Expat in France

Visit to Paris in July 2007

2007-08-29T20:07:00.000-04:00

We were fortunate to have an opportunity to visit Paris in July 2007. One highlight is that they have reopened the Mudee de l'Orangerie which features Monet's wonderful water lillies!

http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/

Parc Monceau

2006-11-29T22:52:00.000-05:00

Parisians love their parks -- and they have beautiful parks. On sunny days, you can see all of Paris out at the parks, enjoying the sun. One of my favorites is Parc Monceau in the 8th arrondissement. It was created in the 18th century for Philippe Egalité, the cousin of Louis XVI and the father of King Louis-Philippe I. There is a small playground for young children, a skateboarding/rollerblading area for older kids (and adults!), a cafe, a merry-go-round, and swings. There is a pond with ducks and a nice path around the perimeter which we used for jogging when we lived there -- each lap is about 1/4 mile. There is a large grassy open area in the middle of the park where our kids would frequently meet for squirt gun fights or to launch "stomp" rockets or play frisbee. We even tried a pick-up game of American football with some other Americans, but it was a bit cramped! I highly recommend visiting Parc Monceau on a sunny day with the Herald Tribune and an espresso from the cafe.

Le Tour De France, up close and personal

2006-07-03T16:44:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to watch the final stage of Le Tour de France in July, 2002, on the Champs Elysees. The fun started early in the day, long before the riders had actually started the final stage. The weather was great -- sunny, clear skies, temperatures in the low 80s. We enjoyed walking the length of the Champs Elysees, watching the crowds gather, and enjoying the festivities. There were bands playing, a dance group performing, lots of new/fancy cars being driven (sponsors cars, I imagine), and several large Jumbo-Tron screens setup which were broadcasting the race "live" from the race course. It looked like the riders were all enjoying themselves immensely.

As is customary in the Tour de France, the team with the yellow jersey led the way into Paris -- in this case US Postal led the way with Lance Armstrong firmly in control of the yellow jersey. When they reached the underpass at the Louvre, the final sprint to the finish began. The final sprint is 8 laps around the Champs Elysees, racing from the Louvre up to the Arc de Triomphe and turning back towards the Louvre. It was pretty clear that Lance and the rest of the team were in no hurry to join the wild sprint and they dropped back near the back of the peloton. As they raced by my spot, about 50 feet from the finish line, it was a blur. My photos were pretty terrible, so there is not much to post here.

This year I'm following the tour over the Internet using the live tracker found here:

http://www.csc.com/ee/tdf

Buying Appliances in Paris

2006-06-14T13:31:00.000-04:00

We had such good success buying new (but slightly dented) appliances that had been show-room models, that I thought I would share the contact info here.

Nestri Menager
Electro Menager TV Video
85, Rue d'Amsterdam
75008 Paris

Tel +33 (0)1 40 16 01 07

Located very near the Place de Clichy metro, it is a great place to shop for appliances, TV or video.

Learning French Culture

2006-06-13T10:32:00.000-04:00

Our first months in Paris was the "honeymoon" period. As we discovered new and interesting places, foods and met some fascinating people, we were constantly on a "high" and loved every minute.

Reality quickly set in as we went through the motions of completing the kitchen in our apartment. In France, it is not unusual for the previous tenants to strip the kitchen of everything, leaving only a sink -- this includes removing all appliances, all cabinets, window coverings, etc. You are basically given a room with a sink, and hookups for the range, refrigerator, washer and dryer. You are expected to bring all appliances, cabinetry, window coverings, etc. To accomodate this, the French have standardized the widths of all appliances and cabinets at 60cm. This makes it very practical to move your appliances and cabinets from one apartment to another.

However, for a family such as ours that was moving to France from the US, we needed to obtain all appliances and cabinets. This can quickly become a very expensive proposition! We were fortunate to find an appliance outlet store off the Place de la Bastille in Paris which sold new (but slightly dented) appliances which had been floor models at steeply discounted prices and offered free delivery and installation.

We were not so fortunate with the cabinets. We decided to purchase new cabinets from one of the large upscale department stores in Paris just off the Champs Elysees. We worked with the kitchen designer to design a perfect kitchen. However, after placing the order and paying in full, we then discovered that the cabinets would be delivered one or two at a time over a period of 2-3 months! We called them daily and worked our way up the management chain but to no avail. Each call resulted in increasing frustration and confusion. This ordeal soured our first year in Paris.

We later discovered that there is a "code" to communicating in France and we had probably violated every one of the rules in that code in our exchanges with this large upscale department store. As we later learned this code and became adept in it, we found ourselves increasingly effective in negotiating French culture and the French workplace.

For those of you who want to avoid the pitfalls we encountered and learn this "code" early in your transition to France, I highly recommend the books by Polly Platt on the subject of French culture. These were invaluable to us as we transitioned to France.

Roland Garros

2006-06-04T21:53:00.000-04:00

We had the privilege several years while we lived in Paris of seeing the French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros. Among the many current stars we bumped into in the back practice courts were James Blake and Andy Roddick, when both were relatively unknown. We also spent several hours watching Justine Henin (now Henin-Hardenne) working out with here coaches. Justine was very gracious and came over to chat with us after her practice session and give us her autograph. We also bumped into a young shy player who was standing with his coach off to the side relatively unattended -- it turned out to be Roger Federer, though we didn't know it at the time. I had my autograph book with me but decided not to get his autograph because he didn't look like a very important player!

Our favorite day of the tournament was the day before it opened, which was a day when many of the players played 1 set matches "for fun" and the ticket proceeds benefited a local charity. For the incredibly low price of 15 euros, we had access to all the events and managed to get front row seats to see Michael Chang, Anna Kournikova, and Fabrice Santoro, play in their various exhibition matches.

All in all, the Fench Open is an exciting venue -- you can rub shoulders with the best names in tennis, the atmosphere is fun and lively and the players are very accessible.

English speaking churches in Paris

2006-03-15T09:07:00.000-05:00

There are several really good English speaking churches in Paris.

The first one to mention is The American Church in Paris at 65 Quai d'Orsay in the 7th. This was the first American church established on foreign soil. Begun in 1814, it was officially chartered and the first sanctuary built in 1857. From the beginning, the American Church has been an interdenominational fellowship, theologically situated in the historic Christian tradition as symbolized by the Apostles' Creed. It serves not only the American expatriate community, but also many internationals seeking an English language service.

There is also The American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris, which offers services at 9 and 11 with a Sunday School at 10:45. The mission statement of the American Cathedral describes their focus: "The mission of the American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris is to share the good news of God in Christ by worship, word and example, as a parish church in the city of Paris and as a cathedral in Europe, living our faith and serving the common good, inspired by our American, Episcopal, and Anglican heritage and open to the cultures, languages and faiths that surround us. We pursue this mission through prayer, observance of the sacraments, fellowship,
education, stewardship, and outreach to our community and the world beyond."

The church my family and I attended was Trinity International Church of Paris, which is pictured above. This church draws not only from the American expatriate community, but also from the wide variety of internationals in Paris who seek an English language service. There are also many students who are studying in Paris who attend the services, leading to a very upbeat and lively worship experience.

Latin Quarter

2006-03-06T11:29:00.000-05:00

A fun night spot is the Latin Quarter -- look for restaurants serving Couscous.

Most restaurants don't open before 7pm with good crowds showing up at around 9pm.

Enjoy walking the streets and looking for a good restaurant. Most restaurants will have someone out front inviting you in. As you walk away, they'll offer you free drinks and other incentives to come into their restaurant -- be sure to take advantage of these free offers!

Famous Cafes

2006-03-06T11:14:00.000-05:00

There are several very famous cafes in Paris which, though expensive, are well worth the ocasional visit. Pictured at left is the Cafe de la Paix, 12 blvd des Capucines, 9th arrondissement, located opposite the Paris Opera (metro Opera).

A great list of famous Paris cafes can be found here: http://www.paris.org/Cafes/

I especially recommend Care de Flore!

All of these cafes tend to cater to tourists and have fairly expensive menus, with coffee drinks ranging from 4 -10 euros.

Starbucks in Paris? mais oui!

2006-02-24T14:35:00.000-05:00

Well, it's true -- Starbucks has invaded Paris, opening its first store on 1/15/04! And not just one store -- 16 at last count, with more coming. So, why would anyone in their right mind want to a Starbucks when the streets of Paris are lined with cute cafes serving wonderful espresso, capuccino, and cafe Americano? What could possibly have led the Starbucks executives to think that a Starbucks in Paris would be successful? And what could possibly drive someone to select a cafe experience that felt so much like being back in the US?

Frankly, I didn't think I would set foot in a Starbucks in Paris - but alas, the pull was too strong to resist. As I stepped inside the Starbucks at 26 avenue de l'Opéra 75001 next to the Paris Opera, I was immediately greeted by the same wonderful aromas that I have come to associate with Starbucks. The coffee was strong and the decor and seating were very inviting. One particularly attractive item about Starbucks in Paris is that it feels like a place you just want to go and hang out!

Unlike most Paris cafes, at which you really don't feel welcome if you've finished your coffee and there are customers waiting, Starbucks in Paris has the feel of an up-scale urban coffee house. You want to bring a good book and just sink into the overstuffed chairs and hang out, especially on cold rainy days.

The menu is similar to what you would find in a Starbucks in the US, with latte, moka, macchiato, latte, cappuccino, americano and espresso. They also have Tazos teas and Frapuccino. Everything you might want to make you feel at home!

Current list of open stores is as follows:

1.	Odeon 91 Boulevard Saint Germain Paris PRS, 75006 France
2.	Sebastopol 11, boulevard Sebastopol Paris PRS, 75001 France
3.	Beaubourg 4, Rue Aubry Le Boucher Paris PRS, 75004 France
4.	Archives 13, rue des Archives Paris PRS, 75004 France
5.	Poissonniere 7 boulevard Poissonniere Paris PRS, 75002 France
6.	Montmartre 18, boulevard Montmartre Paris PRS, 75009 France
7.	Rue de Seze 4, Rue de Seze Paris PRS, 75008 France
8.	Montparnasse 70, boulevard du Montparnasse Paris PRS, 75006 France
9.	Monge 118, rue Monge Paris Paris PRS, 75005 France
10.	St Antoine 29, Rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine Paris PRS, 75011 France
11.	St Lazare 108-110, Rue Saint Lazare Paris PRS, 75009 France
12.	Boetie 37, rue de la Boetie Paris PRS, France
13.	General Leclerc 76, Avenue du Gal Leclerc Paris PRS, 75014 France
14.	Avenue de France Avenue de France, 75013 Paris Paris PRS, France
15.	Bercy Parc Rue de l'Ambroisie Paris PRS, 75012 France
16.	Victor Hugo 90, avenue Victor Hugo Paris PRS, 75116 France

Bilingual Schools in Paris

2006-01-20T16:32:00.000-05:00

During our 3 years in Paris, our children attended Ecole active Bilingue, or EaB. There is a nice web site for the school here: http://www.eab.fr/.

The school provided a good mix of the French public school curiculum with core subjects taught in French and solid English instruction. The math curiculum was especially strong. The student-teacher ratio was good and the school worked hard to ensure each child had individualized instruction if needed. Our only complaint was that the facilities were a bit crowded -- this was especially evident on cold, rainy days when the children were not permitted to have a recess. EaB has several locations to choose from -- we selected the one adjacent to Parc Monceau in the 8th arrondissement.

Section Monceau
6, avenue Van Dyck - 75008 Paris
Tél. : (33) 1 46 22 14 24
Fax : (33) 1 47 66 58 93
M° : Courcelles
Bus : 84

Chocolate in Paris

2005-12-22T13:58:00.000-05:00

Paris is a great place for chocolate lovers! Some of the best chocolate in the world can be found in Paris. There are lots of good places to go enjoy chocolate. Some of our favorite places for chocolate in Paris are:

La Maison du Chocolat - in several locations and online, with stores in Paris, London, New York and Tokyo. There are 5 boutiques around Paris, well worth taking the time to visit.
Angelinas, in the 1st at 226 rue de Rivoli, near metro Tuileries, serves the best hot chocolate in the world -- here's a picture of two very hungry and tired American families enjoying Angelinas after a long day of walking around Paris!
Au Bonbon Royal - in the 17th at 56 rue Jouffroy d'Abbans, near metro Wagram -- the owner and his wife are chocolate experts and they are wonderful! Tell them that you were sent by Madame Knepper and they might give you an extra treat! In fact, prior to filming the movie Chocolat, the French actress Juliette Binoche trained here at this store and learned the fine art of making chocolate.

Paris by Night

2005-12-21T12:11:00.000-05:00

Viewing Paris by night provides some breath-taking panoramic views of the city lit up... it literally seems to come alive at night. Note that the public parks close at sunset, so you want to make sure to plan your visits to the the parks in the afternoon.

Several recommendations for seeing Paris by night are:

taking a night-time boat ride along the Seine in the Bateaux Mouches: http://www.bateaux-mouches.fr/
strolling up and down the Champs Elysees -- if it is late and you are hungry, there are several good restaurants that are open late along the Chapms Elysees, such as Chez Clement
the old streets of Montmartre are fun at night with the crowds of tourists -- some of the restaurants afford excellent views of the city
a taxi ride along the quais, the fast roads along the Seine
the Latin Quarter
and, of course, the Eiffel Tower

Wherever you happen to be in the city at night, be sure to position yourself at the top of the hour so that you have a good view of the Eiffel Tower -- it sparkles for 10 minutes at the top of the hour and is an amazing view. You will never get tired of seeing it.

Panoramic Views of Paris

2005-12-20T08:33:00.000-05:00

As you walk around Paris, getting to know the city, walking streets, seeing the sites and listening to the sounds of the city, be sure to enjoy the wonderful panoramic views of Paris that can be found in many places. These views will help orient you to the layout of the city so that you can get your bearings as you walk around Paris.

There are many places in Paris to get a panoramic view. Some of my favorite places to get a great panoramic view are:

the best view of Paris is from the top of the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees -- this provides an excellent panormic view of the city and there are several visual displays to help orient you to the various buildings around town (remember to jot down the ones that look interesting in your spiral notebook!)
the rooftop café of the Samaritaine (a department store) provides an excellent view of the old part of Paris
climbing to the top of the Notre Dame cathedral provides many great panoramic views
the view from the bar at the top of the Hotel Concorde Lafayette is great at sunset if you're looking for a romantic aperitif
and finally, the view from the Eiffel Tower is excellent... although the lines can be long... climbing the stairs provides a good option to avoid the lines and get some exercise

The photo I included in this blog entry is a photo I took from the top of Notre Dame.

Walking Tours

2005-12-19T19:53:00.000-05:00

The first thing to do when visiting Paris or upon moving to Paris is get to know the city. The best way to get to know Paris is by walking around Paris. I will recommend several tips to get to know Paris quickly by foot.

The first tip is when taking public transportation, take the bus, rather than the metro, as you explore the city. Although the bus is slower than the metro, the advantage is that you'll actually be able to see much more and take it all in. I also recommend that you carry with you at all times a small, blank spiral notebook and a pen in which you can quickly jot down the addresses of interesting buildings or the names of interesting streets to visit later. In the evening, as you relax over a glass of wine, review the notes you have jotted down and correlate them with your guidebook to find out more about the places you have seen.

My favorite walking areas are:

Ile St-Louis (the isle in the middle of the Seine) -- the best ice cream, or "glace," is found here in several locations, called Berthillon
the Tuileries next to the Louvre -- look for the trampolines (great fun for the kids) and enjoy lunch or an early dinner at any of the outdoor restaurants in the Tuileries which are perfect in Spring, Summer or Fall
the Marais;
the 6th arrondissement -- I included a typical street scene from the 6th in this blog post;
the Jardin de Luxembourg;
Parc Monceau -- this is great park in the middle of a busy city that is a lot of fun with kids on weekends, we used to bring our scooters and roller blades and squirt guns and frisbees and footballs along with a picnic and enjoy some relaxed family time;
and last, but not least, the Champs Elysees

Make it a priority to take a walking tour of Paris. My favorite walking tours in English are led by this group:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pariswalking/

Each tour is about 2 hours. Try to do as many as possible – they are all great. The tour of the Marais is especially good. The cost is 10 euros (children and students are less) and you provide a tip at the end. The guide will occasionally sing opera or other antics. Also, you will meet lots of other interesting anglophiles who are touring by foot alongside you and you will pick up lots of good tips just hanging out.