More Paris

Another anniversary visit to Paris later and more recommends and non-recommends. Good Places to visit: Musee des Arts et Metiers (Science Museum), immortalised in the novel Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco it houses said pendulum along with a weird and wonderful array of science equipment, vehicles, gadgets housed in amazing buildings including an old church. Any churches, you can just nip in and there are some amazing gothic, baroque, romanesque, you name it, interiors to ogle. Rodin Museum, lovely if decrepit mansion of gorgeous figure sculptures set in formal gardens. Watch out for sociopathic pigeons by cafe though. Bad places: The Louvre, amazing collections set in some fantastic rooms but a frankly insane and panic inducing quantity of people. The Pantheon, weird church/republican shrine with creepy catacomb and hilariously awful triumphalist paintings. Also had not heard of most of the famous people in there anyway. Go see Tomb of Napoleon in Les Invalides instead, that is fantastic. Good places to eat: Cojean Cafe on small square east of Louvre (never eat in the Louvre) serves interesting sandwiches and salads. La Greuze on Rue Soufflot near the Sorbonne has Belgian food, great steaks and a mind-boggling selection of beer. Brasserie Balzar on Rue des Ecoles in the same area for classic French food in an original 30s interior and waiters with big aprons and 'taches.