Reader Reviews!

Only two weeks after its launch, reader reviews are starting to roll in! Here's a few of the notes we've received. Thank you!

It's not easy breathing new life into the guidebook genre, but Marsha Moore has nailed it. In her light, conversational style she's shown me a Paris altogether different from the one I thought I knew. This book is far from the usual dictionary list of 'must see' tourist sights ; it's a book of ideas, and shows a side of Paris the other guide books miss entirely. It's also a book full of old favourites such as the reclining chairs around the fountains in the Tuileries (p93), alongside gems I knew nothing about such as Castel Beranger (p43). If you've been to Paris before and what to see more of the 'real' Paris, or you just want to escape the tourist hordes, this is the guidebook for you. I'll be taking mine with me the next time I go - I only wish that was tomorrow.
--Joe Dorward

Received the book within five days and have read it cover to cover twice. Highlighted everything I want to do. That would take extending our travels however! But my list is certainly looking different than it was a few days ago. I'm sure this trip to Paris will be so distinct from my previous visits because of you. I will be back to you upon my return and report. Thanks so much for all your research. I will certainly recommend your books to anyone I know traveling to London and Paris.
-- Marcy Eisenberg, USA


After reading Moore's 24 Hours - Paris, I want to hop on a plane today and go check out some of the treasures she's discovered for us ... flea markets, gardens, dance clubs, shopping, films, and food food food! I want to see and do it all... a wonderful read.
-- India Drummond, Scotland.

What a fun, intriguing book! I've been to Paris only once. However, I shall return. Soon. I'll have 24 Hours Paris with me.
-- Rosemary Henley

Whether you are passing through, staying awhile or starting a new life, there are some books about Paris that are a must and this is one of them. You may have been before, you have searched online as what to do, you have asked friends, STOP. This book offers the alternatives to the regular "things to do in ......" Yes, it still offers the best places to eat, drink and see but it also offers a quirkier side to this amazing city. This book will take you that little bit further under the skin of this great city. 24 hours is never enough in Paris, but if that's all you have, then what a 24hrs you will have. Already in the bag for the next visit. A great book for every type of visitor.
-- Mr MJ Blades, New York

Paris is, unfortunately, a city I seem to end up in while 'just passing through'. Be it on the way to the Disney resort, or stranded there while waiting for a connecting flight to India. On both occasions, we just 'did the sights' I wish I had this book back then. Pocket sized (essential!) and easy to flip through and set out in sections relating to the time of day, you simply turn to the hour you're in and voila, instant suggestions for places to visit and eat. Most of them are quirky, interesting and different, there are plenty of places to visit for the whole family during the day-light hours along with more unusual haunts for the more adventurous (sewers and sex shops anyone?). In short this book allows you to get the most out of a city at any hour of the day, perfect if you're passing through or spending a long weekend. Looking forwards to seeing what city Marsha tackles next!
-- Fenschwing, UK

Once again, Marsha Moore has delivered a spectacular and unique guide book - this time it's Paris that gets the 24 hours treatment. All the usual tourist traps are included, but the book also goes beyond these and offers a fresh glimpse into la Ville-Lumière. With interesting suggestions about what to do and where to eat around-the-clock, all relevant information is handily included (opening times, price, website details) with each entry. It doesn't matter whether you're a first-time visitor to Paris or a seasoned one, this book is definitely worth buying for some eye-opening new ways to explore Paris. Brilliant.
--Elle, UK

6 a.m. - Old Bordello

It’s just a generic building on a nothing-special street, but number 122 Rue de Provence was once a prime destination for royalty, film stars and politicians – or anyone looking for a little bit of loving. In the 1930s, this townhouse was one of Paris’ grandest bordellos and its rooms were designed to fulfil any man’s dream, from getting it on in Rome to being nailed to a cross. The place to be seen at night, its restaurant also attracted icons like Marlene Dietrich, Charlie Chaplin and Katharine Hepburn. Solicitors toil away behind the windows now, but for those with vivid imaginations you can picture what once went on behind the closed doors and shutters.

Old Bordello: 122 Rue de Provence, 75008. Métro: Havre-Caumartin

5 a.m. - Paris Projects

Begin the day with charitable thoughts at 45 Rue Jeanne d’Arc. It’s not much to look at, but this building is one of the earliest examples of social housing in Paris. Constructed by the Société Philanthropique, a society founded in 1780 by wealthy men ‘inspired by benevolence’, the building has housed people in difficulty since the mid-1800s – and it still does so today. The society now owns more than fifteen other buildings all over Paris, home to around 680 families.

The First Paris Project: www.philanthropique.asso.fr

4 a.m. - Pig Out

You needn’t worry about looking like a porker at this restaurant: at Au Pied de Cochon, it’s all about the pig. Open 24 hours since 1946, you can chow down on the legendary onion soup by day or sample a swine delight by night. Located just beside Les Halles, it’s the ideal place to refuel after late-night cinema or gear-up with extra calories for clubbing. Grab some trotters or some bone marrow; if pigs could fly, you can bet they’d stop here for some sustenance too.

Au Pied de Cochon: www.pieddecochon.com

3 a.m. - Rat Catchers

The store’s only open by day, but if you’re hankering after a little late-night taxidermy, fill your eyes at Julien Aurouze and Co. The exterminator’s shop-front clearly displays their expertise: dead rats dangle in the window and the sign above promises to destroy ‘harmful animals’. Open since 1872, the shop also featured in the Disney film Ratatouille.

Julien Aurouze and Co: www.aurouze.fr

2 a.m. - Be Selective

It’s full of tourists now, but from the early to mid-twentieth century Le Select was the place for artists to eat, sleep (waiterswere told not to wake them) and argue. Opened in 1925, the café was a favourite of Henry Miller, who wrote about it in The Tropic of Cancer. Hemingway and Picasso were regulars, too. It was the first café in Montparnasse to stay open all night, and even today you can still visit in the wee hours.

Le Select: 99 Boulevard du Montparnasse.

1 a.m. - Porn-Art

Is it pornography or is it art? At the Erotic Museum of Paris, the line between the two is definitely blurred. Opened in 1997 and occupying seven floors of a townhouse in Montmartre,
the museum showcases past and present erotic objects from around the world. Learn about the brothels of the nineteenth century, peer into doll-house peep-shows and see a porn film from the early 1900s. With exhibitions changing every three months, you can be sure your interest will stay, well, aroused.

Musée de l’Érotisme de Paris: www.musee-erotisme.com

24 Hours Paris Launches One Week from Today!

24 Hours Paris launches one week from today! To win your very own 24 Hours Paris book or a copy of 24 Hours London, all you need to do is either write on Facebook or email marshawrites AT gmail.com with the answer to this question:

Which city do you like more -- London or Paris -- and why?
(Note: nation bashing does not count as a reason!)

We'll give away one copy of 24 Hours Paris and one copy of 24 Hours London to the two best (or most interesting) answers.The contest is open until launch day -- May 12, 2010 -- and the winners will be posted on that day. Also on launch day, there will be a 24 Hour Tweetathon on Twitter, where every hour from 12 a.m. on May 12th until 11 p.m. that same day, top tips will be posted from the book. Follow along here.

12 a.m. - Night Walk

It may have been a long night but don’t worry: the coloured glass beads you see as you head for home aren’t a hallucination. Two cupolas, made of glistening beads threaded through aluminium, hang over a bench right by the entrance of métro station Palais-Royal, one of the first eight stations to be opened in 1900. Artist Jean-Michel Othoniel designed the Kiosque des noctambules (Kiosk of the Nightwalkers) in 2000 to celebrate the Métro’s 100th birthday.
Take a load off and join the party one more time before calling it a night.

Métro: Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre: entrance on Place Colette.

11 p.m. - Pick-Up Post

If you’re a writer without a post box and you want to get your mail along with a cocktail or two, do what Ernest Hemingway did: head to The Ritz. In keeping with tradition, writers can have their post addressed to this iconic hotel. Grab your letters, then order Hemingway’s favourite drink – a singlemalt whiskey – at the aptly-named Bar Hemingway. Whet your appetite with the 25 photos he took as inspiration for his book A Moveable Feast and savour the cocktails prepared by Colin Field, voted the world’s best bartender in 2001. Or sip a Bloody Mary, said to have been created so Hemingway’s fourth wife, Mary, wouldn’t be able to smell alcohol on his breath. Whatever your passion, there’s plenty of ways to find stimulation here.

Bar Hemingway: www.ritzparis.com

10 p.m. - Horror Show

If you just can’t get enough of cult classic film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Studio Galande is the cinema for you. Every Friday and Saturday nights, the place is packed with punters ready for the ritual of throwing rice, toilet rolls and water at the screen – and, by default, the audience. As the only remaining European cinema to regularly show the film, this small single-screen venue has become something of a legend in its own right. Bring along your props, cover up with old clothes, and get ready to sing along.


Studio Galande: www.studiogalande.fr

9 p.m. - Mane Event

Want a new tribal hairdo, complete with braids and feather-like tufts? From super-long hair extensions to radical colours, if you’re looking for a brave new look then hit Space Hair. Opened in 1996, its star-covered interior with booming music was more like a dance-club than a hair salon – and Parisians loved it.

Although it’s somewhat tamer now, it still retains its alternative feeling with trendy haircuts custom-designed for the young clientele who flock through the doors. Open until late, you can get your new ‘do then head straight to a club without losing much party time.

Space Hair: www.space-hair.com

8 p.m. - Sun Kings

If you’re after eye-popping performances, get yourself over to an old munitions factory where avant-garde Le Théâtre du Soleil will deliver theatre the likes of which you’ve never seen. Founded in 1964, the ensemble uses unconventional sets and spaces to perform their own creations. Peer behind the curtain as the actors prepare – don’t worry, you’re
allowed! – and get ready for anything. Make sure to book well in advance: the theatre is extremely popular with Parisians.

Le Théâtre du Soleil: www.theatre-du-soleil.fr

6 p.m. - Art for the People

Once a former funeral home run by the state, 104 is now a place where art comes alive. Designed as a venue for art to engage with the public and vice versa, the 39,000 square metre exhibition space has an ever-changing programme of installations, as well as a special children’s area for young ones to make their own creations. Eat alongside the artists in the restaurant, shop for your own supplies, and hone your talents in the space for amateurs. There’s no rest for the
artistic here.

104: www.104.fr

5 p.m. - Pound the Pavement

If all that fine food is threatening to make you tip the scales, why not combine a little tourism and exercise with Get in Shape’s Footing Touristique. Choose from a variety of jogging routes ranging from 3 km to 20 km, each taking in a few sights along the way. A guide accompanies you to keep you on track – and to provide a little motivation when your pastry-induced sugar-rush subsides. Get your trainers on and experience Paris with a runner’s high.

Footing Touristique: www.getinshape.fr

4 p.m. - Get Creative

Make like Monet and get out your canvas and brushes to capture some of Paris’ charm. Don’t worry if you’ve left them at home – at Sennelier, you can stock up on brushes, oil paints and watercolours to your artistic heart’s content.

Gustave Sennelier, who opened the shop in 1887, was fascinated by the chemistry of colours. In collaboration with painters – including Cezanne – Sennelier developed 100 shades of colour, ground by hand in an intensive process. In 1949 the shop even designed a product just for Picasso: an oil pastel that wouldn’t smudge. Today, the shop is still run by the Sennelier family and although the production of paints has been modernised, the history of its famous past customers still lingers in the air.

Sennelier: www.magasinsennelier.fr

Paris Beyond the Eiffel Tower

Recently published on BonjourParis.com, Marsha Moore writes about her explorations into the Paris beyond the Eiffel Tower.

When I first travelled to Paris as an 18-year-old, just having the Eiffel Tower in my sights was enough to keep me content. I was only interested in fulfilling my Parisian fantasies by shopping on the Champs-Elysées, cruising the Seine and climbing the stairs to the Sacré-Coeur. Over time and through multiple visits, though, I began to crave more. I wanted to get to know the real Paris, the one I suspected existed underneath the gilded exterior but wasn't able to access from the beaten paths. It was time to lift the lid off the City of Light and see what lay beneath.

What I found was a Paris buzzing with quirky sights and a multitude of wonderful things to explore—at any hour of the day. From outdoor art to midnight cinema and everything in between, if you're willing to stray away from the usual sights the city doesn't disappoint.

Click here for more!

3 p.m. - Flour Power

Everyone’s heard of the infamous Moulin Rouge, but in its day the Moulin de la Galette was the true belle of the ball, posing for painters like Renoir (Bal du Moulin de la Galette)
and Van Gogh (Le Moulin de la Galette). Used to grind flour, the mill relied on two windmills for power: the Radet and Blute-fin. Over the years, the building has been used as a dance hall and a television studio before being sold into private hands. The spirit of the Moulin lives on, though, at the new Moulin de la Galette, now a restaurant and topped with the original Radet windmill, moved from its original location in 1924.

Moulin du Radet: www.lemoulindelagalette.eu

2 p.m.- Hot Air

Rise high in the sky – 150 metres high, to be exact – with the Air de Paris Balloon. The hot-air balloon has been in residence in André Citroën Park since 1999, ferrying over half a million brave souls to dizzying heights. The balloon provides more than a fix for thrill seekers, though: since 2008, it has also been used to indicate air quality, turning green for good air and orange through red for poor. See Paris from above and get clued-in to what you’re breathing.

Ballon Air de Paris: www.ballondeparis.com

1 p.m. - No Strings Attached

Get out in the open and rid yourself of any technological constraints with free wireless access at the Arènes de Lutèce. This amphitheatre was built by the Romans in the first century and was initially used as a theatre, sporting venue and circus. Discovered in the 1860s when nearby Rue
Monge was constructed, the arena was restored thanks to the support of the artistic community of the time, including Victor Hugo. Now, you can take advantage of modern-day technology as you browse for your favourite Romans. And if you tire of your laptop, why not take to the arena for a game of boules?

Square des Arènes de Lutèce: 47 Rue Monge, 75005. Métro: Place Monge,
Cardinal Lemoine, Jussieu.