Bringing Your Dog to France

When I first wrote about dog-friendly Parisian parks for Parislogue.com,  little did I realize that years later,  I'd be walking our very dear Hercules, a five-year-old Shi-Tzu, in the Luxembourg Gardens.  But, here we are.  And if you've had any apprehension about bringing your pet to Paris,  do not despair!

France is a dog/cat friendly nation, but dogs, in particular seem to get a warm welcome, especially if they're cute, well-groomed, and well-behaved in cafes.  Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that France is a rabies-free country so that the paperwork, should, in theory be minimal to return to the US.

Just be sure that your dog is up-to-date on his rabies shots, have your vet complete the international health certificate that can be found online.  We made a trip to Miami to have the USDA provide us with a certification form for France,  but when we arrived at CDG airport,  along with our dog (who accompanied us in the cabin of our Air France tourist class seat),   absolutely no paperwork was requested by French customs.  Of course, this doesn't mean that every time will be the same.  Always have your medical paperwork and documents handy- just in case.

Air France/Delta accepts service dogs in the cabin.  They are obliged to remain on the floor, always attached.  In our case, because Hercules weighs just under 12 pounds,  we were able to find a comfortable traveling bag for him which is useful as well for traveling in France, i.e. taking trains or local buses.

I also have a wicker shopping/picnic basket that is just the right size for taking Hercules on buses or crossing parts of the gardens where dogs may not be allowed to walk.  Luxembourg Gardens has one specific area allowed for our four-legged friends.  They even have their own drinking fountain. 

US Airways: Silly Policy but Not Discrimination

US Airways should apologize for embarrassing passengers denied access to First Class because of their clothing, but the report of race discrimination on this morning 's Today show is sensationalizing a silly policy.  During one of our frequent flights to France,   we were waiting to board Economy Class when an attractive well-dressed Caucasian woman approached me and asked to borrow my shoes!  I thought it was a joke and was looking for the hidden camera.  But it was no joke.  She then explained to me that she was an off duty airline personnel who was flying First Class on a special pass.  She only discovered that there was a dress code when she arrived at the gate.  Because she was wearing open- toe shoes, they would't allow her in First Class.  Other than her shoes, she was neatly dressed in blouse and dark trousers.

Unfortunately, I only had one pair of shoes because the rest were checked, but before the plane departed, I went up to First Class to make sure she had found a pair of shoes from someone else.  She had and was happy to be flying to Paris First Class.

If you pay full price you can probably wear whatever you please no matter what race or gender you may be, but flying on a Buddy Pass apparently has a dress code.  US Airways should have the courtesy to e mail passengers in advance if there are dress codes.   Passengers already get enough humiliation going through security.   We're all in the same boat.  But,  if US Airways wants to fly me to Paris First Class for free  as long as I wear close-toe shoes, hey that's fine with me.
My shoe size is 9 1/2.  And my toes are SO UGLY, they should be covered up even in Economy Class.

Paris Snow in 2009 Global Warming Effect?

Then and Now -Waiting for the winter snows to melt away in France,  Parisgirl has found a little bit of Paris right here in Boca Raton, Florida.  If you would like to know more, stay tuned andshe will tell you about a great little boutique that has a je ne sais quoi attitude, reminiscent of a chic Left Bank boutique.

Virtual Black Friday Shopping

Say "No!" to Impulse Shopping. Just say "NO!" Today I decided to stay home - as far away as possible from any mall, shop, or commercial center. Of course, when your car is at the garage, it's even easier. However, if you are like me, a shopper, driven by the aesthetics of the activity, then certainly you may have been tempted to do a little cyber-shopping yesterday on Black Friday? So, for all my shopping-challenged friends, I've created a little Christmas gift of Parisian virtual shopping called Parisgirlshopping.com. Given the fact that airfares are ever-escalating, along with hotel stays, and exchange rates between the dollar and the Euro, perhaps a trip to Paris isn't affordable - but that doesn't have to stop any of us from enjoying the sights and delights of Parisian shop windows and Christmas-lit boulevards. So, enjoy a little bit of virtual shopping at Parisgirlshopping.com!

Much Ado about Hemingway

For years we've been trailing in his footsteps. Name any bar in the world and chances are, he got there before us. He's been getting on my nerves for years, but there are certain hallowed grounds one is never supposed to tread upon, and the unshakeable belief of 'those Determiners of Literary Greatness' have deemed Hemingway as being a 'Great American Writer'. And my response is he is without a doubt 'A Great American Drunk'. It was Stresa on Lake Maggiore when I finally decided that enough was enough and that it was time to start questioning the 'Authorities'. Is Hemingway all that he's cracked up to be? Were you also force-fed 'The Old Man and the Sea' in high school English classes? I have just finished reading "A Farewell to Arms" as our tour bus traces the route that Frederic Henry chooses to escape arrest when he flees Italy for Switzerland. Only in his case, rather than hopping on a tour bus, he rows across Lake Maggiore with his very pregnant girlfriend, Catherine or 'poor Cat'. If you met this guy in real life, you would run fast in the other direction, and one wonders what Cat saw in him. Reading the dialogue of these 'star-crossed lovers' is enough to make you upchuck even if you aren't dealing with morning sickness. Just the sheer repetitiveness is aggravating. Talking about courage and bravery, one must be a brave and courageous reader to wade through a lot of crap to get to Hemingway's nuggets of brilliance. Of course, they are there. And there is no doubt that if you actually do get to the end of this depressing story, you get to walk away with the image of a stillborn child described as a 'freshly skinned rabbit'. Hemingway may be deemed the Great American Writer because he leaves you with bloody carcasses in his wake. What do you think?

Have you broken Federal Law in your Bathroom?

It would be a bad way to begin the new year - by breaking federal law, so, in the spirit of transparent bathroom glass doors, I thought I might share this news alert: Are you aware that you may be breaking federal law if you are not cleaning your toilet bowl according to the directions on your cleaning product label? The cleaning product in question is regular bleach. Please read the label of your regular bleach product carefully. You may note as I noted this wording: Directions for Use: It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. I am worried that if I do not follow the procedure, this could be extremely risky: Here's the procedure for toilet bowl cleaning: "To sanitize and deod0rize pre-cleaned toilet bowls, use 1 cup of this product." What if I only have half a cup of product left? Must I buy a new container of bleach to remain consistent with the labeling? "Flush, pour in bleach, swab with brush making sure to get under rim." This makes good sense. Getting on under the rim is crucially important and the whole procedure would be a complete failure if one didn't get under the rim so from a strategic viewpoint, let's make sure that we all get under the rim and the world will be a better place for it. "Let stand for 10 minutes" Here's where I am worried. Are you letting your bleach stand for ten minutes? Because, quite honestly, I think I may have failed to wait that complete 10 minutes - and, would this be considered to be inconsistent with the labeling directions? Is that ten minute standing period negotiable? "Flush. Do not use with bowl cleaners or any other household chemicals." This is where you want to be really careful. Apparently very strange things may happen if you should mix up procedure #1 which requires a 'pre-cleaned' toilet bowl. For example, if the slightest residue of the previous products you may have used (for pre-cleaning) should have mixed with the bleach you are currently using, all bets are off. Strange things may happen - case in point - avoid at all costs the interaction of bleach with cat pee. Trust me. I would not give you this warning otherwise. Bleach is a handy product to keep your home tidy, but it also needs to be used properly according to label guidelines. Isn't it nice to know that your government is watching out for your and wants to keep you safe? Here's a toast to clean homes and clean living!

European Designed Bathrooms?

Happy Holidays et Bonne Annee aux amis en France!!! Parisgirl has returned to Cyberland after an entire year of condo renovation in south Florida. Pour nos amis Europeans, je vous donne un conseil - gratuit: N'achetez jamais une propriete en Floride avec des travaux 'a faire'. Nous avons un proverbe en anglais: "Time flies when you're having fun." Quant aux renovations en Floride: "Money flies and you're not having fun." Quick translation: Here's some free advice folks: Don't ever buy a property in Florida with 'a little work to be done', (unless you're a contractor or very handy). And if you're still foolish enough not to heed this advice, you had better have a really good sense of humor. For example: Here is the hottest news in bathrooms: Glass doors for total transparency. That's right. Even though we may not have total transparency in banking and business. At least you can have total transparency in your home. We have already received compliments from neighbors on our 'European style bathrooms'. (Although, I have yet to visit a European home with transparent glass bathroom doors). Trust me, we did not intentionally order bathroom doors with transparent glass. Our custom-made Feather River doors (which we ordered through Home Depot) have 'bronze reflective glass'. So, when you are on the opposite side of the bathroom door, you look slightly bronzed but, you are still clearly visible from the other side. (This is when you'll be happy you stuck to your Dukan diet.) Seeing as we weren't on site when the bathroom doors were installed, I guess Home Depot, Feather River and our contractor who installed the doors thought we'd be okay with the idea of transparent bathroom doors. But, I'm not sure we'll be having many guests coming to visit. Or even coming over to dinner. If you do still want to visit, please remember to bring your own curtain. Chers amis, nous vous invitons venir diner quand vous voulez- mais apportez vos rideaux, SVP! Translation: Dear friends! Come for dinner when you wish - but be sure to bring your own curtains!