Crème Brulée and Mille Feuille
by Arjaree
You know if I had to die for some food or desserts, crème brulée and mille feuille would be it. I first fell in love with mille feuille when I first visited Paris. I loved it so much that before I left for the airport, I asked my boyfriend to get one or two for my family to have a taste. (Why my boyfriend, 'cause he has his favorite place down rue des Myrtyrs). Went home and tried it at Le Nôtre, it wasn't as good (and it was the last time I went there.) Then this time around when I came here to study, I have fallen madly in love with le crème brulée. There is no doubt what I would order as my dessert to end my course. No doubt. There were only a few times that I cheated on her (the crème brulée)for mille feuille and a few other stuffs...but that's it.
One of the best crème brulée I've tried was the Catalan one in Perpignan...not only the taste, but also the smell of it...hmmm *miam miam*
Lourve - Lady No. 3
by SLLiew
And the third place goes to the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
This marble Greek statue of Goddess Nike (Victory) estimated at 200 BC has wings but it headless!
It was found in the island of Samothrace but the head and arms were never found.
Is This A Shoebox Or Is It My Room?
by CALSF
Whether you make reservations at either a 1* or even at a 4* rated Parisian hotel, you may be in for a shock. If you are from America you're used to the spacious chain hotel rooms. However in Paris (and in alot of other European cities) the rooms are smaller than small. They are miniscule. Most times you open the door and practically fall into the bed.
One thing you have to understand is that most of Paris's buildings are ancient--many date from the 17th century--and were converted into hotels. No renovations were really made to expand the rooms which are original.
You have to accept this fact and just bear with it. Of course, being cooped up in a 10 meter sq. room is pretty confining especially when you're sharing the room. But let's just say that this is a sort of Parisian quirk. Given the choice of having a spacious room in America vs. being stuck in a shoebox sized Parisian hotel room, I'll choose the latter anytime
Expect nice people - and you will meet nice people
by skogsgurra
French people are no worse than other people. But of course, if you expect to meet rude people, and interpret things negatively then you will have your expectations verified.
I read one revealing review here on VT. A british lady complained about a restaurant. The waiter had insulted her and her husband by telling his collegue that they were "amateurs de vin" - which the lady interpreted as "wine amatuers" and obviously not knowing much about wine. What he really meant was "wine lovers" - the word Amateur means Lover. This mistake made the couple upset and they showed it - and they got the lousy service that they had expected (and, I dare say, deserved).
Expect the best - and you get it.
Be Prepared for Anything
by cjg1
For a short weekend trip a rollaboard will do but for a more extended journey such as ours we took a regular suitcase(for the two of us), a backpack and an empty bag for any purchases we made during the trip. We visited at the end of summer and the weather was a bit unpredictable. Fortunatly we came prepared with layers and jackets to keep warm. Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, razor, shaving cream, deodorant, tooth brush, toothpaste, hair brush, hair gel, contact lenses, contact lens solution, glasses.....the basics. My digital camera, video camera and memory card reader. Jackets and umbrelas are always a good idea