It’s the 2021 Paris Bucket List!!
Today’s episode features me and my wife Lina sharing five things we each want to do in Paris this year. EDIT: I’ve since turned this into a Top 100 list here.
You should really listen to the podcast episode to get the full story, but I’ve copied our lists out below.
Now, if you want to play along too – even if you don’t live in Paris, leave your own Bucket List in the comments below. The rules: It has to be things you’ve never done before and they must ascend in order of difficulty. Let’s do it!
Lina’s List
1. Have oysters and champagne at Le Baron Rouge at the Marché d’Aligre.
2. See a performance at the Philharmonie de Paris
3. Learn to make croissants
4. Eat dinner at the Tour d’Argent
5. Stay a night in a nice hotel
Oliver’s List
1. Finally taste the wine from the Montmartre vineyard
2. Explore the Paris Pet cemetery
3. Have an expensive drink at the Saint James Hotel
4. Find the alleged underground lake at the Opéra Garnier
5. Eat dinner at the magnificent Le Train Bleu restaurant
That’s it! I feel like a lot of these activities will prove to be good podcast episodes and social media content, so be sure to follow along for the ride. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube all here.
If you’re a Patreon member, here’s the link to the epic Scroll for this episode with deeper dives into Paris (quite literally a deeper dive for the Opera section this week). Not a member? New year, new resolutions? Why not support Paris channels you love? Sign up here and join the crew 🙂
Here’s the episode again and a bunch of others from The Earful Tower. Have a listen, and leave your own Paris bucket lists below!
Go back to the St. James for another drink in that romantic bar.
Jodee and Carl Boehm have prepared a combined list:
1. Attend the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros.
2. Take a guided tour of the Garnier opera house.
3. Have lunch at Guy Savoy.
4. Take a guided tour past Hector Guimard-designed buildings in the 16th with a guide who knows what they’re talking about. Finish with cocktails at the Guimard-designed Cravan cocktail bar.
5. Have “croctails” with Oliver and Lina.
1. Visit the Basilica Saint-Denis.
2. Take a boat cruise on the Canal Saint Martin.
3. Visit the Paris Zoo.
4. Return to Le Meurice-Restaurant Alain Ducasse to experience the desserts of Cédric Grolet
5. Meet again with Lina and Oliver for dinner or drinks.
We have been to Paris five times and have yet to make it out to Versailles so that is number one.
Two – Musee Marmottan
Three- mint tea at the institute de Monde Arabe
Four- see a match at the French Open preferably one of Rafael Nadal’s
Five- go to one of the grand department stores
I had lunch at Le Train Bleu and it was a dream, but also totally accessible. It’s an unforgettable experience!
We had drinks at Le Train Bleu — very nice and they were exceptionally nice. We went one afternoon — no reservation. We did have some hors d’oeuvres and a glass of wine.
My Paris Bucket List 2021
1. Take a short course at Cordon Bleu – maybe croissants, crepes or baguettes.
2. Take the stairs up to the top of La Tour Eiffel (and bring my good camera for photos along the way).
3. Early morning walk/run from Grande Arche de la Defense to the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel (~9km).
4. Visit the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (and dress up for the visit!).
5. Finally visit the top floor of the Montpararnasse Tower.
I think I need a #6 and that would be just to be able to visit Paris! I am so grateful for all of your walking interviews – they are great to watch when I’m missing Paris.
Cheers,
Molly
Ooh, how fun! I remember talking about this idea in the autumn! Here are my Paris bucket list items:
1. Visit le jardin d’agronomie tropicale un Bois de Vincennes
2. Enjoy a hot chocolate at Georges V
3. Visit Vaux le Vicomte château
4. Watch a performance at Comédie Française
5. Visit the wholesale market at Rungis and have breakfast like/with the vendors. Who doesn’t love an entrecôte with glass of wine at 7:00am?!
I’ve never had an episode linger so long and make me think so carefully, I visit Paris every year and have been chipping away at my list, but here are a few:
1. Eat at Cafe Flore. I walk past it all the time and I know it is super touristy and overpriced….but that is precisely what has kept me away. So this time I need to do it!
2. Stay in an Arrondissement that I haven’t before. I tend to gravitate to the Right Bank for my stays. Time to switch it up! I’ve never stayed close to the Eiffel Tower before, maybe it’s time. Or maybe the 6th.
3. Enjoy a choir or music performance at Sainte Chapelle.
4. Eat at a Michelin Star restaurant in Paris (have only done this in Colmar).
5. Go to the roof of the Galleries Lafayette. I love the rooftops of Paris and this is such an obvious spot…but yet I haven’t visited it.
Here’s mine, off the top of my head.
1. Have a drink at the bar that inspired my first book. It’s the bar at Hotel Normandy (Now Normandy le Chantier I think). I’ve poked my head in several times on visits, but I’ve never been there when it’s open.
2. See the play La Leçon in the latin quarter
3. Purchase le montre merci from the actual store.
4. Meditate under the oldest tree in Paris
5. Eat incredible food (both French and non-French) cuisines
Hi Oliver,
When I was in Paris I used to ride my bike around Paris and suburbs on the weekends. One of my favorite bike trips was going on the Canal St. Martin and going for about 50 kms past a couple of small villages to visit their weekend market and proceed up to a national park, the name of which I forget. But it’s great for a Saturday excursion. Maybe you and Lina could do that on your scooter or bike instead.
Also, I enjoyed your you tube video on Annecy. In fact, I visited the town in the fall of 2019 going from Geneva when I was there on business. It was an easy day trip. The next time you go their visit the village of Talloires on Lake Annecy and the LAbbaye a former Benedictine abbey for lunch.
Hi Oliver and Lina! I have a little hobby blog (I think only 3 people read it 😜) where I just posted my bucket list inspired by The Earful. Here’s the link: https://charlotteleblog.com/happy-french-friday-a-new-dream-itinerary/
Merci for your awesome podcast that always puts a smile on my face!
This is lovely, thanks for sharing! now 4 people have read it 🙂
Greetings Oliver!
I am a new listener and enjoy you and Lina and your posts! I am awaiting the arrival of your book Paris On Air, I ordered from Shakespeare & Co. We try to visit Paris every year, once stayed in a Paris Perfect apartment (ahhhhh), and learned of you and Lina from your time in the 7th last year! Here is my list:
1. See a ballet at Opera Garnier (btw the behind the scenes tour is super)
2. Visit Paris in the Fall…my only missing season!
3. Kiss my husband at Paris “point zero!” .
4. Relax, read, and picnic on the banks of the Seine (we walk for miles and miles, might be nice to just sit)
5. Tour one of the houseboats on the Seine!
I have an apartment in the 3rd , missing Paris very much, as an Australian we are not permitted to travel overseas
I would like to see images of streets of Paris with their tree colours in the autumn changing colour.
Of course, all of this is predicated on being able to even get to France due to the pandemic. But here we go:
1. Drive in Paris—Call me crazy, but I want to pick up a car downtown anyway after spending a night in Paris before heading to Normandy.
2. Eat at Le Dôme Café—Should be easy. Hope it is worth it.
3. Visit Lafayette’s Grave at the Picpus Cemetery—The only thing tough could be timing. I understand it is only open a couple of hours each days and I have to make sure that fits my schedule.
4. Visit General Leclerc Museum – Jean Moulin Museum—If it’s open.
5. Visit Carnavalet Museum—If it is both reopened after renovation, and open to the public post-pandemic.
1. Hot Chocolate at Angelina. (Can’t believe I’ve never done that… and ordering it on Goldbelly here in the US from the new location in NYC is cheating, in my opinion, so doesn’t count.)
2. Hang out at the rooftop bar at Printemps at sunset.
3. Have brunch at le Musée du Jaquemart-André, followed by a tour
4. Try aligot. (This will be tricky, as I understand it’s a seasonal item at a lot of restaurants.)
5. Have a picnic on the Pont des Arts.
Clearly, I’m hungry. Time for lunch!