Eating out in Paris on a Budget Written by Gareth Powell Continued from page 1 You can have a glass of wine or a tea, typically with lemon, or a coffee and huddle over it for hours without disturbing waiters of Aux Deux Magots, who have seen it all. Always and ever you will see some tables occupied by Parisian lovers. They lean forward over table with their spines concave, their buttocks jutting and their legs intertwined under tables. Looks damned uncomfortable, but they do it by hour. In Aux Deux Magots there was a dark-haired couple - both handsome – who were seemingly frozen eternally in this posture of adoration. If you are on a tight budget, there are many restaurants which serve better than acceptable food at ludicrously low prices. One example is Chartier, in Montmartre, which is at 7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre. Take Métro to Montmartre, come out into Rue Montmartre and take first turning on your left. This is an immense restaurant, which looks like a set designer's idea of a waiting room for Orient Express – always crowded, always noisy. In old French tradition, waiter writes your order on paper table-cloth. At dinner for two, one had fish soup (great), other fresh shrimps (likewise), followed by veal (better than good) and shashlik (dreadful). To go with this, a bottle of Côtes de Provence rosé and some cheese to follow. Total price 28 euros, under $40. If you are on a very tight budget answer is to picnic. Start off with a loaf of bread. These are called baguettes, cost three francs each, and were glory of France. Sadly, they have in recent years deteriorated because bakers do not like working through night to make fresh batches. So they make them day before and deep freeze them. Another black mark to progress. Baguettes, nevertheless, are still better than any other bread. To buy it, head for a boulangerie. Easy to find – they are everywhere and emit a glorious smell of warm bread. If you want best baguettes, head for shop with biggest queues, Parisians know their bread. Nearby will be a charcuterie – food shops in Paris come in clumps - where you can buy pâte, quiche, ham, saucissons (sausages) in all varieties, especially dried, smaller kind. They will slice up sausages for you. Many charcuteries also sell hot take-away dishes in plastic containers although I tend to avoid these as being too messy. An example: for lunch in a charcuterie in Rue du Faubourg du Temple I bought a portion of feuillette de jambon; a portion of museau de porc vinaigrette; some potato salad and a portion of salade Chinoise. There was enough there to feed me until I was full to groaning and yet it only cost a few euros. Now, if you are a greater glutton than I, nip into fromagerie, which will be somewhere on same block, and experiment with cheeses you have never tried before. If you are quite open with shopkeeper and confess ignorance you will sometimes find a selection of small portions being made up for you as a sampling kit. Lastly, wine. Treat yourself to a bottle with a cork in it. Again, tell wine merchant type of wine you want and that you are learning about French wines and you are poor. You will be pleasantly surprised at friendly advice and assistance you will be given. Where to eat your picnic? On a recent trip I ate my picnic meals in little park at Pont Neuf end of Île de la Cité. Behind me, Gothic wonders of Notre Dame. In front of me, Seine. I ate like a king in solitary splendor. I was alone, but I was not lonely, I had all of Paris around me. Gareth Powell is the author of several travel books, has been the travel editor of two metropolitan newspapers and has a travel website - http://www.travelhopefully.com Luggage to suit your style Written by Gareth Powell Continued from page 1 • Do not buy any luggage which has built-in or hang-on gimmicks. They invariably fail. As do combination locks and foldaway handles. Zips are also perhaps best avoided. I have had several sad experiences with zippers which have left me physically and mentally scarred. You may well be luckier. • Have wheels, will travel. In my experience, there is no rarer animal than airport porter – an endangered species – and airport trolleys are not allowed past customs. Some are charged out at outrageous rents and you never have right coin. Therefore, a suitcase with wheels is not a bad idea. Some are easy to maneuver, some aren't. Test before you buy. Better yet is a folding trolley which most aircrew members use. Get one with biggest wheels you can. Oil wheels before you leave, otherwise you will squeak, squeak, squeak your way around world. • Clearly identify your luggage with labels and tags, preferably plastic. Do not make it so that your name and address can be read by a casual, and possibly evil-minded, observer. • Paste your name and address and telephone number into inside lid. If airline loses your luggage – and this happens less and less – this is one of stock questions. Good to be able to give a firm affirmative. • Buy a strap-around webbing belt in a bright color with a difficult buckle. Go further and use instant glue and pop-rivets to rivet and glue three straps to it. When these are tightened bag is unopenable at speed. Thieves want easy mark so they pass it by. My current main suitcase has its straps fastened by rivets and glue and is, I think, probably thief-proof although that is tempting fate. • Make your luggage look different. Even if you only bind handle with bright tape, make sure your baggage is easy to recognize. This will not help in recovery of your lost case – airlines only telex style of suitcase to last destination, not descriptions. But it will help you to spot your case as it comes off carousel. Gareth Powell is the author of several travel books, has been the travel editor of two metropolitan newspapers and has a travel website - http://www.travelhopefully.com     <Back to Page 1   ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005 Terms of Use