Minnesota Sports Forum

Hopefully sole will be able to help me out and indulge me for a few moments. A few weeks ago my wife found a very good deal on tickets to Paris out of Minneapolis. Earlier this year my wife did her first ever Europe trip and spent a couple days in Paris and is really excited about going back. I have never been to Europe myself.

So...does anyone have any thoughts on maybe some less obvious stuff to consider seeing or doing in Paris or France? We will be there for 6 days in February. I'm struggling to find anything I am specifically excited about beyond the cliche stuff and I thought maybe I would ask here from some of my fellow posters that may have a different perspective. I'm excited about the trip it's just not exactly a bucket list destination for me although it's obviously pretty cool and yet I know I need to find some things I want to do or I may be a bit disssappointed later ai didn't do them. Sometimes I just let my wife kinda plan what we do and I tag along but I should put in more effort than that. Lol Anyway any thoughts would be appreciated. If you want me to do some international scouting I would be up for that as well!

Maybe not what you're looking for, but I really enjoyed Italy. It's $140/person to take train from Paris to Rome, but if you do, Pizzarium or Antico Forno Roscioli is great. And Pizzaria La Notizia or Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo in Naples is great also.

Never been to Paris. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

You lucky guy, monster...Paris in February. No tourists so the cafes will all be available (and you won't have to wait for 2 hours to see the Mona Lisa), and I would argue the City of Lights is most beautiful in the gloomy winter days. You can't go wrong...just walking around doing nothing is rewarding. I met an author (David Coggins) a couple weeks ago who has spent the month of January in Paris with his family for 20 years, and has written a book about his adventures there entitled "Paris in Winter". I just started it so I can't recommend yet, but it might give you guys some ideas of how to see Paris like the locals do. Get it on Amazon as a Christmas gift for your wife, and let her use it to plan some great out-of-the-mainstream activities. Added benefit to going in February...you won't have to watch two more Wolves' losses!

The wife and I split a week between London and Paris, I enjoyed London far more than Paris. I'm not sure if the Père Lachaise cemetery counts as a less obvious attraction or not but I thoroughly enjoyed spending time wandering around there!

We aren't the types to take tours and we're not particularly interested in the historic sites per se, we tend to enjoy to getting out and experiencing the cities we visit first hand and see how life is different today vs here at home. This is going to sound odd, but one of the things we've done in each city is seek out a grocery store, you'd be amazed at how different something that seems so common is from country to country. I would recommend setting aside at least one day to just get out and wander around the city, take the underground, visit a grocery store and buy a picnic lunch to eat in one of the beautiful parks or along the Seine. IMO the only way you can go wrong is to spend time in tour lines!

Great call on the cemetery, SP. I spent an hour there once wandering around looking for Jim Morrison's grave. I finally found it right before closing time (they close at sunset, which will be early in Feb). I love SP's idea of visiting a local grocery store and buying a picnic lunch to have along the Seine, but you're going to have to dress warm...Europe in the winter always seems a little damper and colder than here. I generally don't love touristy things either, but the Eiffel Tower is one of those postcard moments that never disappoints. One thing I love about Paris is how frequently the Tower appears unexpectedly in your view as you're strolling around the city...always kinda catches me by surprise.

Oh and to make this more on topic...my sources tell me that Thibs hates Paris ;-) .

JasonIsDaMan wrote:Maybe not what you're looking for, but I really enjoyed Italy. It's $140/person to take train from Paris to Rome, but if you do, Pizzarium or Antico Forno Roscioli is great. And Pizzaria La Notizia or Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo in Naples is great also.

Never been to Paris. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

I'd probably prefer Italy but that's...another trip. Some friends did an anniversary trip for a couple weeks to Italy last summer. They said was great...and never wanted to do the driving in the rental car again. Lol

LST thanks for the tips. I will have to check out that book. I don't know what is a better gift me getting it firmly wide or telling her to get it for me...I'm supposedly hard to shop for. We already bought her an Instant Pot for Christmas. It's medicinal I swear. lol it's funny/crazy how many people bought them on amazon Thanksgiving week. One of my friends said we need to have instant Pot parties...then realized that might not be a good term to use. Ok those jokes are getting old already.

I'm from the North I probably would like going to a lot of Europe areas when it's winter. The only issues with some places is some stuff is closed because it's the offseason.

Based on Thibs shoes my guess is he might me of an Italian guy.

TheSP wrote:The wife and I split a week between London and Paris, I enjoyed London far more than Paris. I'm not sure if the Père Lachaise cemetery counts as a less obvious attraction or not but I thoroughly enjoyed spending time wandering around there!

We aren't the types to take tours and we're not particularly interested in the historic sites per se, we tend to enjoy to getting out and experiencing the cities we visit first hand and see how life is different today vs here at home. This is going to sound odd, but one of the things we've done in each city is seek out a grocery store, you'd be amazed at how different something that seems so common is from country to country. I would recommend setting aside at least one day to just get out and wander around the city, take the underground, visit a grocery store and buy a picnic lunch to eat in one of the beautiful parks or along the Seine. IMO the only way you can go wrong is to spend time in tour lines!

My wife spent a few days in London on her trip and she said in general she doesn't have a great desire to go back to England she saw enough. That's fine I would rather go to other areas. What made you enjoy London though?

I agree it's very interesting to go to different stores even just within this country bit I have done that in stores in central and South America when Inhave been there. It's fun to go into small town grocery stores. It reminds me of when I was a kid living in a small town in South Dakota. It was funny the town I lived for a few years had 3 grocery stores which seems to be a lot for a...metropolis of 3,000 people. I'll remember to get into some stores.I am looking forward to eating there as well. My wife said there is plenty of cheese and carbs. That sounds wonderful. Mmmmm

monsterpile wrote:

TheSP wrote:The wife and I split a week between London and Paris, I enjoyed London far more than Paris. I'm not sure if the Père Lachaise cemetery counts as a less obvious attraction or not but I thoroughly enjoyed spending time wandering around there!

We aren't the types to take tours and we're not particularly interested in the historic sites per se, we tend to enjoy to getting out and experiencing the cities we visit first hand and see how life is different today vs here at home. This is going to sound odd, but one of the things we've done in each city is seek out a grocery store, you'd be amazed at how different something that seems so common is from country to country. I would recommend setting aside at least one day to just get out and wander around the city, take the underground, visit a grocery store and buy a picnic lunch to eat in one of the beautiful parks or along the Seine. IMO the only way you can go wrong is to spend time in tour lines!

My wife spent a few days in London on her trip and she said in general she doesn't have a great desire to go back to England she saw enough. That's fine I would rather go to other areas. What made you enjoy London though?

The people mostly. Like I said, we don't get into the tours and much of the historical stuff but rather just get out and about with the everyday people. We hit up a few pubs and just had a great time with complete strangers.

One of the highlights was a Jack the Ripper walking tour. The tour starts just outside of the London Tower and takes you to the sites of the many murders, ending up at the 10 Bells pub which is said to have been in operation since the time of the Ripper. The tour is guided by a local stage actor who did a fantastic job setting the mood and telling the story on a beautiful London evening!

Paris is a beautiful city and I did enjoy that too, but the difference for me was the people who were generally distant if not always outright rude. We had a great time in both cities and I'm sure you'll love Paris! It's always fun to visit place where people are so similar in many ways, yet completely different, you know, like Wisconsin!

;)

TheSP wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

TheSP wrote:The wife and I split a week between London and Paris, I enjoyed London far more than Paris. I'm not sure if the Père Lachaise cemetery counts as a less obvious attraction or not but I thoroughly enjoyed spending time wandering around there!

We aren't the types to take tours and we're not particularly interested in the historic sites per se, we tend to enjoy to getting out and experiencing the cities we visit first hand and see how life is different today vs here at home. This is going to sound odd, but one of the things we've done in each city is seek out a grocery store, you'd be amazed at how different something that seems so common is from country to country. I would recommend setting aside at least one day to just get out and wander around the city, take the underground, visit a grocery store and buy a picnic lunch to eat in one of the beautiful parks or along the Seine. IMO the only way you can go wrong is to spend time in tour lines!

My wife spent a few days in London on her trip and she said in general she doesn't have a great desire to go back to England she saw enough. That's fine I would rather go to other areas. What made you enjoy London though?

The people mostly. Like I said, we don't get into the tours and much of the historical stuff but rather just get out and about with the everyday people. We hit up a few pubs and just had a great time with complete strangers.

One of the highlights was a Jack the Ripper walking tour. The tour starts just outside of the London Tower and takes you to the sites of the many murders, ending up at the 10 Bells pub which is said to have been in operation since the time of the Ripper. The tour is guided by a local stage actor who did a fantastic job setting the mood and telling the story on a beautiful London evening!

Paris is a beautiful city and I did enjoy that too, but the difference for me was the people who were generally distant if not always outright rude. We had a great time in both cities and I'm sure you'll love Paris! It's always fun to visit place where people are so similar in many ways, yet completely different, you know, like Wisconsin!

;)

:) Fun stuff SP. my wife gets a little nerdy about history stuff and I do think it's cool but I have a point where I shut down and it's just another place and plaque and I am pretty much done. Of all the large museums I have been to the World War I museum in KC captured my interest through the whole thing and Inamno WWI nerd or anything there was just so many interesting things and presented well. It's a neat museum.

Neither of us are big art folks so we will take a few hours and visit the Louvre but I don't know if we HAVE to see anything there. If the lines are long maybe we will see the Mona Lisa.

On her first trip to Paris my wife took a baking class and learned how to make Macarons which has paid off for many of us since! She is talking another class this time I think eclairs and other breakfast pastries. I have considered taking a Croissant class but I decided I should try making them a few times here in the US and see how I do. Baking isn't something I have done much of and my wife has done a lot so I fear if I take the class with no practice...it may do me only so much good. I guess I have been watching The Great British Bakeoff for years now so...I've learned somethings maybe but haven't put them into practice. Lol