Coming to Paris and Prague in February

[Jeff Mottle]

After IMAGINA, my wife and I will be travelling to Paris (Feb 3-10) and Prague (Feb 10-16) and wanted to ask any locals for must sees while we are there, as well as good places to eat. I do have some friends in both places, but wanted to get the most of our visit so, please feel free to post suggestions.

 

In Paris we're staying in the 16e arrondissment at the Sofitel Le Parc and In Prague the Pachtuv Palace.

 

As I will be bringing all of my photo gear I'd like to know the best places for architectural photos. Although I suspect almost anywhere.

[pipjor]

Hey Jeff,

I'm not a local(from Atlanta) but my wife is from Czech and i spent a month in her home town last year, "Bohium" which is a small town right on the Poland border, so i saw alittle different perspective than most tourist, in fact they tell me i was probally the first American to spend more than a day in their small city..the people there were great, just not alot of money.....

 

Here's some pics that as an American I found pretty interesting, things that I would never see in the US...

1. A healthy 90yr old woman smoking(my wifes aunt).

2. Folks(older too) riding bicycles EVERYWHERE, here in atlata eveyone drives

3. a old winery off a seldom used road..that we got pretty drunk at with the owner...

 

a side note ----i needed some major dental work done(2 bridges), in US it would have cost me $12,000, i had it done in Bohium for $300...

[Ernest Burden III]

In Paris we're staying in the 16e arrondissment at the Sofitel Le Parc

 

Typical, Mottle. We prefer the Left Bank, where they've recently discovered indoor plumbing. The 16th is nice, but a bit too nice. The usual attractions in Paris are all pretty worthy of a visit, but especially the Musee D'Orsey and make sure to visit the roof cafe for a fantastic view. There is also a great view from the roof of the big famous department store on the Right Bank (can't think of the name now). The Louvre is one of the top museums in the world, but there's so much there you have to read up in advance and plan what to see and what not to, also don't try to entry via the Pei pyramid, exit through it. There is usually a massive line, not so at the entrance on the river wing, west end of the building. You go into a gallery of Michaelangelo sculptures, can't beat that! There was a great guide I think I still have, I'll see if I can find it and send you a scan. Another good museum is the Cluny, which has a lot of medieval-era art and some Roman ruins being excavated. Its not too big, is a quick visit.

 

Like NY, Paris is a city for walking, whether its strolling the Tulleries or the small streets off the river on the LB. The subway's great, too, use it to get around.

 

Just about any restaurant is going to good in Paris, but I can't really say any ones in specific. My wife and I never had a lot of money to spend so we were never in any of the five-star joints. There's a street of restaurants one block east of St. Michelle that has some good, regular eateries, and street crepes. In the same area you'll find St. Germaine (I may be mis-spelling all these names, I'm going by memory from visits over 15 years ago), a boulevard with many great cafes, which you need to stop in for coffee and a long pause from running about. You can get fantastic north African food in Paris, there was one place we went, and I'll see if my wife can dig up the name for you. I remember having a wonderful sausage, cheese and wine stop in a bar in the Hotel Henry V (or is it IV?) which is on the Seine island west of the one with Notre Dame on it, the bridge is....Pont D'Arts? I think so. Anyway, the building has been there as a hotel for hundreds of years, its great.

 

If you want to take a day trip you could go to Versailles (I chose not to) or to Chartres to see how that whole 'cathedral' thing got going. That is a good visit!

 

Paris has one of the worlds best military museums at Les Invalides. Dragging the wife through endless cases of guns, uniforms and model armaments may be a hard sell, though.

 

My family is looking to go to Paris in July, assuming the money comes together. Adding two kids makes it harder to afford. Enjoy Paris as a couple, there's nothing better!

[martincg]

Hey Jeff,

I'm not a local(from Atlanta) but my wife is from Czech and i spent a month in her home town last year, "Bohium" which is a small town right on the Poland border

 

hallo pipjor,

do not you mean Bohumin?

 

Hey Jeff,

I'm not a local(from Atlanta) but my wife is from Czech and i spent a month in her home town last year, "Bohium" which is a small town right on the Poland border, so i saw alittle different perspective than most tourist, in fact they tell me i was probally the first American to spend more than a day in their small city..the people there were great, just not alot of money.....

 

Here's some pics that as an American I found pretty interesting, things that I would never see in the US...

1. A healthy 90yr old woman smoking(my wifes aunt).

2. Folks(older too) riding bicycles EVERYWHERE, here in atlata eveyone drives

3. a old winery off a seldom used road..that we got pretty drunk at with the owner...

 

a side note ----i needed some major dental work done(2 bridges), in US it would have cost me $12,000, i had it done in Bohium for $300...

 

hehe, now i know, the movie Hostel really could have first idea from real life

[lambros]

Hi Jeff, I was in Paris a month ago with my wife and we had a great time. The only thing that bothered us is tourism, there are so many tourists in Paris... A friend of mine who visited Paris in Christmas time, told me that he had to wait for 4 hours to get up on the Eiffel tower. I simply chose not to...

So, DO visit the Louvre. To do an extensive visit would be very tiring, my brain could not afford all these exhibits. We saw the Greek antiquities (naturally, I am Greek!), the Nike of Samothraki is the single best exhibit in the museum, its position chosen carefully, you can't miss it. The Mona Lisa thing is overated in my opinion, nothing special, there are many many better paintings in there! Mesopotamian antiquities are worth the trouble, they emerge from the depths of history! To avoid the waiting lines, try afternoons, it seems that we were lucky, since we did not waste a single moment waiting (we went through the Pyramid).

I agree with Ernest, the Musee D'Orsey is fantastic (the building is an old train station). I did like it much better than the Louvre, the restaurant on top has a fantastic view, the food is alright (but expensive).

You can also check the Picasso museum.

Oh, the big famous department store on the Right Bank should be Galleries Lafayette or Printemps, both are huge (for European standards of course!). We did not visit them though, there are many little designers shops in Paris with appareil you cannot find anywhere else.

Paris is fantastic for walking, the best areas are Mare (with the old Jewish quarter), Monmart, Quartier Latin, Ile de la cite, St Germain. All these areas are full of nice little stores, cafes and bistros. It is very difficult not to eat well in Paris. You can sit anywhere and order a nice salad along with a glass of Beaujolais, you can't beat that. Of course, there are a great number of haute cuisine restaurants to spend all your money. Don't forget to get yourselves a fresh butter croissant and an expresso (as the French call the espresso) from any local baker store.

Oh, you might experience some difficulty communicating with some French people, they tend to ignore English speaking people, even pretend not to understand (while they do!). Dont let that spoil you, just repeat over and over (or learn some French phrases - it is not that difficult)

Nevertheless, Paris is the capital of the old world, always a classic, always something new to see.

P.S. Do visit the Beaubourg, the George Pombidou museum of modern art. The building is not of my taste, but spectacular nevertheless

[pipjor]

Martin --yea your probally right about the spelling, its about 5 miles from Ostrava..you ever been to Bohumin??

[Jeff Mottle]

Oh, you might experience some difficulty communicating with some French people, they tend to ignore English speaking people, even pretend not to understand (while they do!). Dont let that spoil you, just repeat over and over (or learn some French phrases - it is not that difficult)

 

Thanks for all the info, everyone!

 

I speak French fluently (well it's getting a bit rusty), so that should not be too much of an issue. I took all of my schooling from grade 1 to 12 in French.

[Koper]

should be an excellent time for photography cause in the summer time there is just toooo many tourists

also get a big umbrella for your wife to hold while you take pics, it might get a bit wet

 

a week ago it was the winter holiday and paris then also get allot of tourists

[martincg]

Martin --yea your probally right about the spelling, its about 5 miles from Ostrava..you ever been to Bohumin??

 

yes i was /father is from Czech Rep. , and i have some friends in Ostrava/, now i am living in slovak republic - part of old Czechoslovakia :-)

[Ernest Burden III]

The only thing that bothered us is tourism, there are so many tourists in Paris...

 

Oh, come on! We're tourists. We can't complain about them when we are them. I can only go away when schools are out since my wife teaches school, so I'm resigned to it.

 

Oh, you might experience some difficulty communicating with some French people, they tend to ignore English speaking people, even pretend not to understand (while they do!).

 

I figured Jeff would be up on his French--being Canadian, didn't know it was that close to native, though. But I bet you lot do have a funny accent! I don't speak French at all (a little, but not enough to even get by) and my wife is only a little better. But we've never had a problem, or even gotten attitude or been ignored by the French. Just try to ask something in French, and they really help you out. Its only when someone walks up to them and orders them around in English (which I've witnessed) when they act like the reputation.

 

P.S. Do visit the Beaubourg, the George Pombidou museum of modern art. The building is not of my taste, but spectacular nevertheless

 

Exact opposite of my opinion. The building is fantastic, the museum not so (unless you get lucky with a good show). Its not so much that the Pompidou is an 'inside-out' building, I think its made to be like the scaffolding that is always present in Paris, re-generating the city. It's a building that's better to look at than to be in. Either way, its the best escalator ride you'll probably ever have.

[Iain Denby]

Exact opposite of my opinion. The building is fantastic, the museum not so (unless you get lucky with a good show). Its not so much that the Pompidou is an 'inside-out' building, I think its made to be like the scaffolding that is always present in Paris, re-generating the city. It's a building that's better to look at than to be in. Either way, its the best escalator ride you'll probably ever have.

 

I love that building too. But I returned to see it earlier this year (18 years later) and was disappointed to see the area around it had deteriorated somewhat. It's not a place to hand around at night really.

[alexg]

Has anyone been inside Paris Opera? Always wonder what it feels like inside during a performance.

 

EBIII, I should have talked to you when I visit Paris early this year ! Lots of things I missed.