Stop here for romantic walking tour of Amelie's Paris
In each 'top 1o places to play/create' I'll choose a movie and follow the footsteps of its main characters to create a walking tour that will include 5 categories of places to go and things to do in that city:
My categories are DESIRES = Drinks; Eats, Strolls, "I Love This", Recreation, and Entertainment]
My categories are DESIRES = Drinks; Eats, Strolls, "I Love This", Recreation, and Entertainment]
Photo credit: pixdaus
The "Amelie" Walking Tour
Starting with a favourite French movie, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie.
In 2001, I fell in love with the French romantic comedy "Amélie," which depicts the life of a quirky Parisian waitress.
The Tour:
Starting with a favourite French movie, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie.
In 2001, I fell in love with the French romantic comedy "Amélie," which depicts the life of a quirky Parisian waitress.
The Tour:
Photo credit: movie-locations.com
1. No matter where you are, you should always start a walking tour with a hearty breakfast. In our Amelie tour, where better to start than:
Café des Deux Moulins at 15, rue Lepic, where Amélie works and much of the film's action takes place.
Review from Frommers here
Café des Deux Moulins at 15, rue Lepic, where Amélie works and much of the film's action takes place.
Review from Frommers here
Photo credit: movie-locations.com
2. From here, go to Au Marché de la Butte at 56, rue des Trois Frères, the grocery where the cruel Collignon and his kindly assistant Lucien work.
Buy some snacks to bring with you on your walk.
Buy some snacks to bring with you on your walk.
Photo credit: everydaydelightful.com
3. Ride the funicular railway down the hill to Place Saint-Pierre, where the carousel is located.
Have some fun!!
Have some fun!!
Photo credit: ipreferparis.net
OPTIONS tor those wanting to shorten (or extend) the tour:
From the carousel head west to rue Vieuville to the Place des Abbesses; the Abbesses Métro station appears several times in the film. This vibrant square full of cafes is a great place to pause to do some writing or just watch the world go by.
To shorten the tour, you could take the subway here to Gare de L'Est ( see below).
From the carousel head west to rue Vieuville to the Place des Abbesses; the Abbesses Métro station appears several times in the film. This vibrant square full of cafes is a great place to pause to do some writing or just watch the world go by.
To shorten the tour, you could take the subway here to Gare de L'Est ( see below).
Photo credit: deerdonna.blogspot.com
4. The first leg of the walking tour will involve some fun with a 2 km walk from the Place des Abbesses to Gare de l'Est, at 2, Place du 11 Novembre 1918, where Amélie discovers the identity of the mystery man and takes the Zorro pictures.
Find a booth and take some pictures to remember this day!!
Find a booth and take some pictures to remember this day!!
Photo credit: screened.com
5. From here, walk toward the Canal Saint-Martin where Amelie was skipping stones southeast of the Gare de l'Est, by Belleville's Hôtel Saint-Louis, and along the canal lock by rue de la Grange-aux-Belles and rue des Vinaigriers.
Get in touch with your inner child & take more photos!
Try a few cloud photos too:)
If your stomach is growling and you're still around Gare de l'Est, you may want to read the following recommendations by linking to chowhound.
Get in touch with your inner child & take more photos!
Try a few cloud photos too:)
If your stomach is growling and you're still around Gare de l'Est, you may want to read the following recommendations by linking to chowhound.
6. Travel to Ile de la Cite to visit Notre Dame (where Amelie's mother was crushed by a Canadian tourist who was committing suicide at the time, or maybe one of the gargoyles pushed her...)
7. Short Detour Option - "I Love This"
I'll insert a personal recommendation here.
I love Ile Saint Louis and there's a small street behind the Sacre Coeur leading to Ile Saint Laurent. This is where I had one of the best glasses of Bordeaux (house wine!) during my stay in Paris. In fact I ordered one glass and when the waiter came around to ask me to try it - my husband took one look at me and ordered me 'un pichet'.
Not a bad seat either - the spires and gargoyles of Notre Dame looming above...
I'll insert a personal recommendation here.
I love Ile Saint Louis and there's a small street behind the Sacre Coeur leading to Ile Saint Laurent. This is where I had one of the best glasses of Bordeaux (house wine!) during my stay in Paris. In fact I ordered one glass and when the waiter came around to ask me to try it - my husband took one look at me and ordered me 'un pichet'.
Not a bad seat either - the spires and gargoyles of Notre Dame looming above...
8. From Ile de la Cite, travel to rue Mouffetard, where Dominique Bretodeau, the first beneficiary of Amélie's good deeds, lives (at 27 rue Mouffetard)
You may want to pop in at "Le verre a pied" where Amelie had a quick drink.
9. For those of you looking for more walking. Head back toward the Seine and walking along all the beautiful bridges of Paris. Make your way to the Pont d'Alma. The tunnel under the bridge is the site of Princess Diana's fatal 1997 car crash. This tragedy sets into motion Amélie's decision to do good deeds for others.
Take a moment here (or anywhere along the Seine - the walk would be about 5.8 km) and think about a moment that set events in motion in your own life. Has that moment led to your doing good for others? If not, let this moment go and turn a new leaf. If it has, be grateful that by doing good for others you have been being good to yourself.
Take a moment here (or anywhere along the Seine - the walk would be about 5.8 km) and think about a moment that set events in motion in your own life. Has that moment led to your doing good for others? If not, let this moment go and turn a new leaf. If it has, be grateful that by doing good for others you have been being good to yourself.
This brings us to another favourite characters in Amelie:
Raymond Dufayel or "The Man of Glass". Dufayel is Amelie's neighbour who was painting the Renoir painting, shown left, over and over because he kept trying to capture the feelings of the female character who is apart from the others.
Raymond Dufayel or "The Man of Glass". Dufayel is Amelie's neighbour who was painting the Renoir painting, shown left, over and over because he kept trying to capture the feelings of the female character who is apart from the others.
10. To end the day...
4 dinner options; 4 price-points:
Option 1 (cheapest): L'As du Felafel
Travel to the Marais to this legendary felafel shop. Order from the window and get better value by ordering your felafel to take away. Price: €4.Details: 34 rue de Rosiers, Paris (Ph 01 48 87 63 60) Metro: St Paul. Closed Saturdays.
If you're pooped and would rather have the falafel minus the legendary, you can get falafels much closer at:
Maoz
36, rue Saint-André des Arts (6th)
and
8 rue Xavier Privas (5th)
4 dinner options; 4 price-points:
Option 1 (cheapest): L'As du Felafel
Travel to the Marais to this legendary felafel shop. Order from the window and get better value by ordering your felafel to take away. Price: €4.Details: 34 rue de Rosiers, Paris (Ph 01 48 87 63 60) Metro: St Paul. Closed Saturdays.
If you're pooped and would rather have the falafel minus the legendary, you can get falafels much closer at:
Maoz
36, rue Saint-André des Arts (6th)
and
8 rue Xavier Privas (5th)
Option 2: So Amelie!!
At Dans le Noir you'll dine in a pitch black room with blind waiters as your guides. To navigate the experience, you must rely on all your senses EXCEPT sight.
You'll be asked to remove watches, cell phones and any items that give off light. You'll be given a brief orientation (e.g., how to pour wine using your finger as a guide). For the most challenging experience, order the Surprise Menu (39 euros) and try to guess exactly what you're eating!! 51, rue Quincampoix, 4e
Nino Quincampoix is Amelie's boyfriend!! (everything is connected:)
At Dans le Noir you'll dine in a pitch black room with blind waiters as your guides. To navigate the experience, you must rely on all your senses EXCEPT sight.
You'll be asked to remove watches, cell phones and any items that give off light. You'll be given a brief orientation (e.g., how to pour wine using your finger as a guide). For the most challenging experience, order the Surprise Menu (39 euros) and try to guess exactly what you're eating!! 51, rue Quincampoix, 4e
Nino Quincampoix is Amelie's boyfriend!! (everything is connected:)
Option 3 (half Amelie/half Coco Chanel):
Head to Chatou, west of Paris. Here, at Maison Fournaise, is where Renoir painted "Le déjeuner des Canotiers," the painting Amélie's neighbour painted over and over. It's now de la Restaurant Maison Fournaise at Ile des Impressionnistes, 3, rue du Bac.
Option 4 (all Chanel/all extravagant):
Head northwest of Paris to Enghien-les-Bains, the spa town where Amélie grew up.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhh....eat, then sleep at a spa. Or...
Head to Chatou, west of Paris. Here, at Maison Fournaise, is where Renoir painted "Le déjeuner des Canotiers," the painting Amélie's neighbour painted over and over. It's now de la Restaurant Maison Fournaise at Ile des Impressionnistes, 3, rue du Bac.
Option 4 (all Chanel/all extravagant):
Head northwest of Paris to Enghien-les-Bains, the spa town where Amélie grew up.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhh....eat, then sleep at a spa. Or...
Photo credit: Gerd Ludwig
GO OUT & PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paris is so romantic, whether a quirky experience like Amelie or a
nostalgic voyage into the past as in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris.
Here are more tips/tours for your Paris trip:
1. Bike About Tours is located on the rue de Lobau. It offers guided tours on bicycles. A small group is led by an experienced English-/French-speaking guide. History lesson are brought to life. The tour is about 4 hours long.
2. If you enjoy photography, there's also Photo Tours in Paris. The address is 7 rue Valentin Hauy 75015 Paris. This tour lasts about 3 hours and takes you to a number of the best places to take photos. Your guide is an experienced photographer who can help you to better understand your camera and take great pictures.
3. For some people, going to Paris means a visit to the Musee du Louvre, arguably the greatest in the world. Since the Louvre is enormous it's a good idea to determine what you would most enjoy seeing.
4. No trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to the most visible of all French icons, the Eiffel Tower. Consider booking and preprinting your tickets on the official website. Skip the line-ups and focus on the romance! And speaking of romance....
5.How about a Horse and Carriage Ride through Paris?
Few ways of exploring Paris are more romantic than being pulled by horse and carriage. You can sit back, relax and snuggle up to your loved one and take in all of Paris famous landmarks. Along Paris’s beautiful boulevards and past the Champs Elysees, Trocadero and Arc de Triomphe in your elegant carriage, you can completely lose yourself in the moment.
Departing from the Eiffel Tower, the tours are an hour in total and leave daily at 1 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm and 6 pm. If you really want to push the boat out, upgrade to the 1.5 hour long ride at 2.30 pm for an extra half an hour and a bottle of champagne!
Cost: £123 per carriage
6. Finally, how about a hands-on cooking lesson at a culinary school? You can take a 1 to 3 hour cooking class (with a romantic partner). English is spoken. La Cuisine Paris classes are a favourite experience for many tourists. Classes are small, with usually only about seven people per class.
Et voila!
Thanks for dropping by my favourite places in Paris at
Sleep. Play. Create.
2. If you enjoy photography, there's also Photo Tours in Paris. The address is 7 rue Valentin Hauy 75015 Paris. This tour lasts about 3 hours and takes you to a number of the best places to take photos. Your guide is an experienced photographer who can help you to better understand your camera and take great pictures.
3. For some people, going to Paris means a visit to the Musee du Louvre, arguably the greatest in the world. Since the Louvre is enormous it's a good idea to determine what you would most enjoy seeing.
4. No trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to the most visible of all French icons, the Eiffel Tower. Consider booking and preprinting your tickets on the official website. Skip the line-ups and focus on the romance! And speaking of romance....
5.How about a Horse and Carriage Ride through Paris?
Few ways of exploring Paris are more romantic than being pulled by horse and carriage. You can sit back, relax and snuggle up to your loved one and take in all of Paris famous landmarks. Along Paris’s beautiful boulevards and past the Champs Elysees, Trocadero and Arc de Triomphe in your elegant carriage, you can completely lose yourself in the moment.
Departing from the Eiffel Tower, the tours are an hour in total and leave daily at 1 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm and 6 pm. If you really want to push the boat out, upgrade to the 1.5 hour long ride at 2.30 pm for an extra half an hour and a bottle of champagne!
Cost: £123 per carriage
6. Finally, how about a hands-on cooking lesson at a culinary school? You can take a 1 to 3 hour cooking class (with a romantic partner). English is spoken. La Cuisine Paris classes are a favourite experience for many tourists. Classes are small, with usually only about seven people per class.
Et voila!
Thanks for dropping by my favourite places in Paris at
Sleep. Play. Create.