Here’s my biggest complaint about this book from Lonely Planet. Look at that book cover. And, the spine looks the same. Why would you call that City Trails – Paris, instead of Paris – City Trails? It’s just wrong.
Maybe I’ve been hanging around Kaye Wilkinson Barley too much. And, Kaye is one of the four women I’m going to Paris with in the fall. She wrote about it on her blog recently, and mentioned a number of books on her Paris booklist. Check out that post on Meanderings and Muses. http://bit.ly/2hSHtr7
But, she hasn’t read City Trails – Paris. I picked it up at the library, and it’s filled with interesting places to visit. It’s organized for kids (perfect for someone who has never been to Paris), and I found several places I’d love to go. I want to ride the Dodo Menage. The carousel is in the Garden des Plantes, and it features extinct or endangered animals. Kaye and I are both crazy about carousels.
I want to at least see the Bibliotheque Nationale de France. Each of the four towers is designed to look like an open book.
You can have breakfast with the giraffes at the Paris Zoological Park, Parc Zoologique de Paris! I’d love to do that.
City Trails – Paris may be designed for kids, but I think it points out more fun places to visit than many tour guides. I’m looking for the fun and unusual while we’re in Paris. Well, besides hot chocolate and croissants.
City Trails – Paris. Lonely Planet. 2016. ISBN 9781760242241 (paperback), 104p.
*****
FTC Full Disclosure – Library book
Breakfast with the giraffes sounds great! We took my nephew to feed a giraffe in the Phoenix area several years ago and it was amazing.
And speaking of amazing, Paris! We first visited in 1972 but haven't been there in 20 years. It is just a beautiful city and the most important thing to bring is good walking shoes! You can just walk and walk everywhere.
Other things not to miss:
The Rodin Musee (Rodin Museum). A must see.
The Musee Marmottan Monet, which is self-explanatory. HUGE water lilies, etc.
The Tuileries.
I envy you.
Best book to read before going to Paris isn't a book, it's a movie: CHARADE. Another was A LITTLE ROMANCE.
I liked Janet Flanner's PARIS WAS YESTERDAY 1925-1939. Also Michael Reynolds's biographies of Hemingway, in particular HEMINGWAY: THE PARIS YEARS. I've read a LOT about Hemingway (as well as by him), and for me "Hemingway in Paris" is a very evocative phrase.
As for other books, I like to read about the so-called Lost Generation of the 1920s. We visited the Shakespeare and Company bookstore, though it wasn't Sylvia Beach's original, which closed in 1941.
Lesa, glad you shared about your shirt your mother gave you for Christmas. Love the saying. Now I need to find one for myself. Maybe it would help my family understand about my books.
I just had a talk with our cataloger about that very problem, albeit with a different book. It's listed by LC and our catalog as "Strange Tide: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery." The cover, however, has "Bryant & May: Strange Tide" in very large letters. We had a patron request it by the latter title and imagine my surprise when the catalog said we didn't have that title…. because I had it checked out at the time.
I was in Paris just once and loved it. By all means go to the Cluny Museum. It's not as flashy as some of the better known ones but it has the Unicorn Tapestries. I'm sure a stop at Shakespeare and Company is on your list as well! Another worthwhile stop, even if it took us a lot of time to find it. It's just sort of tucked away on a street.
I just love all of you! I love your suggestions for my trip, books and movies to check out, places to go. I love your comments about tee shirts and books and obsession with books. Thank you for stopping by every day, even when I don't have an exciting post. You readers just make this blog worthwhile. Thank you!
Make sure to see the Rodin sculpture gardens and the Musee d'Orsay. Get to the museum right at opening time to beat the crowds. Also, for an inexpensive tour of the city ride the #69 bus (starting at the Eiffel Tower) through the city ending at the lovely Père Lachaise Cemetery. Rick Steves has a nice guide you can follow as you go.
Have a wonderful time!!
Oh oh oh oh!! Take one of the riverboat rides!! I'm trying to remember what they're called… they're big wide boats that go up and down the Seine. They've got glass covers, like huge windows, so you can see everything and it is JUST a great intro to the city! I mean, you'll see Notre Dame Cathedral from the water, etc. Just a blast!! There are lots of boarding places and they run all day and into the night (They're covered, so they're heated). TOTALLY touristy and really fun!
Thank you, Susan! I'm taking notes of all the hints. Thank you for those!
This!! http://www.bateauxparisiens.com/en/the-company/our-boats.html#pt=BATEAUX_PROMENADE
clea
Yes, the Bateaux Mouches boat cruises on the Seine are a lovely way to view Paris.
I also recommend the Musee d'Orsay for Impressionist paintings.
And even if you take online apps to get around, I recommend you buy the PLAN DE PARIS pocket street guide (red book). I bought mine 30 years ago and it is still an indispensable reference guide to get around:
https://www.amazon.com/Plan-Paris-par-Arrondissement-different/dp/0785991824
And of course, I am going to recommend a good bookstore selling English books, Shakespeare and Company on Rue de la Bûcherie. Not too far from the Notre Dame cathedral.
https://shakespeareandcompany.com/
Lesa – my collection of Paris books keeps growing thanks to you, and that, my dear friend, can never be considered a complaint! SO many fun things to do and I am so excited about breakfast with the giraffes I can hardly stand it!
(p.s. – you made me laugh. Yes, that title is just wrong!!)