Sherard’s First Days

Tags

Antoine, Batignolles, Bouillon Chartier, Comptoir General, Experimental Cocktail Club, flâneur, Fushigi!, Hoppy, Il Tre, Le Refuge, Le Tout Petit, Les Ambassades, Marais, meals, Metro, Montmartre, Montorgueil, Musee d'Orsay, Palais Royal, Parc Monceau, Rodin Museum, rue Montorgueil, Sacre Coeur, Sherard, Théâtre de Nesle

My friend and book club colleague Sherard arrived on Tuesday, May 21, for his second visit to Paris. We had had a lovely time here three years ago, in 2016, so I was delighted when he accepted my invitation to visit again.

Sherard on rue Montorgueil

He arrived in the morning so our strategy was to keep him up and about until at least 8 pm to help with jet lag. We headed up to Montmartre, starting with Sacré Coeur, which we had also visited during his previous stay.

Sherard with Sacré Coeur

We were both bemused by the crush of tourists at the top, and impressed with how much quieter it was off the tourist track on the back of the hill. We sat for half an hour at Le Refuge, which Antoine had introduced me to in 2010, watching local people (with nary a tourist in sight) come and go at the métro station Lamarck—Caulaincourt. On our way home I proposed dinner at one of my favorite places, Bouillon Chartier. There I made the first of several mistakes, by failing to warn Sherard that the bar entier would be a whole fish, head, skin, fins and all. He bravely tackled it and I think mostly enjoyed it.

Bob and Sherard at Bouillon Chartier

We finished the evening with a couple rounds of cocktails at Experimental Cocktail Club, which is exactly the same as we remembered it from 2016.

The following day we got a joint ticket for the Musée d’Orsay and the Rodin Museum, and headed off to the Orsay. I discussed our experiences at the Orsay in the previous post, but this pic of Sherard from a hallway in the Orsay is worth adding:

Sherard getting his model mojo on

When we first arrived at the Seine Sherard remarked on the wide walkways on each side of the river (berges). At first I was puzzled, but then I realized that he hadn’t seen them during his previous stay since they were submerged by the Great Flood of 2016.

After the Orsay we were hungry, and wandered back into the 7ème, which I don’t know well, to forage. We finally came across a friendly place called Les Ambassades whose 19 euro menu included appetizer, main, dessert and beverage, so we were well fed. After lunch I realized that we were just a block or two from the Rodin Museum. Our ticket allowed us to visit the two museums on different days (with a three month period, actually) but since we were already there I suggested that we make it a two-museum day. The indoor museum doesn’t thrill me, but we both quite liked the sculpture garden.

The garden of the Monet Museum, with The Thinker and even Balzac peeping through the vegetation

Balzac by Rodin

The garden of the Rodin Museum

We just had time to regroup at home before heading across the river again to see an interesting production called Fushigi! at the Théâtre de Nesle, an improvisational piece based on the films of Miyazaki. I had imagined colorful costumes but I couldn’t have been more wrong. A young girl embarked on a mission to restore a precious plant to its environment. She and her mother used (very) friendly monkeys to carry messages between them. A wicked witch turned the girl into a vulture, but fortunately her identity was restored and they all lived happily ever after. I don’t have to give you a spoiler alert because the show is different every performance; all this was improvised by four actors clad in white using mime, plus occasional spoken words, to tell a vivid and affecting story. It was also perfect for us, since rapid fire, subtle French is challenging to follow.

After the show we had a a simple but delicious Italian meal at Il Tre, on rue Montorgueil.

Bob with Sherard at Il Tre on rue Montorgueil

We went out later to explore the gay scene in the Marais, but everything was pretty dead so we ended up with a tasty beer at Hoppy, one of our favorite bars from 2016, that fortunately is still thriving.

Sherard at Hoppy, after a long day

The next day Sherard asked me to look over a map of Paris and point out the areas with which I was least familiar. This was an approach that worked well during his last visit, ending up with a charming dinner in the faraway 14ème. This year one of the less familiar arrondissements I mentioned was the 17ème. I had visited a few times but never fully explored. We set out on foot, as is our wont, which took us through the Palais Royal.

Statue at the Palais Royal (with modesty preserved by a strategic bud)

Bob ‘s hat head at the Palais Royal

When we encountered the Galeries Lafayette I suggested we take a look, as a contrast with the more popular 17ème. It’s beautiful and impressive, but I find the rank commercialism rather distasteful.

Dome of Galeries Lafayette

Our first stop in the 17ème was the charming Square des Batignolles, a jardin à l’anglaise, i.e. mimicking nature rather than geometry. A striking contrast to Galeries Lafayette!

Square des Batignolles with Sherard

Square des Batignolles

We had lunch in a cute little place next to the park.

Bob at “Le Tout Petit,” Batignolles, 17ème

Sherard at “Le Tout Petit,” Batignolles

Then we plunged into terra incognita (to me). I was surprised to find dozens of big, brand new buildings clustered around a planned station of the fast, fully automated métro line 14. Unfortunately the buildings are finished and occupied but the station has been delayed, so the overcrowded line 13 is a nightmare for the time being.

Just a few of many new buildings in the 17ème

Sherard had noticed a green strip called the Cité des Fleurs on the map and suggested that we check it out. What proper flâneur could say no? I wasn’t sure that it would be open to the public, but in fact it’s open from 7 am to 7 pm, so we enjoyed a stroll. The older buildings on each side couldn’t be more different from the high rises just a few blocks away.

Lovely houses in the Cité des Fleurs, 17ème

It was only as we were about to exit that I remembered my friend Antoine having mentioned that he had moved from St. Germain des Prés to this very Cité des Fleurs! I texted him on the off chance that he might be at home, taking care of his newborn daughter; he was, and he invited us up for coffee!

Antoine with his two-month old daughter

Bob, Antoine with his daughter, and Sherard

It was great to catch up with Antoine and to see what a family man he has become. We walked home via the beautiful Parc Monceau.

Sherard and I we’re both a bit tired after our long day, and my memory of dinner is hazy, but I’m pretty sure that we capped the evening with cocktails at Experimental Cocktail Club.

A few days later, on Friday afternoon, I made a remarkable mistake that needs to be recounted. I took Sherard for a drink at Le Comptoir Général, an African-themed bar along the Canal Saint-Martin that Alexis had introduced me to in 2013, when it was known as the Ghetto Museum.  I had been blown away on that first visit by extensive conceptual art installations, as well as by their powerful signature cocktail, the Secousse (Earthquake).

A glimpse of the Ghetto Museum from 2013, but the art is almost all gone now.

I also had a dim memory that over the years it had become less African art museum and more pretentious yuppie bar, but it was still on my mental list of places to show visitors. What I definitely did not recall was that I had taken Sherard there on his first visit, in 2016, and we had been distinctly underwhelmed:

I showed Sherard Comptoir Général but realized, seeing it through his eyes, that it was no longer the astonishing art-intensive Ghetto Museum that Alexis had introduced me to several years back, but had become just a big hipster bar with a few bits of African decor.

The current Comptoir Général isn’t a terrible place. We had a moderately pleasant time sipping our drinks and watching the hipsters. The terrible thing is that I had forgotten that we had done the same thing three years earlier. Memory becomes an issue as one gets older. For someone who is “pushing 70” I think I do pretty well, but I have to admit that this oversight gives me pause. It would be an “expected surprise” to sink into outright dementia in the last years of my life, but I’m hoping to stave this off as long as possible!

Near the end of the week Sherard revealed that he had had a slight ulterior motive all along: To keep me so happily busy that I wouldn’t have time to blog. In this he succeeded magnificently! I’m writing a full week later, just after he headed back to Boston.

Expected Surprises

Tags

C.N., Chuck Latovich, Ellsworth, food porn, meals, Palais Royal, Paris, Place des Vosges

When my Paris schedule leaves a gap of two or three weeks between house guests I typically have a moment of anxiety. Will I be bored? Will I be lonely?? But then I remind myself that in Paris, the most popular tourist destination in the world, unplanned friends — “expected surprises” — always show up. And so they have!

C.N. at the Palais Royal. Photo credit: Me! (with his camera and guidance)

Although we’ve never lived in the same city I’ve known C.N. since 2012 and our paths have crossed several times since then, most recently three years ago in Paris. He arrived on Friday and we hung out for a while for each of the following four days. He’s also counting his steps, so we have that goal in common, although he does 500 pushups every morning so we have some divergent goals too!

I had despaired of ever improving on my Facebook profile pic from last summer.

But C.N. took its successor at the Palais Royal.

We had a few nice meals but the most memorable was at an unassuming looking restaurant called Ellsworth. I had initially been concerned that it would be ugly American food, since their signature dish was fried chicken, but it proved to be creative mostly-French cuisine.

I mislaid my somewhat decrepit umbrella somewhere that day, I suspected at Ellsworth. I promptly bought a spanking new umbrella at Muji, but eventually got around to asking at Ellsworth whether they had my old one. They didn’t, but were extremely nice about it, and eventually gave me another, much nicer, one from their collection of abandoned umbrellas. It’s helpful to have two for when friends stay over.

C.N. and I visited several museums together, notably Musée d’Orsay, l’Orangerie and the Picasso museum. I’ll organize the art pics separately.

On the last two days of C.N.’s visit yet another friend showed up unexpectedly. Chuck Latovich is a gentlemen of approximately my own vintage, who was making a European Grand Tour with another Boston friend. We started a walking tour of the rue Montorgueil neighborhood by having a couple kirs at my favorite people watching table, with views down rue Tiquetonne as well as the Montorgueil parade. Two hours and two more kirs later we had caught up and watched many fabulous people but not taken a step.

Bob and Chuck at L.B. on rue Montorgueil

Though still very young himself, and in a committed relationship, C.N. appreciates maturity, so when he saw this pic he was keen to meet Chuck. Consistent with my reputation as a master “connector” I arranged a joint event for the following afternoon, which (if I do say so myself) was a modest social triumph.

Bob, C.N. and Chuck on rue des Mauvaises Garçons

Friends, Sun and Plagues

Tags

Bird, Bolt, Circ, Dott, Flash, Herzog & de Meuron, History, Hive, Jump, Knights Templar, Lime, meals, Palais Royal, Rue Vieille du Temple, scooters, Soeurs, Tier, Triangle Tower, trottinettes, UFO, Vieille rue du Temple, Voi, Wind

It’s still cold here in the evenings, but the temperature has been struggling up to 70 in the afternoons, and Tuesday through Thursday were actually sunny. Yesterday (Friday) was cloudy, and we’re in for a few rainy days. Spring is gradually arriving but I have never yet been tempted by short pants or a short sleeved shirt. I boldly went out yesterday afternoon without my jacket but I was cold.

On Tuesday I mostly blogged (you’re welcome!) and puttered around home. On Wednesday and Thursday the sun drew me outside but my hunger for art competed. I compromised on Wednesday by walking around galleries in the Marais, and on Thursday by walking across the city to see a show that was ending at the Musée Guimet, which focuses on Asiatic sculpture and art.

On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings I met two young men who I had first encountered on line; in one case we had been chatting on and off since 2016 and in the other our first conversation had been the previous evening. One guy had moved here from China for religious reasons and the other was just visiting for a few days from Thailand. Both meetings were warm and cozy, and it’s possible that we may meet up again later in my stay. I don’t have a racial preference for Asians, but I have found that we’re often compatible, perhaps because their culture calls for elders to be respected. By the way, one of these guys asked me to guess what it was about my online photo that made him want to meet me. I nailed it first try. Can you guess?

I’ll put up some art posts next, but here are a few glimpses of my wanderings these past few days.

Paris is suffering a plague of battery powered scooters (trottinettes) that you pay for online.

We had these scooters briefly in the Boston area but the city quickly banned them. Paris has finally woken up to the hazards and irritations of these devices and has taken a clever approach to the issue. They have required the ten different operators — Lime, Bird, Bolt, Jump, Wind, Tier, Hive, Dott, Voi and Flash/Circ — to sign a Charter of Good Conduct requiring that they not be ridden on the sidewalks, that they be parked only in designated areas, that there can be only one rider, and that riders must be adults. If these standards aren’t complied with over the next few weeks — which is certain — Paris plans to ban the scooters entirely. This is clever because it commits the companies to reasonable standards, then allows the city to seem less heavy handed when it eventually cracks down. I hope to be able to update this post before I leave at the end of June to report on the outcome.

Update, June 7, 2019: The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, just announced further restrictions on trottinettes, including a reduction of their maximum speed from 25 to 20 km/hr, a strict prohibition of riding them on sidewalks, and a plan to reduce the number of operators from twelve to two or three.

The careful reader will have noticed some discrepancies, which are explained below, based on an indispensible C-News article:

• • • • • I had originally written Tire for a service actually called Tier.
        • Flash is changing its name to Circ.
        • Somehow I had overlooked the most recent service, UFO.
        • Last but not least, I had failed to understand that there are two completely unrelated trottinette operators, both called Bolt. One is operated by VTC Txfy and the other has recently been launched by none other than Usain Bolt himself.

If this all sounds like the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, welcome to Paris in the spring of 2019! This can’t go on, and I think we’re on track for a pretty much total ban by the end of June.

Speaking of plagues, the execrable building in this rendering has just gotten final approval:

Herzog & de Meuron’s Proposed Triangle Tower

The one mercy is that it will be tucked away in the 15ème arrondissement, where nobody (except me and my cousins) ever goes. Both the mayor and the court found (implausibly), that “the project is not likely to affect the neighborhood’s character or views.” There’s a reason, people, why the Tour de Montparnasse is one of the most hated buildings in Paris, and why there have been no skyscrapers in the city since 1973, when it was built.

On a lighter note, this street sign consoles us that the history of Paris is not so easily effaced. A “modern” sign has disappeared, leaving the rough outline at lower right. Most of the older sign, in light stone, remains, but the verdigris where they overlapped gives a glimpse of a still older sign. Layers and layers.

Here’s another street sign that’s packed with history:

Rue Vieille du Temple / Vieille rue du Temple

First off, the “modern” sign is itself quite old, indeed barely legible. What it says is also barely intelligible, “Road Old of the Temple.” The incised sign, far older, is still perfectly legible, and also more intelligible: “Old Road of the Temple.” But even when that sign was made the road was already “old,” implying that there was a newer road to the Temple, which in fact is the nearby « rue du Temple ». There’s no temple to be seen today, only a charming little park called the Square du Temple, in the haute Marais. The original Temple was the enormous, highly fortified feudal domain of the Kinghts Templar, extending through both the bas and haute Marais from just above rue de Rivoli/rue de Saint-Antoine to just below the Place de la République. The power of the Knights Templar rivaled that of the king himself, so in 1312 dozens of members were executed and the order was suppressed. To add one more layer of history, their temple in the Marais was itself known as the Villeneuve du Temple de Paris — the New City of the Temple — because it replaced an even earlier fortress near the present day Hôtel de Ville. Layers and layers and layers…

On my walk over to Musée Guimet on Thursday I started getting hungry around the Élysée Palace. Nearby places seemed stodgy but I saw two lively-looking young men with paper bags so I backtracked to find where they got them. It turned out to be a very popular Korean place, but their only meal was ground beef. Across the street, however, was a vegetarian place called Sisters (Soeurs), where I got this excellent salad.

Last but not least, the roses are blooming in the garden of the Palais Royal. More from there soon…

Last Days with Andy

Tags

art, au-delà des limites, Beyond the Limits, contemporary art, decanting, Design et Nature, Egon Schiele, food porn, Galerie Vivienne, Hundertwasser, Il Tre, Klimt, La Grappe d'Or, La Régalade Conservatoire, L’Atelier des Lumières, meals, Montorgueil, Palais Royal, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Paris, Paris food porn, Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffroy, passages, Rosa Bonheur, Schiele

On Wednesday we went to one of the two immersive light exhibitions currently on view in Paris. Since I had previously seen Au dela des Limites, we went instead to the Klimt/Egon Schiele/Hundertwasser show at L’Atelier des Lumières. I thought this would be interesting because I like all three artists (yes, even the relatively obscure Hundertwasser). Both exhibitions use hundreds of video projectors managed by a massive computer system to create an immersive environment, with light projected on the walls and floor, as well as on visitors. This exhibition is made up of several shows, one mixing Klimt and Schiele, one on Hundertwasser and one that just plays with digital motifs.

Klimt show at L’Atelier des Lumières

Death at the Klimt Show at L’Atelier des Lumières

We both enjoyed this exhibition, but it’s different in several key respects from the other one:

• This show is based on classic fine art, so at times it offers an intense shock of recognition. The other one has many lovely artistic elements, but all newly created by the developers.
• The space is a former foundry, retaining many architectural elements. These can be interesting but also distracting. There also seem to be more awkwardly placed exit lights.
• Basically the same video shows on all the walls at the same time, so you only move around to get a more interesting angle.
• The video isn’t interactive.

Bottom line, if you can only see one go to L’Atelier des Lumières if you are strongly attracted to the artists, but go to Au dela des Limites if you want to have a more stunning immersive experience.

After the Klimt show we had reservations at La Régalade Conservatoire, which I had enjoyed earlier in this stay. So … stay tuned for more food porn!

We were ready for the restaurant with time to spare so I took us on a circuitous route, down rue d’Aboukir to see Design et Nature, the most famous taxidermy store in Paris that allows photography (Deyrolle does not).

Which is fiercer? At Design et Nature

Our preprandial walk continued to the nearby garden of the Palais Royale, then through the series of passages (covered arcades) that start with the 1823 Galerie Vivienne, continuing through the 1799 Passage des Panoramas and the 1836 Passage Jouffroy. We arrived just in time for our 7:30 reservation. We were the first patrons, but the restaurant quickly filled up. There was a bit of language confusion at the start, but otherwise I enjoyed the meal almost as much as my earlier one there.

My octopus appetizer at La Régalade Conservatoire

A waitress decanting a bottle of red for another table at La Régalade Conservatoire

Andy at La Régalade Conservatoire

My delicious strawberry rhubarb dessert at La Régalade Conservatoire

On Thursday morning we started with breakfast and people watching at La Grappe d’Or on rue des Petits Carreaux, which is the name for a segment of the same street between rue Montorogueil and my current rue Poissonière. I’m glad that Andy enjoys the passing show here as much as I do.

Breakfast and people watching at La Grappe d’Or on rue des Petits Carreaux

Andy had wanted to see the Catacombs, but they were closed due to a strike, so on Thursday we went instead to the other light show. We both enjoyed it, even though I had been before. Instead of posting separately I added our pics to my earlier post: Au dela des limites.

After the light show we walked up to the Parc des Buttes Chaumont and each enjoyed a beer at Rosa Bonheur.

The suspension bridge at Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

I was puzzled at first by the calmness and peacefulness of both park and ginguette, but then I realized that I have always been there on Sunday, when the park is filled with families and the bar is filled, by early afternoon, with gay men.

We had a quick Italian dinner at Il Tre and made it an early evening since Andy had to be up at the crack of dawn the next morning to catch his flights back home. It was a pleasure to explore Paris again with him, and we agreed that next time he should plan to stay longer!

Last Weekend

Tags

16mm, 2015 by Nicholas Delprat, 2016 by Béranger Laymond, Ali, Anti-terrorism teams, Army teams, art, banlieue, Béranger Laymond, bidonville, bouche à oreille, bouchon d'oreille, Canal Saint-Denis, Censier–Daubenton, contemporary art, Foodi, Foyer Vietnam, France, Galerie les Yeux Fertiles, Grand Train, Guillaume, Jacques Carelman, Jacques Prévert, language, Le Grand Train, Lemon, Lina's, Lisa, Louvre, Marais, meals, Montorgueil, neighborhoods, Nicholas Delprat, Palais Royal, Paris, racism, raton, raton-laveur, Reliefs, RER Control, Roma, rue Montorgueil, Rue Mouffetard, Saint-Denis, shantytown, soldiers, Submachine guns, We Can Control Space, Zhizhong, Zongzi

These past two years my cousin Lisa — so big a part of my Paris experience in earlier years! — has been in Uganda working on her Ph.D. She’s still looking after me, however, and she suggested a dinner with our mutual friends Ali and Zhizhong. We met at my place on Friday evening for an apéro, then ate at nearby Foodi, where I had dined my first night in Paris this year.

Ali, Zhizhong and me on our way to dinner.

There was a snafu about our reservation — I’ve found that smaller restaurants often don’t notice last-minute reservations made through the Fork — but we just had to kill half an hour at Hoppy, and then could be seated.

Zhizhong and me at Foodi (photo credit, Ali)

Ali and I had bento boxes, but Zhizhong was thrilled to get a traditional Chinese dish, Zongzi. In a beloved legend packets of rice were thrown into a river to distract fish from eating the body of a hero.

Zhizhong’s Zongzi Traditionnelle at Foodi

Ali headed home after dinner but Zhizhong and I got into a deep conversation, mostly about the opportunities, challenges and temptations of his new job. He’s working like crazy, but also coming into contact with upper levels of French business and society that raise all sorts of interesting questions. We used to have conversations like this back in Cambridge while he was working on his Ph.D., but this is the first really long talk we’ve had in the 3-1/2 years he’s been living in Paris. It was after 3 am by the time he headed home, and I staggered into bed!

I understandably got a late start on Saturday, then strolled over to the Palais Royal to do some reading.

Reading at the Palais Royal

I grabbed a quick and cheap lunch at Lina’s on Etienne Marcel, then strolled over to the left bank via the Louvre. You see teams of four heavily-armed soldiers all over Paris. Usually I’m reluctant to take their picture but I did take this shot to give you the idea. From one perspective they make me feel safer and from another perspective they make me uneasy.

Well-protected Eiffel tower seller at the Louvre

My destination was the little district of art galleries in the 6ème arrondissement near the École des beaux-arts. I had slighted this area despite my interest in art because I had the impression that these would be schlock galleries catering to tourists. There were a few of those towards the Latin Quarter but overall I was quite impressed with the quality of the galleries in this area.

Snow bicycle by Jacques Carelman at the Galerie les Yeux Fertiles

After the galleries started closing I strolled across the Latin Quarter to rue Monge, and headed up to a student-run restaurant I had read about, the Foyer Vietnam, in the 5ème. Mysterious from the outside because its windows are frosted, inside it’s a simple and welcoming Vietnamese restaurant. The food was tasty and inexpensive, and I sat at a long table with other diners. Very much the kind of experience I was looking for that evening.

Both before and after dinner I strolled around the area. I had previously noted the neighborhood around métro Censier–Daubenton as one where I could envisage staying one year. The only real drawback I saw was the fact that it’s a bit of a hike to the Marais, which is these days more of an issue for my guests than it is for me. Nearby rue Mouffetard, which had charmed me on earlier trips to Paris, now seems trampled to death by the tourist hoards. Rue Montorgueil itself — while still attracting a lot of French visitors — seems to be going in the same direction. Where can I go to escape from … people like me?

On Sunday morning I blogged and got a quick lunch at Lemon. Then Guillaume picked me up and we traveled together to the banlieue of Saint-Denis to see a contemporary art show. Guillaume had worked in Saint-Denis on an assignment and his employer, a city planning arm of the Paris region, plans to move its main office there. I had previously been to see the basilica (which is most impressive) but hadn’t dared to venture deeper into the city. It was reassuring to have an experienced guide.

In prior years I’ve usually purchased a monthly Navigo pass, which extends on weekends, etc. to the entire Île de France region, including Saint-Denis. This year, however, I’m just using métro tickets, which only cover the inner zones of Paris. When Guillaume pointed this out at Gare du Nord we joked about the idea of my taking my chances on being “controlled” and required to pay a substantial fine, but decided to buy the correct tickets. Our virtue was rewarded, since there was a massive control operation at Saint-Denis! Dozens of police were writing up fines for people who didn’t have the right credentials, and catching people who were trying to escape the control.

The art show was supposed to be in an apartment building in a lovely location, right between the Seine and the Canal Saint-Denis. At first we went to the wrong floor and had a disorienting experience since nobody at all was there.

Selfie of me and Guillaume in sketchy banlieue elevator

But once we found the show it was normal and the organizers were friendly and informative.

Reliefs, 2016 by Béranger Laymond at We Can Control Space show

Bob and Guillaume contemplating 16mm, 2015 by Nicholas Delprat

The show organizers had said that there were also some exterior artworks, so after leaving the gallery we went around back. It turned out to be a sandy beach on the banks of the canal, where a cheerful young crowd was watching France beat Ireland in the round of 16 of the European soccer cup!

Afternoon on the beach … of the Canal Saint-Denis

This being France of course there was a bar, and of course we each had a couple of beers… After the match we got into conversation with neighbors at our picnic table and learned a lot about the building. The residents are mostly artists and other creative types (also, contrary to the prevailing demographic of Saint-Denis, mostly white), and they are fighting to keep control of the building. It’s really a gorgeous spot; the only little issue I noticed was the Roma (gypsy) shantytown across the canal.

Roma shantytown across the canal

Guillaume explained that French racism against the Roma is even more intense than that against North Africans. There’s no immediate prospect of a Frexit, but the far right would love to use fear and hatred of immigrants to lever France out of the E.U. as well. Our conversation was in French, as at the dinner party in May. I had to ask him to repeat or explain a few times but on the whole I was able to keep up pretty well.

We said farewell at Gare du Nord, so I strolled over to the Grand Train, which I has first visited with Kristoffer the previous week, to see what it was like in nicer weather. It was a lot busier than last time, but all I had energy for was drinking a small beer and heading home for dinner and sleep.

“Time misleads us. Time hugs us. Time is our station. Time is our train.” –Jacques Prévert at Le Grand Train

Pizza restaurant at Le Grand Train. One of a dozen bars and restaurants.

Mot du jour: « bouche à oreille », “word of mouth”, but literally, “mouth to ear”, which I think is more evocative than our idiom. Not to be confused with « bouchon d’oreille », “earplug”.

Bonus Mot du jour: « bidonville », “shantytown”.

Second Bonus Mot du jour: « raton-laveur », “raccoon”, but literally, “little rat washer”. Beware the word « raton », however, since it’s also a racist slur for North Africans.

Machine à raton-laveur by Jacques Carelman at Galerie les Yeux Fertiles

Rest and Dates

Tags

Angelina, Bertrand, chocolate, France, hot chocolate, meals, Metro, metro Palais Royal, Omar, Palais Royal, Paris, Sherard

Sherard headed home on Thursday morning. In eight days we had walked 107 miles, averaging 13 miles a day, with 18 miles on our peak day. I generally walk an average of 7 miles a day when I’m in Paris but Sherard upped my game considerably!

Guess which week Sherard was here (June 1-8)

After he left I was tired! And my heel was hurting again — for obvious reasons. So I settled in for a day of rest and blogging. I had several free days before my next visitor, however, so I checked my social networking apps, and ended up making two dates, one for afternoon tea and the other for dinner.

I met my first date at métro Etienne Marcel. Omar is a 26-year-old Southeast Asian man on his first visit to Europe. He’s culturally Muslim but applies its principles flexibly. Like me, he enjoys travel and photography, and has a quirky sense of humor. I gave him a short tour of the Village Montorgueil, then we had tea at my apartment. We had a nice conversation and agreed to meet up again for drinks the following evening.

My Omar

My second date was with a young French guy. He proposed that we meet at métro La Motte-Picquet – Grenelle, an area with which I wasn’t particularly familiar. There were many exits so I picked the most plausible one. There was a huge crowd of people there, going to some sort of soccer event (the Euro Cup is being held in France this year) but no sign of my date. I had relied on being able to contact him when I got there but the app we had been chatting on wasn’t working for me and I didn’t have any other contact info. I waited half an hour and finally the app started working and we met up. He proposed dinner at a restaurant quite a distance away, so we walked over. The meal was pleasant enough and he was pleasant enough, but I was more interested in Omar at this point so we didn’t make another date. He walked me back to the métro and I called it a night.

Mostly a rest day, yes, but I nevertheless ended up walking more than 7 miles!

I started out Friday morning for a non-date rendezvous with Bertrand (Jared R’s French friend, whom I had met at our dinner party) for hot chocolate at Angelina on the rue de Rivoli. We had a lovely conversation, en français. I was sorry to hear about the continuing homophobia of his brother, even though the rest of his family has been supportive. I forget sometimes how lucky I’ve been!

Me and Bertrand at Angelina

Delicious hot chocolate and rather rich chocolate truffle at Angelina

Mural of Nice at Angelina

After Angelina I read my Yourcenar book for an hour in the lovely garden of the Palais Royal.

The garden of the Palais Royal

A gallery at the Palais Royal

Surely the strangest métro entrance in Paris: Palais Royal

A Monday Stroll

Tags

Berkeley Books, Boulevard Saint-Germain, Design et Nature, Deyrolle, Edgar, Fontaine de l’Observatoire, France, Galerie Vivienne, Instutute du Monde Arabe, Jardin de Luxembourg, Palais Royal, Panthéon, Paris, Right Bank, Sénat, Security Fence at the Sénat, Seine, Sherard, Square Barye, St. Etienne du Mont, stuffed animals, taxidermy

On Monday Sherard and I set out to explore the right bank, which we had slighted so far. We strolled over by way of the elegant Galerie Vivienne and the lovely garden of the Palais Royal.

Bookshop in the Galerie Vivienne

Greenery in the garden of the Palais Royal

We crossed the Seine and entered the 7ème arrondissement along the rue du Bac, so I could show Sherard Deyrolle, a world-famous taxidermy shop with an astounding collection of animals and insects. I respected their rule against photos but to give you the idea here are some pics from the smaller but also wonderful Design et Nature [Photo Set] at the other end of my own rue d’Aboukir.

Stuffed animals at Design et Nature

Stuffed animals at Design et Nature

After walking along the posh Boulevard Saint-Germain we had coffee at the square in front of the Odéon, were disappointed to find that Phyllis Cohen’s Berkeley Books is closed on Mondays, then strolled through the Jardin du Luxembourg.

Panthéon seen from the Jardin du Luxembourg

Security fence going in around the Sénat in the Jardin du Luxembourg. Necessary, but sad.

Fontaine de l’Observatoire of the Jardin du Luxembourg

We chose a pleasant spot and read our books for an hour in the Jardin du Luxembourg.

Sherard pretending to read Foucault in the garden of the Palais Royal (which he really did in the Jardin du Luxembourg)

Then we walked over to Vavin, where I had had a memorable Niçoise salad my first year, at La Rotonde. They didn’t have this on the menu, though, and everything else looked pretty pricey, so we had cheap and cheerful baguette sandwiches at a boulangerie instead. We then walked up to the Panthéon, where I was disappointed to find that the beautiful St. Etienne du Mont church is closed on Mondays. Then through the Jardin des Plantes, fortunately open. The free observation deck of the Instutute du Monde Arabe is also closed on Mondays, and Square Barye, the little park at the east end of l’île Saint-Louis, was closed due to the flood, so all in all we had a good walk but were frustrated by closures at several points.

We partially made up for the disappointments of the day with a lovely small-plate meal at Edgar, a newly-opened hotel restaurant right around the corner from my 2016 apartment.

Dinner at Edgar

Paris – After the Top Ten Sights

Tags

Albert Kahn museum, Alcohol, Alfred Sisley, An Hour from Paris, Arc de Triomphe, Bastille, Bercy Village, Bois de Vincennes, Canal Saint-Martin, Catacombs of Paris, Château, Château de Vincennes, crime, day trips, drinking, Eiffel Tower, Grand Palais, Institut du monde arabe, Jardin de Luxembourg, Jardin de Reuilly, l'Oasis d'Aboukir, Latin Quarter, L’Étoile Manquante, l’officiel des spectacles, LB Café, le Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, le musée du quai Branly, le Musée Jaquemart-André, Marais, Metro, Montmartre, Montorgueil, Moret-sur-Loing, mugging, Musée Carnavalet, Musée d’art moderne, Musée des Arts et Métiers, Musée Rodin, Musee d'Orsay, museums, Opéra Garnier, Open Café, Palais de Tokyo, Palais Royal, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Parc Floral, Parc Monceau, Parc Montsouris, Paris, Pariscope, Passy-Auteuil, Petit Palais, pickpockets, Place des Vosges, Pompidou, Pompidou Center, Promenade plantée, Provins, Public Drinking, Rambouillet, Rosa Bonheur, rue de Charonne, rue Montorgueil, safety, Seine, Senlis, train

The Top Ten Sights

[If you just want to see what my life in Paris has been like you can skip this post.]

On your first visit to Paris, like everyone else, you will go up the Eiffel Tower.

Iconic!

You will go to the Louvre and take a snapshot of the Mona Lisa.  You will gaze in awe at the facade of Notre-Dame. You will have an ice cream made by Berthillon on l’Île Saint-Louis. You will take a Bateau Mouche tour of the Seine. You will stroll along the Champs-Elysée up to the Arc de Triomphe.

Arc de Triomphe

You will eat a soggy crêpe at a stand in the Latin Quarter. You will climb the south slope of Montmartre up to Sacré Coeur and be dazzled by the view.

In all of those places you will be surrounded by other tourists doing exactly the same things, clutching their maps and mobile phones to ensure that they never stray from the well-worn Tourist Track.

Not only will you do these things, you must do them, and you should do them. Why? Because these places are iconic, and your friends would never forgive you if you didn’t. Because that’s what it means to go to Paris for the first time. And, last but not least, because they’re fabulous. It is not tragic that everywhere you go those first few days will be excruciatingly touristy. It’s normal.

Every travel book will tell you how to see the top ten tourist spots over your first few days, and I leave this task to them. But when you have gotten this out of your system — after your first few days, or on your second visit — read on. This post is about what to do after you’ve seen the top sights.

Getting Ready for More

First off you will need some technology. Get the RATP app, the Métro app and the TripAdvisor City Guide app that I describe in my Getting Into Paris post. These will help you get around and enable you to stray as far as you like from the beaten path without anxiety. And if your battery runs out just stroll for a bit until you run across a métro station. They all have detailed maps with a red dot labelled « Vous Etes Ici » (You Are Here). While you may have to change lines once or twice there will always be a station within a few blocks of your hotel.

Next, find out what’s happening in Paris. One excellent resource is the City of Paris English web site at this link (and there’s lots more on the French language site). For under a euro you can pick up a copy of Pariscope or l’officiel des spectacles at any newsstand (they come out on Wednesday). The text is in French but you should be able to puzzle out most of the listings even if you don’t read the language. Look in particular for exhibitions at the Grand Palais and Petit Palais.

Last but not least, shift gears. You are no longer checking off “must-see” sights. It is not important that you see the eleventh through twentieth best things in Paris. What you want now is to have some personally rewarding experiences, connecting in one way or other with this big, complex and fascinating city. Slow down, let your blood pressure drop a few points, and look up from your maps! What aspects of the city do you want to explore over these next few days?

Indoor or Outdoor?

The first big question is whether you’ll be exploring outdoors or looking for something under a roof. This obviously depends on weather as well as your own preferences. My one additional observation is that Paris can be lovely in the rain if you have the right gear to keep warm and dry, and you’ll want that gear anyway to get to an indoor destination if it’s raining.

Indoor Options

These are just a few suggestions out of a myriad of wonderful indoor options. Do two things in each case on line before you set out: Check the opening days and hours, and see what special exhibitions are on offer.

• Musée d’Orsay
  This wonderful museum is on many top-ten lists, but if not it certainly deserves top consideration as your next indoor destination. Buy your tickets on line or at a travel agent to avoid the ticket line, which can be more than an hour long. When you enter go left and take the elevator or escalators up to the fifth floor, to start with the Impressionist masterpieces. There’s plenty more on lower floors but you don’t want to risk getting tired before you reach the top.
• Pompidou Center
  The Pompidou is fun to look at since its structural elements and mechanical systems are on the outside, color coded. But it also has a great collection of modern art, an ok collection of contemporary art, and interesting rotating exhibitions. Your ticket also lets you see whatever is going on an the French first floor, opposite the escalators to the main floors. And whatever you do, check out the view from the top floor.
• Musée des Arts et Métiers
  If you like machines and technology allow a half-day for this enormous grab-bag of mechanical stuff, ranging from tiny scientific instruments to giant steam engines.
• Musée Carnavalet (closed for renovations until the end of 2019) This is the museum of the history of Paris. It’s also a marvelous grab-bag — of art, furnishings and memorabilia. Like all the City of Paris museums, it’s free, and closed on Mondays. But note that until the end of 2019 collections from the French Revolution, 19th century and the Belle Époque are closed for renovation.
• Opéra Garnier
  Strangely, I’ve never taken the tour of this utterly gorgeous building, but friends tell me it’s excellent. (I have been to several performances in the new opera building at Bastille. It’s a great space but you must reserve in the first few days tickets go on sale to get affordable tickets.)
• Catacombs of Paris
  These vast underground tunnels are where the bones are stashed when construction work wipes out a cemetery, most notably by Haussmann’s renovation of Paris in the mid 19th century. It’s ghoulish but fascinating. I’ve described the experience thusly: Ten minutes of “When do we get to the bones?” Ten minutes of silence. Then half an hour of “When do we get to the end of the bones?”
• Other Museums
  There are a hundred museums in Paris!  Among those I’ve enjoyed are le Musée Rodin (which needs good weather because at least half the masterpieces are in the extensive gardens), the odd and wonderful le Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, the informative Institut du monde arabe (which offers a great view from the roof even if you don’t want to buy a ticket to the museum), the primitive-art-museum-that-dare-not-speak-its-name le musée du quai Branly, one of several house-museums, le Musée Jaquemart-André, the city’s answer to the Pompidou, the Musée d’art moderne, and the adjacent — wild and wooly — contemporary art museum, the  Palais de Tokyo (but confirm first that the exhibitions are open). Some are quite obscure, but nearly all will reward your time. How about trying a museum that isn’t in the guidebook, or even in this post??  A full list is at this link.

Outdoor Options

• • People-Watching from a Café
    This is one of the most delightful things you can do in Paris. You can do it almost anywhere, but here are some of my favorite spots.
    • My favorite street for people watching is rue Montorgueil in the 2e, and my very favorite table is at the LB Café with a view down rue Tiquetonne as well as up and down Montorgueil. You will see all sorts of people, from stylish youths to women pushing baby carriages, to still-elegant retirees. Some foreign tourists — increasing every year — but still mostly French. Order an expensive coffee or kir and nurse it for an hour or two as you take in the passing parade!  Then become part of the parade yourself as you stroll up to the top of the street, beyond the arch, to check out the L’Oasis d’Aboukir.
    • A close second, though much more touristy, is L’Étoile Manquante on rue Vielle du Temple in the Marais, at the intersection with rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie. Or if you want a stronger gay flavor, the classic Open Café on rue des Archives.
    • Another busy and stylish place is Bercy Village, a posh shopping area at the Cour Saint-Émilion métro stop.
  •  Stroll Along the Promenade Plantée
    This is a linear park along the top of a disused railway viaduct – the (earlier) Parisian version of New York’s High Line. Depending on the season it has beautiful flowers, and always offers commanding city views. The elevated portion ends with a pedestrian bridge over the green center of the Jardin de Reuilly, a favorite sunbathing spot. You can plan lunch at le Janissaire, then continue another mile or so along a portion of the tracks that ran through a depressed cut. Or you can window shop your way back to Bastille by dozens of artist studios and art-related stores that have been created in the arches of the viaduct.
  • Have a Picnic
    There are so many great parks to choose from!  A few of my favorites are:
    • the lovely little Place des Vosges and the similar garden of the Palais Royal
    • the big and beautiful Jardin du Luxembourg
    • posh little Parc Monceau
    • large and hilly and un-touristy Parc Montsouris
    • spectacular though somewhat remote Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, which has the wonderful ginguette Rosa Bonheur in the top corner (near métro Botzaris), and the delightful little Temple de la Sibylle overlooking its man-made lake.
    • The Bois de Vincennes on the east side of Paris (like the Bois de Boulougne on the west) is dauntingly enormous, but there are great things to do there: rent a boat on the lake, visit the gorgeous Parc Floral, go to the brand-new zoo, tour the Château de Vincennes, etc. Just make sure the métro stop you go to is within walking distance of the part of the park you’re aiming for!

    But don’t limit yourself to parks. There are other lovely spots to picnic.

    • The banks of the Seine are classic spots for a picnic, especially around or in the vicinity of the two islands at the city’s center. Just go down one of the flights of steps and find your perfect spot.
    • Another favorite place to picnic is along the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin in the 10e. Most charming is the section from rue du Faubourg du Temple (where it emerges from its long tunnel) up to the bend when it turns towards the east.

    Everyone seems to have wine or beer with their picnics, except in parks where a sign specifically prohibits alcohol, but the legal picture in theory appears to be quite complex. My thought is that if others are drinking in the same area and you aren’t rowdy you are unlikely to get more than a warning. In particular there doesn’t seem to be an “open container” law like in the U.S., just prohibitions on actually drinking in public.

  • Take a Walking Tour
    Strangely, I’ve never taken an organized tour, but it should be worthwhile. There are good self-guided walking tours in the TripAdvisor City Guide app mentioned above, and if you speak French and have data on your mobile there are fascinating (albeit uneven) self-guided tours at ParisInconnu.com that I enjoyed in 2014.
  • Get Lost on Your Own!
    This is my favorite thing to do in Paris. You always find something interesting, especially if you’re willing to divert from your original plan to do down a curious alley or investigate an attractive patch of greenery. Here are some possible areas to try, but don’t let this list limit you. In each case zig-zag through the area, exploring side streets, arcades (passages) and alleys as well as the main street.
    • • Le Marais, 4e
        The lower Marais, the 4e arrondissement, is a classic area for strolling — and getting lost. There are plenty of restaurants and shops, open even on Sunday. The busiest and most touristy area is north of rue de Rivoli but I recommend a quieter stroll also on the other side of rue de Rivoli, including the little pedestrian area called Village Saint-Paul.
      • Montorgueil, 2e
        This is a nest of narrow pedestrianized streets chock full of shops, restaurants and bars.
      • Latin Quarter, 5e and 6e
        There are curious walking areas in every direction from the fountain of Saint Michel. Notice the throngs of tourists to the east. Check out the many bookstores downhill from Odéon. Stroll up past the Sorbonne to the Panthéon, then continue down to the charming old market street rue Mouffetard.
      • rue de Charonne, 11e
        This is a hip and slightly edgy area. Be sure to go up and down the side streets!
      • Montmartre, 18e
        Lots of tourists, but also lots of fun windy streets. Be sure to explore the north side of the hill as well as the busier south side.
      • Passy-Auteuil, 16e
        Yes, this is where the rich people live. And indeed there are sterile canyons of wealthy apartments. But some of those buildings are gorgeous, and there are some nice restaurants and bars there if you can put up with locals dripping with money and privilege (and English). Start at with a coffee at posh La Gare, at métro La Muette.

    I never worry much about safety in the daytime – you can basically go anywhere within the Peripherique highway (which you can’t cross without noticing!) At night you might want to ask your hotel if you plan to stray far from the touristy zones, but even in the dark much of the city feels quite safe. The type of crime you’re more likely to encounter is a pickpocket or mobile-snatcher on the métro, at a railroad station or in a crowded museum or other tourist area, though kids from the rougher suburbs are reputed to go in for street robberies now and then. There are also scams such as petitions, shell games, gold rings, etc. that you should just ignore. Paris is beefing up its police presence to reduce crime against tourists.

Day Trips Outside of Paris

In the unlikely event that you run out of things to do in Paris proper I am a big fan of the guidebook, An Hour From Paris. I’ve done a dozen day trips from it over my years in Paris, each accessible by train:

• • • Chantilly
    • Château d’Écouen – Musée national de la Renaissance
    • La Ferté-Milon and a 4-1/2 mile walk along the Canal de l’Ourcq (wonderful)
    • The Jean-Jacques Rousseau museum in Montmorency
    • Parc de Sceaux (only 15 minutes from Paris; gorgeous though rather recent restoration of Le Nôtre park)
    • Crécy-la-Chapelle (wonderful though requires a train change)
    • Conflans-Sainte-Honorine and Andrésy (wonderful)
    • Champs-sur-Marne (where the château has now reopened)
    • Albert Kahn museum and garden in Boulogne
    • Alfred Sisley Pilgrimage to Moret-sur-Loing
    • Senlis
    • Provins
    • Rambouillet

Eating!

Last but not least, Paris is a paradise for food. My own forays have only scratched the surface but you can check out Dining Off (and On) the Beaten Path if you like. The TripAdvisor City Guide has suggestions and reviews. You might also like the The Fork site or app, which allows online reservations and also offers discounts.

The Beginning of the End

Tags

Au Rocher de Cancale, Channa, Houellebecq, L'Ecoute, Lézard Café, Les Halles, Palais Royal, rue Montorgueil, Saint Eustache

My last week started on a muted note, with Gerry’s departure for Antwerp.  We took our last walk around the quartier and enjoyed our last lunch, at historic Au Rocher de Cancale.  Even though I have another week here I felt a distinct sense of “second-hand nostalgia” — seeing Paris and especially rue Montorgueil for the last time (this year, anyway) through his eyes.  In just a few days this will be my own personal experience.

After Gerry left I strolled over to the garden of the Palais Royal to read a bit more of Les Particules élémentaires by Michel Houellebecq, which I had scarcely looked at since my first week.  The fall flowers are lovely, but inevitably pale in comparison to the spring flowers that thrilled me my first year.  This year I noticed for the first time “The Little Cannon of the Palais Royal.”  It was placed there in 1786, and fired at noon on sunny days until 1914; since 1990 it’s shot off every day.  Is public safety perhaps the reason why the pelouse in front of it is interdite?

Le Petit Canon du Palais Royal

My walk home included a pedestrian walkway through the gigantic work-site for the Les Halles project.  This affords an impressive view of Saint Eustache, including, if you look closely, a huge sculpture of a head that is one of the few elements of the prior configuration that is destined to survive.

Saint Eustache from the Les Halles Chantier

I had made no special plans for dinner until Channa, a med student friend from Boston, messaged me to say he was in town for a few days and would like to get together.  The plan was jeopardized by a bout of food poisoning, caused by his eating a canary (where or why I never ascertained!) but happily he had recovered by evening.  I picked him up at his hotel at Châtelet, because he was still getting his bearings, and we strolled back to my place for an apéro.

Channa and Bob at 59, rue Saint-Sauveur

We had kir and dinner at Lézard Café.  The food was good, although it arrives so quickly that you wonder whether it’s mostly prepared in advance and just heated for each diner.  The waiters were charming and efficient, as usual.  A young Indian waiter turned out to know five languages, and engaged in a lively conversation with Channa in Sinhalese.  After re-grouping back at my place, and plugging in Channa’s iPhone for a much-needed charge, we went for a refreshing swim to finish off our evening together.