Question of the week: weekend travel plans are an ever-more popular topic of conversation at the moment - do you have a favourite European destination? "Besides for London (obviously), I think my favourite European city is Paris. It has everything that I look for in a place - beautiful sites, good food, it's easy to get around, and friendly people (really!). It also is easy to get to from London, and specifically from Kamen/Minerva - St. Pancras Station is only about a 10-minute walk away, and from there you can hop on the train, take a little nap and wake up in the City of Lights! How much better could life possibly be?
When I'm in Paris, I tend to balance my old haunts with trying to do a few new things. One thing I try to do every time I go is to visit the Latin Quarter - I love the student vibe, and it's makes me happy to know that it's been the student area for almost 800 years. The area around St. Severin is a great place to go for a cheap meal - there are lots of restaurants serving three course meals for 10 Euros. They won't win any prizes, but the food is hearty and traditionally French, and 10 Euros is not a lot in anyone's budget.
My best new find is the Orangerie. While the Musee D'Orsay is carrying out it's extensive renovations (until March 2011), the Orangerie is really a better bet (in my opinion). I love the huge paintings by Monet in the upstairs galleries (all of Waterlilies), but the collection downstairs is very good and has paintings from most of the major Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. (When we went around New Year's the Musee Do'Orsay had a three-hour wait, and we just walked right in to the Orangerie. I can't promise that it would be the same for anyone else, but it's worth a try!)
Have fun while you travel, but don't overlook Paris just because it's close, or you have been before - it's worth another visit!"
- Kris
* Photo by Marco sees things, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
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