Walk with me as I look for Petit Dejeuner (breakfast) on a Sunday morning in September
I’ve just created a video of one of my Sunday mornings in gai Paree last September – here we go – walk with me?
The heart of Paris beats strong and is filled with love
Paris is alive and well, beautiful, exciting, filled with history, wondrous places, faces, things to do and see … and still holds my heart firmly in her hands :-)
After my visit in September, I was filled to overflowing with my Parisian-ness and basked in the glow of the love and friendships cemented for another year — in person rather than across the miles.
When the bombings happened not long after I returned to Australia, I was stunned and shocked like the rest of the world.
I immediately reached out to all the folks I knew in Paris and other parts of France to make sure everyone and their loved ones were safe and sound. It was a dreadfully stressful time for those I knew in Paris, and the weeks and months since have been hard for them still in so many ways.
To the brave and courageous Parisians, I say BRAVO! You showed strength in the face of adversity, through dreadful events that no-one should witness or be part of, and you are all in my thoughts every day.
I must admit I found it hard to write about Paris for quite a long time as everything I wanted to say or share somehow sounded frivolous, and that was the last thing I wanted it to be.
Today I feel like my heart has healed a little bit, and I wanted to reach out and say the Parisians are strong, but their hearts are still hurting too — we must continue to visit this beautiful city, not be afraid to travel, to experience life.
Meeting people in Paris is one of the all-time favourite things I love to do — shopkeepers, cafe staff, waiters, chefs, department store staff, people waiting for buses and taxis — I love to talk to everyone — it makes me feel more like I live there, and to feel part of a community when I’m there for a month or so, and it is all of these brave folks who are waiting for us to come back and embrace Paris again.
I’ll be there to see you in September 2016, Paris!
I promise!
I hope to see you there too if you can make it!
This video is fantastic! I just found it online and it’s captured the heart and soul of Paris — do you like it too??
Looking for a list of easy things to do in Paris?
Pop over to this page for some of my ideas to help you enjoy your stay in my favourite city:
Oh I wish I was going to be there for this event!!!
When: 8th, 9th and 10th of April 2016
Where: at the Cinema 7 Parnassiens, 75014 Paris
BE WARNED! When you go to the website, there is a huge video on “autoplay” and it took me forever to find out how to turn it OFF. Here’s the button I finally found:
This wonderful event is often referred to as the European equivalent of the Sundance Film Festival in the USA.
There’ll be films / features, shorts, documentaries, animated and student films and much more. There are 14 categories for 25 awards, including the prestigious title of ‘Best European Independent Film 2016’.
Attendees can watch film screenings as well as participate in various workshops including scriptwriting, editing and directing, and the ‘Meet-the-Directors’ discussions. A full program of live music is also being hosted by ÉCU’s partner Access Film-Music.
Today’s French love phrases can be found in a fabulous song “l’Amour et Moi” by Jenifer.
“l’Amour et Moi” translates into “Love and I”.
The video shows:
English subtitles at the top of the screen with
French words below.
Please click the video to listen and learn this delightful French song:
French version:
found on: http://lyricstranslate.com/en/lamour-et-moi-love-and-i.html
L’Amour et Moi
Je me fous des princes charmants
Leurs promesses je les oublie
Ces voleurs de sentiments
Au petit matin ils s’enfuient
Oh oh
Je parie sur les amants
Quand vient le printemps a Paris
Les mariés sont moins marrant
Ils te menottent à leurs vies
Ohoh
L’amour et moi ça fait deux
Ne tombez pas amoureux
L’amour et moi ce n’est qu’un triste jeu
Ne tomber pas amoureux
Envie d’entendre tout ce qu’il ne dit pas
Envie de bras chauds sous mes draps froids
L’amour et moi ça fait deux
Ne tombez pas amoureux
Ohohoh…
Mes amis sont des amants
Ils ne volent que mes envies
Les mariés trop exigeants
Avec le temps ils m’ennuient
Ohoh
Les mariés sont moins marrants
Ils te menottent à leurs vies
Je me lasse de ces amants
Ils ne t’aiment que pour la nuit
Ohoh
L’amour et moi ça fait deux
Ne tombez pas amoureux
L’amour et moi ce n’est qu’un triste jeu
Ne tomber pas amoureux
Envie d’entendre tout ce qu’il ne dit pas
Envie de bras chauds sous mes draps froids
L’amour et moi ça fait deux
Ne tombez pas amoureux
Ohohoh…
L’amour et moi sa fait deux
Ne tomber pas amoureux
L’amour et moi sa fait deux
Ne tomber pas amoureux
I don’t care about delightful princes
I forget their promises
These feelings thieves
They escape at early morning
Oh oh
I bet on lovers
When spring comes in Paris
Married people are less funny
They handcuff you to their lives
Oh oh
Love and I don’t go together
Don’t fall in love
Love and I is just a sad game
Itch of hearing everything which it doesn’t tell
Itch of warm arms under my cold sheets
Love and I don’t go together
Don’t fall in love
Ohohoh…
My friends are lovers
They only steel my desires
Too much demanding married people
They are bored in time
Ohoh
Married are less funny
They handcuff you to their lives
I get tired of these lovers
They only love you for night
Ohoh
Love and I don’t go together
Don’t fall in love
Love and I is just a sad game
Itch of hearing everything which it doesn’t tell
Itch of warm arms under my cold sheets
Love and I don’t go together
Don’t fall in love
Ohohoh…
Love and I don’t go together
Don’t fall in love
Love and I don’t go together
Don’t fall in love
Don’t fall in love
Your Say About French Love Phrases
Do you have any favourite French songs or movies you’d like to share?
Do send me an email, or post a Comment below, or pop over to the Facebook page — I’d love to chat more :-)
10/02/15 by Paris-Travel | Website | Comments Off on Haberdashery shops in Paris
Haberdashery shops in Paris sell mercerie (the French word for haberdashery).
You can find a wonderful selection of haberdashery in Paris, from the fabric district to the suburbs, it’s just a matter of putting aside some time to explore them :-)
75003 – laMercerieParisienne.com
What a wonderful selection of buttons and trimmings! If you’d like to look at a gorgeous store, pop over to the Marais:
It’s a beautiful day in Paris today! I’ll be heading out shortly for the wonderful Barge Cruise which I love to experience each time I’m in Paris — it takes 2.5 hours, and there is a choice of morning or afternoon, so I’ve decided on the 2:30pm Cruise to show my client another side of Paris in a leisurely, relaxed way – woohoo!
I’ve been having an amazing time with my client these past few days, she has flown half way round the world to be part of one of my Adventures, and we’ve been having the best time!
Coming to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language can feel like a very large, nervous step to take, but once you’re in Paris, you’ll find so many French people who will speak English withyou. that you’ll feel at home in no time :-)
If you use Facebook, you might like to pop over and see what I’ve been posting — photos and videos!
Great question! I usually visit in summer so I wasn’t sure how quickly it would turn to autumn, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised:
I have not worn a coat
I have worn scarves every day, and if I get too warm in a store or cafe, I simply remove the scarf
I have mostly worn one long-sleeve item each day, and I haven’t needed multiple layers of long sleeves … yet!
I have worn either short-sleeved or sleeveless tops under my long-sleeved top
temperatures have been around 18-20degC during the day
I have used my umbrella a few times, and it’s a very small fold-up one so it stays in a plastic bag inside my handbag; so if it’s wet, and I go into a cafe etc, I can put it in the plastic bag and NOT leave it behind when I leave :-)
“Teena, what’s different since the last time you were there?”
There’s a tram! It’s been here about two years and works around the outskirts (the “peripherique”/periphery) of Paris.
So many people want to speak English! Waiters, staff in stores, EVERYwhere! No more excuses about French people not speaking English, dust off your passport and suitcase and come on over :-)
In the past two weeks I have met so many kind, helpful, wonderful French people that it’s almost overwhelming! From taxi drivers (Bonjour Bernard!), to waiters and waitresses, sales people in stores of all kinds (Bonjour Ariella, Silvina, Marion, Warda!) , people on the street who answer my questions, a gorgeous woman I met at a bus stop when the buses were running hours late (because of a “manifestation” / public strike) who had a drink with me and my client while we all waited in a local cafe (BONJOUR CHRISTINE!)
There will be lots more things to add to this list, but that’ll do for a Sunday morning when I haven’t had coffee yet!
Here is one of my favourite travel videos to keep you smiling :-)
A fantastic in-flight one from Virgin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtyfiPIHsIg
I’m heading to the Barge Cruise very soon, so I’ll say AU REVOIR and CHEERIO for now :-)
2023 UPDATE – Find public toilets in Paris by using the FLUSH APP on your phone – so easy=!
MY TIP: Carry a small amount of toilet paper – just in case. I keep mine in a small plastic zip-lock bag.
2015 – I met a couple on the flight to Paris the other day, and the husband told me the one thing which bugged him about visiting Paris was “not being able to find toilets”.
I gave him a few tips — and thought I’d share them with you too :-)
How to find public toilets in Paris
Here are the easiest ways:
find a McDonalds, go in and try the door – if it needs a code, ask for one
find a Starbucks, go in and try the door – if it needs a code, ask for one
look out for any number of public toilets to be found in the streets and parks of Paris, you may need coins to open the door
go into any cafe, bistro, brasserie and look for a toilet, or a set of stairs going down with a sign anywhere saying “Toilette”; if you can’t find one, ask to use the toilet in you most polite way — you may be asked to buy a drink, and say, “Of course — bien sur!“
if you still can’t find one, go into any shop and ask, “Ou se trouve les toilettes, s’il vous plait?” which means, “Where can I find the toilets, please?”
Lots of cafe and restaurant toilets do not have seats – do NOT freak out
I know, I know — this sounds awful — but really, let me explain.
There are millions of tourists in Paris every week, and they all need to find toilets.
We expect the toilets to be kept clean, and that requires a LOT of work on the part of the locals.
By using well-designed toilets which do NOT need seats, and are very comfortable, the need to keep cleaning smelly toilet seas has been removed.
You can easily wipe the toilet before you sit down, and please — understand this is NORMAL in Paris, so don’t be snotty or mean about it, just get used to it, OK? Great :-)
To all you folks from America and other places which don’t normally use the word “toilet” and instead use the word “bathroom”, you’ll need to start saying “toilette”.
If you ask for a “bathroom”, the French person may think you want to go home with them to have a BATH or SHOWER — and will understandably be a little wary of agreeing to this without actually knowing you :-)
Let me know if you use other apps or have tips for finding public toilets in Paris
record an audio for me – big button on the right of this web page
UPDATE 27 Aug 2022 – a Google search shows Le Chat Gourmand – this cute little lunch bar as “permanently closed”.
Don’t despair – thre will be other new places I haven’t had the good fortune to find yet, as I haven’t been in Paris for a few years due to COVID
Today (10 Sept 2015) I popped into a little patisserie/lunch bar in Rue Saint Maur in the 11th arrondissement, which is owned by chef Alain (who loves cats, hence the name “The Greedy Cat” / Le Chat Gourmand).
This is not a café or restaurant – it’s where you can buy sandwiches and tasty treats, then walk to the nearest park and have a picnic :-)
Everything is made fresh by Alain, from baguette sandwiches with delicious fillings, to home-made quiches, fresh salads (carrottes rapées = shredded carrot, epinards – spinach, etc), tasty pasta and much more).
If you’d like your quiche etc heated, not a problem.
The menu is a “Formule” (a “set menu”):
1 x dish, 1 x salad, 1 x dessert or drink = 9,00 €
The prices are very reasonable, the food is fresh and delicious — eat in, or take away — yum!
If you’re in the 11th on or near Rue Saint Maur, do pop in and say Teena sent you :-)
Alain is a charming guy with a great personality, singing along to great songs on the radio, dancing a bit when and if required, always welcomes you with a big smile and a friendly “Hello!” :-)
PS — ask for a Carte de Fidélité (a Loyalty Card) – after 10 purchases you get ONE MEAL FREE!
Cafe/Restaurant: Le Chat Gourmand (The Greedy Cat)
West Country Girl creperie is a local restaurant in Paris
There are so many great eateries in the 11th arrondissement, and I decided to try out this one for dinner.
In a little side street called Passage Saint-Ambroise, this is the only foodie place in the entire street, making it easy to find. The menu is small, but boasts all quality local ingredients, and it looked very warm and inviting.
If you’re nervous about speaking French, don’t be — the servers also speak English :-)
I ordered a mixed salad (which generally means a green salad of lettuces and a dressing) for €3.
For a main course, I decided to try the Champignon, Chevre et ciboulette crepe, which is a Mushroom, creamy Goat’s cheese and chives for around €8.
Normally crepes are served with cider, but this little resto has all kinds of alcohol available. I went with a traditional cider for €3 a glass, which was delicious — the choices were a sweet cider or a very, very dry one. After tasting the dry one, I opted for the more regular sweeter one – t turned out to be an excellent choice.
Everything was tasty, and perfect for a very light meal; you may need a few more crepes to fill you up for dinner :-)
Ambiance was great, lots of laughter from the guests, great music, terrific vibe. If you’re in the area, it’s worth a visit.
Today I was walking along Rue Saint-Maur and almost walked past this little café, but the blackboard sign outside made me want to go in :-)
The girls here are from Slovakia, Italy and Mexico, and offer gluten-free delights as treats or lunch (closed for dinner).
After chatting with the Barista to see how they make their coffees, I ordered a double-shot latte and was really, truly pleasantly surprised! Made with arabica beans, real fresh milk (not long-life milk like the average French cafe) and tasted great! Woohoo!
Do drop by and have a look if you’re in the area — their menu is fresh and sounds delicious.
Cafe: THANK YOU MY DEER
Located at: 112 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris
Open: 8:00am to 6:00pm
Update: 9 Sept 2015
I popped back to this café this morning for “P’tit Dej” (Petite Dejeuner = breakfast), where there’s a variety of gluten-free muffins and and cakes, home made granola, and eggs – yum!
When the bombings happened not long after I returned to Australia, I was stunned and shocked like the rest of the world.
