What would be your top 5?

[Shoesy]

Hi susan! I thought it was meant for me.

[Penny]

Well since I have less than 2 hours in which to do a dozen things I will only add one (which may already be here)
Musee Monet Marmottan- a must if you like Impressionism! and has a great gift shop

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

I have to second Penny's vote for the Marmottan -- it's got dozens and dozens of Monets, all hung together, and is little known so never crowded (the times I've been there).

[greyghost1]

My first would be the Musee Arts des Forains, if I could ever get a reservation to get back into it. It is my favourite place anywhere in the world.
Next would be the Police perfecture musee. 3rd Pierre Berge Yves Saint Laurent if it has an exhibit. 4th the evening concert at St Eustace, which just shakes the rafters; and 5th a visit to Maison Europeenne de La Photographie.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Greyghost -- those are almost all new to me, I've never heard them mentioned before, and I'm intrigued that they are at the top of your personal list! What is the Musee Arts des Forains? And why the Police Prefecture museum? More information, please?? (Thanks!)

[anneparis]

Hi Becky,
Museum of fairground arts (musée des arts forains) is also my favorite ! But as it is a private museum, you need to make a reservation for a guided tour with a wonderful "conférencière". She only speaks french, but I have been there twice and each time there was a bilingual person among the tourists who made translations in english.
Link to the museum : www.pavillons-de-bercy.com/
And I have also mentionned it on my blog (sorry, I don't want all of you to think that I advertise on my blog, but when I have helpful links, I feel I can post them, especially since I don't even earn a single euro with my blog, the money from the advertising goes to canalblog, not to me)
afoodiefroggy.canalblog.com/archives/2007/02/04/3896413.html (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

[luvparee]

These are on MY list for next trip (which will be #4)

Luxembourg Garden
Batignolles Square and area
Stroll around Montmartre away from Sacre Coeur
Opera Garnier just to see the building
St. Chapelle concert - total highlight of last trip
Amorino’s AND Berthillion
Market streets--rue Mouffetard, rue de Buci, rue Poncelet, etc.
Musée Jacquemart-André
Montparnasse area
Saint Sulpice
Basilique Saint-Denis

Also on my list:

Promenade Plantee/Viaduc du Arts
Eglise St. Etienne DuMont

I also have a couple of walks, one that takes me into 5th/6th and one that goes up behind the Opera and up into the rue Martyrs and Abbesses area.

I also want to go to Dokhan's (champagne bar) and have some bubbly!

Want to walk around the Place Victor Hugo area.

Trying to decide about the Canal St. Martin boat ride or just a walk along the Canal.

Looking at this, I need to book a month in Paris!!!!

Isn't it wonderful to get off the beaten path in Paris and see
other parts of the city?

Enjoy!!

[annettecinca]

Joy, looks like we'll be following each other around quite a bit! I've also added the Promenade Plantee/Viaduc du Arts to my list (and Chateau de Vincennes out at the end). Tell me about the Place Victor Hugo area--what is around there that interests you? I've not been out that way.

[greyghost1]

Anneparis arranged a trip to the Musee Arts des Forains I think last year and I so wished I was in Paris to join that group. When we went, I made a reservation and we were able to join a group. It was wonderful. They let you ride on some of the rides and it is like a fairyland or some magical place where the outside world ends and for, in our case, almost 3 hours, we were enchanted. I even won the waiter race! And that bicycle ride! I was like a child and whooped, it was such fun. And the light show and mechanical figures. It was a glorious, magical time spent there.

The police museum is larger than it looks. It was fascinating to follow the history of the perfecture of police in Paris...all the way back to its beginnings-15 March 1667 to the present. They even had a real guillotine blade from the revolutionary period, encased in plastic. Also police uniforms over the centuries, and the tales of some nasty criminals with exhibits like an assortment of skeletin keys for french locks. I just found it fascinating and a bit macabre.

The Foundation Pierre Berge Yves Saint-Laurent has occasional temporary exhibits of YSL courtier. This past March it was called Voyages Extraordinaires and the outfits were such vivid colours-like exotic birds. Just exquisite.

And the Maison Europeenne de la Photographie is a world class photo museum and the exhibits change frequently.

[luvparee]

Annette - last year when looking for a restaurant for one of our gal's birthday, I posted elsewhere and received recommendations for two restaurants on (or near) Place Victor Hugo. It was also suggested that Dokhan's champagne bar (in their hotel on rue de Lauriston) would be a fun stop after dinner, and then walk down Ave. Raymond Poincare ending at the Trocadero with the Eiffel Tower all lit up in her glory at night. As it turned out, we had her birthday dinner on the terrace at Cafe L'Homme sitting at pretty much the feet of the Tower. It was a magical evening for her and for the rest of our group and, actually, was one of the best nights of my entire life. So, to answer your question, Place Victor Hugo and the surrounding streets just sound like a great stroll to me. I've always wanted to go to Reciproque on rue le la Pompe and thought I could combine a stroll around the 16th, see if anything calls to me at Reciproque, and take the walk over to Place Victor Hugo, Dokhan's and then back to the more centralized Paris.

[annettecinca]

Oh, I agree that it does sound like a nice area the way you describe it. Reciproque is on my list, too!

[Jody]

1) If you've not been to the Petit Palais before I'd put that at the top, It's the best free show in Paris, IMO! The gallery space is excellent , the collection is varied and interesting and the interior garden is a lovely spot to relax and have a glass of wine. I do not recommend the food though!!

2) I always have to do a street market. My favs are Richard Lenoir and Saxe-Breteuil. I never get tired of markets.

3) Musee de Gustav Moreau. We'd put off seeing this for years and I could kick myself for doing that.

4) Musee de Legion de Honneur. I went because my husband was interested but loved it.

5)Musee Nissim de Camando. Gorgeous house and furnishings and such a sad story.


If you like modern art, the collection at the Palais de Tokyo is definitely worth a visit and the building is interesting.