I Love Paris

Paris is one of the most stylish, avant garde fashion capitals in all the world.  It lives and breathes haute couture.  Fashion Week there is truly a thing to behold … but do you know why they call it Fashion Week?  Because it does not happen all the time.

You may feel like you need to take out a loan in order to replace your wardrobe before jaunting off to Paris, but that is not at all true — and it definitely is not necessary.

Do you know what the staple of street style is in most areas of Paris?  Jeans.  Just jeans.  Skinny jeans, wide legged jeans, bell bottom jeans, dirty jeans, ripped jeans, stylishly bleached jeans — you get the idea.  Cargo pants are seen as well.  Barring that, if all else fails, just wear black — nothing beats a sleek, chic black outfit in Paris, and you will fit in flawlessly.  But don’t worry, your jeans will keep you hip as well.

Now, this next series of post is not meant to be culture-centric, as it were, but the majority of us have to be aware of the stereotypes Americans have about Parisians — and the stereotypes Americans perceive that Parisians have about us.  It is vital to scrap those stereotypes — and to remember that if any Parisians do have preconceived notions about you, it is far better to prove them wrong by going in and acting friendly than it is to prove them wrong by going in with an attitude out to there and a chip the size of the Eiffel Tower sitting on your shoulder.

One stereotype a lot of Americans — and even people from different countries — seem to have is that everyone in Paris is rude.  Is this true?  Of course not!  They’re French, they are unique individuals, just like everyone else.  Are some of them rude?  Sure — just like some people in America, Mexico, China, and Australia are rude.  It happens.  Don’t let it ruin your trip or color your views.  Be nice, be polite, be yourself — it will take you far.

We have already said that the Louvre is a must see when you visit Paris. That is a pretty undeniable fact. The real question is, how can you see the Louvre? How can you see as much as possible, make sure your visit is thorough, and manage to make it through without getting entirely stressed out and frustrated? Remember, this is an enormous museum we are talking about here.

First of all, make sure you plan the trip just right. Try to get your tickets in advance, so you do not have to stand in line when you get there. Get a printed guide for the museum as well, and study it before you go. Mark down every item and exhibit you want to see the most. You can save a relaxed walk through other parts of the museum for another visit.

An audio guide may be helpful as well, especially when it comes to seeing the major collections. Again, just earmark your favorites.

Last but not least, pack a lunch for yourself because eating spots are crowded and the food can get expensive!

When you visit Paris, it is a fairly safe bet that you will at least want to learn a little bit about the language.  This subject is near and dear to me, simply because upon visiting Paris, I would love to be not only competent but fluent in the language.  Once you get past a certain age (say … twenty seven, cough cough cough), then the five years of French you had in high school have pretty much faded from memory — so what can you do?

There are several options here, some of them naturally more expensive than others.  For one thing, you may think about signing up for French language classes at the local community college.  If you learn better by being taught on a face to face environment, then this might be best for you.  Lacking that, you can also advertise for a tutor; sometimes one on one is a better atmosphere.

Now, with Muzzy and Rosetta Stone, there are lots of ways to learn a new language right at home.  I know Muzzy is supposed to be for kids, but if you are not familiar with a language, then you still need to begin at the beginning.

Paris is one of the foremost fashion capitals of the world, right?  Right.  So, everyone there, man, woman, and child, is a true, bred in the bones fashionista, right?  Absolutely — not.  People in Paris are just like you and me.  Sure, some of them dress impeccably in all the latest styles, but so do a lot of people all over the world, whether you are in Tokyo or Charleston, West Virginia.

So, you do not have to be a complete style diva on your visit to Paris.  Wear what is comfortable, just make sure it is appropriate for wherever you are visiting.  However. There are a couple of things you need to consider.

Have you ever seen the quintessential tourist, wearing loud colors, fanny packs, and sneakers or flip flops into a rather fancy or smart place?  Well … try not to mimic that.  Do not wear sneakers into the opera house, but do not feel compelled to wear evening wear to the outdoor cafe, either.

If there is one thing that I know about, it is the Sainte Chapelle (La) chapel.  This beautiful church is one of Paris’s most famous chapels.  Not only was it built by King Louis IX, but it is believed that the Sainte Chapelle (La) actually houses the Jesus Crown of Thorns and a piece of the true cross.  The Sainte Chapelle (La) lies deep in the city of Palais de Justice and it was constructed in true Rayonnant style.

The overall picture of it does not do it justice.  The outside is slightly gothic and haunting; however, when you get inside this beautiful chapel, you will be surrounded and overwhelmed by stained glass windows.  They are huge and they are everywhere and that is exactly what most people come to see. 

This beautiful chapel is one of the few buildings left that actually look incredible all around and to be honest … I think that this particular chapel is going to be around forever and tucked away in Paris!

Looking for something to do in Paris is almost an oxymoron – the sights that you take in and the adventures that you experience when you are in Paris are all priceless.  Whether you are just walking around along the streets or you are going somewhere, Paris is a place that, as I have said before, everyone should take in at some point in their life.

However, there is one attraction that I think that you should visit when you go to Paris and that is Centre Georges Pom.  This beautiful and modern building is actually a museum.

The Centre Georges Pom holds some of the best artists in the world, Matisse, Chagall, and Picasso just to name a few and the outside is something to marvel at.  All of the beautiful and color-coded mechanical systems outside look beautiful yet a little out of place in Paris – and that to me is pretty cool!

Paris is one of those places that you go, but you never quite know exactly what to do in the nighttime.  If you are a nightlife person, you definitely want to make sure that you hit the scene – however, if you are a tourist, how do you know the good places from the bad?  That is what we are here to tell you!  Barrio Latino is by far one of the best nightclubs in the world – or at least in Paris.  This beautiful club is breathtaking inside and it is open almost the whole night – till 2am! 

Now, if you are looking for something for lunch too, this place closes at 2am, but opens back up at 11am, so you can come back for lunch!  I think that this place, while expensive to get in (about $20.00, it is absolutely worth it.  It is one of the friendliest places in the world and the wrought-iron ceilings combine with the velvet sofas and eclectic mix of people, this place is perfect for anyone.

So check out Barrio Latino and make sure that you get a slice of Latino while you are in Paris!

Most of us have heard about the Avenue des Champs Elysees — it is, after all, one of the most famous locations in all of Paris. However, many of us cannot even imagine the stunning beauty of the famed avenue — nor do we realize just how much the avenue has to offer in the way of cultural sites and exciting activities.

Until seeing it, it is difficult to imagine the scope of the Champs Elysees, which stretches all the way from the Place d’Etoile to the Place de la Concorde. Without question, you should begin your explorations straight from the well known Charles de Gaulle-Etoile metro station, at which point you will pretty much be at the base of the famous Arc de Triomphe. At that point, twelve major streets actually meet.

In addition to historical sites, there are plenty of authentic Parisian cafes lining the street, as well as shopping centers. Routinely, exciting celebrations take place there as well, which makes it easy to see why this is definitely a must see on any trip to Paris.

Paris, as you know is one of the most romantic cities in the world.  It is also one of the most expensive.  If you are looking to do Paris up right and make sure that you and your spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend see all of the sights while you do not have to spend a lot of money – remember, there are deals out there on the internet.  Being romantic and whimsical is something that you can still do; however, you might have to work for it.

Making the arrangements to travel to Paris can be difficult, after all, you have to find the flight and the hotel accommodations, however, if you take advantage of things like priceline.com and hotels.com, you can book them all in one swoop and your spouse will never know the difference!  Make sure that you find the best price available too and make sure that you are somewhat flexible with your dates – that can only help you in the long run.

Another thing you need to remember is you do have to save up some money – after all, you want to ensure that you can buy all sorts of things while there, so putting back some money out of each of your paychecks is something you absolutely need to do!