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Top 5 Events in Paris in 2010

2010-01-29T17:49:00.002+01:00

Thinking about a trip to Paris in 2010, but can’t decide when you should go? Why not plan your trip around one of these top 5 events that will rock the city in 2010.

1. Les Soldes (“The Sales”)

For shopaholics, Paris is a drug — and during the city’s “sales” season, a particularly dangerous one. Twice a year, all stores in Paris from Louis Vitton to Gap, have monster sales, with discounts up to 80% off. Although the sales last for six weeks, Parisians and tourists alike rise early on the first day of sales to stand in line outside their favorite stores, waiting for the doors to open so that they get first crack at coveted items. Given the number of shops in Paris, trying to figure out where to go can be a bit overwhelming. That’s why the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau created “Soldes by Paris”: five themed shopping routes based upon your taste and style. Each route has 50 stores in each category (classic, trendy, creative, Bobo Chic, and Fusion Fashion World), and includes boutiques, restaurants, and cultural sites that might also please you. Download this multilingual shopping guide at www.shoppingbyparis.com.

Winter sales: January 6 – February 20; Summer sales: late June-July.

2. Chinese New Year.

Come welcome the Year of the Tiger! Over the past decade, celebrating theChinese New Year has become an increasingly popular event among in Paris. Thousands come out to attend the noisy, colorful parade in the 13th arrondissement, where you can enjoy dancers, musicians, flag-bearers and an enormous gaily-colored silk dragon that swoops and swirls over the crowd. Afterward, try one of the many Chinese restaurants in the neighborhood for a traditional New Year’s meal. Be sure to eat Spring Rolls for wealth, and noodles for long life (don’t cut them!)

Chinese New Year: February 14th.

3. French Open (Roland Garros Tournament).

Even if you’re not a die-hard tennis fan, you’ll likely be enthralled by the hard-fought matches at the French Open. This tournament is one of the four major tennis events that make up the Grand Slam and inevitably features theworld’s top tennis players – many of whom find themselves defeated by the stadium’s clay courts. Score tickets early: this tournament is unquestionably one of the most popular events of the year.

Roland Garros Tournament: May 23- June 6.

4. Fête de la Musique.

Every year on June 21, the city of Paris turns into a massive music festival. The Fête de la Musique is a day on which all musicians, from the unknown amateur to highly-regarded professional, can display their talent to the masses – all for free. Wander the streets, sit in a café, or hang out in a park, and you’ll find music of some stripe on almost every corner: brass bands, rock,opera, hip-hop, jazz,reggae, classical – you name it, it’ll be there. Check out __ www.fete-musique.net for further details.

Fete de la Musique: June 21.

5. La Nuit Blanche.

If Paris turns into a huge music festival on Fete de la Musique, then it turns into a giant museum during the Nuit Blanche. On the Nuit Blanche (White Night), Paris’s museums, galleries, cinemas, parks, monuments and evenswimming pools are open all night long – and admittance is free. Thousands of people spend the night roaming the streets of Paris, attending various exhibits and special showcases, and enjoying Paris’s cultural scene under the shroud of darkness. At dawn, the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) offers breakfast for weary all-night culture-seekers.

The Chinese New Year 2010

2010-01-12T10:19:00.004+01:00

Chinese New Year is a very important event for Chinese communities around the world… In the Asian calendar, the Year of the Ox will end on 14th February to be replaced by the Year of the Tiger. The third animal in the Chinese zodiac, this big cat is characterized by its courage, impulsiveness and solidarity.

This time for "out with the old, in with the new", meaning forgetting suffering and disappointments to concentrate on prosperity and happiness, is an opportunity for many forms of celebration: a series of fire-cracker shows, music, performances and parades follow on from each other in a glorious commotion!

The party’s focal point will be Paris’s 13th arrondissement, where the largest Asian community lives. The highlight of the show will be the procession of the dragon. Made from bamboo poles and silk and standing at eight to 10 metres high, the large, brightly coloured dragon, operated by a dozen people, gracefully bucks and weaves, furls and unfurls, leading the procession of shopkeepers to whom it brings good fortune.

Address

Dans le 13ème arrondissement et autres lieux en Ile de France
75013 Paris

Contact info
http://www.nouvelanchinois.org

Transition to the year of Tiger, 09 . 19 February 2010

Free

Book a hotel for the Chinese New Year in Paris: Grand Hôtel Saint-Michel

2010-01-08T11:07:00.017+01:00

Grand Hotel Saint Michel is located in the heart of Paris, near the Luxembourg Garden and the Pantheon. It offers modern rooms with a free minibar and free Wi-Fi.

Guest rooms at the Grand Hotel Saint Michel are comfortable and air-conditioned. They include flat-screen TV, tea/coffee making facilities and a stylish en suite bathroom. Some have a view over the Parisian rooftops.

Additional services include buffet breakfast, room service, a business centre and ticket reservations.

The Grand Hotel is located in the Latin Quarter and is close to several Metro stops. The nearby Gare du Luxembourg RER station provides direct access to Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Each of the 47 rooms and suites offer, a theme: the flower, fading in an original way; a design: brown tones dominate, white illuminates and a different bright colour on each floor adds a sense of delight. Add to this an extraordinary view of the domes of the Sorbonne and the Pantheon from certain rooms on the upper floors. All this surrounded by outstanding comfort and cutting-edge technology, ensuring that your stay is truly enjoyable.

Bathrooms, each designed with carefully selected luxurious materials, are punctuated with colourful glass panels overlooking the room. Offering pure, bright and luminous design, they are equipped with a bathtub or an Italian-style shower, a magnifying mirror and a hair dryer.

Book on

http://www.ruyi-parishotels.com

Grand Hôtel Saint-Michel

19, rue Cujas

75005 Paris

Tel: +33 (0)1 46 33 33 02

reservation@hotel-saintmichel-paris.com

Winter Sales in Paris

2010-01-04T11:24:00.000+01:00

Over the Horizon: Winter Sales in Paris

The holidays may be officially over, but the commercial frenzy certainly isn't: Paris winter sales start January 6th, and some are planning a trip into town just to hit the racks. This season, the word on the street is that many shops will be practicing deep discounting after a rough year in retail. Discounts in the 70 to 80% range are more and more common, especially at the end of the six-week period.

Paris in January...Longer Days and Laid-Back Evenings

2010-01-04T11:17:00.000+01:00

Paris in January
Longer Days and Laid-Back Evenings

By Courtney Traub, About.com Guide

Claude Monet, "Boulevard des Capucines", 1873.

Describing late winter in Paris, American writer Ernest Hemingway wrote:

When we came back to Paris it was clear and cold and lovely. The city had accommodated itself to winter (...) there were braziers outside of many of the good cafes so that you could keep warm on the terraces (...) on the streets the winter light was beautiful. Now you were accustomed to see the bare trees against the sky and you walked on the fresh-washed gravel paths through the Luxembourg gardens in the clear sharp wind.

Hemingway's portrait fits Paris in January perfectly. The early-winter drowsiness has passed, the holiday hoopla has died down, and the New Year announces itself nicely with gradually longer days and the crisp, clean winter ambiance that comes with a drop in temperatures and clearer skies.

Recovering from their holiday excess, Parisians flood the streets and well-heated terraces to reunite with friends-- and, of course, to hit the winter soldes(sales), a Parisian ritual that borders on religious. For shopping aficionados, January is definitely a great time to be in the city of light.

Since this is low season in Paris, you should be able to get a good deal on flights in January, especially if you reserve one to two months ahead of your trip.

And because tourism is in low-tide mode compared to the spring or summer, visiting January in Paris also provides great opportunities for really lingering in some of the city's best spots for art and culture, such as the Musee d'Orsay or the Centre Pompidou. You'll finally be able to take as much time as you want contemplating your favorite paintings or monuments.

Finally, January is a great time to spend time in the warmth and charm of Paris' many cafes, so be sure to pack plenty of books and magazines for your trip. For those interested in Paris intellectual history, cafe-hopping in the city's historical Latin Quarter or in Saint-Germain-des-Prés would be a great way to spend part of a day.

The January Thermometer

Minimum temperature: 2 degrees C (35.6 degrees F)
Maximum temperature: 6 degrees C (42.8 degrees F)
Average temperature: 3 degrees C (37.4 degrees F)
Average rainfall: 46 millimeters (1.8 inches)

How to Pack for a January Trip to Paris

January in Paris is generally very cold, and it's not uncommon to see the mercury dip below zero. Clearer skies than in November or December and wind chill can make the cold seem more biting. So make sure you line your suitcase with lots of warm sweaters, coats, scarves, warm socks, and a hat that will protect your ears.
Although heavy rains are less common in January, Paris is well-known for its erratic and sudden downpours. So packing an umbrella that can withstand a wet, gusty day is definitely a must.
Make sure to pack a good pair of waterproof shoes. Shoes with good tread are important because the streets can be slick and icy in January. When there is snow, it tends to melt when it hits the ground, creating an annoying slush. High heels and dress shoes are not ideal for walking around the city in January.
Bring a pair of good gloves to make sure you don't let cold hands distract you from the sights. They may not be necessary in the end, but they're good to have on hand.
Think about packing a few good books and magazines in case you decide to spend a cozy morning or afternoon reading in a cafe.
If you're planning to hit the Paris sales, keep your cash safe with a money belt.

Chinese New Year in Paris

2010-01-04T11:05:00.005+01:00

Chinese New Year in Paris

Related Information

Website:Chinese New Year Website (in French)

When:14 Feb 2010 (annual)

Where:Place d'Italie

Cost:Free

Paris' Chinese community celebrates the dawning of the Year of the Tiger. A colourful parade featuring giant serpents, firecrackers, music and dancing takes place in the heart of Chinatown, between Place d'Italie and the Porte de Choisy, in the 13th arrondissement.This is a lively and atmospheric district throughout the year, redolent with the scents of Chinese cuisine. Buddhist shrines decorate shop fronts and restaurants, where signs are just as likely to be in Chinese, Thai or Vietnamese as in French.

Contact Details

Name:Chinese Embassy in France

Phone:+33 (0) 1 49 52 19 20

Phone:+33 (0) 1 42 77 13 60

Address:
1 bis, av. de Villars, 75007 Paris

Venue Information: Place d'Italie

Full Name:Place d'Italie,Paris,France

Address75013

DirectionsBy Metro: Place d'Italie.

PARISIAN CHRISTMAS MARKETS

2009-12-07T12:32:00.004+01:00

Whether you’re looking for a unique Christmas shopping experience or a relaxing Christmas vacation, you can be sure that a short break or holiday in France during the festive season will be truly memorable.

The markets, with their iconic clusters of wood chalets offering custom holiday treats like mulled wine, gingerbread, sausages and specialties from various regions of France, are an essential part of celebrating Christmas in Paris.

The largest one being the Champs Elysées, extending from the Rond Point to the Place de la Concorde,with 170 chalets.

Some other addresses chosen especially for you :

Place Saint Sulpice
December 6th - 24th
Address: Place Saint-Sulpice 75006 6eme, Paris.
Nearest Metro: Saint Sulpice

One of the busiest markets in the city is actually three fairs rolled into one grand event.The "Village de Noel", which is a Christmas Village, opens for the entire month. The first fair sees the square transformed into an artist's showcase, where 60artists gather to display their work and sell their goods. Art works are produced from a range of materials, including wood, glass and textiles.

Marche Saint- Germain
Dates: December 5th-31st
Address: Place Saint- Germain Des Pres, 75006, 6eme, Paris.
Nearest Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Pres

Maison d'Alsace
Dates: December 1st- 28th
Address: 39, Avenue des Champs-Elysees, 75008.
8eme, Paris.
Nearest Metro: Etoile

La Defense
Dates: November 29th- December 29th
Address: Central
Nearest Metro: La Defense.

Les Halles
Dates: 5th- 24th December
Address: 101 Porte Berger, 75045 Paris Cedex 01
Nearest Metro: Les Halles and Châtelet

Gare D'est
Dates: Throughout December
Address: 10th arrondissement, Paris
Nearest Metro: Gare d'est

Montparnasse
Dates: December 1st-31st
Address: Centre commercial, Maine-Montparnasse, Paris, 15eme
Nearest Metro: Maine-Montparnasse

Disneyland Paris Christmas Market
Dates: 8th November- 6th Jan
Address: Disneyland Resort
By RER: line A - Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy station.

Warhol’s Wide world

2009-06-05T15:14:00.005+02:00

The Grand Palais in Paris is dedicating an exhibition to the "Grand Monde d'Andy Warhol" until 13th July 2009. More than 250 portraits are on show. With this series Warhol draws a complete picture of society and establishes a new form of artistic, serial, almost industrial production.

He has painted the portraits of Marilyn Monroe and her rival Liz Taylor, fashion designers like Yves Saint-Laurent or Sonia Rykiel and many others that need to be seen...

Spring Celebration in Galerie Vivienne

2009-03-20T05:55:00.000+01:00

Spring shopping spree in the Galerie Vivienne (2e). The many fashion, deco, accessories and book shops in this beautiful "galerie" celebrate spring from March 17 to 21. Check out the new collections, gifts and surprises. Don't forget to enjoy a delicious lunch or a great tea/coffee with brownies or another mouth watering pie at A Priori Thé.

Find a WIFI hotspot near you

2009-03-15T09:29:00.001+01:00

Maybe it's me but i haven't been able to successfully find a WIFI spot, with my first generation and non-3G iPhone, if I'm not connected somehow to the internet (WIFI...).
There are some apps out there, if you do a search in the app-store on "wifi" or "spot". But they are of no great use for me outside my usual habitat.
As a healthy mobile and internet addicted person you want to avoid the situation where you feel lost. You want to check out a map or connect to the local public transport information send a geotagged snapshot to your favourite social network and so on.
The easiest way could be the check out this website with the worldwide WIFI spot finder : www.free-hotspot.com (Before you go on your trip )
Find the nearest hotspot and voila you take it from there!

Metro iPhone app alternatif

2009-03-09T08:15:00.002+01:00

If you don't own an iPhone (or better said if you're not owned by an iPhone) and hence don't have the handy iPhone application from our last post, you can use the online interactive metro-map. (you can use it on any mobile device that lets you brows websites)
Mark the starting station and your end point and the site gives you the best way to go with the time it will take, the cost etc.
It's very complete and easy to use. Only drawback is that it's in French only at least i was not able to find a menu where you can change the language.
The main information site of RATP comes in several languages.

Paris Metro iPhone app

2009-03-02T11:50:00.004+01:00

For a limited period the iPhone/iPod Touch application Metro Paris (licensed by RATP) is available at the iTunes store for only 0,79 € instead of 4,99€. That's almost free, and even the addicts of free apps should feel comfortable with this investment for this handy tool! It can do so much more than the paper version: giving the geo-position of the nearest metro station, and showing that on a Google-Map and giving you the best itineraries.

Comes in English, French, German and Spanish version metroparisiphone.com

2009-02-17T09:36:00.001+01:00

To make the waiting for the upcoming Paris Fashion Week March 4-12 easier. Here's a peek or a "avant-gout", Lego made fashionable by JC de Castelbajac:

JCDC Versus LEGO from Four H on Vimeo.

video copied from www.guim.fr

Paris Souvenir Shopping

2009-02-14T09:29:00.001+01:00

Just the right thing to show off that you have been in Paris or to get you in the mood for a future trip, a sticker to spice up your iPod in a nice Paris theme. Under 10€ makes a great gift and/or souvenir.

Tell me Where, iPhone app

2009-02-10T09:21:00.003+01:00

"Dis-mou où" or Tell Me Where is a free iPhone and iPod Touch app that gives personalised recommendations based on your preferences. The app is in French and a couple of French cities are represented such as Paris, Lyon, Lille and Toulouse.
It's social with Facebook integration.
Get it soonest!
You can check and work with the English website tellmewhere.com or see the explaining video at the occasion of Le Web08 Paris on the French blog

Secret Paris revealed

2008-10-22T08:57:00.002+02:00

Discover the secret Paris by bike. Paris Charmes Secrets takes you for a ride, not just on any bike, but an electrical bike, that can be useful specially when you have to do the uphill parts to discover Montmartre or the less steep but still up hill rue St Jaques past Sorbonne to discover the charms of rue Mouffetard area. You could take a Vélib but then you would miss out on the guided tour that shows you around town the places you never would see otherwise. And you would probably be too caught up in avoiding encounters with cars and cursing the fellow road users.
A French, English and Spanish speaking guided tour takes 4 hours, costs 45 euro, rain and warm biking gear provided if needed. 3 tours daily : 9:30 am 2:30 pm and 8 pm (this one is 3 hours).

2008-09-29T09:20:00.000+02:00

GoVelib is a nice little app for your iPhone* that lets you know at any time the 5 closest Velib stations with the number of Velibs and free spots to park yours. Comes in English and French. To download this free app go to the iTunes Store. (*Works on iPod Touch as well if you have a WiFi Hotspot nearby)

Faces of Millions

2008-09-26T09:26:00.001+02:00

Here's a truly creative idea: gathering 1 million photos to make a huge mosaïc of 10x10m. If you want to participate (and who wouldn't?) go to facebook group "Please donate your photo for "Faces of Millions" or to the website "Faces of Millions".

Peace Day

2008-09-24T12:38:00.002+02:00

September 21 was Peace Day, so this post might be considered as being too late. But it's never too late to have inner peace, isn't it? And as we can learn from this video inner peace contributes to world peace. And it's so much more fun to travel in a peaceful world!
To you inner peace.

Bone China design objects

2008-09-04T17:48:00.004+02:00

Art, design and architecture made in China has become more visible.
A place in the spotlight has the multi-disciplinary London based top design firm Voonwong & Bensonsaw.
For their collection of bone china table ware called Setcast, they went to China's porcelain capital Tangshan to have their fabulous objects made by hand.
You can't buy them in Paris but you can order on-line, from the convenience of your wifi enabled Paris hotel room. The Molecule dishes are very reasonably priced (starting at 65$ at merchant4.com) and make a great gift (hint)

French food at Chartier

2008-08-18T17:28:00.003+02:00

An absolute must for every visitor in Paris is to have a meal at Chartier. It's a slice of typical Parisian way of eating. Or arguably what used to be typical a long time ago and is now one more "disney-fied" cultural left-overs with the queue to go. But it's still there for you to enjoy and luckily has not made way for some design eatery which you could find in any self respecting city.
Chartier,
7, Rue Fbg Montmartre
Paris 9e

National Qi Gong Day in France

2008-05-29T12:24:00.001+02:00

Since it's not so common to see this in Paris' streets we'll have to do with one day a year. Sunday 8 June is the 14th national Qi Gong Day. In major cities in France there will be demonstrations, workshops and conferences to inform and show what Qi Gong is all about and you can experience for yourself the good it can do for your mind, body and spirit.
In Paris it's from 10am-6pm at la Grande Pagode du Bois de Vincennes, 40 route circulaire du lac Daumesnil, 12e. Metro : Porte dorée. Price for the whole day: 8 €, reduced price: 5 €, free for licensees of the Féderation de Qi Gong et Art Energétique and kids under 12 years.

Beijing Airport: gateway to China

2008-05-27T10:19:00.003+02:00

Biggest airport of the world, the Beijing Airport, is finished just in time to welcome the guests for the Olympic games.
The dragon-like design by Foster+Partners who also are behind the Millau Viaduct in France or the Blibao Metro, forms a gateway to China for an estimated 50 million passengers by 2020.

source and photo: www.archdaily.com

Spring Festival in Paris Streets

2008-05-11T18:32:00.003+02:00

During the weekend of 17 and 18 May, around the Canal Saint Martin, Paris 10e, the streets will be the stage for the 11th street-art festival. 2 Days packed with dance, theatre, circus and colourful shows like the "Bollywood show", as the name indicated inspired from Bollywood. (Saturday 17 May at 8pm le Grand Parquet). There are also interesting workshops, for free so no excuse not to learn something new that weekend!

for the programme and other information please visit the website.

Velib' Nine Months Later

2008-04-17T10:28:00.013+02:00

Remember the days in Paris before last summer when you had to be more concerned with looking both ways for cars than seemingly harmless bikes? Well, times have changed. Just as you're about to cross in the crosswalk (you know, that small unimposing area of the street where you the pedestrian, have the right of way), you now have to put on your brakes to dodge the cyclist who's plowing through. Chances are that person is on a Velib’ bicycle.

On its initiation day, Velib’, Paris' effort to "green" the way people get around, had 750 stations around Paris, holding a total of over 10,600 bikes. Today those numbers exceed 1,400 and 20,600 respectively. You can imagine how that has changed the dynamics of the road. Velib’ has been largely well-received by the Paris public and the city’s millions of tourists. It allows people to maneuver through the city, above ground, inexpensively and without polluting.

Many companies have even begun offering memberships to Velib’ as a benefit for their employees. Most notably, Louis Vuitton, which has had an environment initiative for at least a decade offers this to its Paris employees.

The idea behind providing bikes to citizens and visitors cheaply is indisputably noble and great, but there are still kinks to work out all these months later. Everyone on wheels in this city seems to think he has the right of way. The danger factor has been the catalyst for the launch of a “Rules of the Road”-type campaign. If you come to Paris and take advantage of this mode of transportation, be sure to know rules and etiquette of the road before pedaling out there.

The other side… Unfortunately, not everyone has been pleased with Velib’. Several web sites exist merely for complaints about all things that have gone wrong with the system. Despite the mishaps with Velib’, Ruyi salutes this “green” effort.

Real time information about availability of bikes at every station: ParisàVelo
Site with information and forums to share good and bad experiences: Club Velib’

See Paris through Cédric Klapisch's Eyes

2008-04-13T17:00:00.007+02:00

There will be a new movie coming out in the anglophone world soon, if it's not already at a theater near you. Cédric Klapisch has made a new film starring Juliette Binoche and Romain Duris about life in the city he has called home his entire life. The film bears the name of his beloved city. "Paris is a city without a center, as one of my characters says. [Paris] is mobile. That’s also why I wanted such a sober title which had never been used before. Paris has been the source of many emotions for me and I wanted to return the favor in a way. I am thankful for having been able to live and enjoy a life here," he said. The film includes many wonderful views and scenes from the city. It's a real treat for those who admire it from afar.

Enjoy the trailer for the movie, and be sure to brush up on your French before you watch it!

Thanks to allocine.fr for the video.

Hotel of the Week: Hotel Nord and Champagne

2008-04-13T12:38:00.000+02:00

In the heart of Gare de l’Est - Gare du Nord area, the Hotel Nord and Champagne welcomes you with its 43 rooms of varying sizes. In the heart of Paris, located between Opera and Montmartre, the Hotel Nord and Champagne welcomes you with all the services of a modern and comfortable hotel. For your comfort and well-being, there is spacious lounge where you can relax in a quiet and cosy atmosphere after touring the city.

The hotel's easy access to Paris' most exciting sites makes it an ideal hotel for those wanting to maximize sight-seeing time and stay in a nice place that doesn't break the bank.

Book Hotel Nord and Champagne now!
11, rue Chabrol
75010
M :Gare de l'Est (Lines 4, 5, 7)
Poissonnieres (Line 7)
RER : Gare de l'Est (Lines B , D)

Olympic Torch Begins its Journey Around the World

2008-03-31T11:45:00.007+02:00

The Olympic torch for the Beijing games is on its way around the world. Last Monday, March 24, the initial ceremony took place in front of the Temple of Hera on the historic grounds of Olympia, where the Ancient Olympic Games took place. A very fortunate Holy Priestess did the honors and lit the torch according to traditional ritual: using the sun’s rays and a parabolic mirror. The torch will pass through Europe in early April, hitting London on April 6 and Paris on April 7. Look for further details on where and when to find the torch passing through Paris as we get closer to the date.

Follow the Olympic torch here
Official site of the Beijing Olympic Games 2008

Hotel of the Week: Hotel West End

2008-03-28T14:14:00.007+01:00

In the heart of the golden Triangle of Paris lies a small charming and luxurious boutique hotel of excellent value. Far from home, you will immediately feel just like home. Each room has an elegant and unique atmosphere and is equipped with all the necessary amenities.

Hotel West End has easy access to all major tourist attractions and the concierge can help you discover the lesser known but just as charming spots around Paris.

Book Hotel West End, Paris!
7, rue Clément Marot
75008
M : Franklin Roosevelt (Lines 1, 9)
Alma Marceau (Line 9)
RER : Pont de l'Alma (C), Charles de Gaulle-Etoile (A)

Spring in Paris is Just Around the Corner

2008-03-17T16:28:00.007+01:00

I never knew the charm of spring

I never met it face to face
I never new my heart could sing
I never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
Holiday tables under the trees
April in Paris, this is a feeling
That no one can ever reprise

Do these words ring a bell? The famous crooner Frank Sinatra singing about the French capital in such a way that made your heart yearn to see this beautiful sight. Well, Spring is just around the corner in Paris, and we know that means you need to know where to spread your blanket and eat your baguette sandwich.

Parc Monceau (8th) - This park, arguably the loveliest in Paris, dates back to 1773. It has lots of green space, a playground, a path around the perimeter, a pond, and more charm than you can imagine.
Jardin des Tuileries (1st) - The largest and most famous garden in Paris is situated so perfectly, it has a view of almost every major Paris tourist attraction. But don't go for that, go for the peaceful stroll and people-watching.
Jardin du Palais Royal (1st) - Wonderful smallish park, perfect for a stroll and a look at the beautiful architecture surrounding it.
Jardin des Plantes (5th) - Paris' primary botanical garden, it is also home to The Museum of Natural History.
Jardin du Luxembourg (6th) - Fantastic park with "typical" Frenchmen playing petanques. Don't miss the palace/museum.
Parc des Buttes Chaumont (19th) - Created in 1867 by Baron Haussman, this hilly park features everything from a lake to a waterfall to a Chinese garden.

Happy picnicking!

Hotel of the Week: Hotel Saint Paul Rive Gauche

2008-03-14T15:53:00.001+01:00

In the Latin Quarter, the very heart of Paris, between Saint-Germain des Prés, the Sorbonne, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Saint-Sulpice Church and the Luxembourg gardens, Hotel Saint-Paul is a charming 17th Century residence. Its oak beams and stone walls combined with antique furniture provide a warm and welcoming family-like atmosphere with a touch of luxury. Franciscan monks lived here in the past…

A tasty breakfast buffet is served in a 17th Century barrel-vaulted cellar with an original well. In the little flowered patio, a piece of King Philippe- Auguste’s wall has remained since the 13th century.

Book it!
Contact Info:
43, rue Monsieur le Prince
75006
M : Odéon (Lines 4, 10)
RER : B, C - Luxembourg or Saint-Michel Notre-Dame

Best Baguette in Paris 2008 Winners

2008-03-12T10:45:00.007+01:00

Smell that? That's the aroma of a warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven baguette at a bona fide French boulangerie. Thought bread couldn't melt in your mouth? Think again. With this year's "Best Baguette of Paris" winners, you will surely want to pack your bags and move in next door. They're that good.

Best Baguette of Paris 2008 Winners:
Anis Bouabsa, Au Duc de la Chapelle
32, rue Tristan Tzara, 75018 Paris
Tél : 01 40 38 18 98

Fabrice Pottier
231, rue de Vaugirard, 75015 Paris
Tél : 01 43 06 14 83

Arnaud Delmontel
39 rue des Martyrs, 75009 Paris
Tél : 01 48 78 29 33
Some other favorites:
The tradition at the artisan boulangerie at Rue Blanche - Rue de Douai, 75009
The regular baquette at the boulangerie at Rue de Douai - Rue de Bruxelles, 75009
Coquelicot - great and adorable spot for breakfast, 75018
Au Panetier - 10, pl des Petits-Pères, 75002
Boulangerie Beauvallet - Julien 6, rue de Poissy, 75005
Boulangerie Poujauran - 20, rue Jean Nicot, 75007
Rene Saint-Ouen - 11 Blvd. Haussmann, 750008

Hotel of the Week: Hotel Lyon Bastille

2008-03-05T14:24:00.010+01:00

The Lyon Bastille is located near the centre of Paris, in the heart of the 12th arrondissement, just 150 m from the Gare de Lyon station. Guests will be thrilled with a location so close to the Opera Bastille, an area that is also home to a lively nightlife and many restaurants. It is also just a 15 min walk from from the famous Place des Vosges in the Marais, as well as the business centre of Bercy.

This three-star hotel is a great mid-price find with excellent customer service and will be perfect for your stay in Paris.

Book Hotel Lyon Bastille!
Contact info:
Hôtel Lyon Bastille
3 rue Parrot
75012
Metro: Gare de Lyon (Line 1, 14)
RER: A, D

Paris Fashion Week Has Come and Gone

2008-03-04T16:27:00.006+01:00

Just as quickly as it was here, it was gone... Paris Prêt-à-Porter Fashion Week took place all over the city last week, bringing in stars from Kanye West to Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sofia Coppola to Dita von Teese.

Here's a brief recap:

Alexander McQueen's show was based on a fairy tale he made up called The Girl Who Lived In The Tree. His collection included everything from a very full black tulle skirted dress to slimming pants and jackets.

John Galliano presented a surprising setting with even more surprising twists. Picture this: Kubla Khan's garden, lots of Buddhas, a gold leaf-filled pond, incense... and then... Michael Jackson's Thriller? Not exactly what the audience expected! His collection was full of color, wild hats, fun dresses, and early 20th Century gowns.

Marc Jacobs' show was full of contrast. Muted colors paired with black, polished looks with a hint of fun, and bold jewelry with understated emsembles.

Miss this one? Look for Paris' next Fashion Week this October and stay up-to-date with ModeAParis.

Hotel of the Week: Hotel Arioso

2008-02-26T11:38:00.005+01:00

At the crossroads of financial district and Paris shopping nest, and within walking distance from the 'Place de la Madeleine', Hotel Arioso provides a unique combination of calm and luxury within the confine of its 28 refined rooms. Hearty and calm, the 28 rooms will allow you to enjoy an atmosphere of the 19th century while benefiting of the 21th century's comfort. Its beautiful common spaces will surely make you feel right at home whether you're taking breakfast or a drink on the patio.

Discover Hotel Arioso - book now!

Contact info:
7 rue d'Argenson
75008
Metro: Miromesnil (Lines 9, 13)
Tel: +33 1.53.05.95.00
Fax: +33 1.40.06.04.21

Last week for Richard Rogers Exhibit at Centre Pompidou

2008-02-25T15:01:00.007+01:00

If you're interested in architecture and/or the work of famed architect Richard Rogers, who with Renzo Piano designed the famous Centre Georges Pompidou in the Marais, then hurry out to the Centre during this final week of the exhibit honoring him. The exhibit has been running since November, and will end on March 3.

This exhibition came as part of the Centre's 30th anniversary celebration. Richard Rogers, having had a big year in 2007 also received the Pritzker Prize for Architecture, which "honors a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture."

Useful info:
Centre Pompidou
Open daily, except Tuesdays from 11 am to 10 pm
M°: Rambuteau, Hôtel de ville, Châtelet les Halles
Prices: Full 10 €, Reduced: 8 €

Hotel of the Week: Hotel Daunou Opera

2008-02-22T11:58:00.010+01:00

This week's hotel of the week is found in one of the most happening areas of Paris, where you'll find the famous Opera Garnier with its stunning gilded statues and imposing facade, as well as all the shopping you could hope for. The charming three-star Hotel Daunou Opera has an ideal location in the second arrondissement, or area, and is just minutes on foot from the Louvre, La Madeleine, Place Vendome, and more.

With its several categories of rooms, all of which were renovated recently, and comprehensive services, you can't go wrong with this lovely hotel.

Contact info:
6, rue Daunou 75002
Metro: Opéra (Lines 3, 7, 8)
Tél: +33 (0)1.42.61.57.82
Fax: +33 (0)1.49.27.08.25

Visit Paris and let someone else take the pictures

2008-02-20T10:55:00.000+01:00

So you've arrived in Paris, two maximum-weight suitcases in tow, plus of course the necessities: iPods, mobile phones, Blackberries, and cameras. After settling in, you decide to set out on your first sight-seeing tour. You pack up your "just in case" bag (you never know when a cold might set in or you need extra toilet paper!), and you find it seems to be just as heavy as your luggage. No problem! Leave the heavy electronics behind and take advantage of a service we've just learned about that allows you to have a photographer guide you around Paris and take your photos for you. No more arms-length photos of you and your amoureux that leave out the beautiful scenery behind you! Michel Colson is the photographer and mastermind behind this concept called ParisSnapshot. He also features some of his past work of Paris sites on Spirit of Paris.

Even if you can't make it to Paris, but you still dream of that charming tea room where you had that delicious tarte ten years ago, Paris Snapshot allows you to request specific photos. Enjoy!

The French Barbara Walters

2008-02-14T10:56:00.004+01:00

Claire Chazal enchants TF1 and the evening news for years and nobody's going to complain about it. For our American friends, she is the equivalent of Barbara Walters.
Claire Chazal, born on 1 December 1956 in Thiers, is a journalist, novelist and TF1 news presenter with Patrick Poivre d'Arvor (equivalent still, for our American friends, Dan Rather).
She studied in Paris and graduated from the famous HEC business school and obtained a Master of Economics.
In 1988, she was named senior reporter specialized in economics at Antenne 2 (former France 2) after seven years of print press, and then was hired in 1991 by the director general of TF1 to present the evening news on weekends alternating with the journalist Patrick Poivre d'Arvor.
In 1997, she was named editor-in-chief of information in TF1.
She is regarded as one of the most beautiful over 50 years women in.

She is currently at the Petit Theatre Montparnasse from February 12, 2008 for a reading of "Journal d’Helen," here is the story:
In 1955, François Truffaut, discovered by chance the novel by Henri-Pierre Roché Jules et Jim. It is a real “love at first sight”. Therefore, he wants to make a movie. The success was immediate. Truffaut received many letters, one from a very old lady, Helen Hessel, who under the name Kate was the true hero of Jules et Jim.
"Yes, I was this young girl who jumped into the Seine, who married my beloved Jules (…) Yes, I even shot my Jim. Henri-Pierre Roché turned it into a novel based partly on my diary. "

Via wikipedia.org

What is the longest street in Paris?

2008-02-13T11:21:00.004+01:00

-La plus longue rue de Paris : Vaugirard.
A cheval sur les VIe et XVe arrondissements, c’est la plus longue rue de Paris, avec 4 300 m. Vaugirard serait établie sur une ancienne voie romaine. Elle abrite une bonne partie de la ligne 12 du métro.
Elle fait partie des emplacements à acheter dans le jeu de Monopoly mais elle ne vaut pas grand chose.
-La plus étroite rue de Paris : Rue du Chat-Qui-Pèche.
On l'aurait baptisée ainsi à cause d'un chat dégourdi qui, au XVème siècle, venait régulièrement y déguster des poissons qu'il chopait dans la Seine. En 1832, une grille en fermait les deux extrémités.
-L'avenue la plus large de Paris : Avenue Foch.
Sa largeur de 120 mètres. Elle tire son nom de Ferdinand Foch, maréchal de France. Elle a été ouverte en 1854, mais porte ce nom depuis 1960.
-La rue la plus courte de Paris : Rue des Degrés.
Avec seulement 5,75 m de long, il s'agit en fait d'un simple escalier d'une quinzaine de marches et de 3,30 m de large. Aucune habitation n'ouvre dessus et les murs ne possèdent aucune porte.
-La rue la plus pentue de Paris : Rue Gasnier-Guy.
Elle se situe dans le 20e arrondissement. Elle est, avec 17%, la rue la plus pentue de la capitale. Cette rue a connu au cours des quinze dernières années une radicale rénovation.
-La rue la plus haute : Rue du Télégraphe.

Vous en connaissez d’autres ? N’hésitez pas à laisser un commentaire.

-The longest street in Paris: Vaugirard.
Riding in the sixth and fifteenth arrondissement, it is the longest street in Paris, with 4300 m. Vaugirard would be established on an former Roman road. A large part of the line 12 follows the street. It is one of the places to buy in Monopoly, but it is not worth much.
-The narrowest street in Paris: Rue du Chat-Qui-Pèche
Named after a very smart cat that, in the fifteenth century, had regularly fished in the Seine and brought it back to eat in this street. In 1832, a grid was closing both ends.
-The broadest avenue in Paris: Avenue Foch.
Its width is 120 meters. It takes its name from Ferdinand Foch, Marshal of France. It was opened in 1854, but has had the same name since 1960.
-The shortest street of Paris: Rue des Degrees.
With only 5.75 m long, it is in fact a simple staircase of a dozen marches and 3.30 meters wide. No residence has an opening on it and the walls have no door.
-The steepest street in Paris: Rue Gasnier-Guy.
It is located in the 20th district. It is, with 17%, the steepest street of the capital. This street has experienced over the last fifteen years some radical renovations.
-The highest street in Paris: Rue du Télégraphe.

Do you know more? Feel free to leave a comment.

Thanks to Jorge Cueto for the photo.
Via Wikipedia.org

A dragon in Paris

2008-02-11T11:37:00.000+01:00

In 1999, the City of Paris has commissioned a work to the Franco-Chinese artist Chen Zhen to accompany the urban development project "Seine Rive Gauche". The artist, inspired by many cultures, has been committed to a certain Parisian tradition of the major achievements related to the presence of the Seine (Saint-Michel Fontaine, Pont Alexandre III...).

After the artist's death, which occurred in 2000, the completion of the work is then pursued by the artist Xu Min, an associate of Chen Zhen.

Referring to the energy of the water drawn into the Seine River to feed the city, the artist has designed a stylized dragon of wide-gauge, semi-transparent mid-opaque, in which water circulates at high pressure.

Emerging from the wall of access to the plant underground water production beneath the square, the body rises before disappearing at three locations from the ground, the absence of head suggesting that the dragon can arise in any time to surprise the walker…

Via paris.fr

Paris smells good and seems clean

2008-02-08T10:26:00.000+01:00

Eleven railway stations are currently testing a device to broadcast perfume in their undergrounds and their corridors.

These perfumes are aimed at strengthening the feeling of cleanliness, and especially to create a different and unique atmosphere.

The eleven stations are: Musée d'Orsay, Invalides, Chaville, Rive Gauche, La Verrière, Plaisir Grignon, Rambouillet, Saint-Cyr, Saint Quentin en Yvelines, Trappes, Versailles-Chantiers and Defense.

Some people will pass by to ask you your opinion on this device.

Via Anous.fr

Jason Statham in Paris

2008-02-06T12:19:00.000+01:00

Dear ladies, I am pleased to announce Jason Statham is coming to Paris and is going to settle here for a whole month!

The 3rd opus of Transporter will take place in the French capitale. The actor doesn't want to go back and forth unnecessarily.

Don't worry, French people are going to take care of him very well since he will be able to train with the Parisian Chinese community at the gym!

Asterix, je t'aime moi non plus

2008-02-04T12:24:00.000+01:00

If you live in France or if you are just interested in French movies, you know that a new Asterix has came out on theatre the past week.
It's called Asterix aux Jeux Olympiques (Asterix at the Olympic Games) and it features Gerard Depardieu for the 3rd time as Obelix, Clovis Cornillac is the new Asterix and a lot of famous people appear, such as Michael Schumacher, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alain Delon, Adriana Karembeu, Zinédine Zidane, Amélie Mauresmo, Tony Parker ect.
The movie is the most expensive one in the French movie industry, ever. And it seems that it is not as good as expected.
Kids are happy but their parents are disappointed.So I wanted to know what you guys think? Please vote.

Nocturnal swimming pools in Paris

2008-02-01T13:59:00.000+01:00

Do you like swimming? Do you especially like swimming in the dark? Well, your dream will come true!

Amongst all the swimming-pools in Paris, about 20 of them stay opened until midnight.
Picture yourself at the Josphine Baker Pool, for example, the one in the 13th arrondissement. That's the one where you can enjoy a midnight bath in the Seine! Yes, the wimming-pool is on the Seine River, what else could you ask for, hu?
You will find a late open one in almost every arrondissement.
Here is the list of swimming-pools opened until midnight.

Thanks to gonzo for the picture.

Chandeleur Day: eat crepes!

2008-01-30T11:59:00.000+01:00

Celebrated annually on February 2nd, Chandeleur is the day when we eat crepes in France!

It is said that the Pope Gelasius I, gave crepes to pilgrims who arrived in Rome.
It is also said that pancakes by their round shape and golden color, reminiscent of the solar disc, refer to the return of spring after the dark and cold winter.

There is still today a symbolic linked to the manufacture of crepes. It is thus recommended to flip the crepes with the right hand, and having a coin in the left hand in order to enjoy prosperity throughout the year. It is also said that the first crepe is to be sent up to a cupboard and that the next harvest will be abundant.

The Chandeleur is celebrated in France, in Mexico you eat tamales and in the US and Canada it is "The groundhog day."

From Wikipedia

Extraordinary Hotel in Paris: The Five Hotel

2008-01-28T10:44:00.000+01:00

The hotel is this week is very unique and definitely worth the look. If you are looking for somewhere special where to stay in Paris, the Five Hotel can be the one you were waiting for!

The Hotel The Five is situated in a quiet little street in the Quartier Latin district of Paris, France. You will find the Paris city hotel just a short walk from the Panthéon, the Tour Montparnasse and the Sorbonne.

Those seeking an extraordinary hotel in Paris can’t go wrong with the design hotel The Five. Those who prefer just plain and conventional hotel accommodation are better off staying away from it. The trendy Paris hotel in the Quartier Latin district is just the right thing for an exciting short vacation or city break in Paris.

To book the Five Hotel in Paris

Top 10 French favorite blogs

2008-01-24T15:28:00.000+01:00

Are you interested in knowing what French people read on the net? What are their favorite blogs? Well, I hope you do because here is the top 10 of the French favorite blogs:

1. Techcrunch France
You surely the original version of this very popular tech blog. Well, in the French version Ouriel takes care of the content.

2. Presse-citron
Another tech blog created by Eric Dupin. It's about star-ups, web trends...

3. Fred Cavazza
Yes another tech blog by .... Fred Cavazza (ok that one was easy) talks about web 2.0, emarketing...

4. Kelblog
Guess wha? This blog is a .....Yeah!! Tech blog again (Seems that French really like it, hu?). Pierre and Cathy feed this blog. He created the company kelkoo and then sold it to yahoo. She worked for different French radios.

5. Mashable France
Then again, you may know the Mashable US, which is about social networking in general and is written by Aziz Haddad.

6. Loic Le Meur
He calls himself a serial entrepreneur. He was one of the co-founders of Six Apart (blogging solutions)His blog is about web trends and web 2.0. He left France to set up in San Francisco and starts Seesmic, his new company.

7. Versac
It's a political blog written by Nicolas Vanbremeersch. He doesn't belong to any policiat parties and his point of view on France and the world is always interesting to read.

8. Transnets
Back to tech blogs. It's written by Francis Pisani and honestly I had never heard of it before starting this blog entry so there isn't much I can say about it. You learn something everyday!

9. Embruns
This one is classified as political blog but I would say he talks more about news, the Internet ect...

10. Arret sur Images
This one used to be a TV show and after 11 years it got canceled. So they started this blog. Off-beat news.

So what did we learn about French today? They love tech and they love politic!:)
What are your favorite blogs?

(Taken from wikio.fr)

Sleepless in Paris, featuring you!

2008-01-23T12:26:00.000+01:00

A new Paris city guide has been released and should delight those of you who can not help going out at night!

It is called "Nuits Blanches à Paris" (Sleepless in Paris) and suggests bars to go to have a last drink when all the other places are already closed, where to eat at 4 in the morning (and no mention of kebabs), the tango or waltz for lovers of dance…

But also all the places that make the heart beat of the French capital during the night.

In short, a guide not to be missed!

Amazing Eiffel Tower photoshoped

2008-01-21T11:58:00.000+01:00

While surfing on the Internet I found these awesome photoshoped pictures of the Eiffel Tower.
I love them! Which one is your favorite?

More photos HERE.

You know you’ve been living in France too long if…

2008-01-18T10:37:00.000+01:00

- You know G20 is not a music band but a supermarket
- You know when 2 people seem to be arguing in the street, they are just having a normal conversation
- You call people by their first name only if you know him/her very well
- The feeling of the just-made-warm-bread in your hand doesn’t make you want to scream “I love being in France!”
- The average expresso coffee served in café doesn’t make your heart beats fast anymore, for an entire day
- Talking with your hand is the only way to express what you really mean
- Teasing people is the only way to be funny. What? You don’t think it’s funny?!
- You think 5 annual holiday weeks are well-deserved! And why don’t they make it 6 weeks hu?!
- You measure things in meters, kilograms and litres
- You don’t understand why you would have to wait for the light to turn green before crossing the street.
- It’s ok to give wine to a kid
- Not being able to smoke a cigarette wherever you want is against freedom of rights … regardless to non-smokers
- You are not shocked anymore by the insignificant French customer service.

The great shot is from this site

An eco-Trail in Paris

2008-01-16T13:25:00.000+01:00

A team of enthusiasts has risen to challenge the Parisians on February 16, 2008.

Goal: To enhance the natural and cultural environment of the Ile de France region.

Two courses are proposed for this first edition.
1st choice, the trail of 80 km bringing together 1000 individual advanced participants leaving from Saint Quentin en Yvelines (78).
But also a 21 km not timed in pairs, the Twin Santé whose start will take place at the Parc de Saint Cloud (92), a journey to make friends.

For the trail, expected arrival on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower after crossing through fields and woods. For the Twin Santé, the arrival takes place on the Champ de Mars where the people will travel at their own pace.
In short, the idea was to borrow up nature to discover unusual places and too unknown.

Via Doukyo

Update on the Cendrier Mairie de Paris

2008-01-15T10:31:00.000+01:00

Remember the beautiful pocket ashtray from the Ville de Paris?
Well, if you are interested in get one, you need to go to the Mairie of Paris, 29 rue de Rivoli, metro station -> Rivoli.
Just go to the Accueil and ask for the magnifique cendrier. People are going to be jealous for sure!
Feel free to send us a picture of the desired item.

Absinthe, the crazy drink

2008-01-14T11:34:00.000+01:00

Today we are going to talk about Absinthe because somehow it was part of French history through artists and Parisian intellectuals ... no other drinks have had a such romantic story and have been prohibited with so much fervor.

From ancient times until the 19th century, Artemisia Absinthium is an ingredient in many medicines. Also vermifuge and antiseptic, its applications are many.

This drug use could go on much longer if one day, a strange encounter was made in Switzerland at the end of the 18th century. An adjutant bought the formula from a doctor.
He went into partnership with his son-in-law Henri Louis Pernod who will forever be associated with absinthe.

For 30 years, absinthe remains a regional drink until the conquest of Algeria by France. Effective against malaria and dysentery, absinthe becomes popular with soldiers. When they return from Algeria, everyone starts to enjoy the drink.

The drink also moved across France for more than half a century, with its ritual of the spoon.
In 1870, the advertising about Absinthe is crazy, the artists make it their muse, the newspapers can't stop talking about it and distilleries are multiplying.

The demand and consumption of absinthe continues to grow especially with artists, it is gradually becoming a symbol of alcoholism and a vehicle for crime, tuberculosis, domestic violence and the decline in the birth rate!

In France, a decreebans the sale of absinthe in public institutions, as well as the production and fabircation in 1915.

In Switzerland in the Val de Travers, the production never really stopped despite the ban.
Today, all absinthes are available but are not necessarily easy to acquire in trade.

Sources: L'Heure Verte and Virtual Museum of Absinthe

Paris offers you free pocket ashtrays

2008-01-11T12:14:00.001+01:00

Ok well smoking is now prohibited in cafes, restaurants, clubs and bars in France; but it doesn't mean you are not allowed to smoke in the streets! (I can see the happy smoker smiling!)
And in order to do so, the city of Paris makes available these pocket-ashtrays with a "pretty" Mairie de Paris logo!
So now you want to know where to go to get one of these, right?
It isn't said on paris.fr but I found on another site that says "these pocket ashtrays will be distribute in 4 emblematic places within Paris during two weekends and the project will be repeated on Fall 2008."

If you have more info, please go ahead!

Paris shopping at Rue de Rennes

2008-01-10T13:11:00.000+01:00

One more hotel from Ruyi Paris Hotels participates to the Second Edition of Soldes By Paris: the hotel Best Western Aramis Saint Germain.

This hotel is located right on Rue de Rennes, a very popular Parisian street known for its numerous stores. The idyllic place to shop during the sales!

The Best Western Aramis Saint Germain offers 40% off on the public rate of the double room, meaning 99€ for the room night. And the breakfast which usually costs 12€ is free! Trust me, you are going to need vitamins to going shopping in Paris!

This a 3 star hotel offers you the best technology (flat screen LCD television, Wi-Fi, satellite, Canal +, Canal satellite …).

Mika in Concert in Paris

2008-01-09T17:34:00.000+01:00

Do you know Mika? Of course you do!
Ok, don't scream out or jump too hard on your bed.... MIKA IS COMING TO !!!!
I know, I understand how exciting it must be!
It will be on the 4th of July at the Parc des Princes; don't forget to buy your ticket.
Just for the pleasure of eyes and ears, here is his first hit!

Stay in Paris in a former Franciscan monastery

2008-01-07T15:51:00.000+01:00

If you found this post, it's probably because you are looking for a Monastery to Stay at in Paris. Well you found it! Book your monastery stay on our parent site Ruyi Paris Hotels!

The 3 star hotel Hotel Saint Paul Rive Gauche located in the 6th arrondissement and is a charming 17th century residence. Franciscan monks used to live in this hotel, in the past years.
You will be able to feel a real authentique atmosphere when entering the place.
It's a great hotel whenever you want to access authenticity and live the "old Paris".

Book the Hotel Saint Paul Rive Gauche on Ruyi Paris Hotels.

Sales in Paris

2008-01-07T11:19:00.000+01:00

More than 1500 shops, nearly 500 hoteliers, restaurateurs aligned themselves with the 2nd edition of “Soldes by Paris”.
The “Soldes by Paris” helps you to enjoy the Parisian sales in a different format than going from store to store but take the time to enjoy the French capital and do not rush too much because you have 5 weeks anyway.

In 2008, Paris offers a wide variety of ideas and shopping trips around 5 theme:
The Chic circuit, which is the embodiment of the art de vivre,
The Trendy circuit, pointed gathering shopping, trendy places, trendy galleries
The Odd circuit, funny and unconventional: unclassifiable,
The Romantic circuit, for shopping lovers and tips,
The Creative circuit, for tourist artists and creator discoveries.

To discover Paris in all its glory shopping and its way of life, you will receive:
A Welcome Pack, consisting of a bag, our guide “Soldes By Paris” and preferential offers (of vouchers for massages, benefits across the partner restaurants…). These packs will be distributed in 500 hotels partners of the operation and the Shopping Stations; these are located on the different routes.

Various animations will be organized all along the routes at stores or restaurants for example.

Don’t miss the contest organized for German and British people! You can win free Eurostar or DB tickets.

Two Days in Paris coming out on DVD

2008-01-04T11:54:00.000+01:00

Do you remember the excellent movie "Two Days in Paris"?
The DVD is coming out in France on January 23rd.

If you haven't watched it, here is a quick synopsis:
Marion is a French photographer who pays a two-day visit to Paris with her neurotic American boyfriend Jack. Once they arrive there, they will have to face some challenges such as meeting Marion's parents and several of her ex-boyfriends. (Wikipedia.org)

The storyline might seem familiar but this movie is anything but franco-american cliche. It is just how things happen in France and how people behave. It is actually very realistic and can be seen as an interesting movie from a sociological aspect.

Some details:
- Marion's parents in the movie are Julie Delpy's real parents and they are actors.
- Julie Delpy wrote the script, made the movie and produced it.
- She has wanted to go behind the camera for years but she couldn't find a topic that would find enough investment so she decided to tell a story she knows very well since she has been leaving in the US for years: a love story between an American guy and a French girl.

All The Best For 2008

2008-01-03T11:45:00.001+01:00

My name is Bompard, Eric Bompard

2007-12-11T10:53:00.000+01:00

My name is Bompard, Eric Bompard.

Sounds familiar? It is a name of a French store selling only cashemere clothes. Soooo chic and French, right?

They are settled of course in France, some countries in Europe and in China too. If you don't live in any of these areas, then you can still order online.

If you like the ads, you should know the illustrator is called Carmen Huerta and is from Spain. she worked for others brands and her art work is available on her website.

A hotel close to Pere Lachaise Cemetery

2007-12-10T13:14:00.000+01:00

And this week, the hotel we picked is .... the Hotel Armstrong!

This recently renovated hotel represents excellent value for its quality services and you know how expensive Paris can be, well this hotel is different!
If you wanted to stay there on December 23rd, it would cost you only 62EUR*! Interesting, hu?!

The hotel is located in the 20th arrondissement, where the famous Pere Lachaise cemetery is. It's probably the most visited graveyard in any Western city, the vast Père-Lachaise features literally thousands of often elaborately-decorated graves separated by narrow lanes and avenues. The roll-call of famous burials includes: Chopin, Champollion, Sarah Bernhardt, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Proust, Balzac, Colette, Molière, Jim Morrison ...

The hotel has a direct metro access to the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysées, and a fast train service to Disneyland Paris.

*Rate available at the exact moment, the blog entry was written. This rate is subject to change.

Gift List from Ruyi Paris Hotels Christmas 2007

2007-12-07T15:30:00.000+01:00

Because Christmas is coming very soon, here is our selection of gifts!
Don't thank us, it's our pleasure:)
Model card (Vaux le Vicomte) 4.5€ Site

Chocolate Parisian Monuments 10€ Site

Maille mustard red fruits 3€ Site

Petite recolte Nicolas (wine) 2.40€ Site

Moleskine Paris Citybook 16.95$ Site

Eiffel Tower Earings 10$ Site

Pink apron Paris 32$ Site

Paris wall stickers 70€ Site

Nespresso Machine (because Georges Clooney is s o sexy) 149€ Site

L'Occitane oil bath 14.50€ Site

Paris Daily Photo Calendar 15.96$ Site

Short Story About Restos du Coeur

2007-12-05T11:28:00.000+01:00

The Restos du Cœur is a French charitable organisation which activity is to distribute food and hot meals to the needy.

It was founded by the French comedian Coluche in 1985. The first of the Restos opened on December 21st and soon multiplied all over the country.
The goal of the founders was to give away 200,000 meals per day; 8.5 million alone were distributed the first winter.

The initiative was supported by a song written by the songwriter and singer Jean-Jacques Goldman called 'Les Restos du Cœur'. A televised show allowed the organisation to collect several million euros each year.

In 2007, 81,7 millions meals have been served which is very worrying.

Source: wikipedia.fr

Parisian metro will run late

2007-12-03T16:47:00.000+01:00

Starting on December 7th, the metro service will be extended by one hour on Friday nights, setting the arrival of the last metro at its terminus at 2:15am.

Compared with 1:15pm now-a-day. This schedule will be identical to that on Saturdays and celebration days that benefit from the extension of service since December 2006.

These evenings, service is enhanced with a metro average every five minutes from 9pm and every ten minutes from 0:30am.

The STIF believes that the results of the traffic "show the interest of Ile-de-France inhabitants for these new schedules, evaluating averaged 37,000 entries in the metro network between 1:15 and 2:15, while the evening traffic has increased by 69,000 trips on average compared to 2006.

Thanks to catirebcn for the photo

How to enjoy Christmas lights in Paris

2007-11-30T10:29:00.000+01:00

We decided to launch a new label in the Ruyi blog: the hotel of the week!

For the first one, we chose Hotel Elysees Mermoz, a 3 star hotel located between the Champs Elysees and the Faubourg Saint-Honore.
We picked this hotel because it's the perfect place to enjoy the Parisian Christmas lights on the Champs Elysees. The has also been recommended by the “Guide des Hôtels de Charme” since its 1st edition, 22 rooms and 5 suites so you can find exactly what you want!

This is the kind of typical and authentique hotel in Paris.

You can either book on the blog or on the Ruyi Paris Hotels site.

Organic Christmas 2007 in Paris

2007-11-29T11:23:00.000+01:00

Remember my previous post about Christmas lights on the Champs-Elysees?

Well I feel in mood to talk about Christmas in Paris because I have to admit, it's a great city to spend this time of the year. People are happy and nice, weather is cold enough so you feel it's Xmas time but not too cold, shop windows look great ...

If you are around Paris from December 7th to December 9th, go to Espace des Blancs Manteaux. Opened from 11am to 8pm, at the Noel en Bio (Organic Christmas) you will find only organic things, from cosmetics to food, passing by clothes, healthcare or gifts for Xmas.

Cherry on the top of the cake.....the entrance is free!

Espace des Blanc-Manteaux
48, rue Vieille du Temple
75004 PARIS
Metro: Saint Paul

Most common French phrases

2007-11-28T13:35:00.000+01:00

Champs Elysees goes green on Christmas

2007-11-26T15:13:00.000+01:00

The lights of Christmas and New Year on the Champs Elysees will be using for the first time this year,energy efficient bulbs, from November 26th to January 20th, a longer period than usual covering the winter sales.
From the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde, about 2.4 kilometers, over 415 trees in the rear will be decorated with crystals or "dynamic flash," says the mayor of Paris.

A total of one million points of light, almost eight times more than in past years, will decorate the trees in the most beautiful avenue in the world.
For the whole French capital, more than one hundred squares and streets will be illuminated, double the previous year, according to the council.

The mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoe will launch the illuminations on November 26th at 06.00pm.

Via Yahoo! Actualités.
Thanks very much to wilf for the great photo.

Paris $99 Contest just started!

2007-11-22T16:04:00.000+01:00

The first session of Paris $99 Contest is over but don't worry a new contest has just started today!

All participants get ready to share with us your most frugal Paris tips!

Ski Resort in Paris

2007-11-22T10:45:00.000+01:00

Holidaymakers, visitors and Ile de France residents, take note: the slopes of the winter sports resort at the Stade de France will be opening soon!
The ‘resort’, which has opened every winter for the past 5 years, is a very popular venue for winter fun in the city...

A few years ago, the organisers came up with the brilliant idea of opening a proper ski resort 15 minutes from the heart of Paris to allow people to hear the call of the mountains and discover the joys of winter sports.
The event has proved to be extremely popular these past few years: over 50 000 visitors flocked to “Milka Rêve de Neige” every day in 2006.

Initially meant for families lacking the means to take a skiing holiday in the Pyrenees or the Alps, “Milka Rêve de Neige” has in fact been such a success that the organisers have introduced two separate sets of opening hours, for charities and the general public respectively, to ensure the event remains accessible as originally planned to the financially disadvantaged.

There are a number of attractions on the programme at this winter sports festival: a surf simulator, a 70 metre ski slope, a frozen waterfall, a giant 1 250 sq. metre rink, an ice garden, a working farm, an adventure trail, a trapper trail, two rope bridges, a sled run, rock climbing walls, a water wall and much more.

Via parisinfo.fr

Is Paris clean or not?

2007-11-20T10:04:00.001+01:00

On November 21st, the city of Paris re-launches its campaign against - all kind of - garbage in Paris.
They chose to do promote cleanliness on a funny ton, just like the previous campaign.
First one-> My owner booked me a round-trip to the recycling center on paris.fr
Second one-> I am trash, I should go in the bin.
Third one -> Every left foot would tell you: more and more dog owners clean up dirt in the street.

The fine is up to 183€ if you are caught not cleaning after your dear dog.
Well, it could seem expensive but you need to know Paris has been consider as the "City of dog poop" of many years but it's getting much better now and you don't need to watch your feet all the time, while walking in the street.

What do you think? Do you think Paris's cleanliness has improved or not?

You can't miss that store in Paris!

2007-11-19T11:11:00.000+01:00

Have you heard of Lilli Bulle? If not, it's a shame but no worries it isn't too late!

Lilli Bulle is an adorable store in the 11th arrondissement, on 3 rue de la Forge Royale.

They sell objects and clothes for kids at the store.
But the two girls - Anne Christelle Beauvois and Anne Rodes - also have a blog.
The store was opened on September 2000 and the first blog entry is from March 2005, so quite early for a French blog. The blog is called it the Blogobulle!

You can buy, order, discuss and comment the objects online.
Very convenient for those who can't come to Paris to shop. There are pictures of the items and you can ask all the questions you want.

They also sell handbags for grown-ups like us.

This is the place to go for your Christmas gifts!

Best baguette in Paris

2007-11-16T11:05:00.000+01:00

On March, every year there is the Concours pour la Meilleure Baguette de Paris (contest for the best baguette in Paris).

In 2007, the winner is Arnaud Delmontel. He though it was a joke when the Paris Mayor Assistant announced he was the winner.

I need to mention it's a big deal here! Last year, the winner got his baguette sales increased by X10 and icing on the cake, he gets to provide for a whole year, bread to the Elysees Palace! It is the official residence of the President of the French Republic, where the president's office is located, and the Council of Ministers meets. Big deal, I told you!

Monsieur Delmontel owns two boulangeries in Paris: rue des Martyrs et rue Damrémont, in the 18th arrondissement.

Making baguette is a real art! Bonne Baguette!

Thanks to ...Antonio... for the great shot.

Games to learn more about France

2007-11-15T11:08:00.000+01:00

Sylvie de Soye has created a range of educational games for people of all ages. Learn about French history, French painting, ... international music and architecture and interesting Paris walks through games like Memory and Happy Families.

Each game comes with a booklet full of anecdotes and snippets of information about the game’s contents. These entertaining and original card games make the perfect gift, as they are sold in pretty painted boxes.

Hope you will enjoy it!
Via parisinfo.fr

I'm on strike, you're on strike, he's on strike

2007-11-14T10:56:00.000+01:00

It seems that November is a month of discontent in France (feel the irony?!).

Indeed, last month there was a strike from the SNCF (rail network) and RATP (metro network – Paris only). It lasted about 2 days.
Tomorrow will start a strike by the same people: SNCF and RATP. It’s renewable, meaning that it can last a looooong time. These people are unhappy because the government wants to modify their pension. The last time they tried to do so, it was in 1995 and the strike lasted an entire month! Yeah, that’s right!
But there are not the only ones on strike. Let’s have a look…
On November 14th, EDF-GDF (the electricity and gas company) will be on strike. To protest, they might cut off the power on their protest day. Renewable too.
The Opéra de Paris whose employees are concerned by the new government’s reform will be on strike too. They will cease all the representations. The Comédie Française will also be on strike.
November 20th, the main unions call on strike for the people working in the Education, teachers for example.
The French students protest against Pécresse Law which would give more autonomy to French universities.
November 21st, the “buralistes” (people selling tobacco and cigarettes in France, in “tabac”) will be in the streets to demonstrate. France will become smoke-free in 2008 and they want this law to be modify so they wouldn’t “loose too much” in this situation.
The unions at the French bank LCL called for a strike on November 22nd to change their working condition and to raise their salaries.
Demonstration and strike for the magistrates on November 29th.

Thanks very much to yuri gets radical for the awesome photo.

Same Paper Play Again

2007-11-13T11:59:00.001+01:00

"Same Paper Play Again" is a new design object brought to us by the French designer Clement Eloy.

Because recycling is a responsible and major act for our planet the artist find a less boring way to do it. It's even fun.

Via 18h34.com

Viaduc des Arts - A garden in the city of Paris

2007-11-12T10:47:00.000+01:00

Viaduc des Arts is one of these places that we don't talk about enough and it's a shame because it's awesome! That's what I think everytime I pass by there.

In the early 1980's, rather than destroy a work of art and erase the capital's industrial memory, the city of Paris decides to build a planted promenade of 4,5kms where the old Paris-Bastille railroad used to be during the XIXth century.
In 1990, Paris decided to conduct all operations related to rehabilitating the Viaduc; a project centered around the theme of artistic professions and building several "real estate islands" with living spaces, businesses and offices.

It's a 3,7 hectares between Bastille and Reuilly, centered around the old SNCF Viaduc.
There are 2 restaurants, 2 parkings lots, a 1,5km promenade - called la Promenade Plantée - and 45 amazing working studios.

Since the rehabilitation of its vaults and the creation of the Viaduc des Arts, the Avenue Daumesnil became a prestigious window of the French art's craft industry and the guarantee of its manufacturing techniques and contemporary creativity.
The Viaduc des Arts has acquired an international fame, as for the quality of its works everyday patiently created than for the great names constituting the chain of its vaults.

A tour of the best studios at the Viaduc is available on gridskipper.com

Thanks to Payton Chung and Anton Klimovsky for their great shots.

Bruce Springsteen in Paris - Concert

2007-11-09T11:47:00.000+01:00

He is the hero of ordinary people struggling through life, the resounding voice of an angry America. The “Boss” is back...

Bruce Springsteen is known worldwide by his nickname, “The Boss”.
His career embodies the American dream. His is the story of a young man growing up in urban, working class America who achieves his aim of becoming a major rock star through sheer dint of will and perseverance.

Emotional versatility is his greatest strength: he sings of sadness in “Streets of Philadephia”, tragedy in “The Rising” and pride in “Born in the USA”.
Bruce Springsteen and his long time mates in the E Street Band will be performing their new album “Magic” at the POPB in December.

The concert is sure to be an explosive one, not least because Parisian audiences have by no means forgotten past performances by “The Boss” in their city.

December 17th, 2007 @ Palais Omnisport de Paris Bercy

Source: parisinfo.fr

The site Paris.fr has a television

2007-11-08T12:17:00.000+01:00

The city of Paris has a website very well done and updated daily. I recently realized they also have a Paris.fr television!!

All the videos are uploaded on dailymotion, so you either watch them on the video's site or on the Paris's site.
The quality is good, much better than a lot of videos you find on these kind of sites.
The topics are from the different festivals and activities found in the city, to how to get online in Paris, and an interview of a French actress... The topics are so broad that you will probably find the one you are interested in.
Unfortunately, all theses videos are in French.

But I found a solution for my dear English speaking readers.
The same site (paris.fr) offers a tour - yes in English - of the Hotel de Ville (Townhall).
Quite exclusive I must say!:)

Paris $99 Contest!!

2007-11-07T16:45:00.000+01:00

Share your most frugal secrets with us on how to have a grand time in Paris while staying on a $99 a day budget.

Our task for you, our savvy travellers…
Send us specific information for the best way to spend 24 hours in Paris for $99 or less. All submissions must include:
- Place to stay (not the metro stations or under a bridge!) with proof of price
- 1 meal (fast food such as McDonald’s does not count)
- 1 cultural activity (the lesser known, the better)

Submissions will be judged every two weeks on originality and accuracy of prices. Remember that the budget is meant for one person only and accommodation prices cannot be divided (i.e. $100/ room for 2 = $50/person).

To participate to the Paris $99 Contest.

Feel free to grab a badge to spread the world with our contest!

Good luck to everyone and may the best participant win!

Parisians can be friendly

2007-11-07T12:55:00.000+01:00

If you are about to visit Paris and want to try a new experience, Paris Greeter will help you enjoy Paris as Parisians do.
The Paris Greeters are local Parisians who volunteer their time to share with visitors the districts of Paris they know and love so well. They will introduce places and insights into Parisian life that are not always found in the published tourist guides.
They are not professional tour guides but enthusiastic, friendly individuals with knowledge of Paris who will accompany you on a visit of the city, without charge, as a friend would.
PARISIEN D'UN JOUR, PARISIEN TOUJOURS is a non-profit making organisation offering a free service to visitors.
This organisation implements the program: Paris Greeter, as many other cities do, in order to welcome visitors with a free service. See Global Greeter Network.

Thanks to Luke Robinson for the great shot.

November in Paris

2007-11-06T10:23:00.000+01:00

Ok so it's November, we are getting closer to Christmas time but not yet December so what are we going to do till there? Get bored? Stay at home because it's getting colder outside? No way, you are in Paris!

- Christmas Markets -> These markets start appearing in the city, around the end of November, sometimes even earlier than that. It's usually in a street(s) or on a "place" and you find there everything related to Noel. Everyone is happy, some Noel songs, things to eat and things to drink. It's absolutely lovely!

- Beaujolais Nouveau (November 15th) -> It's a French red wine coming from the Beaujolais region. It's released every year the 3rd Thursday on the month of November. It is said to have fruits and berries taste. Some people say it isn't a very high quality wine but that date is known in the whole world and it's definitely an opportinity to party.

- Thanksgiving (November 22nd) -> There is an American store in the Marais, called Thanksgiving (of course). There is a real good chance you find whatever you need and want for that day!

Thanks to sarahwoo for the great photo.

A cave made of salt in Paris

2007-11-05T10:23:00.000+01:00

A surprising place has opened in Paris, called Cristal Zen It. It's a relaxing and wellness place. Their main attraction is the halotherapy.

Just like me, you probably don't know what it is: Halotherapy uses dry aerosol salt particles to replicate the reported therapeutic benefits of speleotherapy . Speleotherapy has been practiced in mines of Eastern Europe for over 150 years. Patients with asthma, chronic bronchitis, and other respiratory diseases spend days or weeks in the mines breathing the salt air and benefitting from other aspects of the mines' microclimate as well.
Surprising hu?

This cave is a unique concept in France. Here is how it works: you enter a cave with 7 other people, sit comfortably on a chair, a pleasant music plays. No need to take your clothes off, just breath deeply and relax.

So do you feel ready know to enjoy 30 minutes in a cave full of salt?!

Cristal Zen It
2 rue Dulong
75017 Paris
Métro station-> Rome

Citroen C42 on Champs Elysees, Paris

2007-11-02T11:35:00.000+01:00

By returning to its legendary address on the Champs- Elysées, the world's most beautiful avenue, Citroën is celebrating its historic roots and consolidating a process started ten years ago with the complete renewal of its vehicle range.
C42 reflects the vision of Citroën, a bold, emblematic and innovative full-line vehicle manufacturer. Because although this exceptional building aims to give the public an insight into the car according to Citroën, it also reflects their ambition to amaze the world.
C42 illustrates contemporary trends through an approach in keeping with the spirit of the Marque: its history, news, and vision of the automotive future.
Visitors to C42 will discover the image stamped upon history by Citroën designs.

Photo is from citroenet.co.uk

Covered Passages in Paris

2007-10-31T12:38:00.000+01:00

Almost all of the covered passages are on the right bank of the Seine River, inside Paris before its extension in 1860. It is mostly near the Grands Boulevards, meaning in the areas where you could find wealthy people.
Most of the passages have been built in the fist half of the XIXth century. It allowed the visitors to shelter from the rain and shop at the same time.
In the 1850's, Paris had over 150 passages but Baron Haussmann changed it: the districts are crossed by wide avenues and department stores appear.

Thanks to linternaute.fr

View Larger Map

Hotel on the top of Palais de Tokyo, Paris

2007-10-30T10:10:00.000+01:00

There is a absolutely crazy thing going on the top of the Palais de Tokyo!!
Have you seen it? It is green, rectangular and it seems coming from another planet! Yeah, really!
I just discovered it's a HOTEL! Yeah, really!

Hotel Everland is a project by Swiss artist-duo Sabina Lang and Daniel Baumann. They are known for their Installations that deal with architecture and space.

Everland is a Hotel with only one room including a bathroom, a king-size bed and a lounge. The bounteous dimensioned room represents the subjective dream of a hotel. All Everland guests are partaking in the project.

Also the concept for operating the hotel was defined by the artists. All facets are important constituents of the artistic idea. The room can be booked for one night only, the mini-bar is fully stocked and included in the price, breakfast is delivered to the door and a record collection stands at ones disposal.

You can book online but you are going to wait until a little bit because they are fully-booked for the next 60 days!
333€ is the price for the "room".

If anybody has ever been in there, please tell us more. I'm dying to visit it.
The photo is taken from the website.

How to celebrate Halloween in Paris

2007-10-29T11:07:00.000+01:00

Oh Halloween Halloween….
We do know how to celebrate this crazy night, here in Paris. Yes we do ! Linternaute selected different places you can go to party on that day.
Here is 4 of them :

The upscale one
The very elegant « l’Etoile », near the Champs-Elysées, organizes a party dedicated to Halloween. From 8pm, you will have a gourmet diner with an amazing view on the Arc-de-Triomphe. The rest of the night will take place at the basement where a deliciously scary atmosphere will welcome you from 11pm. Some make-up artists will be waiting for you to help you “get in the mood”.

The cheapest one
The Frog & Princess organizes each year a special night for Hallowwen : special cocktails, all black and orange design, costumes and free entrance. And if you don”t like this place, when pick the one you like in Rue Princesse, you will have plenty of choice!

The gourmet one
You want to have a gourmet night, try new cuisines and new restaurants? We recommend L’Oga. A special 35€ menu has been elaborated for this event: the components remain secret and we are sure you won’t be disappointed!

The unexpected one
You probably know the restaurant « Dans le noir ? », near Chatelet ? This year it will be « Halloween in the dark » : in complete dark you will have a one-lifetime experience ! A free cocktail to everyone wearing a costume, contest for the scariest scream … The blind people waiters will help you guessing what is in your plate: might be a witch’s finger or a soup full of spiders ...

France changes its time!

2007-10-26T16:38:00.000+02:00

Like every year, France is changing its time, meaning that on Sunday at 3am it will be in fact 2am.

Yes we gain 1 hour; which means 1 hour more to spend in the bed. Looks good that way, hu?

Make sure to change your alarm for Monday morning!

Who made Paris like that?

2007-10-26T11:29:00.000+02:00

If you have ever been to Paris or even looked at some photos about the city, there is something in the architecture very specific of the capital of France. This little je-ne-sais-quoi is due to the dear Baron Haussmann who left his print whole over Paris.
Here is what you need to know about him.

Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann was a French civic planner whose name is associated with the rebuilding of Paris.
Commissioned by Napoleon III to instigate a program of planning reforms in Paris, Haussmann laid out the Bois de Boulogne, and made extensive improvements in the smaller parks. The garden of Luxembourg were cut down to allow of the formation of new streets. A new water supply, a gigantic system of sewers, new bridges, the opera house, and other public buildings, the inclusion of outlying districts - these were among the new prefect's achievements, accomplished by Haussmann.
His work had destroyed much of the medieval city. It is estimated that he transformed 60% of Paris' buildings. Notably, he redesigned the Place de l'Etoile, and created long avenues giving perspectives on monuments such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Opera Garnier.
Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann was hired by Napoleon III on 22 June 1852 to "modernize" Paris. He hoped in hiring Haussmann that Paris could be moulded into a city with safer streets, better housing, more sanitary, hospitable, shopper-friendly communities, better traffic flow, and, last but not least, streets too broad for rebels to build barricades across them and where coherent battalions and artillery could circulate easily if need be.
He created broad avenues linked to the main train-stations so army troops from the provinces could be operative in a short amount of time.
Because of Haussmannization, that is the creative destruction of something for the betterment of society, the 1860s was a time of intense revolt in Paris. Many Parisians were troubled by the destruction of "old roots". Haussmann was also criticized for the great cost of his project.

Now you know the basics, the why and the how; you can walk around Paris and try to figure out which architecture "belongs" to Haussmann and which one doesn't. You will see, it's quite easy!

The image is taken from Linternaute.fr

New findings on paintings Mona Lisa

2007-10-25T11:01:00.000+02:00

For centuries, the "Mona Lisa" has beguiled art buffs unable to resist speculating on its origins and meaning. Now a French inventor claims to have some answers.
Parisian engineer Pascal Cotte says his ultra-detailed digital scans of the painting allow him to effectively burrow through layers of paint to "see" into the past of Leonardo Da Vinci's painting.
The world's most famous painting originally included both brows and lashes, according to Cotte, who says his 240-megapixel scans of the painting reveal traces of Mona Lisa's left brow, obliterated by long-ago restoration efforts.
"With just one photo you go deeper into the construction of the painting and understand that Leonardo was a genius," Cotte said at the U.S. debut of an exhibit detailing his findings.

Using sensors to detect light from both the visible spectrum and the infrared and ultraviolet ranges invisible to the human eye, Cotte said, his camera allowed him to make these and other findings:
• Da Vinci changed his mind about the position of two fingers on the subject's left hand.
• Her face was originally wider and the smile more expressive than Da Vinci ultimately painted them.
• She holds a blanket that has all but faded from view today.
Cotte said his analyses also revealed what he believes are the painting's colors as they looked on Da Vinci's easel.
Working with his 22-gigabyte digital photo, made using 13 different color filters rather than the typical three or four found in consumer-grade digital cameras, Cotte created a reproduction of the "Mona Lisa" with the light blues and brilliant whites he thinks represent the painting in its original form.
"For the next generation, we guarantee that forever you will have the true color of this painting," Cotte said.
Though some art historians have expressed skepticism about Cotte's findings, he hopes his technique can be used as a guide for future restoration work on not just the "Mona Lisa," but also on aging art treasures around the world.

Via Daily Herald

Go Chanel Go!

2007-10-24T10:37:00.000+02:00

To do their part in the fight against global warming, Parisian fashion house, Chanel has customized a bicycle to debut with their Spring/Summer 2008 collection.
“The hand-crafted design is decorated with the house’s signature quilted leather and double-C logo and is undoubtedly the most stylish mode of transport this season,” Female First reported.
“It will cost around £6,200 and will be available in Chanel boutiques from December- just in time for Christmas.”
You’ll look super hot on this bicycle if you’re pedaling around in Chanel’s highly denimized Spring/Summer 2008 collection.

Oh you’re laughing, you’re crying, you just don’t want Chanel Ankle Purses to be true (ankle wallets). But don’t worry, Chanel this gallery features at least 5 different styles of ankle purses, so instead of pretending you’re not going to wear one, you can just move on to picking which one you want.

Via TrendHunter.

Ich&Kar at the Galerie Anatome

2007-10-23T10:55:00.000+02:00

Ich&Kar - Helena Ichbiah & Piotr Karczewski- are two artists. Their names might not remind you anything but they are not new comers in the art industry.
They have worked to redesign the graphic image of Chanel, ads for the candies Kiss Cool, took care of the album cover of Rachid Taha and also Caisse d'Epargne, the Momo in London ... and now lucky us, they are in Paris and have an exhbition at the Galerie Anatome and it's called "Ich&Kar, Curiosités".
It is until December 22nd 2007.
They don't want the expo to be called retrospective so let just say it's a combination of their art works. It's different, cute, funny... you like at those things and you immediatly love them!
Here is an interview of the duet (in French).

La Boudeuse is in Paris

2007-10-22T12:02:00.000+02:00

La Boudeuse is in Paris, in front of the Bibliotheque Francois Mitterand in the 13th.
From October 24th, you will be able to get on the ship. It's in Paris to show to the public what the boat looks like and also to present the studies they have done for 3 years since the day they have left: in Bastia (Corsica) in 2004 They conduct researches on "peuples de l'eau" (people living on or close to water).
They went accross Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean from north to south and east to west and also sailed of the Amazon river. You could watch their adventures on French TV, every week I think.
Anyway, it's a great honor and pleasure to be able to visit this ship. It is one of the few French three-master boats still active. It is aim to discover, search and learn just like the great discoverers in the past centuries.
An article (in french) about La Boudeuse.
By the way, if you wonder what "boudeuse" means, I think the appropriate word is "sulky".

Thanks to y.caradec for the photo.

How to become a real Parisian

2007-10-19T11:23:00.000+02:00

Parisians have a little je-ne-sais-quoi that you would die to know about? Would you kill to know what's their secret? Well, there won't be any blood splashed on this blog but some tips and advices to help you reach "your dream".
- You can learn French, it's easy with Mr. Frog with a Blog. If you haven't watch this video yet, you have to do it now because it's hillarious and not quite far from the truth. Mr. Frog does teach you how to speak French in 5min and 36secs.
- Now it's time for you to meet French people so you will be able to reproduce their accents, gestures, style and so on...basically what ever you can get. Of course, it isn't quite easy to meet Frenchies because you need to know the French doesn't like meeting new people, the French isn't very social and especially not toward foreigners. But lucky you, you have money so you can "buy yourself some French friends". Meeting The French is a site where you can organize a diner with Frenchies or have a commented tour of Paris with a French accent guide. Cool, hu?!
- On Paris Gourmet, you are taken for a Parisian - classical - tour: you will go to a flea market, prepare the meal with a French cook, eat it and then go for a shopping tour of designer's boutiques and fashion stores. I bet you will feel at least 40% French after that, won't you?
- You can also learn from others. For example, this article How to be a perfect Parisian girl. It passes by the XXL bag, the XXL sunglasses so nobody can see your eyes and you can keep that je-ne-sais-quoi style that makes you so unreachable. Because that's your point right?
Well, boys and girls I think you ready to become French. Just need to practise and don't be shy, French aren't, French are always proud to be French!
Now you are pretty close to the 100% French!
Bonne chance.

How to survive a strike in Paris

2007-10-18T00:08:00.001+02:00

Strikes suck! Yes we all agree on it so let’s try to make the best out of the situation. Nobody is glad not to have its usual public transport in good condition but that’s the way it is so survive it and try to find a plan B for this day, which will allow the grumpy Parisians to grumble more!

Let me say that post is mostly dedicated to Parisians; even if the methods could probably applied to the city you live in.

- To have your eyes stuck to the RATP webpage because it is the only way you wille be enable to be informed in – almost real – time.

- Batobus rather made for tourists, Batobus is a little expensive: 12€ for 1 day and 8€ for the student, orange, integral, Emerald and Amethyst card holders (thus you!). Which ways do they follow? As its name suggests it, Batobus goes only on water (here thus the Seine) which limits the places you could go to. Here are the 7 stops: Eiffel Tower, Saint Germain des Près, Jardin des Plantes, Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Notre Dame, Hôtel de Ville and Champs-Elysées.

- Roller and roller again: well done to practice sport and it does not pollute! It will cost you 15€ or 10€ according to the supplier for one day; they also rent bicycles and tandems. The tandem is a kind of carpooling except you are on a bike.

- Velib': everyone loves Velib' but I doubt this new mean of transportation will be able to regulate all the traffic on this strike day. For sure, it won’t solve every Parisian’s problem because there are only 10 000 of them. Vélib' expects a massive activity today. Measures were taken to reinforce the device: the processing capacities of the call center will be increased and the JC Decaux teams (those which move the bicycles to balance them in the city) reinforced of almost 30%. And if not the electric bicycle exists too.

- Carpooling is good and luck you, there are sites which are there to help you. And yes Internet is also used to help and not only to do download illegal movies and music (I can hear my grandmother talking).

- To take the line 14 because it is the only one that is automated, therefore doesn’t need a person to run it, so Line 14 is never on strike. Try to walk a little bit more than usually to catch this line. And I have to say, that line is much cleaner and faster than the other ones.

- Your feet: this mean of transportation is not expensive (can I say free?), it is true that it tears up your shoes and is also annoying (for some of us) but it has also the benefit to put you in contact with your environment (exhaust) and to discover your city from a different angle.

- Segway: well it costs 65€ for one day so make sure you tried all the other choices before picking this one.

- UrbanCab: a sort of taxi opened and respectful of the planet. One can hail it in the street or book it in advance. There are only 7 of them in Paris so on your mark, get set, go!

Thanks to Wes(gathering in light) for the photo

FIAC will start tomorrow, in Paris

2007-10-17T10:44:00.000+02:00

From October 18th to 22nd 2007, the FIAC is taking place at the Grand Palais du Louvre and the Cour Carrée at the Louvre Museum, Paris.
This event happens every year and is awaited by a lot of people. The 2007 edition is the 34th for the Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain (FIAC).
In 2005, the Foire had gathered over 220 galeries and welcomed 83 000 visitors. This is an event oftenly controversed because it's modern art and global. For example, in 2005, the artist Raphael Julliard and the galerist Pierre Huber sold in one day 1000 monochromatic paintings (red) at 100€ each, made by Chinese artists. The globalisation in art debat was opened.
FIAC: you either love or hate it but you won't stay neutral. Go there, have a look and form your own opinion.
If you can't wait until tomorrow, you can still enjoy the Wang Du and Barcelo's sculptures at the Tuileries.

Source: wikipedia.fr

Tai Chi for free in Paris

2007-10-16T10:26:00.000+02:00

Paris could be a stressfull city: the metro, the people, the pollution so why not trying a martial art, known for promoting health and longevity:Tai Chi Chuan.
Their training forms are well known as the slow motion routines that groups of people practice together every morning in parks around the world. And guess what, we have it here in Paris!
If course these classes are free. Go to Buttes Chaumont (metro station: Laumiere) at 9am. Vietnamese Master Thoi conducts a one-hour class and anyone can join.
This class is one of the things you can do for free in Paris. So why should we avoid it, hu?!

Thanks to Candlemaker for the photo.

Molecular cuisine in Paris

2007-10-15T01:02:00.000+02:00

The term was coined in 1988 by Hungarian physicist Nicholas Kurti and French chemist Hervé This, both vocal advocates of applying modern science to culinary problems.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the term started to be used for a new style of cooking that was unafraid to explore the possibilities of food scientifically. It was used to describe the cooking methods of a number of famous chefs, although several have subsequently repudiated the idea of molecular gastronomy, and say that their cooking is instead a search for excellence.
Here is a selection of restaurant in Paris using this type of cuisine:
- Pierre Gagnaire is a well known French chef, and is the Head Chef and owner of the eponymous Pierre Gagnaire restaurant at 6 rue Balzac in Paris. Gagnaire is an iconoclastic chef who was at the forefront of the fusion movement. His goal for his cooking is to have a lively cuisine which takes risks while respecting the past.
- Léna et Mimile Hervé This’s work is very well applied in this restaurant. Few examples : Velouté chaud de navets de Croissy, émulsion de thé noir -, carotte demi-longue de Guérande cuite à la vapeur, sauce confortable aux fanes de carottes - fondant de joue de bœuf, pommes soufflées… This restaurant looks very « normal » and usual considering its location (Rue Mouffetard) but don’t get fooled by looking at the exterior, the real surprises are in your plates. Bon appetit!
- Les Magnolias and its great chef Jean Chauve is not located in Paris but in the 94 department : Val-de-Marne. Quiet and tranquil small town of Péreux, The Magnolias masters in creativity and originality. The ambiance is classy but not too much and the various dishes will stimulate your taste buds. The restaurant is regularly fully-booked so make sure you call before coming.
- Cooking class with Anne Cazor, engineer in the food-industry and doctor in biotechnology. She will tell you all the “grand chefs” secrets, the ones that innovate and surprise with molecular gastronomy. The next class is on November 16th.

Thank you to angelcore for his photo.

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