Paris... Just the way I love it! by Jackie Tyson

1.    Ride in a boat on the Seine – preferably at night!  Lots of options depending on your time and budget. While a dinner cruise is lovely, a Bateau Mouche tour boat with your own bottle of wine and some cheese & crackers can be just as wonderful!


2.    Hear the organ played in Notre Dame or listen to the choir practice for a mass – incredible!
3.    Sip a coffee at an outdoor terrace of a café and watch the world walk by – Les Deux Magots or Café Flore are two of my favorites in Saint Germain.

4.    See the stain glass windows of Saint Chapelle – the colors are exquisite.

5.    Eat breakfast at Ladurée and pick up a few macarons for later!

6.    Take a guided tour of the Louvre – its so immense, its nice to have someone guide you – whether its for the highlights the first time, or for a more in-­‐depth look with an art historian or docent on your twentieth visit.

7.    Stop to smell the roses in the Rodin Museum’s garden, or to find some shade under the trees on a hot day as you admire his sculptures: The Thinker, Gates of Hell, The Burghers of Calais.  The newly refurbished museum in Rodin’s stately home offers a fascinating look at his art process.

8.    Visit Versailles – I love the bike tours through the gardens.  The skip the line ticket is the only way to see the Chateau unless you are visiting in the dead of winter.  There is an amazing VIP tour that takes you to see some of the private rooms that can not be seen on regular public tours

9.    Immerse yourself in Monet’s Water Lilies in the l’Orangerie museum.  Extra bonus is taking a day trip to Giverny to see his home and to wander the gardens that inspired so many of his paintings.

10.    Have a beer or a glass of wine in Montmartre – perfect people watching location, a hub of activity

11.    Learn a new skill in a French cooking class.  My favorite is a market-­‐to-­‐table class where you shop at a Farmer’s market with a chef then go cook up an amazing meal!

12.    See the impressionist gallery (top floor) of the d’Orsay museum.  Sip a glass of champagne and  enjoy a light lunch in the dining room on the 2nd floor to cap off a visit.

13.    Sit in a green metal chair in one of Paris’ gorgeous manicured parks – the Luxembourg Gardens, the Tuileries Gardens, Palais Royal are among my favorites – feel the sun shinning on my face, close my eyes for a few minutes, let it all sink in…Perfection…Paris….The way I love it.

---