It is permitted to take photos and video clips in the Pompidou Centre ("Beaubourg" to those in the know), but please do not use your flash nor be a pest. copyright 2012 Lisa B. Falour, B.S., M.B.A. all rights reserved LISA, INC. (EURL) cutecatfaith.com I do not care for this museum, which is pricey and the main lobby is like a shopping mall, but on the first Sunday of every month, it is free. Get there at 11 am when they open or be prepared to stand in line with hundreds of people. Eat before you enter because the places to eat inside looked pricey and bad to me, and the place is badly ventilated. There are lots of good places to eat and enjoy yourself all around this big tourist trap, and Le Marais is right nearby -- a fantastic area in Central Paris. Don't expect shopping or fine dining in Paris on Sundays, but get invited to someone's home for a famous, long French lunch (takes hours!), go to church on Sunday morning (usually at 10 am), and enjoy the parks in the afternoons. If it's cold and bleak, dress appropriately, get some air, and consider a museum, the theatre, or some other inside activity, even though, as I said, Sunday is "quiet day" in Paris. It can be very hard to mingle with locals in Paris, so consider me as a private guide. Unless you connect with locals, you will have a less fulfilling time here. Parisians are very reserved. Picabia is one of our favorite artists, and the first piece shown here is by him. Looks like nothing to you? His artwork was very varied, and he was a genius. You can see some Duchamp here and some others. I loved the "mechanical head." There are many other museums in and around Paris which might interest you more, and many are always free of charge. I am a tour and travel guide and perform business services in France. Some of the museums, such as Le Carnavelet nearby, are always free, and there is something for everyone there. I would say avoid this place, and the Louvre, Versailles, the Eiffel Tower and a lot of the other tourist traps. One GOOD tourist trip is the Sacre Coeur de Montmartre, however. It has a great vista of Paris and if you are religious, it is nice to visit. Just remember, there is a chapel "next door" which is of far greater historical interest ... Paris is like that. People go to Notre Dame and don't even know, the oldest church in Paris is right across the river, it's lovely, there's a fantastic park ... you may need me as a guide! Really!

• published: 02 Jan 2012
• views: 236