Paris

[Disco]

Thanks, these are all brilliant suggestions and I'm getting excited about foodhalls, cocktails and crepes. And the architecture and art. I hope the walking will combat my eating skills.

We did a boat trip as a child actually, Liv. I remember going to Notre Dame via boat.

[Hazey_Jane]

Montparnasse cemetery is also great, there’s some really interesting graves there and those of Samuel Beckett and Serge Gainsbourg. The catacombs are worth it too.

[Disco]

Thanks! Added to my list.

[SunnyMum]

I highly recommend la Sainte Chapelle. It's amazing.

[Demelza]

We went for a weekend in June and did a lot of walking and eating! Bouillon Pigalle was good – it's a traditional bistro with the best onion soup I've had in a long time, and the house wine was good too. We then took the funicular up to Sacre-Coeur, which was very busy but worth it for the views. Views are also very good from the rooftop terrace of Galaries Lafayette (the ceiling inside is amazing).

La Madeleine church was far more atmospheric than Sacre-Coeur, far fewer tourists and it is just so big! Very awe-inspiring. We walked from there down through the Tuileries, along the Seine to Notre Dame, avoided Shakespeare and Co as the queue was around the block and had crepes and cider at a Breton creperie (Breizh Cafe).

[Disco]

Thank you so much.

I've saved everyone suggestions to a list to take with me and I'm looking forward to trying to work my way through loads of them.

[Disco]

It was great to have all your recommendations. I loved it. Amazing public transport. I couldn’t believe how frequent and reliable it is.

[emma_p]

We just booked the train tickets, car hire and hotels for our Cap Ferret trip (we only booked the beach house last weekend) and have 3 nights in Paris at the start of the holiday I'm looking forward to it so much as I've not been back since our honeymoon in 2013 and Liv is thrilled as she loves the Eiffel Tower and wants to see it twinkle at night.

I'm going to go through the thread but did you have any recs from your trip, Disco?

[Disco]

How exciting emmap. I’ve added more photos.

Let me get on my laptop to type properly.

[emma_p]

Love the statue photo! Is that at one of the graveyards?

I’m mostly excited for the shopping/eating opportunities but will ensure the kids see some cultural stuff too

[Disco]

I'm not sure there is anything I can add to the excellent suggestions already in this thread but I particularly enjoyed Montparnasse and Pere Lachaise cemetaries, Montmarte and the walk up to Sacre Coeur that was very pretty area. We went to the Sainte Chapelle as well, walked around the tower, the Tuileries - we didn't go in the Louvre as we'd all been before and no one else was a museum/ art type so sadly no Dali (although I've been to his house in Spain so I didn't feel too sad for not going). Notre Dame and the Seine - last time I was in Paris I went into the catheral so it was sad to see it in its state but what a hive of activity! There's an intersting documentary on iplayer about the restoration.

I could have and did spend hours in those magnificent shops Galleries Lafayette and Printemps. I love all the amazing food displays/ wares in the food halls. I loved walking around but the travelcard was great value as well and we fully utlised it on the tubes and buses. Walking along the canal was great too and there were a lot of events going on and there was a bit cultural centre putting loads on there too.

One night I was in my hotel room, and saw on facebook my cousin had checked herself into the airport as flying to Paris so i commented on there that I was in Paris. She rocked up to my hotel and we went out clubbing all night and ended up at this lovely Parisian woman's gorgous apartment swigging from a magnum of champagne, passing it around chatting shit until 8am when I had to dash off back to my hoel to get ready to go to the catacombs.

[Disco]

It is from one of the cemeteries. In one there were a few cats milling around, I chatted to one then suddenly this wild looking elderly woman appeared to emerge from behind a crypt and started telling me off in French then seemed to chastise the cat, gesticulating for it to follow her which it did and the both disappeared back into the crypt. It was so surreal but hilarious.

[Disco]

Spamming now.

[Disco]

I’ll stop now.

[emma_p]

One night I was in my hotel room, and saw on facebook my cousin had checked herself into the airport as flying to Paris so i commented on there that I was in Paris. She rocked up to my hotel and we went out clubbing all night and ended up at this lovely Parisian woman's gorgous apartment swigging from a magnum of champagne, passing it around chatting shit until 8am when I had to dash off back to my hoel to get ready to go to the catacombs.

I just LOVE this story and the catacomb cat lady! I’m so glad so resurrected this thread

[Disco]

The Parisian woman was a friend of a friend of my cousin's. The friend was a lovely man called Francois Absinthe I mean you couldn't get a more French name, could you!


(I'll remove his name shortly) - name changed to protect the innocent.

[emma_p]

He sounds like a character from Emily in Paris!

[emma_p]

[Disco]

This is he.

(I've never seen E in P).

[Disco]

Despite making it to the catacombs by 10am after my hedonistic random night, they were already sold out.