Renoir exposition in Paris

This past week I was invited to the open house of the Renoir exposition hosted by the Paris Cinematheque Francaise (located at 51 Rue de Bercy 75012 Paris, Metro Bercy). It was a tribute to painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and his son, the movie maker Jean-Renoir. Many of Renoir's paintings were on display in this gallery and Jean-Renoir's movies were being shown in parallel in order to demonstrate the links between the paintings and the movies made. Many of the characters were used by both the painter and the movie maker for their work and the results are excellent.

The exposition will be on until January 9th 2006.

Please click here to view the Cinematheque's site :

http://www.cinematheque.fr/fr/nosactivites/expositions/temporaires.html

Paris apartments --Very Useful Information about Paris

Often guests who are renting my Paris apartments email me to ask me for Paris phone numbers and other types of information. I decided to post a few of the most useful sites for Paris information including the Paris yellow pages online, the metro site, etc.

Here they are:

The Paris yellow pages in English. You can look up phone numbers of companies, restaurants, etc. in Paris as well as individual residents' phone numbers using the pagesblanches link:

http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/pj.cgi?lang=en

The Paris Metro/public transportation site in English. This site includes all Paris metro maps, information about possible strikes, and help getting around the city:

http://www.ratp.info/informer/anglais/index.php

The French Train system's (The SNCF) in English. You can reserve all tickets for trains going anywhere in France, and also find out information such as arrival times, and correct Paris train stations for your trips.:

http://www.sncf.fr/indexe.htm

Paris' own Timeout website, with all useful information about what is happening in Paris this week. Includes information about Paris museums, Paris expositions, and general Paris happenings:

http://www.timeout.com/paris/

I hope that all Paris apartment renters will find this information useful for planning their trip and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about any of the websites I've included above.

Thanks.

Glenn Cooper

Paris restaurants -- Glenn Cooper's favorites

This is my top ten Paris restaurant list. There are thousands of good restaurants in Paris so it is hard to narrow it down, but over the years I've gotten used to suggesting that my Paris apartment rental guests reserve in these restaurants which I can honestly say are my personal favorites.

1. Chez Georges, 2 rue du Mail 75002 Paris, Tel: 01 42 60 07 11
Quintessential Paris brasserie with the excellent food, wines and service that you should find for an outstanding Paris meal. It is a bit pricey but worth it.
2. Le Bistro de Breteuil, 3 place de Breteuil 75007 Paris, tel: 01 45 67 07 27
Another excellent brasserie with a price fixed menu and a large variety of things to eat. The setting is very open and the neighborhood is excellent, right near the Eiffel Tower.
3. Thai, 39 rue St. Roch 75001 Paris: Tel 01.42.96.28.24
Excellent Thai restaurant in a very serene setting. Good value for money with price fixed menu (20 Euros). Very good food and friendly service. Tell him that Glenn Cooper sent you.
4. La Strada, 6-10 Rue Geoffroy L’Angevin 75003 Paris; Tel 01.40.27.93.67
Charming Italian bistro with all home made pasta and pizzas. Reasonably priced, and the pasta is outstanding. A great Marais hang out.
5. Chez Denise, 5 rue des Prouvaires 75001 Paris; Tel: 01.42.36.21.82
Very classic French bistro with great meats, vegetables and wines. Reserve well in advance
6. Restaurant le Voltaire, 27 Quai Voltaire 75007 Paris: tel: 01.42.61.17.49
Upscale French bistro. Dress to impress if you come here to eat. The food and service are both excellent and the prices are over the top but it’s worth the trip.
7. WOK, 25 rue des Taillandiers 75011 Paris: Tel: 01.55.28.88.77
Trendy Wok restaurant where you select your food at a huge salad bar and then the chef cooks in front of you while you select your sauces and spices. Reasonably priced and a LOT of fun for an evening with friends.
8. Le Vieux Paris, 24 Rue Chanoinesse 75004 Paris: Tel: 01.40.51.78.52
Eating here you will find yourselves in a medieval setting right on the Ile de la Cite, next to Notre Dame. The food is great, and the owners, Georges and Odette do everything to make their guests happy. Tell them that Glenn Cooper sent you.
9. BHV’s 5th floor café, BHV department store, facing the Hotel de Ville on the Rue de Rivoli. This is a great Paris café, and the entire restaurant overlooks the Seine, the Hotel de Ville and the Pantheon. Great food and great views for lunch.
10. Jules Verne (Eiffel Tower 2nd level restaurant) Tel: 01.45.55.61.44
This pricey restaurant is worth it for the views which are breathtaking and the food is excellent as well. Save it for a special occasion, but you’ll be sure to love it. Just reserve in advance, since it is always booked.

France Security -- US Embassy info

This brief just appeared on the US' Travel.state.gov site with useful information for Americans travelling to France. The contact points and phone numbers are very useful for people coming to France.

Travelers in France who need assistance may contact the U.S. Embassy at 01-4312-2222, or by email at: citizeninfo@state.gov. The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Paris is located at 2 Rue St. Florentin, 75001 Paris (Place de La Concorde, Metro Stop Concorde), tel. 011-33-1-43-12-22-22 or (in France) 01-43-12-22-22; fax 011-33-1-42-61-61-40. Further information can be obtained at the U.S. Embassy's web site at http://france.usembassy.gov/.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov/, where the current Worldwide Caution, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-317-472-2328. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

New decor for Bois de Boulogne & Chanoinesse1 apartments

We are always on the lookout for new items to further enhance the natural beauty of our wonderful Paris apartments. We really want our guests to have the nicest surroundings during their stay with us.

We have just added some improvements and new furnishings to our Bois de Boulogne and Chanoinesse1 Paris apartments.

The Bois de Boulogne has a brand new top quality queen size bed, new furnishings in the apartment and the bathroom has been updated (new shower, fixtures, etc.).

We have changed the entire bedroom at our Chanoinesse1 apartment, adding new furniture, painting the entire apartment, modernizing the kitchen, and added a brand new washing machine and dryer.

Please click here to view the Bois de Boulogne:
http://www.rentals-paris.com/bdboul.shtml

Please click here to view the Chanoinesse1:
http://www.rentals-paris.com/chanoin1.shtml

Safe and sound in Paris

The recent events have appeared in the press concerning the uprisings that are happening in a number of suburban communities outlying Frances' major cities, including Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Bordeaux. This is not the first time in France's history that these type of events have occurred, but unfortunately the press has exaggerated their extent.

The events are relatively isolated and are contained in the areas where these people live. There have been very few incidents reported within the cities of France, and the events have all been aimed at items such as parked cars and vacant buildings, in the middle of the night. Nobody has been attacked and none of the events occur during the day. These hoodlums do their vandalism in the middle of the night in the obscure suburban towns where they live.

Paris is still one of the safest cities in the world. The French police force does an outstanding job of maintaining a high level of security for all people in Paris, whether it be the residents of the city or the millions of visitors who come here each year. Rest assured that your stay will be uneventful and enjoyable.

Paris apartment winter specials

Hello everybody,

Rentals in Paris is offering discounts for all rentals from now until December 15th this year. This is a fairly quiet season in Paris and for guests who can getaway now it is a great time to come. There are many different expositions and activities going on in Paris and since there aren't many tourists now, everything will be very manageable for guests who come to Paris now.

Please contact us about our Paris apartments and depending what is available, I will be happy to offer you a discount for a last minute visit to my favorite city.

Please have a look at our main site: www.rentals-paris.com

Glenn Cooper