If you’re coming to Paris and have special needs, such as access for a wheelchair, here is a list of resources that will help you plan your trip. Please note that I haven’t used many of these services, especially the tour operators, so ask as many questions of them in advance as you need to get the most information about the services they offer before…
Le Brunch is indeed available at some places in Paris, but I’m not necessarily at my best being around people first thing in the morning—and I’m not so fond of Le Brunch either. So I compromised on the more civilized hour of 1pm for dining on the weekends. Not much is open in Paris on Sunday, so I had suggested Breizh Café, a tidy corner spot specializing…
Last night I rounded a corner, and looked up. It made me realize that sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in too many things. And what’s really important is to give myself a moment to stop everything—take a look (and a photo)—and remind myself what a beautiful city I get to live in. Although I don’t think happiness necessarily depends on where you live,…
Last month, I received an invitation to visit the French Sénat where laws are debated and decided on, or not. Like most of the government buildings here in Paris, this is one spectacular. It’s very ornate with lots of gilding and chandeliers and gardens that are plucked and shaved within an inch of their life. Gardens are well-manicured in France and are meant to be…
(Please note that fares may increase. These were updated in 2013. Check the RATP website for the most up-to-date fare information.) For passes, you will just need zone 1 and 2 tickets if you are staying in Paris. Carte Navigo For Paris transit, visitors who are non-residents can buy weekly Navigo Découverte passes, which presently costs €19,80, plus a one-time fee of €5; for the…
Here’s a list of the various ways for visitors to get to and from the city of Paris from Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), where a majority of international flights arrive and depart from. (Note that this post was updated in 2016.) Some modes of transit listed also go to Orly airport, where many domestic flights leave and arrive from. Charles de Gaulle airport (also called…
One of the best restaurants in Paris is one that I have a hard time recommending. It’s not that the food isn’t consistently very good-to-excellent. Nor is the service anything less than friendly and sincere. One problem with L’Entredgeu is that it’s way up in the 17th, pretty much away from everything else. That’s relatively minor, though. The big problem for me is the name;…
Maybe more than Americans, French people do like marshmallows. A lot. You see them in bakeries and pastry shops, often in long strands, on display either in lengths, or tied into knots, often stored in apothecary jars. It’s a tradition that goes back, before the advent of gelatin, when marshmallows were made with mallow extract which was (and still may be) considered good for your…
A story on CNN talked about how former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, was not bourgeois, noting that he didn’t grow up in a rarified family and as the (American) commentator exclaimed…“He didn’t grow up eating pâté!” I thought that was pretty funny since meaty pâtés and rillettes aren’t upscale delicacies in France, but are considered everyday fare. And some of the best pâtés I’ve had…
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