Travel Tips

At the beginning of the Boulevard Saint Michel, in front of the bridge of the same name, the fountain is the starting point to visit the Quartier latin and then Saint Germain des Prés.

It is also the meeting point of the area. For this reason, there is always a crowd on the place. An other reason : there are in the close neighborhood the Bookstore Gibert which specialized in student books.

5bis rue de Verneuil 6° arrondissement.

Here is the house of the poet-singer Serge Gainsbourg (the Charlotte Gainsbourg's daddy) who is dead for several years. His fans have put "souvenirs" on the wall.

One upon a time, the Seine quays were a musical site.

May be this beatnick, pictured in 1970, is now watching his TV in his slippers.

Damned French people !
How can I play golf on such a lawn. I have lost all my balls.

Photograph shot on Pont de Montebello.

Quai de Montebello, in front of Notre Dame, on the Left Bank.

May be you could find some vegemite here.

The "Bouquinistes" (book sellers) are located on the Quays of the center (left and right banks).

They sell second hand books, pictures, engravements, ancient post cards, etc.

Do not think to make a bargain here. They know very well what they sell in their boxes.

Some years ago, a Belgian friend of mine bought a book wraped in a transparent paper. The title was full of promises : "Les 69 P..ositions de l'Amour" (the 69 Positions of Love). But a sticker after the P made the title not fully readable.

The real title was "Les 69 Propositions de l'Amour" (The 69 roposals of ¨Love) and the book contained some moral reflexions...

You already know "the house at the corner...".

I show you "the houses in the corner".

In Paris, each place is occupied.

Plenty of French great men are gathered here (excepted Napoleon). Only men, no ... there are 2 women, Madame Berthelot, who is here to be with her husband and Marie Curie for her work with her husband.

More recently (30 November 2002), Alexandre Dumas, the Three Musketeers' Father, is also an occupier of the monument.

The idea of Pantheon, born during the Revolution, seems to be typically French and I ignore if there is something similar abroad.

Though, the monument is mainly visited by foreigners and not by French people.

Price : 7 €

It is not a church or a barack. It is a university.

Paris was a famous university of the Middle Age. The courses were outdoor and the pupils came from different countries. The sole common language : the Latin. From which the name of the area : Quartier Latin.

Here, at the 56 rue Jacob, 6° arrondissement (metro : St Germain des Prés) are born the United States of America.

It was the mansion of the England representative in Paris, David HARTLEY. The 3 September 1783, the peace treaty between England and USA was signed here by Benjamin FRANKLIN, John ADAMS and others. England admited the existence of the United States.

There is a marble plate.

At this time, France was the super power and the French signature missed on the treaty. It was ratified some days after by the King Louis XVI and the document became the Treaty of Versailles. I do not know if it was signed in the Hotel de Crillon (currently place de la Concorde) or in the Chateau de Versailles. May be in both locations.

A so great event in a so modest building, rather forgotten by the US tourists themselve.

Have a look if you have time.

Paris is cramed of buildings with decorated frontage, beautiful blaconies, historic signs, odd architecture.

The only thing you have to do is to raise the head at to look at.

Here is the French Academy. 40 novellists and experts in French language controle our language. They are called "Immortals" because they are elected for their entiere life and gain a perpetual fame.

They decide the new words which enter in the dictionnary and write the notice about their meaning.

Close to the Institut, there is the oldest statue of the French Republic.

After, we used to call the women representing the Republic : Marianne.

More recently, the nicest actresses (Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, etc) gave their face to the busts of Marianne.

At the 13 rue des Beaux Arts (near rue Bonaparte), is dead the poet Oscar Wilde.

After some years of prison to have had homosexual relationship with a Lord's son, he went in Paris. But some weeks after he died in this hotel the 30 November 1900, under a false name.

A poor end for the man who said at the customs when the agent asked have you something to declare : "yes my genius".