Three Perfect Days In Paris Circa 2005
Paris Three Perfect Days
From United Airlines in-flight magazine Hemispheres, fetched by me from their website circa 2005
They have an updated version! I haven't compared which is better, but you can compare at https://www.united.com/en/us/hemispheres/places-to-go/europe/france/paris/three-perfect-days-paris.html. I assume that this article and that are probably copyrighted by them, and I recommend you try to find the original, if you have time. But until then...
The trouble with Paris is that it grows more beautiful by the minute. It is so ravishing, so irresistibly seductive, that you never quite know whom you love more—the city or the person you’re sharing it with. Even in winter, Paris is the perfect place for a romantic retreat (February does contain St. Valentine’s Day, after all). The crowds are gone and the city glistens, sometimes under a dusting of snow. In fact, nothing is quite as picturesque as a Parisian night in deep winter: All is dark and silent, except for the amber glow of street-lights and the echo of your steps as you ramble arm in arm. You have a unique mission during these three days, so be sure to bring comfortable shoes and someone you love. Take this intensely romantic stroll through a walkers’ paradise and you’ll never see Paris, or yourselves, in quite the same way again.
DAY 1
L’Hôtel, where Oscar Wilde lived shortly before he died in 1900 (room No. 16), is as romantic as it gets. You’re in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés—Paris at its most stylish, filled with boutiques, art galleries, and the memory of Hemingway and Hadley, Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. The hotel was recently redecorated by the city’s pet designer, Jacques Garcia, and a different enchantment awaits in each of the 20 suites and rooms.
After breakfast in the snug dining room, head for the river via rue des Beaux-Arts, past the famous Beaux-Arts school. Stroll along the footbridge, which affords one of the city’s most magical views: a panorama incorporating the Louvre, the shining dome of the French Academy, the Tuileries, the Musée d’Orsay, and above all the Île de la Cité, rising out of the water like a resplendent vessel.
Back on the Left Bank, continue along the Pont Neuf: Dedicated in 1607, it’s the city’s oldest bridge. The equestrian statue of Henri IV commemorates the philandering king, nicknamed Le Vert Galant (the Amorous Youth) in his younger days. Place Dauphine, to your right, honors Henri IV’’s son, the Dauphin (later Louis XIII). Down the adjacent steps is the Vert-Galant garden, where sweethearts love to linger.
Head east along the Right Bank, past the pet and flower markets on quai de la Mégisserie. As you cross the Pont au Change bridge, enjoy the stunning view of the Conciergerie, where Marie-Antoinette awaited her execution. Continue left past the flower markets, a patch of blazing colors, and on to the quai aux Fleurs, home to the most famous love story of medieval France. No. 9 is where the star-crossed lovers Abélard and Héloïse succumbed to each other’s charms. Compassionate France united these tragic figures in death; their tomb is at Père-Lachaise.
The path to Notre-Dame takes you through its gardens to the Île Saint-Louis, an architectural gem filled with great eating places and shopping opportunities. Settle outdoors, facing the back of the cathedral, at Le Flore en l’Ile for lunch. Try the salade douceur, served with a block of foie gras, and a Berthillon ice cream—the island’s trademark.
Enjoy the fabulous shops on the rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Île, and cross Pont-Marie bridge to the Right Bank. Rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville runs past the Hôtel de Sens, a gothic palace where Queen Margot (Henri IV’s estranged wife) carried out her scandalous love affairs. Not far from here is Village Saint-Paul, a charming enclave of antiques dealers. Just east of that is rue de Birague, which leads to place des Vosges, Henri IV’s brick-and-stone masterpiece. Visit the Maison de Victor Hugo, now a museum, at No. 6, where among other memorabilia can be found the ornate furniture Hugo had custom-made for his mistress, Juliette Drouet.
Stop for tea at Le Loir dans la Théière: Sink into an antique leather armchair and savor homemade pastry with stylish Parisians. Afterward, wander west through the Jewish enclave of rue des Rosiers, and then make your way to Mariage Frères—a shrine for tea aficionados, boasting 400 teas.
In the area known as quai de Montebello, a short bus or cab ride away, take the time to enjoy Viviani square and the medieval church of Saint-Julien- le-Pauvre. Leaning against it is a four-century-old tree—the oldest in Paris, it’s said, and, curiously, a transplant from Virginia. On rue de la Bûcherie is George Whitman’s Shakespeare and Company, the city’s most celebrated bookshop. After meandering through its stacks, take your newly purchased volumes of French love poems to the deck of the barge Le Calife and enjoy an apéritif as you read to one another surrounded by the silvery water of the Seine, touched by the glow of the early evening and graced by the awesome beauty of Notre-Dame across the river.
Back in the vicinity of your hotel, enjoy the fabulous view on quai Voltaire, named for the father of the French Enlightenment, who died at No. 27. Relax in the hotel’s swimming pool and steam bath (located in the stunning medieval, vaulted basement) before getting ready for your first evening’s romantic dinner.
Your dinner destination, Lapérouse, is within walking distance. It’s all dainty paintings, wood paneling, rich draperies, and sexy private lounges. It was once favored by the city’s notorious courtesans, as well as figures from French society like Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and George Sand. Allow yourself to be astonished by chef Alain Hacquard’s combination of langoustines, beetroot, raspberries, and avocado cream; follow with filet de colvert, and relish the divine marriage of confit duck, foie gras, apricot sauce, and figs. End with an assortment of chocolates.
For a nightcap, take a cab to the legendary Closerie des Lilas before retiring. Over snifters of cognac, as nostalgic melodies play on the piano, dream your way back to bygone days of mythical Montparnasse.
DAY TWO
Jet-lag willing, rise before dawn and head for Montmartre. You won’t be sorry once you experience the sunrise as seen from the foot of Sacre-Coeur. Extend the panoramic pleasure into breakfast at Patachou, a flowery oasis perched above Paris.
Your exploration of Montmartre begins in earnest at place du Calvaire. Stroll through rue Poulbot to the junction of rues Norvins and Saint-Rustique, a picture post card of the Montmartre frequented by Cézanne. Continue down rue des Saules and turn right onto rue Cortot, past the Musée de Montmartre (No. 12). Turn left into rues du Mont-Cenis and Saint Vincent; on your right is Au Lapin Agile, Montmartre’s historic cabaret, filled with laughter and song to this day. Notice La Maison Rose, immortalized by painter Maurice Utrillo, on the corner of rues des Saules and de l’Abreuvoir.
Walk west along rue de l’Abreuvoir and take a stroll down the secluded allée des Brouillards–“the alley of mist.” It definitely deserves its romantic name and gets even better when you reach the Château des Brouillards, steeped in serene greenery. Renoir lived for a time in this “paradise of roses and lilac.”
Continue west, past place Casadesus and along rue Simon Dereure, to avenue Junot. Turn left and walk east along the avenue. You’ll see the famous Moulin de la Galette–the dance hall captured on canvas by Renoir–on your right. Skirt it along rues d’Orchampt and then Lepic; No. 54 rue Lepic was once the home of Vincent van Gogh and his brother, Theo. A lush street market awaits you at the bottom of the street. You have landed in the fairy-tale territory of Amélie Poulain; on your right is that crimson windmill of lust and pleasure, le Moulin Rouge.
Cross the boulevard de Clichy and head south along rues Fontaine and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. Pause for a well-deserved lunch at Tea Folies, on the charming, shady place Gustave-Toudouze (off rue Henri-Monnier). The food is delicious and the atmosphere genuinely Parisian.
After lunch, explore this 19th-century stronghold of the Romantics, dubbed la Nouvelle Athènes. Glimpse the bucolic avenue Frochot behind an unyielding gate, at the end of rue Henri-Monnier. Then visit the Musée de la Vie Romantique, where the writer George Sand is celebrated in a magnificent Italianate dwelling.
Make your way to the lovely place Saint-Georges. La Marquise de Païva, at one time Paris’ most notorious courtesan, lived at No. 28. Visit the square d’Orléans: George Sand once lived here with Chopin. Hidden here is a delightful fountain, its rushing waters revealed only to those who bother to seek out the secrets of Paris.
It’ll soon be time for tea. On rue des Petits-Champs, near the Bibliotheque Nationale, are the galeries Colbert and Vivienne–two exquisitely romantic arcades exuding Old World charm. Enjoy afternoon tea at A Priori Thé, and then survey the amazing selection of wines and champagnes at Legrand Filles et Fils, an old family business, delightfully atmospheric and staffed with real connoisseurs.
Now head south through the arcades and gardens of Palais Royal, Paris’ 18th-century center of intellectual life, entertainment, and debauchery. Today it’s lined with fabulous boutiques. Les Drapeaux de France carries a stunning collection of lead figurines; at Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido, beguiling perfumes are tucked into a temple of enchanting rosewood.
South of the Palais Royal is the river: The Louvre pyramid is on your left, the Carrousel Arch and the fabulous vista of the Champs-Élysées on your right. If you cross the pont du Carrousel and head along rue des Saints-Pères to Othello, you can unearth a fabulous piece of jewelry for your sweetheart (some are surprisingly affordable). Then tease your palate at Debauve & Gallais, Paris’ oldest chocolate shop, founded in 1800.
Back at your hotel, catch a cab to Le Paprika, where a fantastic choice of exquisite Hungarian dishes awaits you, accompanied by a trio featuring a fiery violinist. Finish the evening with an apple strudel and a glass of barack pálinka (apricot brandy) as you recall the day’s sightseeing.
DAY THREE
Start with breakfast on the terrace of Les Deux Magots, the celebrated stronghold of artists and writers at the foot of Paris’ oldest church tower. Soak up the sunshine and atmosphere; then head to the exquisitely romantic rues Jacob and de Fürstenberg. Eugène Delacroix’s home at No. 6 rue de Fürstenberg is now a cozy museum devoted to his works. Stroll through the area’s wonderful shops: Cipango, for jewelry made of stunning semiprecious stones; Gaggio, for a brief, dreamy excursion to Venice, all glistening velvet and gleaming glass; and Cooch Behar, a lush Indian setting befitting a princess set at the back of an enchanting old courtyard.
You’re not far from the Palais du Luxembourg, the seat of the French Senate, and the Luxembourg gardens, reached via rue de Seine and rue de Tournon. Stroll through them and relax next to the Médici fountain on their northeastern edge. Near here, along boulevard Haussmann, is the Musée Jacquemart-André. Enjoy the treat of viewing this collection in the magnificent environment of a private belle-époque mansion, and follow the experience with lunch in the beautiful terrace of the museum’s tearoom.
After lunch, wind down in yet another garden: Parc Monceau, one of the city’s loveliest. Those entering this enchanting spot through avenue Ruysdaël will encounter a mishmash of ruins and a willow weeping over a water lily–covered pool.
Once you’ve made your way back to the hotel, get dressed for a final night of romance. Dinner tonight is at Lasserre, in an environment of theatrical splendor. The elevator whisks you to the top of a building, where a sliding roof unfolds every so often to reveal a starry sky. Whatever the weather, “you come here to be happy,” said legendary food critic Robert Courtine. And you will be, as you savor the cuisine of chef Jean-Louis Nomicos. His lightly gratined macaroni stuffed with truffles and celery is a classic, as is the pigeon André Malraux. Finish off with exquisite crêpes suzettes, flambés in true French tradition.
The glittering magic continues as your cab takes you to Le Ciel de Paris, where you’ll have a splendid view from the top of the Montparnasse Tower. Sip a final toast to Paris and each other as the City of Light spreads her sparkling carpet at your feet.
Thirza Vallois is a Paris resident and the author of the Around and About Paris series of walking guidebooks. Her new book, Romantic Paris, will be published this spring. January 2002
All information is current at publication. But changes do occur. Please verify information before your trip.
PARIS ON THE WEB
Preview your trip to Paris online at www.parisdigest.com, www.timeout.com/paris, or www.mairie-paris.fr. You’ll find tons of tips for exploring the city’s monuments, museums, shops, and other attractions. If you’ve got a taste for tea, visit Mariage Frères at www.mariagefreres.com. Read up on the storied Shakespeare and Company bookshop at www.shake speareandco.org. And stop by the Musée Jacquemart-André at www.musee-jacquemart- ndre.com/jandre.
GETTING GROUNDED
Charles de Gaulle airport is located in Roissy-en-France, 25 kilometers northeast of Paris. A taxi to central Paris costs € 45 and takes about an hour if traffic is light. The RER train costs less than € 8 and is much faster, but you’ll still need to get to your hotel. The RER goes to central Paris and connects with the underground Metro network.
GETTING ORIENTED
It’s easy to get around Paris, but a street map is essential. Although some parts of Paris have a neat, geometrical pattern, streets generally run in all directions and are not necessarily parallel or perpendicular. The city is divided into 20 arrondissements (districts) that spiral out clockwise from the center. Every address ends with the number of the arrondissement. Street names and numbers are very clearly indicated. The river Seine flows through the city and divides it into two sections—the Right Bank (north) and the Left Bank (south).