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A Few Interesting Facts About Paris You May not Know

Author: Miranda Sol

Many people know the city of Paris as the City of Light but they may have never heard of Paris being referred to as Lutèce. This is what Paris was formally called as this expression Lutèce, which is the French form of Lutetia, the Roman city where Paris now stands.

This was a town in pre-Roman and Roman Gaul. The Gallo-Roman city was a forerunner of the re-established Merovingian town that is the ancestor of present-day Paris. Lutetia and Paris have little in common save their position where an island, the Île de la Cité, created a convenient ford of the Seine. The name comes from the Latin, meaning Midwater-dwelling.

Paris is a popular tourist destination along with being a rich metropolitan city. It is the largest city in France and also the capital. The city counts on innumerable historical avenues, monuments and museums and therefore considered to be an architectural wonder and boasts an exquisite eighteenth century heritage full of buildings and palaces. Paris was not always as large as it is today. When railway lines were laid out in the 1840’s it allowed migrants to enter into the city. Paris, like other major cities around the globe has always been perceived as a city of opportunities and continues to attract tourists and immigrants alike seeking their fortune.

After having been witness to two severe bouts of cholera that affected the city enormously, Paris continued to grow quite quickly. Although the city of Paris is densely populated it has a relatively small metropolitan area. Paris is served by three airports and has a comprehensive rail and motorway network. Its rich artistic backdrop is attributed to the humble nature of French noblemen of earlier generations. A considerable number of these noble men and women were patrons of art. This prompted them to support art to such an extent that the city of Paris now prides itself with internationally renowned museums such as the Louvre.

The city of Paris rests on the banks of the river Seine and has a population of around 2.15 million in the city and 10.5 million in the Île de France (the suburban area around Paris) Paris is rated very high among the most famous fashion houses in the world and enjoys a fast and exciting nightlife. Estimates suggest that Paris plays host to more than thirty million visitors a year.

One of the best and most exciting ways to visit Paris whether it’s for a weekend break with the family a romantic getaway for two or a few days on business why not try an apartment in Paris. You’ll find it more homely than a hotel and much cheaper, too. This is also one of the best ways to enjoy the city and live like a true Parisian.

About the Author:

Related Articles and Stories can be found at the author’s blog about
Catalonia Spain Anyone contemplating Learning French Courses would do well to look at the author’s French language review site.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/a-few-interesting-facts-about-paris-you-may-not-know-615370.html

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Useful French Phrases

It’s always good to have some basic useful French phrases when in Paris. Parisiens are generally quite helpful, particularly if you initiate the conversation in French. A high percentage of Parisiens speak English, so help is never far away.

Here are some basic useful French phrases

English French Pronunciation
Yes Oui Wee
No Non Nawng
Please S’il vous plait Seel voo pleh
Thank You Merci Mehrsee
Hello Bonjour Bawng-zhoor
Goodbye Au revoir Aw revwahr
Excuse Me Excusez-moi Ekskewseh mwah
Sorry Désolé(e) Dehzoleh
That’s O.K. Ça va Sahr Vahr
To À Ah
From De Der
I don’t speak French Je ne parle pas Français Jeh ner parl par frahngsay
Do You speak English? Parlez-Vous Anglais? Parlay voo Onglay
Good Morning Bonjour Bawng-zhoor
Good Afternoon Bonjour Bawng-zhoor
Good Evening Bonsoir Bawng-swah
Goodnight Bonne Nuit Bon nwee
My Name is… Je m’appelle Zher mah pel

Where is…? Ou est….? Ooo Eh

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10 Must See Places in Paris – No. 2 – Musée du Louvre

No.2 In our Top 10 Places to Visit in Paris

2. Musée du Louvre

Metro: Palais-Royal-Musée du Louvre or Louvre Rivoli Bus: The following bus lines stop in front of the Pyramid: 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95, and the Paris Open Tour bus. Official Website: Louvre Museum

One for the Art Lover or Culture Vulture – Mona Lisa and much more besides.

The scale of the Louvre is quite incredible. An impressive building, originally a Royal Palace, it now houses some of the World’s best known Works of Art.

The Louvre gets really busy, particularly in the holiday season and the popular works generally have long queues,  patience is the order of the day. There is plenty of space to move around and many of the lesser know pieces are relatively quiet.

The casual visitor will need to allow a good half day to visit, whereas the Art Lover could get lost for weeks in here.

There is a nice Café where you can refresh yourself whilst taking in a health dose of Culture.

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10 Must See Places in Paris – No. 1 – Le Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower)

A trip to Paris isn’t complete until you’ve seen the Sights.

In the next few posts, I’ll tell you about the top 10 that you won’t want to miss, we’ll explore them in greater depth in future posts.

No.1 In our Top 10 Places to Visit in Paris

1. Le Tour Eiffel

Metro: Bir Hakiem RER: Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel   Official Website: Tour Eiffel

Think of Paris and you’ll almost certainly think of the Eiffel Tower.

This is probably the busiest attraction in Paris so my advice is to get there early and beat the crowds. Generally out of season (Oct – Apr) if you arrive before 10.30 a.m., you’ll be alright. The best plan is to head straight to the 3rd floor (Troisieme Etage) and work your way back down.

In season, you really need to arrive at 9.00 and be prepared to wait in line until the Tower Opens. Again, head straight to the top as the queues for the vertical lift from the 2nd to the 3rd floors can be horrific!

The third floor is 276 metres above ground, so weather conditions can be extreme compared to ground level. If it’s cold on the ground it will be very cold at the top, if there’s a breeze at ground level, it will likely be stronger at the top, so dress accordingly and enjoy.

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The Best way to see the sights of Paris

Hello again,

A Great Way to see Paris

With so much to see in Paris, the best way to orientate yourself is to jump on one of the Tourist Buses that do the rounds every day.

For my Money, the best service if you want to see all the usual suspects is Les Cars Rouges. At the time of writing, a 2 day ticket costs 24 Euros and if you book on line you can save 10%.

The other service is L’Open Tour which has three routes with interconnecting points. This is great for a second or subsequent visit as the routes are more comprehensive, bear in mind that Les Cars Rouge is a more compact tour which will allow you to see the most popular attractions.

Both services allow you to get on and off at any stop during the route and actually, this facility can save you money on using the Metro.

The Metro, Paris’ under ground railway is really easy to use, the routes generally run North – South, East – West and the lines are identified by numbers. It is possible to buy a ticket for inclusive travel for a number of days but if you’re going to use the Tour Buses, you probably should buy a “Carnet” (Pron: Car nay) which is a bunch of Ten single use tickets which can be used on the Metro or the City Buses.

Next time… We’ll take a look at some of the popular sights of the City.

Until then.. Au revoir.

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Watching the World go by

Photograph of a typical Parisian Street Scene

The great thing about visiting Paris for me is the Café Culture, just sitting outside, drinking “Café” and watching the daily going on’s of City Folk.

There’s so much to do in Paris and so many things to see but, before you head off, take time, find a small Café and observe.

Thing that continues to amaze me is how different the City is from London, there’s somehow a slower pace but at the same time a great bustle with people going about their business and not looking particularly stressed. That, to me is the essence of Paris… urban cool, stylish, relaxed, no wonder it’s so popular with us Tourists.

Next time… the best way to get to grips with the City.