OK, I'm Guilty!

During my trip to Paris this Spring, I did a bad thing. I didn't realize I was, but I did. What was this awful "faux pas?"

Food Porn!

I am guilty of taking pictures of my food and sharing them with friends and, now, YOU!

I had some really nice meals in some fun restaurants - the kind that are off the tourist track.

And a few times, I took a picture of my super yummy food and of the restaurant itself. I felt I was discrete and only wanted people to know what really good food can look like.

I'm not a Tweeter really, and I don't have a data plan that lets me share every moment of my life as it happens. Really, I'm pretty sure people aren't THAT interested. And I've learned the world does not really revolve around me.

But this growing trend of sharing epicurean moments has spread. And as with the advent of phones in our pockets, it's grown way out of control. According to the article in the , people have become oblivious to those around them and have actually stood on chairs to get the perfect shot.
Christian Science Monitor

Restaurateurs aren't running a circus and don't appreciate this behavior (nor does anyone else.) Chefs feel people are stealing intellectual property, but this does not hold up in court. Progressives feel that chefs should embrace this trend (the less obnoxious actions) and move with the times. Or, put a sign that asks for no photos, SVP.

Put in that context, I think that perhaps my behavior was not really food porn. And I think that when you travel, your discrete, occasional photo for your souvenirs (and sharing later) are acceptable.

But as with all things, when you're a tourist, don't act like the city exists for your tourist money. If it says, "No Photos Please", respect the rule. Yes, that's directed specifically to the people with their iPad and phones taking forbidden pictures in Sacre Coeur!

You can have a really great time in Paris while still being respectful of the people who work hard to make your stay nice.

Paris Nostalgia - Remembering the Minitel

When one is nostalgic about Paris, one thinks of Post WWII ballads like"La Vie en Rose, or the thriving cultural time between the Great Wars, or the boisterous and creative turn of the (last) century's Belle Epoque.

A sleek, well designed Minitel terminal for French homes

But being a gadget geek and early adopter of computers, BBS (ran one), internet, and tablets (long before iPad), some of my nostalgia lay with the French technology of the 80's: The Minitel!

Most people have never heard of it. But the Minitel, developed in the 70's, launched in 1982 in France as a way for people to be connected. The computer-like machine was given to people for free by the French telephone service.

Not only was it an electronic phone book, but you could do e-commerce, check your bank account, check stocks, and chat. Need to book a vacation? Minitel. Need to check flight or train schedules? Minitel!

Ooh-la-la, La Vie en Rose indeed!

And the Minitel had chat rooms and services allowing people to be anonymous - thus developing into the "Minitel Rose" which allowed adult kinds of chats and services! Just as now on the web, this "Minitel Rose" earned LOTS of revenue!

Minitel was convenient to use, right there where ever your phone was.

I remember, when I lived in Paris in 1986-87, that every ad announced their Minitel address. I also remember using it in my Uncle's office at his home outside of Paris. At it's height the during the mid 1990's, there were more than 25 million users able to connect to 23,000 services with their Minitel at home or the terminals in their local Poste!

People could access Minitels in the Post Office and kiosks.

One of the really remarkable things about the Minitel is that this existed long before public access to the internet existed. AOL was launched along with Prodigy and CompuServe around 1991 but didn't take hold until around 1994 - 12 years after the launch of Minitel. 

Used up until 2012, you could Facebook and Tweet on your Minitel.

I had not thought about Minitel for a long time. And apparently, I completely missed the farewell to the service last year in 2012. 30 years is certainly a good run for anything cutting edge in the world of technology.

Looking to plan a trip to Paris but don't quite know where to start? Visit ParisMadeSimple and I'll help!

Cell Phones for France

Update: 3/2019
So much has changed in the years since I originally wrote this post so I thought I'd update it.

Most people have a smart phone of some sort. And many of them are global ready - just check your phone's specs or call your carrier. Most (if not all) carriers also have some sort of international plan so be sure to check with them to find out about coverage, pricing, etc. And don't forget family members left at home. They need to have call access to France. You may need to activate their accounts with international access so they can call you if needed, just as back up.

Then their are app, so many that I can't list them all. But I do have WhatsApp and Messenger which I'll be trying out for when I'm on Wi-fi, standard in most places you rent now.

While I miss the ease of that cute little phone (below) that fit into my hand, I do like having the smartphone. It takes great photos (though I still carry my camera) and does many of the things I used to need my laptop for. And it saves space for books and has amazing mapping abilities.

Just be warned: don't be glued to it and use proper social etiquette when using it in public. Look up and enjoy the sights and people!
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I've had Call In Europe on my page for two years as a good source for getting cell phone service in France. Two years ago, I had an excellent experience with them, so easy to to deal with. I actually bought two little cell phones which came with chargers for American current and an adapter French electrical outlets, and   SIM cards

In case SIM card means nothing to you, per WiseGeek, SIM cards are: "A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is a portable memory chip used mostly in cell phones that operate on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network. These cards hold the personal information of the account holder, including his or her phone number, address book, text messages, and other data.") 

Once activated, Call in Europe billed us, at a very reasonable cell rate, for what we used. I let the account lag when I got back (per the instructions) and expected that when I was ready, I would simply reactivate the account again.

But the 1-800 number routes you to France. And although I speak decent French, there was NO WAY I could understand the automated voice on the other end except to "press 2" if you wanted blah de blah blah, etc. The email I sent in English was replied to in French (and said to call), and when I left my phone number (the cell that will accept international calls - since you must set that up with your carrier,) I never received a call back. 

So - disappointingly, off they go from my list. 

So what will I do? After a bit of panic, since I really want each adult to have a cell phone while in Paris, I have purchased some prepaid SIM cards from Amazon. Yes, don't they just have everything??

Now I can charge up the phones before I leave, AND have a French phone number to distribute to my family on this side of the Pond. All calls from them will be free for me, and we pay a reasonable rate for calls to each other and also to numbers outside of France. 

I chose Orange as the cell company. It is a the flagship mark for France Telecom and has been around a long time. When (if) we need more minutes, we will go to an Orange cellular store or a Tabac and buy more minutes. Just like in the States, you call the number carrier's number, enter the code you just bought, and the minutes will be added to the SIM card automatically! I have the option of having my US calls routed to my French phone - but I just say NO to that idea!! This plan also includes 3G internet, but we won't need that.

If you don't need a phone number ahead of time, your least expensive option is just to buy an inexpensive pay-as-you-go cell phone when you land. Unless you travel internationally a lot, your phone will most likely not work in Europe - contact your carrier if you don't know. If it does, you'll just buy a SIM card. Be warned - you will probably have to do the purchase in French, so I suggest you look up the vocabulary before hand. These options are generally much more affordable than bringing your phone from the US (provided you have a tri-band phone) and using your carrier's international plan. 

Need more information about planning a trip to Paris? Visit my website: ParisMadeSimple.com

Fête des Mères

Today may be Mother's Day in the States, but France celebrates Fête des Mères on May 27th this year. It's celebrated on the last Sunday in May (unless Pentecost falls then, when Mother's Day moves to the first Sunday in June.) This is a day that was initiated by the little Emperor - Napoleon - and made official by France in 1950.

With everyone so busy today and my love of all things French, maybe I'll declare the 27th as a 2nd Mother's Day chez moi!

Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow Francophiles!

Election Day in France

Today is a big election between Sarkozy and Hollande. There's a lot riding on this election, not just for the French but for the entire Euro zone. Will the French decide to stay conservative or go socialist again? Hollande is in favor of winning, but we shall see.

Either way, I'll be watching the Euro as I need to convert some cash to pay for our apartment and would like to do it when the Euro is low. Today it's at $1.30 per Euro. That's already pretty good, but hoping for lower.

The transition of French Presidents is pretty quick - same month, no long lame duck session as we have in the United States. So we're hoping things will have settled down by the time we get there in July!

Good luck to both candidates!