Loving Paris in the springtime

Evelyn Yeager

Having our Carden Hall seventh-graders take a field trip to France

was the perfect excuse for a group of moms to schedule a spring-break

trip to Paris.

Our group included three moms and a first-grade teacher from the

school. We considered following the kids’ itinerary through France,

but decided on spending the entire week in Paris.

We flew nonstop to Paris on Air Tahiti and then settled into Hotel

de L’Abbaye in the St. Germain neighborhood.

The hotel is an 18th century convent-turned-hotel. Double rooms

start at 190 euros. Our suite was 363 euros and included breakfast in

the charming breakfast room. The decor included fresh cut flowers,

stone arches and antique furnishings.

As we polished off our pastries and coffee each morning, we

planned our route through the city. We decided to explore Paris by

foot, and our daily treks included about eight miles of walking and

at least one museum or monument.

Browsing the Internet, we discovered a walking tour with Beatrice

Martin (beatriceparis @libertysurf.fr) and went on a half-day

“Village of Montmartre Walk.” She gave us background information as

we saw the Moulin Rouge, the Van Gogh home, the home of Renoir, the

Sacre-Coeur and many more. At the end of the tour, she recommended

L’Ete en Pente Douce for lunch, before she headed off on the Paris

Metro.

We met our students at Versailles and the Eiffel Tower, and

enjoyed lunch at the restaurant Jules Verne on the second story of

the tower. The view and food was spectacular. Afterward, we rode the

elevator to the top deck.

Our guide book recommended purchasing a five-day Carte Musee,

which gave us admission to most museums and sites without waiting in

the long lines. We visited the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, the Arc de

Triomphe, the Opera, the Holocaust Memorial, the Musee Picasso and

took a boat tour of the Seine.

In between our sightseeing excursions, we shopped on the Ile St.

Louis and in the Latin Quarter. We also spent some time relaxing at

the many cafes along the way.

A highlight of the trip was spending Easter Sunday at Notre Dame.

The sound of the church bells on Easter was truly inspiring.

A worthwhile day trip is to Monet’s gardens in Giverny about an

hour outside of Paris. The beautiful flower gardens and lily pond

were the inspiration for many of his paintings.

For our last night, we treated ourselves to dinner at Chez

Grammond, located at 5 Rue de Fleures, near the entrance of the

Luxembourg Gardens. The country French food and ambience were

delightful, and we had personalized service from the husband and wife

proprietors.

Our last excursion was the Luxembourg Museum for a Matisse exhibit

called “Une Seconde Vie.”

The next day we left Paris with tired feet, but also the feeling

that we had truly experienced the city and many of the wonderful

things it has to offer.

-- Evelyn Yeager is a resident of Newport Beach.

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