[math-fun] Vacationing in France
The wife and I are thinking about a vacation to Paris, which is one of her bucket list items. The only people in France with whom I have correspondence are on seqfan, e.g. M. Gerard or Dr. Plouffe, others? I was hoping I might get some inside information on when, why and how to do Paris.
Definitely go to the Louvre. If there's a large queue outside the pyramid (which there will be), go behind one of the statues in the courtyard where there is a staircase down into the 'Carousel de Louvre'. From inside, it is almost trivial to merge into the queue near the front, cutting down the waiting time from hours to a few minutes. My partner describes this technique here: https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/23/jadore-paris-the-louvre-mini-palais/ Also, you can go to the top of the Eiffel tower, where (I recall) there is a Champagne bar which is open until 23:00. The tower itself sparkles every hour, on the hour. There's a video near the foot of the following page: https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/18/paris-is-always-a-good-idea/ Avoid 'fake taxis' when you arrive at the station/airport/whatever. They charge about an order of magnitude more than actual taxis. If in doubt, use the 'G7' taxis which have wifi inside. I'd recommend Ladur\'{e}e, as well, if you like macarons. JA and I had afternoon tea at the Ritz in Paris, only to realise that afternoon tea is inherently an English concept and in Paris they do it somewhat differently: https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/23/jadore-paris-afternoon-tea-at-the-ritz... Best wishes, Adam P. Goucher
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 1:18 AM From: "Dave Dyer" <ddyer@real-me.net> To: math-fun <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [math-fun] Vacationing in France
I was hoping I might get some inside information on when, why and how to do Paris.
Don't miss the tour of the sewers.
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If you go to Les Fêtes Galantes, a nice bistro in the Latin quarter a few blocks below the Pantheon, make sure to tell them Cris Moore sent you. There is a picture of my daughter when she was a baby on the wall. - Cris
On Feb 21, 2018, at 6:37 PM, Adam P. Goucher <apgoucher@gmx.com> wrote:
Definitely go to the Louvre. If there's a large queue outside the pyramid (which there will be), go behind one of the statues in the courtyard where there is a staircase down into the 'Carousel de Louvre'. From inside, it is almost trivial to merge into the queue near the front, cutting down the waiting time from hours to a few minutes. My partner describes this technique here:
https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/23/jadore-paris-the-louvre-mini-palais/
Also, you can go to the top of the Eiffel tower, where (I recall) there is a Champagne bar which is open until 23:00. The tower itself sparkles every hour, on the hour. There's a video near the foot of the following page:
https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/18/paris-is-always-a-good-idea/
Avoid 'fake taxis' when you arrive at the station/airport/whatever. They charge about an order of magnitude more than actual taxis. If in doubt, use the 'G7' taxis which have wifi inside.
I'd recommend Ladur\'{e}e, as well, if you like macarons.
JA and I had afternoon tea at the Ritz in Paris, only to realise that afternoon tea is inherently an English concept and in Paris they do it somewhat differently:
https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/23/jadore-paris-afternoon-tea-at-the-ritz...
Best wishes,
Adam P. Goucher
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 1:18 AM From: "Dave Dyer" <ddyer@real-me.net> To: math-fun <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [math-fun] Vacationing in France
I was hoping I might get some inside information on when, why and how to do Paris.
Don't miss the tour of the sewers.
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com https://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
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I'd love to take a look at these links, but I can't log in.
-----Original Message----- From: math-fun [mailto:math-fun- bounces+davidwwilson=comcast.net@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Adam P. Goucher Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 8:38 PM To: math-fun@mailman.xmission.com Cc: math-fun Subject: Re: [math-fun] Vacationing in France
Definitely go to the Louvre. If there's a large queue outside the pyramid (which there will be), go behind one of the statues in the courtyard where there is a staircase down into the 'Carousel de Louvre'. From inside, it is almost trivial to merge into the queue near the front, cutting down the waiting time from hours to a few minutes. My partner describes this technique here:
https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/23/jadore-paris-the-louvre-mini- palais/
Also, you can go to the top of the Eiffel tower, where (I recall) there is a Champagne bar which is open until 23:00. The tower itself sparkles every hour, on the hour. There's a video near the foot of the following page:
https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/18/paris-is-always-a-good-idea/
Avoid 'fake taxis' when you arrive at the station/airport/whatever. They charge about an order of magnitude more than actual taxis. If in doubt, use the 'G7' taxis which have wifi inside.
I'd recommend Ladur\'{e}e, as well, if you like macarons.
JA and I had afternoon tea at the Ritz in Paris, only to realise that afternoon tea is inherently an English concept and in Paris they do it somewhat differently:
https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/23/jadore-paris-afternoon-tea-at- the-ritz/
Best wishes,
Adam P. Goucher
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 1:18 AM From: "Dave Dyer" <ddyer@real-me.net> To: math-fun <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [math-fun] Vacationing in France
I was hoping I might get some inside information on when, why and how to do Paris.
Don't miss the tour of the sewers.
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com https://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com https://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
Geometry fans visiting Paris might want to check out the "Cabinet of Geometric Curiosities," mainly a collection of polyhedral models, at the Galerie Sylvain Calvier: 21, rue Saint-Paul (sur cour) 75004 Paris George http://georgehart.com On 4/8/2018 9:31 AM, David Wilson wrote:
I'd love to take a look at these links, but I can't log in.
-----Original Message----- From: math-fun [mailto:math-fun- bounces+davidwwilson=comcast.net@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Adam P. Goucher Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 8:38 PM To: math-fun@mailman.xmission.com Cc: math-fun Subject: Re: [math-fun] Vacationing in France
Definitely go to the Louvre. If there's a large queue outside the pyramid (which there will be), go behind one of the statues in the courtyard where there is a staircase down into the 'Carousel de Louvre'. From inside, it is almost trivial to merge into the queue near the front, cutting down the waiting time from hours to a few minutes. My partner describes this technique here:
https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/23/jadore-paris-the-louvre-mini- palais/
Also, you can go to the top of the Eiffel tower, where (I recall) there is a Champagne bar which is open until 23:00. The tower itself sparkles every hour, on the hour. There's a video near the foot of the following page:
https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/18/paris-is-always-a-good-idea/
Avoid 'fake taxis' when you arrive at the station/airport/whatever. They charge about an order of magnitude more than actual taxis. If in doubt, use the 'G7' taxis which have wifi inside.
I'd recommend Ladur\'{e}e, as well, if you like macarons.
JA and I had afternoon tea at the Ritz in Paris, only to realise that afternoon tea is inherently an English concept and in Paris they do it somewhat differently:
https://ladyjadeamanda.com/2017/11/23/jadore-paris-afternoon-tea-at- the-ritz/
Best wishes,
Adam P. Goucher
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 1:18 AM From: "Dave Dyer" <ddyer@real-me.net> To: math-fun <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [math-fun] Vacationing in France
I was hoping I might get some inside information on when, why and how to do Paris.
Don't miss the tour of the sewers.
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com https://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com https://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Paris A vast ossuary under the city--macabre art work in the display. Story is that it hosted the communication hub for the French Resistance in WWII--Nazis were too superstitious to enter. On Wed, Feb 21, 2018 at 7:28 PM, David Wilson <davidwwilson@comcast.net> wrote:
The wife and I are thinking about a vacation to Paris, which is one of her bucket list items. The only people in France with whom I have correspondence are on seqfan, e.g. M. Gerard or Dr. Plouffe, others? I was hoping I might get some inside information on when, why and how to do Paris.
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I would like to visit Paris in April or June, probably for a week or so. We'll want to see the famous landmarks, e.g. the Eiffel Tower, L'arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, &c. We are in our late 50's, so I don't think we'll be hanging out at nightclubs, though I would like to see the Moulin Rouge. Fine dining is a must (secret gems, anyone?), and I want to hit a bistro. Sharon will be interested in shopping (at least window shopping), I'm thinking Montmarte is worth a day. Perhaps I'll can drag her to the Louvre if it looks promising. My biggest concern is finding an economical to stay, and getting around. I assume we want to see Paris on foot, and use the Metro to get around? I'm in the early planning stages. I'll sift through your responses and start solidifying my plans. Many thanks.
Hello, here are some advises. - for getting around, use the metro, it is cheap compared to taxis and relatively fast. - for the stay, well, try to avoid a period when there is a 'salon of' in town, like the Salon de l'Automobile or any event related to a Salon, when there are Salon's in Paris : Hotel prices are reaching top prices like 300 euros per night for a quite ordinary hotel. If you want to find a good hotel, the best is to use 'Guide du Routard' hitchhiker guide type of book : USE books not the internet. A second thing too: If you use booking.com , these guys charge 10-15% of the price per day to the hotel to be on the internet, the good thing to do is (they will just like you a lot for that), find the hotel, take the phone number and dial yourself to the hotel and just reserve the night over the phone, the old and good fashion way. - For restaurants : well there are a lot, there is one quite decent at the Musée D'Orsay not too expensive and nice decor or you could try one of those famous 'brasseries' , like the Brasserie Bofinger, I wanted to go there last time I was in Paris but I could not, time was limited : https://www.yelp.fr/biz/brasserie-bofinger-paris?osq=brasserie+typique also the famous brasserie Lipp : https://www.yelp.fr/biz/brasserie-lipp-paris-3?osq=brasserie+typique a good one, I went there once. In general terms, use the restaurants where there is an institution like the Musée D'Orsay or at the Louvre, it is not top but much better than using randomness to find a good restaurant. Do not rely on large audience web sites like trip advisor : most of the comments are generated by people paid for doing just that, it is largely spoiled by fake comments. ... use books : Of course there is the Michelin Guide to Paris you could buy, but you will have to do some serious reading, - If you want to see the classics : Use the Bateau-Mouche, long and flat boats : but do not use the lunch aboard , it could be expensive and deceiving in quality. With those boats, you will see Paris nicely if you do not want to walk too much. - In the metro : be low profile and check yourself for pickpockets, be always on your guards in the metro and also large known places like in front of the Eiffel Tower : Place du Trocadéro, be on your guards. - Places to visit or not : the famous pi room at the Palais de la Découverte, don't waste your time going there, go to see the 'Grand Palais' expositions, or the Petit Palais expositions or the Musée D'Orsay, if you intend to see the Louvre, be aware that it take you nn days to visit all, after 3 hours you will be exhausted by seeing all these marvels and walking. Incredibly, at the musée D'Orsay, there are paintings on some walls where the paintings are worth millions of dollars just on one side of the wall. Have a nice stay, Simon Plouffe
I had a better time at the Musée D'Orsay than at the Louvre. For something a bit more on the unusual side, you may want to try the restaurant Le Soufflé --- just a few blocks away from each of those museums. On 2/22/18 18:10 , Simon Plouffe wrote:
Hello,
here are some advises.
- for getting around, use the metro, it is cheap compared to taxis and relatively fast.
- for the stay, well, try to avoid a period when there is a 'salon of' in town, like the Salon de l'Automobile or any event related to a Salon, when there are Salon's in Paris : Hotel prices are reaching top prices like 300 euros per night for a quite ordinary hotel. If you want to find a good hotel, the best is to use 'Guide du Routard' hitchhiker guide type of book : USE books not the internet. A second thing too: If you use booking.com , these guys charge 10-15% of the price per day to the hotel to be on the internet, the good thing to do is (they will just like you a lot for that), find the hotel, take the phone number and dial yourself to the hotel and just reserve the night over the phone, the old and good fashion way.
- For restaurants : well there are a lot, there is one quite decent at the Musée D'Orsay not too expensive and nice decor or you could try one of those famous 'brasseries' , like the Brasserie Bofinger, I wanted to go there last time I was in Paris but I could not, time was limited : https://www.yelp.fr/biz/brasserie-bofinger-paris?osq=brasserie+typique
also the famous brasserie Lipp : https://www.yelp.fr/biz/brasserie-lipp-paris-3?osq=brasserie+typique a good one, I went there once.
In general terms, use the restaurants where there is an institution like the Musée D'Orsay or at the Louvre, it is not top but much better than using randomness to find a good restaurant.
Do not rely on large audience web sites like trip advisor : most of the comments are generated by people paid for doing just that, it is largely spoiled by fake comments. ... use books : Of course there is the Michelin Guide to Paris you could buy, but you will have to do some serious reading,
- If you want to see the classics : Use the Bateau-Mouche, long and flat boats : but do not use the lunch aboard , it could be expensive and deceiving in quality. With those boats, you will see Paris nicely if you do not want to walk too much.
- In the metro : be low profile and check yourself for pickpockets, be always on your guards in the metro and also large known places like in front of the Eiffel Tower : Place du Trocadéro, be on your guards.
- Places to visit or not : the famous pi room at the Palais de la Découverte, don't waste your time going there, go to see the 'Grand Palais' expositions, or the Petit Palais expositions or the Musée D'Orsay, if you intend to see the Louvre, be aware that it take you nn days to visit all, after 3 hours you will be exhausted by seeing all these marvels and walking.
Incredibly, at the musée D'Orsay, there are paintings on some walls where the paintings are worth millions of dollars just on one side of the wall.
Have a nice stay, Simon Plouffe
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Go to the Jardin du Luxembourg - one of my favorite places in the world to hang out, especially by the reflecting pool on the Fontaine de Medici. Near there is also a great bistro - “bistronomy”, meaning a bit more creative than standard tourist cuisine - called La Ferrandaise. I also liked Le Petite Pointoise, 9 rue de Pontoise, and in a previous email I mentioned Les Fêtes Galantes - these are both on the Left bank. I also love rue Daguerre - and it’s close to rue Sophie Germaine! On the right bank, near the Marais there is a lovely quarter with canals, and Mary Celeste is a lovely place for cocktails and dinner. For museums, I’m fond of Musee d’Orsay and the Musee Rodin. The Louvre is great, but rather overwhelming. And yes, you should walk and take the metro. Except for Montmartre, the parts of Paris you’ll enjoy the most are only an hour’s walk from one side to the other, all the way from the Left bank to the Right. - Cris
On Feb 22, 2018, at 6:18 PM, David Wilson <davidwwilson@comcast.net> wrote:
I would like to visit Paris in April or June, probably for a week or so. We'll want to see the famous landmarks, e.g. the Eiffel Tower, L'arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, &c. We are in our late 50's, so I don't think we'll be hanging out at nightclubs, though I would like to see the Moulin Rouge. Fine dining is a must (secret gems, anyone?), and I want to hit a bistro. Sharon will be interested in shopping (at least window shopping), I'm thinking Montmarte is worth a day. Perhaps I'll can drag her to the Louvre if it looks promising.
My biggest concern is finding an economical to stay, and getting around. I assume we want to see Paris on foot, and use the Metro to get around?
I'm in the early planning stages. I'll sift through your responses and start solidifying my plans. Many thanks.
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participants (8)
-
Adam P. Goucher -
Andres Valloud -
Cris Moore -
Dave Dyer -
David Wilson -
George Hart -
Richard Howard -
Simon Plouffe