Your next visit to Paris

[Ray(aka) tripnebraska]

Do you need to own a pith helmet to be pithy?

[phread]

Nope, an orange will do, Nebraska!

[frangipani]

However, if you change your mind, ath Mae West thaid, "that pith helmet thertainly thuits you". Hope your FIL has a nice trip with you SisterEurope, it is great that you are taking him to Paris!

[robertzimmerman]

> want something a little pithier?

I've pithed a few people off in my life.

Next time I'm in Paris (September), we shall drop our things at the apartment (rue des Abbesses) and make our way down to rue des Martyrs for sustenance. We'll have a nap and then go out somewhere. I read in Le Routard of a bistro in the 17th that serves anything with shells called Crustaces Coquillages and . Perhaps there for dinner.

[catherine]

Um...... well, I'd better get thinking about this 'cos my first day in Paris is only TEN DAYS AWAY!!!

Still can't believe I'm getting another chance to go when last visit was a mere two years ago (it's along haul from down under).

Hopefully I'll be able to check in early at the Rue du Faubourg Poissonniere appt. If so, I'll pop out and get my carte orange weekly thingy; check out where my local food shops are (esp the nearest Picards so we can eat like the real French do ; and grab some groceries and flowers for the appt.

Then maybe the 2pm walk with the 'Paris Walks' company will bring about a rapid re-immersion into that amazing French history that is mind blowing to a resident of the very-new-world.

I'm pretty relaxed about what I do 'cos this time I've got nearly THREE WEEKS in Paris before I move on to Germany. Many Aussie friends think I'm odd for staying in Paris for that long when I could be travelling the length and breadth of France or other countries. What do you think???

[Sarastro]

There are actually quite a number of boards about France, few with the experience and knowledge available here. I believe the best way to attract those who may really benefit from the experience offered is with a slow deliberate approach. TA spends a great deal of money advertising its product (with the obvious objective of attracting readership in an effort to boost advertising revenue).

I believe constant, subtle (or offhanded) references in posts elsewhere to this location will have a long term positive effect. Hopefully the objective here is to reach out to inquisitive minds and make the travel experience richer if not more pleasant. Eventually, the quality of advice and the positive spirit in which it is offered will attract others in ever increasing numbers.

[holger]

When we arrive on August 27th, Air France willing and able, we shall drop our luggage at our little hotel and run to Cador's for omelets and chocolate, almond croissants. Then we shall go and unpack and head to Ile St. Louis.

Later that night, dinner at Chez Pauline and who knows. Off the next day for the Loire and other locales. Back to paris in September.

Started planning this last July after our return from the June trip and it is now almost a reality. ;D

[luvparee]

Love this new blog/board -- unfortunately, have forgotten in the past week or so that it's here! SORRY!!! Glad to remember it again.

My next trip to Paris is going to be same as above -- early rising and out for a cafe stop and people watch for awhile. I am going solo on my next trip for probably 10 days and do the things I want to do when I want to do them! This will be my fourth trip to Paris and have mostly new neighborhoods to immerse myself into on the itinerary (Marais - can you believe I haven't been there for a day?!?!? - Batignolles, Montparnasse, Montmartre (off the Sacre Coeur and Place de Tertres area), etc. Going to walk the Promenade de Plantee/Viaduc du Arts, perhaps do the Canal St. Martin trip, etc., etc. I CAN'T WAIT!!

Any suggestions or information would be happily received!

I am a "young" 61 year old and love to walk, walk, walk in Paris. I am not a nervous/scared person but want to make sure that I would be safe at night coming back to a hotel or apartment after having dinner and a walk wherever. Any comments?

Thanks for this new addiction!!!

joy/luvparee

[Shoesy]

cybee - Don't feel bad about not having been to the Marais. It'll still be there when you visit Paris, and I'm sure you'll find it quite charming. As for me, I've never tasted the much-talked-about Laduree macaroons. That's a "must-do" for me, but how will I decide which flavors to taste?

[Shoesy]

Hurray for me!!! I now have 1 karma. How did I get it? (Is it compensation for missing out on the macaroons?

[Happygoin]

luvparee, your trip sounds eerily like the one I have planned. It's my first trip solo to Paris. I've shown the Eiffel Tower to the LAST person . I don't know the Marais at all either, after 10-15 trips to Paris. I can't imagine why I've never gotten there. Also, Gitte has promised that, after her upcoming trip, she'll give us some good walking tours of the parts of Montmartre that don't include hoards of tourists and also the Batignolles area as well as the Viaduc des Arts is on my list. You might like to investigate the Marche Aligre one day. AnneParis wrote a blog on it. It sounds very nice. You must be getting excited. You will have twice as much time as I have there, but without anyone else, I can get twice as much accomplished!

[andi]

Seeing as I only just got back from Paris, it may be another 12mths before I go again but we did say that we want to go every year if possible. The next time we go we want to be alone, first time we took the grandson, last time my mum. We also would like to do atleast 2 weeks in an apartment, take in Versailles and just generally saunter rather than quick peek here, quick peek there.

[cybee]

Thanks Shoesy! You are absolutely correct in saying that not going to Marais only means I "have" to go back ! Of course, I also have to have those Laduree macaroons too! (and Berthillon icecream!). So much I need to do...so I dream and plan! At first I was aghast at realizing that I had missed such a key place as Marais, but alas...I had such a lovely time in Paris that it seemed perfect (except the last day when we found key floors closed at the Pompidou and our "dogs were barking" from walking so much)....it was all so perfect (so how can I complain..well, except for the last day..ha!)! But it only means there are more great new places to visit next time that I have learned about so that I really have to plan on several more visits! Hurrah! Great to hear I was not the only one to miss Marais, Happy Goin!

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

About the Marais: If I may be a bit presumptuous, I would like to recommend to those who are interested in the Marais a wonderful little book (available from Amazon, and probably others) that I got from a friend and have since passed along to several others.

It's called "A Corner in the Marais," and is a personal memoir by someone who bought a flat in a building in a very old part, and got interested enough to start researching its history (through court records and many other sources). In the process he learned quite a bit about the area, and the result is a delightful read (plus, with the pictures and description you can locate the building as well as several others mentioned).

The Marais is a great area of Paris, much more "bohemian" (to my eye) than other parts, and I like to think it gives a picture of what the whole city probably was like before the Napoleonic efforts to modernise (which probably did in fact help with issues like sanitation and transport, but surely lost some important things along the way).

[cybee]

Thanks BerkeleyTravelers! I had seen that book and pondered about it. So you did enjoy it? I think when I go next, I will get a place in Marais (unless I am able to rent from Truffaut..his place looks cool indeed! )...and kind of focus more on that area (and all the other haunts I previously missed (but who can see all of Paris... ...the rest will have to wait until my following trip, eh?). So I might get that book before I go next! I just ordered "The Flaneur" by Edward White which was suggested to me (I think at TA) and is supposed to be good ! (and flaneuring is what I aim to do!)

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Edmund White's "Flaneur" also is one I enjoyed very much (a somewhat different view of Paris from your average travel book, however!).

Also, although opinions are not unanimous on this one, "Paris to the Moon" by Adam Gopnik (I loved it -- read it in bed on a trip to Paris in February 2004, as it was a great way to pass the time when jetlag got out of hand), about living in Paris with his young son (born partway through the stay). With this one, people seem to either love it (moi) or hate it!

And finally -- Stephen Clarke's "A Year in the Merde" and "Talk to the Snail" (mostly for laughs, but also for some bits of information and advice that I actually have found quite helpful).