European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 s tars and stripes april 26 2o07 Page 29 act the Stohrer bakery on Rue Montor Gueirl has been serving delectable pastries and breads since 1730 it is one of Many gourmet food shops along the Street Isian once youve lived it you never be the same by Susan Spano los Angeles times the French May rail about Hollywood global domination but they have a soft spot in their hearts for Vintage american movies As anyone who watches French television knows Channel surfing in Paris has Given me such pleasures As the 1949 John Ford Western she wore a yellow ribbon which takes on a new dimension when the Duke is dubbed in French one night i landed in the Middle of the 1957 Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn musical funny face set in the French capital with songs by George Gershwin when Astaire and company launched into Bonjour Paris i ran for a pen and jotted Down this Lyric All Good americans should come Here to die All Good francophile under stand that sentiment but it took on special significance because after three years in Paris i am sadly about to leave before i go i want to share a few More secrets about Paris every female about to go to Paris for the first time should see the movie funny face it is the stuff of parisian dreams in funny face Hepburn stars As a Beautiful beatnik and Astaire plays a fashion photographer who gets her to come to Paris As a Magazine cover girl critics said Astaire looked too old for Hepburn boy did they not get it May september to Wallet advisory visiting Paris is not cheap most rankings of the worlds most expensive cities in terms of Cost of living list the French capital in the top dozen so expect to spend some Money while there a Survey by the Paris Conven Tion and visitors Bureau found that in 2003 the latest figures available the aver age american visitor spent 2089 euros per Day in the City fourth highest average after the japanese chinese and americans on business spent even More More than 325 euros per Day the highest average of any nationality stars and stripes act Mance is a Paris specially French also is helpful study at the Alliance Francaise or Register for the sorbonne Cours de civilisation Francaise a oneyear pro Gram that has been attracting american students to the latin Quarter since 1919 but unless you learn what i Call a French Raspberry Phoh Juht never be Able to communicate with authority in Paris i Call it a Raspberry for Lack of a better word it involves pursing the lips and emitting a puff of air like the instrument used in glaucoma tests a shrug of the shoulders generally goes with it what does it mean obviously you must be kidding these vegetables Are wilted Why should i clean up after my dog there is no precise translation if s useful on almost any occasion and the More you do it the More French you feel if s All a matter of taste and some Are better Here we have shallots in America but dont make full use of them they Are called echa Lotes Here and seem to be bigger than the ones in the us conversely French onions seem smaller than the american a photos above a woman runs to catch a packed Paris metro train at the Saint Lazare train station below a Man passes election posters in the French capital to the Ameri can observer Frances politics often seem confused version but what to do with an Echal ote although i didst learn to make souffle or Blanquette de Veau during my time in France i did figure out that echa Lotes Are the secret ingredient of a perfect Vinaigrette chop one Fine along with fresh Parsley add High Grade Ohve Oil and Ordinary wine vinegar in 3tol proportion then put in 1 Teaspoon of prepared Dijon Mustard whisk it pour it on a salad and toss if you can find Scrine let Tuce a baby Romaine nothing else is needed voila a classic salade Verte the French have their salad course after the main dish but Many of my French dinner guests politely reject salad plates prefer a neighbourhood cafe near notre Dame fills up with local customers soaking up the Sun ring to eat their greens on the same plate that held the main dish to sop up leftover juices a new View can change your perspective i have never been a big fan of Montmartre the ersatz Bohemian neighbourhood surround ing the Basilica of Sacre Coeur on the right Bank it always seems crowded and touristy a Holly Wood version of Paree but i have discovered that it is a new years Day place of Pilgrim age for the French they sleep late that morning then climb the Steps to the Church and stand at the railing to look Over the most Beautiful City in the world from there you can see the great landmarks from Centre Pompidou to the Eiffel Tower its a Fine Way to ring in the new year a parisian takes advantage of an unusually warm february Day to read in the Tuii eries Garden and work off a hangover drinking Java is As parisian As baguettes and berets though tourists quickly learn that ordering Coffee with milk or cafe Creme after breakfast time is a Faux Pas at other times parisians tend to drink High proof espresso in a demitasse known As a Petit cafe moreover cafe Creme is usually pretty bad Here for people like me who drink Coffee with milk its useful to know that you can order it any time in Paris without getting a French Raspberry if you ask for a Noisette a Petit cafe with steamed milk at better places a Petite cafe or a Noisette comes with a chocolate Bonbon but you cant always count on it of course this is not All i Learned in Paris i found above All that it takes time to break the ice and to get things done in France the gallic people cannot be rushed and Are sticklers for Cor rect procedure when i first got Here i had nothing but trouble with clerks at my local Post office i put myself through contortions too extraordinary to explain in top 20 Paris Sites this list of popular tourist Sites is for visitors in 2004 the latest figures available the Sites Are in order of popularity from most to least notre Dame Cathedral Sacre Coeur Montmartre louvre museum Eiffel Tower Pompidou Center City of sciences and Indus try orsay museum National museum of Natu ral history arc Detriomphe Musee de tanned in Halides Musee Grevin Sainte Chappelle Rodin museum Montparnasse Tower Picasso museum palais gamier 1opera Library and museum pantheon Musee Carnavale notre Dames towers source Paris convention and visitors Bureau 2006 report order to get a Cane de sejour a residence permit allowing me to stay in France for three years having a carte de sejour helped me open a French Bank account knowing i was a foreigner my neighbourhood greengrocer consistently overcharged me at first now she throws extra apples and tomatoes in my bag i will miss my handful of dear French and american friends i will miss my left Bank apart ment i will miss my Hairdresser on Rue Dupre Aux clerks and the Flower peddle on Rue Dubac i will miss the Winter and summer sales at shops along the Boulevard Stgermain of course the funny face City of Light that shaped my dreams As a girl never existed today the underclass suburbs Are often in turmoil France has increasingly yielded to cutting Edge Art and style centers and its poli tics seem deeply confused so Paris is indeed imperfect but its a wonderful place to spend ones Days