We started the next day of our trip back at the south leg of the Eiffel Tower, where we met our guide, Crystal, for the Fat Tire Bike Tour (arranged through Viator at viator.com). The four-hour tour is a fun way to see Paris from the street point of view. The bikes are comfortable, the ride is easy and there is a short break in the middle to give riders a chance to grab a snack. Bike About Tours (bikeabouttours.com) offers more intimate guided rides with a maximum of 10 people and takes you to popular sites, as well as less traveled hideaways.
After a late lunch, we made our way to the Paris Vision tour office on Rue du Rivoli where Viator had arranged for us to take one of the famous Seine River cruises. This being the City of Lights, we opted to follow up the twilight cruise with a narrated nighttime “Illuminations” bus tour through town. Both were a great way to kick back and relax while taking in all of the sights from two very different perspectives. For a real treat, we added the dinner option at Chez Clement at the end of the tour — it makes for a very long day, but the chance to sit down at a notable restaurant in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysee was memorable.
Now it was time for art and to help make the world of art come alive for the boys. We decided to hire a guide through Context Travel, a company known for providing guides who make art and architecture fun for children and adults alike.
Michael — who has a doctorate in European architecture — began our tour outside the Louvre in the original courtyard, explaining to the boys how the museum started out as a medieval fortress, complete with dungeon and tower. Michael continued to captivate all of us as he led us through the museum with tales of war, betrayal and artisan rivalry, all the while slipping in educational tidbits about the evolution of sculpture and painting. By the end, the boys were looking for “perspective and vanishing points” in every piece of artwork.
We caught a quick lunch at one of the museum’s cafes and then headed off on our own to see the not-to-be-missed elaborate Apartments of Napoleon and other exhibits.
That evening, we headed over to the Marais district for our only “reservations required” dinner at Le Gaigne Restaurant (12 Rue Pecquay). This tiny restaurant seats about 20 people, and the small, reasonably priced menu had something for everyone. To make reservations, visit its Web site at restaurantle gaigne.fr.
The next day we visited the Chateau de Versailles, an easy 40-minute trip from Paris on the RER (line C). The biggest tip we can give you about visiting Versailles is go early. The lines to buy tickets can get very long (up to two hours), so try to buy your tickets online directly from the chateau (chateauversailles.fr/fr). The immaculately sculptured gardens are typical of the French style, and the chateau is a simply amazing display of opulence and wealth. Make sure to purchase an audio guide (included if you opt for a “day pass”). It’s invaluable as you go through each room.
The grounds are massive, so consider using the minitrain or renting bikes to get around the estate. And don’t miss the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon, which were built as a “small” retreat for royalty — a place to escape from palace life on the palace grounds. Both have a more intimate feel and are far less crowded than the main chateau. Don’t forget to pick up provisions for a picnic at one of the local markets before entering the grounds. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch alongside the chateau’s lake that was more memorable and far less expensive than dining at one of the restaurants on the estate.
Wednesday we tackled the most popular museum in Paris: Musee d’Orsay. The former train station is home to the greatest collection of Impressionist art in the world. We were back in the capable hands of Michael from Context Travel, who picked right up in the d’Orsay where he left off at the Louvre. As Michael guided us through the museum, he built on all of the things that we learned a couple of days earlier.
Price of admission to the Musee d’Orsay: 8 euros (children under 18 are free). Hiring a guide to make art come alive for your children: 100 euros. Having your three teenage boys ask about the difference in the perspective of Gustave Caillebotte’s “The Floor Planers” versus Edgar Degas’ “L’Absinthe”: priceless.
(The final installment of The Vine Guy’s trip through Paris will appear next week. For previous columns by The Vine Guy, visit washingtonexaminer.com.)
