grands Boulevards of des Italiens, Montmartre, Poissonnière, Saint Denis, and Saint-Martin going into adjacent arrondissements. Especially the passage des Panoramas (first gas lights in 1817) at 14 blvd Montmartre ,done in 1800 and passage Jouffroy at 12 blvd montmartre, that links with passage Verdeau. Follow up at no 10 blvd Montmartre with Musée Grévin. At No 32 rue Richer, you see the Folies Bergére nightclub .Continue at 16 rue Cadet you see the Musée de la Franc-Maçonnerie, or Masons museum at no 5 rue Drouot ,you find the Hôtel de Ville of the 9éme arrondissement de Paris.
My first working area in beautiful Paris was by the rue du Mont-Thabor, and rue Rouget de L’Isle is in the 1éme of Paris .This street Mont Thabor was named in honor of the victory of General Bonaparte, at Mont-Thabor in Syria, on April 27, 1799 over the Turks. This street, generally oriented east-west and parallel to the rue Saint-Honoré was partly opened in 1802 on the site of the convent of the Assumption and the two gardens, the large and the small, of the Capuchin convent, where it ends up forming an elbow with rue Mondovi on one side and the rue de Castiglione on the other. The extension of this first part was traced in 1832 through the Feuillants garden and that of the Hôtel de Noailles to the rue Louis-Philippe-Ier, which received the same name in the same year; later rue d’Alger which it still wears. At the corners of Rue du Mont-Thabor, rue Cambon and rue de Mondovi was the location of the hotel of the king’s bodyguards on foot. On the even side of the rue du Mont-Thabor was a secondary entrance to the Cirque-Olympique installed from 1807 to 1816 in the hippodrome b. 1801 of the rue Saint-Honoré by the squires family Franconi. At No 6 was the home and death place of the poet Alfred de Musset. A plaque in honor of Alfred de Musset is shown now. Memorable places where ate many times on business and while working nearby were the No 36 Rue du Mont Thabor Le Soufflé restaurant on French cuisine, and soufflés… Also, at No 28 the L’Ardoise restaurant, French cuisine, and at No 26 Le Cozy restaurant (closed here for the memories of always), French cuisine , of course! Sublime !!! Wonderful memories forever.
The Paris tourist office : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/
The city of Paris on things to do: https://www.paris.fr/quefaire
The Île de France region tourist office on what to do/see: https://www.visitparisregion.com/en/what-to-see-and-do/visiting
There you go folks, hope you find it helpful for your next trip to Paris. Or just browse these wonders of architecture in the most beautiful city in the world, Paris. Again, hope you enjoy this post on Paris is indeed a mouvable feast !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 