Travel Tips

Each Sunday morning, a street market takes place in the rue Montorgueil and rue des Petits Carreaux (Métro : Sentier).

It is a typical instant of life of Paris.

The photograph is taken from rue Réaumur.

Rue Montorgueil has its own website : www.rue-montorgueil.com

Saint Eutache Church and the "Ear".

It is located at the 51 rue de Montmorency, not far from rue Montorgueil.

It was the house of Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Dame Pernelle.

It was built at the beginning of the 14th Century.

Nicolas Flamel lodged upstair freely poor persons who have to say daily by the way of compensation one Pater and one Ave (prayers) for the deads.

It is located 3 rue Volta (metro station : Arts & Métiers). You must walk a bit more.

It was built also at the beginning of the 14th Century. And to say the truth : one does not know which house between this one and the previous one is really the oldest.

But this house is more interesting because it shows how was a shop in Western Europe in the early 1300'.

The house is half timbered. It has 2 shops (still existing) with each a stall. The shop keeper opened the two horizontal shutters : one in a low position to put the goods, the second in a high position to protect them against rain . The door was open the day long.

The seller was outside to watch the display and to hail the customers. He sold by the street.

On the evening, he shuted the door and the shutters and went inside. If he was rich he had a flat upstair but it was more common to live with the family in the shop.

"No branch" tells this ancient sign to say : you cannot find these goods elsewhere.

Since the 18° Century, the rapid coaches brought nearby fresh oysters from Normandy.

A seafood restaurant, called the Cancale Rock, was installed at this address during the 19° Century. It was the headquarter of Balzac.

The ceiling of the 2nd floor was decorated by Gavarni.

When I was shopping rue Montorgueil, there was my friend, Lionel JOSPIN, the French Prime Minister.

He entered in each shop, not to buy something but to say "Hello". It may be because the Paris Mayor election was within 2 weeks....

Lionel, si tu lis cette page. Excuse-moi, je n'ai pas voté pour ton parti.

(Lionel, if you read this page. Excuse me, I did not vote to your party)

Others used an other way to support their candidat : they sang.

They waved a red flag in the case of somebody did not understand the words.

They were the "Compagnie Jolie Môme" who sing Revolutionary songs in Paris.

It is easy to find. It is the store with the longer line.

I can prove it.

We are in the bottom of the street, near the Halles.

The snail is an old restaurant specialized in cuisine from Burgondy. Expensive...

During the Revolution, here lived a guy called Lesurque who had the desavantage to look like a murderer. Wrongly identified by witnesses, he was guillotined. Later, he was declared innocent.

You are now at the end of the rue Montorgueil (or at the beginning, if you consider the numbers).

There is a famous Paris church : Saint Eustache. A 16° Century church, built in the Halles area.

When my ancestors went in Paris from Lyon, they inhabited this district and were married and baptized here.