Paris Practique :: Tis the Season

Year round there are wonderful, magical and mundane things to do around Paris. One could take a trip to this city and only sit at cafes and people watch (under the heatlamps in winter), picnic in the numerous parks and gardens, and visit the endless markets that happen daily around the city. But if you're still trying to decide when to plan your next visit, here are a few things that happen throughout the year to look forward to. Even the pastries change with the season from bouche de Noel for Christmas, kings cakes for the new year, heart shaped baguettes for Valentine's Day (that's about as deep as Parisians get into that holiday, as l'esprit d'amour is a daily celebration!). So you could always plan your trip around food, which would be very French after all! Just be warned that the French take their holidays seriously. Most places will be closed on les jours fériés, and on Sundays for that matter, so check the calendar before you go. As for once you're here, the Mairie de Paris is a great way to find out what free cultural events are happening around the city, but my favorite way to know what's happening is by the posters in the Metro. Happy travels!

FALL

• Nuit Blanche - the first Saturday in October the city has a "sleepless night" with art & light installations around the city and bars, restaurants, galleries and even swimming pools staying open all night long
• A great season to take a romantic walk in a Paris cemetery. I'm dead serious! Check out Pere Lachaise for starters.
• All year long "salons" of any subject take place around the city. Salon de la Photographie in November is one of my favorites
  
• Maison Object - design trade show (Sept) [industry only]
  

WINTER

• Ice Skating in front of Hotel de Ville
• Holiday markets pop up all around the city - Abbesses, Chatelet, St. Germain...
• Visit Galeries Lafayette to see the 5 story X-mas tree and creative window displays (department stores in general are a beautiful treat to visit in Paris, and many have great views from their rooftops!)
  
• Les Soldes - the twice yearly sale around the entire city happens in late Jan/early Feb so stores can make room for the next season's stock
• Chinese New Year Parade - ring in the Chinese New Year Paris-style
• Maison Object - design trade show (Jan)
  
• Drink vin chaud!
  

SPRING

• It's not winter anymore, so celebrate with a picnic on the Champ de Mars!
• There are over 400 parks and gardens in the city. Check out them all. Promenade de Plantee is always a favorite, as is Parc Monceau.
  
• A visit Monet's Gardens at Giverny is always in season.
• Flea markets! (really year round, but they're more fun when the weather is nice!)
  

SUMMER

• Paris Plage - the man made beach created in front of City Hall (Hotel de Ville) for sunning in the sand or a game of beach volleyball
• Les Soldes - the twice yearly sale around the entire city happens in late June/early July so stores can make room for the next season's stock
• Diner en Blanc - it's invite only, but one day I'm determined to get an invite to this magical dinner where the magical location is only revealed at la derniere minute!
• Paris Graffiti festival - happens every June
  
• Bastille Day - July 14th
• Cinema in the Parc (de la Vilette)
  
• Tour de France
• August - enjoy a Paris void of Parisians (who are taking advantage of their 5-9 weeks of vacation/year) and full of tourists
  
  

For loads more Paris things to do and see, check out my D*S Paris Design Guide.

Eye Candy

World Map by These Are Things {via postgradhaircut}"Toast to..." series around the world by JHill Design.Sketching in the car, by Laura Frankstone of Laurelines.

Julia Rothman's NYC poster for the MTA! 30"x 40" print for sale in the Transit Shop [click posters-arts for transit- then scroll].

Boarding Pass - Pop Quiz!

Boarding Pass is on hiatus for the week to ensure that I get my mid-term work done and don't fail out of school. So instead, still keeping the spirit of BP, I'm turning the tables on you, and asking you, dear readers, to help me with a project I'm working on. I'm sure more about the project will unfold on my blog in the coming months, but for now I need your help. So for today's POP QUIZ I'd like you to help provide me with a little insight in how you travel. Either copy and paste the questions below into the comments section and respond there, or email me your responses. And because this is a quiz, please respond in complete sentences and expand as you see fit. Thank you and have fun!

1. Has a blog or something you've seen online ever inspired you to take a trip?
2. When you're planning a trip, where's the first place you go for information about a place?
3. Do you get a guidebook for the place? If yes, how do you choose which one?
4. Have you ever consulted a blog for travel tips?
5. What's the #1 factor that influences where you stay when you travel?
6. Have you ever rented an apartment while you're traveling? House-swapped?
7. What are you looking for most when you travel? Relaxation? Experience? Seeing major sites? Meeting people? Trying new things? Eating? Etc.
8. Do you travel the same now as you did 5 years ago? 10 years ago?
9. What travel trends have you been noticing? Are you following them?
10. BONUS: Anything you want to add!
    

{Illustration by Gemma Correll. Check out her Boarding Pass responses HERE! And don't miss her latest awesome project called "What I Wore Today."}

Paris Practique :: Packing

When you're packing for Paris there are only a few basic rules you need to understand to make the most of your visit.

1. Wear black.
If you wear color it will scream TOURIST! Ok, you may be able to get away with navy blue, brown, and possibly one red item. As soon as you look around, you will see the sea of lack of color in this city. The good news is that if you adhere to this rule everything you pack will match. The downside is that whoever you are traveling with may not be able to spot you, so maybe one signature color isn't all bad.

2. Choose a color palette.
So rule #1 may not be for everyone, so why not try rule #2 which I learned from Margaret Vest: for any given trip pick a color palette that you think suits you and your destination, and in sticking to those colors it will help you limit what you pack (while having a stylish adventure). When I moved to Paris this fall I only brought black, brown, blue and gray clothes + my accent color of mustard yellow. Not only does everything match (ok, some of you need to get over your fear of black and brown together), but I'm still to this day able to find new outfit combinations and it's never a challenge to decide what to wear. And I get lots of compliments.

3. Stripes and scarves.
There's no better way to feel French than a stereotypical striped shirt. Seriously though, striped shirts are all the rage in the design blog world, and lucky you, they seem to be super in this spring in every storefront in Paris! And while French women aren't huge into accessories, a simple pashmina can be that extra je ne sais quoi to finish up an outfit (and keep you warm in a drafty cafe). If you forget to pack one, they are sold in literally every color of the rainbow (eek, you better rethink how much color you want in your life) all over the city - specifically around tourist hubs - for 5 Euros each. Once you have one or two, your assignment is then to study how French women are wearing theirs this season, and you do the same.

4. Layer.
The weather in Paris is well. . . spastic. Although being a relatively small/compact city, you can be in one area and it will be sunny, hop on the metro elsewhere and walk out into the rain. Rain usually never lasts that long, but it's still good to be prepared. Maybe it's just me, but I always feel more put together and like the outfit is complete when I have at least 3 pieces on.

5. Dress for anything (and everything).
In his book The Sweet Life in Paris, David Lebovitz jokes that he knows he became a Parisian when he started dressing up to take the trash out. In Polly Platt's French or Foe, she cites the case of a French mother-in-law repremanding her American daughter-in-law for going out to get the paper from the newsstand without wearing pantyhose. No, sweatsuits won't do here in Paris. The Parisian attitude of dressing is based on the fact that you never know what your day may hold (or who you may meet), so be ready for anything. A few years back when I was teaching in a French high school, believe it or not I dressed for the day with the idea that it's something I could teach in, but also go to the bar in the same outfit (this is where layering comes in extra handy!) should the occasion arise. Paris is relatively small and easy to get around, but why waste your time running back and forth stressing about changing when you could be living it up in your limited time in Paris?

6. If you forgot something, remember you're in Paris dammit - buy it here!
There's no sense in over-packing for any trip, but especially not Paris. With so many airline restrictions, limitations, added fees and lost luggage, why overdo it? Perhaps this is the best time to challenge yourself to use that carry-on bag for more than a weekend trip. And don't be afraid to leave some room for "souvenirs" (note: not the cheap, tacky kind). If you're super smart, you'll plan your trip during Les Soldes, the twice yearly (late Jan/early Feb and late June/early July) sales where every store in Paris offers huge discounts to make room for the next season's shipments. Regardless of when you come, let's face it, I doubt you'll have much problem finding something you'll want to take back with you.

7. When in Paris do as the Parisians Do.
Finally, my last secret is that most Parisians don't have huge closets (hello, may I remind you I live in 10m2! - that's the size of most American closets), let alone huge wardrobes. During your visit watch and learn from the Masters themselves. Really the goal is to have a basic, functional wardrobe, and then maybe splurge on one or two pieces a year. Apply this concept to your packing. Classic over quantity.

If these rules are still confusing you, let me use Nichole Robertson of Little Brown Pen (ahem, see her Boarding Pass feature HERE) as my favorite example of what she packed for her most recent trip to Paris this winter:

2 pair of dark jeans
1 pair of black booots
3 long-sleeve black tees
1 black sweater
1 gray sweater
black pea coat
black scarf

noting: I can get by on that for four solid days, and if we are there for a week, I'll just pop everything into the washer. [and she and her husband even share a suitcase!]

I hope you found this post helpful! And perhaps if you didn't want to come to Paris before this, perhaps you do now just to see how savvy a packer you can be! P.S. Rules can apply to all travel.


{i heart looking like a tourist image/t-shirt design by BustedTees, via BarceloMIA}

Visions of Paris

I can hardly contain my excitement to see Audrey Tautou tomorrow night in Maison de Poupée. I'm ok if the play sucks (which I'm sure it won't, because I love the energy when going to the theatre in Europe), but Audrey is pretty much my idol. Although, I must admit, I'm not sure if I want to be Audrey or Amelie when I grow up. Maybe something in the middle?!? So in her honor, I've channeled a little bit of my inner Amelie with visions of my day today.

Boarding Pass (the paper kind)

It's amazing how often in life design can complicate things rather than being as a tool to make life easier. With the tagline "the design of your boarding pass makes me want to scratch out my eyes," the site Boarding Pass/Fail explores the poor design of the current state of airline boarding passes and suggests some design alternatives. The project was started by Tyler N. Thompson after being bored at the airport and frustrated with the design he saw in front of him. Three of his solutions are pictured here, but the dialogue continues on his site, where other factors are brought into play and more designers provide new solutions. {Thanks, Landon!}

J'irai Dormir Chez Vous [Maroc]

So there's couch surfing and there's reality tv, and then there's Jirai Dormir Chez Vous. The French documentary series that literally translates to "I'm going to sleep at your home" features everyday Frenchman, Antoine de Maximy, with a good sense of humor as he travels the world and records his encounters with the people he meets. With three small cameras constantly attached to him (not overly obtrusive, and one so we always see his face) we travel along side him as he has mundane, yet engaging interactions, and eventually invites himself for a meal, and to sleep at their home. I was truly fascinated by this series (sorry, it's all in French, but in other "episodes" he travels to English-speaking countries) and the dynamic of short term, yet meaningful encounters with the people he meets along the way. Most definitely a fresh look at travel, and has me quite excited to meet some Moroccans (and use my French) next month. {Thanks, Othmane!}












Click here to find out why Morocco was the favorite place he's visited.

Boarding Pass - Lindsey Tramuta

Every Monday Boarding Pass looks at the way people travel and see the world. I'm so pleased to have fellow American-living-in-Paris (and graduate of my master's program), Lindsey Tramuta at the helm today. Lindsey runs a delightful blog - which you've heard of here before - called Lost in Cheeseland, that chronicles her adventures in ex-pat living (with a big focus on food, which is so perfect for Paris). And for all of you who commented on my post about water in Paris, you can't miss Lindsey's piece about going to the gym in France. Enjoy! {Thanks, Lindsey!}
last trip taken:
Philadelphia/Washington D.C. I’ve taken my husband to most major cities on the east coast and Washington was the last on the list. Since it’s only 2.5 hours from Philadelphia, we took a trip with my father for a couple of days before New Years. Aside from the bitter cold, it was great to be in the capital. The French influence was undeniable.

next trip on deck:
London to visit a friend that recently moved from Paris. But the big trip of the year will be in August to the West coast of the US to San Francisco, Yosemite, Monterey, and perhaps Seattle. My husband will stay longer to rock climb throughout California with his buddies.

one place you would go back to again and again:
Amsterdam in the Spring. The landscape took my breath away. I’d love to go back every Spring. In the states, I would go back to Hilton Head Island, SC. I used to go every summer for two weeks with my family but haven’t been back in at least 6 years. I would love to show my husband a place that I will forever associate with my childhood.

place you'd most likely recommend a friend go visit:
Seville, in a heart beat. The people are wonderful, the culture is rich and the landscape is stunning. In 2 and a half days I feel like I got a good first taste of the city (and the heat!). I wouldn’t recommend going in August like I did, it was 40°C (104°F) by mid morning!

preferred method of transportation:
Train! The US has a lot of catching up to do. French transportation really is worth writing home about and travel is usually uneventful. It saves time and frustration of airport lines and security. However when I travel to major cities, I prefer to see everything on foot. Cheaper and more conducive to seeing as much as possible often in a short period of time.

place you've never been but dying to go:
Barcelona. It’s not original since everyone and their mother has gone, but a good friend of mine studied and lived there for a year and raved about all that the city has to offer. From architecture to food, I think it would be a great change of scenery from Paris.

place you'd never go back:
Naples, Italy. While it was worth going to take the ferry over to Capri, it was filthy and dangerous. The food was excellent but we had just come from 6 days in Rome and were sick of Italian food!

most memorable trip in 2 sentences or less:
The second time I came to Paris ranks pretty high as my most memorable trip because it was during that 7 week stay that I met my husband! Otherwise, my trip to Italy which was the first vacation I ever took with my husband when were still dating.

{Never a dull moment in Paris}

how do you prepare for a trip?
Making sure I have everything organized that I plan on bringing, double checking travel itinerary and reservations, and reading about the less touristic spots to hit.

how do you record your travels when you're traveling?
Usually through photos or collecting posters and postcards. I’m not big on keeping a journal so photos are the easiest way for me to keep everything fresh in my mind.

what is your favorite thing to photograph in a new place?
The buildings – architecture varies so greatly from place to place that I love having shots of different styles. After, I juxtapose images of one style with another to compare.

on an average, how many pictures to you take on a trip?
Hundreds, most of which get deleted after the fact. I try to capture everything and then after the trip I go back and filter. I typically only keep those that stood out for me or have more than superficial significance.

what do you do after a trip? how long after a trip does this happen?
Blog and share the photos online. Most of my photos stay digital at this point because I’m more likely to go back and look at them again on my computer than I would if I had them all printed and scrapbooked. I hoard too much stuff as it is!

favorite souvenir/thing to bring back?
Business cards from restaurants. I keep them filed away (alphabetically too, how organized is that?) for future use and to share with friends who are planning trips to the places I’ve already been. I’m my own food guide! Otherwise, I always try to bring back a local specialty – be it sweets, cheese or wine.
what’s the last cultural thing you did in Paris?
A macaron baking class at La Cuisine Paris! I love the concept and I think very highly of the founder. The facility is awesome, the instructors are talented and knowledgeable and the themes of the classes are original, both in French and English. I think I’ll be sending my mother-in-law there for Mother’s Day! It’s a great outing for tourists and locals alike.

Links:

• Blog: Lost in Cheeseland
• on Twitter

Click HERE for more editions of Boarding Pass!

Happy [Chinese] New Year!

When walking down the streets of Paris you never know what you will find. . . Happy Chinese New Year!

Paris Practique :: Arrivals

[in honor of my friend Aaron who arrives in Paris this weekend with his mother for the first time, 'Paris Practique' is a new series designed to have my favorite tips and tricks - in one place - for your next trip to Paris]

When flying in or out of Paris it's good to know there are two main airports - Charles de Gaulle [CDG in the North] and Orly [ORY in the South] - and a third smaller airport - Beauvais - that caters to budget airlines such as Ryan Air. To make sure you're getting to/from the right place it's always good to triple check. This post will focus on CDG as that is the airport where most international flights fly into.

CDG is divided into two terminals aptly named Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. It is more important when leaving Paris to know which terminal you are flying out of because there's it's rare to find something in the RER train car that will help you know where to get off. Either way, it's not the end of the world, as there is a free shuttle bus that goes between the two terminals.

Once you are through customs and have your bags, there are 3 major ways to get into the city.

1. Taxi - This is your most expensive option (~50Euros), but also, in theory, your most hassle free option. It is definitely a good option if you are sharing the cost with others. However, depending on time of day, traffic could be a major annoyance making your trip twice as long. Or, if you arrive in August, when all the French are on vacation, your driver may take the opportunity of open roads to drive like he's on a NASCAR raceway (or whatever the French equivalent would be).
   
   
2. Shuttle - Shuttles can be arranged ahead of time and are a more affordable option than taxis at about 30 Euros (which you can pay online). They are especially a good option for students moving to Paris with lots of bags. Just be warned that after a long flight you might not be overly eager taking the "scenic" route as the driver weaves his way throughout the city to drop off various passengers. And when leaving Paris to go to the airport, the shuttle can mean a 4am pick up for a 7 or 8am flight. I've had good experiences with Paris Airport Shuttle. If you are flying a major airline, like Air France, be sure to check with them about any services they offer (I've heard they have a shuttle bus that leaves from Charles de Gaulle Etoile [Arc de Triumph]). There is also an airport bus that leaves from Opera.
   
   
3. RER - The RER is the commuter train line of the reliable (except when on strike) Paris Metro system. This provides the most affordable way into Paris at about 8,40 Euros each way these days. When it comes to transportation, Paris is divided into 5 zones. Most of Paris you will be visiting is within zones 1-2 (so you will be able to purchase the cheaper metro pass), but since the airport is further out, you will have to buy a separate ticket just to get into the city. While it's always good to keep your most current metro ticket at arm's reach in case of a check point, the RER is the only time you will have to use the ticket when you enter and exit the station (this is to know what zone you are in). When you arrive at Gare du Nord or Chatelet, you will able to change to a regular metro line without extra cost. Both CDG and Orly are at the end of the [blue] RER B blue - not all trains go to all stations, nor to the airport (the further the RER goes it, it forks). There are screens in each station to show you where the next train will stop, but when in doubt, follow the masses who also have suitcases. The hardest thing about getting metro/RER tickets when you first arrive in Paris is that many of the self-use machines don't like American credit cards (European credit cards use a "smart chip"), so to save yourself time, it's probably best you just head to the queue of people buying tickets. If you want to save yourself a little hassle of dealing with it at the airport, various metro tickets can be purchased in advance through RailEurope.com.
   

{Photography by Jeffrey Milstein, via DoubleTakes}

Ideas Worth Spreading

I'm not sure how I didn't discover TED: ideas worth spreading sooner. But as they say, better late than never. Below are just three - of the many - TED talks that are making me think days.

IDEO's Tim Brown on "Creativity and Play"


Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling on "The Fringe Benefits of Failure" from Harvard's commencement ceremony.


The American Visionary Art Museum's founder and visionary Rebecca Hoffberger (this will help you understand why AVAM is my favorite place on earth).

L'eau de Paris

Hands down, one of my favorite dinner conversations to have in Paris is about water. I'm serious. Nothing perplexes me more than the lack of water that Parisians consume on a regular basis. I'm practically like a baby, constantly nursing the water bottle that I keep in my bag at all times. I drink water all day, but I still manage to wake up dehydrated. Yet, spending the entire day with a French person, they leave me perplexed on how they survive on the lack of liquids. Are coffee and wine seriously enough hydration for the French?

If you ever have been to a Parisian cafe and asked for a "carafe d'eau" (aka, the free water that acts as the only means of ever getting a refill of water in this city) you'll start to see the problem I face. Fundamentally one of the main issues I have is that the glasses they give you are about the size of a shot glass. Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating - they're really the size of a double shot glass. This begs the question, do people not get thirsty here?

Let me give you 2 examples from my weekend.

Friday night I was out with 2 American friends and a French friend. The 3 Americans completely downed a couple glasses of water, emptying the carafe d'eau before dinner even arrived. Meanwhile, the glass of the French friend stayed full, even after dinner. This then turned into the topic of my favorite dinner conversation - French and American cultural differences, and why the French don't drink water. Honestly, it was something she had never pondered before, especially at the level I have. The best answer she came up with was that she tries not to drink when she eats. All I had to say to that was, but don't you get thirsty?

The next day a different French friend came over to my apartment. I nearly killed her by making her hike up the 6-flights of stairs to my place. Whew. I did it, I made a French person thirsty! I ask her if she would like something to drink. A big yes to water. So, being the American that I am, I filled up a big (yet, still small by American standards) glass of water. All I have to say was that after our 2 hour project meeting, I was completely and utterly dismayed that the cup of water remained nearly as full after that time as when I gave her the glass. She even saw me pour the classy bottled water - no calaire-infused [the chalky, calcium build up that often is found in Paris water, even though it's completely safe to drink] water for her.

Yet, I still don't have an answer. Are Americans genetically mutated to need more water that Europeans? Does water magically multiply in the bodies of the French? Are Americans just socially brainwashed to need more water? All I know, is that even after sitting in my chair and writing this post, I'm thirsty now, and am off to get some water.

{image part of the l'Eau de Paris campaign to encourage people to drink city water; they even have these really cute carafes they sell around the city for 10 Euros - the carafes make me want to drink more water, so maybe the Maire de Paris is going after the wrong target audience!}

Google : Paris

My mom said she saw this commercial during the Super Bowl and it made her think of me.

psst. more fun French videos via LostNCheeseland

Best of BOARDING PASS

It's been over a year now since I started doing Boarding Pass as a way to look at the creative way people travel and record their memories. So I thought it high time to look back and have everyone featured and put all the links in one place. Thank you to all my amazing participants so far!

BLOGGERS
Pia Jane Bijkerk

Janet Blyberg

Kristina Gill, editor of In The Kitchen With (d*s)

Lauren Kilberg of DoubleTakes

Monna McDiarmid

Nichole Robertson of Little Brown Pen

Natalie Schaefer of Random Inspiration

Victoria Smith of SF Girl by Bay


DESIGNERS
Marieke Berghuis Leewens

Chris Bettig of the Mountain Label

Conn Brattain

John Giordani

Daniel Gross of aNEW designs

Jennifer Hill Battilana

Anne Lee of Annamatic

Robert Hold of Mr. Peacock

Nidhi Malhotra

Christine Martinez of LAMA Designs

Patricia Naves

Meredith Norwood

Sam Reitmayer of style/SWOON

Magda Sayeg of Knitta Please

Tara Scheueman of Cracked Designs


AUTHORS
Andrew Losowsky, author of Doorbells of Florence

Elisa Parhad, author of New Mexico: a guide for the Eyes

Kate Pocrass of Mundane Journeys


ILLUSTRATORS
Gemma Correll

Eliza Jane Curtis of Morris & Essex

Nik Daum

Eleanor Grosch of Push Me Pull You

Tara Hogan of Ink & Wit

Amy Ruppel

Julie Summerbelle of Famille Summerbelle

Nate Williams


ARTISTS
Felice Cleveland

Leela Cyd

Laura Frankstone

Ashley North Compton

Margaret Vest


PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jen Altman

Louis Vest


TRAVELERS
Landon Durnan

Kristine of Where is Kristine Now?

Wanwisa Posner

Xander Santillanes of Primitive Culture

Jamie Sinz

Wendy of Escape from New York


p.s. Who would you like to see featured in the next round of Boarding Pass??