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Another rube finds lots to dislike on his first trip to Paris

I love to read reports like this one from someone whose favorite meal during their stay in Paris was some crepes they ate at 10PM.    Paris is full of city life; its bustling energy is one that I haven’t found in many American cities. However, despite the tourism, the main roads and historic attractions such as the Champs Elysses, have become crowded and mind-boggling to navigate. … My favorite and only desirable part of Paris was Montmartre; champagne made this New Year’s night a wonderful experience as we walked through the streets like rebellious teenagers.

New law on store openings on Sunday meant to woo US tourists

I can’t imagine the fact that stores are closed on Sunday to be a reason not to stay an extra day in Paris, but I guess some people must be shopping all the time. As a student, I resented the Sunday closings because it just meant so much more to pack into a Saturday, but now I treasure the idea of one day where everyone is forced to really take the day off. … TV, of course has ruined some of that nothing-to-do feeling already, but it’s more than a bit sad to see the French put one more nail in the coffin of true leisure, which many of us has felt was at the very core of spending time in Europe.

Chocolatiers Abound

Two more chocolatiers opened in the neighborhood, giving competition to Pierre Hérme. Patrick Roger, voted the best chocolatier in 2000, seems to be guided by the seasons and his whimsies, as my daughter Hadley and I saw the largest 6′ chocolate pencils to commemorate the start of the school. Down the street, on rue de… Continue reading Chocolatiers Abound

France, land of bad French food?

I can’t tell you how relieved I was when Steinberger’s recent book, “Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France” (Bloomsbury USA), came across my desk not long after we got back from Paris. … Maybe we were just old and out of it. ad_icon Even if all those things are a little bit true, reading Steinberger, a wine columnist for Slate magazine (which is owned by the Washington Post Co.) and admitted “food-loving Francophile,” reassured me.

… We’ll be in Paris on Monday and we have plenty of old standards to go to (some not as good as they used to be), but I’m glad that we don’t have to try to find places to eat “au pif.”

Other off-the-beaten track tour ideas

This article is worth a look if you’ve already “done it all” and are looking for new ways to see parts of Paris you feel you’re missing.    You’ve posed for a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower, checked out the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and walked to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. If you think you’ve done it all in Paris, don’t worry, there are plenty of off-the-beaten-path adventures for your return. Away from landmarks, tourist crowds and flashing cameras, a few guides will take you on unusual tours behind the scenes, literally, in a movie tour, or to discover artists’ havens in Belleville, fountains of famous gardens and eco-friendly initiatives around town.

Heat wave in Paris – temperatures in France up 104 degrees (40 C)

We leave on Sunday for Paris, so I’m hoping we’ll be cruising into Fall weather by then. It’s slightly cooler in Paris, but pretty unbearable in a city with almost no air conditioning. In Paris, where temperatures reached 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, crowds kept cool by splashing and relaxing in the Trocadero fountains near the Eiffel Tower.

A few new (and old) recommendations

Friends are just back from Paris and here are their quick recommendations and (very) short comments: Lots of Amarino ice cream (they keep opening new locations beyond Rue du Buci)

… La Petite Cour for dinner (8, rue Mabillon 6th) — we really like this one too We, including and especially the kids, LOVE Amarino ice cream, but eschew the rue de Buci location for other less touristy spots because the lines go down the block. … We love the decor, which allows us to bask in a fantasy that we are a truly bilingual French-American editor at Gallimard having yet another intellectual tête-a-tête with the real denizens of the 6th.

Yet another review of Le Comptoir du Relais

This writer does have one thing right though: it’s impossible to get a table at lunch, and worse at dinner. … Luckily for the disorganised amongst us (myself included) no booking is required at lunch and during August this policy extends to dinner. Time your arrival correctly (think just before 12.30 or just after 1.30 for lunch) and you are likely to only have to wait a couple of minutes for a table.

5 Off-beat Museums in Paris

Some days we don’t leave the apartment at all, bathing in the Buddhistic calm that comes with knowing that it’s all outside the door if were just to open that door. … Here are five museums (including one X-rated) that we haven’t been to, but will add to our “maybe today” list when we inevitably have to leave the apartment for coffee and orange juice at some point. … Address : 4, rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève 75005 Opening Times : 09:00 – 17:00 Monday to Friday, Saturday: 10:00 – 17:00; Closed on Sundays Price: Free Website: http://www.prefecture-police-paris.interieur.gouv.fr/connaitre/musee/musee.htm 4.

Contador wins 2009 Tour de France, Armstrong takes third

From what I’ve read about Armstrong, I doubt if he’s happy “just to be in it,” but still for us over 40 or 50, it’s still amazing to see these guys get so close, even if they don’t take away the final trophy. I’m sure in France, older French men were cheering for Lance this year, even if he had to pop little blue pills to make it to the finish. … The 26-year-old Contador outdueled Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck and seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong, who finished third in his comeback after four years away from the race.