Tabletennis
by Henrik_rrb
A shop-owner in Paris had come out with a brilliant idea on how to make more people come to his shop. He had put up a tabletennis-table just a couple of meters inside the shop, where the customers could take a break in their shopping-day, and instead play a game of tabletennis against one of the persons who worked in the shop. Absoluty brilliant!
I never walked inside, since the clothes itself didn't really came on to me, but still, the idea was great!
The photo is probably the worst I've taken, but I got so stressed when the two who playing started looking at me, wondering for which sportmagazine I was working for... :-)
Cafe Ole!
by Ewingjr98
"Cafe Ole" is not some unusual kind of Spanish coffee, nor the name of a Mexican Cantina. Instead, that is what you had better ask for if you want American-style coffee in Paris. So it's actually spelled "Cafe au Lait" (coffee with milk)... I guess I saw too many Speedy Gonzalez cartoons as a child...
I'll never forget the first time my father order "coffee" in Paris and ended up with his first sip of thick, black espresso. He's a regular coffee drinker, but this was far too rich for his taste. After that, we all learned our lesson and enjoyed our cafe with milk!
Monuments, monuments
by Norali
It's here that building a page on trips done decades ago becomes weird...
Not that many memories of monuments... I sure had visited Sacré Coeur, Arc de Triomphe, Tour Eiffel and very probably Panthéon, but memories are rather blurry. Well, learning about French history, for a kid of 10, who is not even French, was not that easy...
Tour Eiffel, I remembered that seeing it from outside didn't impress me. It was huge yes but I didn't know its history. Plus, because my Mum was once given a mini- Tour Eiffel as a gift and that used to have it in her studyroom for years, it was not new to me. I loved strolling on Trocadero instead, watching skaters. In the contrary, the ride to the top of Tour Eiffel was something too... Would talk about that later. Museums interested me instead, statues in parks and gardens as well. Musée Grévin, Musée du Louvre and Jardins des Tuileries.
I discovered them when my aunt took me with her then bf for a day. They brought me to see museums.
Musée Grévin.. funny for kids of 10.
My memory of Louvre? I heard for the first time in my life the word "philtre" as in "philtre d'amour" (love potion). My aunt brought me to an exhibition. Seems like I learnt something. My then-to-be-uncle was very patient, explaining me lots of things. Then, there was this word I read on a plaque: "...philtre d'amour...". I thought it was an error or a typo. I knew "filtre" (: filter) but it didn't have anything to do with "amour" at all. LoL Again, I carefully read the text, imagining tons of meanings but couldn't seize the right one. Then, I asked my uncle about the "philtre d'amour"... I learnt by then that women had used to use love potions to "trap" guys. From then, my vision of love was altered a bit... In fact, I became aware of the lost innocence in adult conception of love. How could one trap the person one uses to love ? That was weird for me... Also, the notion of "capturing", "possessing", "having a grip on someone" was instilled. Yes, we always learn... lol
Ooh! I didn't even know then about the witchery behind the use and the making of love potions. The lost innocence was enough to intringue and upset the little girl in me.
Some Key French Phrases
by TRimer
Our French friends love their language, and who doesn't love French. It is a thing of beauty. Now, as you have learned from your friends that have been there - the kind people of France know you can't speak French and that does not bother them at all. What is considered rude is when English speaking folk - primarily Americans - don't even try a few words. Those people that try to speak a few words of French are going to have a better time than those that do not.
Here are a few key phrases to help you out:
Please S' il vous plait (ceil voo play)
Thank You Merci Beaucoup (mer cee bow coo)
Excuse Me Excusez-Moi (excuse a maw)
Pleased to meet you Enchantez (on shan tay)
I would like.... Je voudrais (je voo drey)
Where is the.... Ou est la/le (ooo a la/lay)
How much? Ca coute combien (sa coot com be yen)
The bill/check (as in bring the) L' additon (le dee teyen)
Bottle of water Une bouteille d' eau (oon boo tee el de o)
Packing List
by shivan
Another questionable way to avoid the new layout. I will rebuild this page one day or another for sure.
This is (obviously) a lovely (I tell it by myself) nightly view of the Eiffel Tower. This spectacle is unforgettable, even for a person coming from Rome...
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Hotel de Ville at night
Notre Dame de Paris
L'Africain & Mont Blanc
Discover Paris On A Cruise - Pic #7
