Travel Tips from your Homegirl: An American Mime in Paris

Bonjour, Ya'll!
Recently I was asked for some "insider" tips for traveling to Paris.  I don't know if I really qualify, but here's what I would do and what I would avoid.  These are some things that have worked great for me and my family and most of ya'll know, I am NOT any way sophisticated or cosmopolitan, but, I AM a keen observer.  I would love any feedback from those of you have visited Paris for affirmation or correction, so here goes!

View from Palais de Tokyo near Place Iena

1. "Do you have to speak French?  I heard the French hate Americans and refuse to speak English, even though "they all know English"!"
Such a myth!  Everyone does NOT know English, but many do, in addition to Spanish, German, Flemish and Italian.  I have to admit this country (and also most of Europe) amazes me with their language skills.  I find the higher the educational level, (professionals with college degrees) DO mostly know English, but quite a few of the people you will encounter here may not, such as your bus driver, waiter, taxi driver, or store clerk.  So be respectful in their country, smile and apologize for not being fluent in French, but try a few words such as "please" or "thank you"...it will go a long way.  If you read my blog frequently, you know I survive with lots of charades and gestures.  I'm kind of an "American Mime".  and they don't hate us...but we all feel annoyed with rude people, which are present in every culture, including yours.  Can you imagine if you had to deal with tourists every single day the way we do here in Paris?  Funny story:  I was meeting my friend Jeanne-Marie one day and she called me all wound up:  "Teresa!!  I'm late because I can't get to Etoile metro!  There is such a huge crowd around the Chinese acrobats, so it's impossible to get to the escalator!"  Yes, people, this is our reality on many, many days.

No Texas heat here!

2. Don't wear shorts and sneakers.  PLEASE, I'm begging you!!  Pickpockets and thieves are on the lookout for easy marks, so when you come to Paris, dress to fit in, not stand out as an American.  Wear leather shoes (good walking shoes don't have to be sneakers!) and wear pants, skirts, but not shorts.  When it's really hot, Parisians do wear shorts and sandals, but it is not the norm, and it's certainly not anyone over 30--men, especially, almost never wear shorts.  Here in Paris, all the professionals wear suits to work, so the culture is more formal than in the US.  I, myself, mostly wore my tennis clothes around all the time back in Houston, but that is not acceptable here. (okay, probably shouldn't have done it there, either!)  You don't need to dress up, but please don't dress like you just left the gym or are on your way to basketball practice with those big baggy shorts that hang down to your knees.  and, btw, if you're older than 12 years old, you look ridiculous wearing droopy polyester athletic shorts--no one wants to see a grown men wearing those!

3.  Don't exchange a bunch of dollars=euros.  Just get euros as you need from an ATM--most places, you can use your credit/debit card.  Also, you usually get a better exchange rate from your bank in the US when you use your credit card.  Good tip:  Charles Schwab Visa is a great credit card--they pay your ATM fees when you withdraw money from an ATM that charges you fees.  WATCH when you enter your security code--someone can come up behind you and see it.  Just put your hand over the hand entering the code to block anyone's view.

4.  Here in Paris, we don't really have violent crime--you will feel very safe, except we have lots of petty crime: pickpockets and purse stealing.  Ladies, bring a cross-body bag and keep your hand on it, especially in the metro or around the Eiffel Tower.  Don't stop to watch the guys doing the card games on the street--they have their people standing in the crowd pretending to watch, but they are watching you and trying to get your money or phone.  Guys, put your wallet around your neck (like in a man-purse) or in front pocket.  Teens, keep your phone out of view--I keep reading about people getting their phones taken right out of their hands in crowded places.  We saw a phone stolen from the table at an outdoor restaurant in Barcelona as the people were eating.  To me, the worst spots are Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Louvre, Notre Dame, Chatelet metro station, and Montmarte for the guys selling tourist junk who crowd around you then try to steal your wallet.  Watch when you take a picture, too, your attention is on your subject, so they can sneak up and get your wallet.  It almost happened to me on the Fat Tire Bike Tour at the Louvre--a guy quietly walked up and started taking my purse out of my bike basket as I snapped a picture of the girls. Notes:  guys, the man-purses also come from Nike and Adidas, so you don't have to feel "too pretty" when you carry your wallet around.

Fat Tire Bike Tour:  Everyone should do this!!

5.  "How much should I tip here?" Good news:  no tipping here!  The gratuity is already added on the bill (l'addition), so don't add extra money they way we do in the US.  They usually let you know if it is NOT added.  Just check the bill carefully.

6.  Water is free!  But, you must ask for it (carafe d'eau, s'il vous plait).  Otherwise, they bring you a bottle of water that can cost like $10...which you may like and want, but be sure you know ahead of time, it's not free.  The carafe is free and unlimited.  Also, sodas are usually about $3-6 dollars each.

7.  Most menus are posted outside the restaurant, so check it out before you go in so you don't get surprised with either offerings or price.  Many restaurants offer menus in English, too.

8.  Budget trip?  Use the metro, bus, or RER to and from the airport for next to nothing.  I won't go into all the detail, but if you need help, let me know and I can give you exact directions.  Air France has a bus to CDG direct, multiple times a day for less than $20--for anyone, not just those flying Air France.

9.  Tour buses are fun and easy to use.  If you buy a 2-day pass (for about $40 each), you can hop on, hop off and use as transportation, plus get an overview of the city.  Great when it's rainy or cold, too.  A handy app to download before you come is Uber, which is a taxi/car service.  They keep your credit card on file, then you never need cash for a taxi.  Just use the app to call your car. Available in multiple cities, too.

10.  "What's the best place to stay?" Hotels here are very expensive (and small)--consider renting a furnished apartment.  This is a great way to experience Paris as those of us who live here do--get bread at the bakery on your block and a bottle of wine at the local Nicolas for a true Parisian experience!  We usually get one hotel room in the US for our family, but not so in Europe--they make you get 2 rooms for 4 people, so double the cost.  Rent the apartment for the week and you're way ahead.

Lots of metro entertainment!

11.  "I don't really like French food!"  Well, you're in luck, because in Paris, there is Mexican, Italian, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Spanish, American cheeseburgers and everything in between!  I use the app Yelp to find whatever kind of food I want.  One of our favorites here is the NY Jewish Deli, Schwartz's:  Paul says it's the best burger he's ever eaten.  It's fabulous and there are now 3 of them around Paris, so if you need that American burger fix, voila!

My friend & fellow Total gal, Lynn

My awesome tour group with the amazing Jacques at Pierrefonds Castle

As always, keep in touch and love to see you if you visit Paris!  I'm happy to help answer your questions or share anything I've learned that will make your visit the best ever.  See ya'll!

Paris by Bike

Bonjour, Ya'll!
After living here for almost 10 months, you start to realize that public transportation can be "iffy" at times...here in Paris, there are many protests, so your bus may not show up.  Or, waiting for the train to Saint Cloud (where my girls' school is located), there was some sort of accident, (or protest) and no train ever comes.  So, you have to be ready and willing to try other forms of transportation--in fact, most days, I use the bus, metro (subway), walk,  and now I'm riding a bike.
YIKES!!!!  But, no, it's a great way to get around and so far, I haven't hit a car or wrecked.

Velib is the fantastic program introduced in Paris to make it easy (& cheap!) to bike all over the city.  Here's a brief explanation of how it works from Eleanor Beardsley of NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14429468

We live about a 15 minute walk from the closest metro station at Pont de Neuilly, so the bike is a great option to get to the metro quickly.  The Parisians are more aware of bikes and pedestrians, so I don't feel as nervous to ride my bike as I did in Houston.  Paris also has many dedicated bike lanes, so it's a nice way to get around and see the city.  Not to say it's not a bit nerve-racking--I haven't yet ridden on the busiest streets and not yet around the Arc de Triomphe!  That would be pretty scary!!

You use the Velib app on your smartphone to find a bike, then use it again to park the bike.  You have 30-45 minutes to ride each time you check a bike out.  There are hundreds of Velibs all over the city, so it's easy to plan where to find a bike for your journey, then a place to park it when you are finished.  You just swipe your card to take or leave a bike after setting up an account online. You can also purchase a ticket at the kiosk without an account, so the service is available for anyone to use--great for tourists, too!

So long as we're talking bikes here, a really fun thing to do is the Fat Bike Tour.  Even for those of you who haven't ridden a bike for a while, it's easy riding and you have an English-speaking tour guide.  We have taken the night-time ride that begins at the Eiffel Tower around 7:00 and ends close to midnight.  It doesn't get dark here until around 10:00 in the summer (right now, it's getting dark about 9:00), so the last hour or so of the bike tour is in the dark, but no worries, your bike has a light & you wear a safety vest to be more visible.

There are Fat Bike Tours offered at Versailles, Monet's Garden in Normandy and around Paris during the day.  Here's the link for Fat Bike Tour if you are planning to visit:  http://www.fattirebiketours.com/
Until next time, au revoir, ya'll!!

Paul & I rode home from the symphony a few nights ago...yes, in high heels!

The Rain in Spain is Mainly in Paris

Bonjour, Ya'll!!
While it's true my French is not fabulous, my Spanish is actually, um, a little better!  So I was very excited to journey to Spain on our recent spring break trip to habla espanol & bask in the sun!!

 Spring break around here is 2 weeks (gasp!) so Paul planned a wonderful trip for us to see several great Spanish cities by car.  It's all perspective, really, for Texans, a 9 hour drive is going from Houston to Big Spring, so what's the fuss?  Our travel plans got a little complicated as Katherine was traveling to Bali, Indonesia, with her Habitat for Humanity group.  We missed having her with us, but enjoyed Laura's friend Noa, who was able to make the trip with us.

Day 1:  Paris to Bilbao, Spain.
We left early to drive 8 hours from Paris to Bilbao, home of the Guggenheim Museum.  We took the dogs to stay with The Lovely Rita, our awesome pet sitter, the night before.  Katherine took a taxi to the airport, met her Habitat group there, and flew to Bali.  (*Aside:  what a bummer my girl is getting so grown up, SOB!!!)

We found the yellow brick road!  Actually a crop called rape seed--it produces canola oil.

Since most of France takes spring break during this same time frame, finding accommodations can be tricky!  Paul found us a beautiful place to stay in Bilbao--The Melia.  The location was fabulous--just a short walk to the Guggenheim, close to downtown for restaurants, and breakfast included.  It was pretty great!

Here is a link about the history of Bilbao:  https://www.digipen.es/about/history-of-bilbao/  It is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited.  The Guggenheim Museum is just about THE best museum I've ever seen--and I go to a museum every week. (Must make me an authority, right?!) Seriously, SO worth a visit!!  We were really lucky to see the Ernesto Neto and Yoko Ono exhibits while there.

Noa & Laura in Bilbao, Spain

Jeff Koons' puppy sculpture made of pansies in front of Guggenheim Museum

Engineer Pablo tries to figure out how it's made!

Ernest Neto exhibit in main atrium of Guggenheim...very "Clockwork Orange"... Remember the scene in the Milk Bar?

The Guggenheim was designed by Frank Gehry

After 2 days in Bilbao, it was onward to Madrid, the capital city of Spain.  After another scenic drive, we arrived there in 4 hours.  Madrid reminded me of a much more laid-back Paris...cafes & bars on every street corner, but a slower pace.  We took at walking tour offered by the city for only 5 Euros each, which was a great way to see the city.  We stayed at the Paseo del Arte Hotel, which was a terrific location--near the old town (lots of restaurants) and close to the Prado & Reina Sofia museums.  The Prado is a museum that is almost exclusively paintings, and holds "Las Meninas" by Diego Velazquez, considered by many to be the world's finest painting.  The Reina Sofia is modern and contemporary art from 1900 on--more to my liking.  Both museums offer the last 2 hours free each day--what a deal!  The most famous painting at the Reina Sofia is Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" which I found deeply moving.  More about "Guernica" here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUK8BAoWe-s&sns=em

Plaza Mayor

The official symbol of Madrid 

Noa translated for us at an Israeli-Spanish museum we visited. She speaks Hebrew, French, and English.

Did I mention we were in Madrid the night Real Madrid beat FC Barcelona?? Everyone was up all night celebrating!!

Next stop:  Barcelona, which was about 6 hours from Madrid.
We arrived in Barcelona on Good Friday, which was very crowded with Christians there to celebrate Easter.  We decided to "live like a local" and stay in an apartment right on La Rambla, which is the main pedestrian mall, with every kind of store, shop, food and street performers.  It is the most famous street in Barcelona and being such a high holy day, there were beautiful religious processions through the street all day and night.

We were worried these people were Ku Klux Klanish-types at first, but whew!  They turned out to be Jesus people--very moving to see the celebrations of Good Friday & the Crucifixion.

The biggest thing (literally, gigantic!) to see in Barcelona is the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia and it did not disappoint!  What a masterpiece of art and architecture it is! Even though it is unfinished, over 2 million visitors a year visit this gorgeous landmark.  I would love to see the images my friend & pro photog, Norm Lanier, could take of this place!  I have attached a couple of links since my shots really do not do it justice.  Paul & I saw it about six years ago, so we were pleasantly surprised how far the construction has come since our first visit.  The inside was almost completely empty then.

Many cranes all around...

Here is a short video with animation showing what it will look like when completed.  The estimated date of completion is 2026.  

 

After 2 days in Barcelona, it was off to the beach to recover from the vacation...haha.  We drove from Barcelona to Denia, about 4 hours.  We met Paul's parents there, who flew from Fort Collins, Colorado, to spend the week with us.  We enjoyed a relaxing week at the beach! (*Books read: Fort of Nine Towers; Who I Am:  A Memoir by Pete Townshend;  Maus II A Survivor's Tale and Here My Troubles Began; How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia: A Novel;  and last but not least, Rick Steves' Spain.)

Guess you can tell Laura has been dancing since about 18 months old!

Yoga with Peeps, who is 83 years young!

Last day:  Got up early and headed back to Paris--drove all the way from Denia for a grand total of 13 hours that day and over 4000 kilometers for the entire trip! We were glad to see Katherine & hear all about her work in Bali. But, the most important reason we had to get back...

these girls had an important date with this guy:

Emily, Sara, & Katherine...

& Jessie, Noa, & Laura at Justin Timberlake concert


Well, back to the ho-hum existence of living in Paris...May has a holiday EVERY week with the exception of the upcoming. week.  Poor us, wink, wink!

Not All Who Wander are Lost...

Bonjour, Ya'll!
I love that quote by JRR Tolkien, but I have to admit, most of the time when I wander, I AM INDEED LOST.  But, this week, instead of wandering by accident, I went wandering with a couple of friends and managed NOT to get lost.

Our starting point:  Gare de Lyon

My friend Michele found an interesting-looking neighborhood for us to visit, so Katie and I were game to go wandering into the 12th arrondissement beginning at Gare de Lyon, the historic train station. After checking that out, we found Rue Cremieux, a small street with a row of colored houses. The trompe l'oeil painting on the facade was really cool with butterflies, birds and vines.  Really neat street!  We also found an Arts & Crafts Museum, along with lots of art stores, paint/decor stores and all types of home improvement.  I enjoyed just wandering along with no schedule or agenda and just seeing what was around.  It goes without saying we found an old church that was really pretty, too, Saint Antoine.

So typical Paris, right?  Looks like a postcard.

Saint Antoine

My Midwest friends are into walking. They are from climates that get cold & snowy, so the weather in Paris is amazing for them because in the US, they are snow-bound all winter.  They find beautiful places for us to walk for exercise, set up a time & place and then we all meet. (aside:  I usually get lost before I meet them)  We get hungry from the walking, so we also pick a restaurant to try. Here's 5 yummy (non-tourist) places you might like to consider checking out on your next trip to Paris:

1.  Balls--my friend Bara found this one, which is waaaayyyy out on the line 1 metro in Saint Ambroise.  It is all meatballs.  You choose vegetarian, chicken or beef for your "ball" and then choose your sauce like red, yogurt or curry.  It's a tiny place (maybe 10 tables) and the balls/sides/sauces are wonderful. Get the lentil salad!! Inexpensive and you get 5 balls in an order.  Claim to fame:  I tried every flavor and they are all tres bien!!  Kinda sketchy area--sorry to Bara because I got lost again and she had to wait for me to get there... :(  ballsrestaurant.com 47 Rue Saint-Maur, Paris

2.  L'Entrepot--Jeanne-Marie found this one, which is the French version of The Granada in Dallas or Movie Tavern in Houston--except it is French--so way more charm!!  No chain-food chicken nuggets or teen movies with bad acting & good hair.  Beautiful restaurant with terrace and cinema upstairs.  Super!!  79 rue Francis de Pressense 75014

Paris Ya-Yas Diana, Teresa, Jeanne-Marie & Patrice.  Finally got to wear our lunettes de soleil on the terrace of L'Entrepot!

3.  Schwartz's Deli--my friend Lynn brought me here the first month of school.  All the Americans know this place which makes fabulous burgers, fries, & deli sandwiches.  Just like home, only costs a fortune.  LOL  There's one at Trocadero & Ternes along with another location I haven't tried yet.  Paul took his Total peeps there last week--everyone loved it!  They also serve Corona beer, which makes this Texan feel less homesick.   One of the only places I've eaten here that brings you the tab quickly to get you out the door--but, hey, there's other Americans waiting! 22 Avenue Niel 75017 Paris (Ternes)

4. La Coincidence--Diana, Jeanne-Marie & I tried this one out in the 16th.  Only a short walk from Victor Hugo metro stop, it's a small cafe with no menu.  What you can order is written on a chalkboard--get the plate of the day, whatever it is, you'll like it.  Great food & service, priced very inexpensively.  No fancy decor--just a neighborhood hang-out. 15 Rue Mesnil, 75116 Paris 16.

5. Bistroy Les Papilles--this place doesn't have a Michelin star yet, but I feel sure one is coming.  It's actually a wine bar/deli/wine cellar and once again, there is no menu!  Located near Luxembourg garden, it also has a grocery store in it.  Only about 6 tables, but one of my favorites so far!  You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit--they pick your wine for you, too.  Hard to get a reservation, but worth it.
30 Rue Gay Lussac 75005 Paris, near Jardin de Luxembourg.