If you’d like a good scrub down and steam bath in a traditional hammam, the ladies-only spa O-Kari (22 rue Dessoubs, 2nd) offer a body scrub, hair mask and facial (2.5 hours, €199).

For a traditional Thai massage without any fuss, my neighborhood Spa de Siam (pictured left; 9 rue Coypel, 13th) just off Avenue des Gobelins, offers hour-long “Nuad Boran” massages with warm oil for just €49 on weekdays 11am-3pm. It’s not the fanciest spa in Paris, but I float out of there feeling fabulous every time.

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A mosque in the 5th arrondissement

Americans are not very familiar with Arabs and Muslims, on the whole, and tend to regard them as foreign and possibly threatening. But that is not the case in France. For starters, there are lots of “Arabs” in France; ten percent of the population is Muslim, quite a few more than are Protestant (2%). Most of the picturesque little grocery shops like the one above are run by “Arabs” (actually in Paris they are usually North African Berbers, who do speak Arabic). They are open much longer hours than when they were run by French people, in my experience.

Detail of the Institut de Monde Arabe

Although there are many French Muslims, they are not yet completely Frenchified and are not seen as 100% French by large segments of the rest of the population. I would say they are in much the same situation in France that, for example, Italian-Americans were in the U.S. in the 1930s and 1940s.

As a result of the large Muslim(ish) population, French people do not find the Arab world as odd and threatening as Americans do. For one thing they are a lot closer to it and have often visited it. Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria are part of the family history of many French families; others just go there on holiday.

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One of the stories he told me was of how he became a bouquinist. He told me he had met a woman and fallen in love many years ago, and this girl’s dream was to be a librarian. She loved books. He said that at the time he had never considered such a type of endeavor as a dream in life. But it was hers. The woman did not remain in his life (he did not tell me how it ended) but she had planted within Alain a desire to be with books. And in a sort of homage to their love story he decided to be a bouquinist. And there he is at his post, caressing the covers of so many beautiful volumes as of they were long lost loves that had come back to him.

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Say what?

Well, let me explain. France, like most of Europe, was once occupied a part of the Roman Empire. Though Paris seems thoroughly French today, there’s one amazing leftover from the time when Julius Caesar’s army ruled: Les Arènes de Lutèce. It’s one of my favorite Paris attractions.

Despite the name, it’s just one arena. And what an arena. Back in the day—that day being the first century A.D.— bloody gladiator games, circuses, and theatrical plays would take place for roaring crowds of up to 17,000. There are other Paris attractions that exhibit the time of Lutèce—such as the Notre Dame Crypt, and the Musee Cluny, which house architecture and artifacts from that ancient era.

Why is this my favorite attraction in Paris? It’s free. There’s never a line. It’s easy walking distance from Notre Dame and the Pantheon. You can bring a lunch, or a book, and enjoy an afternoon without bumping into tourists. You can comune with Paris of the past.

And it’s unsullied. Besides sign posted at the entrance explaining it origins, the arena is not “merchandised.” It was simply excavated (a convent and graveyard had been beuilt on the site) and opened as a public park in the late 1800s.

Today, old men will play petanque (the French version of bocce) while younger kids kick around soccer balls. The arena remains an area for leisurely enjoyment—but today, a less bloody kind.

Entrances on rue des Arenes, rue Monge and rue Navarre.

The latest free treat for the eyes and ears: La Nuit Européenne des Musées. It takes place this Saturday, May 18. Scads of museums will be open late, and most, like the Maison de Victor Hugo, on Place des Vosges (pictured) for free.

Needless to say, there will be plenty of partying and flirting along with the art. You can download a PDF of the program here.

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Mrs, Thatcher having passed away, a UMP – Union pour un Movement Populaire – councillor, Jérôme Dubus, motioned at a Paris municipal meeting that a street or square in Paris should be named after her: Rue or Avenue or Boulevard, or Place Margaret Thatcher. UMP is on the right, and it is the Party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy. It is no longer in power.

Immediately a FG – Front de Gauche – councillor, Aline Arrouze, made a counter proposal.

She wanted a street named after Bobby Sands, of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, who died in 1981 while being held in Her Majesty’s prison Maze. He died after a 66-day hunger strike over prison conditions and the removal of the ‘Special Category Status’ IRA prisoners had held. Mrs. Thatcher had refused to allow him to be force fed. The FG is, of course, on the left.

Said Deputy Mayor of Paris Pierre Schapira, who is a member of the Socialist Party, at the council meeting: “Bobby Sands died from a hunger strike that he made to denounce his imprisonment in the terrible conditions that Irish detainees faced, in which torture was regularly carried out by the British police. It was a hunger strike that Mrs Thatcher did not wish to bring to an end.”

The Socialist Party is in power in France, and also holds Paris City Hall. But Pierre Schapira, Deputy Mayor of Paris and a member of the Socialist Party, did not want to hear about a rue Bobby Sands.

“Every month there is something new. The last time it was the pope, and then Chavez,” he said, adding that France’s councillors must stop “using the dead for political ends.”

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As you walk into L’Ecailler, there will be a person on your left, working behind a sink and counter to prepare large plateaux (platters) of shellfish made to order. Some platters are so large that they take up whole table — a table of two next to us ordered a platter of 36 different oysters. This was their entire dinner. The platter was the size of a small car tire. I ordered a platter of different oysters, including Utah Beach vert (green), and some (crevettes rose) pink shrimp. Served on a platter of ice and fresh seaweed (for decoration), the oysters are so good they don’t need to be served with red vinegar or shallots — you eat them plain (or with a sprinkle of lemon, which is unnecessary). The Utah Beach vert oysters were particularly good, slightly briny but plain delicious, an excellent way to start a meal.

My wife, meanwhile, tried an appetizer of cold nems (these are similar to Asian eggrolls, but very light), stuffed with fresh crab (torteau). The crab was fresh and delicious – and a great light way to begin.

For our main dishes, I had scallops (coquille st. jacques), cooked in the shell, and topped with a little caviar. They were not browned at all, which I thought would be disappointing, but the fresh flavor of the scallops shined through. They came with pomme purée (buttered mashed potatoes), which were without a doubt some of the very best buttered mashed potatoes I have had in Paris, and anywhere — light, fluffy, but rich and buttery with a wonderful sprinkle of fresh ground pepper and fleur de sel (sea salt), that was simply divine.

22 Rue Paul Bert, 75011, (33) 01 43 72 76 77. Lunch and dinner, Tues. – Sat.

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What was wrong? He didn’t know the rules of the marché. I didn’t either when I first came to France. So, for your viewing pleasure, here are a few!

At the height of the market, it will be crowded and you will have to wait your turn at popular, high-quality stands. If you are a customer, make a signal if the vendor doesn’t realize you’re not just a tourist staring. Then wait your turn. There may not seem to be a line, but there is. The French don’t love orderly queues. But the vendor notices who’s first, second and so on. If they make a mistake, it’s not usually out of malice toward tourists but because too many people are waiting. Sometimes there’s a long wait, that’s just how it is. When it’s your turn next, make a little signal with your hand. Whatever you do, don’t lose your temper. And remember to begin with Bonjour! and finish with Merci! Au revoir!

While you are waiting for your turn, don’t expect the merchant to pay you the least bit of attention. This is the problem my American man, at the beginning of this post, must have had. The vendeuse was completely ignoring him to focus on me– this is the polite, correct way for a vendor to behave in France. The American was expecting her to acknowledge him and in some way say “Don’t worry, you’re next,” or “I’ll be right with you.” But to the vendeuse, that would be rude to me.

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