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 Parks
If you get tired of touring or you've seen enough of the sights, there are some great parks for just sitting and watching people.
On the Left Bank, visit le Jardin de Luxembourg, 6e. Métro: Odeon, From the Métro stop, walk up the hill, away from the River. There are numerous fruit trees in the park which you can see. Each year, the Park's. gardeners make a ritual
presentation of a selection of each fruit that grows in the park to the President of the Le Senat. Le Senat, France's Senate, is located in the Park. It's fun to watch the locals play pétanque «boule».
On the Right Bank is Parc de Monceau, 17e. Métro: Monceau. A small, lovely park in a part of Paris that you might not otherwise visit. This is "our" park ... a great place for a brisk morning or evening walk. It is a parc du folie ("fantasy park"). It's fun to explore small pyramids, dramatic
sculptures of poets, authors, and composers, and a Roman colonnade.
Parc Andre Citroën, 15e. Metro: Javel. Built on the site of the old Citroën automobile factory on the banks of the Seine, the park is a "water works." It has two large, modern Orangeries, (for storing orange trees in the winter), and is replete with lots of water falls and water courses. Fun for strolling and viewing the
"color" gardens.
.jpg) Part of the Bois de Boulogne on the western boundary of Paris, Parc de Bagatelle has a lovely series of formal gardens, a château and trianon, plus much more. In March/April, see the fields of tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth. If its is early summer, be sure to see the
iris, rose and peony gardens. Take the Number 43 bus to Place de Bagatelle which is the end of the line. (Bus maps usually are next to Métro maps.) From the bus stop, walk straight ahead for about ¼ mile with the large complex of playing fields on your right. The entrance to the Bagatelle gardens is on the left, about 500 yards from the main thoroughfare that you must cross.
 Near the Église du Dôme ("Napoleon's Tomb") in the 7e Arrondisement is the Paris headquarters of
UNESCO. Métro: Varenne or École Militaire. (The tomb is well worth a visit. Be sure to go into the rotunda where Napoleon's tomb is located.) Walk along the Avenue de Tourville behind Napoleon's tomb. With Napoleon's Tomb
at your back, UNESCO is on your right at Place de Fontenoy. There is a mural by Picasso, and several large sculptures by such artists as Alexander Calder and Henry Moore. Be sure to see the Garden of Peace on the grounds of UNESCO. It was created by
Isamu Noguchi, an American-born artist of Japanese descent.
Follow this link to a complete listing of Paris parks: http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Paris/Paris_parks2.shtml
Markets
Paris has a wide variety of
outdoor markets.
Typically, there is a market "day" during which a particular market is erected
and struck. However, some markets are "permanent" opening every day or
almost every day. A few markets are "covered", i.e., inside a large
building.
 Our favorite is the
BioMarché
Batignolles. This market operates from 8:00 AM until 1:00 PM on Saturdays.
All of the purveyors at the market feature certified organic ("bio") produce,
seafood, meats and
prepared foods. Located in the median of Boulevard des Batignolles at the Rome Métro.
A slightly larger version of the
Boulevard
Raspail Market. This market is located in the
Saint Germain des Pres district near
the La Bon Marché department store and food halls. On Sundays the market
is biologique, or organic. Market days are Tuesday through Sunday. Métro:
Sèvre-Babylone (the Rennes stop on Line12 is closed on Sunday).
 While technically not a "market" the
Rue
Clerc is a lovely pedestrian street lined with a wide variety of shops where
one can find specialty food stores and delicacies for your picnic basket.
From the Ecole Militaire Métro station, walk east on Avenue
de la Motte Picquet, away from the Ecole Militaire. The first street on the left
is Rue Cler. On the corner of Rue Cler and Avenue de la Motte Piquet is a post
office where you can mail off those postcards you've been carrying.
Three of our favorite are:
«La
Fromagerie.»This
is an authentic French cheese store that was a
favorite of Julie Childs. You can find a
delicious selection of cheeses, butters from Normandy,
yogurts and fresh eggs. Goat cheeses are a
specialty.
«Davoli
- La Maison du Jambon.»
This Italian delicatessen
sells homemade specialties from Italian sausages and
meats to pasta and Italian cheeses. They prepare
many side dishes such as roasted peppers, grilled
eggplants and marinated artichokes. The hams
hanging from the ceiling are for sale. There is a
wide variety of Italian and Spanish hams available.
If you are brave and have an apartment where you can
prepare food, the «choucroute»
is excellent. Be sure to buy some
«lard»
(bacon), sausages and pork shoulder to go with the
marinated sauerkraut.
«Cafe
du Marché.» Located at the corner of
Rue du champ du Mars and Rue Cler. The Cafe
du Marche' is a very popular, local restaurant. It
has a «terrasse»
where you can eat, winter and summer. There are a number
of daily specials on blackboards, at reasonable prices.
An upscale market "street" is the
Rue Poncelet Street Market. The market street
is, in fact, two streets, rue Poncelet and rue Bayen,
forming an "L". The market is open every day
(except Mondays) from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM,
and Sundays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. It is located in the 17th
arrondissement, not far from the
«Arc de Triomphe». The nearest Métro
is Ternes (line 2).
 Notable
among the shops located in the Rue Poncelet Street
Market are
Alléosse, often cited
as the best cheese shop in Paris. The
Daguerre Marée -
Poissonnerie,
located on rue Bayen, is an excellent fish market
that also has a wide selection of prepared dishes
including an excellent paella. They stock a variety of
oysters.
Le Brûlerie des Ternes is an excellent coffee
roaster that features coffees from around the world.
They roast
their own coffee on site. It is located at 10, rue
Poncelet 17th Arrondissement. The shop's hours
coincide with those of the Rue Poncelet Street Market
(see above).
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Notable
among the shops located in the Rue Poncelet Street
Market are
Alléosse, often cited
as the best cheese shop in Paris. The
Daguerre Marée -
Poissonnerie,
located on rue Bayen, is an excellent fish market
that also has a wide selection of prepared dishes
including an excellent paella. They stock a variety of
oysters.
Le Brûlerie des Ternes is an excellent coffee
roaster that features coffees from around the world.
They roast