A few more comments about Paris
Trip Start
Jun 03, 2008
1
5
23
Trip End
Oct 14, 2008
Chamonix,
Rhône-Alpes,
France
Monday, June 16, 2008
I have now learnt that a hotel room with view is worthy the extra money-mine faces a mountain slope draped with glacier, and it really kept my spirit up despite all that rain. At 50 euro, I consider it money well spent. Since I cannot go out hiking, or take one of the famous cable trams that can take you up a peak for paranomic view, or over all the way to Italy, might as well blog some more about Paris.
- the best place to take in Paris night view is right from Metro station Les Halles on the right bank. Look to the right across river, the Effiel tower and dome of Hotel Invalid (i think) bath in light, bridges across Seine glow with the light too, over shiny water. A few steps into the isle de citi island street lights cast tree shadows onto the white marble of old palaces. In the scattered light the river looks misty, the streets look misty, there is a reason Paris is called the city of light.
-Part of the fun in visiting a new country is in figuring out the small things about how people live, like the fact that streets are not marked on signposts, but on little blue boards on side of buildings, the fact that flashing green crosses on streets are pharmacie, the US equivalent of drugstores, only the beauty products are more high end. Sometimes the curiosity can be too much, one time I gazed at these little blue round boxes in drugstore for 2 minutes, before deciding they are not some beauty products unknown to me, but condoms, and hurried away.
-Cars in Europe are small, really. As a result you can park with both hind wheels to the curb.
-street markets sell all that's worth selling, and some more. Think leather sofa, antique glass, and plastic spiderman.
-around dinner time, Parisans hurrying home with 2 fresh baguettes wrapped in the middle with paper to carry, love the scene.
-waiters prevail in number over waitresses, often young guys awefully good looking.
-take time to order food, you can find the 15 people around you order the same dish, in this case a Plat du Jour, or special of the day. The Plat du Jour is to be valued. Often part of regular menu at discount price for one day a week, during lunch, this bargain from the menu is great value. On the other hand, Menu express, the bargain menu, is of lower quarlity food and to be avoided.
-My best investment in Paris: a 3 euro street map, allow me to walk everywhere. Worst money spent: getting the hostel to call cab for me, the 7 euro surcharge was more than actual cost of the ride.
-Bring guidebook from home, you can always buy new soaps and toothpaste, but finding a good guidebook in English can be hard. Also bring more info than you planned, since you may want to explore more places or change plan.
-Visit the charcuterie for prepared meat and cold dishes, they are fun. I especially love the aspic egg, a soft boiled egg with oozing yolk, settled in gelified broth flavored by herbes, wrapped in ham. One makes good lunch with bread.
-other culinary highlights: the dense, deeply flavored sourdough bread from Poilane. A grapefruit and pineapple tart with pistachio base from Carton, the base a little too sweet, but the tart fruits amazingly fresh and lively. The legandary falefel wrap from L'au Falefel, extremely crispy falefel balls with red cabbage and fried eggplant for more texture and flavor, worth a walk through the neighborhood, I carried mine to eat at the bank of Seine.
