London and Paris

[TexTushHog]

Originally Posted by Mr.Oneeye

Good Evening Cinghiale;

You are correct that Père Lachaise is worth a visit, but if I recall the OP was only in Europe for a short period & the cemetery is quite a way out of town, making a visit there half a day's work.

I would suggest staying in town, in both London & Paris, if you don't have at least a week in each place. If you have sufficient time, then trips north and south can be worthwhile in the UK and (IMHO) the best, reasonably quick trip out of Paris would be to Lyon, which is the food capital of France (which some would say makes it the food capital of the world, but not me).

It matters little which of our suggestions you pick, you are pretty much guaranteed a damned good time in either/both locales.

Enjoy the trip
Cyclops

Nope, right there in 20th Arondisment. 16 Rue du Repos, 75020. Several metro stations close, depending on which entrance you want to go in, but the closest to the main entrance is -- surprise -- Pere Lechaise. Philippe Aguste metro stop is also nearby. Almost as close as I remember. You can also go in on the back side near the Gambetta metro station, if memory serves.

[..]

Originally Posted by Lauren Summerhill

I have a trip planned in Spring to London and Paris. I'd love to take any suggestions on interesting things to do and see, and places to eat (accommodations are already decided).

I'd like to avoid the typical tourist spots.

Just back home. Spent a month in Paris and another in Berlin.

As for Paris a quite awesome place is Les Chandelles. It's the only swinger-club in my life which I liked. In fact calling it even a swinger-club does this place no justice, it's kind of an erotic lounge.

http://www.les-chandelles.com/
http://forum.aufeminin.com/forum/ech...t-comment.html

[TheDogger]

Montmartre, Sacre Coeur, Musee de l'Eroticisme, the Louvre and Versailles are all a must whether or not you want to get off the beaten path.

I used to work for a big french bank for many years and was located in an area where there were a ton of authentic Parisienne restaurants. Gimme a bit and I'll get a map link to the area.

[TheDogger]

Originally Posted by ..

Just back home. Spent a month in Paris and another in Berlin.

As for Paris a quite awesome place is Les Chandelles. It's the only swinger-club in my life which I liked. In fact calling it even a swinger-club does this place no justice, it's kind of an erotic lounge.

http://www.les-chandelles.com/
http://forum.aufeminin.com/forum/ech...t-comment.html

Oh man do I want to go there....

http://www.les-chandelles.com/

[Leah Ireland]

You'd like to avoid the typical tourist spots? But central London is so good! Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Bayswater, Marble Arch, Tottenham Couirt Rd are all within walking distance and have a wealth of attractions - as I'm sure you'll know. I'd suggest going to Brick Lane too in the East End for the great Indian restaurants there. Suggestions for London are probably endless - probably covered in this thread (if I had time to read them).

Paris I know less well but of course you'll totally be in love with the wonderful quality clothes you'll get anywhere. Victoria Secret? Totally inferior to most lingerie you'll find in France.

Georges de Pompidou Centre of course, the Louvre - and there's a designer fashion area quite central, whose name I forget but is probably easy to find out, where you'll find one of a kind original amazing pieces.

Enjoy!

[John Bull]

Do the Louvre alone or with a friend. Never with a group or with a tourist guide. A previous suggestion to pick a gallery and stay with it is very good advice. It is too large to try to do the whole thing in any less than 3 days unless you rush - which would be counterproductive.
If you aren't in good physical condition for walking, start getting in shape because the French walk and even the Metro's, as convenient as they are, will be a strain if you can't walk and climb multitudes of stairs easily.

[Leah Ireland]

John Bull - "If you aren't in good physical condition for walking, start getting in shape because the French walk and even the Metro's, as convenient as they are, will be a strain if you can't walk and climb multitudes of stairs easily."

Good point. Americans don't seem to walk much, and given distances and temperature I can often see the point. I really miss walking the miles I habitually did most days in England - and as you allude to, walking around stores can be a lot of hard work!

[Guest053011]

Originally Posted by Leah Ireland

John Bull - "If you aren't in good physical condition for walking, start getting in shape because the French walk and even the Metro's, as convenient as they are, will be a strain if you can't walk and climb multitudes of stairs easily."

Good point. Americans don't seem to walk much, and given distances and temperature I can often see the point. I really miss walking the miles I habitually did most days in England - and as you allude to, walking around stores can be a lot of hard work!

I suspect my love of hiking has been good preparation for the stairs of England.

I'm always walking. In fact, people have stopped asking me if something's "walking distance" because anything under an hour is in my eyes, and other people don't seem to agree with me. If I have time and the inclination up to four hours isn't unheard of. It's amazing how the world opens up around you when you see it at walking pace.

I consider any city I visit a walking vacation, especially if it's a place I can easily revisit. I really like to get to know neighbourhoods, and in the process of walking to a decided spot, I am likely to discover things that would have been missed sitting in the back of a cab.

[ClairJordan]

I just spent quite a period of time reading through this thread and now I want to plan a Spring trip to London and Paris! Invalueable tips and advice.
Manhattan is an amazing walking city. If I had just one hour I to visit would spend it walking downtown, zig-zagging through neighborhoods, street to avenue. Street theater.

[..]

Originally Posted by ..

As for Paris a quite awesome place is Les Chandelles. It's the only swinger-club in my life which I liked. In fact calling it even a swinger-club does this place no justice, it's kind of an erotic lounge.

http://www.les-chandelles.com/
http://forum.aufeminin.com/forum/ech...t-comment.html

maybe as an addendum, because i just read http://alexlieberman.wordpress.com/2...e-is-the-sexy/

What Alex describes in her blog is really what pretty much every swingers club is. Even in Paris a club échangiste (=swinger club) is a tacky horror-show. A club libertin is an up-scale swinger club, but still IMO a cheesy horror-show.

"Les Chandelles" is different as it is what the French call restaurant libertin or érotique lounge These places are stylish and (esp. the good and interesting ones) have a strict door policy. If you are not beautiful and not well dressed they won't let you in at "Les Chandelles" -- at the other venues of this kind you even need a personal invitation.

[Mazomaniac]

Originally Posted by ..

If you are not beautiful and not well dressed they won't let you in at "Les Chandelles" . . .

Liberté! égalité! fraternité!

If you're thin, gorgeous, and wearing the latest Sorbier or Sirop, of course.

All the other rabble can go fuck themselves.

God I love the French . . . .

Cheers,
Mazo.

[..]

Originally Posted by Mazomaniac

Liberté! égalité! fraternité!

If you're thin, gorgeous, and wearing the latest Sorbier or Sirop, of course.

All the other rabble can go fuck themselves.

God I love the French . . . .

Cheers,
Mazo.

LOL. know what you mean. :-)

Actually I did not want to post this, as I thought it would be too degenerate for a noble forum like this one. But "Bois de Boulogne" during sun-set or night sometimes gives you as a spectator some very odd scenes -- think of it Sorbier & Sirop meet the rabble in a very odd french way.

Before someone is misled: on the english wikipedia "Bois de Boulogne" is mentioned for street prostitution, but a) this is mostly gender-benders and queers, and b) not really much.

The french websites re. this park are far more accurate as they describe Bois de Boulogne as a meeting spot for exhibitionists.

The reality is "Bois de Boulogne" is not interesting because of this prostitution or the exhibitionists but because ot the odd ball drama that one may witness here.

[..]

BTW, as some here talk about walking.

Two nice spots for walking with a good overview over Paris are Parc de Belleville and Mont Valérien.

[FLWrite]

Originally Posted by pjorourke

Actually, it is about half the size of California and a third that of Texas ...

Salute!

[Guest042611]

Originally Posted by ..

LOL. know what you mean. :-)

Actually I did not want to post this, as I thought it would be too degenerate for a noble forum like this one. But "Bois de Boulogne" during sun-set or night sometimes gives you as a spectator some very odd scenes -- think of it Sorbier & Sirop meet the rabble in a very odd french way.

Before someone is misled: on the english wikipedia "Bois de Boulogne" is mentioned for street prostitution, but a) this is mostly gender-benders and queers, and b) not really much.

The french websites re. this park are far more accurate as they describe Bois de Boulogne as a meeting spot for exhibitionists.

The reality is "Bois de Boulogne" is not interesting because of this prostitution or the exhibitionists but because ot the odd ball drama that one may witness here.

I studied in Paris when I was 18 and used to jog through the Bois de Bologne every day. I'd usually go right after school, in the afternoon, but if I went a little too late (around sunset) the oddball drama would begin! An especially naive 18-year-old, I was completely mesmerized. I remember these half-naked women, sometimes dressed in garters or long, open-front trench coats and heels would seem to just materialize in between the trees, like they were these magical woodland nymph characters. And then cars would be pulling over left and right, and I would see men in business suits get out and disappear into the forest. Good times!