A typical Parisian snack bar is old-fashioned, simple but very homely and friendly as they are designed for socializing. Parisians drop by two or three times a week to enjoy a drink, exchange a few words with the owner (a big fellow) and meet their friends, known as the ‘regulars’. According to one source, the word “bistro” appeared in the French dictionary after 1814 due to the Russian Kossacks who implored the slow French innkeepers to “Hurry up! Hurry up!” (“Bistro! Bistro!”). In the Tertre Square area (Place du Tertre) on Montmartre there is even a plaque at the place where allegedly the word “bistro” was first used.

Bistrot, Rue Saint-Antoine, Paris

Walking along the banks of the Seine, you will notice the moored barges which look inhabited with curtains at the windows, laundry on a line and perhaps a little kitten on the deck.

This is not the most common way of living in Paris but it is popular with rich foreigners, actors (such as Pierre Rishar) and famous mountaineers from the MacLaud clan. These barges can also be turned into floating restaurants, bars or night clubs and some of them, such as Batofar on the Quay Francois Moriaka (Quai François Mauriac) combine all these activities onboard.

Barge on the Seine

The shape of today’s advertising columns (or Morris columns) copy the historic shape of city advertising boards but they are now much thicker and twice as high as their prototypes. The process of changing the posters in these round structures is fascinating to watch. A couple of workers do the job artistically, making the sophisticated mechanics of the “Colonne Morris” work. Phones, news-stands or public toilets are located in some of these advertising columns.

Advertising column

You can find drug stores all over the city. They are clearly marked with a neon green cross. A French pharmacist (pharmacien) is a competent and highly qualified professional. If you have a toothache or headache, you can ask him for help without waiting for a doctor. The majority of drug stores are closed on Sundays, but the address of the nearest one on duty is always specified in local newspapers and on the door of the local pharmacy. Toiletries and basic medications such as aspirin can always be found in supermarkets, where the prices are generally much lower than in drug stores.

Pharmacie sign

In Paris the name and the surname of the addressee are written right at the top of the envelope. Next are the number of the house and the name of the street, zip code, city and country (if the letter is going abroad). The first figures of the zip code specify the department of France where the addressee lives. For Paris, the first two figures are always 75. The two last figures show the district number, and the figure in the middle is always zero or one, for example: 75018 is the 18th district of Paris, 75116 – 16th district etc. As a result the Parisian address looks like this:

Jean-Paul Belmondo
10, Avenue George Vd
75008 Paris
France

Range of French postage stamps

Every child looks forward to a trip to Disneyland as eagerly as they do to Christmas. Entertaining and exciting, Euro Disney is not just for children. While youngsters are entranced by all their favourite Disney characters, teenagers enjoy the thrilling rides and spectacular shows. Grown ups can sit back, escape from the real world and enjoy the simple, childhood magic of this utopia. Escaping to the Disneyland world of pure fantasy gives all the family quality timetogether as they head for the adrenalin-pumping rides, party fun on Minnie’s Party Train and explore the Walt Disney Studios in this colourful, larger-than-life micro-world.

Sleeping Beauty Castle – Disneyland Paris

The two magical Disneyland Parks have more than 50 attractions, shows and parades.

Once Upon A Dream Parade – Villains Tank

While Disneyland Park is a complete fairytale kingdom of adventures and thrilling rides, Walt Disney Studios allows everyone to be a film star for a day, exploring movie magic both in front of the cameras and behind the scenes. Disneyland Paris is a complete vacation package and you can prolong the experience of this world of make-believe by staying in one of the 14 themed hotels on-site and dining at the child-oriented restaurants.

Phantom Manor – Disney Park

Getting There

Whether you are traveling to Euro Disney from Paris or further afield, the easiest way to arrive at Disneyland is by train. However you choose to travel and wherever you stay, Disneyland is just 40km (25 miles) east of Paris with easy access.

From Charles de Gaulle airport, the TGV train goes direct to Disneyland’s Marne la Vallée station. From Paris it is easy to take a RER A train which has regular services to Marne la Vallée for just over €6. The Eurostar is a smooth and easy way to reach Disneyland Paris from London , either direct or with one change at Lille. The advantage of rail travel as a family is there is plenty of space for children to play during the journey, unrestricted by seat belts. Adults are free from the responsibilities of driving and navigating in a strange country and can enjoy quality time with their family. Basically the vacation begins the moment you board the train.

Best Times to Visit Disneyland Paris

Special deals are usually offered on Disney packages especially at Halloween, Christmas, Easter and other holiday periods. The advantage of visiting then is that the Park will be fully decorated for the season with festivities and decorations to celebrate the season. Cost-cutting deals may include ‘Kids eat free’ etc. cutting the price of the vacation considerably. The downside of visiting Disney at this time is that the busy Park is even more crowded and lines for popular rides are longer.

The quieter times to visit Disneyland are midweek during term time. Mid-January to late March is the quietest time as the weather is cooler 40-55F (4-13C) but dry. September and October are pleasantly warm and sunny but may have some showers.

Where to Stay. Disneyland Hotels

Although there are many hotels close to Disneyland Paris, there are several advantages to staying in one of the on-site Disney hotels. Special deals make these hotel prices very competitive and they include entrance fees to Disneyland and breakfast with a real-life Disney character, creating magical memories. The themed hotels are truly magical in their designs. Choose from the Magic Castle, New York, the Wild West at Cheyenne or even Thomas Cook’s Pirates and Mermaids Explorer’s Hotel.

Hotel rooms overlook the Park, a beautiful sight lit up after dark, and it is just a few minutes walk to the attractions, saving taxi fares and time travelling on crowded local transport. The family rooms are spacious and fitted to a high standard. Restaurants in the hotels make dining easy and Disney characters frequent the hotels offering wonderful photo opportunities. Once you are “disneyed out” you can return to your hotel and relax as your little ones enjoy the swimming pool and playroom facilities. Pamper yourself in the sauna and steam room or work off those snacks in the fitness centre. Best of all, Disney hotel guests can enter the Park an hour before opening, an excellent opportunity to enjoy the rides at a quieter time. The hotel booking also includes a free FastPass, reducing waiting times at some of the attractions. You can be assured of good service and high standards as Disney works hard to maintain its excellent reputation.

Disneyland Park

Disneyland Park consists of five magical lands: Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, Discoveryland, Adventureland, Frontierland. Packed full of attractions from Main Street to Fantasyland with its fairytale castle and musical rides such as It’s a Small World, Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Peter Pan, Disneyland Park is a child’s wonderland. Boys’ adventures in the Wild West include the world-renowned Thunder Mountain ride aboard a runaway mine train. Loop-the-loop with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril or take a voyage of fun with the Pirates of the Caribbean. Guests can also see the special effects and car stunts on the backlots here. Whichever land you visit there are superb rides and entertainment to fill every moment.

Walt Disney Studios Park

Right next door are the fabulous Walt Disney Studios with 4 cinemagical lots. Watch the characters on stage or go behind the scenes on Toon Studio, Backlot, Frontlot or Production Courtyard. After learning the art of illusion in filming, try it out on a virtual roller coaster ride. The Studio Tram Tour hits disaster in Catastrophe Canyon or take the big thrill ride on the Rock n’Roll coaster. After all this adventure, real life will be awfully tame!

Useful Tips

• You can save 15% on Disneyland tickets by prepurchasing 1 day/2 park hopper tickets which gives all the flexibility to enter and re-enter both parks as many times as you wish on the same day.
• Staying in a Disney Hotel saves time and money travelling and gets you into the park one hour ahead of the crowds.
• Choose to visit outside school holidays for fewer crowds.
• With small children it is a good idea to take a lunchbreak back at your on-site hotel and take a nap. This way you can enjoy the entertainment into the evening with children who are not over-tired.
• Did you know that anyone can get a FREE entry to Disney? The catch is that it must be on your birthday. Of course you need to present proof (a birth certificate or passport will do).
• FastPass is a great idea but in theory it does not always work out. The idea is that you get a FastPass ticket at a busy attraction, which reserves a place for you later in the day. A time is printed on a ticket and you return at that time, and breeze right in. Unfortunately if lots of people have FastPasses, there can be just as long a line in the FastPass lane as the regular one. Also you can only have one FastPass at a time.
• Food in Disney can be expensive. Preparing a backpack with a picnic lunch and drinks can save a fortune. Alternatively, book a Disney meal plan which includes two fast meals, a sit-down meal and a snack each day per person.

The Essential Parisian Shopping and Sales Guide

Paris is the fashion capital of the world, and shopping in and around Paris is simply an amazing experience. No only will you find some of the most fabulous designer and couture clothing stores, but there are hundreds of gorgeous boutiques and department stores, the will keep you busy for days on end. Read on to find out more about the famous Paris sales, and where you can find the best bargains in this beautiful city…

When do the Paris sales take place?

Unlike other cities around the world, Paris only has two sales each year. The summer sales have now finished, but the annual January sale will be taking place from around the 7 th January 2010. Paris sales always last six weeks, and the prices become more and more reduced throughout this 6-week period. Towards the end of the sales you can expect to find many items reduced to as much as 80% off. If you’re visiting from outside of the EU, you could also get a 12% tax refund on all of your purchases.

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Actually it’s more about Paris from the «downside» because today we are going to speak about a totally different city from the one we all got used to – we will speak about the underground life of Paris .

First goes Paris Métro (or Métropolitain) which was first open back in 1900. A first train had only three wooden cars and 3 years after opening the great catastrophe happened – the fire which had suddenly begun in the metro carried 84 people lives away. Instead of stopping the driver kept the train moving until it was back in the tunnel, and only then he stopped for help at the first station. That only strengthened the fire and became a reason of sad consequences.
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Suicide has always been a great problem, not only in Europe but all over the world. What makes people kill themselves? Nobody can really answer this question conclusively because even the age, social status, or gender does not define a reason for committing suicide. Every year about 1,000,000 suicides occur worldwide. Europe, both east and west, has about 163,000 instances annually. Most people decide to end their lives at home or work, but some of them choose a special place to visit before death.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe has the world’s highest suicide rate and if it used to be the over-75 age group, today the cases are rising among young people. Women attempt suicide 3 times more than men, though men 3 times more actually succeed. It is known that women are more likely to chose “romantic” ways of killing themselves like poisoning or jumping off high buildings and bridges while men use much more violent methods such as gunshot to the head or mouth or a intentional crash injury. All the scientists and researchers firmly insist that Europe needs to reduce its shameful record of 17.5 suicides per 100,000 people. Among the top ten suicidal countries worldwide are the UK, Sweden, Germany, France, Hungary, and Belgium.

Today not only the number but also the types of suicides have changed. A current trend has people coming from different countries to big cities and famous places of interest to end their lives by jumping off a cliff, a bridge, or a tower. This kind of suicide is referred to as “tourists-suicides”, and the popular places where the act takes place – “suicide sites”. These destinations have a certain reputation and some magic aura that attracts people who have decided to take their own life. Psychologists say those who attempt suicide in a well-known place are trying to draw other people’s attention that they sought while alive.

Among such suicide sites – Clifton Bridge and Humber Bridge located in the UK, Göltzschtalbrücke – the railway bridge in Germany, Cliffs of Moher – the spectacular seaside cliffs located in Ireland, Nusle Bridge (or Nuselsky Most) in Prague, and of course Eiffel Tower in Paris are the most well-known.

A lot of people kill themselves in Paris, and jumping off the “Iron Lady” (which is 1,063 feet high) is the third most popular method of suicide after poisoning and hanging in France. Actually only about 68% of the suicides are known by the Official Statistic in the Paris region and 26% of them in the city of Paris proper. After AIDS, suicide is the second most frequent cause of death in Paris.

The first suicide at the Eiffel Tower was committed by a 23-year-old man, who hanged himself from one of the beams on July, 15th 1898. The most recent case of suicide, according the media, happened on June, 26th this year. A young woman threw herself from half way up the Eiffel Tower, crashing onto a restaurant patio on the first floor of the Paris monument. For 120 years since the monument’s construction about 400 people killed themselves there, of which two survived the 171 feet drop from the first floor, one was blown onto a rafter by the wind and one young woman landed on the roof of a car. A bit of good news from that potentially tragic attempt – after recovering from her injuries this woman married the owner of the car.

Several years ago 6 feet high barriers were constructed on the tower perimeter in order to reduce the number of incidents. Apparently the barriers have had a positive effect. The Police Préfecture claims that suicide attempts from the tower have become very rare. Even so, there are still a lot of people who desire to jump off a famous Paris site. At least 4-5 cases of suicide a year happen in the capital city. That is the reason why the Eiffel Tower is named one of the most popular suicide sites in Europe. Parisians would prefer it just be known as a nice place to visit…

If you can’t imagine your life without candies, sweet pies, marshmallows, ice-cream and great chocolate – you are definitely an incorrigible sweet-tooth. That is fact #1. If you feel fondness or craving for best sweets ever you just HAVE TO go to Paris – that’s fact #2.

Are you ready to dip into the incredible world of sweets? Follow us.

Start. Let’s start with the special French dessert which you can hardly find anywhere in other countries.

Step 1. Search for best macarons

What is macarons? Sounds like macaroni, doesn’t it? Though it has nothing in common with noodles or pasta it is not any less popular or any less delicious. Macarons are sandwich-like pastries made with two thin cookies and a cream or ganache between the cookies. It has different flavours and you can pick up the one which is your favourite.

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