Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [319]
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THANKS
STEVE FALLON
A number of people helped in the updating of Paris, in particular resident Brenda Turnnidge, who provided invaluable support and insider’s information with her usual efficiency and enthusiasm. Thanks too to Zahia Hafs, Caroline Guilleminot, Olivier Cirendini, Bryan Manning, Dominique and Martine Bodez and Nick Franklin for assistance, ideas and/or a few laughs along the way. Daniel Meyers and Patricia Ribault were overwhelmingly hospitable to a stranger and I (no longer same) am very grateful. A very special merci to my coauthor, Nicola Williams, a true professional who writes not just with flair but with sparkle and keeps to her deadline and word counts. What more could a boy want? As always, I’d like to dedicate my share of Paris to my partner Michael Rothschild, a veritable walking Larousse Gastronomique.
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THE LONELY PLANET STORY
Fresh from an epic journey across Europe, Asia and Australia in 1972, Tony and Maureen Wheeler sat at their kitchen table stapling together notes. The first Lonely Planet guidebook, Across Asia on the Cheap, was born.
Travellers snapped up the guides. Inspired by their success, the Wheelers began publishing books to Southeast Asia, India and beyond. Demand was prodigious, and the Wheelers expanded the business rapidly to keep up. Over the years, Lonely Planet extended its coverage to every country and into the virtual world via lonelyplanet.com and the Thorn Tree message board.
As Lonely Planet became a globally loved brand, Tony and Maureen received several offers for the company. But it wasn’t until 2007 that they found a partner whom they trusted to remain true to the company’s principles of travelling widely, treading lightly and giving sustainably. In October of that year, BBC Worldwide acquired a 75% share in the company, pledging to uphold Lonely Planet’s commitment to independent travel, trustworthy advice and editorial independence.
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with over 500 staff members and 300 authors. Tony and Maureen are still actively involved with Lonely Planet. They’re travelling more often than ever, and they’re devoting their spare time to charitable projects. And the company is still driven by the philosophy of Across Asia on the Cheap: ‘All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!’
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NICOLA WILLIAMS
The overwhelmingly graciousness, good humour and willingness to help of the many (very busy) Parisians and others I interviewed during my forays in the capital cannot be emphasised enough: Un grand grand merci to NetVibes.com founder and CEO Tariq Krim and his assistant Laure Chouillou; Patricia Wells (www.patriciawells.com); Romee de Goriainoff (The Experimental Cocktail Club); Virginie Violet (La Scène Bastille); vintage fashion experts Franćoise Auguet (Ragtime) and Lawrence Carlier (Le Dépôt-Vente de Buci); Christophe at Le Pré Verre. Outside Paris, many thanks to Roland Pinson at the Boucherie Pinson in Chartres; Laëtitia Rousseaux at Château d’Anvers; Bartabas, Laure Guillaume and Marie-Hélène Arbour at the Académie du Spectacle Équestre in Versailles; and Sue Dumand (Reel Books) for an invaluable lowdown on the Fontainebleau scene. Kudos to my coordinating author Steve Fallon, font of Paris knowledge and super-heroic to work with. And on the home front a flurry of heartfelt bisous to Sally Elliott for revealing her Paris haunt favourites; my parents Ann and Paul Williams; and Matthias for holding the fort while I was gone, valiantly testing out Paris for kids with Niko, aged six, and Mischa, aged four, and last but far from least, sparking off the love affair to start with.
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OUR READERS
Many thanks to the travellers who used the last edition