"Paris" a Paris Travel Page by astro_kerryn

Everything ends this way in France - everything. Weddings, christenings, duels, burials, swindlings, diplomatic affairs - everything is a pretext for a good dinner. - Jean Anouilh

From the eclectic fabric shops lining the cobblestone streets of Montmartre or "old Paris" to the little gourmet deli's, boulangeries, patisseries and bars of St Germain to the high-rise glass and steel structures of La Défense (incidentally not actually a part of Paris!!) I can definitely relate to the relevance of the saying ``That they who have seen Paris, have seen every thing.''

The bustling streets of Montmartre are loaded with fabric traders, cafe connoisseurs sipping latte’s and making fun of passers by, tourists drinking Heineken in chic corner bars and hustlers trapping tourists with tales of good luck charms and fabric wrist band weaving tricks, all for cash of course! The streets are lined with worn down, smooth cobblestones, which create a dreamy reflection of the colourful shopfront lights at night. It’s almost a mystic atmosphere, from which you are brought crashing to earth by the dozen or so hustlers that make the Sacre Coeur home and lasso unsuspecting tourists with pieces of string and chipped tooth smiles. Once the string is attached to your finger you are stuck there discussing were you are from, if you are single and whether you have time for a drink. After detaching yourself from a small some of money, and NO drink date (if you’ve been persistent in your no thank you’s and merci’s) you find that you have a colourful blend of strings woven around your wrist so tightly as to make your hand numb for hours. For a short while I checked for tourist tracking devices in my string and then I discovered I could use it to get rid of further stringings from the Sacre Coeur hustlers, so there are advantages to doing it once! But a word of warning, don't go alone to the Sacre Coer at night but Montmartre should not be missed!

The narrow streets of St Germain are fringed with tall narrow buildings displaying planter box windowsills and filled with little cramped boutiques selling avante gard couture from divine handmade bags to funky accessories and one off pieces. Mixed in with this are specialised art galleries selling parisienne originals as well as gourmet deli's where you can find anything and everything that belongs to french epicurian history and new delights ranging from handmade icecream to fortified fruit wines. As you walk along with your little packages of pate, truffles and terrines, you virtually trip over people spilling out of restaurants and bars onto the pavements. The smells, textures and tastes of St Germain are to die for!