France (German, UK, England, speak)

[DrVanNostrand]

I'll be in Paris for 3-4 days in December. Any suggestions as to where I should go, what I should see?

Of course I'll check out the Eiffel Tower, but other than that and the Louvre I know nothing about the city.

Thanks.

[la monumental]

Stade de france?

[Huckleberry3911948]

i speak french, feel free to DM me.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by BlueWillowPlate

Sounds like a great place. We met a delightful woman in Obernai who invited us up to her apartment to watch the start of the Tour de France. Between my wretched French and her rusty English we struggled a bit, but sometimes you get by without too many words.
I hope we have the time to get to Lille.
There is so much I want to see, but we have less than three weeks.
We will try to make the most of it.

Ah, Obernai! I spent a couple of months in Obernai back in 1987. It's such a beautiful little town, and only a few minutes away from Strasbourg. I would love to go back and visit.

At any rate, I hope you enjoy your visit to Lille! Be sure to tell us how (or if) you enjoyed it.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by DrVanNostrand

I'll be in Paris for 3-4 days in December. Any suggestions as to where I should go, what I should see?

Of course I'll check out the Eiffel Tower, but other than that and the Louvre I know nothing about the city.

Thanks.

Be sure to sit on the steps in front of Sacré Coeur and watch the sun set over the city. It's absolutely magical to see Paris laid out at your feet, the Eiffel Tower off in the distance, and the lights start twinkling on as the sun goes down.

While the temperature itself isn't super cold, Paris has that clammy weather which eats right through you. In other words, 40 degrees F in Paris feels a heck of a lot colder to me than 40 degrees in, say, Denver.

If you want to have a nice, inexpensive lunch but with a great view of the city, head to Les Galeries Lafayette. I think it's on the 7th floor, but their cafeteria has pretty good food and huge windows overlooking the city. And it's climate controlled.

Whether or not you're Catholic or even religious, attending mass at Notre Dame is a very interesting experience.

If beautiful Gothic architecture and lots of stained glass windows is your thing, you must see Sainte-Chappelle. It'll knock your socks off.

Have a great trip!

[DrVanNostrand]

Thanks for taking the time to respond, JMT.

You aren't the first person that I've spoken with that recommended Sacré Coeur. I'll make that a priority.

I'm not Catholic, or very religious for that matter, but I would definitely consider attending Mass at Notre Dame.

That lunch spot sounds good as well. I definitely want to take advantage of as many unique eating opportunities as possible.

Would you recommend wearing long johns during that time of year, considering I'll be out and about a lot?

[JMT]

Originally Posted by DrVanNostrand

Thanks for taking the time to respond, JMT.

You aren't the first person that I've spoken with that recommended Sacré Coeur. I'll make that a priority.

I'm not Catholic, or very religious for that matter, but I would definitely consider attending Mass at Notre Dame.

That lunch spot sounds good as well. I definitely want to take advantage of as many unique eating opportunities as possible.

Would you recommend wearing long johns during that time of year, considering I'll be out and about a lot?

If you plan on staying outside a lot in Paris, then yes I would definitely recommend long johns. Paris is such a beautiful, walkable city, it would be a shame to stay indoors even though the weather is so damp and chilly.

I'd also take a boat ride along the Canal Saint-Martin. It takes you through some very picturesque neighborhoods.

You mentioned the Louvre, and while that's certainly a must-see, my favorite museum is a short walk just across the river, le musée d’Orsay. The building itself is a work of art. Plus I like 19th century art a LOT, and that's the place to see it.

Since you'll be there for the Christmas shopping season, you might enjoy wandering through the two huge department stores located next door to each other on boulevard Haussman (behind the Opera). Les Galeries Lafayette is my favorite, but a lot of people prefer its rival, Printemps. Both are gargantuan and are richly decorated for the holidays.

Here are a couple of pics I took of the Christmas tree in the main atrium of Les Galeries Lafayette a couple of years ago. Get a load of the ceiling.

[DrVanNostrand]

That looks astounding.

I think the Christmas dynamic will make the trip all the more enjoyable.

Thanks again for all the info!

[pigeonhole]

They are mostly an hypocritical bunch up there, believe me , like their "bling bling" President, they follow the motto "my heart on the Left, my Purse on the Right".
I mean don't you see how fallacious they are, being dead serious about Luxury, Decorum, Perfumes, Wine, Fashion, Style,Food, and cynically sneering at Morals and spiritual pursuits.
Parisians, Pharisians....

[Mooseketeer]

Originally Posted by pigeonhole

They are mostly an hypocritical bunch up there, believe me , like their "bling bling" President, they follow the motto "my heart on the Left, my Purse on the Right".
I mean don't you see how fallacious they are, being dead serious about Luxury, Decorum, Perfumes, Wine, Fashion, Style,Food, and cynically sneering at Morals and spiritual pursuits.
Parisians, Pharisians....

WOW ! I am amazed that Sarkozy would describe himself as having "his heart on the Left " ! The man is as close to a fascist as you can get in Europe apart from Berlusconi...
And proud of it too.