Paris in the Fall

This was our first fall visit to Paris, and we definitely learned the value of having the right clothes…layers, hoods, hats, fleece, and goretex kept us moving! It rained part of every.single.day, but we were prepared and ready to explore. We packed a lot into four days, but didn’t scratch the surface of everything this beautiful city has to offer. Getting around Paris is relatively straightforward with a good gps, great walking shoes, the metro and Uber. Our pedometers clocked well into the five figures every day as we made our way from place to place.

We’ll just cover a few of the highlights, including a museum, several  historic sites, entertainment, a park, and of course, the flavors of Paris ❣️

With limited time, we had to choose just one museum to visit. Our daughter Gina studied in France for a year during college and her favorite to this day is the Musee d’Orsay. We took her suggestion and spent a delightful and enriching afternoon in this magnificent place.

Inaugurated in 1900 for the World’s Fair, Orsay train station ran services to Paris from southwest France. A luxury hotel, restaurant and a grand reception room were housed within the station. As train travel became more modern, the outdated building was gradually abandoned. In 1977, the French government decided to protect the building from the wrecking ball and turned it into a museum. The Musee d’Orsay opened in 1986 and includes paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, photography and drawings from 1848 to 1914. During our visit, we were lucky to view a special  installation from the last two months of Vincent van Gogh’s life.

Many of Paris’ historic sites are under renovation and repair in anticipation of the 2024 Olympics, and of course the Cathedral of Notre Dame is being carefully re-built following its devastating fire in 2019. We were told that she’s doing “quite well” and is expected to re-open in 2025.

And we spent a very special (albeit rainy!) morning roaming around Montmartre. This charming bohemian enclave, which artists, writers and poets have called home for decades, is topped by the Sacre-Coeur, the second highest point in Paris. The morning fog dampened our view, but not our spirits.

We had exactly one sunny afternoon, a perfect excuse for a walk through beautiful Luxembourg Gardens. Adjacent to the imposing Senat building, this seems to be a popular spot for people to gather for an outdoor lunch, jog, yoga, tai chi and other outdoor activities. It was teeming with people of all ages enjoying a break from the rain.

One can find just about any kind of night life in Paris, from classical opera to theatre to lively clubs, but we opted to head to the Latin Quarter to experience the Parisian cabaret. The Paradis Latin was rebuilt by Gustave Eiffel in 1889 following a devastating fire, and the spirit of cabaret lives on there to this day. Born in the exuberance of the 19th century, cabaret includes elaborate costuming, acrobatics, comedy, sensuality and of course, the French cancan! Photos are prohibited during the performance, but the cast generously posed before dinner.

And nothing anywhere compares with the foods of Paris! Denise’s WW point counter was literally spinning…with no regrets! We sampled sweet and savory delicacies at quaint bistros, locally cured meats and cheeses at specialty shops, delicious chocolates at a family-owned chocolate boutique and the most decadent hot chocolate and pastries at the well-known Angelina’s. Our most memorable dinner was at Procop, one of Paris’ oldest cafes (another Gina recommendation) where we enjoyed truffle pate, escargot, sole meunier and their famous rich ice cream. We savored every morsel and never ran out of new things to taste.

Paris in the fall is a bit less crowded, more chilly and wet, and still as beautiful and exciting as always.

And as our time in Paris drew to a close, we said au revoir Paris…until we meet again!