Actress Audrey Hepburn once said that Paris is always a good idea. I couldn’t agree more, especially after I returned to Paris after decades when I traveled with Overseas Adventure Travel. Our time in Paris at the conclusion of their French Impressions trip was truly a visit to the heart and soul of a throbbing, culturally rich, vibrant, and magnificent city.
Being Paris, there are small places to eat on every corner and one night I joined others in the group for a quick bite the day we arrived from Lyon. I just had a tiramisu, but it was the best one I’ve had in my life. That’s Paris. Go for some food and end up with a memory. The restaurant Le Train Bleu in the train station Gare de Lyon was our first stop upon arrival, but that was just for a glance at this palatial restaurant, sometimes shown in movies. Next time I’m there it will be for a meal.
We had a walking tour of this marvelous city and really experienced the heart of Paris, where I hadn’t been in 55 years. First, we went into Notre Dame. The lines were short, the renovated interior brand-new looking, and cranes were still working on the outside to restore the past fire damage . Then eight of our group joined our trip leader for an afternoon Seine River cruise, eventually seeing it at night in all its glory. Of course, it’s over touristy and much too crowded. I recall a much smaller boat that went as far as the Statue of Liberty last time I went down the Seine. This one didn’t go that far and turned around after the magnificently lit up Eiffel Tower after the sun had set.
On the last day of the tour, some did whatever they wanted in Paris, but I stayed on three more days. As a group we took a walking tour of the Marais district (3rd and 4th arrondissement). The Marais part of Paris was the Jewish part of the city and is so named because it was once filled with marsh land. We saw several memorials to holocaust victims, one for children. There’s a kosher deli, a highly recommended falafel restaurant, several Judaica shops, of course many museums and galleries (one museum to commemorate the Shoah), and other assorted shops. Some museums there are free. The Hotel de Ville, their city hall, looked more royal than municipal. Paris is so huge, it’s really impossible to take it all in even with several extra days. The heart of Paris as we see it is really the tip of the cultural iceberg. But the soul of the city is in its museums.
I had timed tickets for the Dior Museum and that was an unexpected treat. It wasn’t my idea at all, but unexpected suggestions from others are typically eye openers for me, and this was no exception. The exhibit didn’t go much into designer Christian Dior’s personal life, but when he died his only survivor was a male lover. But his creations remain works of art, drenched in color which were greatly inspired by nature and his surroundings. Between his inspiration by nature and his use of straight lines, he reminded me of the Frank Lloyd Wright of the fashion world. He died in 1947, so the fashion house must be run by a corporation now. The late Princess Diana had one of his purses in every color, which later became the start of what is now called the Lady Dior collection. Advanced tickets are highly recommended for this exhibition.
I also went to Giverny, Claude Monet’s house and the gardens with the famous water lilies. I’ve been wanting to go there since I learned they had restored the property, which he left for just such a purpose. None of that was there to see in the 1970s when I was last in Paris; they made it available in 1989. I’ve always been intrigued at the thought of walking around the grounds that provided such artistic inspiration, and that’s exactly how I experienced it. How simple it is to ignore the beauty that is right before us! Yet when an artist gets inspired enough to really make a creative effort to explore their surroundings, how impactful that can be!
Monet and his artwork hardly changed the world, but he added beauty to it. The water lilies weren’t in full bloom, and many of the surrounding plants looked overgrown to me. The visit was enjoyable, but the crowds I experienced detracted from it greatly. As it turned out, they were a presentiment for what was yet to come.
On the last of my days in Paris it tuned French and our beautiful weather gave way to the typical rain I always associate with France. Aside from the rain, the day was filled with yet again too many tourists. I had yet to see what awaited me at the D’orsey museum, where I had timed tickets. Despite the rain, what could possibly go wrong with an Uber ride to take me there, tickets timed for 11 am, and my umbrella?
More tourists than I could have ever imagined. I enjoyed the art of course, but I was mystified as to why museums allow cell phones, and don’t understand the purpose in posing for pictures in front of great art, let alone photographing it. It just prevents people from seeing the art, nobody can move, and the crowds swell. It was ridiculous with some lines five and ten deep in people, and that was happening in all four sides of each room. Then of course, it reached a fever pitch, and I couldn’t even walk across the room to get to the next one. I guess it’s gotten so bad in the Louvre (where I wasn’t), I understand they are moving Mona Lisa to a private room. And although I consider the Mona Lisa one of the most overrated pieces of art in the Louvre, I was blessed to have seen it before they had to surround it with glass. But the great Impressionist art I saw at the D’orsey museum turned into a phenomenal disappointment, causing me to become claustrophobic being surrounded by so many people who were primarily interested in taking up space and time with their cell phones. I was looking forward to art being the main event. Instead, I could not wait to leave. I loved the old Impressionist Museum the Jeu de Paumne, the contents of which have apparently been scattered across multiple museums in Paris now.
There are many large Teddy bears around Paris. They came into being during Covid isolation so people could have something soothing to stroke to relieve stress. Now they are in restaurants such as where I ate across from the D’orsey; at a coffee shop in the Marais; even in hotel lobbies. I highly recommend the area outside the Musee D’orsey for lunch. It was a quiet ending to a tourist packed day, and I had a wonderful Croque Monsieur, which is a fancy ham and cheese sandwich. I’d been seeking it for weeks. Paris delivered.
With the very recent historic jewelry heist at the Louvre, hopefully some of the policies for the extremely touristy and crowded museums will start to change worldwide. With too many tourists visiting, the security system and guards can’t keep an eye on the priceless valuables. More than timed entry tickets, they greatly need to monitor the number of people who are let in. And cell phones? What a great way for a professional thief to photograph or video possible exit routes and share it with those who are planning a heist together.
I had a beautiful Parisian moment at our hotel, where one of the managers gave me some Louis Vuitton perfume to wear. She just carried sample sizes given to her, but to buy a bottle cost 400 Euros. I got to wear it at the OAT farewell dinner. To me, I was wearing part of the heart and soul of Paris. A little bit of art, a little bit of design, a lot of culture, and a whole lot of fragrance. I will remember wearing 400 Euro perfume for many years to come. C’est tres magnifique et c’est Paris!
For a list of museums to more fully enjoy Paris, click here. To more fully enjoy the Marais, click here
All photos Jann Segal
Travel the World with Passion 