April in FIDO Friendly Paris
April 19, 2010 • Travel
By Guest Blogger: Helen Asquine Fazio
Picture this… Spring comes softly in Paris; the trees are blooming and daffodils bloom in the municipal formal gardens. You and your dog stroll through the Parc Camp de Mars and arrive at the Eiffel Tower. You ask a nice couple to snap your photo together. Thanking them, you cross the River Seine on the Pont de Lena and ascend to the plateau of Trocadéro. You’re thirsty by now, aren’t you, and Fido is positively famished. He gives you those big, puppy dog eyes. “Mama, j’ai faim!” “No problem, mon petit,” you say fluffing his fur, “we’ll stop in L’Ancien Trocadéro for a nice lunch.” And that’s exactly what you do, ordering his steck à point (just right) with “a bowl of water, please, if you don’t mind” and a glass of vin du maison for yourself.
Unrealistic? Not at all! The French always take their dogs out to cafes and the French love dog visitors to their capital. Parisians keep more dogs as pets than residents of any other city in the world. Dogs often supervise offices, restaurants and shops. And most French dogs walk calmly with their owners off leash all the time. I can’t imagine going to Paris without my Shih Tzu Raja. He’s my ambassador of goodwill whose cheerful presence says, “She’s OK. Look, she knows enough to bring me along.”
Sometimes visitors think the French don’t respect them, especially if the visitors don’t speak French, dress in track suits, and complain about slow service. All this is easily avoidable if you will only just please take your dog with you. The French will stop you on the street to talk to him in words reserved for one’s child or beloved. And suddenly, track suit and language challenges don’t matter any more. You are chic, you are a person who knows how to live.
After lunch, run across the street from the café and get somebody to snap you two with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Your walk up the hill has taken you to a level waist high on France’s most iconic icon. Next, why not take Fido to Montmartre to have his portrait done? You could take Bus 30 or go by taxi (yes dogs can ride on everything).
Montmartre is the traditional hill of the artists. Now it’s quite the tourist destination with sketch artists touting their varied skills. So what? Isn’t your dog is a work of art. Commission his portrait. He’ll have a half hour of being treated like Johnny Depp as crowds gather to praise him while he strikes that pose. Raja enjoyed his half hour of fame in Montmartre, entertained by the entire staff of Le Restaurant Patachou.
Had enough urbanity? Take Bus 46 or 56, or Metro lines 1, 8 or 12 to the Bois de Vincennes and let Fido run with the French dogs in this enormous and elegant park. Swimming dogs can even take a dip in Daumesnil Lake.
At the end of the day, your hotel waits for you, and yes, virtually all French Hotels are Fido Friendly. Use the bidet to wash your dog’s dirty little paws. Raja says, “In only seven hours we could be in Paris! Let’s fly now!”
Helen’s bio:
When not traveling with Raja and her husband Alex, Helen runs her consulting company, HA Fazio Associates. Inspired by Raja’s adventures and the many discoveries Raja has led her toward, she writes a weekly blog at TRAVEL DOG BOOKS on topics related to dog travel, health, interviews, book reviews and flights of fancy.
Question: Would you ever consider traveling to Paris with your favorite Fido(s)?
