The unique addresses in Paris
While a friend was locked up for five hours in the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Élysées due to the yellow vest demonstration, I spent a delightful weekend in Paris. It was even a bit exciting there in that store, as a stone was thrown through the window. She ended up buying a new bag to ease the pain. By the way, she didn't make any friends in Louis Vuitton. That's a shame.
I didn't notice any unrest at all, because this time I engaged in very different activities in Paris. I've seen the major attractions like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre often enough, and shopping all day wasn't an option given my budget and the presence of my husband. What to do in Paris if you want to do something different than museums and shopping? I have the answers for you here:
Cycling on Rue Saint-Honoré
Cycling in Paris is a good idea anyway. Vélib’ has bikes all over the city that you can rent after some puzzling with a machine. You do have to pay a deposit of 300 euros per bike, so keep some space on your credit card. There are many routes you could cycle, along the Seine is very nice, and we often took the bike instead of the Uber or the metro (being Dutch). But if you really want to make a nice ride, cycle down Rue Saint-Honoré. This car-free street has all the great boutiques and art galleries. This is window shopping 2.0. After the two-kilometer bike ride, you will be completely up to date with all the fashion trends (I found Chanel meh and Givenchy fantastic), but it cost you nothing. Pick up your bike at Boulevard Haussmann and cycle on to Avenue de l’Opéra.
Walking to the Sacré-Coeur
Now that you've seen all the luxury shops on Rue Saint-Honoré, it's time for some more local color and exercise. Start walking from the halls along Rue Montmartre in a northern direction. Don't expect anything spectacular but rather quirky little shops, costume stores, butcheries, patisseries, and a stray boutique. What I like about this street is that it is a wonderfully normal Parisian street. And not unimportantly: it runs perpendicular to the south, so you have the sun on your head. At one point, and here you have to pay a bit of attention, you turn right into Rue des Martyrs. Now it gets really fun. Here you can find the cutest jewelry and food shops, and definitely have a cup of tea at Rose’s Bakery, because that's a great little place. After Rue des Martyrs, you enter Montmartre and climb a few stairs up to the Sacré-Coeur. Here you have a fantastic view over the city, can light a candle for a loved one in the church, and listen to street musicians of varying levels. In total, you will have walked 3.5 kilometers and given your butt a workout from all the stairs. You are ready for the next program item.
Montorgueil
By coincidence, we booked an Airbnb in this neighborhood and it turned out to be a hit. It is teeming here with nice restaurants, patisseries, butcheries, and so on. Everything you can think of in terms of food can be found here. Also nice: restaurants where oysters are opened on the sidewalk. We ate gigantic oysters from Normandy, accompanied by a glass of Sancerre.
Petite Ceinture
If you like the high line in New York, you will probably like this too. It is a bit off the beaten path, but with the metro, you can get anywhere in no time. Petite Ceinture is an abandoned railway line since 1934 that once circled Paris. Parts of this railway line have been renovated as a park and opened to the public. We took the metro to Porte de Clignancourt and walked a bit along the Petite Ceinture nearby. Afterwards, you can enjoy lunch at La Recyclerie, located in a former station of the railway line.
