Unlike New York, where the streets are numbered, Paris is divided into numbered quarters or arrondissement. The fascination with Paris starts in the examination of the pattern of arrondissement on the map. In this city, that carries the traces of 500 years of habitation, it is nearly impossible to wander around without a map. But once you understand the map, it is very easy to find directions and roads.The center of the French capital is the First Arrondissement, where the Hôtel de Ville and Notre Dame are found. The Second Arrondissement wraps around the First and the Third around the Second is a spiral pattern reminiscent of the snails so beloved by the French. Foreigners who cannot discern this helicoid geometry on the map are frequently puzzled as top how the 16th Arrondissement can be next to the 8th...
Be Prepared to descend underground
Over the last two hundred years, urban planners have lifted the aging layers of the city and redesigned the city's structure. With amazing foresight, they have created an extraordinary, even unequalled infrastructure for the capital. One of the most spectacular aspects of the city's infrastructure is the metro. Now celebrating its centennial, the Paris metro is among the most modern and most chic in the world, with more stations than any other.
Spring in Paris
When you come to Paris in the spring, there is no greater pleasure than settling into a sidewalk café and watching the passing scene. Les Deux Magots, opposite the church of Saint Germain des Près is one of the city's most famous cafes. The other, Le Flore , is only a few steps away. At both cafés, you can find every kind of hot and cold drink and tasty, freshly prepared food day and night. But few realize that the specialty of these two cafes is hot chocolate.Lipp, also on Boulevard Saint Germain , is one of the city's most popular restaurants, serving traditional food in a classic setting. (Tel: 01-45-48-72-93).The Eiffel Tower is most strking at night, when it shines with lights. When seen from a distance, it is as if all its engines are working ready to pierce the sky, resembling a rocket about to launch.Watching Paris makes one feel like a child overcome with pleasure or an adult who have not lost his sense of joy.
Address to remember
Musée Grevin, 10 Bd. Monmartre 75009 (Tel: 01-47-70-85-05) a museum of mummies of famous French figures located in an unusually beautiful historical passageway. Maison de Victor Hugo, 6 Place des Vosges 75004 (Tel: 01-42-72-10-16), a three story building with furniture made of paper mache by the famous writer himself, located on one of the most charming squares in the city. Musée d'Orsay, 62 Rue de Lille 75007 (Tel: 01-40-49-48-14), a renovated train station, now exhibited an outstanding collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings, with an excellent restaurant. Bateaux Mouches, Pont de L'Alma, touristic barges offering a two hour sightseeing cruise up and down the Seine. To eat on the Seine, we recommend the barge restaurants.
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