Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Germain des Prés on the first Wednesday of every month from 7pm to 9pm. Entry's free but
you need to buy a drink. Sign up at
www.philosophy.meetup.com/274.
Dressing Like a Local
It's nearly impossible to overdress in this fashion-conscious city. Parisians have a finely
tuned sense of aesthetics, and take meticulous care in their presentation (you'll never see a
Parisian leave their apartment with just-out-of-the-shower wet hair). Parisians favour style
over fashion, mixing basics from chain stores such as H&M with designer pieces, vintage
finds and statement-making accessories. Even Parisian dogs are fashionably outfitted from
specialist doggie designers.
Hanging Out Like a Local
Parisians generally work to live rather than the other way round. The standard 35-hour
working week, along with long annual leave (anything up to nine weeks), and a
lot
of public
holidays means that without the impetus to make and spend money 24/7/365, friends, family
and leisure activities all factor highly in Parisians'
joie de vivre
(spirited enjoyment of life).
Parisians' foodie obsession often involves unwinding in a cafe, bistro or restaurant, over a
picnic or (less often, given the premium on space) at someone's home. Cinemas, theatres
and concert venues as well as festivals and events draw huge local crowds.
Sunday is the main day of rest, when most workplaces (including the majority of shops)
close and locals head to museums, to parks, and to
jardins partagés
(community gardens) -
visit
www.paris.fr
for a list (and map) of gardens that are open to the public.
Year-round, you'll find locals kicking back all along the banks of the Seine but never
more so than on warm summer evenings.
Getting Around Like a Local
Navigation
A few pointers to help navigate the city: street numbers notated
bis
(twice),
ter
(thrice) or
quater
(four times) are similar to the English a, b etc. If you're entering an apartment build-
ing, you'll generally need the alphanumeric
digicode
(entry code) to open the door. Once in-
side, apartments are usually unmarked, without any apartment numbers or even occupants'
names. To know which door to knock on, you're likely to be given cryptic directions like
