The "looking down" city - Ordinary Paris

Salvaging our vacation despite obstacles, we daytripped to Versailles and Chartres.
We never expect to see stained glass windows as beautiful as those at Chartres-incredible, vivid colors.
Only some rooms were open at Versailles and we were surprised to see how much deterioration the interior exibits despite massive money the French government has spent there recently. The gardens even in fall are magnificent in expanse and views.
We still saw the outside of the Louvre - grandiose - and the Eiffel Tower is much more massive than any photo indicates.
Notre Dame is beautiful and the private Musee Marmatton is a delight for Monet lovers.
And the Champs Elysses MCDonald's for lunch provided interesting cross-cultural observations, not just food.
But it is sad that tourists travelled thousands of miles to Paris bare of most of its museum attractions. It was so frustrating to see the exterior of the Louvre and know we couldn't enter it.

Quick Tips:

Bring 2 tiny, recent photos for a Carte Orange weekly transport pass; the photo booths are only at a few metro stations and go on the fritz frequently. Passport photos are too large - the photo is about 1" by 1" and must fit into a specified space on the card which is not valid without the photo. Before and during your Parisian dream trip check www.lesgreves.com./, preferably with the aid of a bilingual Frenchman who can tell you what strikes are listed there. The translated version of this site is more incomprehensible than the untranslated French version! (And I thought my reading French was good until I encountered this site.

Best Way To Get Around:

Paris has a super transport system! Day trips by RER to Versailles and nearby areas are easy; with a Carte Orange, the visitor can stay in outer arondissemonts and still get to the major tourist spots cheaply and quickly. You do a lot of walking at correspondances (line exchange points), so you still need to walk and watch for doo-doo if you are visiting attractions within blocks of each other.

The apartment was informally furnished; the TV got only French channels. Fortunately in our down time, we watched James Bond movie tapes and read some English books, all on tap in the apartment,unusual, but suddenly important in an almost museumless Paris. We cooked all but the first night and ate by candlelight by choice. We learned to hang clothes on hangars to speed up inside drying and to regret that in limiting our search to apartments with two showers (rare in Paris), we had overlooked the need for a dryer in a rainy city. We had needlessly feared we wouldn't be near food stores; we did learn we had to check what days they closed as every store varied in policy. We came to like being in a less touristed area. We still whined about missing the Louvre and Orsay; we got used to the five or so minutes it took to get past double security to the apartment, and hoped we wouldn't have to have such security in the future at home . We only got glimpses of the cultural wealth of Paris we had hoped to experience, but we enjoyed "ordinary" Paris .

For months after our return, we missed our daily baguette and the wonderful pastries at Roussels. We also missed our wonderful ex-Algerian butcher, the master of Veal Orloff! Also, on a positive note, via a sliding glass door off the completely equipped kitchen was a patio equipped with table and four chairs; this was a very rare feature, especially in a 1500 K (US dollars) weekly rental. My smiling passport pix was taken at this table as we relaxed after a full days' travelling to Chartres and back - our day trips helped us salvage our hunger to see some of the sites we'd planned to. Just recently, I learned there's a web site with information re: Paris strikes ; it's www.infogreves.com and you click on "to know all the current strikes." Of course, the site is still difficult to understand for those with limited reading French (me) and frankly, I think the translated version isn't much better, but it is a site you could check to prevent time-wasting, as any transit strikes are also listed.

In sum, we had a lot of spce for the money -861 sq. feet, with a quiet 50 square meter patio outside. Location was super - loads of shops and restaurants , especially on nearbly Ave. General Leclerc and 6 blocks to the Marche Daguerre and its Sunday wonderful fresh produce,and everyday wine shops and cafes. The apartment was about the same distance to the RER at Denfert Rochereau, a proximity that made our day trips a breeze; we even returned direct to De Gaulle via the RER, thus saving mucho bucks. This experience confirmed my judgment that apartment rental is THE WAY TO GO in a big city.

Best fattayah and tabbouleh we've ever had (we have been fans of Lebanese food for over 30 years)! For first night a very pleasant surprise. The restaurant was very busy, but service was very good-leisurely but not prolonged. All our faves were on the menu; we chose ones we've cooked ourselves with less than ideal results. Wished we could snag the tabbouleh recipe. Decor here was a bit formal and there were a lot of groups celebrating special occasions, so it wasn't quiet. We were glad for the restaurant's menu left in our apartment which steered us to Assaabel on a rainy night as it was 6 blocks from our apartment. My husband and son both had Lebanese beer which they said was excellent. Also an after-dinner port was deemed superb by my husband. Portions were just right, so filling we didn't need dessert except for my husband who had a fig dessert he liked very much. All in all a must for Lebanese food lovers.

Our lunch here got off to a bad start, as we first sat at an outdoor table that, according to our rather formal black pant, fancy white shirted waiter, was reserved although there was no sign to indicate it was. As we were moved to another table, by luck I struck up a conversation with the hostess who was escorting us. In excellent English she kindly informed me ALL public museums were closed indefinitely because the museum workers were on strike. But for her warning we would have proceeded to the Orsay after lunch, only to be disappointed again, as we had just been, when we had arrived at the Louvre and found it closed to visitors.

We enjoyed a leisurely lunch of haricots verts salade, marvellously crisp French beans, tossed in vinaigrette. The menu was definitely upscale in range of offerings and prices. We surmised that in non-strike times the cafe would have been crowded, so reservations might be necessary. We also guessed we were paying for the ambience; spread out before us was the immense Napoleon courtyard. Inside the cafe are three elegant dining rooms where the tab and the menu were probably considerably more elevated, but the outdoor courtyard is really more interesting for people-watching and the food and service was still stately.

In our ignorance we did not realize that the inside area is glass-walled and the other side of that glass wall is the Louvre''s Richelieu Wing that diners there can see as they eat. For pictures of this elegant cafe that is owned by the trendy Costes brothers, check out www.bohnsack.co, a site that contains another traveler''s photos of this exceptional restaurant. Worth the splurge, the lunch (especially my hubby''s two wines) fortified us to stroll around getting as much as we could of the outside of the Louvre and its vast beauty. The Costes also own the even more elegant La Grande Armee brasserie near the Arc de Triumphe at no. 3 La Grande Armee.

Cafe Marly is open from 8am to 2am, daily. It''s definitely as "flamboyant and unabashedly sophisticated," as Fodor''s Up Close Paris describes it. Inadvertently, we had stumbled into a "see and be seen" place which may explain the unmarked reserved spot we were removed from, for we were attired in non-elegant clothing as we try to minimize the cost of any luggage loss by not packing our best clothes.

Yes, I confess. We went to the McDonald’s on the Champs Elysees for lunch. Curiosity, as well as hunger, compelled us. The place was very busy, both levels of it, so I secured two stools at a counter off to the side of the first-floor ordering lines. We both decided to order vanilla shakes and their version of a croque monsieur. As I waited for my husband to return, I tried to recollect when I had last gone to a McDonald’s at home. Typical mother that I am, I recall years in terms of how old my son was at the time and realized that it had been 16 years--about that time when our teenager eschewed being seen with parents and was hardly ever home.

The interior of this McDonald’s was much larger than any I had visited stateside in the ancient past. There was much that was familiar, especially the big board of menu items and the order-takers who were mostly very young and of several ethnic backgrounds. Among the patrons were young backpackers, suited French businessmen, elderly French ladies, and other obviously American tourists. The décor was up-scale, with artful lighting over the menu and booths along the walls. The second level must have had an excellent view out onto the bustling Champs Elysees but,where we were,the emphasis seemed to be on cozy.

I would rate our croque monsieur a B-minus;it had the requisite ham and cheese, but was a pallid imitation of the ones we’d enjoyed from Madame Roussel’s boulangerie in our Montparnasse neighborhood. The ham was dry,the cheese lacked the nippy taste of that in the Roussel croque,and it was encased in a round flat, bland bun that looked like a large English muffin--not like the Roussel bread-like croque. But, surprise! The vanilla shake was really good ; it tasted as if it had been made with whole milk and was very filling and thick--much better than the thinnish American version I remembered.

The atmosphere was a bit noisy as it was the height of the lunch hour. Outside, in the cafes, others were opting for more leisurely (and expensive) lunches; it was a beautiful, sunny autumn day, and the Champs were very crowded. It will probably be another 16 years at least before I again go to a McDonald’s but, all in all, this luxe Mickey D''s tailored to French tastes provided a much better meal than any I remember getting at an American version.

Open 7:30am to 2:00am (breakfast till 11am). For menu, check it out at www.mcdonalds.fr. There have been many protests against this particular McDonald''s because it''s in such a special location and because militant French unions object to the employee wages and benefits policies of McDonald''s and consider these policies exploitative of workers.

I love Gothic and Notre Dame is the epitome of it. The stained glass windows are the main attraction, especially the rose windows, but Gothic is more than just stained glass. What interested me most after looking awestruck at the windows was the marvelous carved woodwork and the historical relics of past clerics who were associated with the illustrious cathedral. Even this marvel was assaulted by overzealous revolutionaries and then seriously neglected during the first half of the 19th century. How could they? We need to be reminded that, indeed, many sites like this and the Parthenon in Athens, have at times not been treasured but abused and used for mundane purposes like sheltering animals,as Notre Dame was during anti-clerical times. And these treasures open to all tourists face dangers from overexposure. While we were taking photos outside the cathedral several "ladies" were circulating in the crowd asking, "Do you speak English?" We ignored their queries, but others didn't and were subjected to a begging appeal. Somehow this scam struck me as almost sacrilegious given that I regard Notre Dame and other great cathedrals as monuments to what "common" men of the past achieved inspired by religious faith.

Wooden floored, white walled, aesthetically spare, in the Monet section; in the Marmottan, very Napoleonic & ornate - a definite contrast. We were most enthralled by the Monet; we were also grateful it was open, as it is a private museum. There was a line to get in at opening time, as other museum-starved tourists joined us in this somewhat out-of-the-way location, a lovely area near the Champs Elysses which we explored afterwards. It's a must for Monet lovers because it has examples from most periods of his long life. A treat! I should explain this is really 2 museums in one; the Marmottan section is devoted to Napoleanic era treasures ; I'm an ardent lover of Monet so I emphasize seeing that collection. The travelling Monet show I saw in San Diego a few years ago had about 50 paintings, mostly done late, so I was delighted by the wealth here.

At the risk of noting the obvious, Versailles, like the Louvre, is colossal, ornate, and intimidating, which it was meant to be in order to keep all of le roi soliel's courtiers in line, not plotting, but distracted by fun & games. The sheer size of this place, not only the interiors but the exteriors (extensive panorama of gardens stretching as far as eye can see), would and do make a person feel very small.

Leaving Denfert-Rochereau RER station, we hoped Versailles would be open. When we arrived and walked from the station and turned left, there it was - a tremendous hulk behind golden gates. After 10 minutes of searching for a ticket place, we found one and learned we were in luck for a change. The guides had decided the tour of the queen's and king's apartments and the famed Hall of Mirrors would open that day. The ticket seller had just gotten the news. Such luxury! We hadn't seen anything like it since our tour of the Wittelsbachs' town residence in Munich (the Residenz), but, again it was the scale of it that was dwarfing.

The prismatic effect of the Hall of Mirrors along with its impressive length certainly wasn't lost on anyone who entered it. The glories of eighteenth century painting reigned here, even on the ceilings. Such opulence is stunning. However, the exterior grounds seem to assert the ultimate authority of Nature. Versailles' gardens, filled with fountains and statuary, were meant to embody the ideal of Nature controlled by Man, but the extensive damage caused by winds a few years ago seemed to belie that ideal. Several trees had to be removed. With artful symmetry amid what seem to be unlimited vistas, the gardens stretch out for miles and miles before you. When we visited, tourists were limited in number perhaps not only because it was October, but also because many probably thought all Versailles would be closed. At any rate, we benefited from the uncertain situation and were able to stroll at leisure for over an hour. Then, lunch, and a hop back onto the train to return to our temporary "home."

We saw Chartres Cathedral after we had seen Notre-Dame-de-Paris and,although Notre Dame's stained glass is marvellous,to us those of Chartres are miraculous.Modern-day experts in the art of stained-glass can't determine conclusively how "they" did it- the "they" being "ordinary" craftsmen of medieval Chartres.

Chartres was an easy day trip for us from Paris via Gare Montparnasse, as we were so close to the RER at Denfert-Rochereau. To describe the indescribable is difficult; the wondrous colors of Chartres' windows must truly be seen to be appreciated; the most expert photographs of them do not do justice to their glorious impact on their viewers. My expectations were high; therefore, I braced for a let-down of those grandiose e xpectations. If anything, those expectations of the beauty of Chartres'stained glass were dim; Chartres is a truly overwhelming experience of color and light. You're impelled to drink it in.

No wonder that Malcolm Miller,the famed guide who has spent his life studying Chartres, still persists in his mission of illuminating the miracle that is Chartres. If you can, take his tour; we couldn't, but some friends of ours did, and highly recommended it to us as more than worth the cost - around $5 or $6. Tours are usually at noon and 2:45pm daily, except on holy days or special event days at the cathedral.

But our experience was a highlight for us, sans tour and sans the "guidance" of the book "Chartres Guide of the Cathedral," which we purchased in the well-stocked cathedral shop after we had spent over an hour within the cool confines of this masterpiece. Never before in my life have I been so awestruck by man-made sights as I was at Chartres' windows. As a tribute to the unifying impetus of religious fervor, the cathedral, its symmetry, sculptures and intricate choir screen, all seems dominated by those colors, those reflections that emanate from those windows. Go! Enjoy! Be overwhelmed!

From Gare Montparnasse, the train took less than an hour;walking through the quiet town took us less than 20 minutes,a tranquil stroll over a well-marked path. Some tourist shops surrounded the cathedral,as well as some charming-looking cafes, but the atmosphere was decidedly non-touristy-rather reserved and respectful of the aesthetic achievement of its grand monument to the Middle Ages. After we left the interior, we circled its exterior to view the lovely rural countryside in which it sits. Above all, aftervisions of Chartres will linger in your mind - an intensity of blues, reds and purples truly memorable,truly nonpareil-without equal. I LOVE Chartres!

On Sunday, when many of the shops were closed, we found shopping in the Marche Daguerre a godsend, as, like the Parisians, we shopped each day, limited by what we three could carry back to our apartment. The upside of this necessary limitation was we enjoyed fresh food. In our apartment former renters had left several bags in which to tote our purchases- a real plus. We made sure we did the same before our departure.

The Marche Daguerre was full of several stalls full of outstanding produce at very reasonable prices. My chef husband was able to pick out all the accompaniments to our Veal Orloff which we had previously gotten at the triperie. We also secured some wine and some beautiful flowers to decorate our candlelit dinner table because several of the shops on this cobblestoned, pedestrian street were also open.

Quite different from what we're used to at home, this 2 block area is full of bakeries, pharmacies, cafes, as well as a health food store, jewelry designers, perfumier and even a bon-bon shop (walk on by, fast). I appreciated this insistence on freshness direct from the producer, as I remember when my grandmother used to buy produce from a man who travelled our neighborhood in an upstate New York city before World War Two ended and the age of the supermarket dawned. Here in the Marche Daguerre the proprietors do let you pick out the produce you desire and check out at the register, where they weigh it on the same scoop scale my grandma's produce vendor used. And you are getting vegetables and fruit that are superior to that in the markets at home because they're there only for the day. The nearest metro, Mouton-Duvernet is three blocks south from the market and Denfert-Rochereau is a short two blocks away. On Sundays, many of the food shops on General Le Clerc are closed and thus the market can thrive. Vive la France! This difference is worth preserving.

Yes, the symbol of Paris. We've all seen umpteenth pictures of it; many of us cannot (or refuse) to believe that , when it was first completed, it was criticized as ugly, not fitting to adorn the city of light, not French. It was meant to be temporary for the Exhibition of 1889. It was not torn down because it was seen as useful as a radio and telegraph broadcasting installation! What I will remember most was my astonishment at how huge it is. Photos do not capture this most important characteristic of the tower; it dwarfs everything and everyone around it. It defies the photographer to capture its immense solidity. It dominates by the sheer force of size.

As my husband has a fear of heights, we did not ascend it. We did gawk at it from every angle possible and noted its embellishments, its tributes to the great men who contributed to the body of French scientific culture. Characteristically French is the way in which the contributions of individual men are commemorated in the naming of streets as well as on this quintessential symbol of Paris, and by extension, all France. Of all the photos I've seen, none made me aware of the fact that the Eiffel is, in part, a monument to those who achieved in the sciences. Many of these names are unfamiliar to Americans, though Lavoisier, Cuvier and Daguerre were familiar to me. My research revealed these names were Eiffel's idea. Around the turn of the century, these tributes were removed during a painting and not restored until the late 1980's which may explain their absence on many photos.

Surprise at this salient feature of the Eiffel Tower that you only realize when you see it in person up close, gave way to continual astonishment at the engineering marvel that it is. It was built in 26 months,this experiment in steel that proved skyscrapers could be viable. It's so THERE, with about 2 and a half million rivets holding it together and weighing over 7,000 tons. It seems so immoveable, so permanent, yet so graceful that, from certain angles, it appears lacey like fillagre. Indeed, it is so French in its combination of opposites, that it is truly one sight in Paris that needs to be seen, examined, and applauded. Of all the famous sights, the Eiffel Tower is the most memorable Parisian experience because nothing can prepare one for actually seeing it. It is an indelible sight and a sight more unlike what you expect than any other sight in Paris.

The nearest metro is Bir-Hakheim on line 2; the nearest RER is Champs-de-Mars Tour Eiffel on Line C. For changing prices for visits to the three levels by lift or the stairslevel, as well as history and a Quick Time VR software simulation of views from the top, visit www.tour-eiffel.fr.and click on the British flag.

Despite an inoperative shower in our apartment, and intermittent rain that made clothes drying on a rack outside impossible, we discovered the exquisite pastry and real bread at our local boulangerie and a butcher who was expert at preparing veal orloff for us. On our walks, we discovered benches in mini-parks throughout the city that helped us maintain our stamina. Our kitchen was equipped for culinary success and stores abounded in the neighborhood so we could carry a tolerable load.

It was pleasant to live for a week in an apartment. With most of the museums and tourist sites closed , if we had been staying in a hotel we would not have experienced the "ordinary" Paris of shopping at small boulangeries and triperies. We saw less of the extraordinary Paris we'd come to see, but more of the "ordinary" -we got to know the local butcher and charming madame who owned the boulangerie; we had to try our fractured French (I read it a little but can"t pronounce it worth a darn) with every effort rewarded by encouraging smiles that dispelled the notion that all Parisians were aloof.

Next time, we'll try for a small hotel in the 11th arrondissement. We explored the area around the Bastille and found it exciting -- filled with quaint little alleys and posters everywhere for off-beat concerts. It's an area in transition with evidence of cranes for reconstruction everywhere. Ethnically diverse and filled with young people, the area seemed to be filled with cafes where everyone seemed to be people watching. People, not dogs, seemed to reign here. The Opera House gleamed as people streamed in and out of what was a busy place. An ambiance of revival prevailed.

Paris is old, but,like other great cities, it is also embracing the future and renewing itself in the 11th. Others may find the pristine chic of the Champs Elysses more arresting, but for me transitional areas like the 11th er in Paris and Southwark in London are not only good for the budget but also for the soul. You see not only more of what has been before it gets "prettied up" for tourists, but also more of what is becoming - links between past and future.

Having literally spent two months searching for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom rental apartment for the three of us on our Paris jaunt, I not only learned by doing to search the net but also formed some definite judgments on what to look for in a site to make the search less frustrating than it was for me.

First of all, search early and NEVER try to book in August; replies to your availability inquiries will dribble in or not materialize. Better yet, prioritize- look first for sites by owner direct which have a recently updated availability calendar and e-mail address to owner. These direct from owner sites will usually be cheaper, often smaller, and a bit riskier, some contend, but I prefer them because I feel most people are trustworthy and certainly these people are trusting you with their property. Look at size of security deposit- is it a reasonable % of the rent?

Now that IGOUGO has added Interhome, we have a great resource; the agency fee is modest, there's an availability calendar, and , above all, these prices are bargains and the security deposits are quite minimal. However, a survey today indicates many of these apartments have already been snapped up. Other good direct from owner sites are No More Hotels and vrbo.com.

What if, like us, you are trying to let an unusual, rare property at under 2K a week (including refundable deposit)? We used drawbridgetoeurope.com, an Oregon-based agency, not exclusively Paris, but with good site pictures and descriptions, reasonable prices and security deposits, simple key-pick-up and leave in the apartment procedures, and a simple method of paying for "extras"like telephone, electricity and heat. Deliberately economical, this firm charges $45 booking fee and doesn't accept credit cards, but will accept personal checks. When the people in Paris were notified by the plumber that he couldn't repair the second bathroom while we were there, we were offered a one night's rental rebate. Within 6 weeks, the security deposit arrived. All in all, a very good experience by an agency with an excellent KISS policy.

If you just want to search for two, you should have no trouble finding what you want in an inner arrondissement for about $800-1500 a week ; Parisian apartments tend to be small but most include that wonderful, separate WC which is starting to catch on even here in new Southern California homes. But, if you want an apartment with second bathroom, or one with a terrace or private patio, as we had, then I think it's best to search for it in the double-digit outer arrondissements. In these areas, apartments tend to be newer-built(ours was 1986), and have more space (ours was 800 sq. ft.). As you can see from reading this, the Interhome prices are really super-economical, especially if there are only 2 of you in such a romantic city.

If you are looking for an unusual or economical apartment,you can get exhausted quickly. I'd like to share some URL's of sites I found especially commendable as web sites with clear description,pictures, variety of areas and navigational ease. Since I didn't book with them,I can neither recommend them or make comments about their actual booking procedures.

First of all, there's a useful list by Locaflat,one of the biggest apartment agencies in Paris. You access it by using Google Search for "france apartment." It's NOT available at www.localflat.com. Here are the URL's of sites I found the most "together." NYHabitat.com. This site offers lots of apartments in varied sizes with various amenities.It's easy to use,with clear,checked-off descriptions and very good photos.It represents owners with those rare 2 and 3 bedroom apartments for groups and prices are very reasonable for these large gems. WARNING -avoid. A guide I "helped" sadly found this organization inept, unresponsive & above all not up-front. Their fee is folded into the rental price &, worst of all, once you've paid them, they do nothing for that fee. You must deal with the owner directly re: security deposit & all the other essentials. Therefore,I conclude it is only a referral venue. Pity, a well-presented site that appears to be other than what it should be---NO RECOMMENDATION.

However, one can use the bad for good: the guide, Truly Malin found the apartment she rented from NY HABITAT for less money on another site,so why not turn the good graphics & ample descriptions on this site to good use? If you find an apartment you like on another site that lacks specifics, check this site to find out if it lists that same apartment.And refer to Truly Malin's journal for details about apartment living in Paris.

Next, Aparisienhome.com offers a good range of sizes, gives floor plans,street names, nearest metro, and prices. There's NO agency fee, but you add 5.5% for Paris city tax per day, and telephone & electric charges. Very reasonable prices, with small photos, but very specific descriptions. (current e.g. a 2bed 2 bath 62 sq.m. in the 14th at 923 euros a week-BARGAIN).HOWEVER, I don't like their requiring 100% deposit and credit card info. for security. Also there's no housekeeping before your arrival that's guaranteed. Footnote: we had to clean entire kitchen in our Montparnasse apartment as dust was everywhere. We surmised this was because the apartment hadn't been rented in some time. ASK if apartment has been recently tenanted or has been recently cleaned.

If you only want 1 bedroom and Interhome is all booked up, try paris-flats.com. Run by an American ex-pat, Glenn Cooper, currently all he has are 1 bedroom (he has had 2 bedroom in the past) , but they are all newly remodelled and only $950.00 a week. His photos are of both exterior and interior which is useful for identifying you've arrived at the right place although les pages jaune also helps. UPDATE 2003 www.aparisianhome.com has lots of small flats for 2-3 people in inner arrondissements at reasonable prices. Now, on this site, you can rent daily,and start any day: of course, the daily rate is more expensive, but these policies are welcome alternatives to the usual Parisian rental rigidity.Hopefully, this flexibility will spread in the Paris rental market.

Some sites I didn't like include Paris Sejour with its complicated "utilities pass" and no prices mentioned on the site; Chez Vous because it seemed over-priced , Panache, the site of which is cumbersomely slow to navigate, and its 100% booking fee , and At Home in France (over-priced).

Finally, among luxury sites, I liked Servissimo, although it has a rather klutzy classification code for price ranges (King to 10 card) (Currently, they have a 90m square Montparnasse 3bedroom/1 bathroom listed in the $1400-1700 range), but note only 1 bathroom! I sincerely hope this URL starter will help others in finding their temporary "pied a terre" in a beautiful city.

Generally, use caution in apartment booking.If an agency or individual does not respond with reasonable promptness, don't pursue them further. Such unprofessional conduct should serve as a warning of trouble down the road. Go on with your list of prospects-there's plenty of other fish in the sea. Don't panic. The search & book process requires all of your attention to detail & your responsibility to ask any questions until you get satisfactory answers.

Maybe I'm naive,over-confident or just too plainly American,but,when I travel,I keep my Le Sac compartments unzippered for quick draws-map,guidebook pages,reading/sun glasses,just as I do at home. As it is,I'm burdened with neck pouch and waist wallet,at which my hubby and son laugh or just merely chuckle(if they're being kind). Having been to Europe three times,I also "almost always" carry my shoulder purse bandolier-style, across my bosom,and,long ago,discarded my fanny packs-too sophisticated for 'em. My Le sac's only valuable contents are my prescription glasses, but I've been too blase to consider how I would cope if I lost them while I was in a foreign country. But, an incident in the Paris Metro punctured my self-confident ignorance.

I was not only surprised but chillingly shocked when,as we were leaving the Champs Elysses area at the Bir -Hakeim metro station,going down the escalator to the line that would take us to Notre Dame,I FELT the presence of a hand(?) reaching into my open purse slung over my left shoulder. I didn't think;I just extended my right hand across my body and down on top of my purse,hard, and turned to face the female person behind me,who was slightly to my left. Sure enough,there was a flurry(her hand leaving my purse?)and her face registered (obligatory?) shock, but she immediately speeded up ahead of me and my companions,careful not to run,but not to slow down,either.

After this(ambiguous?)incident, which my husband and son who were just ahead of me caught only a hearing sense of(my slap was LOUD),I started assessing just what had happened. Imagined a hand in my purse? "Uh,uh," said my subconscious. "I don't think so," said my mind. They agreed with each other.

I'll never know for sure, but I don't regret reacting as I did. She DID SPEED AWAY FROM ME VERY FAST. It would have been terribly inconvenient to have lost my glasses. Since this experience, I've read several tourist accounts of successful and unsuccessful pickpocketing in Paris metro stations,and statistics kept by Parisian police that indicate recent rises in reports of such incidents to them. How will I change? I changed somewhat immediately; I stopped, zippered all, and slung the purse bandolier style. I was SHAKING afterwards, not during the incident.I've gotten travel clothing with hidden pockets for my glasses, and I will break the unzippered compartment habit at home,so I'll be able to feel free of worry about essential loss.

I also believe, when in doubt, follow your instincts-that is, believe your senses,and that belief of mine took over that day. We encounter events during our travels that we can't totally prepare for, but we should carry with us a wary alertness that we strangers stand out to some people as easy targets. Trip preparation should include taking steps to minimize the possibility that our longed-for travel won't be ruined by serious loss because of our own ignorance, or a false belief that it can't happen to us.