Newsletter #91: April 2009

IN THIS ISSUE:

* From Heather’s Desk
* Chat with Heather on Twitter
* Metro/Bus Route Finder PDA App
* From SFR to Simpleo for 50% Discount
* Artists’ Ateliers Facing Expulsion
* More Sunday Shopping Options
* Annual Disneyland Paris Pass for €99
* American Woman Seeks Paris House Sitting
* Fleche d’Or Closes for the Summer
* Secrets of Paris Blog & Calendar
* Naughty Paris News
* Doggie Looking for a New Home
* Gold in Them Archives
* Are you on the list?
* To Change Your Address or Unsubscribe, read this...

* From Heather’s Desk *

Despite one glorious day where I took my dogs for walkies without my jacket, April has been mostly showers and chilly winds that make the spring blossoms (and not a few Parisians) look a little haggard. Crossing fingers for a toasty summer! Not that I’ll be working on anything other than my monitor tan. Secrets of Paris has grown to enormous proportions, so I’m going to be splitting it into several smaller sites, particularly to separate the “Paris Insider” information you find here in the newsletters from the more generic “Travel Resources” I’ve been adding over the years for visitors. I will also be putting all of the resources for writers living in Paris on one new site, and resources for green/ethical/sustainable living in Paris on another. So please excuse any disruptions to the Secrets of Paris site as I begin tweaking. And I do welcome your input on any changes you think I should make to the site (keeping in mind it’s still free and I do it in my spare time). I’ll be off to New York again for Book Expo America 2009 in late May, see below for the special Francophile Authors event I’m organizing while I’m there! - A bientôt, Heather

* Chat with Heather on Twitter *

I’ve succumbed to the siren song of Twitter: come say “bonjour” at @ParisHeather. I’ll respond to any Paris-themed questions as long as I can answer them in 140 characters or less!

* Metro/Bus Route Finder PDA Application *

There is now a free PDA (Palm, Blackberry, Smartphone, etc) application that allows you to check any bus or metro route in several cities (including Paris, of course) called iMetro. You can also just bookmark it and browse online, since it’s much easier to navigate than the actual Paris Metro website.

* From SFR to Simpleo for 50% Discount *

I’ve been with SFR since I got my first mobile phone in 1997. And I was paying €62/month for the Pro package with 5 hours call-text time. Last week I switched to Simpleo, which uses the same network as SFR but at half the price. I’m now paying €29.99/month. Of course, this is phone calls and text messages only, no internet or whatever else everyone besides me is doing with their phones these days. If you, too, would like to try Simpleo, you can get 30 minutes free if I “sponsor” you (and I would get a credit as well, so it’s win-win for everyone). If you’re interested, send me an email to secretsofparis@gmail.com and I’ll send you the code.

* Artists’ Ateliers Facing Expulsion *

Every year for the past six years I have gone to the Portes Ouvertes in Belleville, where over 230 artists open their studios to the public. Sadly, two of my favorite collective artist ateliers are in danger of disappearing due to commercial development of the properties: La Forge de Belleville and La Miroirterie. La Forge (23-25, rue Ramponeau, 20^th) is not a squat, but an old warehouse used by a dozen (rent-paying) artists. The owners have sold the land to developers. La Miroirterie (88 rue de Ménilmontant , 20^th) has about 12 artists’ studios, 12 residents, as well as a “concert” space for live music (one of the last punk concerts I saw was there, just before the smoking ban). This is one of the oldest artist squats in Paris, and has also been sold to real estate developers. Do stop by during the Portes Ouvertes (May 15-18), or earlier if you can, to sign the petitions and, possibly, to see these amazing places one last time.

* More Sunday Shopping Options *

While the French Senate and Assembly debate over allowing certain stores to stay open on Sundays, savvy Parisians can pretty much find everything they need with what is already open. And I don’t mean clothing boutiques and souvenir shops. Last month I needed to print something for a client and I was out of ink. But a trip to the Virgin Megastore at the Carrousel du Louvre proved a success (they have a decent selection of office supplies, as does their location on the Champs Elysées). If you slept in past the open-air markets, many branches of the gourmet frozen food store Picard are open Sundays. If you need an actual supermarket, Champion on the Rue de Seine is open Sunday morning, as is the Franprix on Rue Mouffetard. Finally, if you just need a decent bottle of wine,

* Annual Disneyland Paris Pass for €99 *

Yes, I admit it, I adore Disneyland Paris. And I still haven’t gone to check out the new Tower of Terror! A lot of you who live in Paris may be avoiding it because of the ticket prices, but I’ll bet you didn’t know that if you live in the Ile-de-France (“un Francilien”) you can get tickets for €29 (purchased 5 days in advance) and that you can even get an annual pass for just €99? (My birthday is in September, ahem) Oh, and if you have kids 7 and under they get in free, one for each adult.

* American Woman Seeks Paris House Sitting

Lisa Tunney, an American from California, is looking for a room in Paris (she is currently in the suburbs). She is willing to exchange house sitting, pet sitting, Reiki sessions, or spiritual coaching sessions. Lisa took care of my doggies while I was in London, so I highly recommend her. Visit her website at www.serenitylifestyle.com or call 06 84 07 47 86.

* Fleche d’Or Closes for the Summer *

Tomorrow night is the last night for the East Paris club/bar/restaurant, Flèche d’Or. May 1 it will close for refurbishing works (they say it’s to soundproof the venue, but I’m hoping they’ll also spruce up what are arguably the worst bathrooms in Paris). Last night I got to see Hugh Coltman, Ben Ricour and Alexandre Kinn, totally worth the trek across town in the rain! And I *am* going to miss the cheeseburgers, sigh. Check back in the fall for the new lineup of live indie bands!

* Doggie Looking for a New Home *

Lupin, an 11-month-old basset hound-dachshund, is looking for a new home. Sadly, her current owners have found, too late, that they are horribly allergic. They are quite concerned that their energetic puppy finds a good home. He is vaccinated, micro-chipped, neutered, and housebroken, but needs a lot of attention and exercise. For more info contact Michelle at ladydraconis@yahoo.com

* Secrets of Paris Blog & Calendar *

Don’t forget to have a peek at the Secrets of Paris blog (www.secretsofparis.com), where you’ll find news about “Bossnapping” in France, strolling the Promenade Plantée, Paris sales, the top French rock festivals of the summer, how to avoid vacation rental scams, a conversation on the French vs American work ethic, two new Paris magazines, construction news on the Eiffel Tower, five spas for your spring detox, and volunteer opportunities in Paris. You will also find three new dining and hotel reviews, and an updated calendar with some events that you won’t want to miss: (www.secretsofparis.com/paris-calendar).

* Naughty Paris News *

“The Ladies Love Paris” Event in New York
The Naughty Paris Guide goes back to New York City! Join Heather and Francophile writers Jamie Cat Callan (French Women Don't Sleep Alone), Jill Jonnes (Eiffel's Tower) and Ellen Williams (Historic Restaurants of Paris, Impressionists’ Paris, and Picasso's Paris) for a very special "Ladies Love Paris" aperitif hour and book signing at Flûte Gramercy on May 31 from 5-8pm. Enjoy Kir Royals for just $8, enter the free drawing to win prizes, and then take a seat for live jazz music from 8pm. RSVP to Heather at fleurdelire@gmail.com

Recession Sale
Because some American bookstores are in danger of going out of business (and thus risky for publishers to send them books), you can now get the Naughty Paris Guide directly from the publisher for $20 (retail price is $39) for deliveries to the US and Canada. Lowest price guaranteed! www.naughtyparisguide.com/buy-north-america/

Become a Naughty Paris Affiliate
Want to make some extra income from your blog or website? Recommend Naughty Paris to your readers and earn 15% commission on all sales. For more info see http://www.naughtyparisguide.com/affiliates/

* Gold in Them Archives! *

Browse the Secrets of Paris Archives for more insider tips and tricks to getting the most out of Paris: http://www.secretsofparis.com/newsletterarchives/

* Are you on the list? *

If you’ve been getting this newsletter forwarded from a friend, please consider subscribing yourself. It’s free, and all you have to do is enter your e-mail address in the box at: http://www.secretsofparis.com/subscribe.htm. The benefit? You’ll get your own copy sent directly to your inbox every month, and I’ll have a better idea of how many of you are actually reading. Thanks! –Heather

Comments

[Pierre Bellavance]

Hi,

For prepaid cell phone service, I think the cheapest is Virgin Mobile. They offer a 0,27 euro per minute rate. This is the service I use when I travel to France.

Pierre

[Dave Guilford]

I'm using Mobilho for my mobile service. The sim card was 15€, incoming calls are free, calling in France is 0,29€ a minute, and calling the States is 0,19€ a minute (figure THAT out). It's a month-to-month deal, so no contract.

When you need more minutes, you can buy them online or at just about any Tabac in Paris.