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Your taste of life in Nice and the Riviera Don't miss a single issue of Parler Nice! "Whitelist" Parler Nice by adding "info@adrianleeds.com" to your address book.
Come for conversation then stay for lunch! Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 11 a.m. Lutèce Langue 10 euros per person or FREE when you register for the SPECIAL OFFER of a 14-SESSION CARD FOR ONLY 100 euros that day! (Regular price is 10 sessions for 85 euros.) Party open to everyone, first time is free! Practice Your French...or English. Parler Parlor meets three times a week -- come as often as you like! For further details, visit Parler Parlor. Dear Parler Paris and PARLER NICE Reader, --------------- SPECIAL NOTE: From time to time, instead of "Speak Paris" (Parler Paris), you will be receiving "Speak Nice" (Parler Nice). It only makes sense that when I'm on the Côte d'Azur, that instead of pretending to be in Paris talking about Nice and the Riviera, that we should just call 'a spade a spade' and talk about Nice instead. For those of you who are only interested in the Riviera, and not Paris, you may opt in to just Parler Nice. And for those of you who have been reading Parler Paris for a long time, you may just have to put up with a Parler Nice on occasion. If you're not interested in what goes on on the Mediterranean coast, then just delete the issue and forget you ever saw it. --------------- Monday while having breakfast on the balcony in full sun, I told one of our staff, "I may never come home," jokingly of course, but the sun is the one thing that Paris lacks more than anything else. Even on the city's brightest and sunniest days, which we've had much of the last week or so in "Gray Paree," there is still a translucent filtered quality about the rays and the sky is never really blue-blue...at least not the same deep blue one can see in Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji or South Africa (as reported by researcher Anya Hohnbaum who visited 20 different destinations to scientifically prove her findings -- physicsworld.com).
My daughter and I took the train down to Nice Sunday night to have three days of mother-daughter 'communing' and so that I could show off "Le Matisse," my latest apartment accomplishment. The last time she had seen it was before having signed the Acte de Vente (title deed) and long before any renovation had taken place. Other than enjoying the apartment, our only goals for the few days in the south were to have a great "Salade Niçoise" and to do a little shopping. The "Zara" store at Place Beaumarchais in Monaco is perhaps the world's best Zara -- the company sells its chicest garb in this particular location, just a stone's throw from the Monte Carlo casino. With this in mind, Monday afternoon we hopped on the number 100 bus for a whopping one euro each to take the coastal road to Monaco. The scenery is drop-dead gorgeous and the ride is a mere 45 minutes to the center of town. This same bus also takes you all the way to the last town in France -- Menton. What a deal. In Monaco we had lunch at the port, drooled over the luxury yachts and headed uphill toward Zara. Normally the bargains are well worth the trip, but after trying on dozens of items, we walked out with only a few purchases. No matter -- it's always fun. Iced coffee at the Café de Paris next to the casino is a small fortune, but who cares when you're surrounded by beautiful scenery and the most expensive cars on the planet -- how many Bentleys do you think can be parked in front at the same time? Try four. We headed back to Nice for the evening, but continued shopping until the stores threw us out onto the street. Dinner was at one of my favorite Niçois spots -- Restaurant 20 (Vingt) sur Vin, a bistrot off avenue Jean-Médecin behind the Monoprix (18 Bis rue Biscarra) and we headed home after chuckling about the drunken fellow who, in a friendly way, had interjected himself into the dining experience of the couple at the next table. Luckily we managed mostly to escape his banter. Salade Niçoise we ordered up for lunch yesterday at "Maori," a great little restaurant and bar just a few steps from the apartment on rue Masséna (number 15). The guys there have come to know me as over the past year it has often become my office (free Wifi with a plug next to a good table) and it has the best Salade Niçoise I've found so far. As it turns out, all their salads are a 'class act' and their daily specials are consistently delicious. It's a pleasure to have it so close by. With two lightweight aluminum lounge chairs in hand after lunch, we headed down to the Nice pebbles -- me wearing almost all the wrong clothing -- black tights and ankle boots that are more perfect on the Paris streets than at the sea. We hadn't really thought in advance about being on the beach in March...obviously. The chairs were a new purchase to leave in the apartment, but it was an ideal moment to test them out and I must admit, they were PERFECT -- have them any way you like -- sitting upright or lounged back. One of the advantages of the pebbles (although sand is my preference) is that one can do what we did -- plop down on the chair, kick back, let the sun bake on your face, chest and whatever is exposed, then head home clean as a whistle without getting sand under your finger nails or dragging it into the apartment. The 45 minutes we had facing the calm blue Mediterranean in full sun turned my chest bronze and melted away any tension in the muscles, including the most important one -- the brain. Nice is not Paris, nor Paris Nice. Nothing quite comes close to Paris in terms of great cities and I can't imagine ever wanting to give up Paris for any other city in the world, but there are a few things a city like Nice has that Paris doesn't...besides the weather and the blue, blue sea, that is. One of those things is a 'friendly attitude.' There is no question that the Niçois are more relaxed and friendlier than Parisians. Of course, Parisians are world-famous for their bad humor and although one can get used to it and learn how to deal with it, it's really a pleasure to get friendly, pleasant, relaxed service wherever you go. In fact, you can actually joke and play with just about any Niçois and likely never get 'your head bitten off' as one might in Paris for doing nothing of any importance. As an example, on our way to the train station yesterday afternoon, we stopped at a fast-food pizza and chicken restaurant across from an open Islamic produce market. We ordered up chicken and vegetables to take on the train for dinner, but they weren't prepared with plastic forks or knives for us...so, believe it or not, they gave us their metal utensils wrapped in a napkin without our asking, without charging and with a big smile. I vowed to return them next time I was in Nice, but they didn't seem to care and I wondered, would this have ever happened in Paris? The answer is "probably not." A la prochaine...
P.S. "Le Matisse" is just the beginning. Rent it now, but stay tuned for our second Niçois luxury vacation apartment to be available as of May 1 with two bedrooms, two baths and the same great location. To learn more or to reserve your stay, visit Le Matisse or email apartments@adrianleeds.com. P.P.S. Catch Adrian LIVE in a radio interview with Doni Belau on Overseas Radio! Simply go to Overseas Radio on Monday, 4/2/12 at 10:00 a.m. (EST, 1600h in Paris) and click on the "Listen Live" button on the upper right.
Fractional ownership is the hottest way to own your piece of Paris simply, easily and inexpensively! Here is one of our newest offerings available through French Property Fractional: The Ile de la Cité is where life in Paris began centuries ago, centered around one of the world's most important cathedrals, Notre Dame. Just a few steps away is this old-world elegant studio apartment with windows providing a perfect and beautiful view of "Our Lady.". For more information on this and other fractional ownership properties now available, orto learn how you can design your own property, visit French Property Fractional. To learn more about "What is Fractional Property Ownership?," click here: Fractional Property Ownership And to get the free "Paris, France Property Market Report," click here: French Property Report
France always makes sense! It is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, immersed in culture and tradition, with a good climate and unspoiled countryside, as well as excellent health care and affordable real estate. It’s not surprising that France is the world’s favorite destination, receiving in excess of 82 million overseas visitors each year. This edition is updated and edited by Adrian Leeds and Schuyler Hoffman. If you’ve ever aspired to living or investing in this beautiful and desirable country, France: The Owner’s Manual will provide you with all the information you need to turn your dreams into reality. Get Your Copy Today!
Book your FREE personal consultation with Adrian Leeds! If you are a guest staying in any one of our luxurious Parler Paris Apartments or Parler Nice Apartments, and would like to consider having your own "pied-à-terre" for your pleasure and profit, fill out our consultation request form for a free one-hour consultation while you're enjoying the apartment in the City of Light or on the Riviera. Visit ParlerParisApartments.com or ParlerNiceApartments to book your stay and for more information or email Adrian at adrian@adrianleeds.com.  Getting a mortgage in France is easier than you think...
Let us show you just how hassle-free it can be to get a French property mortgage for your dream Paris pied-à-terre or villa in the country!
Visit French Property Loan or contact our Mortgage Manager at loan@adrianleeds.com
June 24-29, 2012 The 22nd annual Paris Writers' Workshop invites you to be a part of one of the most respected (and fun!) creative writing workshops of its kind. Join us for a week rich in opportunities to fine-tune your writing with our outstanding faculty, work in an intensive and friendly environment, stay current on literary trends (such as self-publishing, eBooks, and the use of blogs and social media), receive step-by-step information on how to get published, meet literary agents, become a member of the PWW community, and enjoy summer in the City of Light! SPECIAL NOTE: Adrian Leeds (Paris Writers Workshop Faculty) will be participating in a panel discussion "Welcome to the 21st Century: How to Use Blogs and Social Media to Your Advantage" on Thursday, June 28, 2012 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. For more information and to register visit Paris Writer's Workshop. Buy and sell with Parler Nice classifieds! Earn money. Become an Introduction Partner of French Property Consultation! Read past issues of Parler Nice...
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Adrian Leeds
Own a Piece of Paris.
France: The Owner’s Manual
Paris Writer's Workshop