The graves of Serge Gainsbourg (dont forget to take a packet of Gauloises) and Jim Morrison are worth a visit.

The theatre des champs elysees is a wonderful venue and steeped in a rich history. 

The Basilica of the Sacré Cœur is a lovely building and once on top of the Monmartre hill you are rewarded with a spectacular view across the whole city.

Never buy a drink within spitting distance of the Seine - 18 euros for a coke if you're not careful.

Last edited by adorable homunculus (2013-10-04 09:16:30)

thanks guys .. there's so many things to see, personally I hate rushing around so aiming to spend less time on fewer things.

think I'll check out charvet .. maybe JM Weston too although not sure what the wifes reaction will be to buying shoes on holiday, bad enough over here, perhaps Hermes as well.

ironically I find it difficult to find reasonably priced good quality meals over there, its either furiously expensive French cooking or your euro30 per plate pre made tourist fare (recently officially exposed though I had suspected this for some time).

fruity

Last edited by Oldfruit1 (2013-10-04 10:48:31)

Any idea what that restaurants called hepcat ..?

fruity

thanks for the shout hepcat ,,. looks very grand inside, had a look at the menu, quite expensive but may give it a shot depending on various options available in the areas we visit. might have to budget carefully on food .. for the inevitably eye watering bill at charvet

fruity

Last edited by Oldfruit1 (2013-10-04 14:21:09)

Last edited by formby (2013-10-04 19:29:39)

hey, just got back from my paris trip, appreciate all the tips from you guys. I didn't manage to tick off all the things on my to do list as I spent most of my time engaged in Flâneurie around the city and took it fairly easy tbh. used an open top bus to see some of the outskirts of paris this time as well. Sacré Cœur was very interesting, montmarte where it is situated is a nice suburb to walk around in and it has nice bakeries and cafes to eat and drink in. paris is very expensive though, eating and drinking as well as having to pay for every tourist related activity adds up quickly, unlike London where most of the major museums and galleries are free, in Paris its all priced to perfection (euro 45 for entry into the louvre for example).

i got a broader sense of life in paris for real people as i talked to many people along the way (i like getting to know people generally and learning about other peoples experiences). i saw a lot more of the city and got a sense of the grotty run down areas as well as the beautiful palatial parts many of which id seen previously, its similar to London in that I think life is tough and a rat race, although the French can be moody buggers I found they can also be warm and fun. when i got back to London I instantaneously noticed little things like people (especially the ladies) wont look you in the eye and smile as much as they do in paris and don't say hello if they are standing next to you for some reason (or bonjour as the case may be in paris). i am thinking about looking at buying a little flat in a suburb of paris, but it is very expensive indeed even when compared to London suburbs so may have to wait for prices to come down down a bit over the next few years (if they ever do).   

I only visited charvet to shop whilst in the city, its apparently their only free standing shop they operate globally, it's situated in Place Vendome which was like a ghost town (apart from the odd chauffeur driven car parked up outside the shops). walked by quite a few clothes shops I had never heard of, which is strange as I like to think I keep my finger on the pulse of mens style. didn't go in as the prices displayed on RTW clothes were incredulous ... talking about thousands for a jacket etc ... items like fur lined cashmere jackets and so on .. think you get the idea .. sort of loro piana eurotrash jet set chic stuff .. crazy if you ask me as I have no idea why you would buy this stuff when the best bespoke would be cheaper. I guess some people literally have more money than sense. anyway I bought a few accessories from charvet, prices were pretty expensive but not incredulous, but as usual I didn't do a mental totting up and kept picking up things and adding to my pile of items. anyway when the lady at the counter presented me with my bill I had a bit of a shock and spent the walk back to the louvre  trying to work out how I managed to spend so much. anyway when I got back while I was waiting for my old lady I met a very nice girl outside the louvre and had a very pleasant chat with her and forgot all about the bill. well now i have all the silk accessories I think I'll ever need for the rest of my life and could probably give Christine Lagarde a run for her money in those stakes.

fruity

Last edited by Oldfruit1 (2013-10-09 16:58:30)

IIRC, the Louvre is free for one day a month.

I prefer the Musee d'Orsay personally. But there you go.

Never been impressed with the clothes side of things to be honest, Italian cities are much better in that regard.

The girl gypsies in Madrid do that trick. Soon as you are on the train from the airport. Want to see your passport as well. I suppose it helps locate where your wallet might be. I don't feel sorry for them. I would persecute them like the Eastern Europeans do - otherwise you are a soft touch.

Last edited by Oldfruit1 (2013-10-10 03:30:30)

what sort of writing do you do topsticher, are you a journalist?

what's it like to live there these days?

fruity