Toilets in Paris

Bon Jour
I have sadly neglected my blog, but it was for a good cause. I spent the last month finishing my Paris guide to toilets. This has been an ongoing process for years. I love wandering,but nature calls more than I'd like. In my adventures I discovered hidden toilets in fabulous free museums and interesting spaces. I'm a clean freak when it comes to toliets, so I rated them 1-4 rolls. I had piles of notes, which seemed to be calling me to share, so I decided to create a fun, yet useful guide. It's been great fun and now it's an ebook on Amazon. I am thrilled that others will profit from my experience of the good, bad and the ugly in toilet land.

My last great find was the Baccarat Museum. This place is amazing. It was the Viscountess de Noille's home.  She hosted parties whose guests included Dali, Man Ray and other crazy people. This place is Zsa Zsa Gabor meets Tim Burton. Phillipe Starck is the designer. I walked in with my very best posture, thinking formal, classy, sedate but than I was greeted by a chandelier plunged into a aquarium of water and relaxed and thought this could be fun, then turned the corner to see a chair a story high which confirmed it. Besides the museum, which is a small part of the whole, is the Boutique showroom, which has 1000 € glassware that you can actually touch.  If you dare.

Best of all is up the starlit stairs, there lies the most beautiful bathroom I have ever seen, totally mirrored and filled with romantic lighting. I felt like I had to put on my ballgown to enter. Jeans did not feel appropriate for this princess moment. After sitting there on the gold puffy bench for a long time dreaming, I continued on my exploration. The restaurant is elegant, a definite place to go if someone else is paying. I didn't go into the museum, one can take just so much stimuli in one day. Walking along the Passage des Lumineres, I found another toilet, a little sister of the other, a bit more edgy with a ghostly floating chandelier behind a glass wall, but gorgeous.

I think I will have to be updating my book already since I've just read about the Louis Vuitton Espace Cultural on the top floor of their Champs elysee store. It's a free exhibition space, promoting emerging contemporary artists.  I'm sure they have a fabulous toilet.  I'll let you know.

If you want to check out my book it's on Amazon Paris Toliette by Toilette

Happy Hoildays
Would like to see this under my tree

My first Paris blog

Hello

I never thought about writing a blog, wasn't even sure how it worked, but being a writer, travel consultant(www.parisunwound.com), curious, and opinionated , I decided it was a perfect fit.   So here I am sitting in my Parisian apartment smelling the baguettes baking in the boulangerie downstairs, typing away. I just finished writing my first novel and waiting to see if anyone will publish it.  So as I moodle around (a word from Brenda Ueland's great book on writing If You Want To Write)  I will share my unwinding of Paris with you.

Paris is like a ball of yarn, one has to slowly unwind it and I mean s l o w l y.  As an American living in Paris for over 10 years, it's taken awhile for me to unwind myself.  That was the first step in understanding this complexly beautiful city. Once I did that, Paris magically began to unwind.  Of course, I still end up in  tangled messes, but it seems easier to unravel now.  And instead of a frustrated frown, I end up with fou-rire ( crazy laughter)

I hope this blog helps you unwind.  If you live, visit, or dream in Paris,  I hope to show you something you may not know.  I'll be adding pictures and possibly a video or two.  Whatever seems fun.  Oh yes, forgot to introduce myself, my name is Julie Andrews, no not that one.

Today I was walking to the bus, looked around and saw

My new best friend, A HUGE chocolate monkey sitting in a window. He was, at my estimation about 5 ft high and 3 feet deep.  That's a lot of chocolate, hope they keep the heat off.

Love much, Laugh often, Live well

 Till next time