Soul Fishing’s Top Ten Paris Sights plus Useful Tips for Tourists

1. The Louvre – yes, I the number one place does not go to the Eiffel Tower because by now it has become such a cliché, and it’s not very popular with the French anyway.  In my opinion the Louvre deserves to be number one sight in Paris because it’s just so magnificent and it’s well worth the 30 minute plus wait. I would suggest visiting the Louvre in the morning because at the end of the Louvre visit you will have been standing for at least 3 hours and that’s exhausting (I remember watching the people coming out visibly tired). Also, have snacks ready (apples, dry fruit or nuts are the best, as they don’t make a mess and you can discreetly pop them into your mouth).

But to be brutally honest, there is a lot of waiting involved: Firstly, the waiting in line in front of the Louvre (30 min plus), then the waiting in line for the toilet (cca. 15 minutes) and then waiting in line for the actual tickets inside (cca. 15 minutes, but if you want to shorten the waiting time, go to the ticket vending machines). After that, you’re good to goJ

Soul Fishing Tip: be patient and have lots and lots of water in your backpack. There are however water bottle ‘’salesmen,’’ mostly of Indian origin, pestering people with one euro water bottles, but that could be just ordinary tap water from God knows where. There is also a Paul Bakery with 3.20 euro half liter water bottles. If you don’t feel like spending that kind of money on water, go to Franprix supermarket up the street (cca. 700 metres) where you’ll get a one liter Evian bottle for 0.65 euro. Just saying.

2. Rue Cambon31 – every self-respecting fashionista knows this famous address. It’s the address of the first Chanel boutique, the one above which Mademoiselle Chanel lived. It’s also the only ‘’real’’ Chanel boutique for the French women.

 I have a funny anecdote for you: When I was standing in front of the entrance to the Chanel boutique, I saw that there was a pretty big crowd of people shopping there. I was surprised as I thought that such boutiques were pretty low key. So I asked the security guy if I could go in. And he looked at me very seriously as said ‘’no’’. So, I kind of shrugged and turned to leave, thinking that this was a closed party thing and he just laughed and opened the door for me, saying that he was only joking. All of a sudden I was rubbing shoulders with crème de la crème of the Paris society, not exactly knowing what to do with myself because I was in the friggin’ Chanel boutique with only 30 euros in my pocket.

By the way, there are not price tags on any of the Chanel products which tells me that I would have to sell my liver on the black market to actually afford one product. Then, there was another problem. The shopping assistant came to me and asked if I needed any help. I swallowed hard and said that I came to see the l’appartmenet de Mademoiselle Chanel. And the assistant looked at me funnily and said that it was accessible only by a special invitation. But I was allowed to see the Chanel stairs, leading to her apartment, the stairs that were the runway for the first Chanel fashion show. I was over the moon! I thought everybody in such boutique was going to be snooty but they were so kind!

Soul Fishing Tip: Be nice to all the 100 security officers and they are going to take wonderful photos of you in front of the Chanel stairs.

3. Notre Dame – the cathedral is absolutely magnificent and I am so happy that I got to see it bathing in the last rays of the sunset. It was stunning. But I have to admit that I didn’t visit the inside of the cathedral. And no, I didn’t see Quasimodo.

Soul Fishing Tip: Do a very un-tourist thing and go to the Notre Dame at sunrise or sunset. It’s an experience you won’t forget.

4.La Biennale Paris in the Grand Palais - do yourself a favor and spend 30 euros on a ticket. These 30 euros will be so so so well spent. I know, I know. It’s a lot of money and if the lady with a Celine bag behind me says to her husband that the tickets are expensive, they probably are. And I do have to admit that my hands were slightly shaking when I gave my credit card to the ticket saleslady. However, the biennale is so magnificent and filled with rare antique artwork costing thousands and thousands of euros, it’s a chance you will never get again. I stayed for 3 hours and took about 300 photos.

Soul Fishing Tip: Do yourself a favor and spend those 30 euros on the friggin’ ticket. Do you want to see the crème de la crème of Paris or not?

5. Palais Galliera (Musee de la Mode) – This year, the Paris fashion aficionados are celebrating a 50-year anniversary of French fashion, which makes this exhibition even more special. Unique outfits by Chanel, Dior, Rochas, etc. are displayed and in my opinion, it’s a must see for every self-respecting fashionista. However, the exhibition is fairly small, so think if it’s worth spending 8 euros on it.

Soul Fishing Tip: Dress elegantly, as there will be lots of chic people. If you want to blend in with the crowd, bring a sketch book, and pretend that you’re sketching a dress or two;) Works like a dream.

6. The Petit Palais Musee des Beaux-Arts – Finally, one exhibition that is 100 % free! The Petit Palais is located opposite the Grand Palais and is very airy and filled with sunlight. It’s a sheer delight to visit and fairly small, which is also a big plus after getting lost one too many times in the labyrinths of the Louvre.

Soul Fishing Tip: Have a café noisette (3.70 euro, a bargain after 5-7 euro coffees) and macarons au caramel a la fleur du sal in the garden of the Petit Palais. The garden of the Petit Palais is so wonderfully quiet and peaceful, it’s a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of busy streets of Paris. By the way, one macaron usually costs 1.50 euro. You won’t get them cheaper.

7. Shakespeare and Company Bookshop at Saint Germain – hands down, the best bookshop I’ve ever been to and I have been to many since I love to read. It is dedicated to books written only by Anglo-American authors. It’s small and filled with comfortable nooks where you can sit and read in peace. There is also an old piano in the corner where there was a man playing a tune or two. The whole bookshop has this magical atmosphere and it makes you want to browse and browse for an endless number of good reads.

Soul Fishing Tip: Buy the Shakespeare and Company cotton tote for a souvenir. It’s only 5 euros and it has a really cool design.

8. Jardin du Luxembourg – an amazing garden where you can relax and dream and dream and dream.

Soul Fishing Tip: on a sunny day, bring a sun cream as your nose will turn red. I speak from personal experience.

9. The Eiffel Tower – a must see in France. I have to admit that I didn’t go all the way to the top. I went at 10 pm for the light show as the tower starts to sparkle (the Americans were clearly very impressed by the light show as they were cheering and shrieking as the lights went on behind my back).

Soul Fishing Tip: Do the un-touristy thing and go to the Eiffel Tower at 10 pm for the light show, it’s so cool! And no, I didn’t cheer and shriek, I was being very European and shrieked on the inside.

 10. The Centre Pompidou - the best place to be for any art aficionado, along with the Stravinsky Fountain:)

Soul Fishing Tip: Instead of visiting the center, do the un-touristy thing and sit down in front of the Center (mind you, with a plastic bag carefully placed under your butt, you never know...) and watch the street artist perform. Then go to the Stravinsky Fountain and do a couple of goofy poses with a friend:)

Hope you found this post useful!

Love,

Teja xoxo

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