| Welcome to Paris! Visiting the Eiffel Tower
means waiting often over 30 minutes to gain access to the ticket booth, then waiting
some more for the elevator on the way up, and waiting some more for the elevator
on the way down. So to your feet, a pair of good shoes will make a big difference
! French people do lunch between 12:00 and 1:30 PM, and dinner between 7:30 and
10:00 PM. If you wish to avoid the crowd, lunch at 12:00 tops and dine out from
6:00 to 7:00 PM. Restaurants rarely serve between 2:00 and 6:00 PM. Having a drink
at the terasse of a sidewalk cafe is a necessary experience in Paris (skip it
between November and March though,except if weather permits). However, terasse
drinks are often charged premium prices. Although they are saddled with a reputation,
cafe waiters are not necessarily rude: they're just in a hurry. So don't take
offense if they are impatient with you. Smile and show them what you want on the
menu. They won't return the smile, but you will get your order quickly. In Parisian
restaurants , it is not customary for your waiter to come back to you once you
are served to see if everything is allright: they assume this is the case. So
don't feel you are ignored: just call the waiter when you wish to have your bread
basket replenished. If you dine out at an expensive restaurant, waiters will tend
your table diligently. Otherwise, it won't be the case. |  |