Archive for April, 2008
Hostels and Budget Hotels in Montmartre
Lamia at The Hotel New Montmartre (2 stars) (This hotel has recently been renovated)
An important part of making your stay here pleasant is finding Paris hostels or hotels where the reception staff is kind and helpful. Because we already have lodging in Paris, I can’t give you an account of the sleeping experience at some of these hostels and hotels, but I can tell you about the neighborhood and what you might expect for a front-desk reception.
Please remember to check out customer reviews and their experiences. This post is intended primarily to give you some photographic views of hostels and hotels and is definitely no substitute for talking with those who’ve actually stayed at these locations. You’ll find, particularly with hostels that guests’ impressions vary dramatically depending on their expectation level.
First of all, the Montmartre neighborhood has plenty of charm - especially if you distance yourself from the hill-top and Place du Tertre jumble. Of course you’ll want to hike up the steps to enjoy the great view of Paris, and look at the artists’ sketches & paintings displayed on Place du Tertre, but you’ll be happy to find sleeping accommodations farther down the hill, away from the tourist crush.
Date: April 22nd, 2008 |
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A Chicken in Every Pot and an Electric Car in Every Garage: Open Letter to President Sarkozy
Monsieur Le President:
In your campaign promises, you included the development of alternative energy sources as one of your goals. You want French citizens to be able to find work and ultimately own their own homes. This is the French dream. Henry IV wished that all French might have a chicken in every pot for Sundays, and now is the time to guarantee an electric car in every garage.
The key to achieving the French dream was ‘La Blue Car’ and sadly this French-designed electric car, which should have been on the market by 2009 will …
Date: April 22nd, 2008 |
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August in Paris: Camp out and Rock en Seine!
2-Day Festival Passes have just gone on sale this week (75 Euros). If you’re already in Paris, and you’re one of the first 500 to book through FNAC, you’ll get a free Rock en Seine t-shirt as well.
Now’s the time to book your campsite if you plan on attending Paris’s 6th Annual Rock en Seine music festival (2008). This year’s event kicks off with the August 20th performance - Rage Against the Machine (45 Euros). (Keep in mind that Rage Against the Machine is not included in your …
Date: April 21st, 2008 |
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Beautiful Parisians and their Neighborhoods
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2008
Everyone deserves to get fooled now and then. Usually when I’m going to take a photo for this series ‘Beautiful Parisians and their Neighborhoods, I remember to ask the obvious question:
“Are you Parisian?” but this time I forgot. So what city would you guess this beautiful soujourner calls home?
I also have to confess that my efforts to expand my search for true beauty in ALL of Paris’s neighborhoods has not been quite so successful.
Here I am, once again in the 5th arrondissement, …
Date: April 20th, 2008 |
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Parking in Paris
The official Paris Visitors’ Center website (Parisinfo.com) will tell you that parking in Paris can be a real headache. Actually, it can be really easy if you follow this simple bit of advice. Use the underground parking lots. I would definitely recommend Vinci Park (in particular, the Montparnasse/Gaite branch where we’ve been parking our car for many years).
Date: April 19th, 2008 |
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Car Loft Story
If you’ve visited Paris in recent years, you’ll not that the City of Paris has done much to discourage driving cars within the city limits. However, for those of us who cannot move around Paris without a car, the issue of parking has definitely been addressed. You’ll find many more underground parking lots - either municipal parking or private companies such as Vinci Park (no relation here to the Da Vince Code BTW).
Meanwhile, another European city - Berlin - has come up with a neat concept which may find its way to the Parisian …
Date: April 22nd, 2008 |
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St. Germain des Près: Wine Bar & Bistro
The best way to find the best places to while away a Monday afternoon in Paris is to wander aimlessly. This is one of my specialties - frittering away time (at least now I can call it research!). If you can manage to never take the same path twice, you’re bound to discover great little treasures.
Today we stumbled upon Le Bistrot de La Grille Saint Germain around 6:30 pm - just the right time for a little wine tasting. The wine list at the Bistrot de la Grille is amply stocked with delightful wines served by the glass, the carafe, or the bottle.
We opted for a 25 cl carafe of Graves for 11 Euros. This is one of the few bistros in the neighborhood where you’re likely to find main courses ranging from 13.50 Euros to 15 Euros (including lamb chops). Although we didn’t stay for dinner this evening, we will definitely be back. Located just across the street from the Saint Germain market, this is an ideal corner for people watching. But, as Chris said, it’s hard to decide - which direction do you look? The people inside this bistro are more gorgeous than the people outside. And if you happen to stop by during off hours when the tables are empty, you can gaze at an array of France’s past great movie stars. I could find it very easy to sit here for hours sipping delicious wine.
Date: April 21st, 2008 |
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Music in May
Here’s your chance - if you missed BLOOD RED SHOES, the Brighton duo, when they came to La Fleche d’Or - last year (which Parislogue highlighted for you) now they’ll be back in town again on May 8th.
This time they’ll be at La Maroquinerie 23 Rue Boyer, 20th Arrondissement.
8 pm. 16 Euros.
If you’re wondering why the name Blood Red Shoes, think Ginger Rogers who danced till her feet bled through to her shoes.
La Maroquinerie has a full program of concerts for the month of May. What I like about La Maroquinerie site …
Date: April 20th, 2008 |
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Restaurants Open on Sunday in Paris
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2008
Sundays in Paris. Here’s another example of when your trusty restaurant guidebook isn’t worth the dollars, the Euros or the luggage space you used to bring it along. For example, I told you in a past post about one of my favorite guidebooks “Les Meilleurs Restos a Petits Prix by Catherine Jarrige, but guess what? Most of those really excellent quality/price ratio restaurants are closed on Sunday and sometimes for the entire month of August.
So, instead of using a guidebook, I decided to wing it and head out this Sunday afternoon on the tail end of the lunch hour (around 1:30) to see what might be open. Just like you, when I’m really hungry, I don’t want to eat junk food - and especially not in Paris. You can find plenty of cafe/brasseries, but the food is predictable. I was looking for the kind of place you might want to hang out for a while on a lazy Sunday, and enjoy the ambiance.
You might be surprised at my choice. I wended my way over to the Pantheon and St.Etienne du Mont church. Directly across from St. Etienne du Mont church’s entrance on Place du Pantheon, right at the corner where Rue Mont St. Genevieve begins, you’ll find the beckoning entrance (particularly if you’re a British soccer fan) of the Bombardier Pub. So, you’re saying, “Well, we didn’t come to Paris to spend our Sunday lunch at an English pub.”
Date: April 20th, 2008 |
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Paris Spring Fashion News: Cop-Copines 2008
Whether or not you’re a fan of the French label, Cop-Copines, their video inspires the desert traveler in us urban dwellers. This is one of the fashion lines that doesn’t get as much coverage stateside. But definitely worth checking out if you’re in Paris.
Where can I find Cop-Copines in Paris?
Another favorite label worn by young French professionals (and their kids) is IKKS (although more expensive than Cop-Copines).
If you want to get a good sampling of various French labels before you arrive in …
Date: April 19th, 2008 |
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