3 days in Paris in December

Paris in the off-season and during the week was quiet, emphasizing its small-city vibe, particularly the sights that could all be reached on foot. The myth of Paris and the reality of the city are way apart. For instance, there is nothing about it to suggest it is the city of lights or that the food is worth writing home about, which was hit or miss. But I did wake up at the crack of dawn to be first in front of the boulangerie to taste the freshest croisants, which is an experience that shall never be missed in France. The Louvre was extraordinary, as was the majesty of the Eiffel Tower, and the serene float down the Seine.  
 
Day 1 is all about getting acquainted with Paris by walking it.

The famed Avenue des Champs-Élysées is all about the brand-name stores...

...despite the big names, the stores don't have the variety that US stores tend to have.

The general

The Hotel des Invalids across Port Alexander III

Immortality racing ahead of time and harmony triumphing over discord - the crown above the Grand Palais

The first vision

A much-needed selfie across the Pont Alexandre III

and the tunnel under Pont Alexandre III which has occurred in many movies

More views of the Eiffel Tower...quite the structure & we can't get enough of it.

& one last one taken from the Trocadero

The Seine

We take a ride down the Seine, taking in the sights along the river, including the Louvre, Notre-Dame, and the Musée d'Orsay as the sun sets over Paris.

Dinner is at a delightful neighborhood restaurant about a 20-minute walk from the Tarcadero called Le Petit L'Or, one we highly recommend not just for the food but for the ambience and friendliness...Yes, despite the popular narrative, Parisians are friendly and helpful people. 

Day 2
It's the day to see the Grand Dame of Art - Mona Lisa, along with prize pieces of Delacroix and others at the Louvre. The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel that welcomes one to the Louvre appears to be a mini Arc du Triomphe and a little lost in the foreground of the Pyramid that really has come to symbolize the Louvre.

While the Louvre is famous for the Mona Lisa, and most tourists make a beeline to it, there are many other exhibits that are worth spending as much time with as the grand lady. The Winged Victory of Samothrace, one such Greek exhibit, has stood atop the grand stairs since 1884. Another fascinating exhibit is the 2nd century Roman Sleeping Hermaphroditus depicting the sleeping child of Hermes and Aphrodite. 

Ok! let's face it, we really came here to see her...

Across from the grand dame is a spectacular 16th-century oil painting by Veronese called The Wedding Feast at Cana, where Jesus is apparently making wine from water.

Other interesting works include Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, Jacques-Louis David's The Coronation of Napoleon, Goya, Vermeer, Michelangelo, and more.

We have reservations to visit Notre-Dame de Paris as it has just been opened to the public (2024) since the terrible fire of 2019. Incredibly, this cathedral is almost 1,000 years old and going strong!

Oops

Post Notre-Dame, the afternoon is spent exploring the bohemian district of Le Marais across the 3rd & 4th arrondissements. The stories are tall, the buildings old and new, and the ambience welcoming. We have learnt that, despite the narrative about French cuisine being superlative, food in Paris is a bit of a hit-or-miss. This one in the Latin quarter, called Combo, was good for lunch, but the dinner bistro at Camille in Le Marais must be a miss. 

Day 3

We plan to take a walking tour of the Latin Quarter, the 5th arrondissement, which includes the Sorbonne and the Pantheon. We will visit the Musée d'Orsay in the afternoon and close the evening with dinner at the Jules Verne atop the Eiffel Tower.

The Musée d'Orsay is in the former Beaux-Arts railway station, the Gare d'Orsay, built in the late 19th century, but the museum itself is pretty new, having been open to the public since 1986. It holds French Impressionists like Manet and Monet (frick & frack?) and others such as van Gogh, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin...

Dinner at the 2 Michelin-star-rated Jules Verne atop the Eiffel Tower was underwhelming. While the hospitality deserves some credit, the service left room for improvement, such as serving without explaining what it was. At the same time, the food itself failed to elicit the mythical French effect on our palate.

Au revoir, Paris!