Paris on $25 a day (or less)

Paris is great! Paris is easily one of those cities (like all great cosmopolitan centers) where you can just as easily spend $50 a day as $5000. It is a city of great class, great confidence. It is a city that everyone who can must visit.

I recommend Paris very highly because it has so many of the ingredients which I believe give quality, luster, and value to the conditions which the western philosophies (economies, religions, aesthetics) have placed upon our world. Paris deserves your attention whether you think the western world created our time, is causing a race for more time, or has brought about the end of time... Paris is no doubt a fountainhead for our current dilemma.

Lucky for B and I that we did not try and test any of the foreboding above when we came to Paris. We were here by happenstance. You see, our trip is certainly about great luck. In Paris, our luck acted like it was effulgent, then acted as if it wanted to run dry.

This is our story.

Paris, ah, Paris. What a strange sight you are in the August vacation month of Europe. How can you live with your queer friends? Your residents completely abandon you every August; then you accept this torrid affair with mad crowds for the month? Maybe you know more about what to do with Summer than the rest of us? Anyway, the weather is good - so we gave it a try with everyone else.

I would have to admit, after beating it around the world on $5-10 day average Paris terrifies.

But, we have friends. We should be able to get off the beaten path. We know that what we are looking for is community. Surely, community is something which Paris has a lot of?




While nonsequitor - all of my points above have a meaning. For me, Paris exemplifies what our world is now, what is has been, and (maybe) what it is to become. But, this is only true through looking at Paris as a series of what ifs.

Our trip to Paris was nonsensical. We arrived having no idea where we were staying only to find that we had been put up just meters from the Seine and spitting distance from Le Jardin des Plantes - one of the loveliest gardens you will ever encounter.

Luck, it seems stays with us. But, as we have pointed out so many times in our blogs: We travel unconventionally. We are open to magic (and luck happening). We begin our travels from a very privileged position that we can imagine them; that we know we can do them; that we are not afraid of them; that we know that good and bad we will gain from our experiences.

On the downside, we were waylaid for a day and depressed for two when we busted our host's washing machine (top load washer Americans is more confusing than would at first seem). We saw the issue as a lesson, which it was. We also proved our honesty and self-worth by fessing up quickly and then doing what it took to get it fixed.

This blog is not only about Paris. It is about how you might enjoy life if you were somewhere great, ssomewhere where all the world lives, and somewhere where you wanted to enjoy the great fruits of civilization in a civilized way. Life can be very expensive. But, our quality of life depends on what is inside of us. If Paris for less than $25 a day interests you, read more.


So here is what I am going to go out on a limb about on the subject of visiting Paris: Paris is for everyone. Paris if for the old and the aged. It is for the young (everyone under 18, for example, get into all of the National Museums for FREE. (If this great perk would only also include Paris-Disney I am sure it would quickly rival Orlando, FL as the ultimate family vacation hotspot.) Paris is a city for the rich. Do not go into any corner cafe thinking you can cover the cost of a coffee and OJ or a beer without making certain that you can. My Aunt has had a reciept for purchasing a Parisien OJ on her fridge for at least 10 years and they paid $12 euro back then.

But, Paris is really free. Its best parts are. And they are not too touristic (even in August). It is a city filled with delightful parks. There is the Seine River (at night we split time between the Tango and the Irish Jig dances taking place every night on its waterfront. There are dozens of beautiful ancient churches filled with art (many masterpieces) - they are all free. Only Sacre Coeur and the other one have lines! The City itself manages about 15 museums which are almost all free. Then there are les Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, the Markets, and the street life, shopping, galleries, bakeries, fromagers - too much.

So, our story has no end. Only happy beginnings to return to. Paris, or, the Paris I know and love costs $25 a day or less. It requires a couch or the gumption to bring and sleep in your tent (people do this). It has a maximum three bottle and a minimum one baguette and one chevre diet- which is acceptable for short-termers but probably unhealthy if permanent.

BTW - we really meant to get to Musee D'Orsay, the Louvre, Palais de Luxembourg and other incredible sightseeing hits in Paris. I would probably not recommend these in August. We will save them for the next time we come. Maybe we will landd here on a first Sunday of the month (when all the museums in Paris are free.

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The Plage

I’ve never exactly been a geographic nincompoop, so I was surprised to emerge from the winding streets of Paris onto the Beach.

Hundreds of people were enjoying the warm Saturday afternoon, stretched out in lawn chairs and canvas hammocks and children were racing around barefoot on the hot sand.

Did I mention that we were in Paris?

“The Plage” is a project put together by the city of Paris to bring a free seaside to the city, begun in 2002. Installed along the north bank of the Seine River, Parisians (and undoubtedly many tourists as well) are enjoying summer beach life without ever leaving the city.

It’s a Seine-side holiday!

Ranging from a kids BMX course to misting areas, and wooden lawn chairs with umbrellas to oversized trampolines, the Beach is a great way to spend a chilled-out day in Paris. There is a lending library, a free swimming pool with scheduled activities, evening concerts, and plenty of ice cream vendors.

The only drawback is that after a few hours of sunbathing, the cooling view of the Seine just isn’t enough and the misting tent seems a poor substitute for a refreshing ocean dip. But hey, at least we didn’t have to leave the city to find a taste of the beach!

For the last few years, the Paris Plage has added a sustainability component to their installation: recycle containers are prevalent and visible, drinking of tap water is emphasized through the use of fun drinking fountains, previous years equipment is reused each year, and even the beach sand is recycled! Some educational programs are also scheduled throughout the Plage summer.

The Paris Plage runs along the Seine from the Louvre to Pont de Sully, and from Rotonde de Ledoux to the former Magasins Généraux. The Paris Plage is open from July 20th to August 20th.  

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Happy Ramadan!

Today begins Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting for the sake of God. Wishing all of our Muslim friends a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous Ramadan, In ša Allah (pronounced in-sha-lah, means “God-willing” in Arabic). We especially think of those in Morocco, as we recover from the scorching heat and dusty, dry weather of Marrakech. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown, abstaining from both food and water. Imagine this task when the daily temperature is 40°C, and when sunset does not occur until 9:30PM! The month of Ramadan is variable, and moves backward ten days in the Islamic calendar each year. 

Blue Mosque - Istanbul

“The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. It also allows Muslims to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and charity.”

-Ramadan, Wikipedia, August 9, 2010

But we are in France, not Marrakech, and the atmosphere is decidedly different. Having happily landed on the lovely Rue du Gril, we are staying just down the street from the Great Mosque of Paris, built in 1926. which provides a rich visual reminder of the ornate mosques of Morocco. A beautiful and towering structure, the Paris Mosque shines as a beacon after long days wandering the hard streets of Paris in less-than-supportive flat, hard, leather Moroccan flip flips (eco-friendly doesn’t always mean body-friendly). The combination of the inappropriate footwear, and the richly-tiled, ornate minaret, always serve to remind us of Morocco as we are limping home.

Hassan II Mosque - Casablanca

Estimates state that Islam comprises the second most widely practiced religion in France, based on worshippers. However, it is evident that Islam battles for rights and equality in France: discrimination in the form of banned headscarves, a newly proposed French ban on the burka, a ban on face-veils in public institutions, and discrimination in employment. For many years, France has maintained laïcité, the concept of a secular society that mandates the separation of religion and state, including the absence of involvement of either in the other. While originally intended to treat all religions equally, some argue that this objective has fallen by the wayside. Laïcité is described as the reason for bans on headscarves, face-veils, and (recently) burqas in France.

However, before you get all up-in-arms about these topics, let’s review them, so that everyone is a little more educated:

Headscarves: Earliest reference to French opposition to headscarves dates to 1989 when three Muslim schoolgirls refused to remove their headscarves. Teachers were referencing laïcité when they requested the removal, stating that the “Islamic headscarf” was a symbol of religious expression. Think what you will on that. In 2003, President Chirac extended the law against religious expression in schools to include large crosses, hijabs, yarmulkes, and other overly large demonstrative objects.

Burqa: In 2009, President Sarkozy proposed a ban on the public wearing of a burqa, following the bank robbery of two individuals dressed anonymously in burqas. However, rather than reference this incident, the President says instead that the burqa “was a symbol of subservience that suppresses women's identities and turns them into ‘prisoners behind a screen.‘” Hmm…I remember not so long ago when I wanted to wear a burqa, simply to hide from the over-interested stares of men in India.

Employment: A recent study found that three nearly-identical resumes, with differences that indicated religious associations, discriminated against followers of Islam. The researchers showed that Christians in France were 2.5 times more likely than Muslims to receive a positive response to their job applications, and that Muslims in France made an average of 400 euros less than Christians per month.

Face-veil: A recent recommendation to French parliament calls for the ban of face-veils in public institutions, but not in private buildings or on the streets.

I imagine that part of the bans on these objects are for the safety of citizens: outward discrimination against Islam has a history of violence and aggression. Another reason can be found in the “burqa bank robbers:” face-veils, burqas and headscarves can be used to mask the identity of criminals. But employment discrimination? I really can’t see another side to that story.

When we first arrived at this incredible Parisian flat four days ago, we were delighted to find the mosque next door. Through our many months traveling through Muslim countries, I have developed a strong affinity to the daily calls to prayer - they are similar to a church bell tolling, though with a very different tone. But the sound signifies to me a message to the community, a melody of cohesion and unity for those who identify with its call. And for those who don’t fully identify with the meaning behind the call (such as yours truly), I am still drawn to the participatory and engaging tonal hum.

Great Mosque of Paris

 Yet, the Paris Mosque is quieter than we expected. Tourists come and go from its ornate green tiled doorway throughout the day, but the calls to prayer are muted, or possibly non-existent. We heard one the first day, but it was ever-so-quiet and the duration was no more than thirty seconds. This absence is so different from the Islamic countries that we have thus far traveled through: India, Ethiopia, Ghana and Togo, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco. The quiet is almost unsettling. But perhaps this will change as the holy days of Ramadan begin to pass.

Bon Ramadan!  Ramadan mobarak!   Ramadan Kareem. رمضان مبارك

for additional reading, check out the links in the article, and read this funny little story from "Rue Rude."

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