Gay Paree!
Our Paris trip is still 6 months away, but I'm already getting really excited about it. I'm looking forward to lots of museums, arts and history, decadent French pastry, real French stinky fromage (according to our French friend, North American cheese is not real cheese), and of course shopping, however in my case a lot of window-shopping. Our French friend gave us two pieces of advice for visiting Paris:
1. Speak French.
2. Never ask a French person for directions.
He wasn't kidding.
The city has so many tourists, Parisian people just don't have the time of the day to stop to give directions to every one that asks them. They will ignore you if you attempt to, especially if you speak English to them. You are better off with a map.
So I'm going to pick up French lessons again. I have a "Learn French" CD that's easy to listen to. You can practice speaking with it too. It even tells you if your accent is like a tourist (i.e. terrible, lol) or a native.
So any of you been to Paris? Do you recommend any particular places I should see, besides your usual Musee National du Louvre, L'Arc de Triomphe, Tour Eiffel, Notre-Dame, etc? Any shopping centres, streets, plazas that I must go to?
2 comments:
All of the things you listed are great but as an alternative to Notre Dame, try Sacre Couer in Montmartre (where Amelie ostensibly lived.) Less thronged with tourists, a great view of the city, just as gorgeous, and a great neighborhood all around.
Thanks ambika! Sacre Couer sounds wonderful. I'd imagine Notre Dame would be completely filled with tourists.
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