Well, we've just enjoyed a visit with Mark's younger sister, Lisa, and it occurred to me that I should maybe blog about some of these 'must-know' tips that we share with each of our guests.
I won't bore you with a long list.
In fact, you really just need a few tips to really make a huge difference in your experience in France.
I'll only share 3 - three very, very helpful tips.
I'll preface this by saying that I have no idea if these tips apply to other European countries, but they do apply in France. Or, at least I know they apply in Paris.
Number 1: DO NOT SMILE!
Suddenly, I am wondering if I have shared this before? If so, I apologize for the redundancy. But, it's just so important for Americans to realize that the little smile we use to try to 'break the ice' with a stranger is NOT the right thing to do here in France. You will be very misunderstood if you try this here. And, you most likely will not get the reaction you are seeking either.
The nice thing about living in France vs. visiting France is that you get to know people. We smile all the time here, but only with people we already know. And French people are actually very warm and friendly, once you get to know them. So, people smile with us a lot. But, it's not something you do with a stranger. Just pretend you are in a big city where smiling could be dangerous, and you'll do much better in France!
Number 2: Learn to say "BONJOUR" and then say it all the time!
I cannot think of a situation in life here where you would not first say 'bonjour' ('hello' or 'good day' in French) before saying something else. It is sooooooooo important to learn this word and then learn to use it, and use it often. In fact, you should overuse it! It will open the doors of France to you.
We Americans do not always say 'hello' before we ask a question. Sometimes we do, but it is not a must in our culture. In France, it is a must. It's what French people do. Everyone says 'bonjour' before doing anything with another person.
So, if you remember to say 'bonjour' before asking people if they speak English, you will get a very different response than if you just ask.
If you say 'bonjour' when you enter a store, you will be allowed to browse without being scowled at.
If you say 'bonjour' before explaining what kind of ticket you need to buy, you will most likely be treated kindly.
If you say 'bonjour' before everything, you will find out the French people can be quite nice. (It isn't a guarantee they'll be nice, but it will increase the odds enormously.)
And, it doesn't hurt to throw a 'merci' at the end of a conversation, even after a conversation in English. It's like the cherry on top of the cake for them. If you do, you might even get a smile!
Number 3: Drinking coffee equals finding decent bathrooms.
If you've followed my blog at all, you have heard about the disgusting, small, and ill-equipped bathrooms of France. Here's a big tip. To get a good bathroom, just drink coffee.
The best bathrooms in Paris are found in the brasseries or corner cafés. If you go in and stand at the counter and buy a coffee, you are then allowed to use the restrooms. It works great! If you don't do this, you will find yourself searching high and low for the bathrooms, which pretty much don't exist. If you do find a public bathroom, you will most likely be horrified by what you find inside. Trust me, drink the coffee and use a good bathroom.
So, there you go! The best 3 tips for visiting Paris. Not too difficult, right!?!
In honor of our most recent guest, I'll post a few pictures from our time together with Lisa.
Lisa reading to Todd at Shakespear & Company bookstore.
At the Eiffel Tower on a cold and cloudy day.
Lisa got a great photo of the cheese counter at our local grocery store. You can find a different cheese for every day of the year here! (That's not an exaggeration, by the way.)
Enjoying a great view at the top of the Montparnasse Tower together. (It was a great clear day, but very cold and windy!)
Lisa was smart and bought a warm wool hat on her first day in Paris. I thought it looked great on her.
Oh, and look here's Mark dutifully drinking a coffee so that I can use the restroom at a café. What a great guy!
And a highlight for the kids was taking Lisa to ice skate at the Hotel de Ville! Yeah! They were talking about wanting to do this for weeks ahead of time. We're so glad it worked out!
We were all over Paris, but I won't spoil Lisa's story by showing more of her photos on the blog. You'll have to ask her to see them. :-)
We're so glad she came and treasure the time we got to be together.
So, now I ask, when are YOU coming to see us? We hope you'll come one day and test out those travel tips!!!
Happy New Year to you all!
1 comment:
It's always fun to see a new post from you- great travel tips! Glad you had a fun visit and got to go skating and all! Great hats!
Carrie Andersson
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