I Prefer Paris

Menton Week 1: The Old City

Last November I suddenly realized that I had a week with no tours. Such opportunities come along rarely these days, so I decided to take a short trip. I had been longing to go to Menton for years ever since I heard about their famous citrus festival during carnival time in February.

Menton is a magical place known for its sunshine and citrus. It's located about 45 minutes east of Nice sandwiched between the foothills of the Alps and the Mediterranean, a stones throw from the Italian border. The climate is unique, as it has 316 days of sunshine a year, more than any other place in France including its neighboring cities.

 I arrived in Nice about 1PM on a Tuesday, and walked to the Hotel Windsor, conveniently located less than 10 minutes from the train station. The Hotel Windsor was originally the servant’s quarters for the Windsor family in the early 20th century and is a favorite hotel of mine in Nice with excellent service and comfortable rooms at reasonable prices.

 The next morning I hopped the train to Menton and Jilly Bennett of Menton Daily Photo met me at the station. I was fortunate to get in contact with Jilly through my friend Virginia Jones, who does Birmingham, Alabama Daily Photo. Jilly was quite busy preparing for a photo exhibit where she was displaying her photos that weekend and said she would meet me for a coffee. She was kind and generous and shared about her former life in England and her new adventures of moving to Menton, reinventing herself much like I did in Paris. I was thrilled that Jilly was playing tour guide (it was so nice be on the other side for a change) and like myself, she is an avid photographer. She immediately wanted to show me the most photogenic places in Menton and we started at the harbor and went up the windy old town with narrow cobblestone passageways with doors and stucco buildings painted in cheerful pastel colors. At the top was a cemetery towering over the city with breathtaking panoramas of the sea and the city. It was a crisp, sunny-like-in-a postcard day and I couldn't stop staring at the view in amazement. The Vieux Chateau Cemetery is where many British and Russian aristocrats, intellectuals, and artists who lived in Menton in the late 1800s and early 1900s are buried. The sun gleaming on the gold dome of one particular Russian tomb was spectacular.

We went back to the center of town to visit the indoor food market in a turn of the century brick warehouse decorated with bright ceramic tiles where lively food vendors were selling their mouthwatering wares. Jilly was friendly with many of the merchants and said her hellos to them while she bought some yummy groceries. She next took me to an out of the way shop with local olive oil and insisted I must have a bottle and I bought a basil flavored one. I am glad she did because it was some of the best oil I have tasted since I moved to France.  We were getting on so well, Jilly decided she would have time for lunch. We ate outside in the warm sun with cool air and we got to know each other intimately.

We were having such fun that Jilly kindly extended her day with me and said she would take me up to Gorbio, a tiny medieval village 500 meters above Menton, which was close to her house. I will share more about Gorbio along with photos later this week.

I give Jilly many thanks for a most perfect introduction to Menton, which I immediately fell in love with. Her tips and insights were invaluable and I couldn't wait to explore the rest of the city over the next few days.

Menton was so wonderful, it merits a week of posts.

Please browse Jilly's blog. http://www.mentondailyphoto.com/

Eye Prefer Paris on Twitter

I just launched a fun new daily Twitter post- Paris Photo du Jour. Every day I will post a photo of Paris. Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/eyepreferparis

 New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Can You Afford Not to Speak French in France?

Photo by Moyan Brenn http://www.flickr.com/photos/aigle_dore/5238558290/  

 This is a sponsored guest post about French classes.

In general, travelers who are used to visiting different places in relatively short periods of time, can speak the basics of main languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian, even Chinese). Sometimes it doesn’t have to do with having spent a long time at the place where that language is spoken, but with their general interest for languages and different cultures. When taking French courses Leeds travelers know that knowing French will enhance their trip to France in many ways. Could we travel to France without speaking French? Let’s analyze what we would encounter if we did.

So we are at the hotel, and we are ready to explore the city. Since we don’t know anyone around yet, we ask the hotel clerk (in English) where we can go first. He looks very polite, and takes out a brochure that says “Paris Bus Tour Rides”. He explains why the ride is perfect for us (among of the reasons is that the tour guide explains the history behind every place in English). It sounds quite good…until we ask for a little detail we had forgotten about, and he had skipped for some reason…the price is US$145 each person.

 Let’s think of a different scenario now, we decide to go out for a walk by ourselves. We think that a map is going to be enough to get around, so we try to find the subway. Maybe we can ask a local where the subway is, everyone knows English. So we stop an apparently nice lady to ask her where we should be heading for. She replies “This is France. We speak French here”. Yes, in France, expecting another person to speak English just because we didn’t bother to learn their language is considered rude.

We get a little hungry and stop at a Café to get a bite. The Menu is…in French! Well, why would that be surprising if we are in France?

 Maybe it is time for us to change and take responsibility during our trips. When taking French Courses Manchester students know that the only way for them to truly enjoy their trip to France is to know the language. Of course, there are more “scenarios” where lack of the language will put you in an awkward situation. Let’s avoid the problem beforehand by learning the language.

Eye Prefer Paris on Twitter

I just launched a fun new daily Twitter post- Paris Photo du Jour. Every day I will post a photo of Paris. Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/eyepreferparis

 New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Au Nom de la Rose

I love Paris flower shops and down the street from me is Au Nom de la Rose, a shop that specializes in everything roses. When I pass by, there are always the most vivid colored bouquets and arrangements spilling on to the street. They make smart arrangements in mini- watering cans and do an adorable one with either a single, double, or triple rose configuration in a tiny tin pail. I always buy them as gifts for dinner parties, so the hostess/host doesn't have to fuss finding a vase to fill with water. When you purchase something, they ask you if it's for a gift, and if it is they will put in in a shopping bag, and fill the top with rose petals and staple a single rose to the side of it.

Not only do they have a spectacular selection of roses, they also offer a product line of other rose products, including jam, lollipops, chocolates with crystalized roses, perfume, candles, room spray, and rose flavored syrup.

 Everything is coming up roses at Au Nom de la Rose.

 They have boutiques all over France and around the world.

 87 rue Saint Antoine, 75004

Metro: Saint Paul

http://www.aunomdelarose.fr/index.cgi

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Bee House in Luxembourg Gardens

Did you know there was a bee house in the Luxembourg Gardens? I have been to the gardens countless times but never noticed the bee houses till my friends Laurie and Blair had me meet them in front of them one day last November.

There is a beekeeping school (Rucher Ecole) in Luxembourg Gardens since 1856 that teaches apiculture classes. The current teacher is Jean Pauchon, who accidentally discovered that bees could thrive in Paris when he temporarily stored a bee hive on the roof of the Opera House 20 years ago and found that it thrived, collecting pollen and making honey. The classes supply you with a bee-keeping outfit with hat and netting plus a smoker.

 The bees are also used to pollinate the fruit trees in the Luxembourg Gardens. The French Senate- Senat- is housed the former Medici Palace at the front of the gardens and many of the fruit trees are named after the senators. 

Here are some more interesting facts Laurie sent me about the bees.

The bees are among the healthiest and strongest around. There are no signs of "colony collapse" which is plaguing bees worldwide.  They live in a pesticide-free zone. Their queen lasts 2-3 years, which is also a sign of health -- most US commercial hives replace their queen more than once a year.

 Although there is a collection of antique hives, the bees populate the modern wooden hives with copper roofs, surrounding the gazebo. There is a fountain in the bee area exclusively for the bees, which need water on a regular basis. 

 Enjoy but don't get stung!

 The bee house is located near the rue de Fleuris entrance of the gardens.

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Market in Eygalieres

It's been gray and dreary the last week and I have been feeling the January blahs a little. I thought I would cheer myself up and all of you who live in wintery, cold places with summertime photos of Provence I took a few years ago.

I had the good fortune of being invited to stay in a friend's 12th century farmhouse in September 2009 in the small, hilltop village of Eygalieres, a few kilometers from St. Remy de Provence. The ancient village is more than charming and the Friday morning market far exceeded my expectations of what a market in Provence I imagined to be. The brilliant sunshine made everything sparkle and the visual matched the pungent smells of golden olives, lavender, spicy, dried sausage, milled soaps, melons, garlic, and local cheeses.

Enjoy and savor this breath of Provence summer today.

Eye Prefer Paris on Twitter

I just launched a fun new daily Twitter post- Paris Photo du Jour. Every day I will post a photo of Paris. Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/eyepreferparis

 New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

My New Custom Shirt from Les Dandys

I discovered Les Dandys, a custom suit and shirt maker, a few years ago and wrote about them on Eye Prefer Paris in November 2010. I also wrote about the shop for Passport magazine last September in an article about custom men's shops in Paris. The owners Sylvan and Antoine were so happy and thankful for what I wrote that they generously offered to make me a shirt.

 I was so touched and excited, since I have never had a custom shirt before. I made an appointment for the fitting one afternoon last November. Sylvan brought out about a dozen books of fabric samples, and each one had hundreds of patterns to choose from. Stripes, solids, twills, wide stripes, narrow stripes, every imaginable and unimaginable color combination, thick cotton, thin cotton, and other choices I can't remember that made my head spin. How do I choose one? I narrowed it down to three and finally chose a bold fuchsia medium stripe against a white background. It was two-ply, 120-weight cotton poplin made in Italy by one of the finest fabric companies for clothing, Thomas Mason, started by Thomas Mason in 1750 in England. Sylvan took out his tape measure and measured me in all sorts of places: from my elbow to my wrist, elbow to shoulder, the width around my body, my neck, and across my shoulders. Then he asked me questions that I had never been asked and wasn't quite sure what to answer.

 Do you want the buttons to show or hidden? 

Do you want a monogram and if you do, where do you want it? (He then proceeded to show me a choice of monogram styles)

Do you want a pocket?

What kind of buttons and what color?

What kind of collar do you prefer and how many buttons do you want on the collar?

Straight bottom or curved?

 After I made my final choices with more questions than my SAT test in high school, Sylvan gave me a dummy shirt to try on for size. He adjusted it a little so it wasn't too tight. He carefully went over the order to make sure everything was correct and said the he would call me in three to four weeks when the shirt was ready. I went back to the shop in mid December and the shirt came out fabulous. I tried it on and it felt like a jillion bucks. The crisp, cool cotton felt so good against my torso and the cut made me instantly look 10 lbs. thinner. Who needs a 10 lbs. thinner uncomfortable, rubber girdle when you can have a delicious cotton shirt do the job.

 I wore the shirt to an important Christmas party with a black suit and solid black Hermés tie. I also wore it New Years eve, just open with a few buttons showing a little cleavage and black corduroy pants. I have to say and even my friends said I looked smashing. Other shirts in my wardrobe will never feel the same and I may have to order some more shirts from Les Dandys.

 Les Dandys

23 rue Pasquier, 75008

Metro: Madeleine

Tel. 01 40 07 05 54

Open Monday to Saturday 10:30AM to 7PM

http://www.lesdandys.com/en/collection.html#

Do you like?

 New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

La Galette des Rois

Every year starting on January 6th, la galette des Rois (the cake of the three kings), a cake made of frangipane (almond cream paste) and a buttery crust, is sold in patisseries all over France. These delicious cakes celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, where the three wise men came to see the baby Jesus. In certain parts of France the cake is made with brioche and filled with glazed fruit.A feve- a little china figure is hidden inside of the cake, and whoever gets it, (without breaking a cap when biting into it) is crowned king and gets to choose his queen. The cake is usually sold with a gold paper crown.

Many boulangeries now do different flavors besides the traditional almond including raspberry, pistachio, and chocolate.

Recipe for la Galette des Rois

(Serves 8)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb frozen puff pastry
2 eggs
7 oz almond paste

Preparation: Leave the puff pastry at room temperature for about 2 hours until defrosted but still cold.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with baking parchment or grease the pan and lightly sift flour on it. Shake off any excess flour. Roll each sheet of pastry into a circle about 12 inches across. Place one circle on the prepared pan.

Mix the egg with the almond paste until smooth and spread the mixture evenly on the prepared circle of pastry, leaving a border 1 1/2 inches wide all around. If you have a small piece of china, insert it into the almond mixture (you may also use a bean as the fève.) The person who gets the fève is the King or Queen.

Place the second circle of pastry on top and press it down tightly around the rim.

Beat lightly the remaining egg and brush it on the top of the cake. With a long-bladed knife, press lightly but firmly through the egg glaze marking a crisscross pattern. 

Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and puffed. Do not check for doneness for at least 15 minutes, as the pastry may collapse. Serve slightly warm or cold.

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Autolib

With the phenomenal success of the Velib public bicycle system introduced in 2007, Paris has now introduced the car version, Autolib. The set up is similar: you apply for a day, week or year pass at the automatic kiosks around the city, where you will need your drivers license, a valid form of identification (passport or national identity card) and a credit card. During a videoconference with one of their representatives, you identify yourself and chose the subscription you want. (Insurance is included). Your transaction will be validated and the kiosk will print a personal badge, which will give you access to the Autolib service. You can then take out a car at any of the 250 rental stations around the city. Once you are done, you return the car to any of the other stations and connect it to a recharging station.

Best of all, the cars are electric and have no fumes or make any noise. The overall goal is that with 3000 Autolibs on the streets, it will eliminate 22,000 gas-powered cars, meaning less pollution and traffic. A French or international drivers license is required to use the service. The rate for a day card is 10 euros, week card 15 euros, and the yearly card 144 euros. The first 30 minutes ranges from 5 to 7 euros depending on what type of pass you buy, the second 30 minutes ranges 4 to 6 euros, and each additional 30 minutes after that ranges 6 to 8 euros.

http://www.autolib.eu/

Eye Prefer Paris on Twitter

I just launched a fun new daily Twitter post- Paris Photo du Jour. Every day I will post a photo of Paris. Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/eyepreferparis

 New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Reflection Photos on rue des Archives

I started experimenting with reflection photos last summer and was pleased with the results. Walking down rue des Archives in the Marais yesterday, I passed a popular gay bar, The Open Bar. Above the awnings were festive holiday decorations of round mirrors and disco balls. Looking at the mirrors closely, there were distorted reflections of the buildings, which I found most interesting and photogenic. I have had a hard time deciding whether the photos look best as I took them, in black and white, or in sepia. I have put black and white and sepia versions of some the same photos, and I am curious which you like best.

Eye Prefer Paris on Twitter

I just launched a fun new daily Twitter post- Paris Photo du Jour. Every day I will post a photo of Paris. Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/eyepreferparis

 New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

January Eye Need to Do's : Sempé , Winter Sales, and Paris Dog Show

Sempé
One of France's most beloved cartoonists Jean-Jacques Sempé is having a grand retrospective of over 300 original drawings along with his humorous and poetic texts which span over 50 years. Many of his New Yorker covers are also on display.

Till February 11
Hotel de Ville
Metro: Hotel de Ville
Open daily 10AM to 7PM except Sunday
Admission free, so expect about a 20 to 30 minute wait

Paris Soldes Winter 2012
The winter sale 2012 kicks off next week, so make sure you are armed with fast running shoes and a credit card and show up early. Sales run from Wednesday, January 11 to February 14.

http://www.shoppingbyparis.com/fr/informations_pratiques.php

Paris Dog Show
Nobody cherishes their dogs more than Parisians with the exception of Americans.Paris is woofing it up with the biggest dog show of the year in January. Over 3,000 chiens and 300 breeds will be competing for Best in Show. Bow-wow!

January 7 & 8
Parc de Floral, Bos de Vincennes
Metro: Chateau de Vincennes
http://www.sc-if.org/

A Note to Subscribers

There was a New Years video by my partner Vincent Gagliostro on the December 31 post that didn't show up in the email you were sent. Please click here to watch.

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes

I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com