La vie est belle in Paris, the City of Light
From driving tours to fine dining on the water to nearly limitless cultural delights, Paris has it all, writes
Gadding about Paris in a car primarily designed for travel across rutted French farmland is excellent fun.
The Citroen 2CV, with its flexible suspension and gift for spotting ever-decreasing gaps in traffic, is really the only way to get around the French capital.
There are two requirements: Put your trust in the driver and fear to one side.
At parisauthentic.com, the company behind this madcap touring experience, all the drivers speak English and all of the charming cars, improbably, have an MOT.
Our driver, the knowledgeable Arnaud, picked us up at our accommodation, Hotel Le Belmont, before taking us on a whistle-stop tour of Parisian landmarks.
Thereâs a range of options to choose from: You can tour by day or night, pick set times, or suggest your own, and take or leave a variety of add-ons, such as a bottle of champers for an extra âŹ35.
Prices start at âŹ119 by day, and âŹ99 by night. The cars can even be booked for weddings.
Boats and planes, after automobiles
An entirely different touring experience awaits on the River Seine. If you want to spoil yourself, book a dinner cruise on Bateaux Parisiens. Itâs hard to argue with the brochure: it does offer the chance to discover âthe very heart and soul of Parisâ.
Beautiful spring weather drew young and old to relax along its banks during our visit, with families, students and couples enjoying the calm of the evening, a welcome break from the hectic daytime bustle of the city.
The beauty of this cruise is that you depart from the Eiffel Tower and spend the next few hours (depending on the trip you choose) gliding by famous monuments including MusĂ©e dâOrsay, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Concierge, City Hall, the Grand Palais. While lapping up the panoramics from an entirely glassed-over bateau, a waiter delivered the most delicious cuisine to our table, prepared by the chef on board.
After an enjoyable couple of hours on the water, we arrived back in time for the Eiffel Tower light show, a sublime sight by night, as gold sparkles shimmy up and down this magical metallic structure.
For more information on river cruises, see bateauxparisiens.com. Prices and options vary, from sightseeing, to fine-dining, to cruises specially tailored for children.
When in ParisâŠ
Lithe frames and long legs populate the stage over at the famous Lido, a cabaret and burlesque show with a 70-year history on the Champs-ĂlysĂ©es.
Weâre given prime viewing seats for this spectacularly lavish performance which attracts an audience of 500,000 each year. Thereâs plenty of skin, literally, in the game.
High-kicking belles and and beaux garçons deliver dazzling dance routines, largely uninhibited by clothing, but gorgeously decorated with ostrich feathers, rhinestones and gazillions of swarovski crystals.
No contortion is too difficult to perform and no-one seems concerned that a superb high-speed piece of ice skating on a miniature rink will definitely end in tears. It doesnât, because all of the dancers are consummate professionals and thereâs nothing for it but to sit back, enjoy the show and several bottles of exquisite champagne.
I did see children at the Lido (the French are trĂšs sophistiquĂ© ) but I donât think I would bring mine.
The embarrassed giggles would kill it, and thatâs just me. Equally, card-carrying members of the #MeToo movement should probably steer clear.
Eat, drink, sleep
Itâs hard to know where to start, but our first port of call, Restaurant âAux Lyonnaisâ, is as good a place as any.
A flagship Paris bistro with a long and interesting history, itâs owned by Michelin Star supremo Alain Ducasse. We popped in on our way from the airport after a pleasant flight with Air France, and it was just what the doctor ordered.
At this premises on 32 rue Saint Marc, the emphasis is on Lyonnaise regional cuisine. We had a magnificent charcuterie platter, with a choice of fish or black pudding for mains, and tart and floating island with pink praline for dessert. Dishes were perfectly matched with sommelier-selected wines.
For me, the ambience and decor were exactly right, beveled mirrors reflecting all the comings and goings
over two floors, mismatched silverware, metro tiles, an old coffee machine huffing and puffing in the background. I half expected F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald to waltz through the doors As an aside, Alain Ducasse also designs meals for Air Franceâs La Premiere first class cabin and lounge, for those who like travelling in style.
Over at 99 Avenue des Champs-ĂlysĂ©es and giving âAux Lyonnaisâ a run for its money, is the famous La Brasserie Le Fouquetâs, overseen by Roscommon woman Geraldine Dobey.
Its history stretches back over a century, while links with the French film industry date back to the 1930s. Nowadays, it hosts the annual gala dinner for the Cesars, the French equivalent of the Oscars, and Quentin Tarantino, Jodie Foster and Sean Penn are among those to have enjoyed its hospitality.
Geraldine says there was a time when you could see the queues for the cinema from the restaurant âand it became a way of assessing the success of the movieâ. In 1990, Le Fouquetâs was registered on the Historic Monuments inventory and officially named as a French cultural hotspot.
Culture aside, the food is also a joy. The menu, by Pierre Gagnaire, another multi Michelin-star chef, is designed âto showcase the simplicity of French dishesâ. I had lâescargots, a plate of cooked snails, which is about as French as you can get. As a lâescargot virgin, I can say my first experience was inoubliable.
Shop, but not until you drop
Galerie Lafayette, up there with the worldâs most famous department stores, has devised a great scheme to make sure you can enjoy the spoils of shopping while sitting on your hide. It does cost though.
Anyone prepared to fork out more than âŹ800 can sit in a customerâs lounge while a personal shopper puts in the hard yards. Itâs ideal for business people who can continue to do business from the comfort of a lounge while a stylist puts together a wardrobe full of merchandise to choose from.
The store carries about 3,000 brands, from affordable to high-end. About 70% of those using the personal shopper service are from China. Others travel from the Middle East, including members of royal families.
As a non-high-end shopper, Galerie Lafayette has other highlights, including a wonderful rooftop terrace and garden, with a panoramic view of the city, and the most spectacular Art Nouveau cupola, a magnificent rounded dome that reaches 43m above ground. The store, on Boulevard Haussmann, is worth a visit to see the cupola alone.
Musings at MusĂ©e dâOrsay
It was hard to know where to start in this old turn-of-the-century railway station given the breadth of works on display, but after scrutinising some rather austere Eastern European artwork for starters, I headed for the more joyful Impressionist exhibition.
Much of this collection was as familiar to me as my children. Weâre talking Paul CĂ©zanneâs Apples and Oranges, Monetâs Blue Water Lilies, Renoirâs Montmartre.
We had a morning in the gallery, but you could easily spend days. Thereâs also a lovely cafĂ© with fittings as beautifully crafted as any piece of art, offset by a giant clock that doubles as a window with fabulous views over the city.
To book and for prices, see musee-orsay.fnacspectacles.com
Le Belmont
The key to enjoyment of any trip is the accommodation.
Hotel Le Belmont, on the Rue de Bassano, is the perfect package, just a five minute stroll from the Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe and a 30-minute drive from Airport Charles De Gaulle.
Itâs an elegant 74-bedroom pearl, with a beautiful bar that doubles in the morning as a breakfast room. My bedroom was beautifully appointed and the bed was probably more comfortable than my own.
For room rates and details on its spa and fitness centre and meeting rooms, see belmont-paris-hotel.com/en/
Air France offers 7 direct Cork- Paris flights per week, with a lead-in fare of âŹ131 inclusive of taxes and charges. Free coffee and croissant provided in-flight.
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