It always tugs at my heart a bit to hear stories about other expats who came to France as students and never left. It’s a common fantasy but one that is becoming increasingly difficult to transform into reality. Professional travel writer and local expert, Heather Stimmler-Hall is one of the lucky students who fell in love with Paris and never looked back. She has built a successful business as a private tour guide and earned a loyal following with the Secrets of Paris newsletter which she has been writing since 1999.

But Heather’s Paris cred goes beyond cafés, museums and cultural attractions. She also penned “Naughty Paris: a Lady’s Guide to the Sexy City” , a guide for the more erotic hot spots in the city, making her officially one of the most well-rounded Paris experts I know. She is a valuable resource for all things Paris (and beyond) and I knew she’d be perfect for this series.

Describe what you love about France in three words.
Healthcare, food, history.

What have you come to appreciate most about the French over time? 
I arrived for my junior year abroad at the Université de Paris exactly 16 years ago this month from a small college in Minnesota, just one month before the city was hit by metro bombings and crippling transportation strikes. I had never traveled outside the US before that, and didn’t really know anything about France other than a few years of French classes.

Despite the relative chaos of my first semester, what I really noticed right away was how the French take their time. They take their time for friends, time for meals, time for coffee breaks, time to shop at the market, time to trust new people, and time to think before making decisions. Of course that very trait drives many Americans bonkers with frustration but in this hectic world I don’t think it hurts to try and slow things down a bit. Or even a lot. The city was completely dead in August 16 years ago and although I’m happy I don’t have to venture across three arrondissements to find a baguette on a Monday in August, I sort of miss the forced calm. We had no choice but to relax, slow down and stop trying to be so “productive” all of the time.

Montorgueil (Despite what people think, the French actually do have a sense of humor) – photo looks familiar….

Something people might be surprised to learn about France?
Despite the fact that most French people can probably recite a poem at the drop of a hat, tie their scarves in a dozen different ways, and casually debone a duck for dinner, they still can’t claim to be more civilized than Americans as long as they think it’s perfectly acceptable to shamelessly relieve themselves in public (and it may be the men doing it, but their mothers started it by pulling junior’s pants down and pointing him at the nearest tree, even if it happens to be in plain sight of a café terrace on a busy sidewalk). Those public toilets are free now for a reason, ahem.

Restaurant you recommend the most to first-time Paris visitors?
Restaurants and hotels are a matter of personal taste and style (and budget) so I usually prefer to find out what the client is looking for before I recommend anything. Just stay away from anything within eye-sight of a souvenir shop, avoid the chain of establishments run by the Costes and when you’re having an emergency low blood sugar moment, just find the nearest bakery and get a baguette sandwich.

Your favorite spot in Paris to take travelers on your tours?
I love taking people places I know they’d never find on their own or wouldn’t think to go. I had two surgeons last week so we stopped into the Medical History Museum at Odéon. It made their day. I also love taking people to the flea market in St-Ouen because I’m there so often I know it like my own backyard. It’s a constantly-changing landscape of great little hidden shops and quirky antique dealers specializing in some of the most obscure items. And woe is the tourist who never even gets past the thieves’ market just outside the metro! It’s one of the few places in the city where a guide is essential.