5) The Picasso Museum is hardly off the beaten track, but worth mentioning as a must-see for its mind-blowing collection of vibrant paintings, sketches, and sculptures. While you’re in the area, spend the rest of the afternoon wandering the storybook-charming streets of the Marais District. It is the Paris you always dreamed about. You’ll swear an accordion player in a red beret will be just around the corner.
6) On our first trip to Paris, Katie and I almost skipped the Museum of Modern Art right across the river from the Eiffel Tower. Outside, it looked pretty grim with graffiti on the walls and skateboarders on the front steps. Inside was one of the most dynamic exhibits of contemporary art we’d ever seen. On our most recent visit, the museum had cleaned up its act, but may still be overlooked by passers-by. It would be a shame to miss this one.
7) Catch an old-fashion French puppet show in the Jardin du Luxembourg. You don’t need to understand French, or be a child, to appreciate the silly drama on stage. While you’re there, plan to spend several hours in the park people watching or reading. Be warned, though: The French police are très serious about their rules, like not sitting on the grass.
8) My friend who spent a year in Paris suggested we ride the 14 metro (purple line), which takes riders on a fast ride from one end of Paris to the other. Sadly, Katie and I didn’t have time to do this, but we’re looking forward to our next visit when we will stand in the very front and take this high-speed tour of the City.
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You may notice that many of my tips include building in time for wandering around and leaving time for the unexpected. The biggest mistake I made on our first trip was trying to do too much. When Katie and I had dinner at my cousin’s house, her French husband looked at my city map, which I had dutifully marked with colour-coded stickers of Paris sites. I explained that the yellow stickers were where we’d visit on Monday, and pink stickers marked Tuesday’s destinations. He rolled his eyes at my American rigidity. “In order to know Paris", he said, inhaling his cigarette, “you must simply have a glass of wine, relax, and enjoy life.” It was the best travel advice I ever got.
Above, Jardin du Luxembourg, the Museum here was the first to open to the public in France in 1750 (read more - click here)