Paris Tips & Tidbits
Has your experience been the same? Or totally different. Three tourists in Paris are like the three blind men describing an elephant.
Paris Tourism Week: Paris Smiles For You - or Tries!
We are in the midst of Paris Tourism Week (which began July 5, 2008 and will continue through July 14, Bastille Day, ‘08). The ‘event’ has expanded from Paris Tourism Day last year. I did not participate in the huge ’smile formation’ yesterday - and honestly the idea of a ‘Smiling Paris’ just seems kind of weird. Normally when you’re in a city like Paris or New York, if somebody’s smiling, he’s either a lunatic, a tourist, a just about to drag you over the coals. For so many years, I’ve taken it as a challenge to eke out a nanosecond glimmer from a grumpy Parisian waiter or shop keeper. It often resembles much the sort of smile you can see on Rodin’s bemused Monsieur Balzac or the vacant, dazed smiles of Carpeaux’s The Dance models. I like that kind of smile - filled with questions as opposed to the dazzling Disneyesque, “Am I not wonderful?”
But setting aside the smiles philo for a while, tourists will have plenty of reason to grin if this happiness trend continues (that is, the tourist office handing out freebies to get you to stay in Paris a day or two longer). Even if you don’t arrive in time to enjoy some of the DISCOUNTS and FREE offers for this summer’s tourist week (July 5 to July 14, 2008) this looks like another summer rite that’s bound to continue if the European and US economies continue to stagnate.
Here are some of the goodies that will make you smile:
Date: July 8th, 2008 |
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A Great American: Founding Father and Wine Enthusiast-Thomas Jefferson
Happy 4th of July!
In celebration of the 4th of July, I’m spending the day reading
The Billionaire’s Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence of the United States. He also wrote about great wine. He left us with this proverb for contemplation:
“No nation is drunken where wine is cheap.”
This was good advice for an infant nation where rum and hard liquor were easier to come by than wine. Thanks to his stint in France as American ambassador of the fledgling nation, he brought back cases of wine and introduced our founding fathers to the fine flavor of Bordeaux.
The Billionaire’s Vinegar is a page-turning non-fiction adventure of how, some 200 some years later, a stash of 1787 Bordeaux wines labeled Th.J were unearthed in a Parisian cellar.
Ultimately one of those bottles was auctioned off by Christies and sold to Malcom Forbes for the ghastly sum of 105,000 pounds or the equivalent of $156,000 at the time.
Date: July 4th, 2008 |
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Free Paris: Retour de Flamme!
Serge Bromberg is back. This July 4h, 2008, Serge Bromberg once again works his magic - bringing you silent cinema accompanied by live music. The last few years you’ve seen him at Montmartre but this year, he’ll be performing right in front of the Cinematheque Francaise in the Parc Bercy, Metro: Bercy.
The show starts at 10:30 pm - i.e. as soon as it gets dark enough for an outdoor screening. As in the past, this outdoor screening of some of the extraordinary moments in …
Date: July 2nd, 2008 |
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Smallest Cars in Paris
Thirty years ago, Paris used to have tons of small cars. For the past twenty years we’ve been renting or leasing cars, and each year the Peugeot models have added more length and breadth. Still the Peugeot 206 that we drive is easy to park in tight spaces. Yet, the 206 is humongous when you compare it the Smart Car.
You can’t miss the Smart Car. It’s everywhere in Paris - and with good reason. As parking becomes more and more of a problem, …
Date: June 29th, 2008 |
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Summer Sales in Paris
Put on your combat boots if you decide to join the foray of frenzied shoppers at Passage du Havre, Metro: St. Lazare. Sale season begins the last week of June (this year (2008) June 25th and will continue through the first week of July. Actually, summer clothes continue to remain discounted until the summer inventory disappears at the end of August - but these are the ‘official’ sale dates. Zara, one of the chain stores …
Date: June 28th, 2008 |
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Herbie Hancock at La Defense Jazz Festival
Just one week ago today, on June 29,08Herbie Hancock performed at La Defense Jazz Festival along with Lionel Loueke, Chris Potter, Dave Holland, and Vinnie Colaiuta. Pura Fe set the mood early in the evening and Herbie Hancock arrived on stage at 8 pm. This has to be one of the most mellow concerts I’ve ever attended.
Karim who posted a comment gave a much more intelligent review of the night whereas I can only speak from the heart (being a jazz illiterate), but I will tell you this much: All my life I’ve heard ABOUT Herbie Hancock, but I’ve never attended a Herbie Hancock concert or listened to one of his albums.
Date: July 6th, 2008 |
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6 Days in France: Seeing the Eiffel Tower at its Best
There’s no better time to visit the Eiffel Tower than when you’re still numb with jet-lag. Even though I’ve saved mentioning the Eiffel Tower for the last segment of ‘6-Days in France’, we actually chose to show our visitors the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe on their very first day in Paris.
Most flights from the US arrive early in the morning. Therefore, if you want to visit the Eiffel Tower on your first day in town, it’s possible, but first, check into your hotel or hostel. Unfortunately many hostels don’t allow access to rooms until after 3 pm, but try to squeeze in a siesta in the afternoon. Then, head for the Eiffel Tower between 6 and 8 pm. During the summer months, the last rays of sun disappear between 10 pm and 10:30 pm which means you have plenty of time to take great photos from the top of the tower – and also avoid the crowds.
Date: July 2nd, 2008 |
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Day 6: Versailles Palace, Monet’s Garden and Montmartre
The Six Day Adventure in France Continues:
Photos by Chris Card Fuller ©2008
Normally, I wouldn’t suggest trying to visit both Versailles and Monet’s Garden in the same day, but few of us have the luxury to enjoy two weeks in France. That’s when ‘time management’ comes in handy - or dumb luck.
Those of you who’ve been reading Parislogue for the past few years know that Parisgirl is no wizard when it comes to ‘time management’ and organization, but I do know something about the French lunch.
Date: July 1st, 2008 |
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…Gay Pride Parade in Paris
June 2008’s Gay Pride Parade starts at Place Denfert Rochereau at 2 pm. Get there by 1 pm if you plan on participating in the parade. The parade will wind its way along Boulevard Saint Michelle, turn onto Saint Germain -des-Pres and end up at La Bastille. There’ll be three minutes of silence at Place de la Bastille to remember those who’ve died from AIDS.
The Gay Pride Parade kicks of another music-filled weekend - the La Defense Jazz Festival - which ends on Sunday, …
Date: June 27th, 2008 |
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