Oui oui - c'est Paris! Encore!!

My top-20-favourite-things-to-do-in-Paris list continues...

11. La Defense: The modern arch – definitely worth a look – especially to see the straight line that it forms with the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. The French just do everything with style - they have found a way for Modern Paris to "fit in" with the rest of Paris with this modern arch. The mall nearby is fun too!

The modern arch of La Defense

12. Champs-Elysees: Great shopping, great side-walk cafés, most fabulous Louis Vuitton store ever! Need I say more! I love this street! Word of warning: avoid the Champs-Elysees on New Years Eve at all cost! My friend Drama Princess, her then boyfriend (now husband) and I thought it a great idea to celebrate the start of the new year on this famous street – what a horrible experience! At the stroke of midnight all hell broke loose – people were grabbing and trying to touch everyone and pick-pockets started working their “magic”. We were warned about the madness, so we didn’t carry our cell phones or wallets with us, but we had no idea - even my bubblegum was stolen out of my jean pocket. We tried to escape the madness by walking close together with our arms around the person in front - tight against each other – Photo boy in the front, Drama Princess in the middle and myself in the back – with my hand over my bum. Not a pleasant experience! We left the madness and headed for a nearby bar - definitely a better way to spend the evening than being groped by the masses!

13. Euro Disney: Lets face it people – Euro Disney is not a patch on the real deal (Disney World or Disneyland), but it is fun nonetheless – seriously, who wouldn’t love a pair of Mickey or Minnie ears! Stay late and watch the character parade and fireworks every evening. Tip: get advance tickets for the rides at the special booths so that you don’t have to stand in a queue for a long time (those queues get frighteningly long). The turkey legs at Euro Disney are fantastic - they can be so dry, but these were moist and just lovely. (and fun/messy to eat too!)

14. Louvre: A great museum – beautiful building - amazing art – humungous! It is too big to see everything inside it, so most people just run to the Mona Lisa and get out. If that sounds like too much of a challenge, just go to the museum, spend some time in the little souvenir shops, take a few photos in front of the glass pyramid and just soak up the ambience. It is a great place and I do recommend that you at least go there!

The beautiful Louvre

15. Sitting at a side walk café – Love it! My favorite thing to do for breakfast…sitting outside a Parisian cafe, sipping hot chocolate (chocolat chaud) and gnawing on a fresh croissant or pain au chocolate, while watching all the chic Parisians and not-so-chic tourists go by. Remember, French waiters (especially in Paris ) are not very friendly – it is nothing that you did, they are just that way - they are busy and efficient and they are very serious about their jobs.

16. Eating Crepes at a street vendor – The best crepes that I’ve ever had were all at a street vendor in Paris . My favorite crepes are with Calvados (apple brandy from Normandie) or Nutella (chocolate spread). I’m not 100% sure if the crepes are THAT good, but I know for sure that the ambience of Paris makes the experience unforgettable. I can remember my mom and I standing on a street corner near the Notre Dame, munching on our crepes and I remember the pure bliss I felt. Another thing that can drive you bonkers in winter, is when street vendors are roasting nuts on the street - the smell is so seductive. Mmm - I love French street food!

17. Gallaries Lafayette/Printemps/Samaritaine: The big department stores in Paris . I’ve spent time in all 3 of them, but my favorite is Galleries Lafayette. If you are not shopping obsessed and don’t have the time to visit all 3, make sure that you have time to pop into Gallaries Lafayette – especially in December. The store has an enormous Christmas tree that is each year decorated by a different designer – truly something to see.

18. Fragonard Parfumerie: Drama Princes and I went to the Perfume museum and shop, just a few steps from The Opera. We had a great time and each of us bought a bottle of their perfume - it felt pretty cool to have such an exclusive bottle of perfume that you can't just buy at any department store or pharmacy. The museum offers free tours and it is just a fun place to visit.

19. Centre Georges Pompidou: If you don’t have time to go inside, just drive past it. When this museum was first built, the Parisians were disgusted by it, but it is something to see. Different, bizarre, weird, ugly, fabulous - call it what you will - it is a work of art!

20. Shopping – for inexpensive clothes, go to Promod, Etam, Tati (very cheap – most of the time you won’t find anything, but occasionally you find a few gems such as Daniel Hechter lingerie) and Pimkie (young, funky, cheap). For designer labels, head to the Champs-Elysees or Faubourg Saint-Honore. I always love going to FNAC – both guys and girls will enjoy this store – it is filled with books, CD’s, computer games and loads more. My favorite Sephora on the entire planet is on the Champs-Elysees – it is not only visually beautiful, but the choices are endless. Whoever thought that it was ridiculous to expect 6 or 7 different shades of green nail polish in a single shop, will be converted – this shop proves that there is a need for each and every one of them!

I can go on and on about my intense love for Paris and what a fantastic place it is, but I don't think I need to because unless the poop scoopers are on strike during the few days that you visit Paris, every person that visits that city, will love it too!

Just a few general tips:

The Eiffel Tower

Tips about tips:
In France a 15% service charge is usually included so waiters rarely expect a tip. Off course if you think the service was excellent, they will appreciate an additional tip.

Tips about hotel rooms:
Not all hotel rooms in Paris have en-suite bathrooms, so make sure to ask for hotel with en-suite bathroom (sale de bain), otherwise you will have to share a bathroom with the rest of the floor.

Tips on meals:
If you can’t decide on what to order, go for the Plats du jour – it is usually fresh seasonal ingredients, traditionally French and very well priced.

Tips on pavements/sidewalks:

When walking around in Paris, watch out for dog poop on the pavements. Parisians love dogs and you see them everywhere and most of the time the street cleaners to a fantastic job, but you might have to occasionally play a fun game of hop-scotch to avoid the poop "landmines" that adorn (not!) the streets.

Rollerblading in Paris:
Usually on Friday nights there are organized rollerblading tours in Paris – up to 4000 people sometimes join in the fun, so make sure you can skate before joining the group. You can find details on Thursdays on the website (www.rollers-coquillages.org)

Da Vinci tour:
Da Vinci tours are available in Paris at certain times of the year. Tours are conducted by a few companies – the most famous is Paris Vision.