The Paris Effect
  • Welcome
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Press

To Eric, With Love

1/8/2016

3 Comments

 
Picture
There's nothing I enjoy more than talking about Paris. 
I can yammer on and on about my Paris fixation for hours.
Adventures in the City of Light, both real and imagined, are my fool's paradise
and I'm always thrilled when someone -- anyone -- listens. 
This blog is clearly the result of all that pent up Paris passion.

But when someone asks me to help plan a 7-day trip -- PANIC sets in.
Just 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 days for Paris??
    And when that someone is my favorite big brother --- well, I realize
this is serious stuff -- and I have to make it good.
It's an especially big challenge because though he and his wife have been to
Paris several times, it will be a first time visit for the friends they're traveling with. 
  So logically, for the Paris virgins, we need to include all the big time fan
favorites and still find time to sneak in some new off-the-cuff fun
for the more seasoned Paris travelers.

It may be true that God made the earth in just six days but let's be real,
this is Paris and we need many more hours to do her justice.

Big expectations.  That's my middle name.


"If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there,
you'll be amazed at the results."

George S. Patton

Picture
Dear Brother,
Please make Place des Vosges your very first stop.
  Yes, that's as good a place to start as any, a lovely
17th century masterpiece of Paris perfection. 
Insanely elegant yet welcoming to even the most frugal traveler,
Place des Vosges will launch you right into the heart of what makes Paris
so dreamy, a subtle reminder that your world has a new and different accent.

Symmetrical red-brick mansions rise above blocks of stone arcades
  sheltering tempting cafes, la-di-dah boutiques and irresistible antique shops.
  The gardens are a paradise of diversity -- easy-going grandmas,
well-heeled businessmen & women, back-packing teenagers
and carefree kids all agree this is the place to be.

  It's a perfect spot to collect your thoughts after the long slog of travel.
  Just sit and lose yourself in the genteel surroundings. 
I can "see" you now -- smiling, absorbing this intimate Paris panorama.
Your mind and your heart will thank you.
You can be as flexible as you like -- stop in to see Victor Hugo's
museum-mansion or just spread out on the green grass à la Parisienne.

It's a good start to the best week of your life.

Picture
Picture
  Since it's your first day, you'll probably be a bit jet-lagged so let's keep it simple.
  If it's a Sunday, walk straight to the Bastille market to experience
the miracle of french food and food lovers.
  Enjoy every little detail and feel your energy return as you
sniff and swoon in front of the cheese stalls.
  Gratefully accept all samples on offer and remind your friends
this is just a first taste of what's to come.

If it's not Sunday, I think I'd go to the Musée Carnavalet just
down the street, a perfect primer on the history of Paris. 
Art and architecture are a sure immersion into the heartbeat of the city
and you can't beat the price --  it's free.
  Don't miss anything unless your tummy starts to rumble.

  All that money we've already saved, it's time for a late lunch.
  Something that will warm up your taste buds for a week in Paris.
  How about Auberge des Pyrénees Cévénnes -- homemade terrines & cassoulet.
Or spend a bit more and go to a classic bistro like Benoit or Astier?
  Make it at least three courses and don't forget the wine.

Lunch, naturally, will be long, so afterwards, head straight to
Ile St. Louis for a chance to absorb the very heart of Paris.
Here, the choices are endless...
This island is only a few blocks long and two blocks wide but its personality is huge.
  If you haven't eaten too much at lunch, stop at the little Berthillon window for a scoop or three of the most out-of-this-world flavors you've ever put in your mouth.
Look at all the details of each beautiful mansion, do a little window-shopping
and daydream about what it was like 100 - 200 - 300 years ago.
  Pause to watch the entertainment on the bridge as you
head toward the other island, the famous Ile de la Cite.
 
If the sun is shining, skip Notre Dame (for now) and walk
a few more blocks to see the magnificent Saint-Chapelle. 
When the sunlight burns through its exquisitely colored stained glass windows,
you'll feel as if you've been transported into another cosmos --
and in reality, you have.
  This is medieval Paris at its very best.

Afterwards, take a short walk, admiring the view of the Seine,
La Conciergerie and your first look across the water to the Left Bank.
In mere minutes you'll arrive at one of the most romantic
spots in Paris -- Place Dauphine.
Kiss your wife, hug your friends and consider a little aperitif
at one of the sweet cafes that surround the perfect little square.
From here, you can decide what to do this evening ......

Picture
Picture
Picture
Uh oh, I just realized we've already "used up" one day of your
 seven day adventure and there is so much more I want you to see. 

  How can I better help you organize a plan?

Let's try a short list to help organize your trip -- looking at categories,
including a few of my very favorites in each:

 PARKS
 Luxembourg Gardens, Parc Buttes-Chaumont, Parc Monceau,
Parc Belleville -- oh no, already off to a bad start -- that's about three too many...

 CHURCHES
 Saint-Chapelle, Notre-Dame, Saint-Etienne-du-Mont,
St-Eustache, St-Denis -- definitely not going according to plan....

LANDMARKS
 Arc de Triomphe, Opera Garnier, Place de la Concorde,
Napoleon's Tomb, Pantheon, Eiffel Tower -- dammit, I could go on & on....
 
CEMETERIES
 Pere Lachaise -- if you have time
for just one memorial in Paris, make it this one.

MARKETS
- Bastille, Raspail, market streets like rue Daguerre, Mouffetard
 Montorgeuil and Cler -- life is too short for just one market ....

SHOPS
- La Grande Epicurie (more food), Deyrolle, Galeries Lafayette,
window shopping on rue Saint-Honoré or Place Vendome, covered
passages like Galerie Vivienne or Jouffroy, the flea markets --
lots of €, payback for all the times you cheated at Chinese checkers....

NEIGHBORHOODS
- The Marais, Canal St. Martin, Belleville,
St. Germain-des-Pres, Montparnasse, Latin Quarter -- sheesh....

MUSEUMS
 - The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, The Rodin, Petit Palais,
Musée d'Art Moderne, Jacquemart André.... I'm barely
getting started -- can't narrow it down, need help .....


BOULANGERIE/PATISSERIE
Poilâne, Eric Kayser, Gérard Mulot, Julien,
Dalloyau, Pierre Hermé, Patisserie des Reves....
life is short, try one of each....

CANDY
Le Bonbon au Palais, A l'Etoile d'Or, A la Mère de Famille...
life is short, try one of each....

CHOCOLATE
Jacques Genin, Pralus, Michel Chaudun ....ditto

MUSIC
Duc des Lombards (jazz), Club Rayé (piano bar), cathedrals (such as Saint-Sulpice)....

BISTROTS, BRASSERIES, CAFES
Oh heavens, this could take forever.....


"We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle."

Marilyn Monroe

Picture
Well, that was an exercise in futility.
  The list is way too long for just seven days and at the same time,
I've cheated you out of some of my absolute favorites. 

Nobody likes things crammed down their throat. 
There has to be a way to see more without going crazy.
 
Consider this:
 
Assign each day a specific historical era, and choose according to the timeline:

Sunday: The Renaissance --  starting with The Cluny Museum
with its gorgeous Lady & the Unicorn Tapestry

Monday: The Enlightenment -- The Catacombs

Tuesday: Napoleon's Reign -- Malmaison, his gorgeous estate outside Paris

Wednesday: Baron Haussmann Day -- Sewer Tour or Place de l'Etoile

Thursday: The Belle Epoque -- The Grand Palais and #29 Avenue Rapp

Friday: Roman Paris -- The Arenes de Lutece

Saturday: Modern Paris -- Pompidou Center and La Defense

And of course we need an 8-day week for The Sun King -- Versailles


Oh no, I just made it worse -- too many choices, too many decisions...

There is just too much to love...

"Eight days a week is not enough to show I care."
John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Picture
Picture
I just realized, I'm not following my own advice.
  Paris is not some laundry list of places to see,
it's a fountain of feelings and magical experiences.
  Any good itinerary allows you to:
GET LOST
FEEL NOSTALGIC
LOOK AT ART YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND
  PEE IN A TURKISH TOILET*
*only recommended for the men in your party

  Imagination, big brother -- we grew up on that.
  Think about it, many of the world's best discoveries
were made by chance instead of by design.
  Penicillin, Velcro, Super Glue -- success stories unearthed by accident.
I think the best Paris adventures just sort of happen like that.
Timing, luck, karma -- whatever you want to call it -- are your best friends.
Chance discoveries and memorable fun
happen as naturally as breathing in and out -- after all, it's Paris!

Remember, The City of Light isn't the outline you study
on your tourist map of Central Paris.
  It's a living city of real people and it's the Parisians who make it what it is today. 
So engage with them.
  Revel in real conversation and make a new friend.

Enjoy the little things.
Splurge on a platter of royal fruits de mer.
  Drink a cup of coffee where Thomas Jefferson & Ben Franklin drank theirs*.
  Dab on a bit of Guerlain perfume or get a haircut.
  These are the things you'll remember the most about your trip.

*Le Procope


  Eat too much candy and get silly on Absinthe.
  Better yet, have a drink at Harry's Bar where it's likely
our very own dad enjoyed a few stiff drinks just after the war.
  Watch an episode of Law & Order dubbed in French.
  Lenny never sounded so elegant.

Embrace your two loves:
Magic -- Musée de la Magie may have a trick or two to amaze even you.
Music -- Search out some of your favorite New Orleans style
 melodies, perhaps at Autour du Midi just behind the Moulin Rouge.

  Look on the Wall of Names for our mother's family at the
Memorial de la Shoah and contemplate just how lucky we are.
  Negotiate a smile from a stranger.

In other words, follow your bliss.
  That's the real Paris.

Dear Eric,
I'll be with you every step of the way.
I know you'll have the best time!
With love,
Michelle

P.S.  Next time, don't even think about going without me!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
3 Comments
    Picture

    AUTHOR
    MICHELLE MOGGIO

    Thanks for visiting  my blog!

    I've been experiencing the joys of Paris since the ripe old age of eleven.
    As a big fan of duck fat, raw oysters and bad French movies, my long career in advertising helped pave the way for drinking at lunch. When not living la vie en rose, my husband Gary and I live in Brentwood, TN, where we stay busy planning our next travel adventure and offering unsolicited advice to our daughter.

    Archives

    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014


    RSS Feed

    Click below to buy
    The Paris Effect 
    book today
    Enter your email address to receive blog updates -
    Subscribe Now
    Buy Now

    Categories

    All
    100th Blog
    20th Arrondissement
    Abbaye De Fontfroide
    Absinthe
    Academie De La Grande Chaumière
    Adrian Leeds
    Aix-en-Provence
    Albi
    Aligot
    Alsace
    Ambassade D'Auvergne
    Amboise
    American History
    American Revolution
    Amphitheatre
    Antibes
    Apartments
    Aperitif
    April In Paris
    Arc De Triomphe Du Carrousel
    Architecture
    Arena De Nimes
    Ariége
    Armenian Cathedral Of Paris
    Art
    Art Deco
    Artistic Paris
    Artlover
    Art Museum
    Art Nouveau
    Atonement Chapel
    Auray
    Avenue Foch
    Avenue Frochot
    Avignon
    Baccarat
    Baden-Baden
    Baguette
    Basque
    Bayeux Tapestry
    B&B
    Benjamin Franklin
    Bénodet
    Bercy Village
    Biarritz
    Biot
    Biot France
    Bistros
    Bonbons
    Books Set In France
    Boulangerie
    Brassaï
    Brittany
    Brittany American Cemetery
    Burgundy
    Cagnes-sur-Mer
    Cakes
    Canal Du Midi
    Candy
    Cap D'Antibes
    Caracalla Spa
    Caramels
    Catalan France
    Cathars
    Cathedral
    Cathedrale St-Just
    Cemetière De Passy
    Cemetière Saint-Vincent
    Chantilly
    Chapelle Expiatoire
    Chapelle Saint Vincent De Paul
    #Chapel Of Hospice Saint-Jean
    Charles Aznavour
    Charles Trenet
    Chartreuse Du Val-de-Benediction
    Chateau
    Chateau De Clisson
    Chateau De Foix
    Chateau De Fougeres
    Chateau De Malmaison
    Chateau Grimaldi
    Cheese
    Chinon
    Chocolate
    Choice Vs. Chance
    Christian Constant
    #Church Of Saint-Volusien
    Cimiez
    Cité Des Fleurs
    Cité De Trevise
    Claude Monet
    Clisson
    Cocktail
    Coco Chanel
    Cognac
    Cointreau
    Cole Porter
    Comedie-Francaise
    Cote D'Azur
    Coulon
    Cours Mirabeau
    Cours Saleya
    Coussin De Lyon
    Crêpes
    Dessert
    Dijon
    Dreams
    Duck-confit
    Eating In France
    Ecole Des Beaux-Arts
    Ed Clark
    Edith-piaf
    Eglise Notre Dame De Clisson
    Eglise Sainte-Trinité
    Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés
    Elsa Maxwell
    Entrevaux
    Environmental Challenges
    Eric Kayser
    Eugene Delacroix
    Fabergé Museum
    Falling For Paris
    Famous-faces
    Fashion History
    Fauchon
    Fernand Léger
    Fete De La Transhumance
    Fête De Vendanges
    Fish Specialties
    Foix
    Folies Bergère
    Fontainebleau
    Fontaine Du Palmier
    Food Markets
    Fougeres
    Fragrance
    France
    Francois-premier
    Free Museums
    French Atlantic Coast
    French Bread
    French Cuisine
    French Food
    French-food
    French History
    French-islands
    French Musee D'Art Moderne De La Ville De Paris
    French Music
    French Resistence
    French Revolution
    #FrenchRiviera
    French Riviera
    French Slave Trade
    Friedrichsbad Spa
    Fun Fair Museum
    Genevieve De Gaulle-Anthonioz
    Genièvre
    George Sand
    Germaine Tillion
    Germany
    Gertrude Stein
    Gordes
    Grand Mosque Of Paris
    Grand Palais
    Grasse
    Guerlain
    Gustave Moreau
    Harvest Festival
    Haut-de-Cagnes
    Healthy Travel
    Hediard
    Henri Le Roux
    Henri Matisse
    Holocaust
    Hometown Memories
    Hotel Belles Rives
    Hôtel De Soubise
    Hotel Dieu
    Hotels
    Ile De Bréhat
    Ile De Ré
    Isadora Duncan
    Jacques Genin
    Janet Flanner
    Jardin Samuel-de-Champlain
    Jay Z
    Jazz A Juan
    Jean Seberg
    Jewelry
    Josephine Baker
    Josephine Bonaparte
    Juan-les-Pins
    Keith Haring
    La Campagne A Paris
    La Couveroitade
    Lafayette
    La Jourrnée San Voiture
    Lalique
    Language Skills
    Languedoc
    La Rochelle
    La Verrerie De Biot
    Lavinia Wine Store
    Le Bonbon Au Palais
    Le Bon Georges
    Le Capitole
    Le Carrousel Des Mondes Marins
    Le Clos Lucé
    Le Cochon à L'Oreille
    Le Coq Rico
    Legendary Lovers
    Le Grand Véfour
    Le Musée Montmartre
    Leonardo Da Vinci
    Le Rostand
    Les Cocottes
    Les Fauves
    Les Invalides
    Les Machines De L'Ile
    Les Sept Iles
    Lichtentaler Allee
    Lille
    Little Gourmand
    Loire Atlantique
    Luberon
    Luxembourg Gardens
    Maison Carrée
    Malmaison
    Man Ray
    Marais Poitevin
    Marc Chagall
    Marché Beauvau
    Marché D'Aligre
    Marché President Wilson
    Marché Victor Hugo
    Marie Curie
    Market Street
    Marquis De Lafayette
    Matisse
    Maurice Utrillo
    Medieval Festival
    Medieval France
    Memorial De L'Abolition De L'Esclavage
    Memorial De La Shoah
    MFK Fisher
    Minervois Wine
    #ModernArt
    Monolithic Church
    Montmartre
    Montmartre Museum
    Montparnasse
    Montparnasse Cemetery
    Montpellier
    Movies Set In France
    Musee Carnavalet
    Musée De La Chasse Et De La Nature
    Musée Des Arts Decoritifs
    Musée Des Arts Forains
    Musée Des Beaux-Arts De Dijon
    Musee D'Orsay
    Musée D'Orsay
    Musee L'Orangerie
    Musée Marc Chagall
    Musee Marmottan Monet
    Musée Matisse Nice
    Musée Picasso
    Musée Yves Saint Laurent
    Museum
    Museum Of Decorative Arts
    Museum Of Hunting & Nature
    Museum Of Modern Art City Of Paris
    Nancy
    Nantes
    Napoleon Bonaparte
    Napoleon III Apartments
    Narbonne
    Nashville
    Natalie Portman
    Nazi Atrocities
    Nice
    Nice France
    Nimes
    Normandy
    Not-far-from-paris
    Not-far-from-paris
    Notre Dame De Lorette
    Notre Dame De Paris
    Occitanie
    #Occitanie
    Off-the-tourist-track
    Off-the-tourist-track
    Opera-garnier
    Operation Dragoon
    Oradoursurglane
    Our Lady Of Paris
    Palais Lascaris
    Palais Royal
    Paloma Beach
    Pancake
    Pancake Pantry
    Parade
    Parc De Bercy
    Paris
    Paris 1968
    Paris Arrondissements
    Paris Art Museum
    Paris Art Schools
    Paris At Home
    Paris Cafes
    Paris Fashion
    Paris Friend
    Paris Markets
    Paris Metro
    Paris Neighborhoods
    Paris Parks
    Paris Patisseries
    Paris Pets
    Paris Predestination
    Paris Retail Therapy
    Paris Travel
    Parks
    Passage Boudin
    Passerelle Simone De Beauvoir
    Pastis
    Patisserie
    Patricia Wells
    Paul Cezanne
    Perfume
    Pernes-les-Fontaines
    Pet Cemeteries
    Petit Palais
    Photography
    Picpus Cemetery
    Pinching Pennies
    Pink Granite Coast
    Place De Furstenberg
    Place De La Concorde
    Place Des Vosges
    Place Masséna
    Place Stanislaus
    Place Vendome
    Ploumanac'h
    Poilane
    Ponr Alexandre III
    Poster Art
    Promenade Des Anglais
    Provence
    #Provence
    Provence Markets
    Puffins
    Pyrenees-Orientales
    Rambouillet
    Raoul Dufy
    Regional Cooking
    Rennes
    Renoir
    Robert Doisneau
    Robert Wuhl
    Roquefort
    Rue Cler
    Rue Cremieux
    Rue De L'Eole Du Medecine
    Rue De Nil
    Rue Dénoyez
    Rue Des Ecoles
    Rue Des Martyrs
    Rue Irenee Blanc
    Rue Jules Siegfried
    Ruelle Des Chats
    Rue Montorgeuil
    Ruth
    Saintdenis
    Saint-Emilion
    Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
    Saint-Etienne-du-Mont
    Sainteustache
    Saint-Goustan
    Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert
    Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
    Saint-Malo
    Saint-Medard Church
    Saint-Paul-de-Mausole
    Saint-Remy-de-Provence
    Saint-Vincent Cemetery
    Sculpture
    Senlis
    Serendipity
    Shopping
    Sliceoflife
    Slice Of Life
    Small Paris Pleasures
    Small Town Saturday Night
    Social Media
    So-Pi
    Springtime In Paris
    Square Des Peupliers
    Square Montsouris
    St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral
    Street Food
    Suzanne Valadon
    Suzy Solidor
    Sylvia Beach
    Texas
    The Avignon Papacy
    The-dreyfus-affair
    The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
    The Louvre
    The Moose
    The National Archives
    The Pantheon
    The-paris-effect
    The Pink City
    Toulouse
    Toulouse-Lautrec
    Tourrettes-sur-Loup
    Travel
    Travel Advice
    Travel Planning
    Troyes
    U.N. World Climate Conference
    Urban Art
    Uzès
    Vacation
    Vacation Planning Food
    Vel D'Hiver
    Vichy
    Vieille Bourse
    Vieux Nice
    Villa Eilenroc
    Villefranche-de-Conflent
    Villeneuve-les-Avignon
    Vincent Van Gogh
    Walking
    Walking Paris
    Willi Ronis
    Wine
    Wine Festival
    WWII
    #WWII France
    WWII Paris
    WWII Provence
    Yachts
    Yves Saint Laurent

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.