Weekend in Paris - art, gardens and cats

Few weeks ago I decided to make a little trip to Paris and it wasn't for romance but more for museums, to seek inspiration, find some artistic resources.

The French capital is full of amazing art galleries, beautiful sculpture gardens and lots of other hidden places, much more interesting things to see than the Eiffel tower or the Champs Elysees boulevard, known for the luxurious shops, for the fancy cafes and for its theaters.

I will not deny that I love to shop  Paris and wander around wearing a fancy dress and taking selfies for my Instagram. I do love that, but beyond that, there is much more in Paris, much more that we miss seeing each time we visit.

 One of my favorite places in Paris is Montmartre, the most historic and interesting neighborhood in Paris. I was really happy that I found an affordable hotel in Montmartre, right to the metro station and with a beautiful view of the Basilica of Sacre Coeur from my room.

I agree that today, Montmartre is not anymore how it used to be, but I still find it fascinating and artistic because this was the place so loved by all the great artists and writers living in Paris the last century: Van Gogh, Picasso, Modigliani  and others who used to live and work here.

........ remember Amelie ?

I hope you do because she was the sweetest thing ever and as a  fanatic fan I could not miss going to Cafe des Deux Moulins, a very nice bistro bar with the most amazing fresh baked croissant, crunchy fresh baguette and a strong flavorful coffee. I actually been twice to Cafe des Deux Moulins, and both times I loved it. The place is really busy and full of interesting people, hipster type people, tourists looking for Amelie but despite the business this bistro has an amazing Parisian atmosphere, something that is almost impossible to find somewhere on Champs Elysees boulevard

Les Jardine Du Plantes is a magic place that reminds me of Alice in Wonderland, a big beautiful botanical garden with more than 10,000 species of plants. Enchanting and romantic place, perfect for a promenade. I cant wait to get back there.

A little bit less formal  but just as nice as other gardens in Paris, is Parc de Buttes-Chaumont, also a magical place with nice green paths, waterfalls, temples and vertical cliffs and beautiful green nature, perfect place to sit on the grass  and relax, read a book, have a glass of wine and a nice picnic.

Time goes fast when you are in Paris, there are so many things to see and so little time. I went in a big rush to Musee de l'Orangery where I did not spent as much time as I  wanted, so I will probably talk about the museum another time. I still enjoyed my time spent there but because it was so busy and almost closing time I could not breathe in every detail as I have wished.

Le Cafe des Chats, a cool place for any cat lover . I had a really nice and fun evening there, a delicious cheese platter in the company of some furry friends. Just give me cats, flowers and food and I will be happy :)....... a place like this is always a good reason to drive to Paris, isn't it?

 

Just before I left from Montmartre to the airport I had to make one more little stop, Montmartre cemetery, a beautiful and calm place that has a lot to tell.  Romantic lay out, rusted iron, big pieces of granite, a solemn and divine silence, Gothic and neo Gothic architecture, extravagant  tombs and chapels, unique statues like I have never seen before  the tombstones of Emile Zola, Stendhal, Edgar Degas, Alexandre Dumas . Some people might think that visiting a cemetery is something creepy, I think we need to grow and understand and accept that death is a part of us, and death even if is sad it can inspire just as much as life does.

 I could not do/see much in 3 days but I plan to visit again soon and continue with my thirst for fine art and culture. Next time I hope to be able to see Musee de la Poupee (a spooky collection of beautiful dolls ) Musee de la Vie Romantique (a museum  dedicated to romanticism with a secret garden as well , yey !) Montparnasee Cemetery,  Parc Floral du Paris.

I hope you enjoyed  my  travel post :) If you  have time or pleasure let me know about cool, strange and amazing places in Paris.

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All photos used in this article are from my personal archive and they have copyright, please do not use any of the photos without my permission.