Great Market Street- rue Montorgueil and other Paris, France Off The Beaten Path Tips

This is a wonderful street any day, but has a market on Sundays. It is home to the famous Stohrer Patissier, Traiteur, Chocolatier and Glacier. I am not going to try to describe it, but suggest you go to VTer GUYON's Paris page and check it out. He has the best info on Paris of anyone.

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This is a very moving memorial to the 200,000 French victims of Nazi concentration camps. It is a somber place and the descent is reminiscent of descending into a prison. One plaque on the floor reads, "They descended into the mouth of the earth and they did not return." Inside is a long hallway with 200,000 lighted crystals and an eternal flame flickering in the distance. Just here is the tomb of the unknown deportee with the inscription, "Dedicated to the living memory of the 200,000 French deportees sleeping in the night and the fog, exterminated in the Nazi concentration camps." Over the exit is the message which appears at all Nazi sites: "Forgive but never forget." A very moving experience. Behind Notre Dame in a little park at the tip of the island. Look for stairs going down as the memorial is below ground level.

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The full name of this is Maduc des Arts Promenade Plantee. I don't know what the name means execpt that it is a wonderful 2 mile garden stroll on what was once a railroad viaduct. You can reach it from Metro Bastille down rue de Lyon to the right of the Opera, then on ave Daumesnil across avenue Ledru Rollin. Go ahead and get lost, I did, but it is worth the search. Part of the Promenade is elevated and you can enter here up a flight of stairs. On parts of the walk, enjoy the shop windows. It is FREE. Open M-F at 8:00 and SS at 9:00. Closes at sunset.

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I was surprised when our freind Lionel took us to see a Roman arena right in the heart of the Contrescarpe but there it was. As you can see, it is a great place for a Sunday soccer match. I suspect you could find boules being played here during the week. It is just off rue Monge as it runs south from Blvd St. Germain. So much of Paris was redone by the Revolution and by Haussmann that you don't find many reminders that this city has been here for 2000 years.

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Other Contact: 49 rue Monge

The area around the Trocadero struck me as where the close ties between France and the US are best seen. The Trocadero is on Av du President Wilson, the is a Pres Kennnedy Av, Av de New York and as rue Benjamin Franklin comes round the side there is a statue of Franklin. He spent a lot of time in Paris and resided just down the street (there is a medalllion and plaque making the spot, but it didn't seem worth the trip to see them). Franklin lived in Paris for 8 years (rather comfortably thanks to local friends) and was very instrumental in winning French support for the American Revolution.

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I did not set out for a "USA" trip, but maybe to remind myself of the historic close ties between the US and France. I have been mildly surprised at how many reminders of that there are in France and Paris is no exception. Here is a small park named for the US and at the front is this wonderful memorial to the French and American soldiers of WWII. It shows them greeting in front of an angelic symbol I think of victory. I also believe the statue at the top represents the Resistance. In the other end of the park is a statue of Washington and Lafayette. I find these things heartening especially in light of the (minority) attitude in the US toward France.

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This was going to be a restaurant tip, but I sadly learned that it has closed for some new building project in Montparnasse. My wife and I were in Paris on July 4 and thought we could find some Americans to celebrate US Independence Day. Enquiring at the American Church, we could find nothing, but we did pick up a copy of Paris Voice and were led to a decent alternative. A typically American thing to do is dine on Mexican food. Cafe Pacifico was a great evening. The food was excellent and we had a chuckle at the couple at the next table having red wine with their salsa and chips. We opted for Corona Extra.

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On the edge of the Marais at Place de la Bastille is the site of the fortress and prison which was stormed at the start of the French Revolution in 1789. Like many others, on my first trip to Paris I was unaware that it had been demolished by the peasants who freed the prisoners and beheaded a few officials. However, now in this huge round intersection is a beautiful monument erected to commemorate later revolutions. It is topped by a gilded winged Mercury with a torch of freedom. Some of the foundation stones and some good and colorful art related to the Revolution can be seen in the Bastille Metro station here.

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This small museum is in a house that was home to Renoir when he did his famous 'Bal du Moulin de la Galette' painting. The house was also occupied at various times by Maurice Utrillo, his mother and other artists., but that is probably true of many places in Montmartre. The museum, while not overly impressive, is a very interesting collection of photos, paintings, posters and memorabilia relating to the history and heyday of Montmartre. There are some original works as well. All in all, it is well worth a visit. I am glad our friend Pam introduced us to it. (Note: in the photo my wife has a cast from Grindelwald, Switzerland but that is another story.) Entry is about 5 euro. Closed Mondays.

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Other Contact: at: 12 rue Cortot, Montmartre

This square is in the Marais and was built in the early 17th Century by Henry IV as a royal place which turned the area into Paris's high rent district (until La Revolution). It is a lovely square now evidently a very popular place for picnics and young lovers. It is where Victor Hugo lived while writing "Les Miserables" and you can tour his house. The architecture is nice and there are shops and cafes on the lower level.

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