by Sandra Sheridan

Created on: April 29, 2009   Last Updated: May 19, 2009

Paris offers such a tantalizing menu of sights, entertainment, attractions and events, you'll be tempted to overload your schedule. Word to the new visitor - DON'T do it! Choose your must-see visits to the Louvre, Le Tour Eiffel, the bateau ride along the Seine and the Arch de Triomph, but be sure to allow time for a few uniquely Parisian experiences in your vacation itinerary. Taking your lunch to the Jardin de Luxembourg can be every bit as pleasant as shopping along the fabulous rue St. Honore du Faubourg or visiting the Picasso Museum.

Many visitors tour the Opera Garnier, the inspiration for The Phantom of the Opera and stunning example of Neo-Baroque style. Why not enjoy the elegant experience of attending a ballet or opera? Tickets are affordable, depending on the current program and time of day. You will relish the history and beauty, the bronze statues and ornate opera boxes; and the grand marbled halls once filled with the grand dames and gentlemen of the Eighteenth Century.

After such a richly stimulating experience, you may want to take the time to dangle your feet above the Seine, while you watch the rhythm of the city unfold. Nearby, students play chess or read. Couples murmur under the trees and two elder gentlemen share news of the day. The parks and riverfronts are the back yards of Parisians, so you'll always find ambiant scenes for relaxation before your next appointed outing. All of the Seine and its revered bridges are natural magnets for entrepreneurial entertainers, guitarists and mimes, magicians and even skateboarders jumping higher and higher!

A favorite footbridge, La Passerelle des Arts, crosses from the Palais du Louvre to the Academie des Beaux Arts, with stunning sights on either bank and easy river traffic in the middle. Often sculptures or open-air art exhibits stretch across the bridge to add one more element of interest, as you cross towards the lovely domed Academy building. At all points along the way, you're sure to enjoy the ever changing sights and sounds.

Just down the quay on the Left Bank, Shakespeare and Company is a one-of-a-kind independent bookstore that continues to serve as a literary focal point in a city that relishes the written word. Opened post World War II by American George Whitman, the interesting collections of pets, prose and poetry offers a fascinating hour or two of meandering and imagining the famed authors who did the same. Located at 37 rue de la Bcherie, near Place St. Michel,

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