Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
While women do not share an equal presence with
men in the halls of business and politics, their presence
is always appreciated and their individuality respected. If
you are a man, you will quickly i nd out why if you ever
approach a provocatively dressed French woman without
proper decorum. As a woman, you can expect to be treated
with respect in France and should openly condemn anyone
who doesn't.
Sex For Money
Prostitution was declared illegal in 1946, just around the time
that women in France i nally got to vote! Visit the Pigalle
district on any night of the year and you will think the world
comes to Paris for sex. A wide variety of sexual pleasures
are promoted (and to some degree satisi ed) in Paris. It is
to be expected, given the general enthusiasm of the French
for all things sensual.
Predictably, the French don't make a particularly clear
distinction between the joys of food, fashion and sex. A
major resource on sex in Paris, a book called
Paris La
Nuit Sexy
, devotes most of its pages to descriptions of the
restaurants in town. (Which is why we put this topic in the
'culture' section of this topic.)
Certainly, if you aren't interested in prostitution, you can
avoid it. But you can't avoid the sensuality!
The big reviews, the
Grands Spectacles
at places like
the Lido, Crazy Horse Saloon, the Moulin Rouge and the
Paradis Latin are designed for wowing tourist groups from
Birmingham, Hokkaido and Iowa. You won't i nd them
shocking beyond nudity. For some real titillation, you'll have
to go to the erotic shows such as Théâtre des 2 Boules and
Théâtre Saint-Denis or a chain of peep-shows around Paris
designed for that.
Homosexuality is called 'the English vice' in France,
but there's lots of playing around with variations on the
conventional themes here. The most discreet, anonymous
way of participating in sexual games is by modem. Use your
Minitel, the French computer that comes with telephone
service, to link up with these services.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search