Amsterdam & Paris

**reginald-van-gleason** · 08-24-2005, 02:33 PM

Guys, I posted this topic in another forum, just looking for some more opinions... I'll be travelling to both Amsterdam, Paris and the surrounding areas in the fall and was wondering if anyone had some recommendations for shaving/fragrence related shops or the like to visit -- or maybe a good place to get a straight shave. I hear Paris is the fragrence capitol of the world. I will be on the lookout for Tabac Soap, which is supposed to be pretty common in Europe, and so far I have two recommendations of places to visit in Paris:

Old England - a small department store with shaving stuff galore
and
http://www.planete-rasoir.com/

If anyone else has recommendations I'd love to hear em. Thanks.

RVG

**english_barber** · 08-25-2005, 12:07 AM

Hello,

I have just returned from Paris and saw Tabac products on sale at Galeries Lafayette near the Opera house, http://www.galerieslafayette.com/index.do.

Have a great holiday, Robert

**Austin** · 08-25-2005, 10:57 AM

Nice to see you here Robert.

**reginald-van-gleason** · 08-25-2005, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by english_barber

Hello,

I have just returned from Paris and saw Tabac products on sale at Galeries Lafayette near the Opera house, http://www.galerieslafayette.com/index.do.

Have a great holiday, Robert

Thanks very much Robert, I'll be sure to stop by and pick some up! Now if I can only figure out how to say "I'd like to purchase some Tabac Shaving Soap" in French. I can speak a bit of italian but french might as well be greek to me. Oh well, ce la vie.

RVG

**english_barber** · 08-26-2005, 12:36 AM

Originally Posted by reginald-van-gleason

Thanks very much Robert, I'll be sure to stop by and pick some up! Now if I can only figure out how to say "I'd like to purchase some Tabac Shaving Soap" in French. I can speak a bit of italian but french might as well be greek to me. Oh well, ce la vie.

RVG

Try,

"Bonjour Madam, Je voudres Tabac cis vous plait."

They will reply in English! Just remmember to get tax free shopping as your purchase will be going outside the EU.

Regards, Robert

**reginald-van-gleason** · 08-26-2005, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by english_barber

Try,

"Bonjour Madam, Je voudres Tabac cis vous plait."
Regards, Robert

French Lessons on a shaving website, this is great

And I'll be sure to subsitute "Monsieur" for "Madam" if it looks like the salesperson needs a shave!

I am assuming I would need to show my passport or some sort of valid foreign id (drivers license?) when I purchase to be exempt from the EU tax. Thanks for that tip.

RVG

**english_barber** · 08-26-2005, 01:02 PM

A passport would be fine, this particular store was very keen to offer Tax free shopping and had a whole building dedicated to "homme". Lots of oppurtunity to spend those Euro's....

Regards, Robert

**drP** · 08-26-2005, 01:53 PM

Hey Reginald,

Why don't you stop by in Halsteren in Holland where i'm living; i can buy you several tubs of Tabac shaving soap; plenty of them in the city where i live.... as a "geste" i will give you one as a present; does this sound attractive to you??
you can also admire my collection of shaving paraphernalia at my home...amongst them are 40 top shelf shaving brushes....
Halsteren is about 100 miles south of Amsterdam on the road and in the direction of Paris...

BTW: if you're going to ask a tub of Tabac shaving soap in Paris (despite my offer) and you will do it in perfect French (not to offend Robert..) then try to practice on this statement:

"monsieur/madame: bonjour,
j'aimerai bien d'avoir une boite de Tabac savon pour raser"
merci bien

Regards and very welcome in Holland (i hope to see you in Halsteren),

Peter

**drP** · 08-26-2005, 02:25 PM

Reginald,

forgot to mention:
i can get you also Tabac:
-shaving cream
-shower gel
-shaving stick
-deo stick
-hand soap
etcetera, etecetera....

The Tabac products are aseasily available in Holland as old spice in te US

Peter

**reginald-van-gleason** · 08-26-2005, 02:34 PM

Peter, thank you so much for that generous offer, really very kind of you. Unfortunately, I'll be flying from Amsterdam to Paris, and have a limited amount of time, so I won't be able to make it down your way (unless the airline gives me a parachute!), but I really do appreciate the offer. Wow! 40 shaving brushes? I am working on my second one, and my first badger at that... And thanks for the French lesson, I am practicing it as I write this!

If its as readily available as you say, I won't have any trouble finding some tabac. I am really looking forward to spending some time in your area of the world and getting to know what seems to be quite a refined culture.

Cheers,

RVG

**english_barber** · 08-26-2005, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by drP

Hey Reginald,

Why don't you stop by in Halsteren in Holland where i'm living; i can buy you several tubs of Tabac shaving soap; plenty of them in the city where i live.... as a "geste" i will give you one as a present; does this sound attractive to you??
you can also admire my collection of shaving paraphernalia at my home...amongst them are 40 top shelf shaving brushes....
Halsteren is about 100 miles south of Amsterdam on the road and in the direction of Paris...

BTW: if you're going to ask a tub of Tabac shaving soap in Paris (despite my offer) and you will do it in perfect French (not to offend Robert..) then try to practice on this statement:

"monsieur/madame: bonjour,
j'aimerai bien d'avoir une boite de Tabac savon pour raser"
merci bien

Regards and very welcome in Holland (i hope to see you in Halsteren),

Peter

Peter,

No offence taken for my lack of French! Personally I think I speak Fressex, my own language which is a mix of my native Essex English and schoolboy French.

Unlike a lot of Brits I do not believe that if you speak loudly in English, johnny foreigner will understand, but I know my shortcomings. Luckily my wife and daughter are fluent in German and French so I have a lot of help.

Regards, Robert

**guenron** · 08-27-2005, 05:23 AM

Originally Posted by english_barber

Peter,

No offence taken for my lack of French! Personally I think I speak Fressex, my own language which is a mix of my native Essex English and schoolboy French.

Unlike a lot of Brits I do not believe that if you speak loudly in English, johnny foreigner will understand, but I know my shortcomings. Luckily my wife and daughter are fluent in German and French so I have a lot of help.

Regards, Robert

Ah Robert! What you have missed is not only loudly, but slowly with a great deal of deliberate gesturing...