I mean, come on... and other Paris, France Things to Do Tips

... how impressive can a big tower be...? Quite much I'd say, after I saw the Eiffel Tower.

It's so huge, you'll see it from almost all over Paris, and from the first time I saw it I just wanted to see it again and again and again.

2004 the Eiffel Tower is brown, but from what I heard they change the colour every year. Most impressive however is the tower during the evenings and nights, when it's totally lit up by thousand of lamps.

You haven't been to Paris if you haven't seen the Eiffel Tower. And whatever you do, don't wait for the last moment to go up on in, which I did... I waited so long so that I'm in the final never got up in the tower...

Well, gives me another reason to go back to Paris again!

Close to the Tower there is a military school, and even more important, there is a huge grassfield, where you can lay down and just relax and look at the monsterpiece in front of you.

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Address: Trocadero
Directions: You can't miss it!!!

... is what you'll find at the Champs Elysées, the big street in the middle of Paris center. In the beginning, when you just have left the park where the Louvre is, the street isn't anything. Just a couple of trees and benches.

But after a couple of hundred meters the shops and pubs starts to show up, and at the end you'll be full of impressions from your short walk up from the park to the Arc de Triumf.

And please, have a seat at one of the bars, take a beer, relax, look at all the people around you. And maybe speak to some of the beautiful girls at the table next to you...

And then, please again, don't get too chocked when you pay the beer, and understands it's the most expensive beer you have ever been drinking in your whole life...

It was at this street the french celebrated the victory in the WW1, the liberation in WW2, and the victory in the World Cup in football 1998... :)

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Directions: 3-400 metres from the Seine and the park of the Louvre.

... to get a chance to meet Quasimodo, the little guy with the funny face, who made sure the clocks of Notre Dame worked. Or at least it would have been nice to see him far up there.... :-)

Unfortunately people told me he had taken a day off, tired after filming the second film for Disney, so I had to settle down with just watching the mighty Notre Dame-cathedral instead.

I wasn't that bad either, even if I actually had thought it would be a bit bigger, both inside and outside.

But it's definately worth the time it takes to get there. The inside of the Notre Dame was amazing, and make sure you to get there too when you get there, don't be a stupid tourist and stay outside...!

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Address: Ile de la Cité
Directions: Just follow the Seine, cross the Pont Neuf, take right, and you'll be there after 5 minutes.

I was actually thinking of placing The museum, the Louvre, under "tourist traps", but then I thought it would be a bit too rude against all art-lovers.
But the thruth is I wasn't even closed to get impressed of this museum in common, and of Mona Lisa in particular.

For me, a guy who prefers a football-game before 100 Mona Lisa-paintings, it was quite disappointing when I finally found the painting. It's small, you can't see it good since there are like 200 people around you, and all of them are trying to get the best photo-shoot, with flash - even if it said "totally forbidden" on big signs...

Above that, where was that famous secret smile everyone has been talking about...?

Outside, in the park, there was a bunch of italian youngster who had found a football and played a wild game on a grassfield. I almost wished I had done that too, instead of spending 3 hours in the Louvre... But I guess it's a "must see thing" anyway...?

If you want my opion of the best museum in Paris, I would say "Musée d'Orsay" instead!

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Directions: As everything else, just follow the Seine and you'll find the park of the Louvre. It might be a bit hard to find the entrance, since it's really small. But just follow the signs.

... you should see the Louvre, if for nothing else just the fact to have been there. And there are so many other things to do inside there than staring at the stupid little painting of Mona Lisa. :)

When I was there was an african art exhibition, which I doubt is still there. But it was quite fun, and gave me some perspective on how art could/should be.

This little animal, have no idea what the name in english would be, was one of my favourites!

There have happened quite a lot since I was at Louvre too, and after seeing "The Da Vinci-code" I definitely wish to go back there again, and have a better look at the Pyramide if nothing else. Would also make sure I had got some better information before my next visit, so that not everything was new to me.

The photo of Mona Lisa on the last tip is actually not possible to make anymore. Since about a year ago it's totally forbidden to take any photos of the painting. So anyone who wants a memory of Mona Lisa has to buy a post card of her in the gift shop.

Not sure, but somehow I doubt that postcard is sold very cheap...? ;)

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Directions: Métro: Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre

...is the Musée d'Orsay. Not so famous for the normal man on the street, but still much better than Louvre.
After three quite boring hours at the Louvre I got back to my appartment, and my by then-girlfriend told me that I should go to Musée d'Orsay instead, since that was a better one...
Since I kind of liked her I didn't dare to tell her that I maybe would have prefered a guided tour at the football-stadium instead of another boring museum... But, needless to say, today I don't regret I went to the museum instead!

My favorite-part was the photo-exhibition, just hope for your sake it wasn't just a temporary one. Lots of really old photos, from Paris, from landscapes, from other parts of the world. Really nice to see photos that are more than 100 years old.

The museum is huge, and I suppose I'm not the only one who has got lost in there...
But I have to say that I prefered the upper level, with paintings by Monet, Van Gogh, Gaugain and Manet.

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Phone: 01 40 49 48 48
Address: 62 rue de Lille
Directions: As everything important in Paris the musée is close to the Seine. Remember that there are different entrances for individuals and groups.
Website: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/

... but it's definately worth it! A trip to Sacre Coeur is a must for all who take a trip to Paris!
The big church is upon a hill, so you see it also from long distance. And when you finally are up there, after some 500 stair-steps (no one told me there was a funicular you could take...) the view is amazing! It feels like you can see the whole Paris.

But then you realize that you can no longer see the Eiffel Tower, so then you can't probably see more than half the city. This town is huge!!

Also inside the church it's a lot to see. I was lucky enough to get there when a church-choir was singing, so I got wonderful music, the sunset and the view in one piece!

Also make sure to walk around in the area, as the small streets are very nice, and full of nice cafés and small shops. Had a very nice lunch out in the sunshine.

The church is 83 meters, and then add then 130 meters high the hill is, and you'll understand how great the view over Paris is. You can actually go around the church, which I of course missed, so you can see the Eiffel Tower too... And you can also go up on the cupola, which of course I missed too, to get an even better view of the city under you.

Also, the view of the church is stunning in the evening. Lit up, so you can see it from half the city! Totally amazing!

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Directions: It's up north of Paris, although I unfortunately can't remember which metró-line you have to take.

... Champs Elys?es you'll find the Arc de Triomphe. Really nice, specially in the evening maybe when the light goes on from the street and all the cars.
A bit stressy to be there because of all the traffic. The smaller arc inside the Louvre-park is much better if you want to look at it calmly.

The arc is 51 meters high, and under it you'll find the tomb of the unknown soldier, in honour for all the french soldiers that were killed in the WW1.

What I didn't know when I was there was that one can climb up on the top of it, and get a great view of Paris. Make sure to not make the same mistake as I did. It's 284 steps up though, so make sure you're in good condition (i.e don't make the Sacre Coeur and Arc de Triomphe at the same day...)

Also, step under it, since the vault is spectacular seen from under it.

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Address: Place Charles-de-Gaulle Etoile
Directions: Metro Line 1, 2, RER A : Charles-de-Gaulle Etoile

Les Invalides was originally built as a military hospital and a place for injured veteran soldiers to live. But 400 years later it's a huge military hospital, the place where Napoleon was buried in the end, and a huge tourist site.

I never went inside, but just strolled around outside in the park, looking at the magnificent building, and the church behind it.

In 1840 Napoleon's buried body was transported from St Helena and instead buried at Les Invalides, where one still today can visit his tomb.

The military museum is actually more than one, and there is a lot of military history, not only french, described inside the walls. The same entrance fee goes for all the museums.

Very surprising there is no english translation on the museum's home page (see below) so I guess I'll have to re-start my french studies to understand anything... ;)

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Address: Hotel des Invalides 75007
Website: http://www.invalides.org/