Wandering Paris: A Guide to Discovering Paris Your Way

I've been to Paris many times and even lead tours there. When I saw this book, I thought it would be a fun read but wouldn't tell me anything I already knew. I was pleased to discover that there is still a lot I don't know (thank heavens!). Jill's book inspired me and gave me some new nooks to explore next time I am in Paris. The illustrations are delightful and inspiring. I gave this book to a friend of mine whom I am taking to Paris for her first visit. I told her to flag things she wants to do and see. She's an artist and this seemed like the perfect guidebook to introduce someone to Paris's many delights.

This book was a pleasant surprise, with the artwork alone being worth the purchase! My husband and I are planning a trip to PARIS in August, and are learning all we can that will make it enjoyable. I thought in the stack of books I already had on Paris that I had a map of the neighborhoods called "arrondissements" but couldn't find ANY until I opened Jill's "Wandering Paris" which had just arrived. I found a very colorful map of the arrondissements right in front! It got better from there. I want to swim while in Paris although my husband, who was there for a week in 2000, said there aren't any places to swim. Well, Jill points out that "Public swimming pools are abundant in Paris, and some are exceptional." She writes that you can even "Go to the beach along the Seine." ... "you'll find sand, palm trees, umbrellas, rollerblading, bikes and Pétanque plus a swimming pool..." In his defense, he was there in DECEMBER! ha! We're also learning FRENCH, and Jill provides an abundance of vocabulary words WITH a pronunciation guide for each. For the night life, we had no idea that Friday is "Friday Night Skate", "rollerblading by night on escorted journeys through the city". We can't take all of our books with us on this trip, but Jill Butler's "Wandering Paris" is going with us for sure! [We're going to buy her other book as well! Rendez-vous with France: A Point and Pronounce Guide to Traveling, Shopping, and Eating

I wrote Wandering Paris because it's the way I like to travel. My experience of sharing the book has been very rewarding. Mostly people say "It makes me want to go to Paris". With time and distance of it's creation, it does the same thing to me. Bon Voyage!

This charming book reminds us that a great part of the joy of Paris is found by taking time to wander. It's of great value to reorient those of us who no longer know the city as well as we did when we and it were younger. In her illustrations, Jill translates the austere grandeur of Paris into colorful, intimate depictions of local detail, taken from the very real places she writes about. I wish I'd read Wandering Paris before my last trip to Paris, from London, on the Eurostar, just for Sunday afternoon, just to remind myself. I'd have gone to the Sunday market, instead of taking an earlier train home.

The French have a word for instinctively following where your interests lead and Wandering Paris is written with an eye to that very independence and curiosity. Certainly, no decision should ever be undertaken until after your first cup of coffee; then, the exploration du jour should be based on weather and your energy level. Armed with a few icons throughout the pages (information, maps, metro stations and a simplified vocabulary), any willing visitor can absorb the extraordinary sights of Paris in a series of suggested one day excursions guaranteed to bring the intrepid tourist into the bustling Paris streets: water bars, swimming pools, famous landmarks, flea markets, artist's haunts and outdoor cafes, a city of surprises waiting to be discovered. Accompanied by fanciful watercolor illustrations, this small book fits easily into a carry-bag, at your fingertips whenever inspiration strikes. This guide is designed by an author/artist who loves the idiosyncratic city, life bubbling below the surface, beyond the obvious charm of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, the secrets of the streets revealed. This is an insider's tour, with fourteen themed adventures that include Paris nightlife, shopping the French way, patisseries, neighborhood bars, museums and more. Whether on foot, metro, bus or taxi, Paris is a city of endless adventure, appealing to the impulsive, the romantic and the curious. These suggested outings are staggered to allow for the most enjoyment, i.e., a shopping excursion may be followed by a leisurely day in the park, a journal close at hand to chronicle your thoughts. Whether picnicking, strolling the boulevard or watching the city blink to life at nightfall, this little guide is infectious in its enthusiasm, from the charming illustrations throughout, a list of gifts to take home and enterprising daily outings to the appendix of helpful sources. Wandering Paris is an adventure all its own, an invitation to Paris, your way. Luan Gaines/ 2005.