Insider's Paris

[kilted2000]

I will be in Paris for four nights from Feb. 13th. I have never been before and am looking for suggestions beyond the obvious. From cheese shops to hidden attractions, what anything that is little known but a must see is what I am interested in.

Also, how do Parisien me usally dress? I'm not asking to try to blend in, I just don't want to by under- or overdresses.
Thanks

[rjman]

If you have never been before, I suggest you do the obvious -- the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, etc., etc. Just enjoy being in the city and save the secrets for your next visit.

Androuet, Barthelemy and Quatrehomme are the three most famous cheese shops in Paris, but it's not clear to me how you'd eat what you buy unless you take it back to your hotel room, as you probably can't bring it back into the US due to import restrictions (unpasteurized, etc.) and they'd be rather surprised to sell you single slice for lunch.

Chocolate is a good idea for something to bring back; French chocolate is my favorite and there are literally dozens of chocolate shops. Among the very best are Patrick Roger (for very creative chocolates) and Michel Chaudun. Google them for addresses. La Maison du Chocolat has many more locations and is very good too. Debauve et Gallais were among the suppliers to the last kings of France, and their original shop is a national landmark, but their quality isn't quite as high.

The dress advice that first comes to mind is that Parisians don't wear shorts, but you don't need to worry about that in February. Bring an umbrella, don't wear sneakers if you want to fit in (although it is probably more comfortable for touring), don't wear a fanny pack.

[kilted2000]

Do the import restrictions apply to Britain as well? Thats where I'm living at the moment.

[Frog in Suit]

Do the import restrictions apply to Britain as well? Thats where I'm living at the moment.

I think you can take pretty much anything into the UK, in as much as it is part of the EU. Cheese is fine (we have taken French cheeses to friends in London, and had English cheeses brought to us).
You are paying VAT at source so cannot claim it back.
May I add our local, excellent, cheese shop: Trotté, next to Saint Paul-Saint Louis church n the Marais (métro Saint Paul). They even carry English cheeses from Neal's Yard and have an excellent selection of French ones (goats especially) which they affine (age?) on the premises.
I would recommend walking to the main sites, the Louvre, Tuileries, Concorde, Champs Élysées, Eiffel Tower, etc...the distances are much less that in London and you will get a good sense of the geography of the city.
Frog in Suit

[shredder]

I would second the recommendation that you do the obvious and to do it on foot. Leave the secrets for a subsequent trip or to chance encounters on your first. Four days is barely enough just to do the Louvre. It might be a little difficult to get a sense of what Paris has to offer just by reading a guide book, but you will appreciate the breadth and depth of Paris once you get there. It's actually quite overwhelming. Unless, of course, one is a veritable Kulturbanause.

As for your attire, wear something in which you feel yourself so that you feel comfortable in mind and in spirit. Parisians have a nose for insecurities and rarely forego an opportunity to take the Mickey out of someone feeling out of their own skin. I must say that I can't blame them for having a bit of fun at someone else's expense.

What is infinitely more important than your attire is to remember to always start a conversation with 'Bonjour / Bonsoir, monsieur / madame' even if you are just buying a packet of cigarettes. This will virtually ensure that your interaction with the unwashed locals will be pleasant even if you are not conversant in French. If you fail on this point, then expect to be ignored or treated poorly. On departure, remember to say merci and au revoir. If you are just visiting for a few days, then you probably won't need to know any other French word. Contrary to common perception, most Parisians are polite and helpful, so long as you are respectful of them.

If you do not greet people properly and are feeling insecure, then you are fair game.

[Des Esseintes]

On departure, remember to say merci and au revoir. If you are just visiting for a few days, then you probably won't need to know any other French word.

Shredder

it is interesting that you conider merci the most relevant French word to know. My observation is that an almost profuse use of thank you is indeed more important in Britain, or maybe generally in the English language, than the use of please, whereas I'd say it is the reverse in French: People will end every sentence that could be construed to be a request in the widest sense with a s'il vous plait, however, merci will be used in a much more restrained manner.

Obviously, well-mannered individuals will use both terms, my observation only relates to what I perceive to be the relatively more important element of a polite conversation.

dE

[shredder]

dE, I actually did not single out merci but was referring to the collection of words I mentioned. Whilst I do agree about asking politely, although I might differ somewhat on the difference in relative importance on two sides of the Channel, the implied point was that one can get by in expressing the same in English provided that one gets off on the right foot. Of course, if one can express it in French, so much the better.
s

[gherrmann]

Pierre Hermé. If you have anything even approaching a sweet tooth, you won't regret it.

It's on Rue Bonaparte in/near Saint Germain.