Broken zipper in Paris
 

So here I am in Paris for two weeks and so far I seem to be breaking things. My iPod charger, for instance. And the washing machine doesn't work in my apartment. And I can't get the cable TV to work.

But the most exasperating is the zipper that got stuck on my leather jacket. I do have my winter coat but I don't really want to wear it. It was way too hot on the bus this afternoon.

So, does anybody know a tailor who could fix or replace a zipper on short notice in Paris? I'm in the 4th arrondissement between Pont Sully and the Bastille.

Nikki, Contact Metromole on Trip Advisor. He lives in that area.

Try the Yellow Pages "Vêtement de/en cuir"

I can't help you but I'll take your broken iPod, washer and zipper in PARIS and you can come shovel horse manure here in Indiana. I'm so jealous!!!

Here's a place in the 12th off rue du fbg St Antoine that specializes in that:

http://www.accroc-cuir.fr/reparation/index.htm

Do you know what that's called? it's a fermeture eclair (zipper). It's not cheap as that isn't that easy on a leather jacket.

Can't help you with the zipper, Nikki, but I sure can sympathize. We arrived in Paris to celebrate our 40th birthdays this spring...thought I'd planned everything perfectly. First morning: camera, sunglasses, apartment washer(!) all broken, I discovered I'd forgotten my birth control pills, and I had raw skin on my face where my esthetician had over-enthusiastically waxed my brows. @@@. Anyway, the trip turned out great even with the hiccups at the beginning - after all, it was PARIS.

Enjoy yourself and best of luck getting that zipper fixed.

Thank you for all the quick suggestions, I'll see what tomorrow brings in the way of energy and ambition.

Lennyba, if my math is correct, the souvenir of your birthday trip should be delivered shortly.

Nikki,

Good luck with the jacket. Looking forward to the usual excellent trip report and photos!!

Are you taking any French lessons or attending any lectures in French this time? Very interested in your impressions.

My French studies continue apace--I was invited to join the advanced class but have to go back to the States for 5 weeks next Monday, so told the instructor I would prefer to stay in intermediate until I am caught up with missed lessons.

I only started lessons 6 weeks ago and while much of "intermediate" is repetition, I pick up new phrases, idioms, words, etc. every week. Attended the advanced class today to check it out--I could keep up--just.

Cath, I am not taking French lessons. Last ones I had were in high school. I'm sure I could use some, especially for speaking and writing. My reading and listening have been improving because I am reading and listening to so much French.

I am attending lectures at the College de France. Doesn't mean I understand everything, but I probably wouldn't understand it all in English either. But it's way more interesting than working on the subjunctive.

I had two courses scheduled for today, but they changed the time on me so that the two conflicted and I ended up with three hours to kill. Walked to two different restaurants for lunch that turned out to be closed on Monday.

It's been that kind of day.

I am winding down now, watching House in French. It's a lot less predictable this way.

>the souvenir of your birthday trip should be delivered shortly.>

Bite your tongue!

What sort of lectures are you attending, may I ask?

just popping in to say hello, Nikki, looking forward to your report.

In my own neighborhood, for a few euros you can get such things done in any of the places marked "retouches" and usually run by Turks, Chinese or Africans. Of course, the longer the zipper, the more it costs.

Lennyba, I am choosing the lectures from among the offerings at the College de France, which offers courses to the public at no charge and with no requirement to register, you just show up. Most of the website is in French, but there is an English description: http://www.college-de-france.fr/defa...lish/index.htm

Yesterday's class was about the Romanisation of Gaul, and whether the Roman conquest changed the nature of the civilization in Gaul all at once, or whether it was a process that had been developing before that, based upon archeological and historical research. I will go to another class for that course next week.

Other course lectures on my schedule include an art history course entitled "Looking at art, writing history" and a European history course entitled "What is a book?"

There is a lot of fascinating stuff on the website, including podcasts of many of the courses and videos to watch on line for some of them.

Hi Nikki - glad to hear the weather is too warm for your winter coat. I'm thinking of just bringing a leather jacket and a rain coat that actually fits over the leather jacket and no winter coat. My daughter says you can't go by the temperatures, that it feels colder than it should based on what I'm reading on accuweather. I leave for Paris in 9 days, but alas, you'll be on your way back here. Perhaps once you get the zipper fixed you'll have time to post a bit about what you are doing.

An update on my broken things: the apartment owner called to say a repairman is coming Monday to fix the washing machine. While she was on the phone, we got the cable TV going.

A friend of mine who is in Paris this week with her mother-in-law, her sister-in-law, and seven other assorted women has agreed to leave me her iPod charger.

I am weighing whether the inconvenience of getting the zipper repaired is greater or less than the inconvenience of wearing my winter coat.

Thanks for all the assistance and good wishes.

Kerouac, I just saw your post. I am thinking that if it is true I can get the zipper fixed cheaply and quickly it might be worth it. If you have a particular place that you have used, I'd like to know about it. I would feel better going to a specific address than wandering around looking for one.
(Are you interested in showing me a place in your neighborhood? Either way, I'm NKermish at hotmail.)

Isabel, just saw your post. We're all writing at once. I had thought of just bringing my leather jacket but as it turns out, it's a good thing I brought the winter coat also. You never know what's going to happen.

And there are plenty of people walking around here all bundled up for winter. It is definitely getting chilly. And it will be later and colder by the time you get here.

Most of the website is in French, but there is an English description: http://www.college-de-france.fr/defa...lish/index.htm

Thanks...noting for the future. Sounds like a good trip.

Nikki - jumping in here as I have stayed in Kerouac's neighborhood. If you get the metro to the stop Marx Dormoy (it comes out virtually in front of a McDonalds). All I would do is go into the first shop selling everything & anything and show them a piece of paper with "retouches" written on it and show them your jacket zip. I reckon within a few minutes you will be at the right place! Ask if you can come back in an hour or so. If they are anything like the Asian tailors here in Africa, you won't have to wait long.

Maybe Kerouac will give you a better alternative.