Restablecer búsqueda
Francia
Satelital

Francia
Paris 11 Ancien - Quartier École-de-Médecine

Descubre los destinos de los viajeros que escriben un diario de viaje en FindPenguins.
Viajeros en este lugar
    • The World on Two WheelsA Tour de France
      Día 55

      Lunettes Pour Nous

      14 de octubre de 2019, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      We had a big decision to make. With only two full days in Paris, we needed to choose our activities wisely. One thing we were both in agreement on was that we had no intention of running to and fro all day doing the normal "tourist things". There would be no Hop On Hop Off buses, no Louvre, no Musee D'Orsee, not even an Eiffel Tower in our plans. But what could we do ?

      When we had been in Nantes we happened to notice an interesting shop with the slogan "10 Euros in 10 Minutes". Although you might be excused in thinking it was some sort of fast food place, it was in fact an optician. Their unique claim was that they could make you a new pair of glasses in only 10 minutes, with or without a prescription. Not only that, but the cost could be as low as 10 Euros.

      I had to admit that it had us both intrigued enough to do some further research. We learned that each store was highly automated and could produce the lenses in only a few minutes. Our problem in Nantes was that we had arrived on a Sunday and the store (like just about everything) was closed. But we were going to be in Paris on a Monday. Voila !

      The more we thought about it, the more the idea started to take root in our minds. It certainly would be an experience to have an eye test in France and go home with new spectacles. And so that's what we decided to do.

      Our research had shown that there was a store on the right bank, about 1 km from our apartment. We arrived right on opening time at 10 am and then had fun explaining to the young staff that we were from Australia and were looking for new glasses. We were soon both ushered into a high tech testing room where we had new prescriptions produced (no appointment necessary).

      The next step was to choose our frames. It was here that we discovered that not all the glasses can be produced for 10 Euro. Most of the frames were from 20 Euro to 50 Euro and the price of the lenses depends on the complexity of the prescription. Presumably it was only people who required no correction at all who would be able to get the 10 Euro special.

      Even so, the prices were quite reasonable. Thirty minutes later I was the proud owner of two new pairs of spectacles and Maggie the owner of one new pair. Even with scratch resistance and transition lenses, the total cost was only equivalent to $300 AUD. And did they work ? Yes they really did. It will also be another fond memory of our brief time in Paris.

      The rest of the day we spent walking (and walking and walking) until we both felt completely spent. The weather still continues to be warm and sunny and we even took the chance to have a lovely snooze on a couple of the chairs in the Tuileries Gardens.

      We returned exhausted to our apartment for dinner, before having another nightime walk around the I'le de La Citie. The tourist boats were cruising the Seine and the distant light from the top of the Eiffel Tower was flashing across the low clouds. It had been just about an ideal day in this wonderful city.      Leer más

      Ver traducción
    • The World on Two WheelsA Tour de France
      Día 56

      Final Day in Paris

      15 de octubre de 2019, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

      Yesterday we decided to begin our day with a rather unusual activity - getting new glasses from a French optician. It turned out to be quite an experience, but we both agreed that the end result really was worth it. The glasses were great and the fact that we got them in Paris will make them a great souvenir of this trip.

      Today was our final full day, so we had to decide just how we were going to use our final hours in this incredible city. We had so many options to choose from you might be quite surprised at the decision we made. After a lot of thought, I decided that I would go back to the opticians to get a third pair of glasses. I needed a pair specifically for using while I was sitting at the computer and I couldn't think of a better place to get them.

      So off we went back to the "10 Euros in 10 Minutes" shop. They seemed a little surprised to see us back again, but were happy when we told them the reason. After a new eye test and some selecting the frames, I was soon the proud owner of another pair of computer glasses.

      Since the area around Las Halles was rather unfamiliar to us, we also took the opportunity to explore the large open spaces and fascinating buildings that were there. We finally returned via the Louvre and across the Seine to our apartment. Since my GPS has been inoperative for the past couple of weeks, I could not measure just how far we walked in the past coiuple of days, but I would estimate that it would be at least 15 to 20 km each day. It was enough to make us thoroughly exhausted.

      One thing we have noticed over our our recent visits to Paris is how quickly the city is progressing towards being more and more bike friendly. Many of the major roads have now been narrowed considerably to create safe separated lanes for cyclists, scooter riders and joggers. The shared electric scooters are used by people of all ages and are obviously a very popular alternative for convenient commuting around the city. Paris is still nowhere near other famous bike cities, such as Amsterdam, but it is a long way ahead of Melbourne in this regard.

      After a brief rest we ventured out again. This time it was for a much more mundane reason - to do our laundry. Although the first laundromat we found was out of action due to some sort of malfunction, we did find another one that we had used on previous trips. An hour later we had bags of clean, dry clothes. If nothing else, it might help to make our luggage just a little bit lighter, since clean clothes must weigh a bit less than dirty ones.

      Tomorrow morning we will be cramming our bags for the final time, before catching a taxi to Charles de Gaulle airport. By Friday morning we will back back home in Melbourne. This trip has been one of the very best I can remember, but we are now both more than ready to be back with our family and friends. I hope you have enoyed sharing some of the adventure with us.

      And a final comment - we will surely miss those fresh baguettes every day.      Leer más

      Ver traducción
    • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
      Día 110

      PARIS

      27 de abril, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

      Paris - city of love and Morris' birthplace.

      4.26
      After being on a bus for the last 2 weeks, we arrive in Paris and sadly say goodbyes to our Belgium Bus Driver, Hilda. The Hotel Tourism was a great find by Rick Steves. Wonderful breakfast and, oh la la, the warmed toliet seat with all the high-tech buttons is a plus.

      Headed out to Rue Cler Street for lunch, where we took in the Paris vibe. Quite the change from the liveliness and hand talking of Italy to the quiet lovely civility of France. Interesting to note the chairs of the cafes facing outward so they can people watch as they sip and enjoy their coffee.

      Afternoon walking tour with our local guide past the Parliment building as she explained the history of Paris. As we continued along the Seine River, you can feel the buzz in the air as Paris is getting ready to host the Summer Olympics 2024. Lots of preparation around town can be seen.

       Continued to the Royal Palace, where Marie Antoinette was held during the French Revolution until her execution in 1792. The Palace also houses Sainte Chapelle built in the 13th century to house the relic of Christ: Crown of Throns. The massive 15 stain glass panes relate scenes from the Old and New Testament. From the outside, the panes look black, but inside with the light coming through, you see them in full color. It was truly spectacular to see.

      4.27
      Early start on the Metro this morning as we are off to the national art museum of Paris, The Louvre. The palace is home to some of the world's most iconic pieces, paintings, and sculptures, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. So much to see!

      One of our favorite surprises was watching as an art student in The Louvre was painting a duplicate of a masterpiece.

      Later, we took a riverboat down the Seine as we went past that Effial Tower and Notre Dame. (The front facade has been cleaned and restored, and the back that was burned down still under restoration with completion scheduled for the end of this year.

      This was our last night with our tour group. We had a night walk through Paris and a lovely group dinner as we sadly said our goodbyes.

      4. 28
      Roy and Monika (friends we made from Canada) and Morris went out today to explore the Arc de Triumph (climbing to the top for a fantastic view) and Montmartre,
      with its cobbled streets, stunning white Basilica on the hill, artists, bistros ... Montmartre is full of charm! Also saw the square bldg. What a contrast between old and new.

      Packed up to head home after enjoying a lovely dinner evening.      Leer más

      Ver traducción
    • ViajeroIngolds in Europe
      Día 18

      A pastry and a protest

      7 de marzo de 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

      When I married Nick, one of the Sullivan traditions I integrated into the Ingold family (thank me later hun) was the spectacular ability when on holidays to have a significant event occur whilst we are there- hurricanes…fires…COVID hitting mid Asia…and now- a riot! Never a dull moment when on holidays with us 👍🏻
      The French do protests exceptionally well. The city’s infrastructure was basically shut down, 48 hours notice was given, and much politeness was carried out to ensure everyone knew what was going on. We assumed we wouldn’t see much of the action, but turns out a million people would protest throughout France (the government has proposed to lift the retirement age 2 years; to 64) and the main rally in Paris weaved its way along the street adjacent to us. So we saw lots! We ventured down to have a look- the atmosphere was passionate but polite (the grey nomads were the average age of protestors, many of who marched with a banner and a baguette, or a flare and a coffee… not kidding).
      We had been walking the streets of Paris this morning (we headed to the Pantheon , but it was closed due to the impending protest, the museum D’orsay and Louvre also closed…) and there were police and riot squads everywhere, closing off streets and the Seine to any traffic. We wondered if things might get heated, so purchased some essentials (patisserie goods…..😉) and headed inside our hotel. We certainly heard lots of noise over the next hour or two- mostly people singing and shouting slogans. A few loud bangs splintered the air over the next 10 mins or so, and then total calm, and it was all over! Probably time for afternoon tea for the will-be-pensioners.
      So we sat and ate our delicious treats, and listened to the French try and have another revolution 😉
      We did manage to have a beautifully leisurely walk around Paris this morning (including a visit to Norte-dame, where we saw the sad reconstruction efforts happening after the fire of such a beautiful building), had an award winning croissant and famous macaroons. But… on the never ending quest to find clean toilets whilst out, we did venture into a McDonalds where the girls had some chicken nuggs and a cheeseburger… 🙊. Let’s just say, I didn’t take a photo of this experience… Fun fact- The sweet and sour sauce here is interestingly called ‘Chinese sauce’…
      Because balance is everything, we did have an AMAZING dinner. We took the girls to a Michelin star restaurant. We had €13 ramen, that has won a Michelin star in 2021 for how good it is. And it didn’t disappoint. The 4 of us happily slurped Ramen until our bellies were full. And one of the least expensive meals we have eaten… go figure!
      A day of many contrasts. We hope to get our skates on tomorrow and make up for a lost day of museums. But it was an indulgence to be able to walk through a beautiful city at a leisurely pace, with limited traffic to navigate and not a lot on the agenda… 🌟      Leer más

      Ver traducción
    • ViajeroIngolds in Europe
      Día 19

      Sometimes you win, sometimes you Louvre

      8 de marzo de 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

      We smashed out some culture today! Making up for a lost day yesterday due to the strike, we headed first to the Pantheon 🏛. An amazing building (haven’t mentioned the impressive architecture for awhile 😉) that was built a long time ago (dates are a bit fuzzy) but still looks like it could have been designed last year. The crypts underneath are beautiful (if there ever was an oxymoron, that would be it- beautiful crypts) and the girls expertly navigated us to the one tomb we have all been hanging on to see- Madame Marie Curie. Such significance she holds to our house, that it was even more apt that we visited her on international women’s day. Our girls have read about her discoveries since they were tiny, and even Nick and I had a star crossed moment, when reading about her and Pierres contributions to science- he the discoverer of Piezoelectric effect (the basis for ultrasound) and her the scientist to discover radium and polonium (the basis for some radiation that nuclear medicine uses). We were a little (a lot) in awe that the founders of the first sparks of our fields were lying entombed before us. Even the girls seemed to understand the significance, and were in awe of where they were and who was lying before them. It really was a special moment that we jagged before the hoards of school groups came trudging past.
      We made our way to Museum D’Orsay, after the Louvre were having a minor breakdown due to yesterday’s protest, and it didn’t disappoint. Full credit to the girls, they were SO into looking at the art here. They have shown lots of interest on and off in art since they were little, and it was quite astounding listening to them excitedly rattling off names of artists and paintings as we walked past them (I was a little overwhelmed at actually seeing these masterpieces in the flesh; rooms and rooms of famous artists that I have seen in books actually physically right THERE in front of our eyes!)
      Our kids are no where near perfect, and far from highly cultured! But I was absolutely astounded at our little people pointing out artists like Seurat (Audrey- commenting that his most famous painting wasn’t there….. sorry… what?!) and Olive telling me he used ‘pointillism’ as his painting technique… and she liked Degas because he painted the ballerinas but Monet was still her favourite. Yep… I need to give our kids more credit!!
      So after the kids took Nick and I on a guided tour of the gallery (we paid them in chocolate eclairs…) we got really lucky and squeezed into last minute tickets to the Louvre (because we hadn’t smashed the culture enough today!). The girls really only wanted to see one thing- the Mona Lisa. We found her by the 750 phones in the air wildly snapping pictures of the smaller than expected painting. The girls snuck into the front of the Instagram hungry crowd, and managed to get a good look at her (and a couple of photos). Nick and I have seen her before, and I know a lot of people think she is underwhelming (mostly due to her size… like most things underwhelming…) but we all agreed she really was something very special to behold.
      We walked around getting very lost for the next hour or so (the Egyptian section and King Louis apartments were definite highlights) before we took our weary little feet home. 22,000+ steps, heads full of inspiration and happy hearts for our last night in France.      Leer más

      Ver traducción
    • ViajeroIngolds in Europe
      Día 16

      Paris in Rouge

      5 de marzo de 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

      Today was like a little bag of popping candy. Lots of unexpected fizz, and mouth tingling fun.
      We explored the area of Montmartre; a quirky little area nestled amongst the clouds overlooking the entirety of Paris. We hobbled up hundreds of uneven stone stairs, the sky a background of grey, mottled with a tinge of blue as the sun struggled to break free. At the top, we turned around and saw the whole of Paris laying before us, like a worn out and much loved patchwork quilt.
      The areas cobblestone streets are lined with little Parisian cafes, and art galleries, and many famous artists have been known to roam the district over the decades. A small square at the top of the converging streets held a mass of artists, selling their paintings and doing portraits for a fee. We have a tradition to bring home a piece of art from significant trips we take, and they adorn the walls of our house- each representing a time and a place (and a budget!) of our lives. The girls (ie. Audrey) has always been desperate to have her portrait done, so we agreed that this would be our piece of art for this trip. As we walked around, we had many people vying to draw the girls (they looked particularly cute today- more on that later), but we stumbled upon an unassuming artist with a very unique style of work that we all agreed was strikingly beautiful. We commissioned him to draw the girls and it was such a magical thing to watch our little people appear on his paper in front of our eyes, and through the eyes of a stranger. By the end of the sitting (about 30 mins) he had drawn such a crowd watching that it was about 4 people deep, and many photos of our girls are now floating around the world on random peoples cameras 😂 (the girls- ie Audrey was in her element).
      It is a beautiful piece of art that will hang in our house to remind us of both this adventure, and this gorgeous stage of the girls lives. 💖
      But!! The fizz didn’t end there!! This afternoon we ticked a massive bucket list item, we got frocked up and went to the Moulin Rouge!! It was… hard to describe…! It was dazzling, and sparkly and filled with beautiful women with legs up to the skies. The dancing was overshadowed by the stunning costumes and stage sets, and the most magnificent performance by a team of two men who’s strength and agility to lift and contort themselves really was something I think I’ll never forget.
      We could see 2 other children in the entire area, and Nick and I were the next youngest by I would say…30- 40 years. The demographic was a little like you get on the scenic river cruises down the Rhine (yep mum- I’m looking at you- you would ROCK this place). The girls LOVED it, and Nick had the breast time (I mean BEST time🙊…). Most of the girls it seemed had forgotten to wear their brassieres to work today, and the costumes seemed to be missing the front section of their tops (I suppose the costume departments budget couldn’t stretch that far. I imagine crystals are very expensive…) and the show was QUITE cheeky 😉 but no one seemed to mind (especially the 80 year olds in the front sections). They actually (legitimately) had an first aid crew in the foyer on standby. I guess cardiac arrests might be quite common at these shows… hmmm…
      But to be honest, a little top nudity aside, the show was really well done, and the girls beamed the whole time (pun intended for the dancers…). Potentially the best part was the bottle of champagne the man plopped infront of Nick and I that we didn’t realise was included in our ticket… the fizz was good 👍🏻      Leer más

      Ver traducción
    • ViajeroSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023
      1
      Día 66

      Paris 1

      18 de julio de 2023, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Our hotel is great and we have had a couple of walks round our local area which is full of restaurants and everything and everyone is really buzzing. We had a meal of gallettes tonight which we enjoyed again despite the annoying loud person on the next table but the weather is better here and it’s really nice to be back in Paris. We couldn’t get over how many many people were on the boat ride on the Seine. Almost looked like a refugee boat.Leer más

      Ver traducción
    • ViajeroSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023
      Día 68

      Last night in Paris

      20 de julio de 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

      This evening we went out for our last Evening meal in Paris with Phil and Diane. They paid for the meal as Craig’s 70th birthday gift and it was a very lovely dinner at a nice restaurant called Le Christine. Delicious fish and a fennel tart and roasted peach dessert were all delicious. During the walk home the area is once again buzzing and full of people I think we chose well with this hotel which is called The grand Hotel de L’ univers!!Leer más

      Ver traducción
    • Mooney's European Adventure
      Día 26

      First Day in the City of...Burning Heat

      19 de julio de 2022, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

      So, when we were planning our trip to Paris, we never thought about packing for record setting heat waves. What does one wear for that? Speedos and tube top? Anywho... crippling heat really did hinder our site seeing plans. We didn't have anything booked... and that turned out to be good. The day started off late because everyone slept in after our late night the night before, and then Liam had a long lasting bloody nose that we think just knocked him off kilter the whole day. He wasn't feeling great and was dragging a bit. But we decided to head out anyway by about the time the heat was really hitting its stride.

      We jumped on the metro and headed over to the Spanish Section. There we...... what's that dear ??? Sorry. It is the Latin Quarter. Same thing.... right??? Don't know why she keeps getting angry with me. So... we headed over to the Latin Quarter to walk around a bit. Stopped at a crepe place because Evan really wanted to. The crepes were great and surprisingly filling. Then we wandered over to the river bank and got our first glimpse of Notre Dame. It is sad that we couldn't really get in to see it but they are working hard on it to have it open by the Olympics in 2024. I guess we will just have to come back.

      Then we had to stop for cold drinks/ice cream because of.. well.. near death. And then we wandered some more. We stopped at the Shakespeare and Company book store which is famous for being an English Language bookstore that many famous people have visited.... or something like that. It was famous enough that there was a long line to get in so we didn't even try.

      Then we headed over to the Parthenon... a French version of the one in Rome. It was very grand. By now the kids are dragging. So we headed down the street to the McDonalds, got 6 of their largest drinks, crossed the street and hung out in the Luxemburg Park. The kids were so tired that we couldn't even explore the park. So after sitting for a bit with the Eiffle Tower as our backdrop, we jumped on the Metro and headed home. Jen and I went out one more time to get some groceries but our day was done. Fairly disappointing outcome for our first day in Paris but our kids were just worn out from the heat and the dangerously low blood levels.

      Tomorrow should be a lot cooler and we are talking about hitting it hard tomorrow, so we will just let this one slide. We finished the day with only 10,758 steps. Now it is off to bed and hopefully the cool weather comes to us in the night so we can get a better sleep. Until tomorrow...      Leer más

      Ver traducción
    • ViajeroIngolds in Europe
      Día 15

      Food glorious food

      4 de marzo de 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

      Today was all about the gastronomical delights of France. I am both proud and a little (a very little) embarrassed to say that today’s blog entry literally only consists of food 🤣
      We discovered a walking tour, designed especially for kids to explore the best of Parisian food- walking the streets of Paris with a ‘local’ (Rachel) who took us to all the places the locals love to eat at. And boy do the French take their food seriously. Like, rockstars in France are not famous actors or singers… they are chefs. No word of a joke (our English is getting sketchy…) Good chefs over here are household names; they are held in such esteem that blood has been drawn between friends over which Chef is better (venison blood I’m sure…)
      It was SUCH a fascinating tour. It ended up being just the 4 of us with Rachel, and she was knowledgeable, and captivating and had a great dry sense of humour. The kids were fascinated with her tales of food woven through a very in-depth history lesson of France- ask the kids about Louis XIV (thats 14 for those lacking in the Roman numeral department). He was the Sun King (he predated the fun King- kids like him better). In fact, Nick and I learnt more on her tour than I’ve ever learnt about the French Revolution (which was pretty much zilch), and it was FASCINATING. I have a much better understanding of the French way of life, knowing more of its history. Like why food is such a massive thing here- when King Louis XVI (16- the done King) and Marie Antoinette were overthrown by the oppressed French peasants (and had their heads chopped off… as the kids say), a huge number of amazing Chefs found themselves with no job (as they were all hired to be private chefs of the Royalty) and so… restaurants were invented! And what went from only a handful of restaurants in Paris, overnight bloomed into thousands of top notch places selling fine grub. And so the tradition has continued. And we spent a good chunk of the day sampling this slice of history (full disclosure… not just one slice…)
      I can’t pronounce any of the delights we consumed (except eclair… seems Audrey’s new favourite word) but the photos will do it more justice than my ramblings anyway.
      Our lovely guide was having such a nice time (or she forgot her watch?) that she ended up spending an extra hour with us- and snuck us into one of her fave shops where we sampled a hundred (I swear it felt that many) different jams. The shop madame was so wonderful and played a ‘guess the ingredients of this jam’ (kids vs adults) for a good 20 jams (ignoring the couple of customers that came into the shop during this time…). We left high as kites on sugar and very jammy indeed.
      The verdict: French food is delicious (and not that nutritious… but we are currently ignoring that). Liv ate lots of cheese (lady was impressed), Nick ate lots of escargot (lady was very impressed) and Audrey ate lots of desserts (Audrey was very very impressed). And I had a balanced diet today… from all the good French food groups 😉🍫🍰🍾      Leer más

      Ver traducción

    También podrías conocer este lugar por los siguientes nombres:

    Paris 11 Ancien - Quartier École-de-Médecine, Paris 11 Ancien - Quartier Ecole-de-Medecine, Section de Marat

    Únete a nosotros:

    FindPenguins para iOSFindPenguins para Android