I’m leaving the conversation of books and gardens and taking you to France. Ah…from one romantic notion to another. Again the big question is not how many baguettes can I eat in one day, but with minimal French, can I get around Paris? Oui. Despite everyone speaking French, and the signage being in French, there is the occasional universally-understood signage to guide you. Pictorial elements/symbols can be the difference between throwing up your hands in despair or confidently moving forward — in other words, visual communication quickly resolves misunderstandings and relays a message quickly. Alongside pedestrians are many leashed dogs, the French seem to adore dogs as much as Americans, but there are places that you’ll quickly understand that man’s best friend isn’t welcomed. As my boyfriend and I headed toward Le Cimetière du Père-Lachaise (check it out yourself www.pere-lachaise.com in search of grave sites of famous people — Chopin, Molière, Edith Piaf — we purchased a map and upon entering the cemetery saw the following sign:
Even if you can’t understand what “Meme Tenus en Laisse” (even if held on a leash) means you’ll know your cute chien (dog) won’t be seeing Chopin or any other famous people. Keep looking around and really notice signs.