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    Home » Salads » Paris Museum Tips and Minestrone of Fresh Fruit {recipe}

    LAST UPDATED: February 18, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: August 31, 2014 By Toni Dash 10 Comments

    Paris Museum Tips and Minestrone of Fresh Fruit {recipe}

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Paris is a city with unending opportunities for dining, culture and art. As fun as it is to amble through a vacation popping spontaneously into museums on a whim travelers really must have a plan, especially if there are highlights they simply don’t want to miss.

    Eiffel Tower from top of Arc de Triomphe
    A view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower from atop the Arc de Triomphe on a rainy day.

    We hit it hard on the Boulder Locavore Paris vacation, leaving it to feel more like a Tourist Boot Camp than a lazy vacation.

    With everything we wanted to see we found some key strategies critical, and I’m sharing those with you today.

    Jump to:
    • Top Tips for a Great Paris Vacation
    • Tips and Highlights – Museum Pass
    • Recipe

    Top Tips for a Great Paris Vacation

    Apply the Disneyland Tactics

    For any having visited Disneyland or Disney World, the first piece of wisdom is ‘arrive an hour before the park opens’.

    It might not seem like standing outside for an hour makes any sense.

    What it affords when you get into the larger museums in Paris (especially in heavily touristed August), is the opportunity to see what you really want to without a billion other viewers crowding your path.

    Get the Paris Museum Pass

    The Paris Museum Pass allows free entry into 60 museums and monuments around Paris AND allows pass holders to avoid standing in line; the last bit is critical especially in the busy summer months.

    Passes may be purchased all around Paris or online before your travel.

    The passes and can be purchased for 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days.

    ‘Consecutive’ is important to note; regardless of when you buy your pass the clock starts with the first day you use it at a museum.

    If possible purchase the pass at a less popular location before you plan to begin touring is best (vs. waiting in line to buy it at the Louvre, for instance, the first day you want to use it).

    Children under 18 (and European citizens under 26) are not required to have a pass to have access to most of the museums.

    Some require a free ticket for entry which I’ll note below when highlighting some of our favorite visits.

    Have a Plan

    Each museum has different qualities which affect planning.

    The Louvre for instance has world-renown art such as the Mona Lisa that draw a crowd. Queuing up those well-known exhibits toward the early part of a day’s visit may be critical to ensure you’ll see the most possible during your visit.

    A big attraction of the Palace of Versailles is touring the extensive gardens and smaller dwellings on the grounds. Planning a visit on a non-rainy day if possible will optimize what you will be able to enjoy.

    We found a great ‘art sampler’ to be a visit to the Louvre, Musée D’Orsay and the Pompidou Center to cover ancient to contemporary art.

    Comparing which days they were open and most crowded during the week allowed optimizing touring them three days in a row at the best times.

    Planning the time within your museum pass duration is important. A bit of research before touring can optimize what ground you can cover.

    Pickpocketing

    This might seem an odd thing to throw in however at every major attraction and museum there are warnings about pickpocketing.

    The crowds can be large and especially in the high tourist month, travelers can be crowded in together.

    Before traveling my husband and I each purchased a bag from PacSafe which have built-in features disallowing unwelcome hands to slip in and lift a wallet or do a slash-and-run of a bag or camera strap (we purchased a camera bag, camera strap for our dSLR and a ‘man bag’).

    We felt protected and free to pay attention to the sights instead of worry about theft. It is a real issue to be aware of but does not need to burden your travel with some pre-planning.

    Tips and Highlights – Museum Pass

    Here are some tips and highlights from some of the venues we visited using our 6 day.

    the Louvre pyramid

    The Louvre

    When our taxi driver was dropping us at the Louvre, he jokingly remarked one needs at week at the Louvre to see everything. It really is not a joke.

    Perhaps at this museum more than any other a plan is needed.

    Using Rick Steeves’ Paris guide we refined his suggested sights to experience a ¾ day visit leaving us feeling we’d seen paintings of the famed master painters, sculptures such as Venus, and tracked historically based works which complimented other visits we made to places such as Invalides showcasing everything Napoleon.

    Mona Lisa draws a crowd so a suggestion is to beeline to see her before the room fills (we found with tourists taking non-flash selfies with her, clogging the viewing significantly).

    There are several cafes and restaurants on site so it’s easy to linger the full day. 

    FASTER ENTRY TIP:  If you have the museum pass rather than waiting in line at the pyramid in the center courtyard, proceed to a lesser known, lesser used entry in the passage walkway between the pyramid courtyard and the Rue de Rivoli, the Passage Richelieu entrance.

    Once inside the passage (north of the Pyramid, or to the left as you are looking at the pyramid courtyard), the entrance is on the left when proceeding from the courtyard toward rue de Rivoli.

    Louvre pyramids Paris

    Musée D’Orsay

    Inside a converted train station this spacious museum along the Seine is home to classics and impressionist paintings from the well-known Masters.

    Admittedly my favorite of the art museums, the layout of the museum is spacious and photos of any sort shifting the visiting crowds to be focused on the art itself, not taking photos of it which greatly helps the flow.

    TIME SAVING TIP:  Head upstairs to the Impressionists works first as those galleries become more crowded making viewing more challenging later in the day.

    Musee d\'Orsay Minestrone de Fruits Frais
    A stop at Musee d’Orsay’s ‘Campana Coffee’ cafe brought a simple, yet intriguing ‘Minestrone de Fruits Frais’ (Minestrone of Fresh Fruits). More a soup than the menu translation of a ‘salad’, the precise, small dice of the fruit had me fixated. Adored the bowls too!

    Mid-morning we found ourselves needing a nosh while at Musée d’Orsay and sought the Campana Coffee café near the impressionist galleries, which features modern décor and a view to the Seine through the back of a huge clock face.

    An intriguing dish caught my eye, Minestrone de Fruits Frais (Minestrone of Fresh Fruit); listed under Desserts and translated on the menu as ‘fresh fruit salad’.

    When it arrived I realized it was a cross between a fresh fruit salad and a fruit soup.

    The most impressive feature was all the fruits had been cut precisely into ¼ inch cubes reminding me of the diminutive, perfectly squared vegetables in canned soup of my youth. There was a very light juice with the fruit giving a subtle soup feel.

    It was one I knew I’d need to recreate at home. Printable recipe at the end of this post.

    Minestrone of Fresh Fruit

    The Centre Pompidou

    The quirky, colorful exoskeleton architecture of the Pompidou Center sets the tone for the Modern Art housed inside.

    An external escalator tube allows visitors a fantastic view of the surrounding area as they ascend to being viewing the eclectic exhibits from well-known to more obscure artists. 

    ‘DON’T MISS IT’ TIP:  Don’t miss the Stravinsky Fountain between the Pompidou Center and the Church of Saint-Merri which contains 16 whimsical sculptures, moving water as well as murals on surrounding buildings.

    It’s a colorful areas with street performers, cafes and shopping as well.

    Pompidou Center Paris

    Musee de L’Armee and Napoleon’s Tomb

    This was my husband’s pick, being a natural historian, and I found it an unexpected surprise for the architecture and extensive collection of army items.

    The Dȏme des Invalides which serves as Napoleon’s tomb is breathtakingly beautiful. Be sure to look up!

    TIP:  Everyone must have a ticket to enter so if traveling with children who do not have a museum pass, stop first at the ticketing area to show your pass and receive your free ticket.

    Army Museum Napoleons Tomb les Invalides Paris
    A group of people standing in front of a building
    Panoramic view of the front of the Army Museum (Hotel les Invalides) also housing Napoleon’s Tomb.

    Arc de Triomphe

    Perhaps the most iconic site in Paris after the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe stands at the end of several streets including the famed Champs Elysees.

    There are many things on and beneath the Arc to see as well as mounting the internal spiral staircase to the top platform should not be missed. The views of the city are spectacular.

    TIP:  Do NOT try to cross the street to reach the Arc. Look for the underground walkway to cross to the ticketing area.

    The Arc de Triomphe requires all visitors to have a ticket so for any minors without a Museum Pass show your pass at the ticket area to retrieve their free tickets.

    Arc de Triomphe
    Under the Arc de Triomphe Paris
    Panorama from top of Arc de Triomphe
    Panoramic View from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. The viewing platform, reached by climbing a single file spiral staircase nested inside the Arc, offers spectacular 360 views of Paris.

    Notre Dame Cathedral

    Located on the Ȋle de la Cité in the Seine, Notre Dame is a spectacular example of gothic architecture and the cathedral should not be missed.

    We visited our first day of the month which was a ‘free’ day to the public (did not use museum passes) and did not climb to the top (however could easily imagine Victor Hugo’s Quasimodo swinging from the bell tower).

    Take a few minutes to sit down inside and soak in the beauty of stained glass and internal structure.

    TIP:  Walk around the outside to see the flying buttresses, gargoyles in action if it’s raining and one of Paris’ famed ‘locks of love’ bridges over the Seine.

    Notre Dame
    Notre Dame side Paris
    Notre Dame Cathedral Paris prayer candles stained glass window

    Palace of Versailles

    Visiting Versailles, the palace and extensive gardens, is a full day trip requiring a short train ride from Paris.

    I’ve shared more specifics in a dedicated Versailles post however would say it is an excursion like no other.

    The architecture and appointments are beyond comparison.

    The grounds are unending and beautifully constructed, with plenty to explore for a full day.

    It is a chance to soak in the opulence of an era passed which will never be seen again.

    Love Locks Paris bridges Seine River
    There are a few bridges and other attractions where walls of ‘love locks’ may be found in Paris. Lovers, friends and families attach locks to fences and cast the key into the Seine, leaving them symbolically locked together for eternity (or until the local officials cut off the locks making room for the hundreds of replacements that are affixed regularly).
    Minestrone of Fresh Fruit

    Recipe

    Minestrone of Fresh Fruit

    Minestrone of Fresh Fruit {Minestrone de Fruits Frais}

    Inspired by a recipe from the Musee d’Orsay, this fresh fruit salad/soup captures the fruits of the season cut into intriguing tiny cubes. The original dish as served in Paris included; cantelope, kiwi, pineapple, green apple and honeydew melon. It’s a refreshing and unusual dish as well as one that can be changed up to the season’s fresh fruit.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: French
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 2 Aproximately 3 cups of fruit; 4 servings
    Calories: 174kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 medium White Nectarine , peeled, pitted, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
    • 1 medium Peach , peeled, pitted, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
    • 1 large Kiwi fruit , peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
    • 1 small Granny Smith Apple , cored and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
    • 1/3 Dragon fruit removed from peel and cut into 1/4 inch cubes*
    • 1/2 cup Sparkling Pear Juice (sparkling apple juice may be substituted if pear is unavailable)
    • Juice from 1/2 a small Lime

    Instructions

    • Combine fruits into a mixing bowl and gently fold together to fully combine. Spoon evenly into four bowls.
    • In a separate small bowl, combine the sparkling juice and lime juice. Pour evenly over the fruit in each bowl. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    *if Dragon fruit is unavailable, melon can be substituted; approximately 1/2 cup.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 605mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 570IU | Vitamin C: 76.1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.9mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Comments

    1. Sarah says

      September 10, 2017 at 4:50 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe makes such a sophisticated fruit salad!

      Reply
    2. Denise says

      September 03, 2014 at 9:21 am

      Great tips for getting your culture on. I always tell folks to get the pass, then they forget, then they grumble they waited in line … blah blah blah! Orsay is one of our favorite museums, and we always hit it when there. We also enjoy Paris Palais de Tokyo and Musée de l’Orangerie.

      Reply
    3. Debra @ Worth Cooking says

      September 01, 2014 at 1:54 pm

      That looks incredible! I love all the small dices too. I will have to try this, pinning to my fruit board.

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        September 01, 2014 at 8:15 pm

        So glad you like it Debra. The small, perfect fruit squares really are the allure here I think. So simple!

        Reply
    4. Amanda Paa says

      September 01, 2014 at 7:22 am

      Paris has been on my bucket list for years! I’m definitely bookmarking this fabulous post of yours. So helpful! Loved the details about Napolean’s tomb.

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        September 01, 2014 at 8:16 pm

        It’s a great city Amanda certainly for the sights, the food and wine and the culture. No end of things to do. We really did a ton but it felt like scratching the surface only.

        Reply
    5. Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says

      September 01, 2014 at 6:26 am

      What GORG photos! I really need to get my butt on a plane to Paris! And I need to get my butt to the store to pick up the fruit for this recipe!! Pinned!

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        September 01, 2014 at 8:16 pm

        Ha! I’d start with the store first Taylor. It’s closer and cheaper!

        Reply
    6. Colleen says

      August 31, 2014 at 6:53 pm

      What gorgeous pictures. I almost feel like I visited Paris, but avoided the rain. The “minestrone” of fresh fruits is ideal timing for my Sisters in September in Santa Fe gala next weekend. I wanted to serve fruit at “Casa Cayes” for breakfast, but not the usual stuff – this will be delightfully different and delicious, plus I’ll have “staff” who can do all that tiny dicing!

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        September 01, 2014 at 8:17 pm

        It’s sounds a bit like ‘Put Your Sisters to Work Weekend in Santa Fe’! But I’m sure they won’t mind especially with these beguiling little perfect fruit cubes.

        Reply

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

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