A wonderful trip
Submitted: July 20, 2011
Stayed: July 2011
We all had a wonderful time at La Cigale. It was joy for me to be able to share old places and new in France with my family. Our grandsons had many new experiences, including learning that ice doesn't always come from an ice maker! :)
We tried two of your recommended restaurants in Paris: La Cigale and Brasserie Balzar, and enjoyed them both. The children weren't as enthusistic about souffles as the grownups, but they enjoyed both experiences. My husband and I rediscovered rue Mouffetard, which we had gone to on our last trip. It was really special to be at the Bal Musette on the 14th of July and hear cabaret music played by accordionists in the square. I remembered most of the words to "Milord" and "Je ne regrette rien", to my delight.
Some information in case one of your future tenants asks.
We had no trouble with our ATM cards, but *did* have trouble sometimes paying tolls on the autoroute with our credit cards. It was weird: the cards worked fine on autoroutes in the south and north, but in the middle of the country we sometimes had trouble. Also, we were not able to purchase tram tickets in Clermont-Ferrand with a credit card.
I love markets and have the "Paris in a Basket" book that's in the apartment. We went to the Sunday Auguste Blanqui market, and then took our older grandson (12) again on Tuesday. The Sunday market is much bigger, but for a first look at a Parisian market, the smaller Tuesday one is great, and very close on the metro.
Both grandsons (12 and 8) loved the Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie at the Parc de la Villette. The older one thought the Catacombs were neat. The Promenade Plantee and the Viaduc des Arts underneath are beautiful. The boat trip on the St. Martin canal is a different, fun way to see Paris by water. For anyone who will be in Paris while it is there, the exhibit of the ocean liner "France" at the naval museum shows how the other half travelled. Lastly, Parc Asterix is way cool for anyone familiar with the books (which my son loved as a child and which my grandsons are now getting into.)
We had a wonderful trip, and our stay at La Cigale was a highlight.
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Girls Getaway,
Tourists without a Car,
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
Families with Young Children,
Romantic Getaway
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