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If in Paris, visit Napoleon's tomb, which was a humbling experience to say the least. Also, they've got tanks parked outside, which really made my day! Like this Panzer II, a French thingie that the Grognards can instantly name, the French something-something and the kickass Kettenkrad!

BrookM wrote:If in Paris, visit Napoleon's tomb, which was a humbling experience to say the least.

Napleon's tomb was built using the last commercially quarried Parian marble, considered the be finest marble in the world, an amazing sight!

That's probably another thing my postal carrier hates me for. "What the heck is in here rocks?" "Yes, from Paros!" If you ever get to Paros there is a road there paved in cut marble bricks that was made recently. Gives you a huge insight into what the ancient temples looked like before rain+pollution yellowed them.

There is alot to do GW wise. Fantasy is big and played in most game stores, while 40k is a bit harder to find.

Malfred beat me to it.

If you go to France and don't visit Normandy and Mt. Saint Michael, then you suck.

First: there is people from Paris and there is the french.

People from Paris are rude. Too everyone. No matter what they speak.
The French are mostly friendly.

What to do in France
Eat: The french food is just good. Stay away from chain restaurant (Mc Do and other) and go to small, local restaurant ("bistro") (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bistro ) . The meal you will pay 15-20 euro for would cost you 60$ in the US.
Drink: haaaaaaaaaaa, le vin francais

For the rest, do what the other dakka member said, it's all true.

My french friend say protesting is a national pastime so thats something else you could see

Karon wrote:

SilverMK2 wrote:Lots of people smoking in restaurants despite smoking in restaurants being banned?

And, if you are in Paris, lots of dogs and "evidence of dogs having been there previously" everywhere.

Having said that, there are a fair few nice castles (that are not made out of plastic and have probably been blown up by the English at least once ) and villages around.

http://www.francethisway.com/regions.php might give you some ideas.

Not to mention some WWI and WWII battlefields, monuments and museums.

I can honestly say the massive graveyards with white crosses vanishing off into the distance are absolutely stunning, beautiful and deeply moving.

The only part that I felt was worthwhile of my trip to France. I'm a huge history nut, especially the 90's, and this was incredibly interesting and touching.

The Normandy cemetery is an absolute must for any American in France. It's indescribable.


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BrookM wrote:If in Paris, visit Napoleon's tomb, which was a humbling experience to say the least. Also, they've got tanks parked outside, which really made my day! Like this Panzer II, a French thingie that the Grognards can instantly name, the French something-something and the kickass Kettenkrad!

Napoleon’s tomb is attached to a pretty spectacular war museum. I drug my wife through there and even she, who is not into war stuff at all, didn’t mind it.

Vandil wrote:The fortress at Bitche is a very nice study in fortress design. Also the sign saying "Now leaving Bitche" is rather funny.

Of course the French have a Bitche Fortress...

Well, a lot of right things have already been said, especially about Paris and the Parisians (I've been living here since 2005 and I still can't get used to them)

Hobbywise, if you go to Paris, you'll have to visit the Saint Michel area (it's the arear at the south of Notre Dame, just on the other side of the Seine), there are a lot of gaming or comics shops there(among the best in France). there are also some nice bars, and a lot of restaurants. Avoid these restaurants, these are tourists restaurants and the food is awfull.

If you're interested in history, there are a lot of things to see in France, one or two hours by train, There is Normandy (and its famous beaches), Picardie the land of Cathedrals and WW1 battlefields (that's where I'm from), if you go there try to visit Amiens' Cathedral (The biggest gothic cathedral in the world, compared to which Notre Dame looks like a poor chinese counterfeit version)

Feel free to PM me to tell where you'll go, I'll tell you what to do or see.

Panhard EBR armoured car. It has front and rear drivers, and can manoeuvre backwards as easily as forwards, if such concepts have any meaning in the circumstances.

Hotchkiss H35 light tank. I have a nice model from the Solido range. The tracks on the model are metal.

Napoleon's tomb and the military museum are at the hospital of Les Invalides, which I recommended in an earlier post.

This thread really needs to be renamed "The good, bad and everything else about France!"


Who would've thought it.. France has its very own marketing thread.


Heresy. It must be Heresy.

AtraAngelis wrote:Anything to look for while in france?

Somebody's underpants?



King Ghidorah

Sologne.

From Paris, by train, one hour or so in the south, you're in Orléans.
Then, anywhere you go, you're in forests. Real ones.
And the city itself worth the trip. The town centre...

Les châteaux de la Loire. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teaux_of_the_Loire_Valley#Ch.C3.A2teaux_of_the_Loire_Valley

And Guédelon. It must be closed at the moment, it will open in May... i think. It's a castle, being build with Middle Ages techniques.

Arkon wrote:

Spoiler:

Hey Darkvoid

Darkvoidof40k is confused. Your name sounds familiar but.................

French waiters salaries don't come from tips like in the US but have a fixed wage since service is included in the price already; as such, some of them don't consider it an obligation to be polite.
(This is also the source of another stereotype on french people, since giving the 10% tips to the waiter is not in our habits we tend to appear selfish)

When you buy something, taxes are always included in the price, no nasty surprises when you want to pay.

If you want to try out french wine you must be an adult so 18+ years old in France.

On the snail and frog eating stereotype, only very few restaurants actually serve snails and only in some parts of the country. I've never tried any of them.

Other than that, have a nice trip.

Parisian waiters love to use their elbows to get where they need to go. When we were at a crummy cabaret place not far from the Moulin Rouge I got elbowed in the head four times by the staff. The next day we ate at an Algerian place run by two brothers, much better.

BrookM wrote:Parisian waiters love to use their elbows to get where they need to go. When we were at a crummy cabaret place not far from the Moulin Rouge I got elbowed in the head four times by the staff. The next day we ate at an Algerian place run by two brothers, much better.

I suppose the place was crowded then, did they at least excuse themselves?


As for any tips on Paris I'm not of much help since I live in the south of France and haven't been there to visit in a while.

White flags.

M'Kachen's Nemesis wrote:On the snail and frog eating stereotype, only very few restaurants actually serve snails and only in some parts of the country. I've never tried any of them.

Many parts of the US eat frogs too, I think that particular stereotype is one the British have of the French. When I moved here people were quick to tell me they didn't eat frogs and I didn't get why they were telling me that.

However you really should try snails, they taste like buttery garlic mushrooms.

VikingScott wrote:White flags.

Damn, you beat me to it.

I've eaten snails in France and Japan, but never frogs.


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VikingScott wrote:White flags.

Very droll.


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Lt. Coldfire wrote:

VikingScott wrote:White flags.

Damn, you beat me to it.

How exciting.

You know, honestly for all the French bashing.....I was treated (for the most part) with respect while I was in Paris. I wasn't treated any more poorly by Parisians than I have ever been treated by New York/Boston citizens.


However, I will say the most uncomfortable/unwelcome I've ever felt was while I stayed in Tokyo. There were great people there....but there were many times I had a tremendous sense of "Not welcome". Experience may vary though, as I was only there a week.

Platuan4th wrote:I find it funny that almost universally, men dislike visits to France, and women love it.

I think it purely has to do with how the French treat each: in the experience of myself and everyone else I know who's been, they're rude to foreign men and overly nice to women(and nicer the larger your breasts and/or lower cut your shirt).

This is probably a common occurence just about anywhere. I know I find an attractive voluptuous middle eastern woman a lot more interesting than a middle eastern man.

While reading the thread I forgot the question the OP asked about miniatures and such.

Here's a short list of french miniature companies:
http://www.kraken-editions.com/
http://www.mortebrume.com/

You can also look for Hell Dorado miniatures but they went out of business a while ago and are now produced by an american company.

There's also raging Heroes but I'm not sure if they sell in stores yet.
http://www.ragingheroes.com/

AgeOfEgos wrote:You know, honestly for all the French bashing.....I was treated (for the most part) with respect while I was in Paris. I wasn't treated any more poorly by Parisians than I have ever been treated by New York/Boston citizens.

I’m also kind of surprised by some of the Parisian bashing. I was only there six days but I found the people to be just the same as any other big city. I ran into some who obviously wanted nothing to do with you but then some people were very sweet and help full. A couple of highlights from my time in the city:

My very first night my wife and I were walking past Napoleon’s tomb and an obviously drunk Frenchman came up to us and started waiving his fists in my face I assume to pick a fight (or rob us, but I didn’t speak nearly enough French to understand him). I feel confident I could have taken him, but I didn’t want to spend the first night of our vacation in jail.

There was a nicely dressed man openly urinating in the drainage grate in the subway halls under Saint Michel. Could have happened anywhere I suppose but his otherwise high class appearance made it very strange.

Also near Saint Michel some young street guys were performing hip hop routines to Snoop Dog. This particular musical set made extensive use of several words of the F and N variety. The crowd’s obliviousness to what they were listening to was funny.

The waitress/attendant at our hotel who I assume to be Muslim slapped my foot several times because I was sitting cross legged and had the bottom of my shoe exposed.

But for every weird or silly experience I had twice as many pleasant ones. Paris is a very cool place, enjoy your trip, but you can game anywhere. Unless you are going to be there an extended period of time do things you can only do in France.