In this Issue:
* Advance Copies Naughty Paris 2
* Theatre in English
* Notre Dame’s Eco-Friendly Lights
* Cheap Sauna & Night Swimming
* Contact-Free Visa Payments
* Couture and Baroque Singing
* Mysteries of Paris Guide & Map
* Zone-Free Navigo Spring Break
* Summer Train Tickets on Sale
* B&B Sitter & Parking Spot Rental
* Easter Break Pet Sitter
* Free Help with US Taxes
* Useful Info for Freelancers
* Fuss-Free French Bank Account
* Secrets of Paris Sponsors
* Secrets of Paris News & Calendar
In case you’re new or confused, the Secrets of Paris Newsletter has been a monthly newsletter since 1999, but since this year is our 15th anniversary, I’ve decided to do two newsletters each month. As usual, half of the tips are written for newcomers and visitors, and the other half are more useful for Paris residents. If you’ve been forwarded this newsletter and would like to receive it directly in your email, just sign up here. If you’d like to change emails or unsubscribe, just click on the link at the bottom of this newsletter.
* Special Advance Copies of Naughty Paris *
The second edition of the award-winning “Naughty Paris: A Lady’s Guide to the Sexy City” is looking absolutely fabulous as we get ready to go to pre-press. At 352 pages it’s 20% bigger than the original, which means a lot of extra work for layout and photo processing (Kirsten has been posting sneak peeks on Twitter). The official publishing date won’t be before Christmas, but Secrets of Paris subscribers will have the chance to get it directly from me as early as June through my special pre-launch “friends and supporters” campaign I’ll be kicking off in May with events, special discounts and a few surprises. If you want to make sure you don’t miss it, sign up for the Naughty Paris VIP list at the bottom of the official website: www.naughtyparis.com.
* Theatre in English *
There are many wonderful theatre productions in Paris, but they are usually inaccessible to English-speaking audiences who can’t follow the French. The newly-formed company Theatre in Paris offers French plays with English surtitles (projected on a screen above the stage). They’re performing Cyrano de Bergerac at the Théâtre Michel for their inaugural season, April 18-May11, tickets from €39-€44. There are also occasional plays produced in English in Paris, such as Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut, playing April 17-26 at theThéâtre Déjazet, tickets €27-€32.
* Notre Dame’s Eco-Friendly Lights *
They didn’t quite finish in time for last year’s 850th anniversary ofNotre Dame, but now the new eco-friendly LED lights are finally installed in the cathedral, and the effect is rather stunning. You can’t actually see the well-hidden LED lights, so the stone columns, vaulted arches, and religious statues look almost like they’re glowing. Not only do they look good, they also cut energy consumption from 140kw to just 30kw. Even the famous stained glass rose windows got a new treatment with special projectors that make them appear to be illuminated even when there’s no sunlight. Just in time for Easter! Although if you’re thinking of attending Easter mass, I would recommend finding an alternative to Notre Dame and Sacré Coeur (unless of course you love the feel of the metro at rush hour). St Eustache, St Paul-St Louis, and St Etienne du Mont are three of my favorites, although be sure to go early no matter which one you choose, or opt for Good Friday services instead.
* Cheap Sauna and Night Swimming *
There are many spas with hammams (steam baths) in Paris, but the cheapest ones are usually around €35, which can be a bit steep if you’re just looking to unwind or enjoy a spring detox. But did you know that some of the Paris municipal pools are equipped with saunas? My favorite is the Piscine Pontoise in the 5th, entry €4.80, which has a sauna and special nocturnal hours (Mon-Fri 8:15pm-11:45pm) with dimmed lights and classical music (special tariff €11.10 includes gym and sauna access). Josephine Baker in the 13th also has a sauna (note: they are closed for April 12-27 for cleaning) as well as an open sun deck for tanning, entry €3. Both of these pools are quite popular, so avoid weekends if possible, and don’t forget your speedo and swim cap (usually available in vending machines) if you’re going in the pool.
* Contact-Free Payments in Paris Snack Machines *
My friend Bryan and I were on our way back from the Paris Eco-Trail 18k last weekend and, while standing on the metro station platform, I looked longingly at the snacks in the vending machines. “I didn’t bring any change, too bad these things don’t take cards,” I said. Then I noticed the huge sign on the side of the machine showing a Visa card with a payWave symbol. So I waved my card in front of the payment sensor, chose a pair of Snickers, and we were happily munching as the train approached the platform. Apparently if your Visa card has the little payWave symbol (looks like Wifi symbol), you can use it for purchases up to €20 in any equipped machines and shops and fast-food shops (although I have only now started to actually look for it, so I’m not sure how widespread it is yet; stay tuned). It’s much easier than carrying coins around, and nice that you don’t have to punch in a PIN. This could be dangerous for my sugar cravings!
* Couture and Baroque Singing *
If you want to experience something quite unique and exclusive, sign up NOW for one of the 20 spots at the monthly Atelier & Requiem, a private soirée in the atelier of French couturier Eymeric François featuring a performance by the Baroque diva Prisca Demarez and “live” costume changes into the most extraordinary gowns while she sings. Afterwards there’s a cocktail with the performers and designer. Tickets are just €20; places are surely going to sell out fast!
* Mysteries of Paris Guide & Map *
If you’re looking to explore the dark side of the City of Light, Paris Ghost & Vampire Tour founder Father Sebastiaan has written a unique guide that includes vampires, legends, executions, ghosts, haunted places and mysterious locations throughout the city of Paris – above and below ground! Anyone who pre-orders the limited special edition signed copy through the Mysteries of Paris Kickstarter gets a free A2 sized Mystery Map of Paris with all of the locations in the guide highlighted.
* Zone-Free Navigo for Spring Break *
As you may recall, last summer the Navigo monthly and yearly passes became zone-free on weekends, major holidays, and daily from 15 July through 15 August (meaning that even if you only have a subscription for Zones 1-2, on zone-free days you can go anywhere on the network without any additional fees). Now they have added vacances scolaires to the list, including the upcoming spring break from April 12-27. It’s a great chance to get out of Paris and explore Versailles, Disneyland, Chantilly and Fontainbleau, or to get to both Paris airports if you’re flying somewhere for the holidays. Also of note for any of you suburbanites: you can also use your Navigo card to access the Véligo lockers in certain suburban RER stations for secure bike storage (from an additional €20/year).
* Summer Train Tickets on Sale Now *
If you’re planning on taking advantage of France’s awesome TGV high-speed train network this summer, tickets just went on sale yesterday for travel up through August 24th. All of the cheap seats (as low as €15) go quick, so book now! If you’re planning on fall travel, be sure to sign up for the SNCF’s mailing
list so you get notified the very day tickets go on sale for September and October.
* B&B Sitter and Parking Spot Rental *
There are many private apartment rental sites in Paris now where vacationing Parisians can rent their place out to visiting tourists. For these occasional rentals you may not want to deal with a rental agency, but you want to make sure your tenants are taken care of while you’re lounging at the plage, so why not try BNB Sitter, an à la carte service which does check-in, house keeping and check-out for owners renting their properties. The price starts at €19.99. If you also have a parking place, or are visiting and need a cheap, secure place to park your car, check out Parkadom, where individuals can offer or search for spots in and around Paris to rent by the day, week or month. Registration is free, but the site is only in French for the moment.
* Easter Break Pet Sitter *
So you’ve got your train tickets, your flat rented, your parking spot reserved. What about Fido? If anyone in Paris needs a last-minute dog sitter for the Easter vacation, my young American neighbor James is available through the end of the month. He has been taking care of my doggies Lena & Pedro while I’ve been away, so I can vouch for his pet caring abilities with “challenging” pets! Contact him by email for availability and rates at t-grind@att.net.
* Free Help with US Taxes *
Did you know the IRS has a special office in the US Embassy in Paris where anyone required to file US federal taxes can get free assistance? They’re open on a walk-in basis weekdays from 9am-noon at the US Embassy (2 ave Gabriel, 8th), and by phone weekdays from 9am-noon and 1:30-3:30pm at 01 43 12 25 55. Closed on French and American holidays. Note: they don’t help with State taxes.
* Useful Info for Freelancers in France *
The French website Freelancer-app.fr is meant to help freelancer’s with billing and accounting (like Quickbooks, I think), but I found the most useful information in its “Fiches Pratiques” pages, divided into two different sections for URSSAF/Auto-Entrepreneurs and Maison des Artistes/AGESSA. It’s a great way to figure out the basic accounting issues if you want to set up as a freelancer in France (and although it’s only in French, I would personally not recommend trying to run a business in a country if you can’t understand the local language).
* Fuss-Free French Bank Account *
The latest low-key banking option in France is the Compte Nickel, which you open at any Tabac with ID proving you’re at least 18 years old, an address in France, and a cell phone with a French number (you’ll get an SMS to activate your account). There’s a €20/year subscription fee which gets you a MasterCard (debit card), a €.50-€1 fee for each cash withdrawal, and a 2% fee on each deposit, but otherwise no fees. You can set up wire transfers or automatic payments just like a regular bank, and you can even open an account if you’re interdite bancaire (if you don’t know what that means, count yourself lucky). I have no idea if this is really as easy as it sounds, but for those looking for a less complicated option to most banks (or Americans wanting a back-up in case of FATCA headaches), it sounds like a viable alternative.
* Secrets of Paris Sponsors *
As a heads up to all of my subscribers, Secrets of Paris will soon be accepting sponsors for the newsletter. I’ve been testing various advertising models over the years to help pay for the maintenance fees for the website and newsletter, including horrible blinking ads that hurt my eyes, text ads that confused readers who thought they were my links, and the current Google ads which rarely seem relevant to my readers (well, unless you’re looking for French dating sites). So I’ve decided to go to a sponsorship model where I partner only with companies which I would promote even without any financial support. I never want any of my readers to feel like I’m selling out; your trust means a lot to me! And as a gesture of appreciation, I’m offering 20% off the fee for subscribers (who have been signed up for at least three months) to sponsor an issue of the Secrets of Paris newsletter. Contact me for more information and rates.
* Secrets of Paris News & Calendar *
Don’t forget to check out the latest events happening around town on the Secrets of Paris Calendar, or follow me on Twitter to get daily updates and blurry Instagram pics of my dogs. The next newsletter will be sent in two weeks comme d’habitude on April 29th.
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