"I really want a vacation" - scene from "Ce que disent les Parisiens" by MyLittleParis

Parisian expressions are not exactly the same thing as French expressions. They are several degrees more nonchalant and condescending. The overall feeling is that everything is somehow exasperating. Speaking French fluently after having lived 18 years in France, there is still some parisian slang that escapes me. For every common noun in French, there seems to be an alternative word in “parisian French.” To makes things worse, there is the occasionally used “verlan”, which is a way of saying things backwards. For example, when you phonetically reverse the word “femme” (woman), you get, step by step:  fa meu…meu fa..meufa…and finally meuf. So, if you are ever called a meuf, it’s not an insult, just a somewhat inelegant way of being called a  ”woman”.

"I'm getting out of here! I think I'll open a B&B in the Périgord" - scene from "Ce que disent les Parisiens" by MyLittleParis

The video is in French and there are no subtitles, but it is still worth a watch just to see the facial expressions, which are in themselves so totally parisian. There are, in fact, specific gestures and facial expressions that accompany certain phrases. So if you get the gestures, you can almost get by without the language !

Much of the mockery is about what Parisians spend time talking about. Below are a few extracts, roughly translated.

“I absolutely can’t make it because I’ve got my yoga to attend” spoken with impatience.

“What, you haven’t even seen the latest Matisse?”

“People are sooo selfish!”

“It’s really the best bar à l’eau (water bar) in town.”

“Can you believe this meuf invited me to an evening in Suresnes (a suburb)? Imagine the bore!”

“People are sooo idiotic!”

“You ask for ketchup and the café owner insults you. Isn’t that great ?!”

"I only like authentic people" - scene from "Ce que disent les Parisiens" by MyLitteParis

“I’m telling you, it’s definitely the best thai!”

“People are sooo stressed out!”

Yes, parisians can be pretty ridiculous, but at least they can make fun of themselves.

Interview #4 from our series “Parisiennes with panache“.

Agnès Ducrocq is the founder of  Laboratoires Téane, a very recently launched brand of natural care products for expecting and new mothers. Agnès is the mother of Téa and Etane, who were the inspiration for her brand as well as her desire to offer soon-to-be moms specially adapted products to stay beautiful.

We met with Angès over a falafel, in one of her favorite places, rue des Rosiers.

Are you parisienne by birth or by adoption ?

AD: I was born parisienne and spent most of my of life here. I left to finish off my studies in the UK, then in the north of France were I met my husband and started off my career. But we were soon back to Paris.

In your mind, what does it mean to be a “parisienne”?

AD : To be a parisienne is first of all to live an exciting and demanding life, being able to manage multiple activities during the same day while always remaining elegant. You have to know how to run around in public transportation, and sometimes on bicycle, wearing high heels a suit. You have to mange your work life while making sure the baby-sitter has picked up your daughter at her music lesson and dropped off your son at sports.  You must also be able to relax at a café terrace with friends, for talking and joking about our crazy parisian lifestyle.

It may sound a bit cliché, but being a parisienne is also about being fashion-minded. I like to watch what other parisiennes wear. Even in the metro some of them seem straight out of the latest fashion magazine!

And which part of that idea do you most identify with?

AD : I must say that I’m quite good at distance running in high heels!  I admit never leaving the house without make-up, and I take care of my looks on the week-end as well. I think it’s much more enjoyable for others to be with someone nicely dressed who takes care of herself. Like many parisiennes, I also have the impression of having several lives compressed into a single day.

At ParisSharing, you know, our aim is to share a certain “joie de vivre” of which Paris is an international symbol. What about Paris do you most enjoy sharing with others ?

AD : The beauty of the monuments magnificently lit up at night, the banks of the Seine on soft summer evenings, the terraces in the Marais sounding with merry voices and laughter. The joie de vivre that ParisSharing seeks to share with its guests is much the same that I like to share with others. It’s about just taking the time to sit in a café to enjoy a moment of good humor with friends, with a tasty plat du jour, a hearty salade, or maybe just a coffee.  These are some of my favorite moments, just taking time with friends while the mad rush is going on all around.

Tell us about how your brand brings “joie de vivre” to yourself and others?

AD : My work is clearly oriented towards joy and an optimist outlook on life. With the products Téane has created, I feel in touch with women at that very special time in their lives when they give life.  I want them to feel beautiful and feel good about themselves. Our cosmetics are all-natural and are born of a deep respect for life in many different respects. We preserve biodiversity where we cultivate our carefully studied plant varieties. We are respectful of the women in Madagascar who harvest those plants for us.  And finally, we care for all women who will take pleasure in using our products. All of that, we hope, contributes to joie de vivre. There is even more that we would like to offer to future mothers, and are excited about makings our ideas come true as our brand develops.

Where are two or three places in Paris that are particularly dear to you?

AD : Rue Mouffetard.  I’ve heard it’s the oldest street in Paris. In any case, there is a unique atmosphere there for me, probably related to the memories of evenings spent there as newly weds.

Rue des Rosiers in the Marais,  for sharing a falafel sandwhich, or an apple struddel at Rosenberg’s.

And your secret Paris addresses that you’d like to share?

Patisserie : Ladurée on the Champs-Elysées for its cosy atmosphere and macarons of all colors, all equally delicious !

Restaurant : Little Georgette at the Place du Marché St. Honoré, for its mini dishes, such as mini lasagna and mini hamburger. It’s a great way of tasting different dishes without worrying about the calories too much.

- Fashion:  Paperdolls: 5, rue Houdon – 75018 Paris – 01 42 51 29 87. A unique store decorated like an English home with limited series clothing from up and coming designers.

If you’re interested in testing products by Téane while you’re in Paris, or stocking up on them, you can place an order when reserving your apartment via ParisSharing.com. Your package will be waiting for you upon arrival.

Are you parisienne by birth or by adoption? ?

AM : I was born in Paris, on the Ile de la Cité next to Notre Dame, and am still and forever a parisienne at heart.

In your mind, what does it mean to be a “parisienne”?

AM: Above all, it’s a state of mind. A Parisienne is free-willed and unconventional. Cultivated, she is confident in her tastes, and leaves room for a bit of fantasy. She can be provocative, seductive, teasing, and maybe even a bit insolent at times. She knows how to be simply elegant without being conformist. That being said, “La Parisienne” is also something of a myth, existing most of all in the eyes of the beholder.

And which part of that definition do you most identify with?

AM :  The fun of living in Paris is not to be categorized and to be able to express the multiple facets of one’s personality !

How does  being a parisienne translate in terms of the style of your home?

AM : My interior is a mix of the old (wooden floors and ornate plaster) and some contemporary elements of design. But I am quite attached to the charm of old furnishings.

At ParisSharing, you know, our aim is to share a certain “joie de vivre” of which Paris is an international symbol. What about Paris do you most enjoy sharing with others ?

AM:  I enjoy the simple pleasures sitting at the terrace of a café watching people go by, or taking a bike ride in the quaint streets of Paris. Why is Paris associated with joie de vivre? Maybe because parisians enjoy festivities, taking time to live and taking care of their appearance.

Tell us about your work and how you believe it brings “joie de vivre” to yourself and others?

AM : When I take people on visits, I do my best to quickly adapt to their point of view. I seek to bring out those aspects of French culture that will be most enjoyable to them. An American family from the bible belt will not likely be amused by the 18th century  libertarian moeurs. A Saudi family accustomed to opulence will be unimpressed by the splendor of our Hôtels Particuliers. The café culture and the casual chic that Parisians exhibit will go much further in capturing the fancy of people who already live in luxury.

And so I hope to bring joie de vivre by keeping the myth of Paris alive for those who come to experience it. You have to have certain keys to understand the Parisian state of mind. Sometimes the cultural shock is intense, and I do my best to round out the rough edges. I’ve had Chinese guests who find no charm in the abandoned state of staircase in an 17th century hotêl particulier, and who are shocked by the price of our clothes (especially since so many of them are made in China !)

Finally, as I enjoy seeing Paris on bike, I also enjoy sharing this way of visiting the city with others.

Where are two or three places in Paris that are particularly dear to you?

AM : La Place des Vosges, le Pont des Arts, L’ile Saint Louis.

And what about your secret Paris addresses that you’d like to share with us ?

Restaurants

- la Laiterie Sainte Clotilde, 64 rue de Bellechasse 75007, simple but good, casual ambiance in a quartier of low-key elegance.

- chez Léon, 32 rue Legendre 75017. Traditional French cuisine, suitable for any hedonist.

Fashion boutiques

- Moon Young Hee, 62, rue Charlot 75003. Poetic and unconventional Korean designer.

- Paule Ka, 20 rue Mahler 75004. Classic French style with a 50’s influence. Classy and modern.

- AB33, 33 rue Charlot 75003. Multiple brands in an romantic, bohemian style.

- Jet Set, 7, rue de Sèvres 75006. Sublime women’s shoes with a touch of excentricity.

Everybody loves chocolate but Chloe Doutre-Roussel is passionate about it. From an early age, she was intrigued by the varied styles of chocolates available. That excitement and curiosity would continue as she tailor-crafted her own choco career, initially collaborating with the famous Pierre Hermé and now with the creation of her own Chloe Chocolat brand. In addition to discovering her own chocolat, Chloe can make your chocolate dreams come true through tailored courses and tours. An encounter with Chloe will bring you to new heights of chocolate delight, however much you may already love chocolate.

We met with Chloe in her apartment near Alésia in the 14th.  White walls, touches of pink, and lots of natural light, everything there seemed to focus on the tasting experience.

Are you parisienne by birth or by adoption?

Chloe Doutre-Roussel : I was born in Mexico from a French father and a German mother and spent most of my childhood in South America. But we came to Paris every year for the holidays. Paris represented vacation for me, and it is mainly the smells of different places that I remember: the “café” where  we enjoyed our hot chocolates, of our favourite French treat “ les escalopes de veau à la crème, champignon et petits pois”, the metro…

At the age of 14, I  moved to Paris and have lived here since.  Now Paris is my base, the place I come to rest, to think , and prepare for my numerous journeys around the world.

In your mind, what does it mean to be a “parisienne”?

CDR : Being a Parisian is to live in Paris long enough to feel it is your home and to live like the typical Parisians: rushing in the underground, working , shopping in the street markets, visiting at least a museum per month, meeting friends at the café,  strolling by the river La Seine or in the Jardin du Luxembourg.

How does being a parisienne translate into the style of your home?

CDR: My home represents myself, my stories, and my beliefs. I don’t support consumerism, so my style is minimalistic, embellished with Mexican decorations, paintings and statuettes; the pictures with my loved ones. White walls,  large windows to get as much light as possible, a small garden protected from the noises of the street. A haven of peace in the heart of a bustling city.

At ParisSharing, you know, our aim is to share with our guests a certain “joie de vivre” of which Paris is an international symbol. What about Paris do you most enjoy sharing with others ?

rue des Artistes, near Alésia

CDR: In addition to the very symbolic and well-know places I already mentioned, I enjoy showing others the neighborhood where I live and that I love.  There are plenty of streets with houses and small gardens,  but you  need to know them to find them. The locals work all week until late, and spend the week end with the family, sharing a hot chocolate and croissant  at Dominique Saibron’s boulangerie, or shopping for their Sunday family meals in the the excellent  fish, cheese and  vegetable shops located on our pedestrian streets. Like most of Paris, it’s a quartier of vibrant living, every day of the week, every hour of the day often until midnight.

Tell us about your work and how you believe it brings “joie de vivre” to yourself and others?

CDR: If  Chocolate were a country, I believe Paris would be its capital.  Paris offers joie de vivre through its amazing chocolatiers and chocolate shops. Through my work, I try to share this joie de vivre with my customers by unveiling the mysteries of chocolate and offering access to best chocolate secrets Paris can offer.  I present the art of chocolate, complete with moments of indulgence !

Where are two or three places in Paris that are particularly dear to you?

CDR: The beautifully preserved  Marais and Ile St Louis.

And finally, how about some of your favorite addresses for day-to-day living in Paris?

Bakeries & Patisseries

CDR: For the bread I like the German style of the Pain integral at organic shops such as Naturalia, or the reknown Pain Poilâne that you can purchase at  any Carrefour and Monoprix.  For the cakes and macarons, I’m fond of Pierre Herme’s collection,  as I worked with him at the time he created most of his cakes..I go to the shop at rue de Vaugirard, metro Pasteur, much less  of a wait than in the other shops.  Ispahan, Mille feuilles praliné, Plaisir sucré….all delightful. For chocolates, Patrick Roger takes me into wonderland: the esthetics and smell of his shops, the chocolate sculptures, the amazing quality of the home made pralinés and marzipans/pistachios, the gorgeous boxes, it is a journey into  the best of fine chocolate.

Restaurants

CDR: For a quick lunch, I recommend the exquisite soup with noodles and Cantonese Duck or shrimps raviolis  at Mirama Chinese restaurant (27 on rue Saint-Jacques.75005 Paris)- for a more healthy lunch or lovely tea time in a cosy atmosphere I prefer Les Pipelettes, 31 rue Brézin 75014- the menus change regularly , fresh, excellent, I usually take 3 cakes after a nice salad.

Specialty shops

DETOU. 58, rue Tiquetonne 75002 Paris Tél : 01 42 36 54 67. Lundi-samedi 8: 30-18:30. M° : Etienne Marcel ou Les Halles. Ingredients for gourmet meals & pastry.

Edition Parfum Frédéric Malle- 38 rue du Mont Thabor 75001.  An Parisan unusual perfume shop, where the « nez » (perfume creators) were commissioned to create a perfum they like and not, as they usually do, the perfume a major brand pays them to develop. A place to discover their portrait, their values and to sniff their creations inside a glass column.

For more about Chloe and Chloe Chocolat, see www.chloe-chocolat.com.

ParisSharing has teamed up with Chloe to make your Valentine’s stay in Paris very special.  See our offer here.

Read the introduction to our interview series “Parisiennes with panache“.

Image courtesy of Chloe Chocolat

As we announced in our blog entry on the making of a parisienne, ParisSharing will be running a series of interviews over the next few months dedicated to parisiennes with panache. These are true parisiennes, the ones you might stumble across in a local boulangerie, but not just any ones either. Because they all have panache ! Pizazz, if you prefer.

All of the ladies we interview are either entrepreneurs or artists (or both), which means they have something to show and something to say! They are parisienne either by birth or adoption, and love sharing their own version of the city with others. Paris is a place of joie de vivre, and all of our featured parisiennes also have something to say about joie de vivre.

Joie de vivre is what we want our guests to experience when they stay in Paris through ParisSharing, and a good many of our featured parisiennes are also part of our community of local hosts .

We’ll show you some photos of their interiors.  

Of those who are entrepreneurs, many have created new products, services, or brands that exemplify current French culture and trends. Beginning this year, ParisSharing will be teaming up with some of these very same entrepreneurs to make their goodies available to you as guests when you reserve on ParisSharing. We think it’s a great way for you to discover products that you are unlikely to find anywhere else. It’s one more way to make your experience in Paris unique. 

You’ll learn more about these creations through our interviews, as well as the women behind them.  They’ll tell us about what it means to be a parisienne, and how they fit (or not) into the legend. They’ll tell us how they share joie de vivre in their professional or artistic activities, and how they capture that spirit in their interior.

Finally, they’ll tell us about those places in Paris they most enjoy sharing, as well as their favorite day-to-day addresses for bread & pasteries, restaurants, and boutiques.  The stuff that makes up the ordinary life of a parisienne.

Why parisiennes and not parisiens ? Probably for the same reason that a collector’s book was recently published entitled “La Parisienne dans l’art“, whereas no such attention has yet been given to the Parisian man. Maybe next time. Another reason is that the vast majority of ParisSharing hosts and guests happen to be women, who tend to have a more progressive, more trusting approach to staying in other people’s homes.

As a final word of introduction to our interviews, we would like to thank and give tribute to all of our participating parisiennes with panache who make their city so captivating, and give us even more reason to want to visit.  Paris is not just about places, it’s about people!

So, get ready for our first interview, to appear tomorrow !

Here’s a very sweet scoop for you and your sweetheart, and another reason to choose ParisSharing for your Valentine’s escapade in 2012.  We’ve teamed up with Chloe Chocolat, Paris’ up-and-coming boutique chocolate artisan or chocolatier, to help you melt her (or his) heart.

When you book any stay on ParisSharing from February 1st to 18th, we will offer you a chocolate gift from Chloe. You can also pre-order as much chocolate as you’d like, and it will be ready for you in your apartment or B&B when you arrive.

This is not just any chocolate, and you won’t find it just anywhere. Chloe’s creativity is like that of a chef:  she assembles ingredients to create a new and delicious blend.  She has tasted and analysed the best chocolates in the world, and her talent and intuition have given birth to a small collection of chocolate bars, a personal and secret blend of some of the best chocolates in the world. These chocolates are not available on the market, only directly from Chloe and hand-picked merchants.

Indulge while you’re in Paris ! To benefit from our offer, simply request your Chloe chocolatwhen you book on ParisSharing. If you want to see price information for ordering more, see ChloeChocolat.com.

ParisSharing is all about joie de vivre for your stay in Paris. Chloe Chocolat is all about joy and passion. What more can you ask for your Valentine’s stay in Paris ? When you click on any of the chocolate images below, you’ll see a surprise Valentine’s apartment show up. Which will be yours ?

One last thing: if you are hesitating on Paris for your Valentine’s destination and wondered why it’s universally known as a city for lovers, we actually answered that question last year at this time.  You can refresh your memory here.

Joie de vivre in 2012.

For many, times seem to be getting harder, and the New Year carries a full load of uncertainties.

Still, we wish you many rich and rewarding travels in 2012 and remain committed to providing the best value for your stay in Paris, as a couple, a family or a small group.

But that’s only what we sell.

More important is what we share, and what we’d most like to share with you is joie de vivre…a life full of joys, great and small. The sheer beauty of Paris, and the endless sources of pleasure and enrichment that the city offers, will already give you a dose of those joys. Now, just imagine what it will be like to be greeted and hosted by people who share that joie de vivre with you. Imagine staying in homes with a soul where the joy of living is palpable.

In 2012, we’ll be offering you several exclusive Parisian delights, all selected to make your experience of joie de vivre à la parisienne all the more memorable.  Have a glimpse at some of these,  a few of our favourite things, on our Joie de Vivre photo collection.

Stay subscribed to our newsletter to learn about these new delights as they are revealed, and join us on Facebook to give us your suggestions.

Remember, if you live a life that is open to the world, there will always be two places of joy: one that is  your own and one that is called joie de vivre. Thomas Jefferson would certainly have agreed when he wrote : “Everyone has two homelands, their own and La France.”

Join us for joie de vivre this year!

And here are some recently added joie de vivre places to stay from ParisSharing, just waiting for you. Click on photos to see details.

La Parisienne par excellence

Those who hold Paris to be the most (or one of the most) beautiful cities in the world usually also consider its women to be among the most attractive (for men) and envied (by women).

Sophisticated or sultry,  stylish and stiletto-heeled, free-minded or frivolous, the Parisienne has maintained her international reputation over the centuries. As recently as three months ago, a collector’s book was published entitled “La Parisienne dans l’art“. Théodore de Banville is cited there as having written in 1876:

“If you want to know how a Parisienne will act in any given situation, imagine just the opposite of what is customary and you will know exactly. You can be sure that she will always behave contrary to popular notions of elegance and intellect”.

What does it mean to be a Parisienne in 2012? Let us unravel her for you, all the way down to her culotte.

As imagined by Yves Saint Laurent, the inventor of the perfume that bears the name Parisienne, her main characteristic is boldness to do as she pleases. In the current advertising campaign (seen below), she is shown in her black trench coach, strutting across the Pont des Invalides in the wee hours, presumably after a steamy night out.  She seems to have misplaced most of her attire, but fortunately only has to walk a short distance before arriving at her Seine-front penthouse.

Parisienne - Ad by Yves Saint-Laurent Perfumes

Along with the trench coach, a slim-fitting black dress is an unconditional part of her wardrobe. According to Inès de la Fressange, muse of Chanel and one of the most emblematic Parisiennes, every parisienne should own at least five variants. In her book, Parisian Chic: A Style Guide she hints on how to dress like a hip Parisienne. The core doctrine is summarized in this slideshow featuring her daughter, Nine d’Urso, as a model.

The most familiar Parisiennes are those we see (over and over again) on the big screen. Remember Juliette Binoche in the Lovers on the Bridge? Or Audrey Tatout as Amélie ? They have the astonishing particularity, like great Bordeaux wines, of becoming more admirable with age.

Actrice parisienne, Audrey Tatout

Actrice parisienne, Juliette Binoche

Now for the unraveling part. What do Parisiennes wear underneath? Aubade is one of the most famous and successful parisienne lingerie brands. Its advertising campagne “Lessons in seduction” is second to none.

Culotte by Germaine des Près, Bed & Breakfast by ParisSharing

But do Parisiennes wear such things on an ordinary Sunday morning?  We recently scouted out a counter-chic underwear brand called Germaine des Près, based as the name suggests in the heart of the ultra-hip St. Germain des Près. Germaine offers a series of lollipop-style cotton culottes, describing them as quintessentially parisienne: delicate with a fighting spirit, fresh, spontaneous, joyous…maybe a bit stubborn and een fierce on occasion.

Perhaps the idea here is that even the most ordinary clothing item, with a just a “touch of Paris”, invites you into a different mode of being.

If  underwear can’t even be ordinary for a Parisienne, are there any ordinary Parisiennes ?  Do they indeed have a certain je ne sais quoi that captures your attention? For ParisSharing, that is the most interesting of questions, since it is mostly Parisiennes who invite you to stay in their homes, either while they are away on vacation or in a bed & breakfast.

Over the course of 2012, ParisSharing will organize a series of interviews with parisiennes with panache who you may well run into while buying your baguette at the local boulangerie. Many of these will be ParisSharing hosts. We will ask them about what they love in Paris, how they think of themselves as Parisiennes, and their favorite places in the city to dine or shop. Read the introduction to these interviews here.

Until we release our first interview, here are some shots of stumbled-upon parisiennes going about their daily affaires. With an eye for detail, you will see that there is something particularly parisienne in each of them.

By j'faisc'quej'veux on Flickr - click to see more

Ultimate chic on a public bike

Contemporary Art Market at Bastille

It was Hemingway who first referred to Paris as a moveable feast. In another sense, life in Paris is also a repetition of moveable feasts in the form of reoccuring fairs, festivals, markets and other events. There is a hardly an official Paris calendar that can keep track of them all.

The Bastille district is particularly well-endowed, with its bi-weekly market on north side of the monument, and it’s annual events on the arsenal side. On roughly the same dates each year (end of October, beginning of November) the contemporary art market (Grand Marché d’Art Contemporain) is held along both sides the canal that feeds into the Seine.

The event is tremedously popular because it allows art enthusiasts to visit 500 exhibitors in one walk-through. Most of the exhibits are held by the artists themselves, and it is always more gratifying to buy art directly from the artist. There is art for just about every budget, and the constant flow of visitors from all horizons makes it less intimidating than the typical art gallery, not to mention more economical. There is no intermediary for in the art market, except for the market organisers, who sell entry tickets for 8€.

This year is the 37th edition, with the theme of “The Eternal Feminine”–an eternal theme in itself.

If you missed out this year, think ahead for 2012 and reserve your nearby accommodations on ParisSharing. Albeit on a much smaller scale (and with no entry fee), you can also experience the weekly Bastille art market each Saturday morning throughout the year.

See more information about the Bastille district.