Enjoy ferris wheels, roller coasters, bumper cars and even arcade games at this traditional Parisian fair.

The best-known Parisian funfair will be open from March 22 to May 17, 2008. This is its 106 th year on the Pelouse Reuilly!

Roller coasters, ferris wheel, bumper cars, junk food, stuffed toys, everything that makes a fair a fair will be had at the Foire du Trone.

Great for all ages.

PELOUSE DE REUILLY
Bois de Vincennes 75012 PARIS
Noon - Midnight, Noon - 1 a.m on Saturdays
Metro: Line 8, Porte Doree or Liberte, a shuttle bus will take you to the fair from there
Web Site: Foire Du Trone

In the U.S., Daylight Savings Time starts soooo early this year: March 8. Perfect for people who suffer from SAD, but weird for those of us who are still looking at snow and ice.
In France? They are keeping with tradition: DST will begin the last Sunday of March this year, ending the last Sunday of October.
What does that mean? For three weeks in March, New York will be 5 hours behind Paris instead of 6.

I was biting my nails waiting for them to announce the winner for Best Actress at yesterday’s Academy Awards. The ONLY actress I wanted to win was Marion Cotillard. Not only because I love all things French, but because she WAS Edith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose”. She was so fabulous in that role, it was as though she was channeling Piaf herself. Gave me the chicken flesh, as the French would say.
The only thing that would have made the awards more of a thrill for me would have been to see the ever-present-in-every-film-made-in-France Gerard Depardieu, who played Piaf’s agent in “La Mome” as it was called in French. But helas, he was probably off making another movie.
If you haven’t seen Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf, run, don’t walk, to your nearest Blockbuster. And hope they actually carry foreign films….

Catch this clip of 150 strangers smooching along the banks of the Seine…now THIS is why I love Paris!
Happy Valentine’s Day!

Very often I hear from people who want to visit a spa while in Paris. Here are a few to choose from:

“Comfort Zone”
This spa in the Marais offers four types of massages: “the oriental”, “the Arab”, “the Indian” and “the Mediterranean”. Sauna and hammam are also available.
49 rue Quincampoix
Paris 75004
011 33 1 44 78 64 64

L’Appartement 217
Yes, this spa is in a Parisian apartment. Here you can get a Japanese bath to detoxify the body, a shiatsu massage and even facials. Tres chic.
217 rue Saint-Honoré
Paris 75001
011 33 1 42 96 00 96

Spa Anne Fontaine
This place screams fashion and style. Even the treatments scream style: “Dream of Silk” and “Softness of Cotton”. Enjoy exotic fruits after your treatment!
370 rue Saint-Honoré
Paris 75001
011 33 1 42 61 03 70

Four Seasons Spa
In a word, luxury. If you have the cash, spend it here!
31, ave. George V
75008 Paris
011 33 1 49 52 70 00

Spa Guerlain
This is an institute as well as a spa, so you get good care and great treatments.
68 Ave. des Champs-Elysées
Paris 75008
011 33 1 45 62 11 21

Seems good old Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France, went and got himself hitched today. Who knows what this will do to his approval rating, which has been slumping since his relationship with Carla Bruni started. Don’t know them, can’t comment…but hopefully she’ll make one heck of a good First Lady of France!

How about a free museum? In order to promote French culture (like it needs promotion…), the French Ministry of Culture and Communication has decided to make a few of its museums free of charge for six months.

From January 1 - June 30, 2008, these Paris museums will be free of charge (for permanent collections only):
The musée Guimet
The musée de Cluny
The musée des Arts et métiers
The musée des Antiquités nationales de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The musée national de la Renaissance d’Ecouen
le musée de l’Air et de l’Espace du Bourget

During the same time period, anyone 18 -26 will have free access to some larger museums in Paris, on certain days of the week and only from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.:

Wednesday: The musée national d’Art moderne, centre Georges Pompidou
Thursday: The musée d’Orsay
Friday: The Louvre
Saturday: The musée du quai Branly

Since the early 20th century, there has been a law in France that all non-food shops must close on Sundays, leaving time for family, leisure and prayer. Sarkozy, wanting to jump-start his lagging economy, would like to do away with that law and make it so people can shop on one of their two days off each week. There are pros (it lets people earn money, lets people get errands done on Sunday) and cons (the mom n pop shops might suffer, the consumerism society might take over) to the issue.
Here’s the article.
I recall life in France, I didn’t really mind that shops were closed on Sundays. I thought it was kind of a nice thing. But I can also see why people would want a convenient day to do their shopping. As long as he doesn’t institue strip malls in every village, I think that would be the end of the French culture!

When deciding whether to try a new restaurant in Paris, one of the sites I always consult is mmmm.free.fr. What I like about it is that the reviews are done by actual clientele. No money exchanges hands, no businesses are involved. And they are French reviewers, too, which lends a certain air of expertise to the whole thing. If you don’t speak French, don’t worry, you can see how much a restaurant is liked by how many happy coffee pots it has! Just click on the arrondissement the restaurant is in, and look for it in the list. (You can also do a search on specific restaurants). It’s a great tool for a trip to Paris.

So often, I am asked by women: “I know what I should wear while in Paris, but my husband (insert boyfriend/son/friend) wears nothing but ratty jeans and baseball caps all the time. What should HE wear?”

Of course, I usually advise to get this man a good pair of leather shoes, a nice pair of jeans (read: no holes), a few button down shirts, sweaters and a leather jacket. But that’s just me.

If you want to REALLY go all out, pay attention to Paris’s fashion week this week as they focus on men’s fashions for 2008-2009. But I think some of these looks might get your guy looked at as much as his baseball cap!