tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post115970816466986278..comments2023-06-30T12:27:06.738+02:00Comments on Le Blagueur à Paris: Paris, plus calmeLe Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13830769667849287708noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159826885489764652006-10-03T00:08:00.000+02:002006-10-03T00:08:00.000+02:00Nardac, U rock!Nardac, U rock!LA Froghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14960237703819349080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159824931979071072006-10-02T23:35:00.000+02:002006-10-02T23:35:00.000+02:00Le Meg, you seem to be imply a preference for walk...Le Meg, you seem to be imply a preference for walking. I can't understand it! Personally, I much prefer driving every last place I need to go. Why, its such a thrill to hurtle down the highway at 75/h, in the pouring rain, with enraged commuters passing me on either side! Instead of paying those pesky taxes for subsidized public transportation, I have the freedom to pay for my own car, fuel and insurance! And then there's the bonus weight gain to round out my figure (15 and counting since I left Paris). What's not to like? The French - and you too, le Meg - should really try a little harder to follow the American example.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159784948392125352006-10-02T12:29:00.000+02:002006-10-02T12:29:00.000+02:00I like your photo of the Belleville park. The last...I like your photo of the Belleville park. The last time I met a friend there, he gushed about Belleville is his favourite park because it changes every ten meters. There's all these little nooks and crannies.<BR/><BR/>I have had to do a Welcome to Paris for friends and family in my time, and I always do the same thing. We go to the market, I cook them dinner and we drink till the wee hours of the morning. The next morning, I give them a map and some Metro tickets and tell them that Paris is a city to walk in. The hangover produces two effects: either they don't move and end up watching bad DVDs with you at home; or they get out and are so foggy that the city turns into some slow moving magic on a travelator that kills all stress.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159747640205591232006-10-02T02:07:00.000+02:002006-10-02T02:07:00.000+02:00wow. i wish someone would comment on my skanky par...wow. i wish someone would comment on my skanky paris blogAdrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14907670122039998097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159742878996231042006-10-02T00:47:00.000+02:002006-10-02T00:47:00.000+02:00I remember that the now defunct Spy magazine did a...I remember that the now defunct <I>Spy</I> magazine did an article on "The Six-Minute Louvre" (for New Yorkers, as it helpfully explained).<BR/><BR/>Feeding foreign tourists is touchy, as you say! Vegetarians have an especially hard time. The French tend to treat vegetarians as people who are either going through a silly phase (if young) or belonging to a weird cult (if older) and don't have much sympathy for them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159740316154065252006-10-02T00:05:00.000+02:002006-10-02T00:05:00.000+02:00The picture in your post is so beautiful. And eve...The picture in your post is so beautiful. And everything sounds so delicious! But I am very sorry to hear about lack of interest in North African cuisine. I am finding most things delicious here in Marrakech. And my expanding waist line is living proof. (Deep sigh...)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159728319483206792006-10-01T20:45:00.000+02:002006-10-01T20:45:00.000+02:00truly glad to see you that you are settling in. he...truly glad to see you that you are settling in. here's to many more lazy, wine-groggy, food-coma-inducing meals eaten amidst the calming din of paris bistros.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159726832941357332006-10-01T20:20:00.000+02:002006-10-01T20:20:00.000+02:00Where do you find North African foods? We're looki...Where do you find North African foods? We're looking for some!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159725900962552012006-10-01T20:05:00.000+02:002006-10-01T20:05:00.000+02:00You would probably get a laugh out of Ellis Paul's...You would probably get a laugh out of Ellis Paul's <I>Paris in a Day</I>. He's a storyteller who makes a Kansan want to try it. Check it on iTunes if the French government is allowing Apple to sell to you this week.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159721198667450632006-10-01T18:46:00.000+02:002006-10-01T18:46:00.000+02:00You are settling in! True, Paris is not the same w...You are settling in! True, Paris is not the same whether you live in it, or visit it.<BR/><BR/>When I was in Paris, I would always slow down the visitors, and force them to enjoy Paris the calm way. Better see a couple of rooms at le Louvre than seeing the whole thing. Better sit a café and watch the Parisian life go buy than trying to do everything in the guide.<BR/><BR/>The way I'd get them into "the mode" would be to start with a great petit-déj in a nearby café. As for food, I would always take them to small bistrots I knew had excellent, simple fare, rather than try to impress them with fancy restaurants. Or we'd go to the market and cook something at home. That would usually be enough to overwhelm them. <BR/><BR/>And yes, I particularly enjoyed Paris with tourists. Made me realize how lucky I was to live in such a city -- despite the not so fun daily routine.LA Froghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14960237703819349080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159718806912198772006-10-01T18:06:00.000+02:002006-10-01T18:06:00.000+02:00I love the clamer lifestyle here, the feeling that...I love the clamer lifestyle here, the feeling that you're not rushing all the time. Each time I head back home I see the change straight away, people get into "rush" mode, that body language where you can see immediately that someone's under pressure. They switch from predators hunting out the good things in life, to prey glancing nervously around and hurry hurry hurry, phone constantly pressed to the ear, conveying a false swagger. You can "do" Paris, you can't do London, London does you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159716605908960822006-10-01T17:30:00.000+02:002006-10-01T17:30:00.000+02:00Bien dit. It's true generally in Paris, I think, t...Bien dit. It's true generally in Paris, I think, that the serveur/mangeur relationship is less pressed by demands for turnover (1 billion sold, whether it's McDo or McNamara's Bistrot)and less tainted by the genuflecting for tips. The stereotype can hold true as well: some serveurs blatantly don't give a damn, about being speedy or friendly. On the other hand, most restos with a following are often marked by a slightly hurlyburly ambience. Servers dashing about (often just one covering a huge floor), people talking livelily and sitting very bunched up/close-quartered, perhaps with some people hovering around waiting to pounce on the next open table. I don't always find the ambience calming. Yet,il faut dire, there's little pressure to shovel, guzzle and get out. One can enjoy one's time, one's experience. It's no wonder the Slow Food Movement started here.May it continue!<BR/>Yes, you're starting to settle in. Congrats!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159714640317552402006-10-01T16:57:00.000+02:002006-10-01T16:57:00.000+02:00Ah! I could have written this post, except not as...Ah! I could have written this post, except not as elegantly. <BR/><BR/>(especially the part about feeding foreigners... "cheap, real French, and vegetarian!" It's like you're living my life.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31294977.post-1159709597450212182006-10-01T15:33:00.000+02:002006-10-01T15:33:00.000+02:00It's not just living there. My happiest vacation ...It's not just living there. My happiest vacation times are when I try not to do too much.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com