What to do in Paris at night? Just about anything you can think of. The Opera, the movies (look for movies in “V.O.,” presented in their original language with French subtitles,) a stroll by the Seine river or in the atmospheric streets of the Latin Quarter, a cruise on the Seine river, a delicious meal at a bistro or a gastronomic restaurant, une nocturne (a late night visit) at one of the great Parisian museums (Wednesdays and Fridays at le Louvre, Thursdays at le musée d’Orsay, everyday except Tuesdays at le Centre Pompidou,) a drink (or two) at a bar branché (hip bar) rubbing elbows with Parisian hipsters, a cabaret show. The list goes on.

Paris at night

One of many nocturnal strolls

An invitation to the theatre 

While traveling, do you prefer experiencing a new city as a visitor, or as a local? The language barrier can make blending in challenging. One activity many locals favor in Paris at night is going to the theatre. I was one of them when I still lived in the French capital, and even now, so many years after I left, I will occasionally catch a show when I am in town. Going to the theatre is a great way of bringing together my interest in old buildings, history, and people watching. Au théâtre, the show is as much in the room around you, as it is on stage. Not to mention seeing Paris at night is always special.

Paris at night

Théâtre Edouard VII, Paris (photo Emmanuel Murat)

It is no surprise that when a Paris-based company named Theatre in Paris reached out a few months ago and offered me a chance to test and review their service targeting English-speaking visitors, I agreed enthusiastically. Theatre in Paris offers a unique experience, i.e. a night at the theatre (reserved so far to French speakers.) This is a premium service, 100% in English, with a dedicated team providing assistance from the moment you make a reservation (there are many popular shows to choose from,) to the moment you arrive at the theatre, where you will be greeted, then shown to your seat, your customized program in hand. How does it work? How do you, the English speaker, get to enjoy a French theatre production, in real time? Theatre in English has set up, right above the stage, a projection screen where English subtitles are displayed during the show. One of their operators sits in the back of the room, ready to make changes in case the actors decide to take some artistic license with the material, or skip a line. It is seamless, and because of the positioning of the screen (see photo below,) it is easy to keep your eyes both on the screen and on the stage. What a cool concept!

Paris at night

(Photo: Theatre in Paris)

There were quite a few good shows available that week, and I chose one based on two criteria: Quelque Part dans Cette Vie (Somewhere in this Life) features two of my favorite French actors, Emmanuelle Devos and Pierre Arditi, and the play is presented at my favorite Paris theatre, le Théâtre Edouard VII. More about that later.

Sur les Grands Boulevards 

Two nights before I flew back to Seattle, I put on a nice pair of black slacks, a flowing white blouse, a leopard print cardigan, and tied a scarf around my neck on the way out (we, French Girls, do this casually, as the art of mastering scarf tying runs in our blood, n’est-ce-pas?)  I nibbled un croque-monsieur (ham and cheese sandwich) at a small café near the hotel, located off Place de la République; then disappeared in le Métro that would take me place de l’Opéra by 7:30pm. How convenient life is, for those who live, work and play in downtown Paris! I anticipated there would be enough time for an early evening stroll along les Grands Boulevards. The show was scheduled to start at 9:00pm, and I was to meet my contact at Theatre in Paris by 8:15 in the theatre lobby. It was still bright when I came out of le Métro, the magnificent Opéra Garnier towering over me. Paris – like this French Girl – was going to do her best to rise to the elegant occasion.

Paris at night

Along the way, iconic sights caught my eye. They never get old.

Paris at night

Boulevard des Capucines, a.k.a. “Haussmann Central”

Paris at night

Café de la Paix: Belle Epoque icon

Soon, I left the busy boulevard des Capucines and took a right into a side street, la rue Edouard VII. The theatre sits at the end of this peaceful street lined with a few restaurants.

Paris at night

(Photo Dave Fenwick)

Au théâtre ce soir  (an evening at the theatre)

Le Théâtre Edouard VII is located in the center of a peaceful square dedicated to English King Edward VII, queen Victoria’s oldest son, who was well-traveled, enjoyed the good life, and was popular in many European countries, including France where he visited often. King Edward VII is honored by a statue in the middle of the square (see photo at the top of this story.) From the start, like a handful of other popular landmarks, le Théâtre Edouard VII contributed to making Paris at night a special time for Parisians and visitors alike. Under the leadership of its most prominent director, legendary French actor, playwright, screenwriter Sacha Guitry (1885-1957,) the elegant theatre became a popular place to enjoy le théâtre de boulevard, light-hearted productions, (comedies for the most part,) meant to entertain, with simply drawn, relatable characters and realistic dialogue. Guitry became as famous for his impressive body of work as he was for his tumultuous personal life (he married five times,) and his scathing sense of humor. Today a giant portrait of “the master” sits at the back of the crowded Café Guitry, a restaurant located inside the theatre.

Paris at night

Before the show, there was time to walk around the theatre. For this cinephile, the walls of the venerable Parisian landmark provided a chance to travel back in time and to remember famous French actors who had once treaded the stage (and lit up the silver screen.)

Paris at night

Théâtre Edouard VII – le bar

Paris at night

French popular culture icons and mythic couple (Jean-Louis Barrault, Madeleine Renaud.)

Paris at night

Screen (and stage) legends Gérard Philippe and Michelle Morgan

I almost bumped into lead actor Pierre Arditi who arrived discreetly, holding the play’s script, malade comme un chien, (“sick as a dog”) as he informed one of the theatre attendants. I did not bother him, and was even more impressed with his two-hour performance (he was on stage in every scene that night.)

Paris at night

As planned, I met Amanda, my friendly Theatre in Paris contact, before the play started, and we chatted for a while about their wonderful service while sipping some wine. Then she escorted me to my seat on the top balcony, where I immediately connected with my neighbors, an American couple who had loved their 10-day stay in the French capital and had decided to celebrate their last evening in town at the theatre. Quelque Part dans Cette Vie is an adaptation of an American production, and the material is more serious than in other plays I have attended at the Edouard VII in the past, yet veteran actors Arditi and Devos kept the audience engaged and got rewarded with several rounds of applause. Arditi kept smiling but looked exhausted. I knew why and felt for him.

Paris at night

Customized program in English courtesy of Theatre in Paris

Paris at night: After the show

It was after 11:00pm when I exited the theatre. In my American suburban neck of the woods, I would not have thought about walking around that late and would have driven home immediately. This was Paris, and I’d be flying back two days later. I had to make the most of this balmy spring evening in the French capital. I walked back to la place de l’Opéra. There were still diners in restaurants, and people strolling in the streets. I felt safe, the streets and buildings still familiar after all these years. Within minutes, l’Opéra Garnier appeared in front of me, illuminated, magnificent. I almost crossed the street to take a photo, but I was hungry and decided to have a bite at le Café de la Paix (where things had clearly slowed down.)

Paris at night

Once inside, I overheard late night diners’ hushed conversations as I walked past the dining room on my way to the café section overlooking the boulevard. A stylish and friendly waiter informed me it was my lucky day: Le Café de la Paix had just introduced their summer dessert menu that afternoon, with an enticing ice cream selection. This French Girl ordered “l’Opéra parisien,” a caramel-based creation.

Paris at night

Paris at night

The waiter checked on me and the other tables where patrons lingered. He noticed the theatre program I was still holding. An impromptu chat about the play led to a longer conversation on a variety of topics, from my life in the US, to his life in France (he was married to an American woman and would have loved a chance to work in the US,) and what it was like to be a waiter at le Café de la Paix, “une bonne maison,” (a good employer,) for more than 15 years. As always when traveling, making a connection with a local was one of the highlights that day.

Paris at night

It was almost midnight when I asked for the check. Le Café de la Paix should have been closed by now, yet nobody rushed me. I informed the waiter I planned to go take that photo of the lit-up Opéra Garnier. His face dropped. “Oh Madame, je suis désolé. They turned the lights off already. They do that after the theater shows wrap up. L’Opéra is dark by now.” I was sorry for a split second, when I realized I had missed an opportunity; yet decided to look at the silver lining, the delicious moment (quite literally) I had just enjoyed in this iconic Parisian landmark. I needn’t have worried: Another special connection enabled me to get my hands on that prized photo in the end: A long-time French Girl in Seattle reader (and fellow Washingtonian) I had met at Seatac airport on my way to Paris, agreed to walk past l’Opéra a week later and took a few shots of the illuminated building for me. Merci, Dave! 

Paris at night

Paris at night (Photo Dave Fenwick)

Around midnight, I left le Café de la Paix and asked my Uber driver to drop me off Place de la République, so I could look at Marianne on my way back to the hotel, a pleasant and strangely comforting ritual developed during the second part of the trip. Bonne nuit, Marianne! Bonne nuit, Paris! 

A bientôt.

Véronique - France with Véro
Véronique of France with Véro

Véronique of France with Véro

Vero shares her homeland weekly on social media with virtual tours, photo essays, live events and other publications at France with Vero. Learn more.

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46 Comments

  1. Courtney on May 17, 2018 at 12:00 am

    Salut, Véronique! My favorite feature of the French Girl in Seattle new website is the fun layout which includes many nice photos. To be even better, the French Girl in Seattle new website should post a French word / phrase of the day/week. Maybe even an authentic recipe from the city or region that you are writing about. Merci et à bientôt!!

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 10:31 pm

      Thank you for entering the GiveAway, Courtney! Several readers have mentioned they would enjoy learning/reading more French words and expressions, and I will be focusing on that over the next few weeks. Sharing recipes is also a great idea (even if they are not mine…) Bonne chance pour le tirage au sort !

  2. Debbie Richardson on May 17, 2018 at 9:52 am

    Veronique, a lovely recounting of a incredible night in Paris! I love your new website and can’t think of anything to change about it.
    I’ll be taking black pants, a flowing white blouse, a leopard cardigan and a fantastic scarf to tie around my neck to The Theatre in Paris.
    Photos, as always, are beautiful.
    Merci.

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 10:04 pm

      Thank you so much Debbie. That is a lovely comment. So glad I have now turned into a fashion icon. Thanks again!

  3. Taste of France on May 17, 2018 at 1:25 am

    I feel as if I were there with you! You describe it so vividly. There are plenty of photos of the Garnier lit up, but not so many well-drawn descriptions of waiters in Parisian cafés, so your time was well-spent.
    I’ve been to the opera all over Europe–it’s a little easier to understand, since it’s usually in a foreign language even for the locals (though I did see “la Traviata” in Italian in Rome), so the actors express what they’re singing beyond the lyrics. Many operas project supertitles above the stage with translations. It’s great that somebody is doing it for theater in France.
    I once went to a standup comic show in Amsterdam; I got the gist of some of it, but I didn’t appreciate it as much as my Dutch friends, who were crying from laughing so hard.

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 10:29 pm

      Merci de votre visite, as always. Good point about the photo of l’Opéra Garnier. I am really glad I got to meet my friend Jean-Claude the waiter that night. He and I had a long conversation. That was a special moment during this trip. Bon weekend dans le Midi!

  4. DianeJuliano on May 17, 2018 at 4:52 am

    Love walking through Paris with you and once again reviving memories of my many visits. Attended a ballet performance at L’Opera Garnier as well as the New Opera House for an opera starring Pavorati (sp?). Both were wonderful experiences for my friends and me!

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 10:27 pm

      Thank you for sharing your travel memories here, Diane. Glad this travel story took you back to special Parisian moments. A bientôt!

  5. Heather on May 17, 2018 at 5:40 am

    My favorite feature of the French Girl in Seattle new website is the logo (I’m a sucker for dogs!) and your travel tips. I’m a patreon of A French Frye in Paris and saw your cafe chat. It was a lot of fun!

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 10:26 pm

      Thank you for entering le Giveaway Heather! Glad you love my little Frenchie dog. Isn’t she adorable? I am glad she finally gets prominently featured on the new site. That café chat with my friend Corey of a French Frye in Paris was so much fun I added it to the “About” page of the website. A bientôt et bonne chance!

  6. Sheila Gomez on May 17, 2018 at 6:17 am

    The French Girl in Seattle website should interest many readers, it so aptly describes Paris from a Parisien’s point of view, one can travel like a local through it, learning the French culture and the valuable travel tips.. And how exciting that you can watch a French opera with English subtitles for a person like me who does not speak French.

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 10:24 pm

      Merci Sheila. So nice to read such positive and encouraging feedback after spending several months developing the new website. A slight correction: Theatre in Paris enables you to watch shows in English and shows in French with subtitles, but I don’t believe they have partnered with l’Opéra de Paris (yet.) A bientôt!

  7. Barbara on May 17, 2018 at 6:33 am

    Bonjour Véronique,

    My favorite part of your new website is the bright vibrant pictures that bring Paris to life. I know the old website had numerous pictures as well, but these pictures seem more enticing.
    One thing I would like to see is more phrases written in French, either translated or not (so I would be forced to look them up). As I am trying to learn French, this would encourage myself (and possibly others) to not only speak more French, but learn to read more in French and what better a place than your new website.
    à bientôt Véronique

    Barbara

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 10:22 pm

      Merci Barbara. You have officially entered the Giveaway! Thank you for the feedback, and your suggestion. I try to include a few French expressions when I write my travel essays. It may be time to add a few more!

    • French Girl in Seattle on June 16, 2018 at 7:03 pm

      Congratulations Barbara! You won the Giveaway. 🙂 Could you please send me your email address? I will forward to our friends at Theatre in Paris who will be reaching out to you about your prize… unless you prefer the other prize, of course. Just let me know. Merci et à bientôt! — Véronique (June 16, 2018)

  8. Aussie-on-ilestlouis on May 17, 2018 at 7:33 am

    Excellent mood piece. You transported me right back there.
    Some Sundays I would walk there (when I lived near Canal St Martin so exactly the route you described) because the newspaper kiosk at Opera would sell the English papers–due to all the hotels in that district (and perhaps being the financial as well as theatre district). Then sometimes I would take a cafe at the Café de la Paix because it was still very quiet at that time. Generally I avoid the crowded places. Also it’s a bit swanky for me but you did the right thing by going in there late at night.
    I’m just reading Nöel Riley Fitch’s description from one of her books on the Literary Cafés. She tells me it was built at the same time as the Opera Garnier (1872) and its interiors (ie. the café) were by Charles Garnier and “represent a celebrated example of the décor of the Belle Epoque: trompe-l’oeil ceilings of the sky and cherubs, gold highlights and marble pillars.” I don’t think I ever went inside because I preferred en terrasse. She goes on:

    “Here was the heart of 19th century Parisian café life–as illustrated in the fiction of its patrons Balzac, Flaubert, Maupassant and Henry James. … Nearly every famous international traveller, whether writer, musician, celebrity, princess or king, who has stayed in Paris has patronized this elegant Right Bank venue. A list of illustrious patrons wold include Oscar Wilde, Caruso, André Gide, Paul Valéry, Ernest Hemingway and the famous blogger Veronique Savoye.

    Ok, slipped that last in there. But you are doing what many famous writers did, using it as a setting in a literary work. Fitch tells me that Zola used it in Nana, Henry James in The American, Thomas Wolfe’s Of Time and the River and Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. Henry James met Ivan Turgenev here. She adds:

    At the liberation of Paris after the Second World War, De Gaulle at an omelette here before taking his triumphal walk down the Champs-Elysées from the Etoile to the Place de la Concorde.

    So you were keeping the very best of company.

    Incidentally it was good to read your comments about the safety, even late at night, in Paris. It really is a very safe city, especially for one so big and cosmopolitan. Of course there are pickpockets etc but very little to threaten one’s person. Drunken idiots can always get themselves into trouble but sensible caution works almost everywhere. In all my time in Paris I had a few run-ins with pickpockets (who disappear as soon as you know you are on to them) but never felt unsafe or was accosted by muggers etc. and I walked everywhere. Actually I just remembered the worst thing that happens late at night: dog walkers often (illegally) put their dogs off their leash, and I remember a few times a rather big dog threatening me while the owner was telling me it was harmless!

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 10:21 pm

      Bonjour Michael. Your comment – and the {slightly} edited quote – made me laugh. Thank you for that! I did, indeed, keep excellent company at le Café de la Paix. Loved reading “le Général” enjoyed a delicious omelet there! Who knows? He may have sat right at my table! I would have loved meeting him. We had a few things in common. My favorite DeGaulle quote: “J’aime bien ceux qui me résistent; l’ennui, c’est que je ne peux les supporter.” (I respect only those who resist me, but I can’t tolerate them.”) Incidentally, I once had a delicious lunch in the Café de la Paix dining room with a dear friend. That very Parisian experience I still treasure, like the memory of the Millefeuille I ordered for dessert that day. Merci de votre visite, comme toujours.

  9. Elizabeth Diamond on May 17, 2018 at 9:30 am

    Love your new website. I will be in Paris for three months and will contact Theatre in Paris while I’m there as there are some shows I would like to see. When I’m not in Paris, your site transports me there. The dessert looks yummy and I may go there to taste it for myself. I watch all of A French Frye in Paris free walking tours and did catch it when you participated. Thank you for bringing us a bit of Paris and all your tips and secrets.

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 10:06 pm

      Bonjour Elizabeth. If you are going to spend three months in Paris there will be plenty of time to catch a play (or two,) not to mention the new dessert selection at le Café de la Paix! Glad to hear you caught the fun Café Chat I did with my friend Corey in April. I have added a link to it on the About page of the website for those who missed it. A bientôt… et bon séjour à Paris!

  10. Debra on May 17, 2018 at 4:35 pm

    I love everything about the new web site! Seeing the photos and reading the stories make me long to experience Paris. And, I hope that is a reality soon. I enjoy theater and attend when possible where I live. The one problem, and not about your new web page, I have is with the various areas. I get a little confused. Is there a way to learn the layout of the city so I can put what people are saying and the places in perspective? Thank you so much for sharing.

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 10:02 pm

      Bonjour Debra. Paris can be overwhelming to first time visitors, but the lay out of the city is not that difficult once you understand where the Left and the Right banks are located, and you learn the name of major neighborhoods (more helpful than remembering arrondissements, in my humble opinion.) I will be recommending a brand-new guidebook on the FGIS Facebook page before the end of the weekend. It is published by my friend Oliver Gee, host of the Earful Tower podcast. You may want to order a copy! A bientôt.

  11. Albert W Kurjan on May 17, 2018 at 5:38 pm

    Your website is very interesting and reading your posts is like walking through French streets with you. I enjoy French phrases you add in your stories. Thank you very much.

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 9:59 pm

      Thank you for tagging along as I walk around la Belle France. Someone mentioned in this comment thread I should use even more French expressions in my travel stories. I guess you will not be complaining! A bientôt.

  12. Nanette on May 17, 2018 at 6:46 pm

    Stories, tips and pictures help create a lovely vision of your beautiful country. I am so excited to visit and will be using your website to navigate a city I know nothing about. I feel like you are my private tour guide with all your recommendations. I promise to let you know when we return how I used your site to get around. Your website is professional yet personal. Keep up the good work.

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 17, 2018 at 9:57 pm

      Thank you very much Nanette. This is great feedback. I hope you enjoy your visit to Paris! Follow the FGIS community on Facebook too, as I share travel tips there daily.

  13. Jennifer on May 18, 2018 at 2:19 pm

    My favorite feature of the French Girl in Seattle new website is probably the banner – love the watercolor “painting” incorporating the Space Needle and “French” dog. 🙂

    Because I am also from Seattle, to be even better, the French Girl in Seattle new website should feature even more “French in Seattle.” All in all, it’s pretty full of pretty good stuff, though! Congrats on the new home.

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 18, 2018 at 10:15 pm

      Merci beaucoup Jennifer! France has always been my focus on the blog after the first few months, and it has stayed that way, for a variety of reasons. If you browse the new site, however, you should find quite a few local stories under “Around Seattle.” I am also planning to continue highlighting local French-themed businesses, and will be introducing a French bakery I recently visited very soon. Thank you for the feedback!

  14. Kevin on May 18, 2018 at 4:19 pm

    Bonjour Véronique. My favorite feature of the French Girl in Seattle new website is the ease of navigation and the plentiful photos. To be even better, the French Girl in Seattle new website should feature shorter paragraphs and headings within each story. I usually read on my phone so the articles can appear very long on my little screen.

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 18, 2018 at 10:12 pm

      Bonjour Kevin. Thank you for the feedback. Even if we designed the new site to be mobile-friendly, I realize my stories are not the best fit for that format. I started including headings recently and will continue using them. As for the length of the paragraphs, I try to keep this in mind, but started blogging in the 20th century: Blogs were very different then, fewer writers used lists, (a format prevalent in social media today,) and actually wrote full-length blogposts. However hard I try, I find it difficult to write succinct articles. I just have too many stories to tell! Hope you also get a chance to visit the site on an iPad or a full size screen: You will be able to enjoy text and photos even more. Thanks again for stopping by!

  15. Nena West on May 18, 2018 at 8:36 pm

    Bonjour! I love the photos and all the info. I would find it useful to have address’s for the photos. Or at least the arrondissement. I will be in Paris in September , I would love to visit some of the same places. Love the new website!

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 18, 2018 at 10:04 pm

      Bonsoir Nena. Thank you so much for the visit and the suggestion. When I write a story, I try to use photos to illustrate a specific section, so even if a photo does not have an address or an arrondissement, you can still guess what neighborhood of Paris it is in. If you have a specific photo in mind, let me know the name of the article, and I will be happy to locate the neighborhood for you. Merci et bon weekend!

  16. Sandy on May 19, 2018 at 2:17 pm

    Bonjour Vero! Can I call you Vero? Love the new look to your website ???! C’est magnifique! Alors, loved the story… I always learn something new about Paris coming here. I just delight in those old timie french photos. I was talking to ma mere las night and since both of you are originally from Toulouse… do you have a Parisian accent or toulousan accent when you speak? ? inquiring minds want to know. I know, off topic. Sorry! And bravo ? on this one. ?????
    P.S. I’ll be in be back in Vegas last week of June and heading to the Marseille area in October for a mini family reunion. I’m going to finally meet my niece Noëmie. ???❤️

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 21, 2018 at 6:04 am

      Bonjour Sandy. We have “known” each other long enough: You may certainly call me Véro! Thank you for your visit and the kind words. I am hoping French Girl in Seattle will continue being a space where francophiles (and people interested in hearing more about France) can stop by and learn more about my homeland. To answer your question about my accent: I still sound French when I speak English, that’s a given, but lost “my accent toulousain” a long time ago. I was a child when I left Toulouse. However, a very good friend of mine here in Seattle is also from Toulouse, and she tells me when we are together the old accent kicks in pretty fiercely. That, of course, tickles me pink 🙂 A bientôt Sandy!

  17. Johannah on May 21, 2018 at 3:00 am

    ….is that im now an avid fan and reader….one day i will get there and i appreciate allbthese great ideas!

  18. Barbara Livieri on May 31, 2018 at 11:02 am

    “My favorite feature of the French Girl in Seattle new website is…”
    Not sure really. I’m relatively new to the website. I’ve been following you on Facebook and only now started reading your website. I don’t know what took me so long. But I just love all of your articles and can’t wait to read more. Especially about this ‘Theater in Paris’ tour. I’ve been looking into seeing a play or opera when I go, but was a bit hesitant due to the language barrier. But if this is as good as it looks, I’ll be very pleased indeed!

    “To be even better, the French Girl in Seattle new website should…”
    Well, perhaps separate your “travel tips” into categories like you do your other tabs? Maybe one for packing, one for eating, one for tours, one for hotels, restaurants… etc. If someone is looking for a specific detail, they’d find it easier. But I for one will read every one of them. 🙂

    Great job on the website, I can’t wait to read more!!

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 31, 2018 at 8:22 pm

      Bonjour Barbara. Bienvenue! I am glad you have now gotten familiar with the FGIS website. It’s ok if you are joining my party a little late: You get to see FGIS at her best in her new “home.” 🙂 Thank you for entering the Giveaway. I will keep your suggestions in mind! A bientôt, here or on Facebook (or chez my friend Corey!)

  19. Susan Bush on May 31, 2018 at 2:58 pm

    My favorite feature of the French Girl in Seattle’s new website is all the pictures throughout the narrative. It adds to the feeling of being in Paris. I love on your FB page how you share other French/Paris pages like French Frye in Paris.
    To be even better, the French Girl in Seattle’s new website should include a question and answer section. I will be traveling to Paris mid-June, then traveling around to a few other places, then back to Paris for Bastille Day. I always think of questions while planning the trip and would love to be able to ask someone who knows.
    I love all things Paris!

    • French Girl in Seattle on May 31, 2018 at 8:12 pm

      Merci beaucoup Susan. You have officially entered the Giveaway! I am glad you appreciate the photo/text narrative. I take great care in selecting photos for each story. As for your suggestion to add a Q&A, I am thinking about offering trip planning/consulting services on the FGIS website in the near future, as I have always known there are many logistical and cultural questions travelers may have for a French native like myself before they travel to my homeland. 🙂

  20. Susan Bush on June 1, 2018 at 6:33 am

    The trip planning/consulting services would be awesome! By the way, I saw in one of your posts you had ice in your beverage. Is it okay to request ice? I wouldn’t want to insult anyone. 😉

    • French Girl in Seattle on June 1, 2018 at 6:50 am

      I am glad you approve of consulting services Susan. As for ice in your drinks, it will be there, but you just won’t get as many ice cubes in your glass. The French, for a long time, did not have massive appliances (like the ones you see in the US.) Ice cubes were made in the freezer box, just a few at a time, and even in restaurants, ice was not as readily available as it is in the US. There’s also a belief that drinking too cold “kills” your taste buds. Many French friends of mine here in the US still order their drinks “with no ice.” So, to summarize: your glass should come with a couple of ice cubes at least. If it is not cold enough, just call the waiter and ask: “Je voudrais des glaçons s’il vous plait.” (pronunciation: [glah-ss-on]) The waiter may smile, since this is a typical request from many American tourists, but he should oblige. In southern France, ice cubes sometimes appear on your table separately, in a small dish. Bonne chance!

  21. Julia Gray on June 6, 2018 at 11:29 pm

    My favorite thing about A French Girl in Seattle is the beautiful photographs that accompany all the great information. I have used some of the tips during my current trip to Paris. I already follow Theatre in Paris and A French Girl in Seattle.

    • French Girl in Seattle on June 14, 2018 at 9:14 pm

      Excellent. Glad to hear it! Merci Julia.

  22. Mary oneal on June 8, 2018 at 4:55 pm

    My favorite feature of the French Girl in Seattle new website is the photography. “To be even better, the French Girl in Seattle new website should include Google Mal itinerary

    • French Girl in Seattle on June 14, 2018 at 9:13 pm

      Thank you Mary. I know it is not always easy to locate streets in my little travel stories. I will keep that in mind. Merci!

  23. Dee Hubett on June 8, 2018 at 7:18 pm

    The new FGIS website has a crisp, clean yet friendly look to it and the best things are the excellent conversational writing and the perfect accompanying photos to the storytelling. I’d like to see more Vero in France….tant pis, you’ll have to take more trips! I’d also like to see a weekend gathering/ travel workshop given by FGIS that we could attend. If I lived in the Settle area I’d help you organize it. But maybe we can start with the First Annual FGIS Picnic meet-up or something.

    • French Girl in Seattle on June 14, 2018 at 9:12 pm

      Thank you Dee. Lots of great suggestions here! I will keep them in mind. Thank you for stopping by!

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