Use Rechargeable Batteries for Smart Phones in Paris
Suitable for iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 & 4S
Suitable for Samsung Galaxy S3/S4/Note
One little teeny tiny item that is a GREAT additional to your travel items is a rechargeable battery for your smart phones. When I was out and about walking all day long, I couldn’t always find a place to plug in my iPhone and charge it, so this little piece of technology was marvellous! I carried it in my bag with my iPhone, and it was charged for whenever I needed it. Also great if you’re stuck in a train station, bus station or airport for long periods of time without a way to charge your phone.
I found the perfect one which is only 6x6x1.5 cm / approximately 2.5×2.5×0.5″ in size.
I loved them so much I am thrilled to be able to share them with you — with my own Paris photos on them!
Buy Now for $US18.97 + $5.00 shipping
These are my unique designs, and only available from me — they are printed as soon as an order is received, and the total turnaround and shipping is approximately 14 days (or less).
Please note: AbfabDesigns.com may appear on your statement/receipt.
To charge the battery
Plug into your laptop or other USB port whilst plugged into the power
Battery types: Lithium ion batteries
Dimension: 6x6x1.5 cm / approximately 2.5×2.5×0.5″ in size
Weight: 51g
Charging time: approximately 3 hours
Black USB cable included
Compatible with iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 & 4S
To charge the iPhone
Plug the recharged battery into your iPhone (if you don’t have any other way to charge the phone), and allow it to charge.
06/17/14 by Paris-Travel | Blog | Comments Off on The romantic lock bridge in Paris – Pont des Arts
Heard of the romantic lock bridge in Paris?
If you’re feeling romantic and you’re on foot, you might want to walk across the Pont des Arts, to see the multitude of locks which romantic couples have left on the bridge. Often called the “Lock Bridge” or “Love Lock Bridge”, romantic couples add locks to the sides of the bridge.
The local want to ban the practice, but no law has been created yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC-r93coyBM
Built between 1802 and 1804 under the reign of Napoleon, the bridge is a favourite with local and visiting visiting artists.
The “love lock” ritual started in other countries, and finally reached Paris in 2008, finding a home on the Pont des Arts – now lovers are also going to the Pont de l’Archevêché near Notre Dame cathedral.
For your romantic adventure, once you’re on the Pont des Arts there are great views up and down the River Seine so take in your surroundings – the beautiful, centuries-old historical buildings from the Ile de la Cité, to the Louvre and Pont Neuf – you can also see the top of Sainte Chapelle church in the distance.
If it’s a lovely day, bring food and drink and have a little picnic with your loved one.
Map to the locks on the Pont des Arts (the Bridge of Arts)
In the mood for a very tasty steak and fries (“chips” and the French “frites“)? Pop over to Le Relais de Venise.
I love a good steak and I really love Chateaubriand, but if you’re not looking for something so rich, you might enjoy this great resto (and the great news is they’re also in London (x 3!) and New York!)
head on over to Porte-Maillot metro in the 17th arrondissement
no reservation is necessary
when ordering your how your steak will be cooked, you’ll only have TWO choices — rare or well-done, so please don’t ask for anything else :-)
This restaurant has also become known by the name of L’Entrecôte and you can ask for directions and everyone will know which restaurant you mean.
Once you’re seated at your table, your waitress will ask you: “Saignant?” (rare), or “Bien cuit? (well done)”.
That’s it — no other choices, no “medium” or “medium rare” — so knowing that up-front will make it easier to choose. The steak is thin so it can really only be cooked in two ways. Easy, non?
When your steak arrives it will be thinly sliced and covered with an amazing sauce (and it’s a secret recipe handed down through the generations), paired with delicious “frites” (or fries, also known as “hot chips” in the UK, Australia and New Zealand).
When you’re ready for dessert you’ll have many wonderful delicacies to choose from, so go ahead and enjoy!
Your Say
If you do visit this restaurant, I’d love to hear what you think about it – just send a Comment below, or a voicemail (click the button on the right of the website) or tell me about it on my Facebook page, Twitter etc — thanks in advance!
07/14/13 by Paris-Travel | Blog | Comments Off on What is Bastille Day?
Have you ever wondered, “What is Bastille Day?”
It’s Le quatorze juillet !
To be honest, it’s only non-French people who call the 14th of July “Bastille Day”, so please don’t say “Happy Bastille Day!” to your French friends or other French people – ok?
I’ve lived in Paris so I am familiar with this day commemorating the French Revolution, but thought I’d get a Wikipedia explanation for you:
“Bastille Day is the name given in English speaking countries to the French National Day, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. In France, it is formally called La Fête Nationale and commonly Le quatorze juillet (the fourteenth of July).
The French National Day commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution with the Storming of the Bastille on the 14 July 1789, as well as the Fête de la Fédération on the 14 July 1790.
Celebrations are held all over France. The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of 14 July, on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, French officials and foreign guests.”
If I’m lucky enough to be in Paris for le Quatorze Juillet (Bastille Day), I generally celebrate with friends by having a picnic or going out to dinner.
There will be plenty of restaurants open for this national holiday, but a make sure you BOOK IN ADVANCE so you will have a guaranteed reservation.
So now you can answer the question, “What is Bastille Day?” by saying, “It’s le quatorze juillet !”
11/11/12 by Paris-Travel | Store | Comments Off on Mini folding umbrella with French words
A mini folding umbrella – ooh la la :-)
I wanted to design a mini folding umbrella with French words all over it, in a happy bright colour to make a statement in the streets of Paris on a grey winter’s day. This is my first one:
Mini folding umbrella: $US29.99 + Shipping $10.00
Made from 100% polyester pongee waterproof fabric
Opens up to 41″ span
Can be reduced to a collapsed height of 9″
Each rib consists of 3-section aluminium for flexibility and strength
I had a prototype umbrella made and took it with me to Paris – here I am in the Place des Vosges just off rue St Antoine near metro Bastille. It was a grey day, and this design really stood out from the crowd :-)
**Please note payments will appear as ‘Abfab’ or ‘Absolutely’ on your credit cards and receipts.
Questions about my gorgeous Paris umbrella?
Please let me know asap and I’ll do my best to help you, thanks! Back to my Paris Store >>
10/29/12 by Paris-Travel | Where do I find | Comments Off on What is the location of public toilets in Paris?
Finding the location of public toilets in Paris is easy!
The location of public toilets in Paris is — everywhere! On this great Paris website you can find them by arrondissement / suburb (district), from the 1st / 1ere / 75001 / Premier to the 20th / 20eme / 75020 / Vingtieme.
They’re called “sanisettes” and they are modern 21st Century self-cleaning, grey space pods which easily blend into their surroundings – you might not even realise they ARE toilets. There are 400 in Paris, and great news! They’re also wheelchair-friendly (I’ve been told) or at least accessible for the disabled.
They’re open between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and can be found near major tourist spots, food markets and taxi stands.
Every time someone uses a “sanisettes,” then exits, the automatic door closes and it’s like it’s taking a shower :-)
The toilet bowl and floor are automatically cleaned, dried and disinfected.
Inside you’ll find coat hooks, a mirror and a handbasin, with natural lighting coming through the roof, and they use a reduced amount of water with renewable energy-source electricity.
How cool these public toilets are also eco-friendly and doing their bit for the planet — on flush at a time :-)
I’m thrilled to announce that I have been designing drink coasters and cushion covers (and soon to be handbags, umbrellas, smartphone cases like iPhone, Android, Blackberry etc) and much more — all with a Paris theme, using my own handpainted designs and photos.
Please note that each item will be manufactured once the order is placed, and this can take 2-3 weeks before delivery.
I’m still working out the logistics so if something doesn’t make sense with the items or shipping etc, give me a yell, ok?
In July 2012, we found Les Mandibules restaurant in Paris whilst wandering around the 11th arrondissement, and I really wanted to check it out.
We were there relatively early at 7pm and were the only customers for a short while. The decor was super cool, old album covers, an old portable record player in the front window, Rolling Stones album in prime position. Lost of memorabilia around the place and great music on the sound system set the mood for a great evening.
The Menu at les Mandibules restaurant
offered some delicious options and after choosing champagne as an aperitif, we decided on the duck and salmon for main courses.
Please note that “Entrée” in French is the “starter” course (as it is in many other countries apart from USA).
The duck was served with thinly sliced carrots cooked with cumin, absolutely delicious.
The salmon was servcd with wild rice and looked fantastic.
Our dessert of profiteroles was delicious – a small cup of chocolate was provided to pour over the profiteroles, which immediately hardened and provided plenty of crunch to go with the icecream inside the choux pastry.
If you find yourself anywhere near rue St Maur and rue St Ambroise, check out this delightful restaurant. The Patron was absolutely charming and quite a character, who ensured our visit was fabulous. (View the Where to Eat in Paris page and also the Famous French Food page.)
Prices:
champagne 12,0 euro per glass
entrées / starters 8,0 to 10,0 euro
mains 18,0 to 22,0 euro
desserts 8,0 to 9,0 euro
Map to les Mandibules restaurant
[mappress mapid=”29″]
Les Mandibules
5 rue Guillaume Bertrand 75011 Paris
07/15/12 by Paris-Travel | Kids, Museums | Comments Off on Le Musee en Herbe for kids in Paris
Ever heard of le Musee en Herbe?
Le Musee en Herbe is a museum for kids and they absolutely love it. You can wander around the current exhibitions or take the kids on a guided tour including animations (they must be accompanied by an adult)
How about some of their workshops? Weekends, Wednesdays and many school holiday days. The kids will learn about the current exhibition – the artist and their work – and then be encourage to create their own art in the same style. This is very cool!
If you’re looking for things for kids to do in Paris, check out my other pages:
Click the buttons to read about all the other fun activities for kids
Le MUSÉE EN HERBE
21 rue Hérold
75001 PARIS
Tél : 01 40 67 97 66
Fax : 01 40 67 92 13
Ouvert du lundi au dimanche de 10h à 19h sans interruption, vacances et jours fériés.
Open from Monday to Sunday from 10:00a.m. to 7:00pm, holidays and public holidays.
Nocturne le jeudi jusque 21h. Open late on Thursdays until 9:00pm
Métros : Les Halles (ligne/line 4), Palais Royal (ligne/line 1 et 7)
Bus : 85, 74, 29, 48, 67
RER : Châtelet – Les Halles
Want to know how to use a foreign laptop plug while you’re in Paris?
When you’re going to be in Paris with your laptop, and you’re coming from another country, there are 2 things to consider:
the plug which will go into a wall socket, and
the voltage of your computer.
This video shows my Australian power cord plug, and how I get it to work while I’m in Paris. Luckily the French voltage (220v) and Australian voltage (240v) are very similar, so I don’t need a Voltage Converter. But you might. The last thing you should do is plug in your computer without findout FIRST whether you need a voltage converter — you run the risk of blowing up your hard drive.
How To Use A Foreign Laptop Plug in Paris
with Teena Hughes of https://a-night-in-paris.com
With my laptop plug from Australia we have 3 prongs so what I needed to do was get a little attachment (plug converter) so that it would fit into the French system. So I simply got this little plug adapter here that just pushes on, and makes the two flat rods turn into round rods and also it pushes the height further away from the third prong for the Australian plug.
So all I had to do basically was just plug these two prongs into any electrical outlet here in this Parisian apartment and it worked just fine. So that’s all you have to do. Nothing special. So just get yourself one of these little plug adapters to go from Australian plugs to European plugs, and of course this will depend on which country you’re in.
Okay. If you enjoyed this quick Paris tip, you might like to get them in your email inbox – pop over to the website and sign up today!
See you soon!
Teena
Mini folding umbrella: $US29.99 + Shipping $10.00
With my laptop plug from Australia we have 3 prongs so what I needed to do was get a little attachment (plug converter) so that it would fit into the French system. So I simply got this little plug adapter here that just pushes on, and makes the two flat rods turn into round rods and also it pushes the height further away from the third prong for the Australian plug.
LET'S CHAT