Paris Local Custom Tips by shrimp56 Top 5 Page for this destination

*MY* Local Custom is attending church in Paris Religion Review

While I am semi-religious and do enjoy the faith aspects of attending a church service in a foreign country, I also go for the music, the architecture and the ambiance. I mean how else do you get to sit quietly [well stand sometimes] in Notre Dame or St. Eustache for a hour without feeling like a total tourist.
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For the record I have attended various church services not only in Paris, but in Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Macedonia and Czech Republic.
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This last time in St. Eustache I was there for the famous organ as well as the service. I noted that there were many more locals than tourists and, although the ages were on the upside, there was a real sense of a lively parish church. Please enjoy my pictures of the church and get yourself over there some Sunday for a super church-going experience. Note: All pictures were taken AFTER the service.

Website: http://www.saint-eustache.org/

Have you ever wondered how ...

Parisians move in and out of those 6th floor walk-ups?
The answer is here. Hire a "Demenagement" expert who will lower your grand piano safely to the street.
I took these pictures while I was on my way to the airport in Feb 2006.

Les Grandes Ecoles

I will not deign to explain the French educational system. But at its pinnacle reside Les Grandes Ecoles, the prestige universities that all French students strive for, as graduation from one of them ensures your future. The admission pressure is so fierce that students take two years after what we would consider high school to prepare for the exams.
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My friend took me to the Ecole Normale Superieure, where philosophy is studied as he knows I teach the subject. I must say the surroundings were very elegant and historic indeed!

Smoking in Paris Smoking Review

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!

Les Veritables Pastilles Valda

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;)

Perhaps the most important... is "la politesse" Parlez vous francais? Review

Perhaps the most important thing in Paris is to observe 'la politesse'.
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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.

The Paris "Shell Game"

Now that I have your attention -- one of the things I enjoy about the architectural decoration in Paris is the many ways a similar motif is used to decorate a building's facade -- in this case the scallop shell, which is traditionally a symbol of welcome to pilgrims. Which makes sense as one of the pilgrimage trails led to Paris.
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And I bet you thought the next tip would be about 3 card monte right?

Carved in stone -- Paris street signs

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.

Keeping tourists dry!

When it rains the little stores and bookstalls in the tourist areas put up their plastic "walls" and put out the "parapluie" sign. An umbrella for 4,50 euro isn't too bad! As you can see this is a typical small shop in the Latin Quarter selling post cards and scarves!

Public & Private in Paris: Gardens as a Metaphor

One of the ways in which Americans fail to grasp cultural difference in France is in the distinction between public and private. It is built into the French language with the "tu/vous" conundrum. The best thing to do is to always use "vous", except with small children & animals! Even people who have known each other for decades may still use "vous".
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Along the same lines we Americans always open conversations with questions about jobs and family, while we are taught to avoid discussing Religion & Politics. It's the reverse in Paris. Poltiics & Religion are frequently discussed with great knowledge and enthusiasm, but questions about work and family are not considered appropriate.
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So why the gardens in the picture? There are many public gardens in Paris as well as many private gardens/squares requiring a key to open them. Here we have on the right Parc Monceau, available to all, and on the left the private garden of the mansion next to Musée Nissim Camondo. What may look public, may, in fact be private -- or vice versa. Bienvenu à Paris:)