I went to see Monet's giant water-lily paintings at the Orangerie (just off the Place de la Concorde) here in Paris on Sunday. Has anyone here been there? What did you think?

I went years ago - 1992. It was fabulous. I have seen the prints many times and they just don't capture the craftsmanship that went into the larger canvases. I was very surprised at how awed I was by those paintings. I mean, I had seen a lot of Monet's work in other museums and always knew about the large scale canvases at the Orangeries, and I think it was rather low on my list of museums to pay for in Paris - budget over the course of a year, so I had a kind of "I know what this is going to be like" attitude about going to the Orangeries. I hesitate to say that I even had the attitude "Shouldn't this be part of the admission to another museum? There are only how many paintings and they are all of water lillies?"

When I left I was a big fan of that little museum and would definitely visit again when in Paris. My list of museums in Paris - 1. Musee D'Orsay (sp?) 2. Picasso 3. Orangeries

And of course, you have to take into account that the entire city is really the best museum you'll ever visit.

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And of course, you have to take into account that the entire city is really the best museum you'll ever visit.

Oh, you're so right. We've just finshed dinner, my wife and I, and after living here for oh so very long, we were both saying precisely that. And there's so much that's hidden away too, things the tourist would never find. That's true of anywhere, I know, but give me four hours with you, onyone else here who cares, in Paris and I'll blow your mind. AND I'll buy the drinks before lunch too! Thanks animator.

I too saw them years ago and loved them. We are going to Paris next Wednesday and hope to have time to see them again.
We are staying in the Loire Valley for the week and have just booked the TGV to Paris for the day.It's the first time the children have been to Paris,although they have been to France many times.They want to see the Mona Lisa and (of course)go up the Eiffel Tower so we'll see if we can fit it in.
I know this is off topic but is there anywhere that you can recommend for us to eat ?
We are 4 Adults and 5 older children and knowing how expensive Paris can be we want somewhere that we can eat well without breaking the bank.
Viv

I have a print of Water Lilies. Mine has a lot of purple hues in it. I always heard the Orangerie has curved walls of paintings. That sounds very cool. Now I have seen Gladioli at the Detroit Institute of Arts and another Monet at the Chicago Institute of Arts, although I can't recall which one. I know that Claude Monet's work is best viewed when far away.

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We are 4 Adults and 5 older children and knowing how expensive Paris can be we want somewhere that we can eat well without breaking the bank.

I don't find Paris expensive at all. I find eating and drinking in Britain costs much more, but one shouldn't generalise, I suppose.
You'll have absolutely no trouble finding somewhere decent to eat. The trick is to keep clear of the obvious tourist spots such as the Champs Elysées and the rue de Rivoli. Even here you can eat well, but the prices will be higher and there'll be lots of tourists. There are hundreds of small restaurants away from the main attractions and all are required to display their menus and prices outside (apart from the hugely expensive restaurants, but you won't want those). You can opt for one course or for one of the all-in, good-value set menus (remember that drinks will be extra). As money matters, drink draught beer as it's cheaper and order wine by the carafe (25 centilitres, fifty centilitres, etc. Ask for "Cinquante de sauvignon or Cinquante de Côtes du Rhône". It's not unknown for unscrupulous waiters in tourist areas to bring poor-quality Sancerre if you just asjk for white wine and to charge you the earth. Chinese and Japanese restaurants are cheap in France and chopsticks will arrive as a matter of course. Ask for a knife and fork if you prefer and there'll be no problem. Brasseries can be very reliable and are often inexpensive. Some concentrate on chicken or steak with chips or omelettes and salads, but the larger variety would do any proper restaurant more than proud. More upmarket, try the small pretty restaurants around the old marché Saint-Honoré (take the rue Gomboust off the avenue de l'Opéra) but you'll obviously pay higher prices. Theyre good though. And if you stop later in the day just for a drink, bear in mind that in Paris it costs less standing at the bar, so if you just want a quick coffee rather than a good sit-down and a rest, you'll pay €1.20 standing up for an expresso and €2.30 or so sitting down. The choice is yours.
As for the Eiffel Tower, there'll be huge queues. Consider the option of going up the Arc de Triomphe instead. The queues are shorter, the view is terrific of the radiating avenues around Etoile, and you can see the Eiffel Tower as well! Yes, as clarebear has rightly heard, the Orangerie is quite lovely and consists of two oval shaped rooms (no restaurants, bars or cafés nearby, you should note. Try to locate the place you want to have lunch early on and plan accordingly. There'll be a queue at the Orangerie too, but it shouldn't be too bad on a Wednesday. I waited half-an-hour on Sunday afternoon. It houses only seven paintings mind, and the Marmottan Museum might be a better bet. It's got water lilies AND the painting that gave the whole Impressionist movement its name. And the classical collection on the ground floor is very good. Otherwise, go to the musée d'Orsay for the Impressionists (first floor). They've got some really famous ones, but let me say that the Rodin Museum near Napoleoun's tomb in les Invalides is my very favourite in Paris. Bon voyage, Viv!

Colin
Thanks so much for all the info.
Don't really want to do the Eiffel Tower myself as I've been up it on two occasions and I don't like heights ,but it's just the kids want to,i'll suggest the Arc de Triomphe.As all the adults have been before and done most of obvious sites,we thought we'd leave it up to the kids to decide what they wanted to see,i'm just happy to wander.
Viv

Colin , I assure you that eating and drinking in England does cost more than in Paris. Indeed it costs more than anywhere in France. A prize example has been Cannes during the current Film Festival. If there was anywhere and any time where and when you'd expect the local restaurateurs to cash in, Cannes in that fortnight is it. If they tried, I and my friends did not notice because the meals are still top value Not only are the prices lower than in England but the value for money in terms of the quality of the meal is much better. Of course, you can eat very well in England but you won't find the basic 'cheap' restaurants and bars offering such good meals for the same money. And you'd be very fortunate to find a bar or pub where they can produce an omelette at all, whether or not that is officially on offer, whereas that's the kind of simple dish you can ask them to make just for you in e.g. Antibes. Just imagine the look on a British publican's [pub proprietor] face if you blithely asked him to do you an omelette , as though that was to be expected of him !

Incidentally, in Cannes, one of my (English) friends insisted on leaving a tip . This surprised me because she lives locally and so knows about tax and service included. So why did she do it? She said 'Ah, but it's Film Festival and it's a shame to disappoint a waiter who has heard us speaking English: he may think we're American ' I suppose that's as close to a perk as the staff could hope for! Perhaps it's now an unofficial tradition

I always say that when you are in France and stop in an unknown town and eat in a random restaurant 9 times out of 10 you get a graet meal,in the UK doing the same thing 9 times out of 10 you get a bad one.
Viv

"...in the UK doing the same thing 9 times out of 10 you get a bad one."

Oh? Has Karrow published a cookbook? (Insert little laughing guy here)

You are SO going to be in Trouble

Alors, Viv - ça s'est bien passé hier ?

More visitors (it comes of living next door to Paris of course). Anyway, my wife's just off to Monet's house in Giverny with them, because one of the party at least has never been there. It's a wonderful place to go when the sun's shining, and actually to see that famous water-lily pond and to walk across the Japanese bridge is something to experience, even if you've visited the place a dozen times or more like my wife. It's about sixty kilometres from the city itself (take the A13 motorway and follow the signs for the turn-off) but I thoroughly recommend it the next time any of you are hee.
By the way, we're still waiting to hear how your day-trip to Paris went Viv!