Going to France

[Dante]

So I'll be in france for 10 days in august with my wife and some family.

We'll be staying in a Villa near Toulouse for a week and then in Paris for 3-4 days. 

I'm looking for advice on:

- day trips near Toulouse
- interesting things to do in Paris

We can look in the various guide books and things for museums, etc, (which my wife already has done), but I'm looking for a suggestions from locals or people who have been there before about cool things or things to avoid, etc.  Good restaurant suggetions are always open (we're not afraid of expensive meals either).

thanks!

[Jacob Orlove]

Toad should be able to give you some great Paris advice.

[Anusien]

I'm looking for advice on:
- interesting things to do in Paris

Go home?  *Duck*

By the way, is the labor situation still icky?

[Kasuras]

Things like the Eiffeltower are obvious, perhaps a few not so obvious things:

-Montmartre, and especially the Sacre Coeur (the white church thingy). Definitely a landmark you ought to see! Close to the building is a 'marketplace' with lots of artists and restaurants. Overall, the place is pretty much my best memory from Paris. Beware though! Besides all these cool things, there are also a few things to note when going to Montmartre:
*It's basically in the center of the Paris red light district. Could be an advantage if you're planning on going to the Moulin Rouge, but also has the disadvantages of such a place.
*WARNING: pickpockets. If there's a place you should be careful of how you carry your purse, it's here. It's a very good idea to get one of those wallets you can carry around your neck, under your clothes and put the cards/expensive stuff in that and have a some cash in your pocket.
*The artists in entire Paris will ask for way too much; it's common to get a huge sum off that price; sometimes even as much as 75%!
*There will be VERY annoying Africans at the stairs of Montmartre; they'll try to put rope bracelets around your wrists (pretending not to speak any English) and then insist that you buy it.. for 5 euros. Walk through them with the coolest look you can conjure and decline right away, unless you want one of them bracelets of course. I can imagine you don't.

-If you plan to go shopping, I can really recommend the La Fayette building and around it; I spent an entire day there, the view on top of it is very cool.

-If you're planning on visiting any churches as a tourist, remember that you're required to be dressed decent. Seen a lot of my classmates with.. not so much on not being able to enter them.


I suppose these were a few things you wouldn't find in a guide that soon, recommendations to visit the Louvre and the Notre Dame are obvious.

[Magi]

For someone who has never been before, I think nearly an entire year could be spent in the Louvre. That place is wicked!


Edited for accuracy. -Klep

[Jacob Orlove]

For someone who has never been before, I think nearly an entire day could be spent in the Louvre. That place is wicked!

Yeah, I second that. Best museum ever?

[Bram]

Yup.

You should get Britanny to show you around the Louvre! She's extremely knowledgable on 19th century romantic painters like Delacroix and Géricault.

[Sylvester]

Oh man, Quai d'Orsay for the win In any case, I don't know how old you are, but if you're <= 25yo, train and the Louvre (I think it was a year-long pass that costs the same as 2 one-day tickets and lets you skip the incredibly long queue) are incredibly cheap.

I don't know how close to Toulouse you want to stick, but, IIRC, it's pretty close to Andorres and Spain.

[Moxlotus]

Be prepared for Paris to stink.  Literally.  I've heard accounts from 3 different people, one who lived in France, that the city smells terribly.  Don't let it surprise you.

There will be infinite people trying to sell you crap in Paris.

[Toad]

3-4 days is not much if you want to visit Paris. Just tell me what you want to see exactly (museums, touristic places) and I can work on something for you, even spend some days walking you around if I dont work then.

I've lived in Toulouse for 5 years but I know almost nothing of the city except where the good bars are

And Paris does not stink.

[Bram]

And Paris does not stink.

Indeed not. I found it surprisingly clean. Try London. Now there's ametropolis-sized public toilet for ya.

[rvs]

Be prepared for Paris to stink.  Literally.  I've heard accounts from 3 different people, one who lived in France, that the city smells terribly.  Don't let it surprise you.

There will be infinite people trying to sell you crap in Paris.

Perhaps these 3 people should try to take a bath, or a shower. Or at least clean their upper lip. Since it's a load of crap :p

[BigMac]

There will be infinite people trying to sell you crap in Paris.

Go inside to the New York underground and then you know what filth and stench really means. So all else means nothing.

[Dante]

thanks everyone for the tips.  I was just in London in March and it smelled just fine.   

I know 3-4 days isn't much for Paris, but with going to London and several other places, could only take so much time.  We're going to the Louvre obv.  In terms of museums, my wife and I tend to dislike anything in non-traditional styles.  We went to a Museum in Barcelona that had just installation art and several video montages and we just wanted our money back.  But I do tend to like modern paintings that aren't too abstract (like this Richter painting at the Art Institute).  The installation and video art I just can't wrap my imagination around the same way I can a painting or sculpture.  So any recommendations with that in mind would be nice.

In terms of major European cities, we found Madrid to be really average, compared to London or Barcelona.  Barcelona had an amazing feel to it, like everything there had this secret smile underneath because they were happy to be there.  Madrid just seemed like a big city.  I'm looking forward to Paris.  Also, the first day we got there (Madrid), there was a major fire in the subway near our hotel and thick plumes of smoke were billowing out of the grates causing crap to settle everywhere.  Ugh.

Next year I'll be traveling to Amsterdam for a long weekend for a friend's birthday party and my wife and I are going to Belgium (Brussels), so I'll have more opportunities to pick people's brains.

The american public transportation system (trains, buses) of the major US cities is so filthy compared to Europe, it's like a different planet.  You have to go to the next level down (size-wise) of cities like Portland to really get clean systems.  I was watching "what the bleep" (a movie) and after they showed a character on the train, I just assumed it was somewhere in England because the train car looked like you could actually get on it and not cringe.

[Bram]

Taking on water,
Sailing a restless sea
From a memory,
A fantasy.
The wind carries
Into white water,
Far from the islands.
Don't you know you're
Never going to get to France.
Mary, Queen of Chance, will they find you?
Never going to get to France.
Could a new romance ever bind you?
Walking on foreign ground,
Like a shadow,
Roaming in far off
Territory.
Over your shoulder,
Stories unfold, you're
Searching for sanctuary.
You know you're
Never going to get to France...
I see a picture
By the lamp's flicker.
Isn't it strange how
Dreams fade and shimmer?
Never going to get to France...
I see a picture
By the lamp's flicker.
Isn't it strange how
Dreams fade and shimmer?
Never going to get to France...
Never going to get to France.
Never going to...
Never going to get to France.
Never going to...
Never going to get to France.
Never going to...

[Toad]

If you go to Amsterdam, get a ride to Eindhoven and ask Bram to show you the modern art bowling stuff. Its so ugly its awesome.

[Bram]

Barcelona had an amazing feel to it, like everything there had this secret smile underneath because they were happy to be there.

Oh, I agree with that completely. While to me, Paris and Prague are the most beautiful cities on earth, Barcelona is my favorite city by far.

Its so ugly its awesome.

Indeed.









That's what us Eindhovenaren call art There's actually a really good contemporary art museum here, but it's as nothing compared to the majesty of the Louvre.

[Jacob Orlove]

I remember that thing! It was bizarre.

[BigMac]

I think the yellow and black really fits the street life of this city, really really dull untill you find the nice spots.

By the way, ye should see the fingerholes of the bowling ball after a good nights rain hehe. Birds go there to drink from it.

[Gabethebabe]

Barcelona had an amazing feel to it, like everything there had this secret smile underneath because they were happy to be there.

Oh, I agree with that completely. While to me, Paris and Prague are the most beautiful cities on earth, Barcelona is my favorite city by far.

Ha! I live there.

Me and the wife did Paris once. Spent a day in the Louvre and after that it felt as if I´d run a marathon with 20 kg backpack and still seen nothing.
There are cities smaller than the Louvre.

[CF]

I'll be in Paris during worlds (qualified! yay!). Who else is going? I heard some of the Dutchies will be there.

--
Chris

[Dante]

I am here in toulouse, it is quite fun...wine is baddzor!  more to come l83r

[rvs]

I'll be in Paris during worlds (qualified! yay!). Who else is going? I heard some of the Dutchies will be there.

--
Chris

We claimed Matts floor like, 6 months ago. And the best thing is: none of us are actually qualified (or going to try :p).

It'll be good to see you again Chris. This time though, bring a real deck :p

[BigMac]

I will probably take up all the floor space at Matt, but i will be there. I will not be qualified so be sure that i will try to set up some vintage crap there.

Nice to finally meat, my boss let me go this time.

[Dante]

If you are ever in the Toulouse area, go to Auberge du Poids Public (a restaurant).  7 of us went last night, amazing.  We had the chef's menu (the chef makes the selections for the table). 

Here's what we had

- Champagne appetizer
- Creme Brule of Fois Gras (it sounds weird, and I don't like creme brule, but this was awesome)
- actual fois gras with a side salad
- whole mini lobster in a creme sauce
- generous portion of rare Tuna with two figs soaked in something yummy
- 4 oz of rare beef with a carmelized onion that melted in your mouth
- 3-part dessert of lemon sorbet, chocalate mousse with chocolate sauce, and a carmelized crepe with fresh cream and red currants.
- palate cleanser of berry sorbet/mush (not sure what to call it, it was like melted sorbet and was perfect).

we asked the maitre'd to select our wine (one red, one white) and he chose two excellent selections from Minervois (we had 2-3 bottles of each).

All of that was around 85 Euros a person and was the 3rd best meal I've ever had (behind a restaurant in Grenada and one in San Francisco that was better than sex).  So if anyone is in this area of France, go there (it's in the town of St Felix de Lauragais).

D