18 JUL 2018: I was lucky to be in Paris last week when France beat the Belgium in the FIFA World Cup and then went on to trounce Croatia. The entire city was in celebration mode. So, in honour or the French football victory and Bastille Day on July 14, let’s explore some of my favourite haunts in a city that j’adore.
Paris is the city of eternal clichés. And around every delightful corner it lives up to every accolade: City of lights, city of romance, city of grand boulevards and monumental architecture, city of artists and bohemians, city of revolutionaries and hedonism. Let’s not forget, haute couture, champagne and the cancan.
Some might opine that “budget Paris” is an oxymoron. I beg to differ. Many of the pleasures in the city that Ernest Hemingway described as “a moveable feast” are free and there are savvy ways to scrimp and save. And just because you haven’t won the lottery doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in a few frivolous fantasies. Here’s how to make the most of your Euros and enjoy la vie en rose. (Note that all prices are approximate.)
THE “CHEAP THRILLS” SAVE LIST
My (no longer) Secret Hotel
Thanks to a previous job that sent me to Paris at least twice a year I’ve stayed in dozens of hotels—from luxurious (back in the good old days of expense accounts) to budget properties on the Left Bank. Some were so snug I could touch both walls from a narrow bed; others so noisy I had to sleep with the TV on full volume to drown out the street noise.
Finally, I’ve found a terrific, inexpensive gem in the fifth arrondissement. I almost hesitate to reveal my discovery for fear that it will be fully booked when I next want to check in. But I’m feeling magnanimous, so put this in your Paris file and book far in advance. Hotel des Grandes Ecoles (75, rue Cardinal Lemoine) has 51 rooms starting at €140 ($215) .
Décor is grandmother-style but rooms are commodious and immaculate with reliable WIFI. Some, on the main level, open into the garden. What sets this apart from most budget hotels is the idyllic, peaceful location down a cobblestone path leading to a Provence-style courtyard garden where guests mingle and enjoy alfresco picnics.
Proximity to the Sorbonne explains the hotel’s name. The Metro Cardinal Lemoine is two minutes away. The Luxembourg Gardens, Notre Dame Cathedral and more delights of the Latin Quarter are all nearby. Rue Moufftard, two minutes from the hotel, is crammed with inexpensive restaurants, bars and cafés, plus butchers, bakers, fromageries, fruit vendors, chocolate makers and more.
www.hotel-grandes-ecoles.com
Le Petit Pontoise
Taking the advice of Marie, the chic director of the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles, I headed to Le Petit Pontoise (9, rue de Pointoise), a cheery bistro with the menu listed on blackboards. A delicious artichoke tart followed by herb-crusted rack of lamb served over roasted vegetables. Other specialties include duck parmentier—a sort of gourmet shepherd’s pie consisting of layers of duck confit and mashed potatoes topped with foie gras. But who’s counting calories in Paris?
www.lepetitpontoise.fr
Scenes from the Seine
Embarking from the foot of the Eiffel Tower, a cruise along the Seine aboard Bateaux Parisians offers the ideal way to soak up the major sights. A tape-recorded commentary provides history and anecdotes as the boat floats under Paris’ many beautiful bridges, passing the Assembly National, the Musée D’Orsay, the Louvre, Notre Dame cathedral, plenty of joggers and the odd troll who’s camped out along the shores, Parisian monuments and architecture seem even more impressive when viewed from the water.
The approximate hour-long cruise, €15, ($23) also offers new camera angles for avid shutterbugs.
Romancing Rodin
The Rodin Museum gets my vote as the most beautiful in Paris. Start in the park, fragrant in summer with masses of old-fashioned roses. Sit on a wooden bench and admire the master’s work. Le Penseur seems to be thinking with every muscle and sinew of his body. Walk around the Burghers of Calais and note the anguished facial expressions. Inside, the 18th century Hôtel Biron houses more masterpieces, including Rodin’s pièce de résistance, Le Bazier (The Kiss).
Musée Rodin is closed Mondays; admission to park and museum, €11 ($17).
www.musee-rodin.fr.
Paris Pass
Paris is vast. You’ll want to explore its many neighbourhoods on foot but to get from one end of the city to the other, buy a Paris Visite ticket (3 days €29.40 ($45)) for unlimited travel on the subway, RER trains and buses in zones one to three. The bus system is well mapped and often preferable to the metro.
Wouldn’t you rather see more of Paris and less of its tunnels? Some Metro stations are so big you’d swear you could walk to your destination by the time you reach the correct platform. Most bus stops have a free charging slot so you can energize your phone while you wait.
www.en.parisinfo.com
From the Sacred to the Erotic
Take the funicular up to Sacré Coeur, a white wedding-cake of a Basilica for panoramic views of Paris below. Then wander down the hill through the winding alleys and bohemian cafés of Montmartre to the red light district of Pigalle. Since 1889 high kickers have been dancing the cancan at the legendary Moulin Rouge, though today’s cabaret performers probably flaunt more feathers, sequins and bare breasts than in the days of Toulouse-Lautrec. Nearby, seven floors of erotic fantasies tantalize at the Museum of Erotic Art, for €7 ($11). www.eroticmuseum.net
Pay Your Respects
If ever there were a who’s who of cemeteries, it would have to be Père Lachaise. Named after Louis XV’s confessor, father Lachaise, the 43-hectare park is the final resting place of Molière, Balzac, Edith Piaf, Chopin, Proust and rock star, Jim Morrison, to name but a few. Oscar Wilde’s Egyptian-style gravestone is covered with lipstick kisses. You can easily spend a peaceful afternoon wandering through the maze of graves. Buy a map at the gates or nearby tabac store.
Chez Victor Hugo
Café Hugo in Paris’ oldest and most magnificent square, Place des Vosges, is the perfect spot to stop for a steaming bowl of French onion soup or an all-day omelet after a visit to the Maison Victor Hugo at number six. The writer’s former home is now a museum and literary shrine. Free admission to the permanent collection. Closed Mondays.
www.maisonsvictorhugo
THE “YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE” SPLURGE LIST
Eating Paris
Eating Europe offers food-walking tours in several European cities. Last week they launched a Paris jaunt in the hip Canal Saint-Martin area (10th arrondissement) for €85 ($131). We met our guide, Leo, in a park and proceeded to walk along the canal to our first stop, Fric Frac (French slang for breaking the rules) where we tried a classic croque monsieur with ham and cheese and their “green monsieur,” a vegetarian version with pea pesto, pine nuts, asparagus, avocado, capers and tomato.
What I like about Eating Europe tours is that along with food finds you get a history lesson about the area. For example, Leo explained that Napoleon I ordered the construction of the canal to bring in fresh water from the River Ourk to help prevent the spread of cholera. In order to finance the project, the government put a tax on wine…so basically, wine paid for the canal.
At TSF Epicure we sampled charcouterie and wine; at L’Amalgame we enjoyed hand-rolled couscous and vegetarian tagine with merghez sausages. Leo explained that after the bombings of World War II, Paris, needing manpower to rebuild, opened its borders to such North African countries as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. These immigrants brought with them their customs and cuisines. That is why couscous is now one of the most popular dishes in Paris. The cheese monger at Paroles de Foragers prepared a cheese tasting with more wine. We devoured raspberry tarts and chocolate éclairs in the garden of the Square du Temple where ironically Marie Antoinette (reputed to have said “let them eat cake” during the French Revolution) was imprisoned.
Our final stop was a jewel-box of a shop called Buly where beauty products are sold on one side while the other half of the shop serves coffee. The back courtyard was a foundry in the 1800s where Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker was cast. Eating Europe Paris packs a lot of delicious tidbits into their four-hour romp. www.eatingeurope.com
Window Licking
We say window-shopping. The French say lèche vitrines, which literally means window licking. No society creates more delicious displays. Start with a stroll down the fashionable rue Fauberg St. Honoré. At Hermès (number 24) you might be tempted to buy the ultimate French status item, a silk scarf or tie. Further along at 26 Place de la Madeleine, venture into Fauchon, the ultra gourmet store.
Star-Spangled George V
Parisians regularly nip into the stunning lobby of The Four Seasons Hotel George V just to admire the floral creations of Jeff Leatham. His massive vases might be filled with black calla lilies or exotic tulips. The hotel delights all of the senses and is the only one in Europe to have five Michelin stars in its three restaurants: the three-star rated Le Cinq plus the Le George and L’Orangerie, each with one star. The newly renovated spa boasts a swimming pool and a menu of divine treatments.
www.fourseasons.com
Maison Blanche
On the seventh floor above the Théatre des Champs-Elysées, an almost all-white décor contrasts with glorious views of the Parisian skyline and the Seine seen through wall-to-ceiling glass windows. Chef Fabrice Giraud brings seasonal Mediterranean flavours to the menu. Starters might include lobster with pear dressing and avocado. Try the veal loin with orange zest foam and save room for wild strawberries with chamomile panna cotta. When you leave, walk along the avenue Montaigne for a peek at the Eiffel Tower lit up like a Christmas tree.
www.maison-blanche.fr
Eat With Locals
Eat With is a website that offers the opportunity to dine in the homes of Parisians. I chose “A Cozy French Luxury Dinner” with Carla and Stanislas, €74 ($114).
Carla and her husband were the consummate hosts. Their apartment was lovely and the Carla was a fantastic cook. Somehow they managed to orchestrate a gourmet dinner with fine wines and still be on hand to chat and make guests feel like friends. This was a five-star experience for myself and four other diners from the US When I return to Paris, I will go again sans doute.
www.eatwith.com