24 Hours Paris: An Interview with Marsha Moore

Interview by Linda Donahue, Editor-in-Chief

A few months ago, a book fell into my lap (via my email inbox). A new Paris guidebook was being published and its author, Marsha Moore, was hoping I’d have a few positive words to say to put on the cover. I honestly wasn’t expecting much. But after leafing through the electronic pages I’d been sent, to say I was impressed would be an understatement. With 24 Hours Paris, Marsha Moore had found a whole new way to present the city and make it accessible for first timers and even residents.

I chatted with Ms. Moore recently to find out how she came up with the idea for this new guidebook, her relationship to Paris, and insights she had to offer on the French capital.

You first visited Paris when you were 18. Talk a little about your first impressions of the city, how long you stayed, where you stayed and what you did while there.

Paris was on a whirlwind graduation tour of Europe that I took with my parents. I was so excited to finally get to there – I couldn’t wait to see the fashion, the cafés and of course the sexy French men I’d heard so much about! I dressed up in my finest gear and tried my best not to look like a tourist (of course as soon as I opened my mouth, my terrible French accent immediately identified me as one!). On our two-day visit, we did the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and a cruise on the Seine. But what I remember most is the fascination I felt just wandering the streets of the city, watching people go about their everyday life. Despite staying firmly on the tourist trail with the rest of my tour-group, I knew there was more to Paris than the typical sights, and I couldn’t wait to get back and see it!

How long was it before your second visit to Paris? How was that different than your first time?

Life intervened and it was awhile before I made it back again – I was 30 when I returned! I was with my husband, and we decided to veer off the tourist routes and try to discover different districts. With the help of a walking-tour book, we did walks all over the city. We stopped when we found something that caught our interest, took another direction if something took our fancy and, in short, just explored the streets. I felt like I’d found a bit of the Paris I’d suspected existed way back when I was 18, and I wasn’t disappointed.

You published 24 Hours London last year. Since you’ve lived in London for the last six years, you clearly had the ability to do research “on site.” So how did you go about tackling your research for 24 Hours Paris?

I did a lot for research before I travelled to Paris, using information from www.paris.fr and other touristic websites and blogs. I’m also lucky enough to have friends and family who live in the city, so I was constantly grilling them on their favourite places and neighbourhoods, what was hot, and where to go. Once I had a lengthy list compiled, I did more online research on individual places, narrowing down the list to the kind of places and activities I thought were the most interesting, unique and varied. I wanted the sorts of things I included to appeal to a broad range of readers, from locals to tourists with children. I visited Paris several times to hit as many places as I could on my list – and the result is 24 Hours Paris!

How would you advise readers to use the book to plan their next trip to Paris?

If you’re a first timer to the city, the book works very well as a companion guide to a traditional guide-book. If you’ve exhausted the usual tourist sights, then all you need to do is pick up 24 Hours Paris and turn to the hour you’re looking to fill. It’s also great for the night-time, when you might find it difficult to find what’s open in a traditional guide. If you’re a local or you’re looking for some of the more varied things the city has to offer, then the book is great for helping you plan an hour-by-hour itinerary for everything from ghost-walks to anti-sketching classes.

As a seasoned Paris visitor, what’s your favorite spot in the city? Why?

I love the Promenade Plantée. It’s such a unique feeling – walking through trees and plants, even though you’re surrounded by buildings in the heart of the metropolis. The Bastille Artists’ Market is also one of my favourites, because I really like that you can talk to the artists directly and get some insight into their creative process. And as a writer, the Georges Brassens Market, where over 60 booksellers gather on the weekend, is paradise! If I can sneak one more in, the cruise on Canal St-Martin is also a great way to explore some of the more hidden parts of Paris.

Do you have any rituals you follow when you visit Paris?

The first thing I do once I get off the Eurostar is head to a café for lunch. Nothing gives you the feeling that you’re in Paris more than settling into a cozy restaurant and having a long, luxurious meal. Then I head to the Marais, because I love the narrow buzzing streets full of unique shops (and one of my favourite falafel places, L’As du Fallafel, on rue des Rosiers). From there, I usually wind up at rue Montorgueil, drooling over patisseries. Once I’ve filled my belly and my eyes, I’m ready to get the Paris trip rolling.

What are some of your favorite restaurants?

Tough question, because there are so many places! Whether you’ve just come to Paris or you’re on your way home, Chez Casimir close to the Gare du Nord is the perfect place to treat your taste-buds to the best of Breton. Restaurant Chartier is also a great place to soak up old-world ambiance; it’s been around for 100 years and most of the décor is unchanged. And finally, if you’re looking for a raucous (and very undignified) night out,  try Le Refuge des Fondues where you can drink wine from baby bottles and get your fill of fondue. It’s tiny and you’ll be squeezed in like sardines, but you can’t help but have fun!

Shops?

I like some of the more off-beat shops. Noir Kennedy (rue du Roi de Sicile) is great for vintage clothes from England and Sweden (and I love the red phone-booths as changing rooms!). Concept store Le 66 (Champs Elysée) is always good for a wander through to examine the combination of old and new designers – and it’s open on Sunday! French Touche (rue Jacquemont) is also really interesting, since it’s one of the few places you’re encouraged to touch the objects before buying!

If someone who’d never been to Paris asked you why they should visit, what would you tell them?

The food, go for the food! Seriously, though, Paris is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. It’s a place where everything is beautiful – the buildings, the people, even the light in the sky. When you go there, you can’t help but be mesmerized by the city and everything in it.

Is there anything that you don’t like about the city?

With all the tempting patisseries, it’s impossible to stick to any kind of diet. My advice: don’t even try. When you see something you want to eat, eat it! You may have indigestion and have to work off the extra 10 pounds you’ve gained, but it’s all worth it!

Is there anything you haven’t had the chance to do in Paris that you really want to do?

Amazingly, I have never taken advantage of Vélib scheme! I keep meaning to every time I go, but I’m either too lethargic from over-eating or I’m just enjoying walking the streets too much. I’ll do it one day!

What’s the most indulgent experience you’ve had in Paris?

One my second visit to Paris with my husband, we decided to go all out. We started the night with a meal at the Eiffel Tower, then a boat-ride with champagne on the Seine, and then to the Moulin Rouge! It was clichéd, it was touristy, but it was oh-so-indulgent! And I have to say, it was romantic, too.

You have your first novel coming out soon? Anything you can tell us about that?

The Hating Game is my first novel, to be published by Prospera Publishing in early 2011 under my fiction pen name, Talli Roland. It has nothing to do with travel, but focuses on my other obsession: reality television (yes, I admit it!). It’s about a man-eating woman who agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business. What she doesn’t know is that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. The novel follows her as she confronts her past to try to win the prize money she so desperately needs. It was loads of fun to write!

Any plans for another 24 Hours book?

We’ve had such a great response to London and Paris that we’re already planning for a 24 Hours Sydney and 24 Hours New York! We’re also in the process of putting together iPhone apps so travelers can access all the content on the go.

To order 24 Hours Paris, visit www.prosperapublishing.co.uk.