I had a six week work engagement in Paris...which is as awesome as it sounds.
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MAIN SIGHTSI've been to Paris three times, so the first two times I raced around like a mad man to all the major tourist sites. Even on my third visit I still found myself circling back to the major attractions but lingering outside and soaking in the atmosphere instead of waiting in lines to get in or go up. The best part of a six week period in Paris is you get to see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and other sites at all times of the day and in all kinds of weather. Visiting these sites never became old.
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STREET SCENESParis is an amazing city to just wander through - while the Haussmann architecture is most prevalent in the city center, each neighborhood has it's distinctive flair. To select an area, you just pick an arrondissements, Paris' neighborhoods, hop on the metro, and start walking. The arrondissements are numbered 1 through 17, starting in the center of the city and spiraling outwards like a snail shell. I liked the 11th and the 12th the best - I thought that had a grittier and edgier feel than the rest of Paris.
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HEMINGWAY AND BOURDAINWhen I wasn't wondering aimlessly through arrondissments, I was selecting Ernest Hemingway and Anthony Bourdain locations to visit. I read Hemingway's A Movable Feast about his days in Paris and tried to pick off all the restaurants, bars, and cafes he frequented. Most of these spots were in the famous Left Bank District with a few farther south.
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LYONOne weekend I took a train down to Lyon. The city is very walkable and I did all of my exploring on foot. The trip highlight was watching a Guignol puppet show. The French sophistication should never be questions.
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LOIRE VALLEYAnother weekend I rented a car and drove through the Loire Valley, which has several impressive castles and cathedrals, spent a night in Orleans, spent another night in the sea side town of La Rochelle, then drove north to Burgundy and over to Mt. Saint Michel, before returning to Paris. It was a bit of a whirlwind.
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