I have a slight prob with my spacebar, where I have to smack it to get a space, any linkedup words i...
I have a slight prob with my spacebar, where I have to smack it to get a space, any linkedup words in reviews is due to that, not drunkeness or stupidity! :-) Lou x
Member since:30.06.2002
Reviews:22
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Paris is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. It is also the most hardest city to review as there are so many things to do and see. So to prevent this opinion becoming a novel I have chosen a small selection of sights in Paris that I would encourage you to visit if you go there, and given a little detail about them.
Bateaux Mouches Now if you want to see all of Paris in a short time, Les Bateaux Mouches is THE way to do it. After visiting the Eiffel Tower cross the Seine and walk down the river bank for a while until you get to it. These boats take you on a tour of Paris, with recorded information about the sites you are seeing in many languages, including English. In a lovely sunny day I suggest you sit on the top deck and sunbathe while you see the sites, however if it is windy go downstairs, you will see just as much but stay warm. Also do NOT visit the loos,
they are absolutely foul. Along the tour you will see Notre Dame, The river side of the Louvre, The Eiffel Tower and much, much more whilst learning about them as well.
Le Centre Georges Pompidou This is definitely something to see. As far as I’m concerned it is the weirdest funniest building in the world! It is worth visiting, just to see the exterior of the building. There is a slope heading down to the centre which is an ideal picnicking spot and there are many budding artists who will offer to draw you. Inside it is all very modern. I only visited the modern art museum, which I actually thought was quite cool. There are some very obscure things in there but it is good to look at. There is a facility to leave bags and something you have to do is travel on the escalators because they are outside but covered in clear plastic. (They are very difficult to describe!)
Le Tour Eiffel The view, especially from the top floor! It is incredible. You an see all of Paris. It is also a brilliant setting to take some panoramic pictures. However the bad things about the Eiffel Tower are that there are the people who hassle you to buy porn pens and other rude souvenirs and that unless you have a prebooked group ticket you can pretty much guarantee a huge long queue to get to the first floor.
Le Louvre I am not an art fan, so the only reason I went to the Louvre was to see the Mona Lisa, that was it. However there are many more interesting works in the Louvre, such as the Venus de Milo. What is also good to see is the underground bit of the museum where you can see the original foundations of the Palace. I would say take a tour, however we did and we did not see hardly anything, such as the Egyptian exhibition which was the part that interested us.
Champs Elysees This is the shoppers heaven. Especially those shoppers with a Gold Barclaycard! You will find the designers such as Gucci and Prada down this huge avenue, which stretches from Place de La Concorde all the way to the Arc de Triomphe. You will also find some nice cafes to grab a coffee and watch the world go by. Also for shopping are the two massive department stores. There is Les Printemps, which is a bit like Harrods, but not as snobby, and Les Galeries Les Fayettes which is similar to Selfridges. Clothes wise France is cheaper than England, but more expensive than Spain.
Montmatre Montmartre is a very quaint part of Paris. However be wary of the shopkeepers who try to rip off tourists, especially those who cannot speak French. The first shop I entered, I overheard an American woman trying to explain that she did not get her credit card back off the shopkeeper, and the shopkeeper just said that she did not understand. When I went to pay I handed over a 20EURO note and surprise surprise the woman gave me change for a 10. However when I demanded the rest of my money (In French) she was obliging,. Something you must invest in are the prints of the old style French adverts. There are loads of shops selling them in Montmartre at a good price and you can get prints of the Moulin Rouge. Also some brilliant pencil drawings of landmarks such as L’Arc de Triomphe and The Eiffel Tower. One thing you must do is get your portrait draw in the Square of Montmartre. There are over 20 artistes willing to take your portrait in many different styles, such as caricatures, chalk portraits and serious pencil portraits. They will quote you a ridiculous amount to begin with, but you can easily barter with them for a much more reasonable price. The pictures are superb as well.
Le Sacre Ceour This is a really gorgeous place to visit, just around the corner from Montmartre. I must warn you however, there are a lot of steps and for either smokers, asthma sufferers or any one who hates steps it is a trek. The cathedral itself is really, really peaceful. I know it sounds maga corny, but you do feel like you are in a special place. There is a shop where you can buy religious paraphernalia, such as crucifixes etc. If religious stuff isn’t really your thing then Montmartre is just round the corner.
I hope I have given you a small insight into what to do in Paris and I hope that anyone who visits finds this city as captivating as I have.
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Jul 7th, 2002
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