In Vannes (Part 1)

1. Elevator buttons double as calculators.

2. They have huge stones aligned for miles in the neighboring commune of Carnac.



3. They use sheep to graze the area and I caught a picture of this little guy (he should probably be fired or retrained because I'm pretty sure that's not grass he's munching on).


4. There are some beautiful beaches.


5. ...and beautiful sunsets.


6. Every man (and some women) over the age of 50 can play the accordion.


...stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow.

Going to the Country

Just a quick note to say that I'm heading to Vannes in Brittany for the weekend. As pathetic as it may sound this is my first weekend trip in France outside of Paris. Yes, I am currently hanging my head in shame but not for long because I have a train to catch.

I'll post some photos when I get back.

A Discovery in Real Paris

I love my neighborhood, which is, technically speaking the Quartier Saint-Marguerite (east of Bastille, south of rue de Charonne, north or Nation). However, I generally have a broader sense of my "neighborhood" when talking to friends. I usually try to claim anything north of the Seine and east of the Marais as "mine". I would throw in Montmartre if I could but that would definitely be a stretch. I affectionately refer to this area as Real Paris because it's generally where the working class folks tend to live except for the pockets of Bobos dispersed throughout.

Because I live in Real Paris I sometimes feel a need to defend the area and to be a strong and vocal advocat of all the wonderful things it has to offer (Marchés Aligre and Bastille, Bastille Opera, Canal Saint Martin, Parc des Buttes Charmont, Promenade Plantee, Père Lachaise Cemetery, etc.). Thanks to a friend who is way cooler than I am or can ever imagine being I've got a new endroit in my arsenal.

The place Mama Shelter, a budget hotel designed by Philip Starck. Instantly upon entering the hotel I no longer felt like I was in Paris. I felt like I was transplanted back to the one trendy, hip, design bars of NYC. To top it all off they make excellent cocktails with a proper ice to cocktail ratio which is generally hard to find in Paris.

So if you find yourself in Real Paris and you're looking to quench your thirst and you don't mind being around hipster types it's definitely worth checking out.

Mama Shelter
109 rue de Bagnolet
75020
Paris