August can sometimes be a bit of a quiet month in Paris. Traditionally all of the Parisians up root themselves and go on their holidays for the entire month. Not a bad life eh? Usually it means that I get rather bored because lots of restaurants/cafes/museums shut up shop for the summer due to the reduced clientele but now that I am working I have less time to be moping about with nothing to do!
However I have decided to put pen to paper and let you know about a few of the places that are still open in this dead season.
What could be better than a coffee with a good book in the shadow of one of Paris' most famous landmarks? Well my first recommendation ticks all of those boxes. Shakespeare and Co is infamous with the Parisian literary scene but their coffee shop with the view of Notre Dame is my favourite place to unwind with an iced chai latte and my newest book.
Speaking of books that brings me onto my next tip for managing summer slovenliness. I am currently working my way through The Man With The Golden Typewriter which was kindly given to me by my kind sister. It's a collection of letters to and from James Bond's biographer Ian Fleming. It's witty as well as fascinating. If non-fiction isn't really your thing then maybe The Night Manager is more your thing. I loved the TV adaptation but I have to admit that the book is so much better it even helped me escape a little from the daily commute.
It is now three years since I moved to this beautiful city and would you believe there are some places in Paris that I still haven't been to? I decided to remedy this by wandering around Pere Lachaise cemetery the other day. Now this may seem a little bit morbid but I had a wonderful time. There are many famous people buried there from Oscar Wilde to Jim Morrison but I decided not to search for the famous graves but just to soak in the tranquility. A must see for every aspiring Parisian.
Finally before you all think that I spend my time being cultured I should really write about a bar or two. Recently when my family came to visit we stumbled across a hotel bar that has become a firm favourite. Hotel de JoBo in the Marais is a fantastic place for a girly cocktail or three. You can get the barman to make you something personalised or just a classic favourite. To soak up the booze then you can hop skip and jump along to La Perla which is a Mexicain restaurant on rue Francois Miron where you can get delicious food all night long and did anyone say fishbowls of margaritas?
