Day 9: A Parisian Hair Cut by Willy Leyba, Filipino star in Paris

I had heard that you could get a really good haircut in Paris -- one of the reasons why Parisienes always look so good is that they have such well coiffed hair.

So one of the many things on my wish list was to get my hair cut in Paris.

Since I don't speak any French at all, how could I communicate with a french hairdresser?

I might end up with a horribly avant garde but inappropriate hairstyle!

Then I remembered watching a tv show a few years back about a Filipino who had a salon in one of Paris' toniest arrondissements and who, by dint of hard work and talent, was a hit with the locals.

It would be the best of both worlds -- I could have a Parisian haircut by a fellow Filipino in Paris.

Unfortunately, I couldn't remember his name!

But when I got to Paris, I knew I could ask someone who would absolutely know --

Peter Lauz who owns a Filipino store in Paris and runs a transport service knows everything and everyone -- "tsismoso ako", he loves to say and true enough, when I saw him again and asked him, he said "Willy Leyba is who you are looking for!"

Thank you Peter, my dream of getting a haircut in Paris would finally be fulfilled!

I called Willy's salon for an appointment and he answered the phone himself.

After I explained what I needed, he was able to set me up for an appointment at 2:30 pm.

His salon is in the 16th arrondissement, a very high end area of Paris.

The 16th is close by to Trocadero and is where the Auteuil and Passy areas are, home to diplomatic embassies and expensive residential buildings.

Willy gave me explicit and very easy to follow instructions to get to his salon -- just get off at the Michel Ange Auteuil metro stop and follow the road to Rue Boileau.

True enough, as I turned the corner from Rue Auteuil to Boileau, there it was!

Aside from the attractive and easily recognizable lavender facade, the shop is immaculately clean, well laid out and very stylish.

There are just two stylists -- Willy and another Filipina.

Between them, they do everything -- from acting as receptionist, to shampooing, styling, cutting, coloring -- even sweeping the floors!

When I mentioned this to Willy later, he said that since help was so expensive, you really had to do everything yourself, if you wanted to turn a profit.

I had a little while to wait as Willy was busy with another customer when I arrived.

Time enough to have a "Before" photo snapped!

When my turn finally came, we had a short discussion on what should be done to my hair.

Willy works very fast, to maximize time and turn over.

While I was there, he had a never ending stream of customers with appointments come in.

The salon is open till 8 pm everyday except Sunday and Monday -- when Willy does what he can to relax and catch up with errands.

And here is my "After" photo -- Willy very kindly agreed to pose with me.

He's a wonderful hairdresser -- he gave my hair new body and volume with a shorter layered cut. I really enjoyed my time in his salon!

Willy is a fantastic guy with a heartwarming success story -- he makes you proud to be a Filipino.

Now -- when can I come back for a trim?

Thank you Willy - a bientot!

Day 8: Finds for the Day -- La Rhumerie, Village Voice Bookstore and a new Boulanger at the corner of the street!

What can be more satisfying than breaking away from the familiar and the habitual and making surprisingly pleasant discoveries?

Today, we decided to explore the St Germain de Pres area -- a bit out of our usual haunts. We started at the St Sulpice church -- beautiful and historic and enthralling, even if you haven't read Dan Brown -- and went through the small alleyways, rooting out new sights and new experiences.

By lunchtime we were still in the area and were overwhelmed with the number of small bistros, creperies, traiteurs, brasseries offering all sorts of cuisines.

We passed by the iconic Brasserie Lipp and Les Deux Magots - made famous by Hemingway, James Joyce and all those famous writers and philosophers of that era.

Hmm, interesting maybe but not today.

Behind the St Germain church, we came upon this small but cheerful looking bistro with a very attractive name -- La Rhumerie!

The good thing about wandering into unknown restaurants in Paris is that you'll always know what to expect, by way of menu and prices. By law, restaurants have to post their prices outside the door so you know just what you are getting into.

Almost all small bistros, brasseries and cafes offer formules or prix fixe menus -- one attractive price gets you the meal of the day with a salad thrown in and sometimes, even dessert.

The usual formules range from as low as 9 euros to a high of 17 or 18 euros. Quite reasonable for lunch or dinner.

La Rhumerie is no longer as full, the lunch crowd has thinned out and we snag a nice table right by the window -- where we can people watch and they can watch us as we eat our lunch!

La Rhumerie is modestly sized but cozy and comfortable. As in any bistro of this type, the small tables and chairs are squeezed so close to each other.

The food is caribbean -- from the Antilles. Hence the name "La Rhumerie" -- there are bottles and bottles of rum lining the bar.

Jay ordered a brochette de poulet or chicken kebab and it was accompanied by a large fresh green salad, with avocados and a very tasty avocado dip!

I order the salmon and crab quiche which came with the same heaping mound of green salad. The quiche was very tasty and light -- such a healthy lunch!

It was healthy until I ordered the beer! A chilled glass and a cold bottle of 1664 rounds out my lunch very nicely. No rum for me -- even if the place is called La Rhumerie!

After lunch, we wander around through the side streets of St Germain de Pres and we come upon the Village Voice, an english bookshop, quite a rarity in Paris.

Naturally, I have to go in -- and once I'm inside, well, I have to buy a book.

One of my favorite quotes goes "When I have any money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes".

After spending a day at St Germain de Pres, it's time to go back to the apartment on Rue Berthollet.

We need bread for breakfast tomorrow and this time instead of heading off to our little boulangerie along Rue Mouffetard, I decide to continue this day of exploration and go the opposite direction towards Rue Claude Bernard.

And there, right at the corner of Berthollet and Claude Bernard, just a few paces away from the apartment, I see this cheerfully lit boulanger/patissierre/chocolatier!

Why hadn't I noticed this before?

At the entrance are cakes, tartes and sandwiches -- there are fresh vegetable and fruit salads in small plastic tubs for take away. On the window you can see humongous meringues and pains de chocolat. They even have a chiller for wine, juices and other beverages.

These snack breads are just 1 euro each!

I take my place in the queue and spend my time deciding what to buy -- so many irresistible

pastries and sweets -- I must remember I came in here just to buy a baguette for breakfast tomorrow!

And buy a baguette I did -- but I couldn't stop myself from indulging in a pain de chocolat and two large macarons -- one mocha and one framboise.

They're delicious -- and a sweet ending to a day of new discoveries and wonderful finds!

Day 7 : Crepes Salees for Dinner

How to eat on the cheap in Paris... I would recommend crepes!

We usually think of crepes Suzette -- named after either a French actress or one of Edward V11's young lady friends -- which are sweet crepes or crepes sucrees as the french would call them.

You can't live on sugar alone so how about crepes salees or savory crepes for a really affordable and delicious lunch or dinner in Paris.

Creperies dot Rue Mouffetard, this popular food and market street very near the apartment we stay in. As we make our way down Rue Mouffe, Chez Nicos catches our eye and the smell of crepes cooking wafts across the way.

We order our crepes salees and decide to eat them right there.

Chez Nicos is a small, one man operation -- the open cooking area where the crepes are made is in full view of the 6 seater counter top where we wait for our order.

After 5 minutes -- during which the cook/server/waiter/cashier has also made some crepes sucrees for other buyers, our crepes are ready.

And they're GIGANTIC!

I ordered a vegetable crepe and it comes loaded with fresh roasted eggplants, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, lettuce and lots and lots of crumbled feta cheese.

Jay ordered a cheese and champignon crepe and the hot cheese has melted into a golden pool.

The crepes used for crepes salees are actually gallettes or thicker crepes made of sturdier and denser buckwheat -- to hold in all those hot and yummy cooked ingredients.

You can see just how big one crepe salee is -- the bottle of Coke light is dwarfed by comparison. My roasted vegetable crepe salee is delicious and much too big to finish in one sitting.

I take half of it home where it will make a nice breakfast for the next morning.

Two tasty meals out of one crepe salee -- not bad at all for 5 euros!

If you put your mind to it, you can eat well -- and cheaply in Paris.

Day 6 : Basilique St Denis - France's Royal Resting Grounds

North of Paris and outside of the city center is the town of Saint Denis where the Basilique St Denis stands.

St. Denis was a bishop of Paris in the third century and legend has it that he was martyred and beheaded (for all the reasons they beheaded martyrs in those days).

But the real marvelous and miraculous part of the legend is that St. Denis may have lost his head BUT he caught it in his hands and headless -- walked with his head all the way to this place -- ten kilometers away, preaching as he went.

That's a bishop for you, never one to miss a chance to do a sermon!

Today St. Denis is always depicted as a headless statue but carrying his head in his hands.

This truly astounding feat has been commemorated by building a basilica on top of the spot where he finally died.

Since the 7th century, this has been the burial place for all of France's kings, queens, princes, princesses -- the royal necropolis.

It is an early and a fine example Gothic architecture. Standing tall and proud in the town square, it sits right beside the municipal hall.

This being the holiday season, a Christmas tree and a small carousel or merry-go-round also decorate the square.

Once inside the church, you get a teaser of what lies in the royal burial grounds -- off to one side of the main nave is a chapel where you see the robes that Marie Antoinette wore before she was beheaded at the guillotine. Made of heavy brocade and be-furred and beaded, it's a wonder she was able to walk at all.

This is a view of the church interior as you enter the massive doors. The necropolis is behind the altar and is accessed via a separate entrance, off to the side of the church.

The funerary statues made of marble are so beautiful -- this one is of Charlemagne.

There are only a handful of the kings of France who are not buried here -- all told there are more than 80 cadaver tombs with these carved marble effigies.

Some of the funerary statues show animals resting at the foot of the effigies. A dog is supposed to symbolize one's guide even in the after life and the lion symbolizes the resurrected Christ -- since baby lions open their eyes only on the third day of life.

In a private chapel are the kneeling statues of King Louis XVI and his more famous better half, Marie Antoinette -- eyes cast modestly downward but wearing a revealing, low cut gown.

The marble tombs are wonderful works of art -- some are simple effigies and there are some that are very ornate.

This huge tomb is of Louis XII and his wife, Anne de Bretagne. The couple are depicted both inside, lying down and on top of the tomb, knelt in prayer. In addition, they are surrounded by the 12 apostles and the 4 virtues -- of course to help ensure their heavenly rewards.

After more than an hour in the Basilica, we are surprised to see that it is way past lunchtime.Back outside in the square, we see a typical french brasserie called Le Khedive just outside the church. It looks like a good place to stop and eat before taking the long subway ride back to Paris.

We snag a seat that allows us a view of the Basilica -- outside the window is the smoking section where people brave the chill, happily puffing away.

It may be early afternoon but I'm so ready for a cold glass of 1664 beer -- tomb viewing is thirsty work!

Day 5 : Of Point Zero, a Marche de Noel, hot mulled wine and a Cafe named Panis

It isn't the Eiffel Tower that is my iconic Parisian landmark -- it's the Gothic cathedral

Notre Dame that is my most favorite sight in this beautiful city.

I love to take walks along the area, looking at it from all angles -- from the front where I can see the two towers, to the sides where the gargoyles and chimeras leer down at me, to the back where I can see its flying buttresses.

The detailed carvings on the walls and doors are so intricate and complete -- it's like reading the story of Catholicism just by looking at the Cathedral's exteriors.

This morning, we decided to spend the day -- bitingly cold but sunny - once again walking around the area of Notre Dame.

There were lines of people waiting to get into the Cathedral. Last year, we heard Christmas Day mass here, celebrated by no less than the Archbishop of Paris himself. It was quite an experience.

Many people walk past this marker on the ground in front of Notre Dame's main doors without realizing that this is Point Zero -- all distances in France are measured from this point.

After more than an hour of walking around and enjoying the cold day, we decide it's time for lunch. Right across Notre Dame, at the corner of Quai Montebello is a typical French bistro called Cafe Panis -- it's been there for ages and is probably the most convenient place to sit, have a bite and continue to gaze at the view of the Cathedral.

Cafe Panis, with its enviable location, is really a good choice for a meal -- the food is dependable, servings are generous, prices are reasonable and very surprisingly -- the waiters are all cheerfully friendly.

The interiors are very warm and cozy. Tables are set up very close to each other since space is a premium and it's always full -- both of tourists and locals. If you sit at the bar, you can still order a sandwich -- but the nice thing is that you'll only have to pay 1 euro for your coffee. How cheap is that!

The minute you sit down, the waiter brings a menu AND a small dish of home made potato chips -- gratis! They're thinly sliced, salty and very tasty -- best of all, they're free!

To ward off the chill, we split an order of the classic soupe a la oignon gratinee. It comes piping hot with stringy melted cheese on top of slices of baguette.

Since I am continuing not to eat meat on this trip, I order a croque provencal which is really mozzarella cheese melted on top of tomato slices. It comes with a mountain of frittes and a cold green salad.

After lunch, we see that the little park across, the Square Viviane has a small marche de noel going on. A marche de noel is a Christmas market, set up for the holidays -- they pop up in public squares, street corners, church plazas. They sell food, arts and crafts -- all sorts of things!

Ranging from small ones like this one near the Notre Dame to large scale ones like the marche de Noel lining Champs Elysee where you have more than 150 vendors at one time!

One stall run by two smiling ladies is selling vin chaud or hot mulled wine. I have been seeing this in many other marches across Paris so it's time to give it a try!

Vin chaud is ordinary (some say, cheap) red wine with added sugar, spices and fruit flavors.

It's always served hot or at the very least, warm.

A small plastic cup is 3 euros and after I pay for my vin chaud, it is ladled it out from a soup pot.

I take a sip and it's very good!

Halfway through the cup, a warm glow sets in. It lasts with me throughout the rest of the chilly afternoon, walking by the banks of the Seine!

Day 4: Le Leche Vitrine in Le Marche aux Puces de Vanves

It means literally, "licking the windows" or french slang for window shopping.

And while there are no windows between merchandise and shoppers in the Marche aux Puces de Vanves - or Vanves Flea Market, for Jay and me, it was still just that -- "window shopping".

Here's Jay standing at the very top of Rue Lafenestre where one of Paris' most famous flea markets starts. The market stretches the whole length of the street, just a few hundred meters but it can take you more than an hour to traverse -- there are just too many interesting things to see and discover!

Paris is known for its huge flea markets and we discovered how much fun and fascinating they were on our last visit.

While Vanves is not the biggest, that title would go to the marche aux puces de Clignancourt, we think Vanves is more friendly, less commercial and a place where you can really unearth some genuine finds.

Sellers bring their trucks of merchandise and set up tables with their particular specialties.

While some trade in all sorts of curio and knick knacks, there are those with a specific category of goods to sell.

This load of old shoes and roller skates I classify under the junk category!

Vanves' vendors all have cars or trucks that back up right to the sidewalk and contain all the stuff they have to sell.

The market is open every week-end from morning till 2. After selling hours, everything unsold goes back into the truck.

There are all sorts of old and antique stuff -- this tapestry or rug looks like it could have belonged to some aristocratic old home.

There are paintings and artworks -- oils, watercolors, traditional paintings, modern paintings and more often than not, really bad paintings.

I saw this pair of unusual and beautiful wall sconces -- I was so tempted but didn't even ask how much they were. How would I ever bring these home?

Clothes are found at the flea market too. There's a whole section devoted to old clothes. Ukay ukay is alive and well in Paris, although they call it vintage clothing!

Old toys are particularly charming -- dolls, teddy bears, old cars -- and they're frightfully expensive too! I saw a small, very old doll in a glass case worth 650 euros!

Graffiti of a grinning cat head makes a nice backdrop and counterpoint for this table where everything that you see is worth 20 euros each.

It's fascinating to see all the items available for sale. A lot of it may just be other peoples' junk but you can and do run into real gems.

These leather bound books would make great additions to any bookshelf -- too bad they're all in french. However, if you just want to fill shelves with books that look like they have character and are well worn and read, then these would do the trick.

Matched chairs anyone? Aside from furniture which looks like it was passed down from one generation to the next, with this generation not finding it appropriate for their lifestyle, or their tiny apartments -- the other major find that you can get at Vanves is antique silverware.

Word is that young Parisiennes have no use for grand-mere's Christofle flatware that's why they've been turning up in Vanves -- selling for very attractive prices.

It's the end of the street and a snack truck selling hot coffee, fries and hotdogs is conveniently on hand for hungry shoppers.

It's taken Jay and me more than an hour to walk this short distance.

The happy thing is, we get to go through everything else again when we walk back to take the metro home!

PS -- It didn't turn out to be just window shopping for us. We bought antique silver flatware, service for 12 ... and a steal at 80 euros!