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Paris Local Custom Tips by shrimp56

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Paris Local Custom Tips by shrimp56
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shrimp56    
To travel is to understand -- back from France -- watch for new pages ;)


Real Name: Sally
Lives In: Chicago, US
Member Since: Apr 20, 2001
VT Rank: 92

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Tips 1 - 10 of 44
Paris Local Customs
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Parlez vous francais?: Perhaps the most important... is "la politesse"
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  • Perhaps the most important thing in Paris is to observe 'la politesse'.
    .
    ALWAYS start with 'Bonjour Madame/ Mademoiselle/ Monsieur.' And say 'Au revoir' Madame/ Mademoiselle/ Monsieur' as you leave the store. I have learned through many visits that the French formality is cultural, rather than a coolness towards outsiders.

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    Website: http://www.parisbalades.com/v
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    Dining & Drinking: "la note, s'il vous plait"
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  • In simple restaurants the bill is often calculated on the paper topping the table. This is from our lunch at Chartier. As you can see we drank a bottle of wine from Bergerac and 2 people had the sauerkraut and sausage plate :)

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    Rules of Engagement: For that essential gift for your host *6e
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  • If you are fortunate enough to be invited to a French family's house for dinner you must bring a small gift. Wine is out, because it looks as though you are not expecting them to serve good wine. Flowers are standard -- not chrysanthemums though as they are associated with funerals. It is better form to send them either before or after the dinner. This is both so the hostess doesn't have to break her routine and find a vase and so your flowers will not be compared with [and possibly outshine ] someone else's.
    .
    This is a cute little shop on rue Saints-Peres, just around the corner from Hotel du Danube on rue Jacob. The little flower pots in the tiny watering can were pricey -- 12 euros. But they are very chic. I brought them several times and my hosts seemed pleased.

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    Dining & Drinking: The Cafe Life
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  • The institution of the French cafe has taken a beating from fast food and the frenetic pace of modern life ... yet some of the cafes survive and thrive!
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    Some basic rules: If you order at the bar, eat/drink at the bar. The prices are different between the bar and the tables. Once you have ordered something the table is yours until you decide to move. This young couple on Rue de Buci can stay there as long as they like! Service is included so the normal policy is to round up to the next euro.

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    Smoking: Smoking in Paris
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  • There isn't a whole lot you can do about the preponderance of smoke in Parisian cafes and restaurants. You can consult the website below for some advice on restaurants with non-smoking areas as well as smoke-free restaurants.
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    The irony of this photo is that the young man with a cigarette in his hand is exiting the medical school just across from Hotel du Danube in the 6e!

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    Website: http://www.bonjourparis.com/articles.php?articleId=306&page=1
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    Local Customs: Le Kiosque
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  • The Paris kiosque ranges from a simple advertising spot to those that unfold into newstands. The design is historic, but not without its limitations. [Read the article cited on the website mentioned below]. This kiosque is one of the smaller ones, on ave. Bousquet, I think. It caught my eye as the historic design with the green trim was a stark contrast with the modern posters. They are a good source of foreign newspapers as well as the ever-helpful "Pariscope".
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    The second picture is of the one referred to in the Welty-Rochefort article cited below. It is at Place Gambetta and was taken from Bar Metro, where we had the pleasure of meeting the author! [More in a later tip.]

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    Website: http://www.paris.org/Kiosque/jul03/letter.html
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    Local Customs: Carved in stone -- Paris street signs
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  • It takes a certain amount of faith to carve street names in the sides of buildings and, as the first picture demonstrates, things do not always remain the same!
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    The second picture amuses me as the revolutionary values of liberty, equality and brotherhood are carved into the wall of a bank!
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    The third is a remnant of a street sign named after the ditch that was dug around the 1210 Philippe-Auguste wall.
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    The fourth picture is a different sign indeed! It is supposed to be a cannon ball hole in the wall of thre Hotel de Sens in the 4th arrondissementr, lodged there on the 28 July 1830.

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    Local Customs: Les Veritables Pastilles Valda
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  • I couldn't resist the old-fashioned sign in the pharmacy window :))))
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    According to the website: "Utilisé pour soulager les irritations de la gorge. " that is, use to soothe a sore throat :) Try the French website for more information;)

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    Website: http://www.vidal.fr/medicament/Valda-17200.htm
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    Local Customs: I don't know where else to put...
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  • I don't know where else to put the French [Parisan?] fascination with 'les aspirateurs' -- or vacuum cleaners. This was one of the [several] store displays in our neighborhood.
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    One of the first things I do when we are staying in the 7e is to check the store windows to see what's new -- as there are definitely fashions in aspirateurs!
    ---------
    Check the second picture for 2005 fashion in aspirateurs!

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    Local Customs: On the other hand here's a... 7e
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  • Paris - Good enough to eat:)
  • Good enough to eat:)
  • by shrimp56
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  • On the other hand here's a window display of flowers made of SUGAR!! They were meticulously detailed and very beautiful! I have to admit that I did a doubletake when I saw them. This window in in the 7e.

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    Comments for shrimp56 about Paris
    sdjeff4sc Sat Apr 5, 2008 03:54 UTC
     Shrimp, Love your page, but I ate at L'Ecluse (Grand Augustins) in October and tried the Tagliatelle - it was horrible! The pasta was rubbery and the foie gras was the worst I had. Not your fault, but I wouldn't eat there again.
    Karolina01 Tue Feb 5, 2008 23:45 UTC
     I am checking the hotels for now, and I saved some of your websites. I'll come back to look at the other tips. Thank you.
    mancera Fri Jan 18, 2008 19:44 UTC
     Like you Paris on my mind and my heart... I have the hope to be able to travel to Paris and to know it meanwhile... I am used to reading and to learn all the information that find on France
    grovier Mon Nov 26, 2007 20:29 UTC
     I'm french, living in Marseille in the south, but I think you know Paris than me...But your choices of restaurant and wines means you enjoy the "plaisir de la table"...
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