The hammam at la Mosquée de Paris
Wednesday, 17 December 2008

I wanted to visit a Turkish bath while in Istanbul, but ultimately ran out of time and wasn't up for it after my migraine.  After searching a little on the web I figured I could find something comparable in Paris, and sure enough -- the Mosque has a hammam open seven days a week.  It's just a few stops away on the metro and a short walk.  Léti, her sister, and I decided to give it a go, and I loved it.  For all you men and ladies who are curious and don't know what to expect at a public bath, here are some facts and observations.

• The hammam at the mosque separates the sexes by day.  It's open to women Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and to men on Tuesdays and Sundays.  You can see a list of hours on the mosque's site (French and English available).
• The mosque also has a restaurant and a tea room.  Before we went into the hammam we had some mint tea.  Though the case of sweets and pastries tempted me at the door, I didn't try any.  The tea room was beautiful, with hand painted tiles, gold table tops, and intricate designs on the ceiling.  It reminded me of a lot of things we saw in Istanbul.  Even if the hammam isn't your style, I recommend a cup of tea and a quick visit to the mosque, if only to see the decor and experience a little of the culture.
• There's a sign on the door of the hammam that says bath robes are required.  Women seen wearing, carrying, or touching bath robes while at the hammam: 0.  It's a good idea to bring your own towel, shampoo, sugar scrubs, or whatever other bathing goodies you think you might use.  The hammam has a lot of these things on hand, but they will cost you.  Towel: 4€.  The hammam supplies flip flops, but you can certainly bring your own.
• Entry in the hammam is 15€.  After that, you pay for what you want.  They have packages, or you can choose services individually.  The list of prices can be seen here.  The English page for prices doesn't work, but here are some rough translations.  Gommage = you lie on a table and a lady rubs you down with a scratchy glove after you've been in the steam rooms a while.  Savon noir = literally, "black soap," or a mud skin treatment.  Didn't try it, but it looked fun.  Épilation = wax/hair removal.  
• When you enter the hammam you pay for everything you want upfront.  The lady working the register will give you tickets, which you then hand to whomever performs the service.  The caisse is inside the main room of the hammam, which is where a lot of massages take place.  Probably the most awkward I felt while in the hammam was walking fully dressed with scarf, hat, coat, and gloves through the room of mostly-naked women to get to the locker room. 
  
• Each successive room in the hammam gets hotter and hotter.  They're all steam rooms with marble floors and elevated areas where you can lie on the hot stone.  There are squeegees and buckets everywhere for cleaning the stone if you're squeamish, but the buckets also make for good ways to cool off.  The final room is almost unbearably hot with steam visibly hanging in the air.  There's a very cold blue pool of water there, which makes for interesting temperature contrast.
• There are shower heads where you can lather up if you bring shampoo and all your shower goods.
  
• Léti's sister had a massage that she said was incredible.  We went at night when almost everyone was arriving after work, and there was a long wait for massages.  I suspect that in the mornings and afternoons that's not the case.
  
• Everyone in the hammam wears bottoms, whether it's underwear or a bikini bottom.  Most everyone was topless, save a few who were in bathing suits, but they were the odd ones out.  No one ogles, and it's not awkward or weird as most Americans might assume.

All in all, I enjoyed it and intend to go back.  Perhaps next time I'll grab something to eat and take a few photos of the tea room.  As for potential tourists, the hammam is a great relatively inexpensive way to relax after a long day of sight-seeing.

UPDATE:  Looks like I won't have time to get back to the mosque before heading State-side for the holidays, but I found some photos of the mosque, the tea room, and the hammam here.

11:51 PM                    filed under: tourism

More Paris links, with a smattering of language
Monday, 15 December 2008

The past week or so has been a whirlwind of exams, goodbyes, au revoir dinners, studying, and generally trying to see as much of the city before I leave for a month.  Today I finished my last exam, and began cleaning the apartment and assessing what needs to be packed and what can stay here.  I fly back to the States this weekend for the holidays and won't return to Paris until mid-January.  I can already anticipate how much I will miss it.

I've been collecting links for a little while now, some on Paris and some on language in general.  Enjoy these while I get around to writing something more substantial.

• Insiders' guide to Bohemian Paris: Lots of good suggestions in here from locals, all pretty local off-the-beaten-track places.  Hope to report more on some of them, myself.
• Chocolate lover's guide to Paris: I will probably be doing this with my mom in January.
• How Germans really see English ad slogans: It's been popular in recent years to advertise in Germany using English slogans.  Turns out people only vaguely know what they mean, despite English words entering the German vernacular.
• On dubbing "The Wire" into German: Covers many of the difficulties in translating films and television shows, which often use slang and other words that aren't easily translatable.
• Uptake anxiety: I've always been annoyed?  By those people who seem to end everything with a question mark?  Turns out there's a name for it?  And more than just teenage girls are guilty?
• Cool places Americans can't visit: One day, Cuba, I will come for you.
• Ooh la langue:  A blog post on learning French, losing English, and all the little things in between.  100% true.  "There is no French equivalent that I know of for the phrase I know, right? And this saddens me. But maybe it's just because they don't know how good it could be. To just break out of their formality and say Je sais, vrai?!"

4:56 PM                    filed under: links

Possibility
Friday, 05 December 2008

Every now and then I accidentally rediscover the sensation of living on the edge of the unknown.  There is a checkpoint that, as one approaches it, causes fear and confusion and restlessness to mount.  For me it has never been to an unbearable degree, but even as a relatively laissez-faire kind of girl, every now and then I have moments when I feel it imperative to outline a plan: to define something; to say, "I am this"; to chart a course to keep from falling into stagnancy.  But eventually the checkpoint of anxiety flies past like a payphone on the side of a desert road, and suddenly the only concerns are mild, and related to momentum.  The questions change from "Where are we going?" and "Where can we stay the night?" to "Can we fill up?" and "Should we take some food to go?" in hopes of staying on the road as long as possible.

It is hard to describe the sensation of possibility that brushes across skin at this precipice.  I am driving along the time line of my life without many regular passengers, and for a little while I am without destination; I have left one place for another, and I won't know where to stop until I see it.  For now, there is the air that rushes in through the windows, and more road ahead than behind.

8:09 PM            comments (1)           filed under: daily

Sinus infection woes
Friday, 05 December 2008

Do any of you Frenchies out there know the name of a French decongestant, similar to the American Mucinex or guafenesin-based over-the-counter stuff?  I've been sick all week and I think I've got a serious sinus infection coming on.  A few months ago when I had a cold, I went to the pharmacy and explained my sinus pressure etc., and they just gave me this liquid to put in steaming water, which is about as effective as inhaling the vapors of a strong mint tea.

Who knew walking through the aisles of CVS and Walgreens was such a luxury?

Hopefully I can pick something up tomorrow before everything shuts down for the weekend, so if you have any tips, send 'em my way ASAP (glynnish > gmail).  Merci.

1:49 AM                    filed under: daily