After being on the road (and the ocean, as it were) for six weeks, here are some, I hope, helpful hints for anyone taking a looong trip anywhere: <BR>1) I cannot recommend highly enough the staying in one place for several weeks. Whether your favorite city is Paris, or Rome, or Montreal, or Fargo; the renting of a house/apartment and hunkering down for four or five weeks is absolutely a must. I had the time to really see Paris, the neighborhoods that aren't on the tourist 'must-dos', the churches that never quite make it into the guidebooks, the concerts/recitals that appear in churches all the time but aren't on any website, the small parks that one always skips because they are out-of-the-way. I got the rhythm of the city, the ebb and flow of workers to and from work, the change in the feel of the city as night descended, the upbeat energy as the weekend approached. <BR>2) To me, Paris has two faces/sides: there is the Paris of the artist/writer and there is the Paris of elegant living. I chose to rent an apartment that reflected the former; consequently, the kitchen and bathroom were very small, though the 'great room' was large. I was not displeased; I got what I wanted. Wherever you rent an apartment, be sure you are clear on what you are getting. If not, you could be disappointed (the bathroom in my apartment was so small that someone 6' and 200 lbs would have been absolutely miserable). <BR>3) Rent an apartment/house in a non-touristy area for a real feel of the city. You give up the comfort of English everywhere (or whatever language you speak that isn't the native tongue of wherever you're staying) to be in a real neighborhood. If you're nervous about that, then don't make yourself miserable; rent in a touristish neighborhood. The idea is to feel comfortable enough to venture out, not be paralyzed by fears or concerns. <BR>

Fear and Loathing/2 <BR>4) Most apartments have a radio, TV, and maybe a cassette/CD player. I brought my walkmen (CD and cassette) and small portable radio with tiny detachable speakers that I could use on all three. Eventhough I found a radio station with 'nostalgie', it was nice to hear the Boss and B.B. when I wanted. The little portable I kept by my bed; the apartment had a full sound system in the great room. Bring a battery operated or windup clock; my apartment had no clock. Try to rent a place with a washer and dryer; I didn't think I needed one, but hauling loads of dirty clothes down the block, then paying 20ff ($3) for one load of wash was not how I wanted to spend my morning. <BR>5) Open-air and street markets are great fun, but absolutely daunting if you're trying to buy food. Have some idea what you want to eat - fish? poultry? beef? lamb? - otherwise, it's too overwhelming. I scouted out the Aligre and Beauvais markets on a wandering, and realized I'd need a game plan if I ever wanted to buy food there. <BR>6) Wherever you stay, get a good city map or street guide. It's fun to get lost and wander, but when your feet give out, you want to get to a bus or subway stop as quickly and over as short a distance as possible. I also found the street guide of Paris (Paris par Arrondissement) helpful when someone would ask directions. Sometimes I knew the street they wanted, but if I didn't, they could find it in the index then locate it on the map. <BR>7) Use public transportation, and buy a pass or carnets, whichever works out economically for you. In Paris, there is no 'transfer' between buses or buses and metro, so you have to use a new ticket if you switch (metro to metro doesn't require a new ticket); if you are planning to use lots of buses/metro combos, then a pass is the most economical, because it is unlimited use. <BR>

Fear and Loathing/3 <BR>8) I stuck to black clothes (Parisian women wear black black black, occasionally relieved by a bright splash of...khaki), not only to 'fit in', but I didn't want to be doing laundry everyday. Big cities are very dirty, so dark clothes work the best. <BR>9) Keep your nose clean - literally. I live in the desert, and we don't have sooty grime (we have GRITTY grime); therefore, I wasn't prepared for how dirty/snotty my nose got. Even blowing didn't really do the trick, so regular squirts with saline water (which I use on planes to moisturize my nasal passages) and q-tips did the trick. Seriously, since your mucous membranes keep the nasties from getting into your lungs, keep 'em clean. I also had my scalp and skin do weird things (itchy, dry scalp and blemishes); I kept thinking it would 'clear up'; it didn't. Finally, I bought some French dandruff shampoo (funny things you can learn from watching commercials) and acne soap - the problems cleared up. Just a warning should you be away for a while, and start to see problems; they won't go away, either figure out what you need, or go to a pharmacist and ask. <BR>10) Before you go on any journey where you'll be walking a lot (hikers and 'country walkers' already know this, but those who don't walk much except on vacations, please take note), get a pedicure...I might even recommend going to a foot doctor to have your nails trimmed. This is serious, folks. Hangnails, ingrown toenails, corns, etc. can raise holy hell when you're on your feet for 8 hours, over cobblestones, up hills, down slippery streets...a little preventive medicine is the key. I found a couple of excellent products for feet: the Body Shop has a peppermint foot cream that is sooo wonderful on tired, achy feet. I'm sure there are other products just as good; BRING ONE WITH YOU. Blister Block - it's a JNJ product that really works. Stick the sticky pad right on the offending spot - no more pain. And these weird little pads that were 'teflon' - stick 'em on your shoe where it rubs, and your foot sliiiides over the teflon. No more rubbing. <BR>11) Eat at McDonald's if you want to. That doesn't mean every meal, or because you are intimidated by menus and restaurants (get over it and stick your face in there). I mean that if, after 3 weeks of local food, all you want is a hit of grease and fries, then go ahead. If it makes you feel better, then do it. Use this same theory for anything 'American' you want to do - get a Coke with your dinner, if that's what you want. Think of it as a safety valve. <BR>

Fear and Loathing/4 <BR>12) Keep an eye out for posters announcing concerts; in several churches, there were announcements of visiting choirs (like a Russian children's choir) or recitals; they might or might not be mentioned in Pariscope or other weekly paper...and they are usually free. There was some sort of trumpet (!) competition I stumbled upon in one church, and had a chance to hear an American finalist ('Dainvair' which I took to mean 'Denver') perform his solo (some strange classical thing a la Stravinsky that had me scratching my now-anti-peculliare head over where's the tune). Also, flea markets (brocante) pop up everywhere on weekends, so I went to one advertised on posters around the corner from my apartment. Other cities must have similar events - whether European or Asian or whatever - and are just as interesting and entertaining as the biggies. <BR>13) Extended stays mean you can 'shut down and reboot' - if you're going from place to place over 3 or 4 weeks, you have to keep going. If you hunker down, you can take a day to just chill out, without throwing off your schedule or causing you to miss something. Nothing better than after three weeks of here, there and everywhere to be a couch pomme de terre for a day. <BR>14) Keep a journal. It's almost impossible when you're traveling every day; I know I'm so beat by the end of the day that spending an hour writing in a journal is the last thing I want to do (anyway, I'd have to stay sober, and I never want to do that on a road trip); but on a long stay, I had the time and energy to actually write in my journal. I am very glad I did. <BR>15) Bring a folded-up duffel bag or such in your suitcase. I didn't, and had to go buy one to carry back the boatload of souvenirs that alone boosted France's GNP. <BR>16) Traveling is hard; if you are losing it, don't take it out on your traveling companions. It's not your husband's fault your feet hurt, or your mother's fault the museum is too big - take care of yourself. If Dad is engrossed in the Egyptian stuff, and you think it's boring, go sit down somewhere and read the paperback you cleverly remembered to bring with you. If the Mrs. wants to look at every damn painting in the d'Orsay, go upstairs to the cafe and have a drink while she wanders around. <BR>17) People with children: do not sell them short! Overheard in the cafe at the Louvre "why don't you kids get some pizza now, that way you won't have to eat dinner. We're going to a French restaurant tonight, and I guarantee there's nothing on the menu you'll like". Well, Mom, you made damn sure of THAT, didn't you? If what you really wanted was an adults-only night, why not just tell them that? Why put it into their heads that they would hate French food? The opposite: French dad and 4 year old daughter at an art exhibit. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he was pointing at one of the pieces of "art" (and I use the term loosely) and talking to her. She pointed at it, too, and giggled. She was thoroughly enjoying herself...in an ART museum! Another little boy was going up to each painting, and pointing out 'airplane' and 'truck' and 'eye', while his mother talked to him about what he was seeing. Both those children were happy, and so were their parents! Assume your children will be interested - just find a way to make it happen (it's work, I know, but it can be done!). There's always a lot of controversy on this forum about taking children on trips, so I hope this gives some positive thoughts to doing just that. <BR>

Elvira, thanks for the ideas. Most of the forum is devoted to short-term trips, so it was interesting to hear the challenges of a longer stay. <BR> <BR>One question, though. Let's take a hypothetical traveler (no names, please) who speaks no French at all and is barely competent to pronounce French from a phrase book. Could that traveler have survived the apartment-style lengthy trip to Paris, or should that traveler just give up the dream?

Hi, elvira, i'm really enjoying your postings. My husband knows well that one day we *will* live in Paris for at least a few months (fine by him, as long as we get back to Spain also...)so I am delighted to see an affirmation that it can be wonderful, and am glad to get your "scouting report" with the minutiae I will need to know! Consider it put in the file. <BR>When's your next trip? (I am so sure you have another in the works!)

Hmm, well if Cindy - er I mean a hypothetical person - speaks no French, you'll, er I mean she'll, pick it up along the way. Have no fears; you can survive just fine in Paris without a lick of French (so to speak). English is quite prevalent; I found that many people, once they heard my pronounced American accent in their language, would start speaking English. I thought at first it was an insult, like my French sucked so bad they couldn't stand listening to it, but my landlord assured me that wasn't it - that Parisians want to practice their English whenever they can. Maybe they feel more comfortable doing that with a woman, I don't know. Even if the waiter speaks no English, you can point to the menu and use sign language. At the patisserie, you point to what you want in the case, the price is posted, so you get what you want without a word of French (do learn "bonjour" "au revoir" "merci" - it greases the wheels and is the polite thing to do). <BR> <BR>Here's a helpful hint - I learned a lot more French while watching French TV - especially the children's shows (think Sesame Street) and ... game shows. No kidding, they have millionaire shows and the $25,000 Pyramid (it's not called that, but it's the same show), there are the French words, and French people saying them...that old see and say method of teaching language. <BR> <BR>Something to keep in mind: if you are alone in Paris, you might get lonely (I'm a misanthrope so I never have the problem). Keep that in mind, and if you're prone, then take classes, or go to one of the churches that has services in English, or hang out at a cafe near a tourist attraction where Americans will be...don't just mope.

Cool advice...ahh...to live in Paris...*sigh* <BR> <BR>

Hey Elvira! I'm curious about the boatload of souvenirs. What did you bring back?

My souvenirs were in 5 categories: <BR>Cooking: about 8 cookbooks, a kilo of sea salt, almond powder, pastry flour, pink peppercorns, bay leaves, saffron, rose petal vinegar, a couple of different oils, a tasting spoon (very cool - regular wooden spoon with a channel running the length of the handle, at the end of which is a teeny spoon. Scoop up from the pot, tilt the end with the little spoon into your mouth, the sauce runs down the channel into your mouth - you can put the spoon back in the pot 'cause your mouth never touched it. Neato, huh?). Wooden salt and pepper shakers, mustard spoon, honey dipper, salt spoons. <BR>Flea Market finds: mustard/salt/pepper pot combos, sugar bowl, sugar canister in my grandmother's pattern; a whole box of brass fittings; a tacky lamp (I will rewire it myself); a coat of arms key hook, decorated with a piece of fur, that says "sans peur et sans reproche". <BR>Prints/Postcards/Art: old AirFrance poster showing a kid with an armload of baguettes; Monet postcards and prints (from the Louvre, which has a collection that was left to them by the Lyon family with the stipulation that the collection be kept together; consequently, the Louvre now has 3 or 4 Monets - and ones I've never seen before); two Gault buildings, a Guimard metro stop, and a little waiter and table; a brass woman that I guess is supposed to decorate a door; a book on Picasso sculptures and a couple of Picasso calendars (from the special Beaubourg exhibit, which was absolutely fantastic); some strange-looking dried flowers (African somethingerother from a very interesting shop in the Viaduct des Artistes); a little building from Burano; a Venetian doll; prints and postcards of Venice and the villa Pisani; Venetian glass paperweights. <BR>Clothing: a pashmina; Burano lace scarf; Bob Dylan t-shirt; t-shirt from this wonderful and strange display near the Bastille (sort of women's figures, curved gracefully like they were dancing, painted in diamond shaped primary colors, some on a merry go round, some on swings); Tati pantyhose. <BR>Writing supplies: glass dip pens; dip pen made from caseine (this from the Jura exhibit at the Gare de l'Est); ink; handmade paper; 2 handmade scrapbooks (for all my memories from this trip); French writing paper; gold envelopes; handmade book for recipes; book for recipes from the villa Pisani. <BR> <BR>Oh, and an Eiffel Tower candle and a candle that looks like the stone soldiers from the tomb in China (not a clue what I'll do with that). And 31 rolls of exposed film...

Cool stuff!

Thanks Elvira, for making me smile this morning! My husband and I have been thinking, when he retires, that we would like to spend a few months in Paris. Your advice is great! I will have to hard copy it, and show him tonight. Cindy..he(we) could be the er.. hypothetical person you speak of...I can't give up the dream....

Hi Elvira <BR> <BR>Wish I could write like you. After six weeks did you feel you'd had enough? I did the same in London this summer. I always felt that I needed at least 1 year to get this longing of living in Europe out of my system. Once the 6 weeks were over I thought I was definitely cured but guess what? - it's back!

When I saw the "Fear and Loathing..." header, I knew it had to be either Hunter Thompson or you. Loved your always informative posts as always. Welcome back.

Elvira <BR>Please can you remember where you got the Eiffel Tower candle? Someone I know collects ETs in all forms, and I'll bet she doesn't have one that's a candle. <BR>I'll be in Paris again in Dec so I can pick one up

Elaine - I have some info on a bakery that makes bread in the shape of the Eiffel Tower. They will "glaze" it for you to preserve it and wrap it to travel. I'll dig around in my notes and see if I can find the info.

I found it, Elaine. It's in my "BORN TO SHOP" book on Paris. Boulangerie Saint-Ouen at 111 bd. Haussman (m: Madeleine). The book says it's located about 2 blocks past Madeleine near the new Monoprix flagship store. The shop will ask you if the bread is for eating or display - in which case they will put an egg wash on it to preserve it. Under $10. I bet your friend doesn't have an Eiffel Tower shaped loaf of bread.

10000000 thanks Elvira! Any doubts I had about where to take my next trip have been firmly pushed aside....Can't thank you enough.

Meg <BR>thanks for going to the trouble to look it up. <BR>Do you think it is preserved <BR>indefinitely, or just for a few days-- <BR>I'd have to ship it on further after I get home!

I don't really know how long it will keep, Elaine. I just thought it was an interesting souvenir idea! <BR> <BR>Oh - I want a copy of your Paris notes.... PLEASE. Thanks. <BR> <BR>