Going to France, what sort of SF approved things can I do there?

[ramuman]

Thanks for all the tips guys. My trip consisted of part of most of a day in Brussels (intentional layover), two days in Lyon and Grenoble (work), and three and a half days in Paris (vacation). Many details are left out (and I appologize for the crappy pics), but here is a brief summary:

It all started off with brunch in Brusells:

Then in Grenoble, I had the chance to visit a number of labs and discuss the work that they're doing. Lunch in the early afternoon and dinner were both quite an experince. The first day, in the little cafeteria used by the lab, I was treated to a five course lunch:

Dinner came far later in the day than I was used to and was quite casual both nights:

After two days, I flew up to Paris and had a great time on my first visit there. The first morning, I caught the subway up to Porte de Clignancourt and proceded to walk...a lot. I weaved up and down essentially all they way to Châtelet. In between, I made a number of stops, especially around Montmartre. I went to the Basilique du SacrÃ

-Cœur and caught the scenery:

I caught dinner and a show at:

Then headed further down to see Notre Dame and the Seine at night:

For a night cap, I went even further south to the Latin Quarter and eventually to around the Bastille region where there were quite a few college students out and about. I took in those sights while eating a crêpe:

The second day, I took it easy. I lounged around at cafÃ

s eating light meals and chatting up the locals:

To cap off the second night, I went to the Eiffel Tower at night:

The third day, I went up and down the Champs-ÉlysÃ

es and nearby areas visiting some of the SF suggested places like John Lobb and Charvet and the Louvre:

I expected to be and was dissapointed by this:

One of the best experiences I had in Paris was getting a very casual dinner at La Belle FÃ

rronnière (right across from the John Lobb store). Great staff and friendly patrons:

The last day, I picked up some gifts which were quite well received back home:

...and I packed up my things, paid homage to Jim Morrison and flew back to Atlanta:

I had a great time there and I attempted to mix the touristy with the laid back. Paris seemingly has the general positives (and negatives) of a big city (while only having 12 million inhabitants). The Parisians were friendly despite my use of a hybrid Frenglish and I enjoyed their outlook on life and how they took everything in moderation. Not everyone looked like an SF'er, but I was glad to see the abscence of slobs. Of course, I was promptly brought back to American reality as soon as I boarded the plane back home :/

There's a lot that I couldn't include here in the way of details, but it was a nice experience combinging good food, a bit of wine, and the delightfully constant sight of pretty women.

Sadly, Atlanta is a 9 hour plane ride, but light years away in culture from Paris.

 

[gdl203]

Nice vignettes. I'll be there next week.