Thursday, November 28, 2013

1 DAY Walking TOUR
Saint Germain des Pres + Latin Quarter  
Some of our favourite streets to wonder down, cafes, touristic places and of course a must try boulangerie and chocolatier.
Get your walking shoes and appetites ready..
As featured on our website: www.petiteparis.com.au
  • 7.30am BREAKFAST @  St Regi's Cafe (on isl. Saint Louis)
  • 8.30am Walk Quai de Montebello map / Quai des Grands Augustins (enjoy the antique/rare booksellers along the seine banks)
  • 9am Wonder Rue de Seine Map - turn right at Rue Jacob
  • 9.30am Rue Bonaparte Map - drop into Laduree for macaroon gifts or samples
  • 10am Boulevard Saint Germain Map
  • 10.30am BRUNCH @ Brasserie Lipp, 151, boulevard Saint-Germain Map
  • 11.30am Rue des Saints Peres Map (to reach DeBauve and Gallais Oldest Chocolatier in Paris - see above)
  • 12pm Rue des Sevres - to go to Le Bon Marche Map or Le Grand Epicierie
  • 12.30pm Rue Cherche-midi - this street is worth walking all the way down to Blvd Montparnasse (and back) popping in and out of the little boutiques along the way - visit Polaine Boulangerie for a treat!
  • 1pm Place Saint Sulpice - the 2nd largest church in Paris. Map.
  • 1.30pm LUNCH @ Le COMPTOIR Map.
  • 3pm Passage Cours du Commerce Saint-André - the oldest passage in Paris and where you will find Le Procope the oldest cafe in Paris. Map.
  • 3.30 Jardin Luxembourg Map - spend an hour mastering the art of doing nothing but parisienne watching.
  • 4.30pm La Sorbonne Map
  • 5pm Place du Pantheon Map
  • 5.30pm Rue Mouffetard Map - watch the aperitif hour begin. Feel free to pick a bar here OR...
  • 6pm APERITIF @ AU SAUVIGNON Map (back on Rue des Saints Peres - there is reward in sacrifice and hardwork or walking :) See above Bar recommendation.
  • 7.30pm DINNER @ La Closerie des Lilas - This is a literary and artistic landmark, having hosted the likes of Ernest Hemingway. A restaurant with pleasant terrace for dining in the warmer months, a cafe-brasserie and live music most evenings, La Closerie retains the ambiance of old-world Paris with its red leather booths, zinc bar and soft candlelight.


171 Bld Montparnasse 75006 Map
Website  
 

Monday, November 25, 2013

Secret Paris places - les Passages

Unique Places a Paris
 
1. Perusing the Passages of Paris
 The passages are old-fashioned shopping malls from the late 1700s and early 1800s that provided cover from rain, mud and horses for the chic shopping ladies of yesteryear. There is something special about these secret little passageways. Walking into each one feels like you are unwrapping a different gift.There are ones that silently slide off major streets revealing hidden gems under coloured, colourful galleries.

 
The most famous passage is Vivienne in the 2nd Arrondissement and possibly my favourite with its spectacular mosaic tiles and great shopping - the modern art gallery is found here as well as a fabulous florist, a killer tea salon A Priori The, and a book store of rare finds, Bistro Vivienne, a fine wine shop and the creme de la creme is Jean Paul Guaultier - and more.

Passage Colbert is also beautiful, possibly more grand than Vivienne and here is the brasserie Le Grand Colbert, from the movie 'Something's Gotta Give'. Utterly romantic!



Panoramas Passage is the oldest with many restaurants and cafes and a fabulous engraver.



Jouffroy Passage specialises in toys and a great needlepoint
shop, old movie posters, Lebanese pastries and the wax museum of Paris, Musée Grévin is here.



Verdeau Passages specialise in antiques, comics, musical instruments and engravings), among others.



 
The funkiest passage is Passage Brady, which is chock-full of Indian and Pakistani restaurants. Some recommended restos here which may be a bit too shabby for some tastes.
Find Addresses of Paris Passages here
There’s also number of notable restaurants in the passages, like the Michelin-starred Passage 53 and the eclectic back-alley Au Passage.

Friday, November 22, 2013

brasseries boulangeries and bars - oh my!

Boulangeries, Brasseries and Bars
Oh My...

Petite Paris' favourite 'B' words. After 'Bed' and 'Breakfast' of course - OUR Paris B&B's of course :) www.petiteparis.com.au

Boulanger we LIKE: 
Gontran Cherrier


The simple, airy corner space, with shiny white metro-tiled walls and a mosaic floor, provides a showcase for Gontran's innovative take on traditional French baked goods. Offering simple bread but with numerous flavours, as well as bagels, rollsm tarts and cakes. These delights can all be eaten in, seated along the window seats, where you can read a paper and have a coffee, or indeed can be taken away.


22 rue Caulaincourt, 75018 Paris
Open 7.30am-8.30pm, Mon -Sat and 7.30am-7.30pm Sun. Closed Wed
Map



Brasserie we LIKE: 
 Le Baron Rouge
 
It's the quintessential Paris wine bar and one of the most enjoyable. Hands down one of our FAVOURITES. And not just because we like to work our way through large lists of wine available to sip by the glass or POT!!



With the wines on offer, you can make a more than decent meal with a large or small platter composed of various cheeses, or pile up some of their excellent charcuterie on a crust of baguette. On weekends, the crowd spills out onto the sidewalk, where fresh oysters are heaped in baskets and a young man pops each one open, serving them by the half - or full-dozen on a tangle of glistening seaweed. There’s lots of regulars hanging out here, which makes you feel like you’ve crashed an insider’s-only place.
 
TIP: This is not a late night place, and if you ever want to turn up for a glass mid-morning you wont be alone!
 
Le Baron Rouge
1, rue Théophile-Roussel (12th)
Closed Mondays.
Map


Bar we LIKE:  
Au Sauvignon

Au Sauvignon is in the chicest part of Saint-Germain and attracts a smart, fashionable clientele, who care as much about which designer outfit they wear as what wine they are drinking. Despite its name, the most popular wine here is probably Beaujolais, and there is a wide choice by the glass of many of the best Beaujolais crus - Morgon, Fleurie, Saint Amour. It is also one of the liveliest spots to celebrate the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau on the third Thursday of November each year. The bar is near the most famous bakery in Paris - Poilane



80 Rue des Saints-Pères  75007 Paris Map

Enjoy bars, brasseries and boulangeries, my dears :)
 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

DISCOUNTED Paris home to call your own

An art studio in Paris - Live like a local in Paris!

For an authentic experience living like a local in Paris. Australian based accommodation service www.petiteparis.com.au is offering travellers a private studio apartment located in the village of Montmartre for a reduced rate of:

 99euro per night for 2 guests (was 132euro) 
from now until end March 2014. 

This quintessential artists studio is a large 40m2 and has unique charm with original wooden beams, wood parquetry, antique decor and boasting 8 metre long windows and sunlight, queen bed, living/dining space, kitchenette with cooking utensils and ingredients, bathroom, sound proof windows, TV and a typical lovely Parisian courtyard entry, all this just moments from the famous centre of Montmartre. 

For booking enquiries visit www.petiteparis.com.au or email: info@petitepr.com.au
 




 








www.petiteparis.com.au

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Eat, Live, Breathe, Sleep, art

Eat, Live, Breathe, Sleep, Art

Petite Paris is helping visitors get into the Paris art scene by allowing them to sleep in it!

What do we qualify as an art B&B? Anything related to art; maybe the studio of an artist such as our B&B once the home of Impressionist Pissarro; or Jean’s studio draped in collections from his uncle a former leader of the Sculpture studio ‘Beaux-Arts’; or simply a collectors house such as Anne and Jean-Luc’s with antics from the 19th. Basically anywhere where you can sleep where there is Art.




So far there are 14 classified Art B&Bs from Petite Paris. 
And, you can always see what your host is up to.
You may be able to take part in one of
James’ art classes, go on an artique shopping trail with Helene or visit one of Herve’s
exhibitions or painting demonstrations.
 

B&B327 Alain's 2 bedroom Art Apartment



A classic apartment with a modern slash retro slash vintage twist in the multicultural corridors of the 3rd arrondissement of Paris isn’t your usual B&B. Multicoloured chandelier, bright red fireplace, 1970s glass breakfast table, contemporary, ethnic and mythical paintings and mirrors, a louis-philippe chest, vuitton trunk and lots of bric-a-brac eclecticism. Alain is a retired lawyer; he gave up his high-profile career for a healthier lifestyle and has been content ever since welcoming guests into his B&B. A lover of exhibitions and museums Alain is in the know with all the latest art events in Paris and passes his advice on to guests










Click here to see Alains 2 bedroom B&B in the second arrondissement!
More Museum and Art info below!



 Eat, Live, Breathe, Sleep, Art - TIPS!

TIP: All museums are FREE ENTRY on the first Sunday of the Month!




Getting a Museum Pass


Buy a Two-Day or Three-Day Museum Pass
If you plan on visiting two or more museums the
Paris Museum Pass makes sense. (Or buy a One Day Louvre Pass if you’re only going to visit that museum). Don't wait in lines, this little bit of advance planning could saved time to do other things (like lingering over an aperatif in a cafe).

Pick up your Museum Pass at the Visitor’s Center (or at the FNAC bookstore), or buy it online before you go.

The Museum Pass allows you access to many of the major museums including the Louvre, the Rodin and Musee d’Orsay. Just be sure to time your two-day purchase to avoid the days these museums might be closed (Mondays and Tuesdays). Also, kids are allowed free admission to many of these museums so don’t waste money if you don’t have to. You can also buy advance tickets for special temporary exhibits by going to the FNAC bookstore. (museum shows, concerts and opera too)

Exciting Alternatives to Paris' BIG Museums
Finding Inspiration in Paris. There are over 130 museums in Paris so dont just pin your hopes in the 2 BIG ones!


Find Monet: If you want to see what inspired all the lily pad umbrellas and tote bags, head over to the Orangerie in the Jardin des Tuileries, renovated a few years ago. The enormity of Monet’s paintings alone is stunning. And just on the edge of Paris, near the Bois de Boulogne is the Musée Marmottan Monet, which houses over 100 works by Monsieur Monet.



Ever heard of Rodin? See museums like ones dedicated to
Auguste Rodin or Salvador Dalí, depending on your tastes.



Go to the source. You’re in Paris, where the painters painted and the sculptors sculpted. See what inspired them in and around the city. Splurge on a show at the
Moulin Rouge, which inspired Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Climb up to the windmill in Montmartre where Renoir created his famous painting and Dance at Moulin de la Galette.

Home is where the art is. Paris has many notable addresses of famous artists. In one block of Montmartre, find Van Gogh’s former apartment, his regular café, and a former studio of Picasso. Or if you’re feeling a little wistful, visit Montparnasse cemetary to see the graves of well-known artistes, It may be the most artsy cemetery you’ll ever see.


Friday, November 15, 2013

The Art of Cafe Sitting



The Art of CAFE Sitting



 
Cafe sitting is the great Parisian sport. But there is a little bit of technique involved:

1. Choose a cafe that talks to you
2. Remain faithful to it. Cafe fidelity is important.
3. Base your choice on these essential criteria:
Is the cafe located at an interesting intersection - for people watching?
Are the seats comfortable?
  Sunny side of the st?
Noise level?
  If the waiters are aloof the first day, no big deal. If they are still aloof by the third day, move on.
4. Master the technique of nursing your cafe expresso for at min. one hour.


Et voila, you're a pro! Enjoy these cafe photos below. My favourite thing to do in Paris :)




















www.petiteparis.com.au