As she describes it:

Francophilia is the first social network for Francophiles and French-speakers. Our goal is to bring together people who have a passion for the French language and francophone cultures in the interest of promoting understanding and friendship. Membership is free.

Francophilia is not a “dating” site. It’s a community of individuals with a wealth of knowledge and insight to share about francophone cultures all over the world. Our members range in age from 18 to over 80 and they come from every continent and all walks of life.

The site offers many ways for members to interact. Francophilia’s features include a personal blog, instant messaging with other online members, live discussion room for members, forum discussions, the ability to create and join special-interest groups, to publish and RSVP to events, to publish classified ads, to upload photos, videos and music, and more.

  The site is in BETA now with more to come.

If you fancy treating that special someone to a romantic break next year, I can strongly recommend the Hotel Aviatic, in Paris’s 6th arrondissement (Hotel Aviatic, 105 rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris; www.aviatic.fr; 0033 153632550).

The hotel would like to give French magazine readers a special Valentine’s Day package. For the whole of February 2009 they are offering two nights in a superior room plus breakfast and a half-bottle of Champagne for 359 Euros instead of 579 Euros.

For more information, please visit www.aviatic.fr.

[From Special Valentine's Break in Paris - Buying and investing in property abroad in France ]

Starting Jan. 7, storming the barricades will take on a whole new meaning in Paris.

That marks opening day of this year’s winter “soldes” (sales), five weeks of frenzied bargain-hunting for the perfect Azzaro cocktail dress or the normally unaffordable monogrammed Noël bed linen — at between 30 and 70 percent off.

[From Globespotters - Paris Goes on Sale - NYTimes.com]

It’s been a long, long time since anyone told an American that “it’s like Paris is on sale,” as they did in the eighties. Even with the recent temporary drop in the Euro, no one said sale. They just said less “pénible.”

Sales occur in Paris, of course, year around, but under French law, retail stores can only run public sales with big “SOLDES” banners only for several weeks in January and July.

The New York Times offers this added advice for the Paris sales:

• arrive early; don’t shop with a parent, spouse or child; eat a hearty breakfast; wear loose clothing and sensible shoes.
• Negotiate the hotel rate. Even discounted prices can come down.
• Think French. The lowest price isn’t always the best deal. Buy one glorious luxury item that will last forever.
• Pre-shop the sales. Do a dry run and check out the layout of the stores and the merchandise before sales day.
• Sweet talk the clerks. With charm and some good luck, you may be able to persuade the sales person to extend you the discount on the eve of the sales, or at least to set the longed-for item aside.

Happy shopping (as if as an American, you actually have any cash left to spend)!

This article makes me almost tempted to try a dinner at the Ciel de Paris. The last restaurant of this ilk I tried was the Jules Vernes at the Eiffel Tower and that was already fifteen years ago when it had a Michelin star.

This article reports on a New Year’s Eve meal last night - December 31, 2008.

First let me say that we spent a wonderful evening last night at the 56th floor restaurant, Le Ciel de Paris - Tour Maine Montparnasse. The evening was clear and we had a window seat looking out at the Eiffel Tower. The view was spectacular and we enjoyed the hour’s worth of fireworks (of which the Paris experts assured us there were none!). The Eiffel Tower remained lit after the 12 midnight hourly sparkling.

[From Paris at New Years - 1 January 2009]

Be sure to buy a Pariscope and check the enfants section for a list of current events for children, including children’’s theater, circuses, special museum workshops, and all the puppet shows. Time your stints in the major museums carefully, and look into any children’’s tours they might offer. The ideas below focus on Paris proper; outside the city there’’s always Disneyland Paris.?

Day 1

Give your kids an idea of how Paris was planned by climbing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. From here work your way down the Champs-Élysées toward place de la Concorde. Stop for a puppet show at the Marionettes des Champs-Élysées, at avenues Matignon and Gabriel. Or head to the Palais de la Découverte, just off the Champs, to catch a planetarium show. Continue walking down the Champs to the Jardin des Tuileries, where kids can work off steam on the trampolines, ride the ponies, or spin on one of the prettiest merry-go-rounds in Paris. For an afternoon treat head for Angélina (on rue de Rivoli), a tearoom famous for its thick hot chocolate.

Note: If you want to see the puppet show, do this on a Wednesday, Saturday, or Sunday. Skip this on Monday, when the Palais de la Découverte is closed.

Day 2

In the morning head to the Tour Eiffel for a bird’’s-eye view of the city. After you descend, give the nearby carousel a whirl; ride on one of the Bateaux-Mouches at place de l”Alma; or, for older kids who arelooking for a gross-out factor, brave Les Égouts, the Paris sewers. Next take the métro to the Parc André-Citroën, where there’’s a computerized “dancing fountain,” or to the Bois de Boulogne, where you”ll find a zoo and mini amusement park (the Jardin d”Acclimatation), rowboats, and plenty of wide-open space.

This won”t work on Thursday or Friday, when Les Égouts are closed.

Day 3

Start early at Notre-Dame Cathédral, climbing up the tower for the view of the city and the gargoyles. Have lunch in the area, and then head to Berthillon, on Île St-Louis, for some of the city’’s best ice cream. Afterward cross the Seine and walk or take the métro to the Odéon stop. From there walk around the colonnaded Théâtre de l”Odéon to the Jardin du Luxembourg, where there’’s a playground, a pond where kids can rent miniature boats, a café, a marionette theater, and plenty of places to sit. If you think your children would like to see the bustle of a local market, try the one on rue Mouffetard. Ready for more? Walk to the Centre de la Mer et des Eaux, an aquarium nearby, then continue on foot or by bus to the Arènes de Lutèce, one of the few vestiges of the former Roman city. Not far on foot or by métro is the Jardin des Plantes, a botanical garden with the state-of-the-art Grande Galerie d”Évolution, a museum exhibiting a collection of taxidermy of all kinds of animals. Also just a métro ride away in Montparnasse (métro Denfert-Rochereau) are the catacombs, dark tunnels filled with bones, which usually fascinate older kids.

Don”t try to see the Catacombs on Monday or the Grande Galerie d’Évolution on Tuesday, when they”re closed.

Day 4

Take a walk through the Marais, stopping early on at the Musée Picasso and keeping your eyes peeled for storybook architectural details. Nearby, pick up a sandwich to eat on a bench on the place des Vosges. Next, head over to the Centre Pompidou; either see an exhibit (often there are special kids” programs related to the shows) or simply ride the escalator to the top for a great view of Paris. Around the corner, on square Igor-Stravinsky, watch the imaginative, moving sculptures in the fountain. Another option is to take the métro from the Châtelet-Les-Halles station to the Porte de La Villette stop; in the whimsical park of the same name are an interactive science museum, a museum of musical instruments, an IMAX theater, and various innovative structures to play on and in.

Because of closings, do this between Wednesday and Sunday: the Parc de La Villette is closed Monday and the Centre Pompidou and Musée Picasso Tuesday.

With Children in Hotels?

Most hotels in Paris allow children under a certain age to stay in their parents” room at no charge. Hotel rooms are often on the small side, so inquire about connecting rooms or suites.

The budget-priced Hôtel Marignan (13 rue Sommerand, Paris, 75005, France. PHONE: 01-43-54-63-81) has rooms that sleep four or five, as well as access to a communal laundry room and kitchen facilities. The Hôtel Résidence Henri IV (50 rue Bernadins, Paris, 75005, France.PHONE: 01-44-41-31-81) has rooms with kitchenettes.

The chain Novotel (PHONE: 800/221-4542 for reservations; 08-25-88-44-44 in France) is a good bet as it allows two children under 16 to stay free in their parents” room; kids are offered free breakfast and gifts. Many Novotel hotels have playgrounds and children’’s corners with video games.

Renting a furnished apartment is a convenient choice for families. Weekly rentals can be as economical as an inexpensive hotel.

On the other end of the price spectrum, the palace hotels are increasingly attuned to travelers with children. Many have special activities geared to make kids feel welcome in the formal surroundings. The Four Seasons Hôtel George V Paris (31 av. George V, Paris, 75008, France. PHONE: 1-49-52-70-00, www.fourseasons.com/paris) has a “George the Frog” program which includes personalized T-shirts, in-room milk and cookies, and hotel-wide scavenger hunts. The Hôtel Meridien Montparnasse (19 rue de Commandant-Mouchotte, Paris, 75014, France. PHONE: 01-44-36-44-36, www.lemeridien.com) offers games, face painting, and a Sunday brunch where kids have their own buffet. The Ritz (15 pl. Vendôme, Paris, 75001, France. PHONE: 01-43-16-30-30, www.ritz.com) treats young guests like kings, with special cooking classes, gifts, and kids” menus.

With Children in Restaurants?

Although high chairsand coloring books aren”t standard except in overtly child-friendly chains such as Hippopotamus, which serves good steak-frites, some French restaurants can be warmly welcoming to budding gastronomes. You can help the experience by preparing the ground: Pack a folding booster seat for toddlers, since in the rare cases where high chairs are provided, they are usually missing pieces. Cigarette smoke is likely to be a problem, so ask for the no-smoking area.

Brasseries are one of the best choices for kids; they”re lively and noisy and provide familiar options, such as pommes frites (french fries), croque monsieurs (toasted ham-and-cheese sandwiches), and roast chicken. Creperies are also fun, fast, and quintessentially French: what child can resist a crepe filled with warm banana and smothered in chocolate sauce?

[From Europe > Paris - Travel | Terra]

And Paris is an architectural masterpiece. Tourists from all corners of the globe come to the city to experience its museums, cathedrals and the famed Eiffel Tower.

But, for me, the genius of Paris does not extend to its residents’ social skills. For some reason, the cultured and sophisticated Parisians seem unable to transcend the vaunted history and beauty of their beloved city. These locals are a proud bunch who suffer no lack of self-esteem.

Most of all, they seem to have an absolute disdain for those who speak English. French waiters seem never to want to speak with me in English, even when it’s clear they speak English as well as I. I know that trying to speak the language is part of the experience, and I do try. But apparently, listening to my French makes a meal far more entertaining.

Not everyone was quite as churlish. On a trip in May, I met a student named Pierre whose generosity and kindness transcended the stereotypes that Parisians have fought so hard to earn. He put me up in his uncle’s house and traveled with me down south to Toulouse. But Pierre, I’m sorry to say, seemed the exception.

[From Athens overrated? Yes, and there's more such travel spots - Travel - LATimes.com ]

Other cities I happen to love that he thinks are “overrated” are Prague, Moscow, Athens, and Dubai (the only one I don’t have data points on). He disses Athens due to a run-in with a cab driver. Prague is wet and rainy and he meets a woman who dislikes President Bush. Moscow is too expensive and traffic is horrible. Dubai “lacks a soul.”

This guy should be writing obits or the gardening column.

It’s a great way to pass a nice afternoon with tea and snack, or for the children to enjoy the delicious house chocolate mousse or any of the goodies on the menu. The store and restaurant is housed in a grand hotel with a ample courtyard, where the large French doors are opened to the outdoors during the summer. Of course, after your respite, each of the rooms of the hotel/boutique is beautifully curated and showcases the entire Bonpoint children’s clothing and objet collection, as only the French can. 6, rue de Tournon, 76006.

Early morning walks when I have Paris to myself is a great time to discover new places. Located in a two-storey loft, Bon Ton on Rue de Grenelle is a real charm. Clothes are carefully selected to suit contemporary mothers and their kids. The place also houses an art gallery with rotating exhibitions, with the top floor with its display of funky furniture, bed + bath, and objets. Four locations, including Bon Ton Bazar.

82 rue de Grenelle et 118 rue Vieille du Temple