Jetting off to the fabled French city is a seasonal ritual for some Louisvillians. Here, two very different ways to enjoy the trip. Local author and writer Marie Bradby offers a traveler's guide to Paris in the spring by interviewing a pair of Louisvillians who are regulars.

One is a former travel guide who has done everything from European cruises to leading tours; another is the Speed Art Museum curator, who goes on art-buying expeditions.  Each shares her unique, specific, insider advice on things you'll want to know before you go: the best tours, the best attractions, the best places to eat, the most comfortable hotels, etc.

An art-lover's tour of Paris: How the Speed's curator sees the city of light For the last 18 years, Ruth Cloudman has traveled twice a year to Europe, mainly to the grand cities of London and Paris, and to the town of Maastricht in the Netherlands.

She has a dream job. While many may have visited vast, vibrant London and Paris, the City of Light, on vacations, Cloudman travels regularly to Europe to research and buy art. She is chief curator and Mary and Barry Bingham Sr. curator of European and American Art for the Speed Art Museum, the state's premiere fine-arts museum, which has distinguished collections, including 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, and 18th-century French art.

Each fall, the Speed's "Charter Collectors," a group of museum patrons, meet Cloudman in Paris and London to be a part of the museum's search for acquisitions. "Last September ... we went to the Biennale, which is the big Paris antique fair," says Cloudman. "It's at the Grand Palais. ... They have dealers from all over Europe, mainly France. It's just a wonderful fair for the arts."

Speed Museum patrons pay their own way (travel and accommodations) for the experience of seeing the art world behind the scenes with Cloudman. In addition to the Biennale and other art fairs, "we go to special exhibitions, to private (residential) collections, anything that seems kind of interesting," Cloudman says.

A few years ago, the Syndicat National des Antiquaires, the organization that runs the antique art dealers' show, offered them a private program. "We went to the chateaux (in the Loire Valley), and had luncheons with various ambassadors   the Americans and so forth," Cloudman says.

"We went to great private homes in Paris, and we had dinner by candlelight at château de Vaux-le-Vicomte." (The château is a baroque mansion in the style of Louis XIV about 55 kilometers south of Paris; it's open to the public at 12.50 euros for adults.)

"That's one of the nice things about going with a museum," Cloudman says of patrons' experiences. "We often can find those (private) people who have things to see." Charter Club members also got to view the French painting by Paul Cezanne, "Two Apples on a Table," before it was bought by the museum. The club — which attracts art lovers, private collectors and those who just want to give back to the community — has about 170 members who pay from $1,800 to $5,000 annually.

And, for travelers who would like their own art-lovers' experience in Paris, Cloudman has some suggestions.... The art of enjoying Paris- Look for information about exhibits in art magazines like The Artnewspaper and online at English-speaking like Go to small home museums. "People go to the Louvre and the Musée D'Orsay and think they have seen everything. We went to the Gustave Moreau museum (an eclectic mix of romantic, academic and biblical 19th-century paintings at 14, rue de la Rochfoucauld, adults 5 euros). There's another wonderful small museum, Musée Cognacq-Jay (Hôtel Donon 8, rue Elzévir). It has the art collection of the Cognacq and Jay families," Cloudman says, "everything from Rembrandt to Canaletto, and also 18th-century furnishings.

Walk around Paris and look at the buildings and gardens. "There's some really interesting architecture," Cloudman says. "And there's some new architecture that's wonderful. They hire the great contemporary architects. People think it's only old architecture there." One of her favorite modern buildings is the new indigenous-art museum, the Musée du quai Branly (37, quai Branly, adults 10 euros) which has collections from Africa, Asia and the Americas. It's known for its vertical garden.

Don't forget to eat. "We also have wonderful meals," Cloudman says. "There are wonderful restaurants, usually selected by Bob and Margaret Kulp. They are very much into cuisine and do a beautiful job of selecting restaurants."

These have included À la Pomponette, 42 rue Lepic, +33 (0)1 46 06 08 36; Le Récamier, 4 rue Récamier, 75007, +33 (0)1 42 22 51 75 ; Le Relais Plaza, Hôtel Plaza Athénée, 21 avenue Montaigne, 75008, +33 (0)1 53 67 64 00; and Restaurant du Palais Royal, 110 galerie de Valois, 75001, +33 (0)1 40 20 00 27.

Explore. "The more time I have spent there, the more I have learned about places off the beaten track," Cloudman says. "I think one of the ways to do things is get a good guidebook — the Eyewitness guides have great pictures, and the Michelin guides have great history. Stretch yourself beyond the tried-and-true sights. Go to places you've never been."

A few years ago, the Syndicat National des Antiquaires, the organization that runs the antique art dealers' show, offered them a private program. We went to the chateaux (in the Loire Valley), and had luncheons with various ambassadors — the Americans and so forth," Cloudman says. "We went to great private homes in Paris, and we had dinner by candlelight at château de Vaux-le-Vicomte." (The château is a baroque mansion in the style of Louis XIV about 55 kilometers south of Paris; it's open to the public at 12.50 euros for adults.)

"That's one of the nice things about going with a museum," Cloudman says of patrons' experiences. "We often can find those (private) people who have things to see." Charter Club members also got to view the French painting by Paul Cezanne, "Two Apples on a Table," before it was bought by the museum. The club — which attracts art lovers, private collectors and those who just want to give back to the community — has about 170 members who pay from $1,800 to $5,000 annually.

And, for travelers who would like their own art-lovers' experience in Paris, Cloudman has some suggestions....The art of enjoying Paris- Go to small home museums. "People go to the Louvre and the Musée D'Orsay and think they have seen everything.

We went to the Gustave Moreau museum (an eclectic mix of romantic, academic and biblical 19th-century paintings at 14, rue de la Rochfoucauld, adults 5 euros). There's another wonderful small museum, Musée Cognacq-Jay (Hôtel Donon 8, rue Elzévir). It has the art collection of the Cognacq and Jay families," Cloudman says, "everything from Rembrandt to Canaletto, and also 18th-century furnishings."

Walk around Paris and look at the buildings and gardens. "There's some really interesting architecture," Cloudman says. "And there's some new architecture that's wonderful. They hire the great contemporary architects. People think it's only old architecture there." One of her favorite modern buildings is the new indigenous-art museum, the Musée du quai Branly (37, quai Branly, adults 10 euros) which has collections from Africa, Asia and the Americas. It's known for its vertical garden.

Don't forget to eat. "We also have wonderful meals," Cloudman says. "There are wonderful restaurants, usually selected by Bob and Margaret Kulp. They are very much into cuisine and do a beautiful job of selecting restaurants." These have included À la Pomponette, 42 rue Lepic, +33 (0)1 46 06 08 36; Le Récamier, 4 rue Récamier, 75007, +33 (0)1 42 22 51 75 ; Le Relais Plaza, Hôtel Plaza Athénée, 21 avenue Montaigne, 75008, +33 (0)1 53 67 64 00; and Restaurant du Palais Royal, 110 galerie de Valois, 75001, +33 (0)1 40 20 00 27.

Explore. "The more time I have spent there, the more I have learned about places off the beaten track," Cloudman says. "I think one of the ways to do things is get a good guidebook — the Eyewitness guides have great pictures, and the Michelin guides have great history. Stretch yourself beyond the tried-and-true sights. Go to places you've never been.

Walk around Paris and look at the buildings and gardens. "There's some really interesting architecture," Cloudman says. "And there's some new architecture that's wonderful. They hire the great contemporary architects. People think it's only old architecture there." One of her favorite modern buildings is the new indigenous-art museum, the Musée du quai Branly (37, quai Branly, adults 10 euros) which has collections from Africa, Asia and the Americas. It's known for its vertical garden.

Don't forget to eat. "We also have wonderful meals," Cloudman says. "There are wonderful restaurants, usually selected by Bob and Margaret Kulp. They are very much into cuisine and do a beautiful job of selecting restaurants." These have included À la Pomponette, 42 rue Lepic, +33 (0)1 46 06 08 36; Le Récamier, 4 rue Récamier, 75007, +33 (0)1 42 22 51 75 ; Le Relais Plaza, Hôtel Plaza Athénée, 21 avenue Montaigne, 75008, +33 (0)1 53 67 64 00; and Restaurant du Palais Royal, 110 galerie de Valois, 75001, +33 (0)1 40 20 00 27.

Explore. "The more time I have spent there, the more I have learned about places off the beaten track," Cloudman says. "I think one of the ways to do things is get a good guidebook — the Eyewitness guides have great pictures, and the Michelin guides have great history. Stretch yourself beyond the tried-and-true sights. Go to places you've never been."