The Naive Vermonter's Guide to Paris

Bon Jour mes amies et les etres qui nous sont chers!

I am writing after consuming a superb dinner at L’Gaigne Restaurant located on the edge of a section of Paris called

Le Marais.

We walked home, pass Hotel de’ Ville and then Notre Dame. It’s late so it’s unlikely that I will finish adding to our

vacation blog.

Ahhhhh Paris! City of light, love, fashion, art, architecture, beautiful women and doors, and truly great food.

It’s been fabulous so alas .....

I am submitting for you my short version of the “Naive Vermonter’s Guide to Paris”.

1. Your reserved accommodations.... If you cannot afford to rent an apartment or pay for a very expensive hotel room be prepared to stay in a postage size hotel room. This will require planning and skill on your part as the room only accommodates a bed. You will need to organize your luggage and bags around the perimeter of the room, and in such a way that you will not stumble and hurt yourself when you get up to pee in the night. If, at some point during your stay, your partner is stationed at the foot of the bed you will need to be in good enough physical shape that you can climb onto the bed and leap across in order to gain access to the bathroom.
2. Street Attire.... Pack your black! No kidding. They are serious about black clothing here. And it’s fine by me. I mostly watched women and what they wore....black pants or skirts or tights with mini-skirts and a black top, black boots, and often something red as an accessory accent like a scarf or very large handbag. Or, lots of blue jeans with black tops and jackets, and of course the very stylish black boots or high heels. Chic ponchos are also popular and truly perfect for the very mild fall weather.

2a. Pack all of your scarfs! Everyone, well most of the women and a large population of men wear very long scarfs wrapped around their necks. It doesn’t matter what the daytime temperature is outside....wear a scarf!

3. Shopping....Bring lots of money!!! When shopping for family, friends or yourself bolster yourself (and your wallets) with the knowledge that the good real stuff costs more than you can probably afford. Especially when the U.S. dollar is in the toilet as compared to the Euro. We LOVED looking and did splurge a bit on hats at A’ la Bonne Renomme (definitely worth checking out...the clothes and accessories are fabulous) but for the most part even the vintage shops pushed our wallets to the edge.

4. Pets.....Bring your dogs! Parisians love their dogs and take them everywhere. You will find them in restaurants, markets, fine clothing stores etc. We did not see any on the metro but I did see one riding on a scooter with it’s owner.

5.Transportation....If you are thinking about renting a car, scooter or bicycle during your stay in the city...DON”T! The traffic is amazingly dense and incredibly busy. Bicycles and scooters are very popular but one really needs to know his/her way around and be very confident and aggressive. Parking on the street is free and all of the cars are extremely small and cute!! (I believe the Smart Car is the most popular car in Paris) but more often than not cars are so tightly packed along the curbs that it probably takes a good 15 mins. to extricate oneself from a parking space. Or, have a few friendly bystanders help you lift it out.

AND - the mass transportation is excellent. We did not have an opportunity to try the city busses, but the Metro is fast, efficient and clean. Make sure you get a pass for however long you think you will be using the metro.

6. Bring lots of tissues...at least I needed them, for visits to very special places that were emotionally packed for me. I found myself weeping in the Louvre, esp. when viewing “the Death of the Virgin” by Caravaggio, or the painting “Saint Anne with Mary and John the Baptist” by da Vinci. Notre Dame and Sacre’ Cour Basicilla were other places that brought me to tears...the history and beauty were a bit overwhelming and my cultural background added to the emotional impact.

7. Taking photographs...Do not be shy. Take photos everywhere! Even in the museums. Ignore all the signs that say don’t take photos. You will find tourist throughout the Louvre and Orsay having pictures taken of themselves in front of every famous masterpiece. The Japanese have this down to an art. They carry around tripods, set them up in front of a monument or whatever, position the camera, set the automatic shutter, stand in front, smile and voila! their portrait is done without having to ask for help.

8.Eating out....Bring your appetites!! Large ones at that. First; make sure you eat a croissant every morning. You will never have croissants like the ones in Paris and the fruit confiture (jam) you spread on it can be one of your food basics! Second; seek out as many chocolatiers as you possibly can during your stay. The Parisian chocolate is, as the cliche goes, “to die for”. And...I love cheese, all kinds of cheese and French excel in this area of cuisine...breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert! This was heaven for me. Every meal has been a wonderful experience...esp. the dinners. And how can I not mention the wine. It’s cheap (i.e. less than drinking water) so drink lots, plus it’s good for you. Bon Appetit!!!

9. Language....I advise you have a few pat French phrases memorized. The residents of this fair city truly appreciate our awkward attempts to communicate with them in their own language. It’s good to know when to switch from “Bon Jour” to “Bon Soir”. We figured 5 p.m. was safe.

10. Our favorite places/areas to hang out...

Le Marais...we both loved this area of Paris; the fashion, flair and fallafel (notably the best in the world!), the Memorial de la Shoah and “Cacao et Chocolat” a great chocolate shop.

Montmartre... wonderful highlights are Musee Halle Saint Pierre (outsider art), the Moulin Rouge, and “Denise Acabo”, a really great chocolate shop. This area is where the 19th century artists used to hang out and drink “absinth”.

Jardin du Luxembourg....a beautiful place to rest/relax/nap, suitable for lovers (esp.), players of bocce, the whole family...and your dogs!

Musee Louvre, Musee d’Orsay...both incredibly beautiful...but - a note of caution...when you visit the Louvre you might want to go on the sunniest, mildest day of the year. We went on a gray, rainy morning along with about 10,000 other visitors.

...and of course we really enjoyed just walking the gorgeous old cobbled, winding streets crammed with picturesque shops and restaurants and wonderful architecture, people watching and, finding more!!! great chocolate shops.

Please don’t miss the Eiffel Tower. It’s beautiful and the atmosphere reminded us of one huge happy party.

Au Revoir et A’ Votre Sante!

And lots of amour,

Marie

P.S. Oh, and yes, there is a longer version...