4 comments about Moon Metro Paris: Unfold the City.

1. After having wonderful luck with the New York Moon Metro last year, we bough the Paris guide for our trip this year. These guides do a fabulous job of breaking down the city by neighborhoods and providing detailed street and metro maps. MM also gives astute historical summaries of these neighborhoods, so you know what to look for and what to expect. The books are small and fit in purses and jackets and have excellent recomendations for shops, restaurants and sights off the beaten tourist tracks. I have already purchased the Barcelona and Amsterdam guides and I haven't even planned trips there yet! I know they will be an invaluable reference when the time comes. I highly recommend Moon Metro.



2. Bigger letters than our regular fold out map which really helped on my night ventures but too few neighborhoods with too much overlap. Seems like the maps should cover everything intramuros.



3. I friggin' LOVE this little book! I used the maps constantly while in Paris, and I plan to take it back there one day. For now, I need to pick up one for Barcelona!



4. this handy guide is also great (see streetwise maps for maps). Be sure to review them before you leave to be sure they cover the area you will be in because they are mostly "on the beaten path" items. I suggest also doing research on Frommers.com to be sure you dont miss something not covered in these books. These books are compact and easy to carry while traveling in city. Did not use for the resturaunts that is something that you need to find by exploring or research blogs but these hit the major sites in easy to read categories with simple maps. I would buy these for all my city travels.

5 comments about Paris in a Basket: Markets : The Food and the People (Cookery/Food and Drink).

1. Beautiful photography and lively writing make this a perfect gift this holiday season (or any time) for anyone who likes to eat and loves Paris. Even for a longtime resident of the City of Lights like myself, this book brings another Paris to life, one you will want to explore again and again, in these pages and of course like the authors did themselves, bicycling through every arrodisement, leaving no quartier unvisited, no fromage untasted, no croissant unfinished! A magnificent and original hommage sure to earn its place among the classics of cuisine and travel.



2. I love this book! The cover roped me right in and before I knew it I was buying it. I am so glad I did. The book is organized by arrondissement; each chapter is devoted to one of them. They tend to focus on the biggest or best market in each arrondissement but they devote paragraphs to the others. The text itself is gracefully written and yet very convivial. For each of the main markets, the authors start you out on a typical Parisian morning and gently suggest the path you might want to follow as you navigate that particular market; it is almost as though they are walking along with you. They tell you what's available at each market and what are each market's strengths and weaknesses. You will be introduced to a lot of people - the butcher at the Marché d'Aligre, the poissonier at the Richard Lenoir, the organic farmer at the Batignolles market, the interesting old fellow who hawks bath salts as he soaks his feet in green water... I feel as though I'd be able to walk up to them and say hi. There's some history mixed in there, too, so you'll get to see some nice old photos and learn about everday Parisians of the past. And of course there are the recipes. Most of them appear delicious and a few rather exotic. Many of them come from the very people that you "met" in the chapter preceding, so you know they're authentic and the human element makes you want to try the recipe all the more.

   I love Paris. This book really gives you a sense of what it is like to be there - colorful, vibrant, stately, modern, classic, young, old... Paris is all of these things and more at once. I went there seven years ago and I don't think I hit a single market. This book makes me feel incredibly well-equipped; I think that without it I would feel a bit intimidated. I plan to go back and I'm gonna bring this book with me!




3. A must for anyone seeking out the real Paris, off the beaten track of tourist traps. Even if you can't visit more than two or three markets per visit to this wonderful city, this book will continue to be a major reference for seeking out these fascinating places of food, drink and 'objets'. Happy exploring!



4. Nicolle Aimee Meyer and Amanda Pilar Smith have created a book that is part travel guide, part cookbook, part biography -- and all wonderful! The photographs are terrific. The text brings the markets and their people to life. And I can't wait to try some of the recipes, which are for many classic French favorites. Altogether a complete success! Bravo!!



5. Although this book was written in 2000, when I saw it at a book boutique I bought it immediately...a fabulous book on a unique culinary culture for those who love to delve into french cooking recipes. I highly recommend it! The photos transport you back there and it has made me so homesick to return to Paris again even though I return there every year when I can to visit family there and have always made it a pilgrimmage to go to the Marches a few times a week, especially to the 'Richard Lenoir Marche at Place de La Bastille in the 11th arrondisement...you can spend the entire morning (they close at 1PM) there perusing from table to table and end your day walking home in the streets of Paris with a tote-ful of delicacies to prepare the sumptious evening 'repas'
   The varieties of each food are endless and fabulous and fresh, the colors of the fruits and vegetables are brilliant, the energy at the marches are exhuberant, and venders are so proud of their products...This book really does take you back to feeling like you are there in the midst of a culinary feast; the recipes are easy and with US measurements, and the descriptions of each arrondisement gives you such a personal tour that you feel akin to each personality they present you with. This is really the true colloquial joie de vivre experience in Paris-a way to commune with nature's bounty. I highly recommend this book; 5 stars!! a true feast for the eyes!!

5 comments about Suzy Gershman's Born to Shop Paris: The Ultimate Guide for People Who Love to Shop (Born To Shop).

1. I purchased this book a little while before going to Paris and read it cover to cover, made maps, reference marks on my maps (basically went over board) believing I had invested money in a guide that was somewhat acurate. Sadly, I was mistaken - many of the stores mentioned were either no longer in business or were at another address. Most of the advice was off the cuff and not honest enough to be taken seriously by anyone. It is a fun read, don't get me wrong, but more as fiction than fact. Paris is a living, breathing animal of a city, always changing - i realize now that advice, not military precision shopping, is what I am looking for, and this is not it.



2. I've been traveling to Paris for 35 years (lived there for one) and so, know the city fairly well.... A friend lent me this book, and I tried to use it during the 3 weeks I spent in Sept-Oct of last year (2006), and was very disappointed. I mapped out the locations of several of the shops Suzy raves about, and arrived, only to find that the store was no longer (was it ever?) at the address she gave. If you know Paris, you know that there are tons of little, hard-to-find-rues, so it was VERY frustrating to spend so much time looking....and finding nothing. I would suggest she do her homework before she publishes another guide.



3. I always eagerly await Suzy's latest Born To Shop Editions from all over the world and this one didn't disappoint. Since she has lived there for over 5 years this edition has been stream lined to perfect. Even with the transportation strike while visiting this past 2 weeks.............Thanks!!



4. When this series started 20+ years ago, it was interesting and fresh. Now it merely looks old,out-of-date and worthless. Suzy's editorial style is intensely irritating. She's a fashionista who couldn't be less interested in anything you can't wear. And I agree with the other reviewers - most of it is years out of date.



5. I have previous editions of this book which I found initially helpful but this " updated" one is hardly that. It still lists stores that closed 6 years ago!!!!! The author has not done her research recently and it is reflected by inaccurate data causing shopping angst!

No comments about BlackBook Jet Set Guide 2009: Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles (BlackBook Guide series).

No comments about From Here, You Can't See Paris.

1 comments about Colors of Paris.

1. I love this photography book. Most books about Paris are photographed in Black and White which adds to the romance of Paris. Paris is a city made for black and white photography; however this book not only showcases the beautifull colors of Paris itself, it beautifully captures the color of the cities people as well. I have visited Paris three times and this book makes me fill homesick for a home I have only dreamed of living in.

2 comments about An Englishman in Paris: L'education Continentale (Englishman series).

1. I was disappointed in this book although Michael Sadler has an impressive knowledge of France, French and the French and parts of the book are undoubtedly funny. Still, I felt the humor was too deliberate and over-the-top for my taste, not to mention a bit on the crude side. A heartfelt francophile, Mr. Sadler tracks a year-long sabbatical spent in Paris with the primary focuses of the book being his quest to bed a married Frenchwoman and his association with a neighborhood group of men who hang out at the local bar and periodically indulge in semi-clandestine meals consisting of unusual French dishes (pig ears, bull testicles, etc.). If the story about the married woman is to be believed as truth, there's an uncomfortable amount of kiss-and-tell, meant-to-be funny detail of their "courtship" and one 23-minute sexual encounter. The book also contains much extensive descriptions of food and drink and, unfortunately, the negative physical ramifications of his over-indulgences for the author. Much of the book is in or references French and, although he explains the majority of it, I doubt that I would have followed it all if I hadn't been living in Paris for some years myself. Not that it detracts, but the perspective is definitely British, not American, so some minor references might not mean much to an American.



2. A delightfully witty & engrossing book..hard to put down & full of the infinite nuances of French language & manners etc.I highly recommended it for any Francophile or accidental traveler.

1 comments about Historic Paris Walks (Codogan Guides: Historic Walks S.).

1. Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (9/06)
   
   Being extremely familiar with Paris, I always look forward to new books on this utterly fascinating city, partly to bring back memories and partly to pick up new ideas on where to go on my next visit there. "Historic Paris Walks," edited by Leo Hollis, certainly worked out in both aspects, although with substantial reservations.
   
   Consisting of a series of 10 walks, the book takes you on meandering walks through Paris, starting with the "Many Origins of Paris" and continuing with walks tied to certain parts of the history of Paris. Each walk gives you a starting and an ending point as well as the distance of the entire walk in both kilometers and miles. It introduces you to the sights along the way, as well as the people, events and ideas linked to the era as well as the area. The little black-and-white map at the beginning of each chapter gives you an idea of the area that it will cover and each chapter starts with a short introduction of the walk, which then continues with the step-by-step instructions and descriptions.
   
   At the beginning of the book there is a 16 page photo essay by Tim Mitchell, which certainly gives some color to the book, but would have probably been much more useful if interspersed with the text in the appropriate chapters.
   
   As fascinating as this book is for somebody who already knows Paris, I found it quite confusing for a possible first time visitor. The lack of a comprehensive map of Paris as well as tiny print on the maps of the walks would hardly make it handy as a walking companion for somebody who is still finding his or her way around the city. The absence of a comprehensive map also makes it difficult to decide which walk to take next and how they might be connected. Although the step-by-step directions are quite precise, I would have found it useful to be given some measure of how far to go in a particular step, either in terms of distance and time. "Continue on the rue Princesse, then take a left onto the rue du Four and walk until you arrive back at the rue Bonaparte. Turn right and head north, crossing the Boulevard St. Germain." As detailed as this description is, I fear that I'd spend more time looking at the street signs than at the sights if I were to follow it precisely. An estimate of how long each of the walks might take would also be useful for somebody who'd want to plan their day better.
   
   The description of the sights along the way is often minimal in some parts of "Historic Paris Walks," but I found the commentary on the people and events shaping the city very enlightening and often delightful. The part that I liked best by far was the added "Information" in each chapter, listing the author's favorite eating places, opening times and changes, bookstores and recommended further reading. It would be worth to buy this book just for the information compiled in those sections.
   
   I would definitely recommend this book for a savvy traveler who is already familiar with Paris as well as any armchair traveler who needs more food for thought. Any first time visitor to Paris would be better served with an ordinary guidebook and a good map of Paris, unless they have the luxury of a really long stay in Paris ahead of them. As for myself, I plan to take "Historic Paris Walks" with me on my next visit for sure.

No comments about The Best Vintage, Antique and Collectible Shops in Paris.

No comments about Culture Shock! Paris: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! at Your Door).