Visitors to Paris have way more choices when it comes to museums than just the standard fare - sure, there are classics like the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay that pretty much everyone has to see or people won’t believe you’ve actually been to Paris, but this city also rewards those with a taste for the unusual. I mean, this is a place that’s got a sewer museum, for pete’s sake - so the fact that Paris also has a Museum of Eroticism shouldn’t be a surprise at all.
Paris’ Musee de l’Erotisme, or Erotic Museum, is almost entirely made up of the erotic art collections of two people. It opened in 1997, so it’s a relatively recent addition to the Paris museum scene, but this is no ordinary erotic museum. The building which houses the Paris Erotic Museum is a former cabaret, and the museum fills seven floors with historic and contemporary erotic art from Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Among the exhibits, you’ll find an early 20th century silent porn movie in black & white, and a floor entirely dedicated to the legal Paris brothels of the 19th century (they were finally closed in 1946).
The neighborhood that the Musee de l’Erotisme is in may make you think that the museum is on the seedy side of things, but it’s not. The people who are visiting the erotic museum aren’t the perverts who mistakenly wandered in thinking this was the local peep show; the museum’s collection is decidedly artistic, not pornographic. Of course, if the show piques your interest in ways that are other than artistically inclined, there are shops a few steps from the museum’s front door where you can buy your own sex toys and create your own (ahem) art.
As an aside, one of the sites that gives information about the Paris Erotic Museum has a few boxes at the bottom of every tourist attraction’s listing letting you know what kinds of services you can expect to find there. For some reason I find it amusing that while child-minding is not available at the Erotic Museum (quelle shock!), animals are welcome. Feel free to giggle along with me now.
Location: 72, boulevard de Clichy, 75018 Paris; 18th arrondissement
How to Get There: Metro stop Blanche; bus routes 30, 54, 74, 80, 95
Hours: Daily, 10:00am-2:00am
Admission: €8 each, but if you go to the museum’s website you can get a discount voucher worth €3.
Good to Know: There are discounts for students and groups, ask at the ticket window.
Photos are allowed in the museum, so have fun. Just don’t include those shots in the trip slideshow you prepare for grandma.
Summer may have ended but jazz is still going strong into September. Jazz a la Villette will be featuring Lalo Schiffrin Saturday September 13, 2008 at the Parc de la Villette, Salle Charlie Parker
Admission 30 Euros.
Information: Tel 01 44 84
01 40 03 75 75
www.jazzalavillette.com
The upcoming weekend is also a good time to catch up on some of your favorite jazz movies:
5. For the first three to five days of the diet, don’t exercise.
This are five suggestions included in Dr. Dukan’s bestseller diet book Je ne sais Pas Maigrir (I don’t Know How to Get Thin)
(Sounds like the perfect diet for Amsterdam’s Red Light district denizens!)
Summer is over and it’s time to do damage assessment: Far too many aperos - wasn’t that Loupiac tasty with the foie gras de canard? Mmnnn, Christina’s sponge cake recipe for Jean-Pierre’s birthday, Daniel and Francoise’s imported rum for poolside rum & Cokes.
But fortunately, early in the summer season, Davine, a family friend who is also a doctor (and diet knowledgeable) left me with this book title: “Je ne sais pas maigrir” by Dr. Pierre Dukan.
Translated as ‘I don’t know how to lose weight’, the book (which I picked up at FNAC bookstore (the sales clerk knew the title immediately) is plugged as ‘The Dukan Phenomena - already 1 million conquered readers!’.
At first glance, Dr. Pierre Dukan’s ‘Je ne sais pas Maigrir’ diet looks like a rehash of Atkins, South Beach, or some of those seventies protein diets. But it really was designed for French taste: Eat lots of meat as often as you want and don’t exercise. No surprise that a French diet or ‘regime’ has some amusing twists on the typical American style diet.
For the first phase (called the attack phase), don’t exercise. Well, don’t exercise, the doctor says, but don’t take the elevator in your apartment building. That’s an easy thing to do because half the elevators in the Paris metropolitan area are ‘en panne’ and barely functioning most of the time (which is really quite amusing when you live on the 14th floor in a housing project). If you’re not clomping up winding apartment staircases, you’ll be hustling up and down Metro steps (the escalators when you can find them - work part of the time).
It’s a great welcome back to Paris after your summer vacation. Think I’ll go grab a burger. (By the way, you’ll have no trouble finding a hamburger these days in Paris because hamburgers are hot! Just remember you have to eat it WITHOUT the hamburger roll and the ketchup, but keep the pickle and the mustard).
I am currently on Day 3 of of Dr. Dukan’s ‘I don’t know how to lose weight protein diet’ which I’m calling the ‘Paris Diet’ for simplicity’s sake. I’m also on jetleg. Which means waking up at strange hours - and being hungry. During the attack phase (which lasts from three to five days depending on how many kilos you wish to shed), you can eat at ANY time of day from the following list:
Beef, chicken, fish, turkey, veal, eggs, dairy products such as low-fat yoghurt (without fruit or sugar), or low fat ‘fromage frais’ (resembles sour cream). (Here, I’ve already substituted low-fat cottage cheese). And plenty of water, coffee, tea, etc. 1 1/2 Liters Obligatory.
You’ll notice the obvious elements missing from a typical Parisian diet - the baguette. The other typical element missing - wine, of any sort.
What you have to admire about Dr. Dukan’s 247-page diet plan: The word ‘croissant’ is not once mentioned. Neither is dessert. Rather, he uses the word ‘gala’.
If you manage to survive the first two stages of this diet which consists of total protein for three to five days, followed by Phase II - Cruising (protein interspersed with vegetables), you get to Phase III which allows for two gala days per week.
Dukan’s definition of ‘gala’ means you can eat or drink ANYTHING you want for A MEAL, not for the entire day - AND you may only serve yourself ONCE i.e. one glass of champagne for the cocktail hour, one glass of red wine to go with your meal, one serving of Baked Alaska. You get the picture, hedonism minus the binge.
Right now, the Gala days appear to be far, far away. Think I’ll go console myself with a16 oz. steak. (Parisgirl suggests you consult your doctor before starting ANY diet plan!!)
If you would like to follow Parisgirl’s progress (or lack, thereof, on the Dukan diet), add Parislogue to your daily feed for updates.
For any of you who’ve spent a little time in France, you may have developed a sentimental attachment to France’s weather reporters, but no real-life weather reporter can stand up to the typhoon that Louise Bougoin stirs up as an ambitious ‘Miss Meteo’ in Anne Fontaine’s recently released film ‘The Girl From Monaco’.
This long-legged bronzed blonde goddess wouldn’t need an extraordinary plot line to keep a film in motion. She exudes enough ‘it’ to mesmerize her co-actors into what one French magazine describes as a ‘jaw-gaping’ Luchini. Nevertheless, Fabrice Luchini snaps out of it long enough to match her charm with the self-searching, and self-conscious attentions of a high-power Parisian lawyer, Bertrand Beauvois, newly arrived in Monaco to try a big case.
Louise Bourgoin may be France’s new ‘Brigitte Bardot’ but I don’t think it’s fair to make comparisons. Two different women - two different eras. In La Fille de Monaco, Bourgoin takes the role of Audrey, an opportunistic gorgeous local girl, who’s perfectly happy to use her body in any means to justify her ends. (That doesn’t seem to need any justification at all). Her icon is Princess Diana (which sets the tone for the potential outcome).
Audrey is admirably well flanked by Fabrice Luchini and Roschdy Zem (who appears as Christophe, Bertrand’s (Fabrice Luchini) bodyguard. In spite of the excellent acting and script - you’ll love some of Bertrand’s rationalizations about seduction and love - all of which crumble into dust when confronted with Audrey, in spite of all this, the film’s plot ends up being a sort of rehashed ‘Flesh and the Devil’ moralistic story. This is hardly the ‘female empowering kind of film you’d like to see from a female director’, but hopefully we haven’t seen the last of Louise Bougoin. Movie script writers, start sharpening your pencils!
Although this is Bougoin’s first film, her television ‘weather reports’ are worthy of being archived:
One of the great conundrums of the French language is trying to determine when swearing is okay - and when it isn’t. As France 2 television newscaster, Francoise Laborde discovered this past Thursday night, swearing during station breaks can be embarassing when you discover your heated response to a colleague is caught live on prime time TV. Her remark, “Pourquoi vous m’avez pas dit, putain?” i.e. “Why didn’t you tell me, damnit?” was shocking enough for the newscaster to offer the public an apology at the end of the emission.
She’s not alone. Even France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy’s swearing incident at the Salon d’Agriculture this past February engendered dozens of video reproductions - and embellishments of his snap response ‘Casse-toi, pauvre con!’ when a visitor at the Salon d’Agriculture refused to shake his hand.
Sometimes the media responds with it’s own expletives such Marianne journal’s ‘Putain! Encore 4 ans. (Very interesting commentary comparing the Sarkozy Era to Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal Era!!!)
Hopefully, you’ll never find yourself in a situation, where you’ll find it necessary to swear. On the other hand, here are some basic terms that you’ll encounter in newspapers, on television (even, if by accident), or in conversations overheard while walking down the street. Not heads of state, nor, believe it or not, even men of the cloth are immune. (A Norman priest was reprimanded last year for using one of these naughty words - for which he apologized like the newscaster). Read more of this article »
One of the great conundrums of the French language is trying to determine when swearing is okay - and when it isn’t. As France 2 television newscaster, Francoise Laborde discovered this past Thursday night, swearing during station breaks can be embarassing when you discover your heated response to a colleague is caught live on prime time TV. Her remark, “Pourquoi vous m’avez pas dit, putain?” i.e. “Why didn’t you tell me, damnit?” was shocking enough for the newscaster to offer the public an apology at the end of the emission.
She’s not alone. Even France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy’s swearing incident at the Salon d’Agriculture this past February engendered dozens of video reproductions - and embellishments of his snap response ‘Casse-toi, pauvre con!’ when a visitor at the Salon d’Agriculture refused to shake his hand.
Sometimes the media responds with it’s own expletives such Marianne journal’s ‘Putain! Encore 4 ans. (Very interesting commentary comparing the Sarkozy Era to Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal Era!!!)
Hopefully, you’ll never find yourself in a situation, where you’ll find it necessary to swear. On the other hand, here are some basic terms that you’ll encounter in newspapers, on television (even, if by accident), or in conversations overheard while walking down the street. Not heads of state, nor, believe it or not, even men of the cloth are immune. (A Norman priest was reprimanded last year for using one of these naughty words - for which he apologized like the newscaster). Read more of this article »
If you’re bringing home clothes for kids in the family, there’s no place like Paris for finding cool kids clothes - especially in September for ‘Back to School’ or ‘La Rentree’ as we call it here.
Just like their Parisian parents, kids are going to school a lot more casual these days, but little girls - and their moms still like to wear dresses sometimes. Yes, even in Paris parks.
Khaki and camouflage green with a hint of orange are very big this fall in shop windows. You’ll find that French kids’ clothes tend to appear in more muted and sophisticated colors.
Here’s a rundown on the well - known kids shops you’ll find in Paris, starting with some of the chic spots to shop:
You may remember in a past post I mentioned IKKS. IKKS is definitely a hot label - for kids (and for their Moms as well). You’ll want to check out their new store that just opened at
114 Champs Elysees.
More IKKS branches:
6 Rue Rosiers 75004
13 Rue Vavin 75006
14 Rue Passy 75016
12 Rue Sevres 75007
129 Rue de la Pompe 75116
140 Rue Rivoli 75001
32 Rue du Four 75006
Also, some of Parisian’s favorite designers also have lines just for kids:
The following stores are well-known chains which offer good quality and fairly reasonable prices.
Du Pareil au Meme offers perfectly acceptable kidswear which will surely delight friends back home.
Okaidi
Okaidi France
115 r Monge 75005 PARIS
01 42 17 45 94
OkaГЇdi France
30 av Italie 75013 PARIS
Where does Parisgirl do her shopping for kids?
I really like Mini Junior at 114 Blvd. Montparnasse, simply because the reception is always friendly. You can find quality clothing here and designer brands such as Kenzo which will delight Parisian Moms just as much as the kids. Mini Junior is a small boutique so you won’t find a vast inventory, but everything is handpicked to mix and match well.
Mini Junior
114, Boulevard Montparnasse
75014 Paris
Tel. 01 43 22 05 30
Can’t get to Paris to check out the kid’s fashions? It’s easy to find some examples of favorite European designers for kids online!
If you’re bringing home clothes for kids in the family, there’s no place like Paris for finding cool kids clothes - especially in September for ‘Back to School’ or ‘La Rentree’ as we call it here.
Just like their Parisian parents, kids are going to school a lot more casual these days, but little girls - and their moms still like to wear dresses sometimes. Yes, even in Paris parks.
Khaki and camouflage green with a hint of orange are very big this fall in shop windows. You’ll find that French kids’ clothes tend to appear in more muted and sophisticated colors.
Here’s a rundown on the well - known kids shops you’ll find in Paris, starting with some of the chic spots to shop:
You may remember in a past post I mentioned IKKS. IKKS is definitely a hot label - for kids (and for their Moms as well). You’ll want to check out their new store that just opened at
114 Champs Elysees.
More IKKS branches:
6 Rue Rosiers 75004
13 Rue Vavin 75006
14 Rue Passy 75016
12 Rue Sevres 75007
129 Rue de la Pompe 75116
140 Rue Rivoli 75001
32 Rue du Four 75006
Also, some of Parisian’s favorite designers also have lines just for kids:
The following stores are well-known chains which offer good quality and fairly reasonable prices.
Du Pareil au Meme offers perfectly acceptable kidswear which will surely delight friends back home.
Okaidi
Okaidi France
115 r Monge 75005 PARIS
01 42 17 45 94
OkaГЇdi France
30 av Italie 75013 PARIS
Where does Parisgirl do her shopping for kids?
I really like Mini Junior at 114 Blvd. Montparnasse, simply because the reception is always friendly. You can find quality clothing here and designer brands such as Kenzo which will delight Parisian Moms just as much as the kids. Mini Junior is a small boutique so you won’t find a vast inventory, but everything is handpicked to mix and match well.
Mini Junior
114, Boulevard Montparnasse
75014 Paris
Tel. 01 43 22 05 30
Can’t get to Paris to check out the kid’s fashions? It’s easy to find some examples of favorite European designers for kids online!
While anyone visiting Paris would notice immediately what an important role the Seine river plays in the city’s geography, it’s actually quite possible to wander through the historic section of Paris and not realize that some of the sights you’re enjoying are actually on islands. I know the first time I visited Paris it wasn’t until much later that I realized the amazing Notre Dame cathedral was on an island - somehow the fact that I’d walked across a bridge to reach it didn’t occur to me. Yes, I’m a bit dense - but I know I’m not alone.
There are two natural islands on the Seine river right in the center of Paris, and they’re right next to each other. They’re not only great places to visit, they’re also key to understanding the city’s history.
Оle de la Citй
This island is the larger of the two and is where the first settlements which later became the city of Paris were built. There have been people living on the island for more than 2,000 years, and it’s still considered the center of the modern-day city. The primary tourist attractions on the Оle de la Citй include the magnificent Notre Dame de Paris, Saint-Chapelle, and the excavated Gallo-Roman ruins underneath the square in front of Notre Dame.
>> Read more about what to do and see on the Оle de la Citй
Оle Saint-Louis
This is the much smaller island of the pair; they are close enough to be connected by a handy bridge. There are far fewer “attractions” on the Оle Saint-Louis, but it’s a lovely place to wander (partly because it tends to be ignored by tourists) - and home of the best ice cream in Paris at Berthillon.
>> Read more about what to do and see on the Оle Saint-Louis
Getting There
Island or not, there are both Paris Metro & RER stations on the Оle de la Citй, and the bigger island is also served by several bus routes. The smaller Оle Saint-Louis is only served by a few bus routes - or by your own two feet; it really is a very short walk from the Оle de la Citй.
Staying There
Both islands are heavily residential, and while there are hotels on both they tend to be much more high-end - the city’s islands are not the places to look for hostels in Paris, let’s put it that way! Still, if you’re in the market to spend a bit more for the pleasure of staying at the epicenter of Parisian history, there are luxury hotels on both islands.
Paris Plage may be great in many ways - it’s a free man-made beach - available to Parisians who can’t get out of town for part of the summer - but still, you can’t swim in the Seine - and if you’re looking for topless sunbathers - you’re out of luck.
Contrary to popular belief, nude or clothing optional sunbathing and swimming isn’t ‘exactly’ legal in France. But this is the beauty of France. You’ll find that topless sunbathing is quite common at many seaside resorts. Voila the eternal paradox. A large number of clothing optional beaches and resorts are also easy to find - and to date, I haven’t ever hear of anyone getting arrested for topless sunbathing. >> See Laws
You’ll want to make sure that when you do find that perfect beach to commune with nature that the local community tolerates nudism. In French, the expression for the nudist lifestyle is ‘naturisme’. The best way to do this is to check out some of the ‘official’ or ‘tolerated’ nudist beaches.
Topless sunbathing began as a fad way back in the 1950s when French actress Brigitte Bardot bared her breasts and shocked the world, but according to my Parisian friends who lived in Cannes during the 60s, topless sunbathing really took off in the early sixties for one simple reason.
That’s the latest word from my Parisian contact (who should know). She does her sun-tanning at home. ‘Sure some people still sunbathe topless at Deauville, but . . .it’s no longer in style.”
Meanwhile, if you could care less about trends, here’s the list of top beaches hand-picked by one of France’s ‘naturisme associations’. I’m adding to that list one beach we chanced upon in our travels that is supposedly just the place for nude surfing.
If you do decide to explore France’s nude beaches, please remember to leave your camera, video, binoculars, etc back at the hotel and respect people’s lifestyle.
Also remember that nudity in public places can risk a one year jail sentence or a 10,000 Euro ticket. I don’t know if anyone has ever been charged for nude sunbathing but you wouldn’t want to be the first!
1. Vieux St. Giron is located in the Landes region, just north of Biarritz. Here’s where you can surf nude. The waves are intense and not very far from Arcachon beach which is well known for its surfing. Be careful of the undertow if you’re not a good swimmer. I’ve read in some reviews that the water was not clean one year. When we were there, the water was fine. Unlike Mediterranean sea beaches, you’ll find sand dunes and a very laid back atmosphere.
The above photo for Arnaoutchot Resort (better known simply as ‘Arna’ is located in Vieux St. Giron.
2. Cap d’Agde - well known throughout Europe, Cap d’Agde is actually a nudist seaside community with protected access. It has a three mile beach and can receive as many as 40,000 visitors in a season.
3. Berck sur Mer - Plage des Sables d’Opale (62) This is a family beach with a zone of 250 metres set aside for clothing optional swimming and sunbathing. Go just past the building in ruins along the dunes.
4. Merville-franceville - Plage de la Redoute (14) Calvados, Normandy. Prefecture has authorized nude sunbathing in a limited zone of 250 meters.
5. Fouesnant - Plage de Kerler (29) Officially authorized since 2004, Kerler’s natural beauty makes this a great place to experience memorable moments ‘en famille’.
6. La Turbale - Plage de Pen Bron (44) Nudism is tolerated as ‘clothing optional’. According to the naturiste association, the ‘textiles’ referring to those who choose to wear clothing tend to blend well enough with those who don’t.
7. Hossegor-Nudist Beach (40) Officially a nudist beach, starting at the boulevard facing the sea, take Avenue Gardian. The nudist beach starts just north of Camp WF.
8. Le Grau du Rois- Plage de l’Espiguette (30) An idyllic southern beach with a family feel. However, also with a gay section.
9. Corsica - Riva Bella (2A) Beautiful scenery and great facilities.
10. Plage de Tahiti - St. Trop Last, but not least, mention should be made of Plage de Tahiti which is NOT a nudist beach, however, it is considered one of the top beaches for spotting topless celebrities. After all, this is where it all began with Brigitte Bardot in St. Tropez, Paris’s summer party town.
Les Plus Belles Plages
More beautiful French Beaches (not specifically nude beaches, but undoubtedly topless tolerant)
France has plenty of beautiful beaches along its Atlantic coastline. If you’re fed up with trying to walk on the French Riviera’s pebble beaches, here some of our favorite Atlantic coast beaches:
Pornichet and La Baule
Both of these communities have excellent sandy beaches surrounded by extremely tasteful homes. These towns aren’t simply resort towns but family-oriented communities with high standard of living. Once you’ve visited Pornichet and La Baule, you may never want to leave! La Baule is considered by some to be the best beach in Europe.
L’ile de Re
An Island located in the Atlantic just across from La Rochelle, in the Charentes-Maritime, this is where the more discreet French hang their hat for the summer months.
Calanque D’En Vau
Not far from Marseilles, here’s where you can hang out and sip on a pastis while you play a game of ‘boules.
Mimizan,
Called the Pearl of the Cote d’Argent (Silver Coast) is located like St. Giron Beach in the Landes region, part of Aquitaine.
Carnac -
Located in Brittany. Though the beach town has expanded tremendously in past years, the beach is still sublime (according to this beach survey).
Perros -Guirec
Perros-Guirec (Perroz-Gireg in the Breton language) is also a Breton beach noted for its natural beauty and fine sand. It’s located on the Cote d’Armor.
Porquerolles
And, last but not least, if you really insist on being on the Mediterranean rather than the Atlantic Ocean, you can always head for Porquerelles island. Porquerelles is the most westerly of the Hyeres island chain.
Haven’t found the beach you’re looking for?
Check out a complete listing or click on Plagenat’s Map of France for nude beaches.
These are just a few suggestions for a beach getaway from Paris. Enjoy your day or weekend in the sun - and don’t forget to bring your suntan lotion.
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Visitors to Paris have way more choices when it comes to museums than just the standard fare - sure, there are classics like the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay that pretty much everyone has to see or people won’t believe you’ve actually been to Paris, but this city also rewards those with a taste for the unusual. I mean, this is a place that’s got a sewer museum, for pete’s sake - so the fact that Paris also has a Museum of Eroticism shouldn’t be a surprise at all.
The neighborhood that the Musee de l’Erotisme is in may make you think that the museum is on the seedy side of things, but it’s not. The people who are visiting the erotic museum aren’t the perverts who mistakenly wandered in thinking this was the local peep show; the museum’s collection is decidedly artistic, not pornographic. Of course, if the show piques your interest in ways that are other than artistically inclined, there are shops a few steps from the museum’s front door where you can buy your own sex toys and create your own (ahem) art.
Location: 72, boulevard de Clichy, 75018 Paris; 18th arrondissement
1. Stand around a lot.
For any of you who’ve spent a little time in France, you may have developed a sentimental attachment to France’s weather reporters, but no real-life weather reporter can stand up to the typhoon that Louise Bougoin stirs up as an ambitious ‘Miss Meteo’ in Anne Fontaine’s recently released film ‘The Girl From Monaco’.
If you’re bringing home clothes for kids in the family, there’s no place like Paris for finding cool kids clothes - especially in September for ‘Back to School’ or ‘La Rentree’ as we call it here.
While anyone visiting Paris would notice immediately what an important role the Seine river plays in the city’s geography, it’s actually quite possible to wander through the historic section of Paris and not realize that some of the sights you’re enjoying are actually on islands. I know the first time I visited Paris it wasn’t until much later that I realized the amazing Notre Dame cathedral was on an island - somehow the fact that I’d walked across a bridge to reach it didn’t occur to me. Yes, I’m a bit dense - but I know I’m not alone.
Paris Plage may be great in many ways - it’s a free man-made beach - available to Parisians who can’t get out of town for part of the summer - but still, you can’t swim in the Seine - and if you’re looking for topless sunbathers - you’re out of luck. 
