Paris Revisited

This leg of the trip is nerve racking. The big picture is that we need to put the campervan in storage in Bristol then fly from London to Shannon, Ireland. The wild card is always the campervan. Since we’ve had mechanical issues that ranged from a few days to months it’s always in the back of our minds. God hates a coward. We eventually found a way to make our way from Spain to Calais with a five night stay in Paris!

Our photos here

There’s a special feeling of freedom when you’ve visited Paris multiple times. You don’t need to fit in all the big sights, you can slow down, relax and enjoy the less frequently visited places and events. Our first day in we had to relearn the extensive transportation system and took a bus, train, and the metro from Marville Paris Est campground to the Marais neighborhood. Rick Steves describes this neighborhood as having “. . . more pre-Revolutionary lanes and mansions than anywhere else in town.” We followed his walk and visited a museum we’d never been to: Carnavalet Museum. Even the walk there felt different. We took our time, checked out interesting architecture and enjoyed the scents wafting from one street where there were multiple perfumeries in very close proximity. 

Paris seemed even more charming than usual. The museum is housed in an impressive mansion and focuses on the history of Paris. The most interesting parts for me were the maps of old Paris, the information about the French Revolution and depictions of buildings that are no longer standing. For example, there was once a Tuileries Palace and Gardens but only the gardens remain. I didn’t even know guillotine earrings existed. 

We continued along one of Rick Steves’ walks to the Jewish quarter where we enjoyed one of the quintessential Paris pastimes - drinks at a cafe and people-watching. 

One woman walked by in a dress made of fabric that did not swing, it bounced up and down making we wonder how it was made. Tiny slinkies perhaps? I wish I’d gotten a picture of a man walking his dog but I was too fascinated by every detail of their coordinated red and black look that made them a joy to watch. The dog’s gait even seemed to match the flow of his owner’s wide-legged swingy pants. We had two disappointing meals this day, I wouldn’t mind it so much but I’d ordered classics.

We’d hoped to see Notre Dame but couldn’t get reserved entry online so we decided to go on a Rick Steves Audio App walk which included the outside of Notre Dame. We walked past the very long line of people without reservations hoping to get in. While listening and staring at the beautiful stone carvings surrounding the doors, the heavens opened up and we were among the many people running for cover. As the rain lessen, Dermot noted the line had shrunk and we scurried to join. We were inside only 10 minutes later, making him hero for the day. 

The Notre Dame fire in 2019 dominated world news. It’s literally astounding how this beloved cathedral has risen from the ashes. According to Wikipedia, by September, 2021 at least 320,000 donors had contributed over €840 million to the reconstruction efforts and it reopened in 2024. The interior virtually glistens with light and color. Taking a few moments to focus on other visitors, I was moved by the expanse of humanity all converging on this one place to gaze around in wonder. I loved the stained glass and the works by Matisse. Afterwards, we continued following Rick Steves walk taking in a medieval Orthodox Church, the narrowest house in Paris (currently under renovation) and another Irish pub. That night we had a wonderful dinner in a RS recommended restaurant at a communal table in an elegant, reasonably-priced restaurant. 

The following day we took in the Tuileries Gardens which now features a giant orb lit by a flameless fire featured in the 2024 Olympics. The Musée D’Orsay is a favorite of ours but we didn’t love how crowded it was. We followed RS’s audio tour of the museum which is exceptionally well done. It allowed us to learn more and savor the highlights without leaving us exhausted at the end. The Impressionism rooms were the most packed and we had to wait and shuffle our way up to see some of the most famous works. Completely worth it for time near great art.

Google maps found us the closest Irish Pub which was called the James Joyce Bar - it was a very chic bar in a chic hotel. Definitely not much of an Irish Pub vibe here but we enjoyed our drinks and found a good spot for dinner. 

The highlight of our Paris trip was the David Hockney 2025 Exhibition in the Foundation Louis Vuitton. I’ve always liked David Hockney and this was his biggest exhibition. There were over 400 works representing his entire artistic career from both institutional and private collections.

I hope this app works for you.

 The downloadable app (in the photo) was extremely well done. It’s incredibly inspiring that he’s in his late eighties and is still making art in multiple media including digital art on an iPad. The Foundation Louis Vuitton building is also an incredible piece of architecture.

That night we had a wonderful dinner at Café du Marché which is sentimental for me because I recall going there on a trip with my children when they were young many years ago.

I can’t really express how much gratitude I felt for days after this leg of the trip.