Friday, May 06, 2005

A French Teacher Recommends Paris

Chris Carter sent this email to the group: What his high school French teacher recommends we do/see/eat/smell in Paris. I marked the things I remember from my first trip.


Here's a list of things to see and do in Paris:
- Tall places to get a nice view of "La Ville Lumière":
1) Eiffel Tower
2) Arc de Triomphe
3) climb up to Sacré-Coeur, on Montmartre--MY BEST MEMORY
4) the bell tower of Notre-Dame
- Lovely churches:
1) Notre-Dame
2) la Sainte-Chapelle (located across the street from Notre-Dame, beside the Palais de
Justice)
3) Sacré-Coeur
- Cool museums:
1) Louvre--Leigh and I spent two days in the Louvre--touring it with a headset that described features of the artwork. Really great.
2) Musée d'Orsay (impressionnistic art)
3) Musée Rodin (sculptures by the sculpteur of "The Thinker", 1/2 collection is arranged
outdoors in gardens, with nice little café for lunch/snack)
- Neat areas to explore:
1) Quartier Latin (on Left Bank - "La Rive Gauche" -- where the university, la Sorbonne, is
located as well as all sorts of young, hip people and cafés and restaurants ... all kinds
of ethnicities)
2) Starting at the Place de la Concorde, stroll down the Champs-Elysées to the Arc de
Triomphe, and stop at any café along the way.
3) la Place du Tertre, at top of Montmartre, is fun during the day because of artists and
cafés at summit, plus shops along the way.
4) the Bouquinistes (little vendors along the river Seine -- selling old books, posters and
postcards)
5) flea markets (Marché aux Puces) -- the one at Porte de Clignancourt is big ... on Right
Bank, north of Paris ... kind of near Montmartre
Good things to eat/drink:
1) Breakfast pastries: croissants and pains au chocolat (croissant-type pastry rolled
around a chocolate center)
2) croque-monsieur (grilled ham and cheese sandwich)
3) cheese -- Camembert, Brie, Roquefort (=blue), ... there's hundreds of kinds!!!
4) café au lait / café crème
5) Café or Chocolat Liégeois - an ice cream dessert with coffee-flavored or chocolate
sauce and real whipped cream -- Yum!
6) quiche
7) crèpe (you can find them at sidewalk vendors)
The book I recommended is called "Let's Go: France" or "Let's Go: Paris", published by Yale (or Harvard) University Press.

That's all I can think of at the moment -- Enjoy!!
Madame M.

THANKS FOR SHARING, CHRIS!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

There are a few other things you could also do in France!

Anonymous said...

That was not funny. Your suggestion indicates your obvious ignorance of the life and accomplishments of St. Joan of Arc. Plus, she was sentenced to death and executed by the English; not the French.

Choral Advocate said...

anonymous...learn your history...burgundians turned Jeanne D'arc over to the English as revenge...I have read a book about it so possibly you should as well before accuse anyone of ignorance...d'accord?!

Anonymous said...

Nobody said it was Joan of Arc, could have been a Salem witch. It's actually nobody (random digital art from a google search), and it shouldn't be considered supportive of burning people at the stake.

I'm guessing the assumption was that it was Joan of Arc because she's a notable French woman that was burned at the stake, then I guess the joke was aimed at the wrong audience.

Sorry! Link changed!

Anonymous said...

Oh well, can't edit the link! Sorry, Copeland will have to remove it I guess.

This is probably in a bit better taste.

Anonymous said...

For all who was curious for a comparison:
http://images.main.uab.edu/mediarelations/siteadmin/releaseimages/unlimited/big/uab_concert_choir_3.jpg

(I don't know how to make a link hahaha)
-Chris

ximena said...

Bon Voyage!!!!
and remember to smile!

Your smile goes inward to infinite worlds and changes everything for the better.
Your smile goes outward and changes infinite worlds for the better.

You change the world!