I've come home to the U.S. after 9 months living in Paris and am spending the week reorganizing my apt and preparing for a month in Mexico. I will be with friends in Mexico City and in Guadalajara, but would love any recommendations for special spots any of you might have for those two sites. And if any of you have advice re "Pie de la Cuesta" beach near Acapulco, that would be especially welcome. Thanks!

On another note, the last month in Paris, I spent doing a "pre-emptive nostalgia tour," and thought I'd share my favorite finds from the past year:

GREAT BARS:

L'art Brut on Rue Quincampoix (near the centre Pompidou). Very small, cheap, cute.

Le Fumoir on Admiral Coligny across from the Louvre.

The bar in Hotel Lutece right at the corner of Sevres Babylone and Blvd Raspail. Very swanky.

7 Lezards at 10 Rue des Rosiers in the 4e, especially for jazz and readings in the basement.

Nirvana at 3 Ave Matignon...it's pretty and has an open canopy on a tree lined street that is nice and calm if you need a respite from the crowds on the Champs e.

GOOD EATS: L'as du Falafel at 34 Rue des Rosiers...always a tossup between the schwarma and falafel special.

Out to the 11e on menilmontant for Algerian: restaurant des 4 freres at 127 blvd menilmontant and across the street, les miyanis for an overwhelming selection of algerian pastries...ground nuts held together with honey, yum.

Kifolie on the first block of rue de belleville at metro belleville, it's koser tunisian and quite an experience on sundays for lunch: tons of amuse-bouche pickled carrots and potato salads and and and before the main dish of fried or grilled fish.

L'avant gout in the 13e at 26 rue bobillot. it's a really decently priced 1-star, the best thing I had there is one of their desserts the chocolate chaud-froid.

L'equateur, senegalese at 151 Rue Saint-Maur in the 11e.

Le Cambodge near Metro Republique in the 10e. It's slightly off of Quai Valmy just one block in from the canal, i think at Rue de Marseille, but I'm not sure about that...

and La Mascotte at 52, Rue des Abbesses, downstairs from my old studio (sniff!) in the 19e.

SHOPPING during soldes, I had my most impressive finds at these two spots: for great shirts: Rayure in the Marais on Rue Francs Bourgeois

Atelier Anis for artwork that masquerades as clothing on Rue Houdon in the 18e, between Metro Abbesses and Pigalle.

ENTERTAINMENT VENUES: Theatre de la Commune in Aubervilliers (which makes it kind of a pain to get to, but really solid shows). http://www.theatredelacommune.com

Theatre de la Ville at Chatelet.

La Guinguette Pirate. Always fun music and a great ambiance, somehow people really get into the odd combinations of soul/klezmer/gypsy/blues/jazz manouche whatnot. At metro bibliotheque, it's a chinese junk on the river. for their schedule, http://www.guinguettepirate.com

It's worth it to go out to La Cartoucherie Complexe at Metro Chateau de Vincennes (and a little bus ride). if you can go, Mnouchkine's Theatre du Soleil always puts on a beautiful show, but the other theater companies housed there tend to be interesting as well.

I also really enjoyed Theatre de la Marionnette, which doesn't have its own space but bops around the city, their schedule is at http://www.theatredelamarionnette.com

La villette complexe in the 19e has a whole bunch of stuff that is often wonderful: they have the tilf, theatre de la villette paris, le cabaret sauvage (great music venue, although pretty pricey, usually 20euro a ticket) and quality changing expositions. http://www.villette.com

Aall this may be obvious to you all, but maybe it will spark new ideas for some. All is tailored to a student budget.

Happy travels to you all, Jeannine in SF