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The Secret Faces Of Paris

PARLER PARIS: THE SECRET FACES OF PARIS


July 29, 2002


*** OASIS IN THE CITY


In last weeks’ Paris Property Insider, editor Schuyler Hoffman suggested you go beyond the double doors and into the courtyards of the apartment buildings in
Paris to their secret gardens.


I took his advice, but unconsciously, and discovered worlds here I didn’t know existed, even after all these years.


In the 8th arrondissement, just behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, is a neighborhood you would very unlikely visit. There is little there of note, however at one
time, about turn-of-the-century, this was one of the chicest parts of Paris. A colleague moved there recently from the States, who claimed to have found an
oasis in the city unequaled, by sheer luck, while searching for an apartment to rent on the Internet.


She wasn’t joking. Down a long tree-lined drive there was a mansion, built circa 1820, now divided into apartments. Through the double doors of the house and
down the passage of what was at one time the carriage-way, there was a huge garden behind the house and at the back of the garden, an "ecurie" (stable)
renovated into a three-bedroom single family home. It was totally serene, as much as any suburban residence, and contemporary as any newly-built house, but
with the charm awarded it by the layers of history etched on its walls. The iron rings to "park" the horses remain attached to the walls. The stable doors were
now glass-paned "French" double doors opening onto the patio from the salon and kitchen, both paved with terra cotta tiles.


The owner was a woman who’s family once owned the main mansion and it struck me that the way to this kind of luck is genetic.


Then, that thought struck again when I visited a French friend at her cottage just outside Paris. Still the Ile de France (the region Paris is the center of),
the department of Yvelines hosts the Fôret de Rambouillet. Her family owned a large part of the forest about one hundred years ago. It was, and still is, a
hunting ground for deer, rabbit, and wild boar. The property was mostly sold off, but her cottage remains, deep in the woods.


To arrive there, we left the main road, and winding through the charming village of Coignières, passed a château on the left, a glass and steel contemporary
office building on the right, before entering a tiny pot-holed lane, only to be surrounded by tall trees and a thick of "fougères." The sea of ferns for miles
around was surrealistic and reminded me of the 1992 animated film "Fern Gully, The Last Rainforest."


On a trek through the woods, we spotted a beautifully elegant "biche" (doe) who spotted us back and held our gaze for a long time before leaping deep into the
woods. Upon exiting the property, we rode past a galloping wild boar whose long hair was swishing at the same rhythm as his tail. He was too fast for the
digital camera to catch him.


A la prochaine fois,


Adrian


P.S. Another look at a Paris rarely seen — before it ends on September 1, see the "Paris + Klein" exhibit at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, 5/7 rue
de Fourcy, 4th, Métro Saint Paul. Telephone: (33) 1 44 78 75 00.
The photographs of William Klein have been known to American audiences for less than 10 years. In Europe, however, he has been an influence of considerable
power for a much longer time, exemplified by his receipt of the Grand Prix National de France, only the fourth photographer so honored. As an American who
moved to Europe in 1948, he has become a hybrid; he has distilled a vision which is equally radical on each side of the Atlantic. He has abraded the
traditional visions of two continents by experimenting as much with his attitude as with his work.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Parler Paris
/parlerparis/
Written and Edited by Adrian Leeds


Published by International Living
http://www.internationalliving.com
mailto:[email protected]


Issue Number 49, July 29, 2002


In this issue:


*** Can You Survive on the French You Know?
*** Take a Chance on France
*** The Land of Languedoc-Roussillon Awaits You
*** Four-Time Winner Lance Rolls into Paris
*** Know Before You Go
*** Showering is Tricky in Paris
*** Tuscan Bells are Calling


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****************************************
*** HOW’
S YOUR FRENCH?


Need just enough French to "get by" while you’re here?


Ex-Berlitz director, Elisabeth Crochard, is giving the SURVIVAL FRENCH course again — two days prior to the Working and Living in France Conference. The
course includes 9 hours of intensive classroom instruction.


Learn how to survive on your own in Paris, master the basics — greetings, learn how to order your croissant, ask for the check, the price of an item, sizes,
colors, numbers, asking for the time and all the key questions: who, what, where, when, how…the use of the 10 basic verbs and where the Musée d’Orsay is
located. Also, become skilled at exchanging pleasantries with the French — learning about the social protocols most often misunderstood by tourists.


OCTOBER 16 & 17, 2002 at Coprom Langues, 14 rue Lafayette, 9th 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (both days)


$195 Conference participant
$245 Non-Conference participant


For more information, visit the site at: /parlerparis/liveinfrance/survivalfrench.html
To register contact:


In the U.S. or Canada, Barbara Perriello, Agora Travel; Telephone 1-800-926-6575 or 1-561-243-6276; e-mail:
[email protected]=WorkingLivingConference


In France, Schuyler Hoffman, Assistant Director International Living Paris Office; Telephone +33 (0) 1 40 27 97 59; email:
[email protected]=WorkingLivingConference


*** TAKE THE CHANCE — MAKE YOUR MOVE TO FRANCE!


You may never have a better opportunity than right now to learn everything you need to learn about moving to France!


Join us for this special power-packed four days in Paris at the:


WORKING AND LIVING IN FRANCE CONFERENCE


Paris, France October 18 – 21, 2002
/parlerparis/liveinfrance/index.html


The line-up for the conference includes seminars, tours, discussions, dinners, cocktails — with well-known Paris-based experts in the fields of:


Obtaining the Right to Be in France
Making the Move
Dealing with Technology
Finding Employment
Starting a Business
Finding Housing and Owning Property
Setting Up Your Finances
Health Care and Insurance
Learning the Language
Educating the Kids
Bridging the Cultural Differences
Finding Properties for Sale and Rent in Paris


* See the full line-up of presenters at: /parlerparis/liveinfrance/presentersbios.html
* Stay at luxury hotels at Place de la République, or in your own Paris apartment: /parlerparis/liveinfrance/accommodations.html
* Have cocktails and dinner at Chez Jenny "An authentic Brasserie with a soul, a style and a history." See the complete information at:
/parlerparis/liveinfrance/dinner.html


* PLUS, take an amazing 4-hour tour around Paris, winding in and out of the prettiest streets to illustrate residential areas that have the most appeal. All 20
arrondissements will be covered, and while author of "Around and About Paris," historian and Paris expert, Thirza Vallois, describes the history and
personalities of each.


Read Thirza Vallois’ article about the 20 arrondissements of Paris here: /parlerparis/liveinfrance/arrondissements.html


* Reserve by August 15th, save $100 — AND GET A FREE GUIDE!


SPECIAL NOTE: International Living Lifetime Members and Paris Key Club Members are entitled to the early reservation price of $695 at any time and the FREE
"Insider Guide to Working and Living in France."


To register or for more information, contact:


In the U.S. or Canada, Barbara Perriello, Agora Travel; Telephone. 1-800-926-6575 or 1-561-243-6276; e-mail:
[email protected]=WorkingLivingConference


In France, Schuyler Hoffman, Assistant Director International Living Paris Office; Telephone +33 (0) 1 40 27 97 59; e-mail:
[email protected]=WorkingLivingConference


*** DO IT IN LANGUEDOC!


October 22-27, 2002


Plus, if Paris isn’t enough…the day after the conference, we’ll take you on a five-day tour to the Languedoc region of France, where you will discover quaint
villages and beautiful properties. See what the region has to offer for an idyllic life. Meet with residents, journalists and real estate agents and learn
about finding your vacation, retirement or primary home in the French countryside. This is too important an opportunity to miss.


For more information, visit: /parlerparis/liveinfrance/languedoctour.html


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


*** LANCE ARMSTRONG TAKES THE TOUR (DE FRANCE)
FOR THE 4TH TIME


I saw him do it, although, it was difficult to catch him with the digital camera a
s they swiftly peddled down rue de Rivoli on Sunday afternoon toward their
final destination on the Champs-Elysées.


His final winning margin over second-place j2999eba Beloki of Spain was 7 minutes, 17 seconds, making it Armstrong’s second-biggest victory.


I love the picture of him on the CNN.com site — with a glass of wine in his hand. "C’est très Français, ca."


Congratulations, Lance. Here’s the full article:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/cycling/news/2002/07/28/armstrong_winner_ap/
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


*** KNOW BEFORE YOU GO


You’ll be a happier traveler if you know a few things about Paris and France before you step off onto its soil.


For example…hotel rooms are small. Most of the hotels weren’t originally built as hotels. Converted buildings are likely to have very small spaces, so the
average hotel room in Paris is quite a bit smaller than the average U.S. hotel room. If you must have space, then be prepared to pay for it.


Read Adrian Leeds’ tips to a successful trip: /parlerparis/liveinfrance/knowbeforeyougo.html


*** HOW TO SHOWER IN A PARIS BATHROOMS — Rose Marie Burke


The hand-held shower in a Paris bathtub — standard in continental apartments — is usually the subject of puzzlement by American clients. "How do I take a
shower with that? And there’s no shower curtain to boot!" Do as the Europeans do: they douse themselves carefully with water, showerhead toward a wall. It
helps if you keep the water pressure low. Then they turn off the water, soap up, then rinse. Your bathroom might also feature a "bidet," a basin with a faucet
intended for sponge baths. You’ll find that bidets are also convenient for washing out clothes, bathing babies, or stowing toiletries.


Editor’s Note: The Summer 2002 version of the Insider Guide to Good Value Paris Hotels at http://www.insiderparisguides.com/hotels/index.html is now available
for immediate download.


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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


*** TO THE LAND OF THE MEDICIS AND MICHAELANGELO


Discover Italy’s Renaissance Heartland
September 28-October 8, 2002
Steenie Harvey, IL’s European Correspondent, and author of Italy: The Owner’s Manual, will take you on a magical journey through the most beautiful part of
Italy — Tuscany, Umbria, and Le Marche — the regions of Italy’s Renaissance heartland.


Join Steenie and the IL gang for the quest for "la dolce vita," an Italian phrase meaning "the sweet life." Whether you want to buy a home in this beguiling
region or just come along for the adventure, it promises to be memorable.


For more details, click here: http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/ITDT/WITDT01/ and to reserve your place, contact Barbara, Michelle, or Andrea at IL Discovery
Tours, tel. (800) 926-6575 or e-mail:
[email protected]?subject=ParlerParisItalyTour


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


TO JOIN THE PARIS KEY CLUB:


If you are not a member of the Paris Key Club, and would like to be, click here for more information: http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/PKC/WPKCC523/


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


TO READ MORE:


Go to /parlerparis/


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


HAVE A SPECIAL MESSAGE? WANT TO EXCHANGE LINKS?


If you would like to have your message read by the subscribers of the Parler Paris Nouvellettre®, please e-mail me at mailto:[email protected]


If you have links about Paris or France and would like reciprocal links, please e-mail me at mailto:[email protected]


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