Paris (Round 2)

Can you ever have too much of a good thing? When it comes to Paris, the answer is no.

As a continuation on that statement, Paris sucks if you’re staying in the 10th arr. It’s up by Gare du Nord and there is really nothing in the immediate vicinity aside form the St. Marten Canals (more on this area in a second).

I have a blog post on Paris from earlier this year, so for a more detailed blog, including specific places to eat and stay, go check that out.

We started our time in Paris with a bit of free time, and I spent it by guiding my buddies down on of my favorite walking routes in all of Europe. We exited under the Arc de Triomph, walked down the Champs, detoured to the Seine, and ended up at Jardin Tulleries, taking photos in front of the Louvre. We made a pit stop at Entre Cote, home of the legendary steak and fries, as well as another stop for overpriced crepes. Pardon my French, but this paragraph is French as fu*k.

Showing some first timers (clearly) around the best parts of Paris

One thing we did that I hadn’t done before and highly recommend is gone in the Pantheon of Paris. This building is seriously stunning, and the entry price is minimal. Whether or not you want to pay extra to go to the top and see the view from the dome is up to you, but we chose not to, mostly because it was raining cats and dogs.

For interesting architecture and nice rooftop views, head to the Institut du Monde Arabe.

The High Line in New York gets all the praise, but its actually based on the Jardin Hector Malot in the 12th arr. This may not have the wow factor of the High Line, but its interesting to see nonetheless, and assess how this space has impacted urban circulation.

We spent an afternoon walking through the follies, watching the shows and cruising down the canals of the Park de la Villette, and I was pleasantly surprised, especially given that I had really no prior knowledge that this park even existed.

Sainte-Chappelle is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture and was the King’s residence until the 14th century. Not a bad place to live!

We took a day trip out of the city and saw the world-famous Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier, and the inner architect of me was totally geeking out. Only a short train ride away, the Villa Savoye is definitely worth a trip, ESPECIALLY if you’re a fan of architecture.

And last, but certainly not least, the Louis Vuitton Foundation may be one of the best works of architecture in all of Europe, and deserves a several hour visit. The park around the building houses a zoo and children’s amusement park, so its also an interesting area to take the kids.

Head to the rooftop of the Louis Vuitton Foundation for some interesting perspectives of the city, as well as a few art pieces.