I ♥ Paris in the Summertime...

If you arrive in Paris over a long weekend in Summer, your trip-advisor top ten might be thrown into disarray upon finding that many of the attractions are closed on Sundays, Mondays, some Tuesdays.. the first weekend of the month oh and much of August.  But not to despair, where previous mid-winter trips might see you escaping the unfriendly frost losing hours inside the Louvre immersed in anthropological study of the origins of mankind, starting in the basement of ancient civilisation onward to the masterpieces of Italian renaissance making your way into the 19th Century...perhaps never to come up for air except to seek solace from sleet inside lesser known indoor galleries and shopping strips...

Paris in Summer is made for exploring and while historical and cultural ventures are a must, incorporating market visits, canal walks and outdoor activities should create a completely different but equally memorable adventure altogether.

On this most recent visit, I made it a habit of lying on the grass and soaking up the sun and sounds, be it fountain-side at the Jardin du Luxembourg, on the lawns by the Eiffel Tower at the Parc des Champs du Mars, at Jardin des Tulleries leading to the Champs Elysees or the grand Esplanade du Invalides.. maybe i was feeling lazy but in doing so feeling the undeniable hum and undercurrent vibrations of the underground metro while gazing up at the awe-inspiring architectural feat and romantic heart of this city..the Eiffel Tower with it's little satellite dishes and telecommunication aerials.. a symbol of life and love of globalisation and dream creation possessing that magnetic ability to draw you in and spur you on like a metaphorical compass existing just a glance over the shoulder from many a park or rooftop viewing platform in paris.. 

From humble beginnings of a baguette, cheese and champagne picnic directly adjacent the Eiffel Tower, studying and capturing its various aspects and vistas became something of a hobby. This study took me from the 2.5 hour round trip on the Batobus Sienne ferry in pouring rain just to get a waterfront shot, twice, to the artistic quarter and sacred heart of Paris up the steps of Basilica Sacre Couer, Montmartre for panoramic views over the whole city, to the magical twilight view above Plac de la Concorde adjacent Musee Orangerie afforded by the slight elevation of the sand-side balustrade where you can lounge in reclining chairs waiting for the hourly twinkling phenomenon.. (until ejected by park security) and finally up to  the Galeries Lafayette rooftop balcony resembling something of a miniature golf course complete with astro-turf, plastic chairs and a coffee cart... all the while angling for the perfect photo that could embody the black&white or pinhole setting vintage charm, soft and fuzzy Laduree pastel coloured romance as well as grainy heightened contrast afforded by an imposing architectural statement...yes i may have got carried away with photography settings on my new compact Olympus OMD SLR camera.. but that is a whole separate blog entry..

Visiting Paris in Summer lends itself to many an outdoor adventure.. you could spend a day on the right bank in the 20th Arrondissement wandering the Friday morning Ménilmontant markets; a vibrant sensory overload of narrow walkways, fresh food, clothing and gadgets away from the tourist traps and higher prices of those closer to town.. Père Lachaise Cemetery is a pilgrimage for lovers of 'The Doors' and classical English literature owing to the tombstones of Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison but also the final resting place of Frederic Chopin, Camille Pisarro, Sarah Bernhard and other notable historical figures.. if you can find them amongst the maze of graves and tombstones, that is. I must admit, inadvertently stumbling upon a family plot with your name on it is certainly a little disconcerting and something of a macabre way to spend an afternoon... if hundreds of others weren't doing the same thing!

Again on the Right Bank, a trip to the canals is a sure way to feel like a local, grab a street bike for a few euros (if you can find any without flat tyres that is) and pick up some wine and cheese from a local vendor and while away a few hours in the sun.  

As well as capturing photos of the Eiffel Tower, riding a push bike through the streets of Paris was also on my tick-box list of things to do.. but not without it's false starts.. or finishes(!!) including finding bike depots on every corner either empty or with bikes with flat tyres (noted good bikes are often taken by workers commuting to town during the week) , eventually paying for a bike with only one pedal and not realising this fault until a fair few metres down the street....and thereupon walking further miles to find a different bike in suitable working order, the irony being, once we got to our desired destination there was nowhere to return the bike as the cages were all full.  Incidentally, riding along the Sienne is certainly picturesque but frought with tourists and street vendors in parts so indeed a bit precarious, frustrating and probably quicker to walk at times.. but then you wouldn't have ridden a bike along the Sienne.

 

While on the topic of outdoors in Paris, if you have overindulged in parks, wine and cheese, you can combine cultural and artistic pursuits with a visit to the Musée Rodin; a Rodin Sculpture Garden housed in an 18th Century mansion the Hotel Biron.  A wander through the manicured gardens as well as the indoor and temporary collections, you'll see famous works like 'The Thinker', 'The Kiss' and copies and enlargements of each, various impressions of French writer and politician Victor Hugo, themes of 'The Gates of Hell' as well as Rodin's private collection and works by impressionist and post-impressionist painters including Monet and a Van Gogh.  As much as some of the sculptures may be attributed to Rodin's pupils and studio, for an amateur art admirer like me, i was still very much impressed.

With a weekend visit, you are well on your way with the suggestions above.  Here follow some other top-ten recommendations of my own, albeit indoor ventures, but with the luxury of a few extra days or in the unfortunate event of poor weather, they are not to be missed;

1. Afternoon tea at Ladurée Tea House for macarons and floral herbal teas located by Place de la Madeleine.. a true french indulgence with the hint of Japanese kitsch charm with Hello Kitty trinkets and embroidered flannels on sale.  You will pay an exorbinant amount for a gift box of take-home macarons- of which i bought two as i liked the box... and the macarons of course.. but hotly contested in flavour and design by another omnipresent local establishment and the perhaps more contemporary offerings at Pierre Hermes...easily spend an afternoon wandering between sites comparing each ;)

2. Musee D'Orsay; a more manageable size than the Louvre across the river opposite Jardin Tulleries housing works from 1848 to 1914.  Worth a mention for it's recent renovation ongoing through 2010 incorporating a light-filled sculpture walkway under the historical glass canopy of the old Orsay Railway, as well as a rooftop terrace and viewing platform, renovated gallery of Impressionism (Manet, Degas, Monet, Cézanne, Renoir, Sisley...) and Post-Impressionism (Van Gogh, Gauguin, the school of Pont-Aven, Cross, Seurat, the Douanier Rousseau).  Highlights are Manet's Olympus, Degar's pastels and Sisley's snowscapes...

3. Musee Jacquemart-Andre; Just off the Champs Elysees a gorgeous mansion and home to Neile and Edouard showcasing their passion for eclectic and classical art in a boutique collection. Imagining the lavish high society parties filled with music and dancing in the grand hall is one thing... but equally as accessible and almost unpretentiously(!) presented are the number of priceless Masterpieces on offer from the French School of the 18th Century, Dutch Paintings including Masters of the 17th Century; Rembrandt and Van Dyck, English Painting, Italian Renaissance with works by Botticelli and Bellini, a sculpture room with works by Donatello and a diverse Oriental and Egyptian collection sourced through travels to the East.  The decor is sumptuous and Neile's bedchamber with pale yellow, gold and ivory wallpaper and soft furnishings was my particular favourite.

4. Brasserie Bofinger; no Paris visit is complete without a meal at what is considered to be the "most beautiful brasserie in Paris". Deep in the heart of Paris' 4th arrondissement in a Belle Epoque setting, you are invited to "come discover the refined quality of a traditional Alsatian meal." There is the Steak Tartare and Foie Gras staples but also offerings to suit every french and non french palette alike.  A truly indulgent experience, as long as you don't take the wrong stairs and end up in the, by comparison, very un-salubrious staff toilets with foot pump tap mechanism and open cubicles where your waiter might just wander in. But enough on that!

5. Experience some classical music of an evening at the Sainte-Chapelle; a gorgeous example of the Rayonnant period of Gothic architecture on the Île de la Cité former Royal Palace and now administrative complex La Conciergerie. The chapel was heavily restored in the 19th century after being damaged during the French revolution and the extensive collections of 13th century stained glass was partly under construction on our visit.  However, to the tunes of haunting string quartet acoustics it was a truly magical way to experience this unique attraction.  We bought our tickets at the venue after arriving and queueing about 40 minutes early, but did notice a lot of people had pre-purchased online through various websites.

6. Moulin Rouge; having never justified the expense on previous visits, if you are like me and hate being left wondering... particularly about the intricacies of the roller-skate platform performance, aquarium snake dance and just how naked the can-can dancers really are. then go.  It is a bit of a luck of the draw as far as seating arrangements go, but for 105EU each with a bottle of champagne to share between two (i would recommend to heighten tipsy enjoyment factor exponentially) it truly is a sight to behold with some of the token square-jawed-male leads proving comical at best and the glittering retro all-in-one disco suits and 80s Madonna-esque dance moves had me wondering if this part of Paris ever made it into the 21st Century.. But combined with a cheese platter and more wine pre-show as well as a wander through the famous artistic and bohemian district of Montmatre and Pigalle, all in all contributed to a great afternoon and lively night out.

7.  George Pompidou Centre in the 4th Arrondissement houses the the Musée National d'Art Moderne which is the largest museum for modern art in Europe.  At the time of my visit and until tomorrow(!) a Gerhard Richter exhibition called "Panorama" was on show as well as an overwhelming number of photographic, sculpture and architectural ventures in modern art.  The building itself is something to behold, a product of an architectural design competition, comprising a colourful skeleton of pipes and structural elements; green pipes for plumbing, blue ducts for climate control, electrical wires are encased in yellow, and circulation elements and devices for safety are red.

8. Les Arts Decoratifs; while i fear this specific little museum could flail when not housing an attractive and fashionble cross-continental exhibition (time spent studying the history of upholstered chairs and embellished bone china and fiddly table settings.. time which you will never get back..)  I was very glad i made the trip to see the temporary Louis Vuitton (1821-1892) exhibition also incorporating the contribution and parallel life of Marc Jacobs (creative director of the Louis Vuitton Fashion House since 1997).  So maybe i'm a bit of a fashion tragic and viewing the trunk-making packaging origins of the LV brand from behind floor to ceiling glass was a sad reminder of the still present-day unobtainable... but fascinating none-the-less to see the separate contributions to the fashion label of these two very different personalities.

9.  Shopping; along Boulevard Haussman from the Sainte Honore fashion district to Department Stores Printemps and Galeries Lafayette is a great place to see the modern day statement and influence of Louis Vuitton and other Parisian haute-couture fashion labels at work and play on their home turf. If only for the window displays ;) Paris is a shopping mecca, and a day dedicated to this in search of the perfect silk scarf took me to the boutique shops of St Germaine des Pres in the left bank to trawling Rue Rivoli to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in wonderment that the only designer shop with a queue was American label Abercrombie & Fitch?!  There are so many markets and other shopping districts like vintage bohemian couture-esque Marais that it really warrants more than one visit to find that perfect something..

10. Midnight in Paris; and finally, with the Woody Allen movie promising a fantasy adventure of La Belle Époque proportions awaiting you at the witching hour, it is true that the optimism, romance and flourishing arts, theatre and music culture of the 'Golden Age' is alive and well in Paris.  One particular summer evening we ventured out to the Royal Chateau of Versailles, the home of King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette to witness the spectacular night lights and fountain show where old world charm meets new technology in a fog and mirrors extravaganza!  In the late afternoon, start your visit in the State Apartments and the Hall of mirrors, then outside via the champagne tents to the Versailles french gardens to witness and wander the spectacle of smoke, lasers, orchestrated fountain displays to music, culminating with fireworks in front of the "Grand Canal". With so much to see and do- it will ensure, like the movies, you never want to go to sleep!!

Until next time

xoxo