The blogger formerly known as Le Blagueur?

Friends, the time has come to tenderly kiss Le Blagueur goodnight.

This doesn't mean that I'm done scribbling. Quite the contrary - I'm doing more freelance writing than ever before, and posting the spillover at megzimbeck.com

Please stop by if you'd like to continue to read about my adventures in Paris and beyond. You can subscribe to those posts with the RSS feed here. And thanks sincerely for all of your visits and comments over the years - you've made this first blog experience very special.

At Dawn, in Paris

In the Male Bag

I always wondered how people get suckered into doing product reviews. And then I found this in my inbox:

Hello,

I'm the webmaster of http://www.peloop.com
I wanted to know if by any chance you would be interested in doing an unbiased review of our site http://www.peloop.com on your blog http://parisblagueur.blogspot.com/

If you agree you can choose between receiving a product sample or receiving a payment.

If you choose the product sample instead of the payment the sample is yours to keep and you don’t need to send it back.

The product sample that you can get is Peloop - a penis enhancer and you can see it there: http://www.peloop.com

Please let me know if you are interested.

Thank you
F. B

So let's hear it: should I accept this exciting offer? Take the cash or try the Peloop out on myself? I'm not exactly sure how it will work with my parts, but the device's "air vitamins" and "growth rays" sound like they could benefit just about anyone...

Cheap Paris: these buttes are made for walking

Paris on the Hoof
More than any other activity, unbridled strolling brought magic to my first Paris visit. Four years and approximately 1200 km later, it's still one of my favorite things to do. I'm far from alone in my fanaticism. When I asked some of my favorite local bloggers about cheap fun in the City of Light, "walking" was their #1 response.

Clotilde Dusoulier is part of the choir. The author of the blog Chocolate & Zucchini and the guidebook Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris says that "Paris is a very walkable city and I think it's the best way to enjoy it, an optional camera in hand, trying to spot quirky details or hidden courtyards, and indulging in what's called lèche-vitrine in French -- window-shopping (literally, licking shop windows) -just admiring the displays of specialty food shops and getting inspired."

The author of Ask a Frenchman! has a similar perspective. "My favorite thing to do in Paris and it doesn't cost any money at all is to just walk the streets of the city and discover new neighborhoods, new areas. In my opinion, the best thing about Paris is that it's a very diverse city, and it's sad that some people (and even some Parisians) just stick to the few neighborhoods that they know and never venture elsewhere. So just go to a part of town you don't know and walk around. Don't be afraid because you can't get lost in Paris. If that happens, walk until you reach a bigger street or avenue, and a Métro or bus stop will be around the corner sooner or later." For those who don't want to throw all caution to the wind, here are a few general areas that I find to be great for walking:

• Along the Seine between Hôtel de la Ville and the Louvre (1st & 4th)
• From the Canal Saint-Martin to Parc de la Villette (10th & 19th)
  
• From the Marché d'Aligre to the Promenade Plantée (12th)
• From the Panthéon down to the rue Mouffetard (5th)
• Just about anywhere in the Marais (3rd & 4th)
• The backside of Montmartre (18th)
• The Butte-aux-Cailles (13th)

It should go without saying that you'll need comfortable shoes for this. Ugly orthopedics aren't necessary, but a day of cobblestone strolling shouldn't be done in high heels. In addition to the right footwear, a walking guidebook makes an excellent accessory. I've used all three books in the Around and About Paris series to guide my own city strolling.

Walking and Licking
As Clotilde mentioned, walking around often entails some window shopping, or as the French say, lèche-vitrine. The author of the blog Une Nouvelle Vie de Boheme takes the idea one step futher by targeting the most exclusive shopping street in the city. "When I'm feeling particularly poor I like to walk down the Avenue Montaigne (8th) and go into all the glam shops... even if I were rich I wouldn't spend €800 on a tank top, so I can just laugh at the whole thing."

A more literary suggestion comes from the French musician who writes the blog David F. Keller. He recommends the marché aux livres anciens et d'occasions, which has incredible old books on sale every Saturday and Sunday in the Parc George Brassens (15th). They're beautiful to look at, even if you're not buying. The park itself, which sits on the site of a former slaughterhouse, is also worth a visit.

The markets I like to walk through have legumes in place of livres. This city wouldn't be the same without its outdoor food markets, and touring one is good fun even if you're not planning to cook. There are hundreds around the city, but here are some favorites:

• Marché Raspail (6th) - organic and expensive. Sundays 9am-2pm. Métro: Rennes.
• Marché Bastille (11th) - the city's largest with a huge range of produce and specialty products. Thursdays 7:00-2:30. Sundays 7am-3pm. Métro: Bastille.
• Place d'Aligre (12th) - in addition to the indoor market, a sprawling outdoor market operates on Tuesday and Saturday morning. Métro: Ledru-Rollin.
• Marché biologique Batignolles (17th) - plenty of unusual produce that you won't find elsewhere. Saturday 9am-2pm. Métro: Rome or Place Clichy.
• Marché Place des Fêtes (19th) - brimming with immigrants and excellent produce at low prices. Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. Métro Place des Fêtes

Additional Reading
Blog Posts
Photowalking Paris
A Walk Through Paris with Joanna Walsh
Books
Around and About Paris (volumes 1-3)
Walking Paris: Thirty Original Walks In and Around Paris
Frommer's 24 Great Walks in Paris
Markets of Paris
Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris

About Cheap Paris
This series is being compiled with the help of a host of local bloggers. Be sure to check out their own websites for additional inspiration:

Ask a Frenchman!
A Brilliant Life
The Bold Soul
Chocolate & Zucchini
David F. Keller
Decoding Franglais
Eye Prefer Paris
Kung Fu Dana
Maîtresse
Mu Foo
Paris Parfait
Polly-Vous Français?
Une Nouvelle Vie de Boheme

Cheap Paris Calendar
Free and cheap events are marked on the scrolling calendar below. Email me if you have something to add to our list.



Cheap Paris Map
Places mentioned in this series are marked below:
View Larger Map

Friends don't let friends drive Segway

I just received a newsletter from the city that's pimping a "great" way to see Paris..
.
Seriously folks: don't do it! Barelling down the sidewalk wearing a helmet and a reflective vest is not the way to make friends with the locals.

Parisians will not look upon your SUV version of walking as "innovative." They will be thinking "fatlazyamerican" or whatever that translates as in French.

"But the people in the brochure look so happy!" you say. Don't be fooled - these people are models. Real-life users of Segway have pies thrown at them. Dogs poop purposefully in their path. Batallions of baguette-waving and under-employed youth chase them wherever they go.

You've been warned.

Fun with Gmail

I tend to use Gmail as a sort of notebook if I'm online and can't be bothered to look for paper. As a result, I currently have 154 draft emails that contain scribbles in various stages. I just took a moment to sift through a pile of these and came across this electronic scrap:

there is no way jenny is a guidance counselor

blowjob in the car

wichita kansas!! they don't play lacrosse in wichita.

half a million hits - ha!

tilly and the wall

I will be mightily impressed with anyone who can make sense of this and name the subject matter. Any guesses?

....................

Ding-ding-ding! The relatively anonymous "J" has hit the nail on the head. Those electronic half-rants were made while watching the first episode of the new 90210.

A few annotations to the original list:

there is no way jenny is a guidance counselor.

By "jenny" I of course meant Kelly (Jenni Garth), who in the original series was a bit of a hayride. I have a hard time accepting that she's now shaping minds in a public school. On the other hand, she was always very self-aware and had a way with words. Remember when she told Brandon that "I don't know if I should let myself feel the feelings that I'm starting to feel, think the things that I'm thinking..." ? Ok, I didn't either. But this Brandon + Kelly Appreciation Site totally reminded me.

blowjob in the car

Remember the old show, and how Donna's dyslexia was considered a hot plot line? One of the first scenes in the updated 90210 finds Annie, a new transplant from the midwest, spying her old summer fling in the school parking lot. Sounds a bit like Grease, no? Annie/Sandy squeals and runs over to the SUV just as a girl, who had previously been making out under Ethan's dock, raises up and wipes her chin. Whamma whamma whamma huh!

wichita kansas!! they don't play lacrosse in wichita.

Annie's brother Dixon (full name Dixon Wilson, aka the posh British accountancy firm who fired Petite Anglaise), is excited to bring his lacrosse skills - which he honed back in Wichita - to the new high school team. Now, maybe they roll a little differently down in Wichita, but anybody in Kansas City who admitted even knowing what lacrosse was (much less excelling at it) was likely to get his ass beat. Hollywood writers: don't be so sloppy! I'm happy to offer my services as a flyover culture consultant. Just the same as you do for cop shows, but with spit cups instead of guns.

half a million hits - ha!

This one is my favorite. The character Silver has a gossipgurlesque blog in which she trashes her fellow students at West Beverly. Annie is horrified to be the subject of one malicious post that generates "half a million hits in one day!" OMG. Not even Gizmodo or Mu Foo get that much traffic.

tilly and the wall

The suits weren't skimping when it came to music for 90210. Left and right these kids are dropping the names of bands that I love. Tilly and the Wall, Vampire Weekend, Sea Wolf - when will it end? Either I've become corporate and mainstream, or they've picked someone with my exact LastFM compatability rating to be their musical hack. Maybe I can undercut them by combining music and hick consultancy in one affordable package. I know - "mus-hick"!

Excuse me while I go and register that domain name...

90210 Trailor: "If you want to live in the zip, you gotta live by the code"

Paris on the Cheap?

So the American economy seems to have blown up. Family and friends are writing to say that their Paris travel plans are on hold... indefinitely.

I'm not going to tell someone with a vanishing pension that a Paris visit is what they need. At the same time, I want to counter their impression that Paris is a total bank buster. I understand why Paris has a repution for being expensive:

First of all, it's true. Or rather, it's possible. For those who have it, Paris offers some of the most exciting ways to spend money in the world. And these outlets - palace hotels, three-star restaurants, exclusive shopping - get a lot of attention. The press flurry surrounding these places creates a false impression of their importance. But they are not the (only) face of Paris.

A second (and related) reason: information about cheap fun is harder to find. There are fewer publications willing to pay for such stories, and internet message boards are dominated by luxury animals on the prowl for "the best." Those in search of "inexpensive" are obliged to do a little independent research. And many people simply don't have the time.

One last reason: people often underestimate (in a way that would not be true in Shanghai) how very different Paris is. They arrive in the city and want to maintain the rhythm and routine of home while also taking in some new sights. But unwillingness to adapt comes with a price tag. Yes you can have a Diet Coke, but it will be €5 ("that's $7!") for four sips. Yes you can eat at 6pm in a restaurant that provides an English menu, but it will be over-priced and under-delicious.

So there are plenty of reasons why Paris has a reputation for being Super Expensive. But I'm making it a personal mission to correct that impression, or at least to offer an alternative picture. With the help of some local friends, I'm going to highlight in the coming weeks the cheap side of this city - free activities, inexpensive restaurants, handy tips, and a general philosophy for good visiting.

This is all about helping you to enjoy the city we love. Please leave your general topics and questions in the comments section, and our army of local smarty-pantses will empty its collective brain on your behalf.

Cheaply yours,
Meg

Paris gets its grillz

It wasn't so very long ago the I.M. Pei was stirring up scandale with his relooking of the Louvre. But this new project from Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron - the first skyscraper to be authorized within thirty years - is making Pei's glass pyramid look downright austere.


I've heard people call this design a 'witch's hat', but have you ever seen a sorcière with that much bling? I myself think it looks like a glittering bicuspid.

This is apparently the first of six skyscrapers that have been authorized by Mayor Bertrand Delanoë and the Paris City Council. I'm hoping that the other five are identical and spaced out along the southern périphérique so as to resemble a full set of Gangsta Grillz.

The world will be so jealous.