Parler Paris Newsletter

A Spring Peek-a-Boo at Paris

Parler Paris...
Your taste of life in Paris and France
http://www.parlerparis.com/
Monday, March 24, 2008
Paris, France

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Book your French Property Consultation Services by
March 31, 2008 and pay Dollars not Euros!

The experts at French Property Consultation can help you find your dream home in Paris or France. And now you can save!

Book any of our consultation services by March 31, 2008, and schedule them by June 30, 2008, and the charges will be in the U.S. dollar rates!

For example, if you book a one-on-one consultation, the fee of $290 is a savings of 55% off the rate of 290€ which was effective March 1* -- a savings of $137.50! If you hire our team to help you find a property, that $290 you paid for the initial consultation will apply toward the advance search fee of 1,450€, a net amount of 1,160€...but if you book the search by March 31, 2008, and schedule it before June 30, 2008, you won't pay 1,160€...you'll pay only $1,160!!! Again, you're going to save 55% of the rate of 1,160€ -- a savings of $638!

To book your consultation, search, purchase or sales assistance or other property consultation service NOW, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE, visit http://www.frenchpropertyconsultation.com/booking.html or email info@adrianleeds.com

*Effective March 1, 2008, all property consultation fees are charged in euro value and may be paid for by credit card in U.S. dollars based on the rate of exchange at HiFX Currency Converter on the date of transaction.

Every year mid March I make a trip to the nursery to purchase what is necessary to brighten up the geraniums, in anticipation that the weather will turn warm and it will be safe to give them plenty of water once again.

This year, due to the tons of renovation dust emanating from my apartment, the leaves on the plants turned a chalky white and the flowers dried to crispiness. It must have been a form of protection in a sense, because when the dust settled, I lopped off the tops, cleaned off all the dead leaves, bathed them with fresh water and then added fertilizer.

The weather hasn't turned warm like we had hoped -- in fact it's every bit as cold as ever, but nonetheless, the geraniums are already much perkier.

On Easter Sunday, during a stroll to the Canal Saint-Martin with friends, we noticed the leaves on the trees just peeking out from their Winter hiding places. It's the first sign of Spring in Paris...what a glorious time to be in the City of Light!

You may recall from a couple of years ago, a Parler Paris Newsletter titled "Napoleon's Underwear" about Pierre-Jean Chalençon's collection of Napoleon memorabilia. Since that article, the collection has been touring the U.S., finally to land on the appropriate doorstep of my home town, New Orleans.

We all know that without Napoleon Bonaparte having sold off Louisiana for a whopping $15 million in 1803, we might have been speaking French (the Cajuns and their Cajun French have little to do with Napoleon). But, did you know he never stepped foot on that same threshold, even though there was a plot to kidnap him and bring him to New Orleans?

The "Treasures of Napoleon," Chalençon's collection, will open April 6 at the Louisiana State Museum's Old U.S. Mint at 400 Esplanade Ave. I saw much of it displayed in his large rue de Rivoli apartment, including...you guessed it...N.B.'s undies. Now, all of you in the New Orleans area can take a 'peep' yourselves, as the exhibition is on until August 3rd, presented by the Russell Etling Company, comprising items assembled by collector and Napoleon authority, Pierre-Jean Chalencon, including some that have never before been seen by the general public.

The Old Mint is a perfect venue. It was a symbol of a 'haunted' building growing up there, watching it decay -- this U.S. National Historic Landmark that operated as a branch mint of the United States from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909 and is currently the oldest surviving structure to have served as a U.S. Mint. Since 1981 it became as a branch of the Louisiana State Museum until it was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Now after over two years of closure for repair and renovation, the museum reopened in October of 2007...perfect timing to 'expose' itself and a side of Napoleon we may not have known.

Every time I travel Stateside, I take a suitcase within a suitcase, fill the second suitcase to capacity with all the things that are either less expensive or unavailable in France, pray like hell that it's not over the 50 pound limit and then check them both in baggage on the flight home.

Not anymore. As Scott McCartney wrote in his Wall Street Journal article of March 12th: "Baggage Becomes A Big-Ticket Item" Both United Airlines and US Airways will begin charging $50 round-trip for checking a second piece of luggage and Southwest Airlines as of January 29th charges $25 for a third bag plus $50 for each additional up to nine, $110 per bag of 10 or more. (Actually, this seems like a pretty liberal policy by comparison!)

This is just the beginning, no doubt. With the airlines losing tons of money thanks to high fuel prices, they are desperately seeking ways to earn more money and spend less. The customer is going to suffer, if we haven't already!

'Course, packing light isn't bad advice for all you coming to France. We've watched hundreds of visitors carrying big bags up our narrow staircases, cursing under their breath about the stairs, when we're chuckling to ourselves about how much Americans can't live without...electric toothbrushes, for example!

Now, if we could only train across or under the ocean like we do crossing the Channel to England...none of this would be a problem!

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This Week in French Property Insider...

How to Beat the Weakening Dollar...EVEN BETTER!
Hot News from Banque Patrimoine et Immobilier (BPI)
By Adrian Leeds

BPI didn't stop with just their new loan product -- which still has no name but a lot of bang for the buck. What I'm talking about is their scheme announced last November to hold 25% in an interest-bearing bank account -- not an account in euros, but an account in dollars (that means that there is no exchange to be made and nothing is lost!)...Subscribers Read On...

French Property Insider is a weekly e-zine, sharing insights, recommendations, tips, and discoveries about Paris real estate and French property. Each information-packed issue is devoted to educating its readers on how to effectively, efficiently and profitably purchase property in France.

It's true. Lots of writers do it. This is your chance to rub shoulders with some of the best writers and editors in the business and discover first-hand how to turn your traveling into royalties or paychecks, and see the world in a different way than as an ordinary tourist.

To register for the Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop call Terry Frank at (202) 370-6459 EST or toll-free at (866) 415-1425 or email her at: terry@thetravelwriterslife.com

Insider Paris Guides are written for people who love the City of Light. You'll get a Paris insider perspective on Good Value Restaurants... Making a Life... Black Culture... Expat Writers...plus the newest guide, Practical Paris!

Welcome to your home in Paris. Home is how you will feel in a private apartment in Paris that has the "seal of approval" from Parler Paris Apartments and me, Adrian Leeds.

Mon Petit Ch�teau
3rd Arrondissement, Le Marais
One-Bedroom Duplex, Sleeps up to 4

A magnificent illuminated glass staircase, as unique as a work of art, is the centerpiece of this charming little country house in the middle of Paris....

Parler Parlor French-English Conversation Group
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Practice speaking French and English. Make friends, discuss interesting topics, learn about other cultures, progress in understanding and speaking, naturally and easily. Meets three times a week -- come as often as you like!

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