Paris after the lockdown- what to do in Paris ?

Gradual return to the Parisian life before the confinement?

Like many Parisians, little by little, as the announcements and the return of liberties come and go, I find a more or less “normal” life.

As soon as the restriction of movement beyond one kilometre has been lifted., I took great pleasure to get closer to my city, whatever it is:

• biking in the neighboring arrondissements or to Odeon with the ultimate goal of buying an ice cream at Grom, my favorite ice creamshop in Paris,
• walking in the Bois Boulogne, which even though it was very close to my home was forbidden,
• Walking in the footsteps of the Parisian Hiking trail which crosses Paris from North to South, we started from the Porte de Vanves and crossed the 14th-13th-5th and finally the 6th arrondissement to finish in front of Notre Dame, a walk full of surprises and change of scenery.

With the freedom of movement the possibility to see friends again, for a walk along the Seine, an improvised aperitif in a not too crowded area, a picnic in the Bois de Boulogne, a stroll on the Champs de Mars without tourists,

 

The other much-appreciated measure was the reopening of parks and gardens in Paris since Saturday 30 May.

What a pleasure to go back to “my” square just 50 meter from my building, one of my great pleasure is to sit down in one of those benches under the trees, and enjoying a sunbath laying down on the nice small square of grass.

What a pleasure also to be able to organize a picnic in the heart of Paris in a garden on the Ile de la Cité to escape the crowds on the banks of the River Seine.

 

 

 

I was also delighted to introduce a friend to the majestic trees of the square louis XVI located inte heart of thel 8th arrondissement.

On Thursday, June 4th, I was able to return to a museum, the Jaquemart André Museum for the Turner Peintures e aquarelles Collection de la Tate exhibition. The conditions of visit were ideal, we were few in number and precautionary measures such as wearing the mask were well respected. The fact of not having too many people is particularly appreciated for this exhibition where the watercolours are small and to admire the details it is necessary to be able to get as close as possible to the works.

And to finish the ultimate pleasure of Parisians, lunch and a drink on a terrace. I really appreciated being able to sit down and be served. To start aging discussions about the weather or whatever with the waiters who are happy to see the customers back.

What to do in Paris after the lockdown?

Gradually all the Parisian museums and monuments will reopen their doors. The calendar of Parisian exhibitions

My selection of exhibitions for an holiday spirit:

Journeys around the Mediterranean : Monet, Renoir, Chagall…Atelier des lumières Until December 31 2020

“Cezanne and the Master Painters A dream of Italy”  musée Marmottan until January 3rd 2021

Pompéi au Grand Palais from July 1st to September 2. 2020

Excusions in Paris and around

This summer is the opportunity to go and visit the Château de Versailles without queuing for hours and without the crowds.  And above all to be able to enjoy the beauty of the parks and gardens which have greatly benefited from this period without visitors.

I invite you to watch this video shot during the confinement in the gardens of the Chateau.

Maybe the best time also to climb to admire the view on the top of the Eiffel tower, the visit will be possible from June 25th.

I was mentioning you about it above but did you know that Paris is crossed by 3 GR hiking trails and recently there is a 4th GR75 which was created in honor of the 2024 Olympic Games. To follow those trails the Federation Française de Randonnée Pédestre edited guidingbooks that are very well done unfortunately only in French. FFRP Boutique

This summer will be the best time ever to do those walking tours.

And if you prefer cycling and want to get out of Paris, it’s possible, Le Pavillon de l’Arsenal has teamed up with Enlarge your Paris to concoct 4 routes to discover the architectural heritage and nature of Paris and its surroundings

Breaking News:

In the good news: the square in front of Notre Dame is accessible again.

Don’t hesitate to comment and see you soon !