Paris is the place to be this October if you’re crazy for cars. The biannual car show Le Mondial Automobile starts October 4 through October 19, 2008 featuring the latest trends in European cars, particularly French cars such as Peugeot, Citroen, and Renault. Hopefully, this year’s show will feature plenty of electric cars as the obvious remedy to our gasoline addiction.
The auto show will be held at the Porte de Versaille Paris-Expo convention center Metro: Porte de Versailles. Tickets are 12 Euros for Adults, 6.45 for Kids Age 10 to 18,and free for kids under Age 10.
Opening Hours: Tuesday to friday : 10 am to 10 pm
Saturday to Monday : 10 am - 8 pm
Now is the time to start booking your Paris hotel rooms. September and October are big convention months in Paris with rooms tending to fill up quickly. If you’re planning on attending the Annual Car show, you’ll want to consider hotels in the 15th or 14th arrondissements (which includes Montparnasse). Another consideration would be Issy-les-Moulineaux which is the first village on the outskirts of Paris and the next closest town to the Porte de Versailles Metro stop.
You can also save money on booking international airline tickets with Air France by checking out the Global Meetings. The Auto Show has its own reference number which will allow you a discounted rate.
Add-on Trips for Car Buffs
Your ‘Car Buff Holiday’ doesn’t have to stop in Paris at the Auto Show. Getting to Paris is simply a super jump-off point for some stupendous French car museums. Two of my favorites are the Mulhouse Cite de L’Automobile in Alsace (eastern France) and the Loheac Manoir de L’Automobile in Loheac, Brittany.
If you’re fan of luxury cars, you’ll love the Bugatti collection at the Schlumpf Cite de l’Automobile in Mulhouse in Alsace, and if you’re a Formula One fan, you won’t want to miss the Loheac Manoir de l’Automobile in Brittany. Both collections demand a full day’s visit. I’d be hard put to place a preference over either museum - both are splendid in their own way. However, Loheac also has a nearby racetrack. When we visited, a rally was in progress, so for those looking for the excitement of the racetrack, this is the place to go.
Cite de l’Automobile (Schlumpf Bugatti Museum)
Crazy for Bugattis? Car enthusiasts can admire some 100 Bugattis (including the Bugatti /EB 16-4 Veyron) in 17,000 mВІ of exhibition space. This may well be one of the finest Bugatti collections in the world. With over 600 cars on display, including Rolls-Royces, Hispano-Suiza, Maseratis and Ferraris, this is a collection that will fascinate fans for hours on end.
Mulhouse has the added attraction of a train museum within spitting distance of the car museum, so for those that love anything on wheels, from cars to trains, you could easily spend a few days in Mulhouse after the Paris car show.
Manoir de L’Automobile - Loheac, Brittany
Loheac is a small village in Brittany, to the west of Paris. With 400 cars, including a section devoted to Formula One - this is definitely a destination for ‘hands-on drivers’. There’s the added possibilty of signing up for ‘driving time’ i.e. ‘pilotage‘. Loheac is the site of annual rallys as well. The town is a typically charming Breton village - a nice contrast to the bustle of Paris. When we last visited (in early September) we were able to enjoy the museum at our leisure - practically everyone else was at the racetrack! (Be sure to book rooms in advance!)
I’ll be the first to admit that on my first visit to Paris, after the big-ticket items like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre one of the things I most wanted to see was Pиre Lachaise cemetery - in fact, my French cousins were so amused by my fascination with the cemetery (they really didn’t see the point) that they found an old book about it and gave it to me. I still don’t read French, so I have no idea what gems are contained within that book, but I still have it - along with a lasting love for Pиre Lachaise.
Now, I’ll also admit that when I first visited Pиre Lachaise (yes, I’ve been there multiple times) it was primarily to visit the grave of former Doors lead singer Jim Morrison. I’m not now, nor have I ever been, a massive fan of The Doors - but Morrison’s tomb is at least as famous as the man ever was, so I had to see it for myself. Little did I know how many other famous tombs I’d see there.
Pиre Lachaise is not only the largest cemetery in Paris, it’s one of the world’s best known cemeteries. Certainly this is partly due to Morrison’s grave, but the cemetery is almost literally packed with so many famous names that even someone who had no idea who Jim Morrison was would find someone to be impressed by. What’s amusing about that is the fact that when the cemetery was originally built in 1804, it was deemed too far from the city, so few people chose to be laid to rest there. It wasn’t until nearly 1820 that cemetery administrators had the bright idea of moving some famous remains to Pиre Lachaise - and it wasn’t long until ordinary folks wanted to be buried in the same cemetery as the notables. Even in death, they wanted to be in with the in crowd.
The list of famous names who are buried at Pиre Lachaise is almost overwhelmingly long, and the cemetery itself is so maze-like that I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised to find a vendor selling Pиre Lachaise cemetery maps at the entrance. But I bought one, and I’m so glad I did - it was excellently laid out and well marked, and I had no trouble finding every single tomb and grave marker that I wanted to.
Sadly, although Morrison’s grave is certainly one of the most-visited in the cemetery, the people who tend to flock to it aren’t always the most conscientious. When I first saw it, all the graves surrounding Morrison’s were covered with several years’ worth of graffiti, and even further away from his grave you could find the word “JIM” painted on random walls with arrows pointing in the direction of his gravesite.
As you can imagine, this doesn’t sit well with the families of the people whose graves have been defaced, so the Pиre Lachaise administrators have been working over the years to remove the graffiti and discourage any more. One of the ways they’ve done this is to have more security roaming the cemetery, and I’ve even heard reports that they’ve hired a full-time security guard for Morrison’s grave. I find that a little hard to believe, but it’s probably the only thing that would really stop the vandalism.
On the other hand, I also saw someone pour an entire can of beer onto Morrison’s grave once, and I couldn’t help but think, “Hmm, I’ll bet Jim would have really loved that gesture.”
Some of the people buried at Pиre Lachaise are:
Honore de Balzac - 19th century French novelist
Sarah Bernhardt - French actress
Georges Bizet - French composer & conductor
Frederic Chopin - Polish composer (his heart is entombed in Poland)
Jacques-Louis David - French painter (his heart is entombed here, but the rest of his body is not - he was exiled as a revolutionary & his body wasn’t permitted back into the country)
Eugene Delacroix - French painter
Isadora Duncan - American dancer
Theodore Gericault - French painter
Marcel Marceau - French Mime
Amadeo Modigliani - Italian painter & sculptor
Moliere - 17th century French playwright
Jim Morrison - American singer for The Doors
Edith Piaf - French singer
Marcel Proust - French writer
Georges-Pierre Seurat - French painter
Gertrude Stein - American writer
Alice B. Toklas - American writer & Stein’s partner
Oscar Wilde - Irish novelist & poet
Richard Wright - American writer
Here are some photos of the famous graves in a video & set to music - it’ll give you a feel for the place, and show you that even the non-famous people have some pretty cool graves sometimes.
Location: 16 Rue du Repos in the 20th arrondissement, on a hill overlooking the city
How to Get There: Luckily, even though it’s a bit outside the city center, there are two Paris Metro three you can use to get to the cemetery. The one called Pиre Lachaise is on Metro lines 2 and 3 and puts you close to a side entrance of the cemetery. The one called Philippe Auguste is on line 2 and is closest to the main cemetery entrance. The one called Gambetta is on line 3 and is closest to Oscar Wilde’s tomb and the highest points of the cemetery grounds.
Hours: November 6 through March 15: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 5:30pm; Saturday, 8:30am to 5:30 pm; Sunday & public holidays, 9:00am to 5:30pm
March 16 through November 5: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm; Saturday, 8:30am to 6:00pm; Sunday & public holidays, 9:00am to 6:00pm
The gates close to new visitors 15 minutes before closing time each day.
Admission: Free
Good to Know: Before you go in, find someone selling a walking map of Pиre Lachaise and buy it. They’re not for sale at the guard huts at the entrances to the cemetery, but most of the florists and news stands in the area will have them. Once you get inside the cemetery, you’ll be glad you hunted a map down; and besides, the cemetery’s free, so you can afford a few euro for the map!
Also before you go in, empty your bladder. Yes, there are toilets in a few places inside the cemetery, but in my experience they’re not places that ladies are going to want to go into, and they never seem to have toilet paper, either. Just go before you go in, that’s all.
More Information: There is an awesome interactive “virtual tour” of Pиre Lachaise which is well worth playing around with. The plus-signs mark the locations of famous gravesites, and you can also search by name or even just the first letter of the last name.
If you own or operate Paris hostels, budget hotels or any other budget accommodation - or if you know someone who does - you (or they) should enter the information into the new worldwide Hostel Directory . This will be an extensive worldwide directory of budget accommodations, including hostels. You shouldn’t worry about spam from this but you should expect some extra bookings.
The site is new but is part of a big travel network, so it should be worth several minutes of your time. Go to this Hostel Directory entry page for Paris to add your budget accommodation to the listings.
What will be the oddest cars at this October’s Paris Car show? I’m ready to place bets on the QUICCI, Netherland’s contribution in the quest for fun and practical electric cars.
I’m not sure it will outdo, Automobile Magazine’s choices for the two oddest cars of 2006 - the Tang Hua Xiao Ya and the PGO Cevennes -Speedster II. The Chinese-manufactured Tang Hua Xiao Ya received this glowing description from Sam Smith and Erik B. Johnson “it looks like somebody crashed a Richard Scarry-style egg car into the back of a penis.”
Clearly, this is a hard act to follow, but maybe Citroen can at least get some chuckles with its Cactus Concept Car. Definitely deserves a ‘cute but quirky’ rating. Citroen’s Cactus Concept Car apparently caused a stir at the Frankfurt show (you either love it or hate it!) It’s the new millenium’s answer to the 1970s cult car: the much-loved 2CV. Is this a car you can love? I don’t know.
If the reports are true, it looks like Bollore’s Le Blue Car will also make its star appearance at the 2008 Paris Auto show. However, Le Blue Car is has resurfaced as ‘La Petite Voiture’. If you can believe what you read, ‘La Petite Voiture’ will be manufactured in Italy and distributed in Europe and the US. It would theoretically be available by 2010 with a sticker price hovering around 15,000 Euros - let’s hope the dollar/ euro ratio changes in the right direction between now and 2010 or La Petite Voiture may never see the light of day on the other side of the pond. (We have already heard rumors of the Le Blue Car being available for production by 2009 - so let’s wait and see if this time it’s serious talk).
If any Parislogue readers have any inside scoops about cars we should be searching for this October at the Paris Car Show, share your thoughts! (If your comments are rejected as spam, be sure to e-mail me directly!)
By the way, if you’ve EVER or ALWAYS wanted to be a host or hostess at a car show - you know, wear slinky clothes, show off your beautiful teeth, etc. now’s your chance. I just ran across this advert for hosts/hostesses at the Paris Auto Show. By the way, it helps if you speak fluent English, Mandarin - and probably speaking a little French wouldn’t hurt either.
>> More News about the 2008 Paris Car Show (Le Mondiale de L’Automobile 2008)
There might be songs written about other months of the year, but September in Paris is an excellent time of year to be in the city. Although the high season in Paris now extends beyond the summer season and includes the months of May and September (and sometimes April and October as well, depending on what your hotel is trying to charge you!), you may find that international ariline tickets are a bit less expensive in September than they were in June or July.
Paris is a city that never empties completely of tourists, but you may find that in September (especially later in the month) there are shorter lines for the big museums and just fewer people out and about. But while the tourists may not necessarily be flooding Paris in September, this is the month when many annual exhibitions and shows are on in the city - so midweek hotel rates may actually be higher than weekend rates in some cases, as business travelers come into town just for a show or exhibit and then leave by the weekend.
The Paris weather will still be lovely for the most part. You’ll find that the average monthly high temperature in September in Paris is right around 70F (around 21C), and the lows are usually right around 55F (13C). You might not expect this, but August is actually the wettest month in Paris according to rainfall, and in September you do risk getting hit by a random shower or two. Carrying a small umbrella isn’t a bad idea, and having an indoor activity as a back-up plan is smart so you don’t get stuck on a Seine cruise in the rain!
On the other hand, recent years have seen soaring temperatures in Paris in September, so be sure to check a current weather forecast before you pack your bags - and be prepared to layer a bit in case of either extreme.
Some of the events which take place in September in Paris include:
Journйe du Patrimoine - Two days when hundreds of monuments, museums & historic buildings are open to the public for free.
Festival d’Automne а Paris - Music, dance & theatre performances at various venues throughout the city.
Paris Collector’s Fair - At the Grand Palais, a must-see for antique collectors & enthusiasts.
Versailles Festival Baroque - Music, dance & theatre performances on the palace grounds just outside Paris.
What better time to be in Paris than for the annual Apple Expo Remix? This year’s Apple Expo begins on September 17th through to September 20th ‘08. The convention will be held at Paris’s Porte de Versailles Convention center, located in Paris’s 15th arrondissement.
Some of the highlights of this year’s expo will be of interest to fellow bloggers. A workshop on blog journalism will cover such issues as how to check one’s sources on the internet For all of you bloggers out there who like to do your fact-checking (yes, some of us do try our best to get the facts!), you’ll want to make sure not to miss this workshop.
And here’s one for budding movie directors: Cinema and Music Creation. If your videos are not complete until you’ve found just the right soundtrack to go with your video, then I know you’ll be at this workshop. (September 19th). The description sounds too tantalizing to pass up:
“Cinema and Music creation -the bond between a film director and the score’s composer are sometimes strong enough for their collaboration to become recurrent, resulting in the birth of mythical “cinema couples”, but we also sometimes see the creation of “digital couples”. The Mac platform has become the preferred tool for film score composers, who are always on the lookout for new emotions and new sources of inspiration.” A live composing session is part of the workshop.
What will be the only thing missing from the Apple Expo? Apple. Apple-Expo organizers don’t give the answers as to why Apple won’t be partcipating the convention which has been running since 1998, but it’s suggested that preparations for the new Apple store at the Carrousel du Louvre may explain no Apple participation this year. Cedric Taillandier comments about what will happen to the space normally reserved for Apple (comments in French)
New Apple Store at the Carrousel du Louvre
Even if Apple won’t be participating in the Apple Expo, you may already know that Apple will soon become a fixture of the Carrousel du Louvre. Although the actual opening date is still under wraps, the new Apple store should look pretty good in the neighborhood of IM Pei’s pyramid.
Early in June, Apple confirmed it will open a store in the Carrousel du Louvre, the shopping center in the Louvre Palace next to the famous museum and glass pyramid. It’s been reported that Apple will occupy 7,696 square feet of space on two floors.
Would it be a surprise to you if the new store’s opening might possibly coincide with the dates for Apple Expo?
Practical tips about the Apple Expo Remix ‘08:
You can get a FREE electronic entrance badge if you order online (otherwise it costs 12 Euros at the door).
Remember that hotels in Paris book very quickly for September, so book NOW!
Discount flights. Did you know that Air France offers discount flights specifically for conventions such as the Apple Expo and the Paris Auto Show.
From September 1st to October 29, 2008, Air France will be offering flights from New York to Paris starting at $357.00 one way. This translates to approximately $830 and change when you include all the taxes (including a Septemer 11 security charge).
Festival oriented on classic music will take place in Rudolfinum hall from 16th of August till 4th of September. Festival is dedicated to memory of Antonin Dvorak, one of most famous composers ever. Famous musicians like Ion Marin, Charles Dutoit, Isabelle Faust, Augustin Dumay, pianist Nikolaj Luganski or Mikhaila Ovrutsky promised to take part in this fantastic festival.
Senator Barack Obama will be visiting with French president Nicolas Sarkozy this Friday, July 25,2008 in Paris. Republican candidate, Senator John McCain was received at the Elysees Palace for an ‘unofficial visit’ earlier this year as part of a military delegation.
As Parislogue readers know, one day in Paris is hardly enough time to appreciate this city’s layered history, but there are some points of interest that should be at the top of Obama’s ‘must-see’ list. He probably won’t be able to see all of these sites in a day and still have time for a traditional French ‘dejeuner’ at the Elysees Palace but . . . he can try. Bon courage!
The Arc de Triomphe
Built by Emperor Napoleon, the Arc de Triomphe was built to glorify and commemorate French battle victories. Here rests the unknown soldier and the eternal flame is relit every evening at 6:30 pm.
This is also the arch through which passed triumphant World War I American troops, specifically the US Army’s all-black 369th Regiment. The Harlem Hellfighters, The Chicago Colored Volunteers were just two of the regiments who marched along the Champs Elysees Avenue at the end of World War I.
Since the Arc de Triomphe was inaugurated in 1837, millions of Americans have climbed its steps to admire the ’spine’ of Paris, running from the Place de la Concorde to Bastille, but for freed slaves such as Wiliam Wells Brown, the view represented a newfound sense of freedom: “You could look out over a city where you are finally free, even from bounty hunters and fugitive slave laws.”
Picpus Cemetery
Not as famous as Pere Lachaise where many of the world’s most famous artists, writers, and musicians are buried, the tranquil private Picpus Cemetery houses one extremely good friend to the United States : General Lafayette.
An American flag still flies over Lafayette’s grave. It’s been suggested by some that Lafayette’s contribution of ships and volunteers during the American Revolution may have tipped the balance in favor of a victory for the American colonies. Although Lafayette died peaceably, many of the other Picpus residents, including sixteen Carmelite nuns, were arbitrarily thrown into a pit after having been guillotined at the Place du Trone during the French revolution. In those days, the nearby guillotine (which had been relocated from the Place de la Concorde) was knocking off approximately 55 heads per day. After the Reign of Terror, the plot of land was subsequently purchased by an aristocrat (one of the few who hadn’t lost her head) and was kept as a burial ground for family members.
This was the one place in Paris where the American flag continued to fly throughout the Nazi occupation during World War II.
Les Invalides
Les Invalides was originally built by Louis XIV as a military hospital. Nowadays, it houses Napoleon’s tomb as well as an enormous military history museum, Musee de l’Armee. Needless to say, Obama won’t have time to visit the entire complex, but I would recommend taking a look at military engineer Vauban’s city fortification relief maps. Twelve of Vauban’s fortifications have recently received Unesco World Heritage Site recognition. An important lesson that might be gleaned from Vauban’s military advice to King Louis XIV: “You’ve gotta give a little to get a little”. Vauban actually suggested ceding French territory in order to better defend and consolidate the nation’s borders.
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame marks the center of Paris and the very roots of the city’s creation on the two islands of Ile de la Cite and Ile Saint Louis. After the Vatican, it’s possibly one of the most well-known Roman Catholic cathedrals in the world, but it’s also a historical landmark for some of the extraordinary events in French history. Here’s where Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France (and of whatever else he managed to conquer). Here’s where thousands recently gathered for the funeral services of Cardinal Lustiger, France’s Jewish Roman Catholic cardinal.
From an architectural point of view, Notre Dame represents one of the most beautiful expressions of religious faith wrought by human hands into an architectural masterpiece that has endured for centuries.
Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation
Just behind Notre Dame Cathedral, in the Square d’Ile de France on the easternmost tip of Ile de la Cite, a memorial to French citizens deported to Nazi concentration camps reminds us that the sense of freedom William Wells Brown experienced while he stood the top of the Arc de Triomphe was not the case for the 175,000 World War II French deportees, of which 11,000 were children.
Joan of Arc statue, Place des Pyramides
The Joan of Arc Statue was sculpted by Emmanuel Fremiet, commissioned by Napoleon III, a sister statue is located in Philadelphia, PA
Joan of Arc is the patron saint of France. She was responsible for winning decisive battles during France’s Hundred Years War with England. She brought the Dauphin Charles VII to Reims where he was crowned King of France. Her faith and determination to drive the English out of France inspired the king and French soldiers to defend their nation.
IM Pei Pyramid at the Louvre
Amid much controversy, the IM Pei design for a pyramid allowing a dramatic entrance into the Louvre museum was approved during the Francois Mitterand presidency. The contributions of a Chinese born-American I.M. Pei and Irish architect Peter Rice to a palace which originally was conceived by Philippe August as a military fortification is a great symbol of how the world is capable of evolving from defensive walls to welcome mats. France continues to open its arms to world talents when it comes to adding to the city’s most famous landmarks.
Rue Francois Miron
It’s just a street that’s been around for a long time - since the Romans. So what’s the big deal? Francois Miron deserves a nod of recognition. He was an adviser to King Henry IV. It was Miron who suggested to the king that aristocrats and commoners should live side by side. Consequently King Henry IV constructed Place de Vosges where he would ostensibly live when he was in Paris. A number of Paris constructions including the Louvre Palace were meant to be royal residences in Paris (even though the early kings rarely remained in Paris for any substantial time). The message here - might be - avoid the snare of viewing the world through rose-or blue-colored lenses from the top of the Eiffel Tower.
American Cathedral and the American Church in Paris.
Neither the American Cathedal or the American Church of Paris newcomers. Both churches have been operating since the late-1800s. The American Cathedral was consecrated on November 25, 1886, the same day that the Statue of Liberty was inaugurated in New York City. (It’s role in past French/American relations includes the assistance of Church member Dr. Thomas Evans who helped the Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, escape to England during the Franco-Prussian war)
The American church, a non-denominational place of worship likes to refer to itself as ‘God’s United Nations’. Its global missions include Habitat for Humanity, missions in Ghana, Open House which brings Israeli and Palestinian children together, Association of Christians against Torture, to name a few.
MEMORIAL DU MARECHAL LECLERC DE HAUTECLOCQUE - MUSEE JEAN MOULIN
Jean Moulin and Marshal Leclerc were two key figures of the French resistance movement during World War II. Gare Montarnasse. Jardin Atlantique upper level.
Nearby, just off of Rue Depart, one can find Place Josephine Baker. This isn’t much of a landmark - but it’s a start. The square isn’t far from the venue of Baker’s last performance (at Bobino on Rue de la Gaite.
1920s Singer, dancer, and movie actress Josephine Baker took Paris by storm when she performed in the Casino de Paris, and later on, the Folies Bergeres. Eventually, she became a French citizen. Because of her contributions as a resistance fighter in World War II, she was the first woman to receive France’s highest military honor, the Croix de Guerrefor her service to France. She smuggled coded messages out of France to Portugal on her sheet music. (This did not stop creditors from physically expelling her from her Chateau Millandes when she failed to get the last payment registered in time).
The newly created immigration museum replaces the Oceanic and African arts museum which was dismantled and melded with the Musee du Quai Branly collection. In its place, the immigration museum gives a home to the story of immigrants coming to France. The current exhibit focuses on immigrants of the 1930s.
Free Concert at Musee du Quai Branly
The Musee du Quai Branly, inaugurated by former president Jaques Chirac highlights African, Oceanic, Amerindian and Asian arts. Architect Jean Nouvel designed the museum building and its gardens. This would be the ideal place to wrap up the day with the 7 pm free garden concert.
Emmanuel Dilhac is the artist/musician ‘who makes stones sing’. His concert Woolloo Belou invites spectators to ’share in his discovery of the prehistoric sound’.
Musee du quai Branly
37, quai Branly
75007 - Paris
Tel. : 01 56 61 70 00
Fouquet’s Restaurant
99 Champs Elysses
Finish up with dinner at Fouquet’s Restaurant on the Champs Elysees - where Life Magazine fashion photographer Gordon Parks used to hang out.
Finally, a day trip to the American Cemetery at Colleville in Normandy, is most important - to remember those Americans as well as all the Allied soldiers who sacrificed their lives to make France a free nation. For those of us who can visit France nowadays under peaceful conditions, may we never forget that peace is a privilege to be cherished - and never taken for granted.
It’s not too early to start staking out your spot for the triumphant arrival of the Tour de France in Paris. This year (2008), the Tour de France cyclists will zoom along the Champs Elysees, do their final circle round the Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, July 27th.
If you plan on being in town for that Sunday, you may want to take an early stroll down the Champs Elysees to choose among the innumerable cafes ranging from burger joints to ornate tea salons, but sentimentally speaking, I’d be hard put to go anyplace other than the Publicis Drugstore, 133 Avenue des Champs Elysees. That’s the place where we first saw the Tour de France tear up the pavement.
Not only that, but the Publicis Drugstore is perfectly situated at the corner of the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe so you do get a great vantage point.
There are other cafes along the Champs that have a more time-honored reputation such as Fouquet’s or La Duree, but ‘Le Drugstore’ holds a particular place in my heart - as being one of the few places on the Champs where as a poor student, I could afford to splurge on a ‘Salade caifornienne’. Even back then ‘Le Drugstore’ was a stylish place to wander about on a Friday or Saturday night.
Still, to this day, I don’t know how we managed to find a table to watch the Tour de France several years ago, but I think we ended up standing on tip-toe.
These days ‘Le Drugstore’ has reinvented itself - evolving with each generation. It cheered along France’s soccer team in 1998, creating a facade to match the team’s colors and, at the beginning of the new millenium went through another revamping.
If you’re wondering why I’m making such a big deal about a ‘drugstore’, the first thing to understand is that the Publicis Drugstore has never been anything comparable to an American ‘drugstore’ or a British ‘chemist’. The closest shop concept in the U.S. might be a ‘Sharper Image’ if the ‘Sharper Image’ also included a Brasserie and a more upscale restaurant.
Add to that a movie theater, a cigar boutique, and an international newspaper and magazine kiosque, a winery complete with winetastings … you start to get the picture. This is your down-the-corner Mom & Pop ‘drugstore’ gone Gucci with everything under the sun - even pharmaceuticals (but you’ll hardly recognize the traditional green cross that you see posted for the typical French ‘pharmacie’.
Another good reason to scout out Le Drugstore well before July 27th is to catch the Design Lovers which will be highlighting some of France’s most revered designers including Philippe Stark and Jean Nouvel. The fun begins today July 18th and will last through August 29th. You’ll find some samples of France’s top designware right here at Le Drugstore at surprisingly affordable prices.
When you do arrive at the Champs Elysees (get off at the Metro: Charles de Gaulle Etoile or Metro: George V), be sure to pick up a Tour de France t-shirt. A great souvenir for wearing to your work-out when you’re back home.
For those that can’t stand the crowds (I hear you!), Google has come up with a great way to enjoy the arrival of the Tour de France in Paris without ever leaving your computer station. I know that nothing compares with actually being there and absorbing the anticipation of that first cyclist leading the pack . . . but the Google visual map of the Tour de France route is frankly amazing. The video image of various towns in France makes you want to hop on your Velib bike and retrace the route.
Trivia: Did you know that the Tour de France’s final stage didn’t originally end up at the Champs Elysees? Originally, the race ended at Parc des Princes. It wasn’t until 1975 that ‘La Grande Boucle’ graced Paris’s most famous avenue and circled the Arc de Triomphe.
You can find more Tour de France Trivia Tidbits (in French) but I’ll translate some of these for you in the next few days. ““Ten Anecdotes on the Tour de France”
ALSACE (L’) - An all-night Champs Elysees brasserie serving big fresh seafood platters and Alsatian specialties: foie gras au gewurztraminer, choucroute (sauerkraut with ham and sausages). Daily 24 hrs. €€ (Cards: all) 39 ave des Champs-Elysees (8th), 01.53.93.97.00. Franklin D. Roosevelt
(This is one of the traditional Champs Elysees cafe/brasseries with plenty of outdoor seating)
(We tried Deli’s Cafe once - I noticed that it was listed in ‘Sortir a Paris’, but I honestly can’t say that it really stood out in my memory - except that it should be less pricey than some of its more glamorous neighbors).
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I’ll be the first to admit that on my first visit to Paris, after the big-ticket items like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre one of the things I most wanted to see was Pиre Lachaise cemetery - in fact, my French cousins were so amused by my fascination with the cemetery (they really didn’t see the point) that they found an old book about it and gave it to me. I still don’t read French, so I have no idea what gems are contained within that book, but I still have it - along with a lasting love for Pиre Lachaise.
Pиre Lachaise is not only the largest cemetery in Paris, it’s one of the world’s best known cemeteries. Certainly this is partly due to Morrison’s grave, but the cemetery is almost literally packed with so many famous names that even someone who had no idea who Jim Morrison was would find someone to be impressed by. What’s amusing about that is the fact that when the cemetery was originally built in 1804, it was deemed too far from the city, so few people chose to be laid to rest there. It wasn’t until nearly 1820 that cemetery administrators had the bright idea of moving some famous remains to Pиre Lachaise - and it wasn’t long until ordinary folks wanted to be buried in the same cemetery as the notables. Even in death, they wanted to be in with the in crowd.
Sadly, although Morrison’s grave is certainly one of the most-visited in the cemetery, the people who tend to flock to it aren’t always the most conscientious. When I first saw it, all the graves surrounding Morrison’s were covered with several years’ worth of graffiti, and even further away from his grave you could find the word “JIM” painted on random walls with arrows pointing in the direction of his gravesite.
If you own or operate Paris hostels, budget hotels or any other budget accommodation - or if you know someone who does - you (or they) should enter the information into the new worldwide Hostel Directory . This will be an extensive worldwide directory of budget accommodations, including hostels. You shouldn’t worry about spam from this but you should expect some extra bookings. 
What will be the oddest cars at this October’s Paris Car show? I’m ready to place bets on the QUICCI, Netherland’s contribution in the quest for fun and practical electric cars. 
There might be songs written about other months of the year, but September in Paris is an excellent time of year to be in the city. Although the high season in Paris now extends beyond the summer season and includes the months of May and September (and sometimes April and October as well, depending on what your hotel is trying to charge you!), you may find that international ariline tickets are a bit less expensive in September than they were in June or July.
Senator Barack Obama will be visiting with French president Nicolas Sarkozy this Friday, July 25,2008 in Paris. Republican candidate, Senator John McCain was received at the Elysees Palace for an ‘unofficial visit’ earlier this year as part of a military delegation.
It’s not too early to start staking out your spot for the triumphant arrival of the Tour de France in Paris. This year (2008), the Tour de France cyclists will zoom along the Champs Elysees, do their final circle round the Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, July 27th. 
