Keeping Warm at the Café

As a person who gets cold quite easily, I love it when cafés offer blankets when it's cold outside.



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Life. Right Now.

Just a few things to share...


First, we would appreciate your help.

We're moving next month with a chihuahua who will celebrate his 15th birthday in January, so we would love any recommendations from our Paris friends for a good dog vet, especially one located in or close to the 15ème arrondissement.

Merci in advance, from Tico and from us!

Secondly, I was on the radio!

Last July I had the pleasure of meeting Poppy Tooker, the brilliant woman who produces the Louisiana Eats! show on NPR in New Orleans. She was visiting Paris with my friend, Peter Patout, and I had planned to show the two of them around some of the great places to eat in the Marais. We were to meet on what turned out to be one of the hottest summer days that Paris had ever experienced, and when I showed up to collect them, all sweaty and disheveled, Poppy took one look at me and asked if I wanted a cocktail. Made with lots and lots of ice.
Right then and there I knew that this woman was a kindred spirit.
She went straight into the kitchen and mixed up a batch of drinks made with icy cold vodka and San Pellegrino Limonata. One of those and I felt like a new woman!

After cooling down, we decided to do the sensible thing and spend the afternoon inside, enjoying cold drinks and the refreshingly cool, air conditioned apartment they had rented (a rarity in Paris!). The Marais would have to wait.

We met the next morning and spent a few hours wandering around the 3ème arrondissement, chatting, nibbling, meeting the commerçants and lingering in every air conditioned shop we could find, then followed it up with lunch at a local Moroccan place.

Poppy shared our experience on her radio show on Saturday. I was super nervous to hear how I would sound on air, but was pleasantly surprised. Did she use some sort of magical computer program to make my voice sound better? I wish I knew.

If you're interested in listening, here's the link.



Finally, and yes, I know how glaringly obvious this sounds, moving sucks.

There's just SO much to organize and it seems like we're spending almost every single waking moment dealing with the To Do List.
As of this afternoon though, I think we're finally on top of it. Phew!

Looking forward to our new view!

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Visiting Paris? This Is The Best €10 You'll Ever Spend

"L'indispensable"*
I couldn't agree more.

I'm a huge fan of the Paris map books.

Despite the fact that I have both the Google and Apple map apps loaded onto my phone, I always keep one of these little books in my bag. If you ask me, a paper map is always easier and often faster to use. No internet connection is necessary and if you're really, really lost, you can always show the book to a helpful local (yes, they do exist), who should be able to point you in the right direction.

And really, is there anything more frustrating than being lost in a foreign city and standing on a street corner, waiting for data to load on your phone while you watch helplessly as its precious battery life slowly ebbs away?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that there are free maps of Paris available for visitors, like the ones pictured above, and if you're only in town for a night or two with plans to primarily hit the big sites like the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame, then you'll be just fine.

However, if you're staying for several days and want to explore Paris a bit more in depth, then you will hugely benefit from getting one of these books. Yes, you'll have to shell out a few Euros, but the time and stress you'll save yourself from wandering around lost is well worth the price.**

Think of it this way: €10 on a map book? Or €10 at the pharmacy on medication for that pounding headache?



Here's a prime example: the yellow section pictured above is a page detail from a map book. It shows the 4ème arrondissement, often referred to as le Marais, which is a very popular neighborhood with tourists. Le Marais is home to the Picasso Museum, la Place des Vosges, the Centre Pompidou and even Notre-Dame. Clearly marked on the page are all the little streets, the Vélib and Métro stations and any historical sites of interest. There are arrows showing the direction of the one way streets and even little basket icons noting the location of the weekly markets.

The photo below is also a detail of le Marais, taken from one of the free maps.



Notice a few things missing? Like dozens of streets?

Sure the major sites are there, but what if you're having trouble accessing the internet on your phone and want to go to the rue des Rosiers, the heart of the Jewish quarter, famous for its falafel joints, kosher bakeries and boutiques?
Omitted. Not important enough, I guess.
Maybe you're searching for a restaurant on the rue Charlot, a bustling little street in the 3ème arrondissement?
Check out the map...it's simply not there.

This is exactly why I think these books are essential.

They come in several languages and they're easy to find. I've seen them for sale at Monoprix, many bookstores and almost every news kiosk scattered around the city.
Prices range between €6-10 and trust me, they are worth every centime!



*Essential

**Not to say that simply wandering around Paris while completely lost is always a bad thing. But sometimes you need to be places!



I've also seen this book, Michelin Paris Pocket Map 50 (Plan Poche) for sale on Amazon, but have never actually looked at it in person.





Please note: The product links from Amazon in this post are affiliate links, meaning if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you) which goes towards maintaining Chez Loulou. Thank you in advance! 



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Photo du Jour - Walking Through The Marais

Challah, bagels and pletzels! Oh my!

Spotted at La Boutique Jaune de Sacha Finkelsztajn in the Marais.


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Photo du Jour - Paris Mosaic

This old mosaic in the Marais reminded me of the boucheries chevalines that you see in France.

Eating horse meat is just something I can't and won't do.  
Yes, it's a cultural thing and no, I'm not opposed to it.  And no, I'm not a vegetarian either.  Far from it. 
It's just that the idea of it makes me uncomfortable.

What do you think?  Do you or would you eat horse meat? Pin It