The awesome Musée du quai Branly, 'where cultures meet in dialogue,' is what's new in Paris!

Opened in 2007 on the banks of the Seine just a short stroll from the Eiffel Tower, every audio/visual technique has been incorporated into an architecturally modern design to give one a marvellous entry into other worlds. The arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas are highlighted.

We headed immediately to the African exhibition where from north to central to south, the cultures of the continent astonish in vivid display, often encased clearly with all sides on view. Garments, capes, musical instruments, carvings, initiation masks, baskets, helmets - a feast for the eyes, yet each labelled as to ethnic origin and function so as to engage one's intellect and emotions. Whether sacred Kono objects, some created from dirt, bees' wax, animal blood and wood or Yoruba Egungun masks - ancestors of our jonkonnu - the 300,000 plus objects are mounted with great skill.

Real understanding

Deep terra cotta walls, almost womb-like tunnels at times, encompass the visitor, while other walls soar two storeys, covered with photographs of green foliage. My favourite experience? Sitting in a darkened cave just big enough for two as the voice of a diviner questioned me in his language. In the background, African music, the only light, a small screen translating the questions for me to read.

For 12 minutes I had my first real understanding as to the role of the diviner within his society. From Algeria, the Cte d'Ivoire, Uganda, Congo - the twelve-foot-tall funeral poles with animal skulls from Madagascar were remarkable - to the Ethiopian room with 17th century painted murals, this is an experience you'll savour on your next Parisian visit.

Traditional Paris

Of course, traditional Paris still exists. The Bateaux Parisiens guide boats leave from the Champs de Mars, right by the Eiffel Tower, so after the museum we rested our feet with an hour's cruise on the Seine as we heard the dramatic history of Paris. And to top off a day dominated by being within view of the Eiffel Tower, that evening our friend Odile Valensi introduced us to Maison Blanche Restaurant, on the seventh floor of the Théatre des Champs Elysées, with a view across the river of the Eiffel Tower. Elegant and expensive, the dinner was delicious.

An exhibition of Kandinsky's paintings had just opened at the Centre Pompidou and all Paris wanted to see the latest show of this Russian-born artist who lived in Munich, Berlin and Paris (1896-1944), so we had to wait 30 minutes for tickets, but the views of Paris from the escalators going up the "Beaubourg" made it all worthwhile. For those who love modern art, the Kandinsky exhibit doesn't close until August 10. I prefer the impressionists, especially Monet, and managed a few moments with his water lilies encircling me inside the small Musée de l'Orangerie in the Tuilerie Gardens off Place de la Concorde, to me the heart of Paris, though I'd never realised until the boat tour that the Egyptian obelisk which graces the centre of the Place rises from where the guillotine once executed hundreds, if not thousands, during the French Revolution.

Ultra-modern glass building

The Bastille, that infamous prison, stormed by angry mobs commencing the Revolution on July 14, 1789, celebrated annually as France's national day, is now the location of an ultra-modern, technically superb glass building housing opera performances while the Opéra National de Paris Garnier near the Louvre is the venue for ballet. We'd planned ahead to attend a performance of the ballet, Onéguine, our first night in Paris, this because I wanted to spend an evening at the Opéra Garnier, a magnificent domed structure of stone, marble and bronze built between 1862 and 1875, with a ceiling painted by Marc Chagall in 1964. We sat in the third row, close enough to watch the conductor's face as well as the dancers. Pushkin's novel in verse was choreographed by South African John Cranko and first performed in Stuttgart in 1965. But for me the greatest pleasure was the interior of Opera Garnier with its tiers and tiers of golden balconies rising in an elongated semi-circle to reach Chagall's ceiling, brilliant in the midst of gilt splendour. We dined afterwards in the equally opulent interior restaurant of the nearby Café de la Paix.

I never visit Paris without entering Notre Dame Cathedral. Last visit it was enshrouded in scaffolding, now with its ancient stones cleaned, the historic Gothic structure stands in pristine lightness. I was dismayed to find that the altar on which Louis XIII's statue, crown in hand, kneeling at the Virgin's feet as the crucified Christ lies in her lap, which moved me to tears on first viewing, is no longer easily accessible. A barrier keeps visitors far removed, so the visual impact is sadly reduced.

Nonetheless, Notre Dame, gargoyles aloft, buttresses flying and stained glass windows dimly lighting the side altars, remains always a sacred place, free of entry for all.

Nearby Sainte-Chapelle, built in 1248, and also on the ancient Ile de la Cité, surpasses the stained-glass of Notre Dame, with 15 colourful windows, barely a narrow column between each, so that one is surrounded by an ethereal coloured lightness. After such ancient and surreal beauty, one can only sit at the Café de Notre Dame, sip a café or glass of Sancerre, and marvel at such enduring craftsmanship and artistry.

Paris, celebrated for its architecture and cuisine, should also be known for its charming people. Over and over we encounter the most delightful individuals. This time Odile invited dear friends Yolanda and Bernard Calvet to dinner with their childhood chum, Pierre Antoine Brianchon (PAB), son of the famous artist, Maurice Brianchon.

Fine pianist

So merry was the evening we invited them all to dinner the next night, to which PAB agreed, only if we stopped by his flat so that he might treat us to a few tunes on his piano and we might first view his parents' paintings - yes, his mother was a painter as well. Pierre Antoine turned out to be a fine pianist, rather in the style of Noel Coward, and then we headed to L'Escale de Bangkok, still an excellent restaurant though not expensive. To our surprise, it was the first time Pierre Antoine Brianchon had ever tasted Thai food! But then this visit was the first time my husband had ever taken the Metro in Paris, so there's always something new in Paris, even if it's just new for you!

Contacts: >Entertainment:

Bateaux Parisiens, www.bateauxparisiens.com

L'Opéra National de Paris, www.operadeparis.fr

The Paris Pass, www.paris-pass.com