06/20/13 by Paris-Travel | Food, Q and A, Website | No Comments »
Chatelle’s question: “How do I buy cheese in Paris?”
When Chatelle wrote and asked me about buying cheese, it brought back memories of the markets and the Fromageries (cheese shops) in Paris.
Teena, finally June 2013 has arrived and in 2 weeks I head for Paris. Cannot wait.
I do have, I suppose, a silly question: I will be wanting to purchase Baguettes and cheese.
How do I buy the cheese? do I ask for a portion, slice, or what.
Here in the USA I can order several at 1/4 to 1/2 pound. Pounds aren’t in France LOL.
Any suggestions?
Thanks for your reply! Chatelle
Teena’s answer
Hi there Chatelle,
OOOOooohhh how exciting! You’re almost in Paris!
Excellent question – (never silly!) and as with everything, there are several ways to do this.
One pound converts to 453 grams, but I take that up to 500 grams just to make it easy when I’m trying to calculate it in my head whilst shopping.
Roughly speaking:
- 2 pounds in weight is 907 grams, so close enough to one kilo
- 1 pound in weight is about half a kilo (500 grams)
- half a pound is about a quarter of a kilo (250 gm)
If you’re comfortable with trying to speak French, here are some suggestions.
Your questions could be:
Converting as you go:
- “A pound of cheese please (approximately 500 grams).” = “Cinq cent (500) grammes de fromage, s’il vous plait.”
- “Half a pound of cheese please (250 grams).” = “Deux cent cinquant (250) grammes de fromage, s’il vous plait.”
- “Quarter of a pound of cheese please (125 grams).” = “Cent vingt-cinq (125) grammes de fromage, s’il vous plait.”
If you’re not too comfortable speaking French, you could create some cards for your wallet, and write in thick marker pen, the amounts in grams, e.g. 100 grams, 200 grams etc.
Show these to the shopkeeper and point to the cheese (fromage) of your choice. You can also say the name if you can read it, and if you’re ok with that – Camembert, Brie, etc – they should all have their names written on them in the window etc.
I do hope this helps! I’m looking forward to hearing from you about all the things you love about Paris — wave to the Eiffel Tower and say hello from me, OK?
Bon voyage! Have a great trip!
Teena
Your Say
Got any tips of your own for the question, “How do I buy cheese in Paris?” Feel free to share – I’d love to hear from you :-)
06/09/13 by Paris-Travel | Shopping, Website | No Comments »
The annual sales in Paris are held in summer and winter, and the dates are strictly controlled by the Government.
If you happen to be in Paris in June, as you walk around the shops and stores you’ll notice the word “SOLDES” everywhere — which means “SALE”.
When are the summer sales in Paris?
The 2013 summer sales begin on June 26th and go to July 30th, 2013.
When are the winter sales in Paris?
The 2014 winter sales in begin in Paris on January 8th and go to February 11th, 2014.
What’s on sale in these annual sales in Paris?
You name it, you can find it:
- fashion
- jewellery
- clothing
- shoes
- handbags and bags
- fashion accessories
- just about whatever your little heart desires.
Where to find the Sales / “Soldes”
Walk along the popular streets and int he arcades, you’ll find so much being offered at a discount prices inshops and stores all over Paris, in large stores and small trendy boutiques, in department stores, little designer stores in the suburbs to major designer labels and internationally known designer stores.
Make a day of it – go with friends, plan where to have lunch (off the main streets to avoid the shoppers in crowds) and enjoy yourself whilst shopping the annual sales in Paris!
11/13/12 by Paris-Travel | Website | 2 Comments »
It’s slumber time with a Paris sleep mask
I couldn’t resist having these on my Paris website – everyone needs a sleep mask when they travel, and it’s not navy, black or brown so it won’t get lost :-)
To be honest, you don’t even need to travel to wear one of these – you can pretend you’re in Paris while you’re at home, put on some French music, get comfy, pop on your Paris sleep mask and let the lovely music massage your brain into sleeping. Dors bien! Sleep well!
Paris Sleep Mask $US10.99 + Shipping $US4.00
- Black nose piece to limit the amount of light which tries to sneak under the mask
- Comfy elastic strap to hold it in place
- One size fits all
- Machine washable
- Dimensions (approx): 7.25” x 3.5”
- Lime green with French words
**Please note payments will appear as ‘Abfab’ or ‘Absolutely’ on your credit cards and receipts.
Questions about the Paris sleep mask?
Please let me know asap and I’ll do my best to help you, thanks! Back to my Paris Store >>
11/12/12 by Paris-Travel | Website | No Comments »
This Paris backpack will hold all your stuff
This is a great sized Paris backpack for all your daily essentials while exploring. It holds a ton of stuff and is sturdy too. When I first visited Paris I had two backpacks – one large for everything I was travelling with, and one small for day use. I was always amazed at how much I could fit into the day use backpack, and it was great because it left my hands free for reading books and drinking coffees :-)
Paris backpack $34.99 + Shipping $10.00
- Double zip closure
- Elasticized mesh pockets at sides (for water bottle etc)
- Not that you’d need to carry them, but it can fit 2 packs of A4 paper easily (500 sheets per pack)
- Extra front compartment
- Adjustable padded shoulder straps
- Top hook
- Approx. dimension: 11″(L) x 5″(W) x 15.5″(H)
**Please note payments will appear as ‘Abfab’ or ‘Absolutely’ on your credit cards and receipts.
Questions about this Paris backpack?
Please let me know asap and I’ll do my best to help you, thanks! Back to my Paris Store >>
05/03/12 by Paris-Travel | Website | 2 Comments »
Looking for some tips for plane travel?
When I saw this infographic, I thought it was really cool and I wanted to share it with you. I don’t agree with all of it, but that’s ok, everyone can do as much or as little as they like out of these tips for plane travel.
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I know it’s long, but it really doesn’t take much time to read it. If you’re heading to Paris, France and you’ve got a long journey ahead of you, these tips might come in handy.
Got any tips for plane travel you’d like to share?
I’ve written all kinds of tips on this site about Paris and travel – to find them easily, you can use the search box and type : tips
I actually love travelling on planes and have done many trips between Australia and the USA, Canada, France, New Zealand (not so far, only 3 hrs), Mauritius – just to name a few. One of my favourite tips for plane travel is about jetlag – if you’re going a very long distance, I always assume the local time on arrival, and make sure I stay up until 8:00pm. I do allow myself a nap of ONE hour only if I’m exhausted (after flying from Sydney to Paris for 24 hrs), and try to get out and keep busy all day. If I stay in my room, it would be too easy to sleep the day away, and then it takes twice as long to get over jet lag. If you’d like to read more, pop over to this post: How to beat jetlag – one of my super duper tips for plane travel :-)
03/06/12 by Paris-Travel | Website | No Comments »
Chatelle visited my site and wanted to know, “What are the plus size clothing sizes in Paris?”
Many people don’t realise it’s possible to find fabulous plus size clothing sizes while they’re visiting Paris, so I created a couple of pages to help them with their shopping – here’s one question I received:
Teena
I am so excited to find your website. I will be on a 5-day tour in Paris (with some free time) and I think this website is going to ‘fit’. I plan on sharing with the others from my group. We don’t go until June, 2013 – but it’s never to early to begin.
Question: I wear a size 20 – 22, so what would be the ‘size’ I look for in Paris?
I’ll probably have many questions between now and 2013!
Chatelle
Above: spring and autumn plus size fashions from a variety of French fashion designers in Paris
It is lovely to hear from you Chatelle, and I do hope you signed up for my Newsletter … because you forgot to provide an email name for me to reply to you :-) My answer was:
Chatelle, Thanks so much for dropping by my website, and I’m so pleased you’re enjoying it.
I see you’ll be in Paris in June next year, which is when I’m usually there, so it would be fun to connect.
I have a clothing size chart on my website, which shows that Aussie size 20-22 is about 46-48 in European sizes – you can see more here:
When both Australia and France no longer have COVID restrictions, I’ll be hosting my Plus Size Paris Shopping Tours in the Parisian summers – if that’s something you might be interested in:
I have answered lots of Q&A’s (Questions & Answers) about Plus Size Paris, which I share to folks who sign up on the link above.
You may also be interested in the Postcards From Paris newsletter for this website, so if you haven’t signed up for that you might like to do so here:
In the Newsletter I answer questions from folks just like you :-)
Enjoy your planning – what fun!!
Cheers
Teena
Does this answer YOUR plus size clothing sizes question?
I hope so, if not, let me know and I’ll see how else I can help :-)
01/03/12 by Paris-Travel | Website | No Comments »
The annual Paris calendar is chock full of fabulous things to see and do in the City of Love and Light, so I’ve gathered them together all on one page, month-by-month, to make it easy for you (and me) to plan our trips to Paris.
12 Months of Things to Do in Paris Calendar of Events
by Teena Hughes
 January
- New Year’s Day / Jour de l’An
- Ice skating / Paris sur Glace
- Epiphany / Fete de Rois (Festival of the Kings) buy Galettes des Rois, frangipani-filled cakes
- read more about Paris in January >>
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| February
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March
- Ice skating continues / Paris sur Glace
- Rugby / 6 Nations continues
- Jazz / Bannlieueus Bleues 5 wks jazz, blues, R&B, soul, French & international
- Spring Cinema / Printemps du Cinema, 3 day film fest, all tickets 3.50 Euros
- read more about Paris in March >>
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April
- Biggest Fair / Foire du Trone, 9 wks, noon-midnight
- Paris Marathon / Marathon de Paris, 35k runners, Champs-Elysees to Ave Foch
- Easter Sunday / Paques
- Annual Arts Festival / Grand Marche d’Art Contemporaine
- Read more about Paris in April >>
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May
- Biggest Fair / Foire du Trone, continues
- May Day / Fete du Travail, march via Bastille
- Spring Museums / Printemps des Musees, one Sunday in May some museums have free entry
- Museum Night / La Nuit des Musees, one night only, special events open late
- Art-St-Germain-des-Pres, 50 galleries showcase artists, giant ‘block party’
- Festival Jazz a St-Germain-des-Pres, 10 day celebration on the Left Bank
- Cannes Directors’ Fortnight / Quinzaine des Realisateurs, 14 days
- Spring in the Streets / Le Printemps des Rues, annual street theatre festival
- Festival / Foire St-Germain, concerts, theatres
- French Tennis Open, tennis tournament
- Read more about Paris in May >>
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June
- Fete du Velo / Bicycle Festival
- Paris Jazz Festival
- Festival de St-Denis
- Festival Chopin a Paris / music festival
- Fete de la Musique
- Gay Pride March, outrageous, fun parade
- Read more about Paris in June >>
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July
- Summer Film Festival / Paris Cinema
- Solidays, 3 day music fest for AIDS
- Open Air / Cinema en Plein Air, free films under the stars
- 14 July Bastille Day / Quatorze Juillet 1789,
- Paris Beach / Paris Plage, palm trees, sand & pool on the River Seine
- Tour de France, end of annual endurance cycling spectacular
- Read more about Paris in July >>
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| August
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September
- Jazz a la Villette, one of the top jazz festivals, also for kids
- Festival Classique au Vert
- Festival Paris Ile de France
- Techno Parade
- Autumn / Festival d’Automne, major annual arts festival
- Journee du Patrimoine, embassies, corporations etc open doors to public
- Read more about Paris in September >>
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October
- White Night / Nuit Blanche, galleries, museums, bars, clubs open very late
- Prize / Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, horse race
- Fete des Vendanges de Montmartre, street parties celebrate the 1,000 wine bottles from local harvest
- FIAC, contemporary art fair Louvre & Grand Palais
- Read more about Paris in October >>
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November
- Festival des Inrockuptibles, rock, pop and trance festival
- 11th – l’Armistice, Remembrance Day ceremony @l’Arc de Triomphe for WWII
- Fete du Beaujolais Nouveau, the new Beaujolais Wine has arrived! Celebrate in a local bar!
- Africolor, African music festival
- Read more about Paris in November >>
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| December
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HAVE FUN with this Paris Calendar!
Let me know what you enjoyed the most,
I’d love to hear from you!
Teena
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| Links for the Paris Calendar Events
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You might also like to read the What to do in Paris France page.
Know of an event to add to the Paris Calendar? Let me know, thanks in advance!
12/27/10 by Paris-Travel | Website | No Comments »
TRAVELLING, LEARNING AND APPRECIATING DIFFERENT CULTURES
“I just happened to stumble on your site …”
Dec 27, 2010
Hi there Teena,
My name is Temi. I just happened to stumble on your site while at work and I’d just like to say Wow!, It’s a great job you have.
To be able to go around the world learning and appreciating the different cultures.
Being a Londoner who now lives in Texas, I feel a bit home sick when I see pictures from Europe especially London of course.
Thought I’d drop this few lines to say Well done.
Take care and God bless.
Temi
TEENA SAYS …
Hi there Terri,
Thanks for dropping by! So lovely to hear from you.
I’ve lived in different countries and I know how it can feel when you’re homesick.
The best thing to do is start a blog – today – and write posts about what you love the most about the place you miss.
I do that about Paris (I live in Sydney) – and before long you’ll be uploading photos to go with your blog posts and having a grand time :-)
You can start a blog online today – it’s free, quick and easy at several different sites online.
Let me know if you do!
Have a gorgeous week, and thanks again for visiting my site and taking the time to write.
Cheers
Teena!
12/05/09 by Paris-Travel | Website | No Comments »
Where can I find public toilets in Paris, please?
“Où se trouve les toilettes, s’il vous plait?”
Wondering where to find public toilets in Paris and being prepared (and indeed throughout France), can be tricky – but there are some solutions so you’re in luck …
A little cultural tip – the word ‘toilet’ is not generally used by many Americans, who are more familiar with asking for the ‘bathroom’. If you ask for a bathroom in Paris, people will think you wish to take a shower or bath.
So learn to say ‘toilette’ and you’ll be fine :-) (It sounds like “twah-lette”.)
You will notice these public toilets in the streets of Paris, and despite your misgivings, they are completely clean and sanitary.
They are called SANISETTES.
They are made of fibreglass, and as soon as someone exits and closes the door, it locks. The toilet module is then cleaned from top-to-bottom and disinfected, ready for the next person. The whole process is extremely fast, so if you’re waiting outside, it won’t be for long.
The toilettes are free – the sign ‘Acces Gratuit’ means ‘Free access’.
If you’d like to plan your toilet stops in advance, this website will help tremendously:
You can also find toilets in Starbucks
But you may need to make a purchase in order to get the key to the toilet, or hover outside the toilet door until someone comes out, and ask them for the key.
Large Stores
The larger stores like Galleries Lafayette, Printemps etc will of course have toilets/restroom if you are near them.
Cafes – more modern in 2018
If you choose to use the loo (toilet) in an older cafe, you might be surprised to be confronted with a Turkish Toilet – two shoe prints on the ground and a gaping hole. In the past these have been generally very smelly and totaly impractical for women as squatting down and trying to prevent your clothing from touching the floor is a feat reserved for only the best contortionists.
It’s always a good idea to have a small packet of tissues (Kleenex) in your bag – just in case — BUT do not flush the tissues!! They might block the sewerage system, so put them in a bin if possible.
Got any suggestions for more public toilets?
If you know of other public toilets, drop me a note by clicking the ADD A COMMENT link below – thanks! Have fun :-)
A pocket size book about public toilets in Paris
PS – if you’d like to buy a small ebook which includes maps of all the Sanisette public toilets in Paris, the website is here >>
08/10/09 by Paris-Travel | Getting Around in Paris, Website | No Comments »
How accessible is the Paris Metro for wheelchair users, travelling with a companion? Look forward to an early response.
UK Tourist
Thank you for visiting my website and posting a question about wheelchair access.
The underground Paris metro (train system) was built many years ago and has tons of stairs throughout to connect to different platforms – making it a bit tricky for a wheelchair, but there are definitely ways to get around.
Wheelchair/Handicap accessible Metro
There are aproximately 50 Metro/RER stations within Paris which have elevators/lifts and accessibility for wheelchairs.
The stations listed on the map (which I have attached) are the reduced mobility accessible stations. Although the stations themselves are accessible, very few Metro / RER lines have easy roll-on accessibility for getting onto the train.
Metro Line 14 and RER E have complete roll-on / roll-off access for wheelchairs right onto the trains and all station stops are accessible by elevator.
The other Metro lines which have accessibility right onto the train include Metro Lines 1, 2, and 13. The RER B train, popular for its CDG Airport to Paris line, only has complete accessibility at Gare du Nord station.
Other information about the map:
“On the left hand side of the map, half-way down, is an index of Metro, RER and Train stations (”Index des gares et stations accessibles”). Listed here are station names (ex. Auber), the type of train served: Metro (subway), RER (suburban train / express subway), or Train (intercity train), which lines are served (RER A, Metro Line 14, etc.) and whether wheelchairs can roll-on/roll-off unassisted onto the train cars. A red asterisk beside the train type and line means wheelchairs cannot roll onto trains and will need assistance at that point.
The map also shows wheelchair accessible Paris Bus lines along with bus stops that have specifically designed ramps for ease of access. Buses along these lines will have the ability to kneel and deploy a ramp for wheelchair roll-on/roll-off access. Bus stops that specifically do not have accessible ramps will be marked with a caution sign (yellow triangle with exclamation point).” (from Paris By Train)
Links which may also help you :
This SNCF official service will assist people in wheelchairs, and you’ll be met at the train station by a representative who will assist you with all your arrangements — download their PDF on this page with more information:
J’accede:
Also check out this other page on this website — Paris France Wheelchair Rental
I hope this information has been of some help, and that my website provided some further info on Paris for you.
Have a delightful day,
Cheers
Teena Hughes
http://A-Night-in-Paris.com
Some other pages on my website which might be helpful:
So how accessible is the Paris Metro? After all this info I’m hoping you’ve found it’s a lot more accessible for folks with disabilities than you first thought. Let me know your experience in Paris, perhaps it will help another reader? Thanks in advance!
I hope I have answered the question: “How accessible is the Paris Metro is for wheelchair users?”
cheerio for now
Teena!
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