barefoot in France
 

Shoes are so heavy to carry, and so many of them are uncomfortable if worn too long, or they get sweaty if worn daily. I'd like to cut down on shoes taken to france by taking only the bare essentials, hiking boots for my walking tour in the Jura, and dressy low heels for the opera and good restaurants in paris. would it be acceptable to go barefoot at other times? I have very tough soles on my feet and I never get infections, so I have no fear of cuts or germs. Where are bare feet acceptable in France.

On the farm-ONLY if you are pregnant.

under bridges,where the trolls live.

You may go barefoot at the eatery run by Alain Ducasse, since after you pay the bill you will not be able to afford shoes

Shoes in France are mandatory. Its clothing that is optional!

Bare feet are permitted only when you have met and been wooed by a french romeo. He must then initiate you into the club and give you a special token.<BR><BR>If you have the token, you can go barefoot.<BR><BR>Without the token the men in white suits will take you away.<BR><BR>PS In seriousness (for some odd reason) I usually take walking shoes which look like trainers/ sneakers, one pair black ankle boots which can be worn smart or casual, and one pair flat walking sandals in feminine style which are better than barefeet any day.

My dear Contessa,<BR>Barefoot can be very chic indeed -- be sure the nails are well groomed and colored -- perhaps a toe ring? But *do* be careful in Paris -- you wouldn't want to slip and take a nasty fall as the consequence of a canine contribution to the Parisian scene...

I enjoy standing or walking in snow banks in Switzerland barefoot. Also, if you walk sloooowwwly over those cool, cobblestoned streets in some of those quaint little villages, you really do absorb a marvelous, unparalleled sense of history. In short, Contessa, &lt;&lt;Bonne chance, bon voyage&gt;&gt;, and wherever you may be (outside of the opera, a nice restaurant or a cathedral, my dear) let your feet wander free!

Actually, it's a known fact that people are far less likely to slip when walking barefoot, as the human foot is designed to cling to the walking surface were necessary to retain traction, and can also step lightly, enabling a graceful, lightweight person to move in a manner almost resembling flying. It's a beautiful thing, the foot. Just beautiful. Don't even get me started....

It's the perfect solution to the dilemma of having too many fashion choices. Stack heels, chunky heels, wedgies, slides, oxfords, ghillies, stilettos, cubans, sandals, espadrilles, go in and out of style and no one style suits everyone's taste. Your god-given tootsies, however, never go out of style.

The Parisians, given the state of their sidewalks, have a term for this fashion: les pieds de poopoo des chiens.

You must, simply must, take a walk through the lavender fields of Provence barefoot. The fragrance of lavender squished through the toes is just magnifique.

Has anyone read "Barefoot in Tuscany?" The writer purchased several pairs of shoes in Italy and spent a year putting new soles on them and polishing them. I highly recommend it.

I preferred "Extra Barefoot". I felt she had a much more down to earth writing style about walking through the Ligurian countryside.<BR><BR>A real warts, blisters and all diary.

Vous &ecirc;tes tr&egrave;s tr&egrave;s dr&ocirc;les. Amusez-vous!

You sound highly qualified to work in my organic, low-tech winery. Strong, healthy feet are highly prized for the task of crushing the grapes, you know. So scrub on up, and take your tootsies over for an interview, Contessa!

Very funny replies. The best thing to do is bring 3 pairs of shoes - your hiking boots, your dress shoes and one more pair of walking type of shoes. Switch off your walking shoes every other day. If you wear the same shoes every day your feet will be miserable. And finally, barefoot in November - you must be going somewhere else besides Paris!

I suspect that bare feet may be more than acceptable in the hands of certain Frenchmen. :~)<BR><BR>Other than that, you may want to try beaches. Probably not the streets of Paris, however, due to (as s.fowler put so well) the "canine contributions" to the sidewalks. <BR><BR>Re: "You may go barefoot at the eatery run by Alain Ducasse, since after you pay the bill you will not be able to afford shoes." *LOL*, thanks for the laugh!

Did you know France is a nation of dogs,underfoot everywhere.

The real truth is that everyone goes barefoot in France except in the cities and in tourist areas and in rocky areas where you must hike with sturdy footwear. If all you ever saw was people with shoes, you must never have gone beyone the cities and tourist areas and mountains. We do wear shoes in winter though.

Bare feet are acceptable in France only if they sting

Contessa, <BR>Shoes can be torture & no one knows that like I do! (Well, Frodo, but must we discuss him?) I do find bare feet much more conducive to dancing.

You are welcome to visit my barefoot restaurant in Lourmarin. However, you must understand that all patrons are required to step into a little pan of bleach at the door, since we do not wish to spread disease. if that goes well with you, we do hope to see you there.

Barefoot in France - the only way to truly absorb the most of what this country has to offer.

I saw lots of bare feet in the Louvre, so maybe you could get work as an art model while visiting. Of course, they had a few other parts bare too...<BR><BR>Also reminds me of the comment on one of Rick Steve's shows about a certain French cheese smelling like the feet of angels.

Topping

topping

You should always put your best foot forward when traveling in a foreign country. If that foot is a lovely one, grin and bare it!

My foot hurts but that would not stop me from taking it to France or Italy right now!

They don't use the foot in France. The use the metre.

jmetric, you are not implying that Contessa's foot is anywhere near a metre in length, do you????

Ah, that explains the meter fetishes in France. :)

I have it on good authority that Contessa has exquiste small feet. Indeed, they are the wonder of the Western world!

Can't believe that people are losing interest in this thread. The possibilities were only just being explored! Contessa needs help.

At the risk of putting my foot in my mouth, I must say there ae some people here more interested in giving the boot to some poor little trolls than to attempting some small feat of innocent word play.

Contessa: Glad to hear that droll trolls are "a good thing".

Oh, jmetric, the mere thought that a foot could be a meter just thrills us--all the more to love. Then, too, as we podiatric surgeoons age, surgery on this beautiful mechanism becomes more visually challenging for us, and if only the foot were the a meter, it would be so much easier to see. Alas, we can only dream....

I have been a loafer around this post so now I am going to slipon in and pump you for information. I hope no one gives me the boot , I am not a sneaker so I'll just slide this question in quietly, what color polish should I wear in Ireland when going barefoot? I tried to find out from the tourist board but I couldn't understand the brogue!

Still far better than all those white sneakers....

Solesister: As your poor feet may turn blue from walking bare in the chill Irish rain, may I suggest a coordinating shade of azure. I must warn you, that if you walk barefoot in the cold, your feet may seem to become smaller, but the shrinking is merely temporary. If you ever plan to be shod again, do warm up your blue feet before trying on new shoes for size.