Visiting Paris

I took my daughter to Paris for a few days this week, for some special girls' time together and to introduce her to a city I have been ridiculously in love with for years. We saw so much; the Eiffel Tower,

Sacre Coeur and Montmartre (where she had her portrait done!),

the Mona Lisa and the Egyptian rooms at the Louvre where the 3000+ year old jewellery, using the same forging, hammering, filigree and granulation techniques that I am learning were a huge inspiration, and where I was also slightly freaked out to catch my own reflection in an ancient Egyptian burnished metal hand mirror in which a pharoah's daughter may have gazed at her kohl-eyed reflection!

We also were in awe of the beauty of places like Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle,

and made the most of little cafe stops for coffee and hot chocolates. We had a ball despite being rather full of cold, but this being a real girl blog I have to be honest about Paris falling off its pedestal for me slightly. Firstly, we really were ripped off at every turn! 8 Euros for a milk shake, 14 Euros for a plate of fairly uninteresting green vegetables (and it is not an easy city for a hungry vegetarian!), a poor value hotel and so on. The metro was really hard work too, the trains run smoothly but the stations are looking really old and dirty and the big ones are a real maze, we got close to tears just trying to get out of Gare du Nord at the end of one day! Perhaps because it was cold and grey and there were no leaves on the trees, but Paris was looking a little cheerless and austere and Izzi didn't like it as much as London, she said it was very grown up and serious and tiring to get round. It may have been the head cold talking, but I did feel a bit disappointed although she was very appreciative and good company. Looking back though, we had lots of laughs and lovely times together too, and saw so many beautiful places, not complaining!

Below I have listed my little insider list of places to see and things to avoid, especially if you have a child with you.

My favourite places to visit: 

Notre Dame, The Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle all close together in the Ile de La Cite area and all completely fascinating - Sainte-Chapelle built in 1248 by King Louis 1X to house Christ's supposed Crown of Thorns is utterly breathtaking, maybe the most beautiful man made structure I have ever seen - please go if you are in Paris.

The Marais and St-Germain-des-Pres areas of the city, on the right and left banks respectively, and easy to walk around, full of atmosphere and classic Parisian street life.

Place des Vosges in the Marais area, and Place Vendome in the Tuileries Quarter, both stunning squares worth visiting for their architectural perfection alone.

Sacre Coeur and the surrounding Montmartre area - Moulin Rouge territory, storybook Paris perhaps but ridiculously romantic and atmospheric, with an outstanding view over Paris from Sacre Coeur. Many steps to climb.

The Louvre - well, truly a world class, vast museum. If you are there with a child, my advice would be to pick off a couple of exhibitions, it is very overwhelming and cavernous. Izzi loved the Egyptian rooms.

Rodin's house and gardens - small, intimite gallery and garden, just lovely.

Eiffel Tower - if you are with a child, they will want to go! It is astounding and easy to get to on the metro.


Insider knowledge:

Leaving from St Pancras it is possible to buy a carnet of metro tickets and museum passes which are invaluable if you are planning on seeing a lot - but please be aware children under 18 do not need a museum pass, they are let in free everywhere. Still cross I got flogged one for Izzi totally unnecessarily.

If you cannot face the metro which can be a bit overwhelming, red tourist buses offer a hop on-hop off service which could work well.

Have as big a breakfast as you can in your hotel because the restaurants in the touristy areas tend to be very expensive, even the basic looking ones.

Take time just to wander the streets of the pretty areas, and especially along the banks of the Seine, just to absorb the atmosphere of the city.

Be aware that the Pigalle area near Montmatre, Gare du Nord and parts of the Marais do become fairly sex trade/entertainment orientated after dark, so good to avoid with children in tow.

I would advise going outside of the winter time, the boulevards being lined with leafy trees and the Seine glittering blue really do make a difference.

Finally, if you live anywhere near London, the Eurostar is a no-brainer, cheap and fast and really user-friendly.



Have you got any Paris top tips to share?

48 hours in Paris

At the end of last week I sneaked a cheeky 48 hours in Paris. Richard was going over to speak at a conference, and suddenly realised he had a free double room in Montparnasse for two nights... well it was only polite to agree to be his roomie, right??

So, off we went to St Pancras, (which was looking refurbished and rather resplendent),

just a little skippy and excited with the trolly suitcase in one hand and a stack of Paris guides in another (well I was skippy, Richard was calm as always!). And,  just like that we were on Eurostar and off to Paris. So easy and comfortable, and as quick as a trip to Glasgow!

We had two days to explore and enjoy, and while Richard was working,  I had the lovely company of wife of a colleague of his, already a friend, to wander the city with, and we saw so much. I know Paris a little and went back to a few favourite places and found lots of new wonders.

First up,  Notre Dame. It is breathtaking on the outside, the statuary carved in the 1200s and still in amazing condition. Pope Alexander laid the first stone in 1163 and it stands on the site of an ancient Roman temple.

The interior is incredible. When we visited a service was taking place, and the cathedral was filled with beautiful sound of chanted psalms and the soaring arches and awe-inspiring stained glass together created a very moving experience. This South Rose Window contains some of its original 13th century glass and is 13 metres high.

This is the North Rose Window, enough, had I been alone in the place, to bring me to my knees.

The good thing about visiting Paris in November is that the crowds are really not too bad, there was space and time to take all this in and savour the atmosphere and peace.

From Notre Dame, we moved onto to the nearby Concierge - the ancient Capetian royal palace which became the seat of royal administration and law in the 15th century, and then during the Revolution it became a huge prison holding over 4000 prisoners, many awaiting the guillotine. Some original cells remain, including that of Marie-Antoinette. The small women's courtyard, where female prisoners were allowed to walk and wash their clothes was particularly poignant,

It is pristine now, but the filth and terror must have been appalling, and one can only imagine the horrors of this pen, where condemned women were held just prior to execution,

After all this beauty and tragedy, we needed some fun, so it was off to the shops and cafes for some serious mooching and window shopping. We found the most fabulous homeware shop, stuffed to the gunnels with the most gorgeous lighting, clocks, linens, furniture and accessories. It is La Boutique, 14 Quai de la megisserie.

 

I got seriously wantywanty and had to leave before I bought half the lighting and a clock 3 ft across! Pia Jane Bijkerk's book, Handmade in Paris was a brilliant guide for artisan shops in the backstreets of Paris, full of treasures and unique crafts. The stationary shops she recommends in the Fourth Arrondissement were stunning, and I will have to return for the haberdashery shops alone!

We had amazing meals - in style at Le Petit Zinc in St-Germain-des-Pres, where I ate the best sea-bass of my life, cooked in clay, and modestly but deliciously at creperies and cafes. Did I mention the citrus souffle brought to the table in its copper pan with a glass of Grand Marnier on the side. Meals like this last a long time in the memory.

Richard and I had the last day to ourselves, and so we walked our way down a section of the Seine,

marvelled at the quality of the statuary everywhere you look, charmed by this little girl on one of the bridges listening for sound of the sea, or the Seine, in her shell,

and amazed that the art-deco artists of the period were commissioned to embellish even the feet of the lamp-posts!

Next, we sashayed down swanky Rue St  Honore, where I thought the old boy looked rather handsome in the sunshine,

and where he showed ample patience as I pointed endlessly at the incredible ironwork everywhere,

and wittered on about the glorious colour combination of sand, grey and black which is all around one in the architecture of Paris and has found its way into my heart and the colours of our home.

The Jardin des Tuileries, Place  de la Concorde (a magnificent 20 acre square right in the centre of the city and once site of the guillotine), the beautiful if austere Place Vendome and the Louvre, all within a half hour walk of eachother. We gawped still unsure but always astounded by the clash of old and new at The Louvre.

and some of the exhibits at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs were so beautiful, I wanted to dance a quick jig infront of the glass cabinets. I resisted the urge, but my heart was singing at some of these beauties, the carvings and glass over 500 years old,

It is that kind of place, Paris, it makes you want to dance and be merry, fall in love, eat too much, soak in a millenium of culture and ... giggle at gendarmes on rollerskates!