Skyscrapers in Paris
by Chricke
There are some higly fascinating and beautiful high buildings in Paris. One of them, La Tour de Montparnasse, is higly recommended to visit. Apart from this building there are few skyscapers in the central Paris. However, in the La Défence area, just some kilometers west of Paris city, there is a whole commuity of modern architecture buildings, many of them tall towers. A visit to La Défence is also higly recommended, especially on a sunny day when the glass surfaces make the tall towers justice. The architecture of the buildings and monuments.
If you are there with a large...
by zorlack
If you are there with a large group,make sure you have a party while your in France. Make sure you do everything right. Have a large selection of party favorites there,because you want to have great memories when you're on vacation. Everyone decided to throw a party for our last day in france. We had all kinds of beverages to drink. We even had the owner of the package store partying with us. He noticed the large amount of beverage favorites we purchased from his store. We were on a pier in Le Havre. We stay out til about four that next morning.
Boul' Mich
by Norali
I wouldn't remember all streets I walked in but some left vivid memories. One of them is Boul Mich.
I enjoyed walking there, looking at the books on stalls. The area is very atmospheric for being in Quartier Latin. Lots of students. In fact, this is the atmosphere my parents got used to for them having studied in the area end 60s- early 70s.
It was here that, in 1968, students demonstrated against many aspects of French society. They criticized the grasp the state had on French citizens life. Not only students but workers went demonstrating. It was the biggest demonstration France had ever known (8 millions of 68ards). The demonstrators were asking for improvement of their conditions (salary..), for more freedom as simple citizens (miniskirt, contraception pills were introduced in everyday life since women struggled for them... Aaah! from then, they could bath bare-chested on the beach too).
Yet, there have been some signs prior to May. In March 68: arrestation of demonstrators against Vietnam war. Following that, some students of Nanterre (brand new campus at West of Paris region) started a new movement, that called for public debates.
My parents shared with French society then those concerns. Yet, as foreign students, they couldn't take part in the demonstrations. I think that without talking about this, my parents would remember it while sitting in cafés at Boul Mich. As a matter of fact, each time we went to Paris, we went there.
Mai 68 was reported to not be "that" important, seen as movements from kids who wanted to simply counter parental, state authorities. Still, it made Général de Gaulle rethink his task as a president. In fact, on May 68, demonstrators were asking his departure : "Dix ans, ça suffit !". Effect was not immediate but he resigned one year later after French people said NO to an important project of his. I learnt in 2002 that my father really wanted to demonstrate but couldn't. I knew from that where this excitement watching Cohn-Bendit, the Gruen-Vert politician, on TV, had come from. He was then one of leaders of an extreme left-wing group, the very one who triggered some demonstrations in end 67-early 68 era, as a kind of prelims of "Mai 68".
A boss excited about seeing Cohn-Bendit le Vert Gaucho... what a fate for an ex-68ard.
On Boul Mich itself... I enjoyed also sitting in cafés, having some ice-cream and watching the world going by.
On my second holidays in Paris (1985), Boul Mich entered in our family collective memory (not "fondest" though). Once, in a sunny afternoon, we were enjoying some drinks and ice-cream in a café on Boul Mich: Café Cluny. Lots of people walking around. We noticed a guy in the pedestrian lane, tall, skinny, walking fast, seemingly in a hurry.
Right after the sight of this guy, we heard a noise, the sound of a shock. Like many in Paris, he hadn't respected the lights. He just crossed the street at the moment he shouldn't have, where he shouldn't have. Got hit by a bus... and died.
What reason could justify this hurry at such an extent that one just can't wait one's turn to cross the street, then loses one's life like the many stray dogs in Tana streets ? It was spectacular but that was my thought at the very moment I knew he died right away. Nothing to do, no doctor to call, he couldn't be saved.
Even now, we still talk about it and even my small sister, 7 at that time, remembered it clearly.
Didn't ever experience rudeness
by Albernfrau
I am positive that those who experience rudeness in Paris have somehow been disrespectful themselves either by not at least trying to speak French first or by not appreciating the way of the Parisians. You must remember you are not in N.A. or your home country. Parisians are proud and do things the Parisian way and there is nothing wrong with this. Take it in; absorb it. Try and act in the way that is acceptable there as we are GUESTS in their home.
Where to find the map and adress of a in Paris
by BenFromParis
I give you the link of our french yellow pages ( in english ) , where you can find pictures of streets, map of the place where you want to go and of course the adress :
http://www.pagesjaunes.fr
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statue of Louis XIV
The Fontaine du Palmier, Egyptian sphinxe
"Give me some Clash!"
By night
