My Parisian Itinerary

I now have all of my days roughly planned out.  I left a lot of open spots on purpose so I can take things as they come. This blog entry is more for me than for anyone else.

I am using the Michelin Paris Atlas #57 as my map book.

I leave very soon!

I bought two books for the plane: The Other Boleyn Girl and The Time Traveller's Wife.  I'll purchase more books in Paris at the English bookstores - I don't think I'll have a TV in my apartment and my Ipod battery doesn't last very long.

Tues Sept 11 - Depart YYZ Terminal 3, 6:40pm.

Wed Sept 12 - Arrive CDG Terminal 3,  9:25am.

• go to RER B, take the B line to Chatelet-Les Halles.
• walk to apartment.
• rest.
• buy food.

Thu Sept 13 - Sat Sept 15

These days are set aside to get over jet lag. I'll be sticking close to home, and only venturing into the 1st and 2nd and maybe 8th arrondissements.  I'll likely go to:

• le musee de l'orangerie
• go shopping in the 1st, 2nd, and 8th
• fragonard museum in the 2nd
• le champs d'elysees
• various markets to fill my fridge
• monoprix (to shop for basics)

There are too many shops here to list - I'll be headed to all the standards like Sephora, L'Occitane, Stohrer (chocolate), WH Smith (english book store), Catherine Gift, and a planned trip to le Palais de Salons Shiseido to see if I care to buy a bottle of the elusive Serge Lutens parfum - not sold anywhere on earth but for this shop and a very strict no-export rule.)  This is the premier shopping district in perhaps all of the world.

The duty-free limit is $750CAD.  I want to make one or two special purchases for myself and a few gifts for others.

All of these things are very close to where I'll be living, with the Louvre 800 metres away, and the champs d'elysees a tiny bit further.  Stohrer is steps away. I don't have immediate plans to go to the Louvre, unless they have a very interesting temporary exhibit on, or I get a bit bored, or inspired.

Sun Sept 16

Go to the large organic market in the 6th (the one on Bv. Raspail, between rue du cherche-midi and rue de rennes), go to Jardin de Luxembourg and relax and read and eat!.  Not much happens in Paris on Sundays - shops are closed.

Later on, wander to Ile de la Cite, see Notre Dame, and Ste Chapelle, Catch an organ concert at 4pm.

Mon Sept 17 - Sat Sept 22

- Buy a Carte Orange (this is a 1 week Metro Pass, roughly 16 euros, bring a passport-sized photo.)

While the weather is still good, I'll be wandering the Marais, the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th arrondissements.  I'll be adjusted to my new time zone now, so I'll be picking up the pace. I'd also like to make a special trip to the 11th, to visit what some call the best creperie in Paris - Creperie Bretonne, near the Bastille.  If it's as good as pople say, I may make special trips to the 11th again - otherwise there's nothing else in the 11th I care to see or do. Oh, except for the Richard Lenoir market.

One day this week, weather permitting, will be Vallee Village day.  This is the big outdoor outlet mall, and I'll need a zone 1-5 metro pass as it's outside the city.

I've left this week relatively unplanned, aside from areas to visit.  This week I'd like to visit:

• Musee D'Orsay
• Jardin de Plantes
• Pompidou Centre
• The Pantheon
• the Sewer Museum
• L'As du Falafel (restaurant)
• Pierre Herme (chocolate shop)
• Poilane (bakery)
• Fromagerie Barthelemy (cheese shop)
• le bon marche (food hall)
• l'Epicerie (another food hall)

At this point, the schedule gets a bit more rigid.

Sun Sept 23

2:30pm - Opera Garnier - Capriccio (opera)

This opera is in the 9th arr. but nothing will really be open on a Sunday.  I'll likely walk to the opera.  It will be a once in a lifetime experience to see an opera at the Opera Garnier.

Mon Sept 24 - Wed Sept 26

Buy another Carte Orange. These few days I'll be in the outer arrondissements.

• Explore the 16eme arr (heavy shopping district!)
• the Catacombs (14th)
• the Sacre Coeur (18th)
• le cimitiere Pere Lachaise (20th)
• Cordon Bleu (15th)

At 7pm on Wednesday the 26th, my first cooking class will be at le Cordon Bleu.  I'll be learning how to make french pastries and lemon blinis.  The class is about 2 hours.

Thurs Sept 27

7:30pm - Opera Garnier - Wuthering Heights (ballet)

I'll spend the day wandering the 9th arr. as now everything will be open and there are lots of shops here worth seeing including:

• galleries lafayette
• printemps (these are large, posh department stores)
• la masion du chocolat (chocolate) 
• fragonard (perfume)
• l'Etiole d'Or (chocolate)

Fri Sept 28 - Sat Sept 29

These days are unscheduled, but I'll likely stick close to home.  I have a very big day coming up and I want to be well rested.  These days will also be used to catch up on anything I missed before, or to add new events - not everything can or should be scheduled!

Sun Sept 30

Chateau de VERSAILLES

Oh yes, I have a ticket to Versailles - the passeport which allows priority entrance to everything including:

▪ King’s State Apartments (with Hall of Mirrors)

▪ Queen’s State Apartments ▪ King’s chamber ▪ Chapel ▪ History of France Galleries ▪ Dauphin’s Apartments, the heir to the throne ▪ Mesdames’ Apartments, Louis XV’s daughters ▪ Grand Trianon ▪ Marie-Antoinette Estate ▪ Grandes Eaux Musicales, the famous fountains show

This is the last day for the big fountain show of the year.  I'm going to spend the bulk of my day at Versailles, and not leave until after the grand finale fountain show.  The fountains are suppoed to be a once in a lifetime experience.

I'll need a zone 1-5 metro pass for this one, as it's well outside Paris.  The king built it outside Paris so he could be far away from the "commoners". I'll be packing a lunch as rumour has it the food here is very expensive and very bad.

Monday Oct 1, Tues Oct 2

Again, a couple of unscheduled days.  I'll likely pick my favourite section of Paris and return to it.  Still debating on buying a Carte Orange metro pass this week or a "carnet" which is a book of 10 tickets. I'll likely go for the pass.

If the weather turns bad, I would consider a Museum Pass - 1, 2 or 6 day pass to over 80 museums in Paris.  The problem is that a lot of museums in Paris are closed on Monday or Tuesday.

Wed Oct 3 - *LONDON DAY TRIP*

I am really looking forward to this one. I am taking the Eurostar to London!

6:22am - depart Gare du Nord (be there 40 mins early - 5:30am)

(Etienne Marcel - Gare du Nord, Porte de Clignancourt line)

TURN WATCH BACK ONE HOUR

07:58am - Arrive London Waterloo station

10:00am - London Eye

2:30pm - 5:15pm Apollo Victoria Theatre - WICKED - seat P40 Dress Circle

Victoria Station - take the Bakerloo line northbound and change at Embankment for the District and Circle lines westbound to Victoria

7:43PM - depart Waterloo Station (be there 7pm)

11:23PM - arrive Gare du Nord, take Porte d’Orleans Montrouge back to Etienne Marcel and then HOME.

Apart from the London Eye and the theatre, I've left the day to wander around London, where I've been known to cover a lot of ground in a little time.  I've got my tickets, and I'll have an aisle seat going there and a window seat going back.

Thurs Oct 4

unscheduled - I'll likely spend the day in the tuilleries, reading.

Fri Oct 5

Day at the Cordon Bleu & The Lion King

This is my market tour day.  I get to the Cordon Bleu at 8:30am, where they serve breakfast.  Then we go out with the chef to a market. Then we come back and cook and eat.  It's over at 3:30pm.

Then I'll head home, change, and go to the 9th again to the theatre Mogador for the 8pm showing of The Lion King (or, Le Roi Lion as it will be completely in French)

Sat Oct 6

Cabaret - 8pm at the Folies Bergere in the 9th.

Sun Oct 7 - Tues Oct 9

As my trip winds to a close, these days have also been left as "do-over" days.  I'll do whatever I particularly liked over again, and begin planning my journey back to the CDG on the RER B line.

Wed Oct 10

12:00pm - Terminal 3 CDG - Plane departs for YYZ, arrive in Canada at 3:55pmEST.

To buy event tickets in advance, I strongly recommend fnac.  Fnac is a mega-store that sells electronics, CDs, event tickets, travel - you name it.

http://www.fnac.com/

They sell tickets to pretty much anything at regular prices and no booking fees.  You can pick up tickets at any of their many offices in Paris.  Their site has an English option.  Once you click on an event, it says "Make your order in English".

Also, if you're reading this for practical info, as of Sept 1, 2007, the carte orange has slightly changed - you need to purcahse a separate card for 5 euros, and this lasts for 10 years.  Then you add money to it at the same rates as the old carte orange.

Will update with changes as I go...