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Paris is known for its architecture, its terraces, its monuments and museums, but not only. Since 2010, running sessions in Paris have become very trendy and many are the people who visit Paris while running along its streets, parks, rivers banks!
Do you like running while visiting a city and its most insolite places?
MYLOPY offers you to discover some original places, where you sportive Visitors, may go for a running session through Paris, guided by a Lopy...

Running in Paris: the casting-planted green walk

This place is ideal to go for a run while taking a break with the dim of the city. It is also perfect to discover Paris through a new perspective.



The casting-planted green walk is an old railway that goes from Bastille, in the south-east of Paris, to the Bois de Vincennes on the east side of Paris, while crossing all the 12th district. This old railway was redesigned to make of it a great green area in the middle of the capital with a various vegetation, and passages under galeries.


 For a return journey, the path is 9 to 10km.
Metro station: Ledru-Rollin

Running in Paris: the Seine's banks near the National Library of France

The ideal starting point is Bercy, in the south-east of Paris. This path going all along the Seine will make you pass by the Jardin des Plantes and the Bercy's park.

It's very important to know that the rivers' banks are made of cobbled-stones that are not always in good conditions. Then, it's very important to tie the laces of your choose and watch your ankles. If you are determined, it's possible to run until the Pont des Arts. A running session in the wind of Paris is waiting for you.


 Ideal for a 5 to 7km running session!
Metro station: Quai de la gare 

Park of the Buttes-Chaumont

This park is amazing, there is a little lake, a view overlooking the capital and numerous varied green areas - but MYLOPY must warn you, you may have to climb the hills to reach some specific spots!


 There are several arduous hills to walk or run on. It is not the less frequented park by the runners, but it is very pleasant to run here, as you are emerged in the nature...
Ideal for a 5km running session!
Metro station: Buttes-Chaumont 

Here are some ideas of places where to run with a Lopy. If you are full of energy, check our activities online and book for a visit-running session with a Lopy!

See you soon on MYLOPY.

On a trip in France, and you would like to taste at real French gastronomy? MYLOPY is here to make you live the most amazing culinary experience you'll have during your trip! Let you be lead by some of our Lopys, who will bring you to the best restaurants in town, or invite you for dinner in their own dinning room - and you may even cook with them!


French traditional meal n°1: the Blanquette de Veau


The name of "Blanquette de Veau" is used in french to speak of a white meat stew (veal, lamb...) cooked in a seasoning of fresh cream and water coming with aromatic flavours. Basically, the sauce of the Blanquette is made of fresh cream and eggs white.
The Blanquette has a big place in the French gastronomy.

It is a dish made of tender meat, and a sweet and sour sauce. To have numerous savours in mouth, it is recommended to mix different vegetables as carrots and celery. Most of the time, this dish is served with flavoured rice.



Blanquette de Veau, French gastronomy, french food, traditional food


French traditional dish n°2  the Beef Bourguignon




The Beef Bourguignon is a traditional dish coming from the Burgundy region, in the centre-east of France. Through the years, this dish has been revisited and is nowadays reimagined by the best Chefs. The recipe consists in cook steam the meat while telling it marinate in wine, carrots and other vegetables. This recipe helps to make the meat tender - otherwise it would be too hard.

Beef Bourguignon, Beef Burgundy, French Gastronomy, French food



Through the years this dish became a real reference in the French gastronomy domain. It is loved thanks to its tender meat, its vegetables and its delicious sauce that adds flavour to the dish.


French traditional meal n°3: the Coq au Vin

The Coq au Vin is also a typical French dish. It is made of chicken, red wine, mushrooms and oignons.

Coq au vin, French gastronomy, French traditiional food

You can easily change the recipe for this dish while keeping the major ingredients, for instance by using a wine of Burgundy. According to the region you decide to visit, you will see that the use of wine in the French cuisine may varie: Coq au Vin Jaune (Jura, east of France), Coq au Vin Violet (Beaujolais Nouveau, a wine from Lyon in the East of France) or even the Coq au Champagne!



Some Lopy invite you to cook at their home with them!
At Lola and Raphael's you can cook a Ratatouille and savour it together!
Here is the link to their activity!

You can also have a look to the others activities online!

It is quite surprising to realize that the actual generation do not give much importance to material goods compared to travel experiences. It is not always easy to take the plunge and go on an adventure alone.  This is what inspired the concept of MYLOPY. In order to convince you, here are 5 good reasons to do your visits with a local, apart from having the occasion to experiment activities while having a good time.

Discover the local's way of life

Organizing a visit with a local will give you the opportunity to learn more about his or her lifestyle, habits, and the daily life tricks.


Traveling for a short period will not give you the full opportunity to integrate yourself to the culture of the country you visit. However, live the travel experience with a Lopy (local people) will make you feel as such. You could even have fun comparing you different cultures. Perhaps you would be surprised to notice that, eventually, you are not that different !
Your Lopy could answer to your questions about the local culture, the things you saw during the day in his or her company, but also tell you more about what a typical local's life looks like everyday.

Get to know the good plan

It is true that it is very easy to know where to go out and what to visit thanks to internet - but these suggestions are neither original nor personalized.


When you meet a local, you can do special requests, and the Lopy will know where to lead you according to what you want to see or experiment. Besides, he will know the good tips to have fun without spending too much of money!

Explore atypical places without wasting your time

When you travel as a tourist, let's say, in Paris or in London, the main places to visit are indubitably the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben, the Arc de Triomphe or the Tower Bridge, the Notre-Dame Cathedral or the London Eye, The Palace of Versailles or the London Tower, the Louvre or the British Museum - all these places are magnificent.


But Paris and London are not just that. They are cities filled with secrets and coloured back alleys, with romantic and isolated parks, atypical coffee places and libraries similar to the ones in the Harry Potter's movie. It's only thanks to a Lopy that you could venture in these in unusual places without having to waste your time doing researches online! A great way to get away from the classic form of tourism.

Taste the real local gastronomy

To avoid having to stop at the fast food at the corner of the street by fear of not being able to express yourself in another language or read the menu, go eat with a local !


On one hand, it is always more pleasant to share a dish with other people than eating alone. You can taste at local dishes and sweets - and if you're looking for a more authentic moment, why not joining a local at his home around a diner table?

Feel safe as if you were home

When you are not at home, you tend not to feel that safe - in particular when you do not speak the local language. In company of a Lopy, you will already feel more secured.



This latter will show you how to act, and make you gain in confidence in an environment which is not yours. A good way to feel like at home while being far away from your real home.

If you have other good reasons to do your visit with a local, do not hesitate to share it with us in the comments! And do not hesitate to contact MYLOPY during your next trip, or talk about it around you!


In winter or all along the year, you have to admit that a hot chocolate break is always welcome. Paris is well known for its numerous Cafes and terraces. Some of its Cafes are often frequented by celebrities, and some great Chocolatiers and Pastry Chefs never stop inspiring theses typically Parisian meeting and relaxing spots.




Today, Parisian fellows or travelers from the whole world, the team of MYLOPY invites you to discover its selection of the 5 most unmissable places where to savour the best hot chocolates in Paris!


We know that, when it comes to the chocolate, the tastes and flavours may change according to the persons. Some prefer it raw, others sweeter, or latte... Between the smooth home made hot chocolate, milk foam, whipped cream, pepper, jam... and yes! Which one will awaken your tastes buds, and will manage to seduce you?


A hot chocolate to take a little break!

If you are a traveler, a passenger or a local, you surely enjoy visiting the most beautiful places in Paris, such as the Louvre or the Château de Versailles. However, these long visits may be a little bit exhausting... Fortunately, MYLOPY thought about you and tried two of the main and unmissable places where to drink a hot chocolate!


During a visit at the Château de Versailles, or a walk in the Tuileries, stop by the famous Maison Angelina, a place considered as unmissable by the fans of hot chocolates. Enter in a refined place remembering the golden age, that only the Maison Angelina has the secret of, and let you be carried into a trip through a myriad of flavours... Served in a jug, coming with an unsweetened whipped cream, the Angelina's hot chocolate draw its flavours from cocoa bean from abroad, as in Ghana, Niger or even Ivory Coast. Perfect to awaken your tastes buds! And not to forget their delicious pastries.




An exhibition grabbed your attention at the Louvre's Museum? Why not stopping by the Café Marly? Come in this romantic Cafe, which overlooks the pyramid of the Louvre, and enjoy one of the best hot chocolate in Paris. Qualified as raw, classic and delicate, this hot chocolate served in a jug will carry you in a relaxing break, with an amazing view.



When hot chocolate rhymes with literature

If you like literature, or are simply curious to discover an emblematic place in Paris, come and sit at the terrace of the legendary Café de Flore. Located in one of the chicest district of Paris, framed with lovely flowers and ivy leaves, the terrace of the Café de Flore welcomed many intellectuals and literary persons as Apollinaire, or Frédéric Beigbeder. The Café also gave its the name to a literature prize, the Prix de Flore. You too, come and sit at the terrace of the Cafe to take advantage of the sun rays. Come with a book or a friend, and taste at one of their amazing brutal, traditional hot chocolates and its exquisite dosage, and enter in the legend!



Do you fancy tasting something more original ?

The shop Puerto Cacao, which also do Café/Brunch, has a suggestion of organic chocolate coming from the fair trade that you can buy or taste directly in the shop within the form of a hot chocolate to drink. The particularity of this place is that you can mix several surprising flavours! Do you fancy tasting a hot chocolate with pepper, or blueberry jam? Go at Puerto Cacao in the 12th district of Paris!



Le Voltiger, located in the district of the Marais, is the ideal place where to relax in a cosy atmosphere, surrounded by books. Alone or with friends, come and taste their hot chocolate that you almost make yourself! With a jug filled with chocolate, another one with milk, your cup, make your own dosage as a real master of the hot chocolate! Then you could alternate the flavours: raw, smooth, or sweetened. Ideal for the most exigent taste bugs.


Here you are in possession of a list of Cafes where to drink the best hot chocolates, all the more smooth and originals. A perfect way to make your taste bugs travel, to relax, and to live like a real Parisian. Besides, our LOPYS often suggest to do a break at a Cafe during their tour. Do not hesitate to ask them to go at one of these if they are on your way!

The speakeasies make a strong come back in Paris. Let’s discover the concept of the speakeasy, unavoidable at the time of the Prohibition in New-York City.

The origin of the speakeasy


You must go back in the 1920s, when the Prohibition was established. At the time the sale of alcohol was made illegal in the United-States. Clandestine bars then appeared in basements, back-rooms, behind curtains. Places where communities as the mafias, criminals and people having problems with the justice used to meet up and take advantage of the occasion to create illegal alcohol business networks.

The owner of the bar would tell his customers to keep their voices down, which is at the origin of the appellation “speakeasy”. This term in fact, means to “speak quietly so as not to alert the police or neighbors”. It is also phonetically close to “Spaik-aisy” which refers to the hiding place of the bootlegger.

Discover the speakeasy bars, hidden places in Paris

A Parisian replica of the speakeasy


Among those secret places, one of our favorite is the “Lavomatic”. It is one of the latest bar of this trend to be in the center of Paris. Its particularity – a big washing machine always on with clothes in it whirling ceaselessly.
Behind the launderette door is hidden a bar of the same name. You can only count on yourself to find the entrance, or should I say the secret switch to open the bar’s door.
Obviously, don’t expect from me to tell you where it is!


Discover the hidden bar in Paris

There, a cosy room, furnished with sofas and colorful cushions, contrasts with the coldness of the launderette. During a break, enjoy some nice background music in a pleasant atmosphere.

You can have a drink, eat, and relax. The speakeasy is an ideal place where to meet people. It would also be great to go with travelers and make them discover a different Parisian life. And this is what makes of it one of the most unusual place to go in the thematic of Paris by night.


Cocktail in a Paris speakeasy bar
If you are curious and wish to discover other secret bars, don’t worry – "one of our Lopy" suggests you to follow him in another speakeasy of Paris, full of mysteries. Come in these very discrete and unusual bars in Paris where only people aware of their existence go.

Enjoy your time there!
While the Fashion Week is being discreetly organised in unmissable places for fashion in Paris, the team of MYLOPY decided to introduce to you the great lines of the history of this flamboyant event:  key dates, fashionable designers, the most unforgettable moments, and of course, to end on a good note, the fashion show that are not to be missed this year! 

Fashion Week in Paris



Today, let’s discover a new dish what will strongly awake your taste bud - the Fallafel! The Fallafel is a culinary speciality spread in the Middle-East. Served hot or cold, the Fafallel invites itself onto your plates!

What is a Fallafel

This recipe is made of chickpeas or broad bean balls fried in oil. It has its origins in Egypt. Later, the Fallafel conquered nearby regions corresponding to Syria and Lebanon, and are nowadays eaten everywhere in the Middle-East.
The Fallafel, a delicious dish coming from the Middle-East, back in Paris   

 Very popular notably in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt, the Fallafels are known by the name of “tamiya”. In Turkey, Jordan and Israel, it is usually not served in a plate but in a sandwich made of pita bread, with raw vegetables and sometimes hummus or “tahini”.

 A fallafel may be softened by a sumptuous yogurt sauce, or tahini in the Lebanese and Israeli gastronomy. The Fallafel significates wrap, which comes from the word “mlaff”, as it is eaten in the form of a sandwich. It may also refer to the word “flayfle” which significates spices.

Paris and its Fallafels


Everyone knows that the best Fallafels can be found at the heart of Paris, in the famous district of the Marais. Rue des Rosiers you have the most unmissable places to eat at. The fallafels are a must-go, a must-eat, a real touristic thing.
L'As du Fallafel, l'endroit idéal pour manger des fallafels à Paris

The Fallafel is not only a delicious dish to eat, but the tasting of those little Pita bread is an opportunity to be delighted while enjoying a meal and walk around the most famous district in Paris.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s meet Rue des Rosiers to enjoy this oriental sandwich, while you are visiting the Marais with a Lopy !
In 2017 Paris remains one of the most visited town in the world. Unfortunately, public transports are rather complicated to take, due to their length of services and numerous lines. Even French people, when coming to the Capital, get lost between the transports lines, corridors of the metro stations, stops etc. But MYLOPY did not forget you, and prepared for you a user guide to help you in the Parisian public transports!

Subway in Paris

Buy a transport ticket

The first thing to do before taking the transports is to buy a ticket. At the airport as in a train station, you can buy transport tickets either at the ticket office, or on a ticket machine. You will have to go to the nearest train station - for instance, at the Airport Charles de Gaulle Etoile, go on the platform of the RER B at the terminal 2 - where you could buy your ticket.
You can choose between several options :


Public transportations in Paris

-The ticket T+ - which may be sold as books of 10 to 20 tickets -is single-use ticket. It costs €1.90 and can be used to take the RER in zone 1 (inside Paris only), metros, buses (except Orlybus and Roissybus) and trams. It is preferable to buy it if you only take public transports occasionally.

Tickets for the Parisian metro

- The ticket “Origine-Destination” is a single-use ticket. Its price depends of your journey, as most of the time it is used for a precise trip – and generally for the RER, although it also works in the metro.

- Tickets to go to the airport (either Roissy Charles de Gaulles or Orly) is a single-ticket which price varies from €8 to €10.

- The ticket Paris Visite is an unlimited-time-use ticket to use in the areas chosen. Its price goes from €11.65 and varies according to the areas chosen and the numbers of days of validity (from 1, 2, 3 to 5 days).

- The Mobilis ticket is an unlimited-time use ticket to use in the areas chosen for a day. Its price, from €7.30, varies depending of the areas chosen (from zone 1 to 2, 1 to 3, or 1 to 4 and 1 to5) and may be used to take the RER, the buses, the metros and the trams.

- The ticket Jeunes Week-end, is an unlimited-time use ticket for the areas chosen for a day. Its price, from €4, depends of the areas chosen (zone 1 to 3, 1 to 5 or 3 to 5) and may be used to take the RER, buses, metros and the trams.

You chose your ticket according to your journey!

The buses and trams

With the 50 or so intra-Paris buses, the 170 suburb buses, the 13 Noctiliens lines (night buses), the 9 trams, it’s easy to be confused. All the more so as the RATP app is not optimal regarding the information given in real time for the buses. In general, the buses are mostly taken by locals who are used to travel with it – as they are a bit complex to take. However, they enable you to enjoy the landscape. For instance, the bus 72 (from Saint-Cloud to Hôtel de Ville) drive along the Seine and offer a pleasant view of the Palais de Tokyo, the Grand and Petit Palais, the Trocadero, and even the Eiffel Tower. Other lines are also pleasant to take thanks to their usefulness. Among others, the Bus Direct, Roissybus and Orlybus allow you to go from certain places of Paris (as Opéra, Place Denfert Rochereau, Champs-Elysées, ect) to the airport of your choice. As for the trams, they are of a number of 9 and may be taken in the suburbs of Paris for short journeys. For instance, the tram-line 7 will bring you to Orly Sud but only goes from Villejuif.

Take the bus in Paris

The metros and RER

There are 16 metro lines and 13 RER in Paris, but their sinuous lines are not always clear. Here are some tips for you:

Use the metro lines in Paris

- Line 1 is ideal for tourists to travel through the centre of Paris from east to west, while offering to spot by key places in Paris - as the Marais, the Louvre, the Tuileries, the Champs-Elysées, ect.

-Line 2 drives through the north of Paris, from east to west by passing by mythic places as Pigalle, Anvers (Sacré Coeur), Père Lachaise (graveyard classified in the historical heritage).

-Line 4, as for it, drives through the middle-north of the capital, while giving access to the major junctions to move around the city. It goes from Porte de Clignancourt, drives by Château Rouge – a station near the Sacré Coeur – and also Châtelet.

-Line 6 drives all over the south of Paris, driving by metro station that give access to unmissable places as the Trocadero – and the Eiffel Tower, but also Charles de Gaulle Etoile from where you can visit the Arc de Triomphe.

-Line 9 drives by numerous stations where it is possible to stop to admire certain monuments – Trocadero (Tour Eiffel), Franklin D. Roosevelt (Champs Elysées), République near the Canal Saint-Martin, ect. This line is one of the most taken by locals by drives from Paris to its western suburb.

- RER C is also very useful and touristic – first, it will bring you to the Château de Versailles, but also to Saint-Michel, Orsay, to the Tour Eiffel and also Invalides.

Other worth considering means of transports:

The metro is not the only way to move around Paris. When the weather is good, it is pleasant to enjoy sun of the “million lights’ city”, to walk around or discover Paris on a bike. Here is a link to have a look on the multitudes of Velib stations.

Take a velib' to go around Paris


Besides, if you already have the Uber application, you have to know that the French service is very efficient. There are many drivers and never wait for too long. You can go from a point A to B in a very short period. Well, to be honest, during the day the traffic in Paris is very busy, and it is better to take the metro or a velib when the weather allows it. If you plan to lead an activity at the end of the day or in the evening, then, you still have the Uber option not to be slowed down!
Take a map with you, note these information, and you will be ready to travel across Paris. Enjoy the visit!

Apothecary is a very old profession that can be traced back to two millenaries before Jesus Christ. Apothecaries make and sell beverages and medicinal remedies reserved to sick persons. By definition, it is the ancestor of the chemist.


Apothecary store in Paris

A little bit of History

By using methods of bygone days, apothecaries used to concoct remedies made with natural and rare materials – cinnamon, vinegar, turmeric, oat, salt, oil of hemp, honey and even clay.  Thanks to its diverse, varied methods and routes of administration - in the forms of herbal teas, balms, ointments, decoctions and even pills - medicine of the time has not to be compared unfavourably to the medicine of nowadays. This science would spread in the streets, through the settlement of apothecary houses and groceries. However, in the 1700s, the preparations of medicinal remedies were made exclusive to the chemists, due to a decree written by King Louis XVI.

Oil and balms from an apothecary house

The apothecary of nowadays

Nowadays, the trend comes back to natural remedies and well-being. This “healthy” trend is being popularized with the emergence of gluten free diets and vegan food, yoga and Pilates classes, a zero-waste way of life, detox juices and many others. Consequently, it is not surprising to see apothecary houses and herbalist’s shops reinstall little by little in the big cities of France. Proud of their natural products – and most of the time inoffensive for the body – some cosmetic brands as Weleda, Aroma Zone, Melvita and even some pharmaceutical laboratories use the natural as their trademark. If there was a time when plants were reserved to the most impoverished, today they became a real symbol of French luxury.

An apothecary hosue in Paris

Thus, it could be seen as a part of the French History that rises again in our streets. Certain unmissable addresses in Paris will plunge you in a parallel universe, frozen in the past. You will discover this science that may look complex - a mix of alchemy and witchcraft - and that in fact is very simple.
These unusual and out of the ordinary shops are a must to be discovered or visited again in Paris. Then, do not hesitate to learn more about it, and, maybe, promote these uncommon shops of your country by creating an activity on the website of MYLOPY!
MYLOPY thanks the Officine Universelle Buly 1803 for its warm welcome.
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