10 Thoughts About Paris October 7, 2006
Posted by CamdenKiwi in : Travel , trackback1. Any Metro that has such beautiful signs has to be a good thing.
2. If you live near London, take Eurostar. Its better for the environment, and much, much less stressful. Waltz though checkin and the security checks in a few minutes carrying as many toiletries as you wish, and let it take you straight into the heart of Paris.
3. Walking around the streets of Paris is as good as any of the ’sights’. Its very easy to get lost with all the odd angles, but you’ll find something beautiful, or at least a good cafe. I was staying in the 3rd district, home of the Marais, and spent the best part of three days just wandering, stopping in at the occasional museum or interesting building, having coffee and just enjoying the area.
4. If you dine alone, the 25cl carafe is an excellent idea. Served with a small glass, you drink less, but it still lasts the whole meal.
5. If you’re looking for a meal near the Place de la Republique, try Fontaines d’Elysabeth on 1 Rue Ste Elysabeth (ph 01.42.74.36.41). Its very small, and there’s no name outside, but the cassoulet was delicious and two courses of the menu du jour was only €12 (about £8).
6. Apartment buildings above shops and cafes bring life into the central city, rather than separating residential and commercial districts. Its not much fun living on the ground floor anyway, and so much better to have a friendly local cafe on your doorstep. Parisiens are slim because so many of them walk up 4 or 5 flights of stairs every time they go home.
7. The whole thing about French people being snotty about speaking English is an utter myth. Its good manners to try to speak French, but like most big cities many people speak a fair bit of English, especially if they’re dealing with tourists.
8. The Musee Carnavelet has an excellent collection of the history of Paris, particularly of revolutionary times, and is well worth seeing. Its also free.
9. Every time I visit Paris, I find something new in the Louvre. Its so vast that a single visit is overwhelming, so its easiest just to aim for one area. 
This time, I saw the Mesopotamian collection, including the Freize of the Archers from the palace of Darius I at Persepolis. Beautifully coloured and lifelike, they’re works of art as well as interesting ancient monuments.
10. Finally, a word on hotels. I tend to go for a single room in 1-2 star hotels and small pensions in most places, with my own bathroom.
The Hotel Americain, where I stayed for four nights, was good for €72 per night for a single. Staff were friendly, it was clean and warm - a good basic hotel. The bathroom was a bit odd, with a shower tray and a shower head at waist height, as is common in Greece.
For the last two nights I stayed at Hotel Meteore, just down the road, for a mere €60 per night for a double room. It was clean and a decent room, but cold with a lot of street noise. They also demand upfront payment. Go in summer, and take earplugs.
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