http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19621 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19621 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18049 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18049 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17606
The height is about the same as the first level of the Eiffel Tower - but you won't have to queue, you can stay as long as you like (so long as the shop is open!), and it's TOTALLY FREE!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17606 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17591
But a personal favourite is a memorial to a now, largely forgotten figure. Félix Faure was President of the Republic in the 1890s. Of course politicians back then suffered much less scrutiny of their private lives and Faure was very much a man of his time. Indeed he could be seen as an embodiment of fin de siècle hedonism making the most of what Paris had to offer the wealthy and the powerful (think can-can, think Toulouse-Lautrec).

But a dark shadow was cast over the latter days of his presidency by the bitterly divisive Dreyfus Affair. In an effort, perhaps, to take his mind off matters of state at this tense time Faure was wont to ‘entertain’ young women in the presidential chambers. Tragedy struck when, in the midst of one of these amorous encounters, the statesman’s heart, weakened by years of self-indulgence, gave way. Officials were alerted by the horrified screams of his companion and rushed in to find the stricken President stark naked on the carpet, the suddenness of his demise reflected in the rictus grin that illuminated his features and in – well – certain other physiological phenomena.

It was, so they say, three weeks before they could nail the coffin lid down.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17591 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16452 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16452 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16437
You can arrive as the setting sun catches the top of the glass pyramid (making for the perfect ‘I heart Paris’ portrait) then dash to all the best bits while everyone is making their way out.

As you stand tête-à-tête with the Mona Lisa, you might finally realise what all the fuss is about.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16437 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16308 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16308 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16295 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16295 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12688 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12688 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12435
You cannot help but be impressed by its scale. It has the 'grand canal', fountains, a chateau and huge expanses of immaculately kept lawns. But what is also nice is that you can take smaller plane tree lined paths that guide you through a series of more secluded areas. Both elements work seamlessly together.

Undoubtedly the best place to have a picnic in summer!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12435 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11697 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11697 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/2694 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/2694 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/2378 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/2378 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/1634
In addition to providing you with some greenery, it allows you to journey among the trees, instead of among cars (as there are numerous access points along the way), and to see houses and apartment blocks in a way that is impossible from street level.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/1634 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/924 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/924 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/777 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/777 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5919
It's not on the tourist trail, and we stumbled across it by chance. It somehow all looked strangely familiar to me, and I started to ask why. Thats when we noticed the graffitti and the small memorial and understood where we were.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5919 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4807
After many years of visiting Paris I would rate the Petit Palace as the place I would most wish to return to.

This is going to be one of the most popular places to visit in Paris so go there now before the news gets around and the queues form.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4807 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4160 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4160 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/497 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/497