 For
visitors, just the name Paris
conjures up images of romance, of young couples embracing
in cafés à la Robert Doisneau photographs
or in front of some of the world’s finest architectural
and historic treasures. The riverine stretch along the
Seine, from the Eiffel
Tower to Notre
Dame, has been declared a Unesco World Heritage
site.
Paris
is filled with art museums, headed by the Louvre and the
Musée d’Orsay, part of that Unesco-declared
section.
Nightlife
in the City of Light ranges from smoky jazz joints to
saucy cancan shows at such cabarets as the old Moulin
Rouge or the Crazy Horse. And Paris is synonymous
with fine food, from a steaming café crème
with a pain au chocolat — so fresh the chocolate
is melting into flaky pastry — to a four-course
French feast in such famed establishments as the Tour
d’Argent.
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Where
to bed down for the night? Visitors have a wide choice —
from boutique hôtels de charme to grandes dames of
lodging in interesting neighborhoods.
Triumphant
arch While many other big cities have lost their sense of
neighborhood, Paris has kept its local quartiers. Many Parisians
have a favorite corner café or bistro, grocery store,
shop or restaurant.
Charming
districts abound in this romantic city, from the Latin Quarter
around the historic St.
Germain-des-Prés church to the area
surrounding the Arc de
Triomphe on the Right Bank. A ‘‘stone’s
throw’’ from this grand arch, tucked away on
40, Ave.
de Friedland, the historic HotelNapoleon
radiates the warm atmosphere of a family home. During the
winter, the smell of a wood-burning fireplace greets guests
entering the intimate lobby. Indeed, the hotel was a private
home until 1928, when it was turned into a hotel by the
family who owns it today.
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Says
General Manager Ludovic Corpechot, ‘‘We want
to give guests the impression that it’s their private
home.’’ The hotel is so comfortable, Errol
Flynn was a long-time resident, as was the
singer Josephine Baker.
Today,
that Old World charm has been carefully restored, with
a Napoleonic décor evoking its namesake. Le Bivouac,
named after the place where Napoleon rested, is a cozy,
wood-paneled bar and restaurant.
In
summer, one can sit on the terrace and enjoy the dramatic
view of the Arc de Triomphe,
golden in crepuscular light — not a bad place to
call ‘‘home.’’ Shop, then flop
While Paris is
famed worldwide for its museums and architecture, it is
also synonymous with luxury shopping. Several districts
offer shoppers both historic architecture and brand-name
boutiques.
Don't
miss the Moulin Rouge
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