Springtime in Paris

Dipping our toes back into the world of travel we headed to Paris during the Easter holidays.  With a 17 and 14 year old in tow, we planned a busy trip making sure we included some sights, fun, history and great food with shopping and sweet treats thrown in too.  We had visited Paris before but not for over 20 years so it was exciting to return with the children.

Montmartre

We stayed in Montmartre, the romantic quarter, famed for its association with the great artists such as Renoir, Degas and Picasso.  We drove to France so we chose to stay in the north, rather than driving too far into the city.  It is also an area of Paris we hadn’t explored before.  Parking is easy.  It’s best to book a space with Interparking; Interparking has underground, secure car parks all over Paris and spaces can be booked and paid for in advance.

We arrived in Paris two and a half hours after leaving Calais and wasted no time – we spent the rest of our first afternoon wandering through cobbled streets and ogling the view over Paris from the Butte of Montmartre, in front of the Sacré-Coeur.  It was busy, as expected however we avoided the tourist trap of Place du Tertre and soaked up the bustling vibe of the area in the spring sunshine.  It was a great start to our stay in the city and a short walk away from our hotel in the area of Lemarck, on the outskirts of Montmartre.

Where to eat in Paris

We relied on the Michelin Guide for restaurant recommendations and had prebooked a couple of restaurants before we arrived.  We certainly ate well and would definitely recommend an element of pre planning to ensure no disappointments – there are so many restaurants in Paris: many are fabulous with excellent set price dejeuner and dîner menus and you want to make sure those are the ones you head for. On our first evening we enjoyed dinner at the Bistrot du Maquis, a chef owned wonder just a short walk from our hotel.

Les Passages

The next morning we walked from Montmartre, through the 9^th Arrondissement to Boulevard Hausmann and Galeries Lafayette.  Whilst this wasn’t a shopping trip, we did have a 14 year old fashionista with us so an amble through the Galeries was well received.  The central atrium of the building is beautiful and the view from the top is well worth the effort.  Wandering a little east we found the passage Jouffrey, a traditional passage of which there are several in Paris.  Conceived by town planners in the early 19^th century to protect pedestrians from mud and horse drawn vehicles, these elegant glass roofed shopping arcades, names ‘passages’, were for decades left to crumble and decay.  Many have now been renovated and restored to something approaching their former glory.  We explored passages Jouffroy and Verdeau, off Boulevard Montmartre, which were full of quirky stores offering antique and modern walking canes, antiquarian books, fittings for dolls houses and collections of old film posters.

The Eiffel Tower

Our final destination that morning was the Eiffel Tower.  The queue is always enormous so booking in advance is a must.  The view from the 2nd floor is probably the best however it’s definitely worth going all the way to the summit.  Standing at 300 metres tall, the Eiffel Tower was only supposed to be a temporary structure for the 1889 Exposition Universelle but is now one of the most, if not THE most visited landmark in Europe.

Cruise the Seine

Close to the Eiffel Tower, on the north bank of the Seine, is the Port de la Conference, home of the Bateaux Mouches river boats.  Seeing Paris from the water gives a different perspective and your feet a rest from all the walking!  We took a boat trip which went as far as the National Library and back again to the Eiffel Tower.  We were able to see the sad state of Notre Dame, on Ile de la Cité, without its trademark spire however all the scaffolding indicated that work is motoring ahead to restore the cathedral to its former glory.

That evening we headed to the Marais and ate superbly at Les Enfants Rouges. Located in the heart of the Haut Marais, Les Enfants rouges offers excellent market fresh French cuisine, cooked by a talented Japanese chef.

Musée D’Orsay

On our second full day in Paris, we started with a trip to the Musée D’Orsay and the great impressionists.  Again, it’s worth booking in advance although you will still have to queue to pass through security.  The building itself is worth a look – it’s a former railway station and architecturally fascinating inside.

Avenue des Champs Elysées

We walked passed the Louvre and through the Jardin des Tuileries on our way to the Musée D’Orsay with it’s grand vista towards Place de la Concorde and the Avenue des Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe lying majestically beyond.  We clearly saw the Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe from the Eiffel Tower so did not explore on foot. We also wanted to try and incorporate the more traditional elements of Paris into our itinerary so avoided the obvious tourist highlights.  With just 2 and a half days in the city, time was limited too.

It’s worth taking time to wander along the Parcs Rives de Seine, the path along the river, frequented by local walkers and runner and fortunately, not many tourists. We found a great little crepe shack for lunch after our visit to the Musée D’Orsay and enjoyed some time by the tranquillity of the river in the much welcome sunshine.

Le Marais

We wanted to spend some time in the Marais on the north bank so made sure we spent our last afternoon wandering the small streets, browsing the specialist shops and people watching from pavement cafés.  We passed the colourful Centre Pompidou on the way to Place des Vosges, at the heart of the district.  You’re allowed to sit on the grass here in the Place des Vosges, unusual for Paris, and many locals were doing just that.  We picked up some patisseries and ate them in the Place which is surrounded by brick and stone mansions and arcades housing chic boutiques, antique shops and al fresco restaurants.  We found a sweet little restaurant where we caught an early dinner before returning to our hotel.  It was full of locals with a lovely buzz.  If you’re in the Marais at lunchtime, the covered Marché des Enfants Rouges in Haut Marais offers eclectic street food as well as fresh produce to buy and take home.  Sadly, we didn’t have time for the Picasso Museum but it’s definitely on our list for next time.

Where to stay

We stayed in a small 3 star hotel which offered bed and breakfast, spotlessly clean rooms and friendly staff.  There are of course plenty of good hotels to choose from in Paris and we can help find you the perfect location and standard of hotel for your stay.   Of course, Four Seasons Hotel George V and Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel are the best places to stay however there are many other excellent small boutique hotels across the city.

Do get in touch to chat about your next trip.