Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Shabby, not chic Café


There are enough "chic" cafés in Paris, but I liked the idea of showing a typical low-end café through one of their ceiling mirrors (probably used to watch the back of the place, in case somebody wants to order something). This place was so charmless it made it attractive in a certain way: ugly tiles, boring bar, "turkish" toilets (where you cannot sit!) and a perfectly inattentive waitress. No I won't give you the address, even if you insist, but let's just say it wasn't far from where you can find the fish with 3 eyes!

33 comments:

  1. You're always letting us know beautiful places in Paris, so it's good to see a normal place. I think you're being a little dramatic though... The café look very normal. I woudln't go to the toilet anyway.

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  2. I love it!!!

    To me, that is the "real" Paris, as real as the Eiffel Tower and the hip joints near the Champs Elysees, Place de la Concorde, or any other location in good old Paris. Of course, we absolutely want to see the toilets now! :-D

    Was anyone smoking, by the way? ;)

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  3. In Toronto, this is a typical coffee shop.

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  4. Salut Eric,
    Je suis aux States et apprecie comme d'hab tes images de Paris et ta creativite.
    A bientot!

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  5. Looks like a typical American diner or "greasy spoon" as we call them. Some, however, have the best food! Grease and all!

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  6. Looks like a typical American diner or "greasy spoon" as we call them. Some, however, have the best food! Grease and all!

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  7. I love these cafés, but hate the toilets! Here's a photo of one for those who haven't had the pleasure or knees to use one yet!

    Other than that, the photo is very creative Eric and it's always a surprise with you.

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  8. Tnank you! I enjoy your photos.

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  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  10. I am rather phobic about public toilets, but Turkish ones were my true nemesis when I was growing up in France!

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  11. No wonder why they say French are dirty pigs !!...

    In any case, the place looks bad, but still not as bad as a sterilized Starbucks...;-))

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  12. all this potty talk! sheesh ;)

    the dark wood paneling makes it look like rather dated...
    it reminds me of something you would find along the highway... at a rest stop. I bet it has a few regulars even.

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  13. This is a great perspective Eric...very down to earth...

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  14. Really Michael, Elisabeth? I think these turkish toilets are kind of cool, if you think about it they are actually much more sanitary than the other "traditional" ones... However, you DO have to remember to get your feet out of there before you flush ... otherwise ... (well, let your imagination feel in the blanks!) ;)

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  15. Great shot Eric, I especially like the lady on the left looking in the mirror…also to Michael for the wiki link….it looks like a porcelain out-house!

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  16. It's funny they call them "French toilets" in Belgium ! Does anyone know why?? I don't but I was told so!!

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  17. I of course wanted to check...

    No idea why they call them French toilets in Belgium... but in France, in French, we say "Turkish toilets", although it has nothing Turkish at all (it was not imported from Turkey, Turks dont use this kinda toilet, etc). It is simply a bias that people had at the time against Turks and muslims in general (the word dates from 1893). For instance, the expression "tete de turc" (Turk head) originally meant this punching ball that you have at amusement parks, on which you are supposed to hit as hard as you can so as to measure your strength...

    Anyhow, something "Turkish", toilets included, may mean in French that this something/ someone is mercyless, rough, tough, cruel, barbarian.

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  18. "Shabby" cafés are real cafés! Every time I get back to Paris, I'm struck by the creeping trend of trendy/chic places that totally lack soul and chacarter. You just feel like walking into a corporate proposition -- with the corporate behavior. So many cafés and bistots have disapperared, and been replaced by such boring places, or sandwicheries, or croissanteries. It's part of the French culture that's going away, and it's very sad.

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  19. Eric, finally, after almost one and half year, you show us the REAL Paris, LOL

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  20. It's amazing how comments about a "typical" café turned to toilets.

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  21. The expression "turk's head" has an obscure meaning in English -- it's a type of sailor's (or scout's) knot.
    Here's one web site:

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  22. I would have bet a million bucks that this post - including the mention of the Turkish toilets! - would have triggered a lot of reaction and... I was right! LOL.

    I love the way how some of you came up with photos of "the thing"!

    Quick answers (it's late again and I have to wake up early, sorry I cannot answer to everybody).

    - Bunyamin Najmi. Welcome. Drop me a line at eric at parisdailyphoto.com and I will tell you how to proceed.

    - Lisi. It was about time, wasn't?! LOL

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  23. Thanks Eric...

    Sorry, I did accidentally delete my comment.

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  24. I don't mind Turkish toilets (which by the way are all over Turkey, except in modern homes). I used them by prefernce when I lived there, and no choice at work, that's all there was (secondary school). They are cleaner, don;t rely ona supply of paper being available, and help develop your quadricep muscles like noone's business. BUT I don't know how older people cope!

    I also have no qualms using them in Paris.

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  25. Ah, good point about the old folks, Sally. And then, again, I'm not sure Paris is all that friendly to older and/or disabled people: tons of stairs in the subway and often no way around it, tons of walking (and they removed a lot of the benches that were there before in the street so people can't rest as often), apartments several floors up without elevators ...

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  26. Funny that they actually do have "Turkish" toilets in Turkey.

    Would now be funny to know why they call them French toilets in Belgium...

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  27. Sally & Tomate...once my mom was visiting me and we went to a restaurant where that was all they had. When the owner saw that she was heading in that direction, she took her by the hand and walked her out of the restaurant to her apartment next door and let her use her facilities there. I guess it basically comes down to "people".

    Charlus, I don't know why they call them French toilets in Belgium, but I've heard the reason the Belgians say "la toilette" (singular) and the French say "les "toilettes" (plural)....

    Because in France you have to go to several to find one that's clean! (Now, before anybody writes back with a nasty comment...it's a Belgian joke my friends, not my personal opinion!)

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  28. I just love the ones that are also showers, found in the little cafes along the A4. I'm being sarcastic, of course.

    Eric, bravo for another great photo and conversation starter!

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  29. the woman to the left seems to have caught you in the act!

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