Paris – Page 5 – KEVIN CRAIG

Paris – Day 3 & 4 – September 11th & 12th

Just a quick post about our two days in the Disneyland Paris parks.

Day 1 – Disneyland Park

Day 2 – Walt Disney Studio Parks

If you’re worried about taking the train to Disney, don’t be. It’s a simple straight line and you get off at the end. We got on at Les Halles and took it to the end. There’s maps inside the train showing each stop, so you can count them down if you want. And in the station, it’s clearly marked which train to take…with arrows and even a little Mickey Mouse head showing the way on the signs.

Day 1 was Disneyland!

I’ve been to three Disneys now (Orlando, Hong Kong, Paris), and it is clear that they stick to their brand like glue. Sure, there are differences…but you really have to look to see them. So, if you like Disney in one city…you’ll like it anywhere.

We started our day at It’s A Small World After All, because what better way to get an ear-worm stuck in your head for an entire day!

And, of course, if there’s a carousel…I’m on it! I don’t know if Michael’s ever too thrilled about it, but he’s always a willing participant for me. (-;

We went on a lot of rides, but to be frank I’m a little past it. I don’t know if you know or not, but if you’re young and free…the day will come when rides simply make you feel ill. For some, aging takes away the enjoyment of the ride…and you just get all green and dizzy and ugh feeling. I am now at that age.

We saw the parades, both the mid-day and the late day one…and we even stayed for the fireworks (or at least some of them).

Day 2 was Disney Studio Park!

The studio park is always a lot of fun…and it usually has the more daring rides. I was green before noon! But don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE the rides…they just don’t love me back anymore. There was even one in this park that I stepped out of line to avoid. Michael did it by himself. I just could NOT get flung upside-down one more time without dire results.

I did like the innocuous little ‘bus’ ride that took us through Radiator Springs. I saw Lightning McQueen!

There were some awesome moments in this park!

Phantom Manor was cool!

Pro Tip: If you see the charcuterie booths, make sure to stop and get yourself some cones of meat and cheese! These were way better than we had hoped for…

We left this park a little early in the day and we made it back in Paris in time for supper.

We went to a Bouillon restaurant. There’s a few of them, and they all have similar but slightly different menus. We love them. They’re like a soft spot between fast food and fancy. Quick, cheaper, and really good food!

This time, we went to Bouillon Republique this time…our first visit to this one.

I think I would have been happy eating the chilled pea soup with fresh goat cheese for the rest of our visit in Paris. It was THAT good!

My main was also amazing. Sausage and mashed potatoes. So simple, and incredibly good!

Can one even go to Paris and not have a profiterole somewhere?!

That’s the end of our 4th day in Paris! Next day…we were so excited to begin the first of our tours with EMMANUEL’S HIDDEN GEMS! Two of them were scheduled for Day 5!

Link to previous day.

Link to next day.

Paris – Day 2 – September 10th 2023

This was the first morning we woke up in Paris. Our plan was to take it easy and explore. We did have an agenda, though.

Visit Hôtel de Ville to see the Olympic rings
Go to Le Ju’ in the Marais for breakfast
Find Passages
Galeries Lafayette for the rooftop terrace
Free Carnavalet Museum in the Marais
le Relais de l’Entrecôte for supper

Michael wanted to visit the Olympic Rings displayed at Hôtel de Ville and it was in the same neighbourhood as the restaurant we wanted to check out. Le Ju’ ended up being our go to breakfast place throughout our trip. On Instagram, I knew it as the place with the rainbow umbrellas. In person, we found it charming, affordable and with great staff. And COFFEE BY THE BOWL!

The peekaboo is very quick to come out in him!

Do yourself a favour and Google Map Le Ju’. You’ll like starting your day there!

It’s the place with the rainbow umbrellas!

After breakfast, the plan was to walk to Galeries Lafayette and take advantage of their rooftop terrace for views and the Paris sign.

It was on our way there that we found our first Passages. I’ve been intrigued with them, but I don’t remember ever seeing one. We found two on our way to GL. They were directly across the street from each other.

These passages are very boutique…with lovely stores inside. Even the famous Hotel Chopin can be found in one such passage.

Next up was Galeries Lafayette.

Everything is SO big in Paris. I always feel dwarfed by the hugeness of things. Galeries Lafayette is no exception.

And the views from the rooftop of GL were stunning. So glad we visited!

The Palais Garnier…the Opera, which we would be visiting later in our visit.

It was now time for the FREE Musée Carnavalet in the Marais!

The courtyard entrance to the **Musée Carnavalet**.

This museum is dedicated to the history of Paris itself. It can be found in TWO neighbouring mansions that are now combined into one large building the (Hôtel Carnavalet and the former Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau). The buildings have been around since the 16th century. Imagine walking about inside a building built in the 1500s. That alone is worth the visit.

The exhibits in this museum were exceptional. It’s truly worth the price of the ticket. It’s incomprehensible that the price is ZERO.

The first hallway you enter is filled with signage saved from the streets of old Paris.

The rooms themselves are absolutely stunning, not to mention the artworks on display. I’ll just share a few photos here to give you an idea. It truly is a MUST SEE museum. There’s a garden with a restaurant as well, should you be so inclined.

After the Carnavalet, we were headed to Saint-Germain-des-Prés. This is one of Paris’s most iconic neighbourhoods. One could just walk around for a few minutes and they’d find several of the famous cafes of the 1920s Lost Generation. Yes, they’re still in operation today. Here’s a sampling of the ones we passed by…all within a block of one another and all iconic.

Perhaps the most iconic of all, Les Deux Magots.

But we went in a different direction for our second supper in Paris. Also iconic, though not with as much history as the others, is le Relais de l’Entrecôte. I don’t even know why I love this restaurant so much. Normally, you could not pay me to eat steak. Something about the frenetic charm of this place gets to me. It shares my love for all things quirky.

le Relais de l’Entrecôte, with hints of Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi wafting around, mingled with the aroma of fresh cut fries and medium done steak. Be prepared for something a little different.

This restaurant opens around 6:45pm, but don’t be one of those people who show up after 6:00pm…because you will find A LINE. The line will eventually go around the block and yet it still doesn’t seem to deter guests from queuing up.

There is only one thing on the menu. Fries and Steak. When you’re seated, they’ll ask how you want your steak done and what you would like to drink. They’ll write this information on your paper tablecloth.

Before this restaurant, I’ve been sworn off steak for life. I’m so adamant about it, I’m nervous to admit I eat it here. This sauce is magic.

Such a great meal. Such a fun place.

That was the end of our second day in Paris. But in Paris walking home is, in itself, an event. There was still a lot to see before our heads hit the pillow.

More Paris awaits us! Day 3 and beyond!

Direct Link to Previous Day

Link to Next Day

If you would like to SKIP OVER Day 3 & 4 (DISNEY PARIS) click this link to go directly to DAY 5!

Paris – The Arrival – Saturday September 9th

There’s no place like Paris. We loved it so much when we visited for a week in 2021, that we just had to go back and spend more time there. This time, we decided to do two weeks. One just wasn’t enough…it just made us want Paris more.

We flew out of Toronto on Friday, September 8th with a hefty itinerary that would make even the most hardy travelers weak in the knees. We were going to see it all, do it all, eat it all, walk it all…

But day one would be light. We would just take it easy, do a couple of things and have an early evening to avoid this mystical thing they call jet lag…something I myself have not yet experienced.

From the moment we first saw the reviews and images of our chosen hotel, Hôtel de Roubaix, we knew we had picked the right place…the right for us place! It promised funky, cool, boutique, off-kilter fun. And from the moment I entered the place, I knew that it had delivered its promise in spades.

The lobby of Hôtel de Roubaix on the border of the Marais in Paris was just perfect for us!

I stepped inside and the lyrics, “Funky little shack!!!” played loudly in my head.

I was in love. Quirky does not begin to describe the playful decor.

I love when places do not take themselves too seriously, but take their dedication to a high level of service seriously. It was as offbeat as it was impeccable.

I would highly recommend this hotel. It’s listed as a two-star hotel. It’s clean, it had GREAT air conditioning and a phenomenal shower. The rooms are small, but this is something we have come to expect in Paris. The air conditioning, I was not expecting. The staff were super friendly and there when we needed them. The front desk is 24hr service. There was a breakfast room downstairs, so you could pay extra to have breakfast included. We chose not to, but we toured the breakfast room and it was well stocked. I don’t think you’d be let down by the offerings. We just wanted to get out into the streets for breakfast.

We also walked our neighbourhood on our first day. The Centre Pompidou and the Tour Saint-Jacque are both only minutes away from the hotel.

Le Centre Pompidou. As luck would have it, we picked the right time to visit. It’s about to close for a few years for an overhaul and redesign.

I remembered this artwork from my first trip to Paris in 2014. Had to shoot it again!

Climbing the Tour Saint-Jacque ultimately became one of my favourite events of this past trip to Paris. Put it on your itinerary. You won’t be disappointed. Some of the best views of Paris. Not for the weak at heart…over 300 spiral staircase steps to the top!

After seeing a couple of things in our own neighbourhood, we walked down to the river to take in Le Grande Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris).

Still wounded, she is nonetheless beautiful. Seeing her from behind the curtains of fencing and scaffolding is almost just as grand. She’ll be back to her former self soon. We were happy to see her.

We had three more stops before our first dinner in Paris…a dinner we booked weeks in advance and were eagerly anticipating!

I had to go to Shakespeare & Company first thing! Of course I did.

The iconic bookstore I just can’t get enough of…

And right beside Shakespeare’s cafe beside the bookstore, is a park. A park that houses the oldest tree in Paris. We paid it a quick visit prior to going to a little place on a street behind the bookstore.

Paris’s oldest tree, in Square René Viviani. This is located across the street from Shakespeare & Company…beside the cafe.

Before supper, we would sneak in ONE pastry…a cream puff of sorts. If you turn down the little side street right beside the Shakespeare & Company Cafe, you can almost see Odette standing sentinel at the end of the street. It’s a little cream puff place that has become Instagram famous.

Odette’s, a charming little place in a quaint quiet backstreet two minutes from Shakespeare & Company.

We only had one each! Talk about restraint.

These cream puffs were to die for! Must haves if you visit Paris!

We enjoyed Au Pied de Cochon so much during our 2021 visit, that we booked it for our very first meal in Paris this time around. We were not disappointed. LOVE THAT PLACE!

That was enough of our Day 1. After supper, we made it an early night and walked back to our hotel. There was a big day ahead of us! Our Sunday wasn’t going to be too full, but there would be lots of walking. We had one more day in Paris before our two days of Disney were to begin!

(I’ll be posting our days here over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for travel tips and suggestions.)

Direct Link to DAY 2