I love Paris in the spring time
I love Paris in the fall
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I love Paris every moment
Every moment of the year
I love Paris, why or why do I love Paris
Because my love is there.
These are the famous lyrics sung so hauntingly by Frank Sinatra, and the song confirm the fact that Paris is the city for lovers. But even without a lover, Paris is an amazing city to visit, to walk in, the eat in, to drink in, and of course, if you are lucky to shop in. Paris is an amazing mix of the old and the new....old cathedrals cheek by jowl with the latest fashions available in the Western World. For generations Paris has been the center of our universe, celebrated in movies, books, songs, stories, paintings. Americans think of her as 'gay Paree' where lovers meet, mate and eat.
Where do we start when we visit Paris? Paris is a city that consumes your very being, makes you feel young and lively. You can feel romantic, sad, and of course hungry, not only for the wonderful food and wines that are available, but for the culture, the museums, and the beautiful clothes and boutiques that are available, both to see and of course, to buy in. For those who love to shop, and who are not afraid to spend money, the many couturiers are available all over the city: Chanel, Givenchy, Versaci, Balenciaga, Yves St. Laurent, Lanvin, all clustered near each other near the Champs Elysees and the Rue St. Honore.
Others just want to walk the romantic streets and alleys, stop for an aperitif at a sidewalk cafe, smell the haunting fragrances coming from the bake shops and restaurants. A lovely recent movie called 'Before Sunset' showed two lovers together on a barge on the Seine, walking through the many famous streets, and enjoying the history of the city as they talked of their lost love.
There are so many places to visit....just think of the magic of a city where you can visit the Arch of Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the River Seine, the Cathedral Notre Dame, the Louvre Museum, the ancient Catacombs, Les Halles, the famous market, the Pont Neuf, the Tuileries, Montparnasse, the Isle de la Cite and the Latin Quarter. Add to all this culture, the best shopping in the World, and the best eating, and you will have your hands full just trying to do everything that there is to do in a given period of time. Here are my suggestions for a short trip to the City of Light, where to start, and where to stay, where to eat and where to finish, and when to go.
Paris in the Spring is lovely, but most people vacation in the summer, and the weather is really good: not too hot, not too humid, and good for walking and savoring the city and its smells, and delights. So far starters, where should we stay, what hotel is best ----- of course that all depends on your budget, but if money is no problem, then how about one of the city's best: The Meurice, which has recently been updated and is in a convenient neighborhood, or perhaps, the Four Seasons Hotel George V or the Plaza Athenee, and let us not forget the darling of the jet set, and Princess Diana's last stop before her accident, the superb Hotel Ritz on the Place Vendome, certainly one of the most magnificent streets in the world. There are also the Hotels Bristol and the Crillon, which have long been at the center of Parisian elegance. An excellent and also an elegant choice is the Hotel de la Tremoille. Alright, you say, let us tone it down a little and stay at a less magnificent hotel so that we will have some money to spend on other things in the city of light....here are a few suggestions. Hilton has two excellent hotels in the city with modern rooms, and excellent dining facilities. And some moderate choices would be the Hotels Opal, Queen Mary, Trocadero la Tour. When you seriously plan a visit to Paris, consult the French Travel Bureau and they will guide you to the best for your purse.
Okay, we have settled in for a vacation of a week or so, where should we visit to get a real sense of the city....its museums, places of historic interest, and also the best places to shop, which is really one of the reasons to visit Paris. First of all, go to see the new movie, The Da Vinci Code, which is played out mostly in Paris at the famous museum the Louvre, and down its streets and in hotels. It is exciting, and almost a pre-tour requisite. And lest we forget, about 20 miles to the east is Paris Disneyland, which has not been too much of a hit with the French, but interesting for visitors from the US who are familiar with the US versions.
Some musts for first and even tenth time visitors to Paris are the following places of interest:
Window shopping (or even buying) on the Faubourg St. Honore, where some of the finest retail establishments in the World are. Even if you don't shop, where else can you see names like Hermes, Dior, Caron, Cardin and St. Laurent cheek by jowl and big as life.
Check out Fauchon, one of the finest gourmet stores in the World, where you can find the finest and rarest foods, like Caviar, Fois Gras, and other delicacies from all over the World, and if your feet begin to hurt, there are several places within the store to stop and eat a little repast.
Go the culture route and check out their fabulous Museums: Start at the Louvre, one of the greatest in the World, and then visit some of the following: The Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Musee des Beaux Arts de Chartres, Musee Marmatton -- Claude Monet, Musee d'Art Moderne, Musee Picasso, Musee Rodin, the little Musee Edith Piaf, named for the famous French chanteuse.
Other wonderful places to visit is the glorious Seine River which runs through the center of the city, and the great boat trips you can take on this historic river seeing the best of Paris from the vantage place of a boat ride. And a visit to the Eiffel Tower is a must.
Perhaps the great joy people have gotten traditionally when they visit Paris is to sit splendidly in a sidewalk cafe and watch the city glide by while they sip a glass of wine, or a Dubonnet, and even a Martini. Sidewalk cafes were a Parisian staple before they began to make their way in busy cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, so we can thank the French for this very delightful way to spend time and enjoy the city sites of the day.
French food is thought by some to be the best in the World, so here are some of the finest restaurants in Paris, the gourmet capital of the France and the World, but remember, you must order wine with a meal, or they will look at you as if you were a primitive from the jungle. And equally important is to remember, you can not economize when dining in Paris' best dining spots...they are 'tres' expensive. And the conversion of the dollar to the Euro does not help. So here goes, just a few of the best of Parisian dining, and in fact the World:
* Restaurant Plaza Athenee which is run by the great chef and master gourmet Alain Ducasse, who divides his time at this restaurant and other gourmet restaurants in Tokyo, New York, and Monaco. This sleek dining experience probably epitomizes the best of Paris and French cuisine.
*Lassere has been around for generations, but it glamor and fine food never diminishes and it is still one of the places to visit and eat in when visiting the City of Light. This restaurant was around before World War 11, and it has a wine cellar with over 160,000 bottles.
*Taillevant ranks as Paris' most celebrated and best all around restaurant. Around for years, in fact since 1946, this hallowed shrine to fine cuisine serves some of the best traditional French food in the capital. Their wine list ranks among the best in the city and the country.
*Guy Savoy which is one of the hottest new cafes in the city run by the chef of the same name, the menu is traditional French with an edge. The menu changes with the seasons and includes unusual combinations of foods.
*Michel Rostang is run by famous fifth generation chef, Michel Rostang, and boasts a menu which changes every 2 months and includes great delicacies like truffles, venison and pheasant.
Of course Paris also abounds in fast food spots like Mc Donalds, and you can eat a small meal, or a hamburger on the run, if you like.
As we leave Paris for parts unknown, the first thing we should do is make an appointment for a really hard work-out at our health club, so we can be sure to erase the results of a glorious week of indulgences in fine food and wine.....but it was all worth while, and we would do it again in a flash. Oh, and yes, check out taking out a loan on the house to pay for the trip. Never mind the cost.....isn't life meant to be spent enjoying yourself? And a trip like this is pure bliss.
About the Author
Betty Yarmon is the publishing director and editor-in-chief of PartyLine Publishing, the weekly public relations newsletter. She has been involved in fashion and public relations all her life, since her days in Southern California where she worked in a movie studio. She has also been a fashion editor twice, once as the fashion editor of Milady Magazine in Southern California, and then as the fashion editor of Palm Beach Life Magazine, and the New York editor of the Palm Beach Daily News.
