Paris: Le Train Bleu

My first journey to the French Riviera was aboard a high-speed TGV train, from Paris in the north to the city of Nice on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The train departed from the Gare de Lyon railway station where I'd hoped to get a glimpse of Le Train Bleu, the station's posh belle époque restaurant. It didn't happen on that trip to France but I added 'dining at Le Train Bleu' to my travel bucket list.

Gare de Lyon, Paris

Paris: Atelier des Lumières

I'm a big fan of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. Mere days before my departure to France, I heard about a special exhibition featuring his work and immediately sought tickets for Van Gogh, Starry Night at the Atelier des Lumières in Paris.

Van Gogh, Starry Night, Atelier des Lumières

Palace & Park of Versailles

Chateau de Versailles, residence of the French monarchy for one hundred years, was created by Louis XIV, the Sun King. When revolution broke out in 1789, the court departed for the capital. This magnificent palace is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an easy day trip from Paris.

Versailles Palace Gates

Paris: Ile de la Cité

A good night's sleep performed miracles and I was ready to begin my second day in France, refreshed and free from jet lag. Our destination this morning was Ile de la Cité, the island in the River Seine where the city of Paris had its origins.

Ile de la Cité, Paris

Paris: The Marais

My trip to France last month was a whirlwind of activity. I can't believe how much we saw and did in just two short weeks. Unfortunately, after a few busy days of touring, the entries in my journal dwindled to nothing. But I'm ready now to start documenting the journey while I can still remember the details. First stop: Paris.

Place des Vosges, Paris

Paris, Always a Good Idea

For the last couple of years, all of my travels to fascinating destinations have been of the armchair variety – via lots of good books and a few good movies. But things are about to get a lot more exciting when I board an Air France flight to Paris for a two-week sojourn in la belle France. As said so well in the film Sabrina, "Paris is always a good idea." Who am I to argue?

Paris, the City of Light

Impressionist Art On the Move

London's Courtauld Gallery may be smaller than other notable art museums but its collection includes paintings by such celebrated artists as Edouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Vincent van Gogh. Due to a two-year closure of the gallery for a major redevelopment project, these important works of art are now on loan at other locations. 

Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear, Vincent van Gogh (1889)
Courtauld Gallery, London

Europe '81: Château de Versailles

September 20, 1981

I spent the last day of my first trip to Europe at Château de Versailles, the impressive French palace located twenty kilometres outside of Paris. Versailles was a luxurious royal residence until King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie-Antoinette, were forced out by an angry mob during the French Revolution. Today the Palace and Park of Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Château de Versailles (1981)

Europe '81: Ile de la Cité

September 19, 1981

My last day spent exploring the city of Paris focused on Ile de la Cité, the natural island in the middle of the River Seine where the city was first settled. Like many other days during my first trip to Europe I don't remember much, but fortunately I have my trip diary and several photos to remind me of the places I'd been.

The River Seine and Ile de la Cité, Paris (2010)

Europe '81: Montmartre

September 18, 1981

I had such high hopes that scouring my trip diary and going through my old photographs would bring back deeply buried memories of my first trip to Europe. Unfortunately many of those days remain a blank. About the only thing I remember about my visit to Montmartre was the weather: warm and rainy.

Montmartre, Paris (2012)

Europe '81: Paris Bateaux Mouches

September 17, 1981

My second day in Paris was full. According to my trip diary I finished my day by taking a bateau mouche along the Seine and around Ile de la Cité. Bateaux Mouches is a company in Paris that offers excursions on the River Seine and but today other tour boats plying the river are often referred to by the same name.

River Seine Excursion Boat (2010)

Europe '81: Paris Right Bank

September 17, 1981

My second day in Paris began on the city's Right Bank with a visit to the world's largest art museum, the Musée du Louvre. The museum is housed in a former royal palace and is classified a historic monument. Here at the Louvre I came face to face with great pieces of art, in a simpler time before the extensive security measures we encounter today.

The Right Bank of Paris

Europe '81: Paris

September 16, 1981

The final stop on my first tour of Europe was Paris, the City of Light. I arrived early in the morning on the 06:44 overnight train from Munich – the Orient Express. But the train I'd taken was named for the route it travelled, not the famous luxury service of Agatha Christie's day. After all, I was travelling Europe on $20 a Day.

Eiffel Tower, Paris (1981)

Princess Diana Remembered

I've had some issues with my computer lately so this post, which I'd planned for the anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, is quite a bit late. When August 31st came around I couldn't believe it had been twenty years since I heard about that fatal car crash in Paris. I must've watched at least a dozen TV specials about her tragic life and the conspiracy theories surrounding her untimely death. It got me thinking about the places I've been that played a role in the story of a woman still remembered around the world, and known with fondness as the "People's Princess".

Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed

The Lady and the Unicorn

On Wednesday the world celebrates International Museum Day. I’ve been lucky to see some of the greatest works of European art in museums like the Uffizi and the Louvre, and I’m amazed that something as lovely as The Lady and the Unicorn, a series of medieval tapestries, came out of an age known more for Barbarian invaders and the Black Death.

The Lady and the Unicorn
Musée de Cluny, Paris

Tuileries Garden, Paris

It’s the last day of February and I’m craving a little dose of summer. How about you? One of my favourite cities is Paris so I went back through my photos (some very old) and decided to share some images of the city’s oldest public park, the Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries).

Tuileries Garden (1981)

Oh, Paris

I'm shocked and saddened by the tragic events in Paris last night.

I remember the city in happier times...

My Bucket List: Tower of Notre-Dame

Notre-Dame Cathedral is one of the major sights in Paris. It's listed as part of the 'Paris, Banks of the Seine' UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to Victor Hugo’s fictional hunchback, Quasimodo. It’s also a great example of gothic architecture with its flying buttresses, ribbed vaulting and pointed arches. When I discovered I could climb to the top of the cathedral’s tower, I added the experience to my bucket list. And this experience put both my stamina and my knees to the test.

Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris

3 Perks of the Paris Museum Pass

If you're planning a visit to the city of Paris you'll probably want to go to the Louvre to see Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, or the Musée d'Orsay for its collection of Van Gogh paintings. Or perhaps the 13th century stained glass windows of Sainte-Chapelle are on your agenda. You can pay as you go for admission to these sites but if you're planning to see a number of attractions, you may want to consider purchasing the Paris Museum Pass.

Entrance to the Musée d'Orsay, Paris

5 Oh-So-French Features of the River Seine

The Seine River, Paris

1. The Boats

Numerous glass-topped boats cruise the Seine River, offering visitors unique views of the City of Light. The Bateaux-Mouches are excursion boats providing commentary on passing sights. The Batobus is a riverboat shuttle service which allows passengers to hop on and off at eight stops along the route, including the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre-Dame.