Walking Tours the Central Paris Set
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Walking Tours The Central Paris Set Table of Contents Culture and History Stroll from Saint Germain to Notre Dame Louvre to Opera Walk Stroll from Saint Germain to the Louvre Walk from the Palais Royal to Pompidou Through Fashionable Paris in the Steps of Audrey Hepburn Stroll from St. Germain to Notre Dame (6th - 5th) 28 Stroll from St. Germain to Notre Dame (6th - 5th) cont’d 1. Carrefour de L’Odeon – starting point 2. 5 Carrefour de L’Odeon – Le Comptoir du Relais 2b. 4-6-8 Cour de Commerce – Un Dimanche à Paris 3. 13 rue de l’Ancienne Comedie – Le Procope 4. 41 rue St. Andre des Arts – Allard 5. St. Severin Church 6. St. Julien le Pauvre 7. 56 rue Galande – Aux Trois Mailletz 8. 50 & 52 rue Galande – Le Chat Huant 9. 14 rue St. Julien le Pauvre – the Tea Caddy 10. 4 rue St. Julien le Pauvre – Hotel Esmeralda 11. 37 rue de la Bucherie – Shakespeare and Co. 12. 21 Quai Montebello – Café Panis 13. Eglise Notre Dame 14. Square de Ile de France - Memorial des Martyrs 2 2 29 Stroll from St. Germain to Notre Dame (6th - 5th) cont’d 15. 55 Quai de Bourbon – Brasserie de l’Île St. Louis 16. 31 rue St. Louis-en-L’ile – Berthillon Ice Cream 3 3 30 Stroll from St. Germain to Notre Dame (6th - 5th) cont’d This tour takes between 2 and 4 hours vards we now see on the right bank. depending on how long you linger. Note the 4. Bistro Allard at 41 St. André-des- Arts (01 43 26 48 23) which is a classic bistro Begin at the 1. Carrefour de l’Odéon near and worth remembering for dinner. They are fa- Blvd St. Germain. Near the metro stop Odeon. No- mous for their whole duck covered in olives. It’s tice the statue of Georges Danton, an early leading a very friendly place though a bit touristy. Con- figure in the French Revolution. tinue along St. André until you reach Blvd Saint- Michel and cross over, zigzagging a bit as you You might want to start with lunch at 2. Le enter the 5th Arrondissement and continue on Comptoir du Relais, at 5 Carrefour de rue St. Séverin all the way through to rue St. l’Odeon (01 44 27 07 97) which is a café by day Jacques. where no reservations are required for lunch, and a fancier bistro by night, when reservations are a The 5. Church St. Séverin is worth noting for it must. Head north towards the Seine crossing the is a very old gothic example and its organ is quite Blvd. St. Germain but do not go up rue de l'An- famous — duck in for a look. cienne Comédie. Continue a bit further along The church began construction in the 11th century, Blvd. St. Germain to the right, heading east, and but most of what you’ll see dates from the 15th cen- take a left very quickly on Cour du Commerce . tury. Cross over rue St. Jacques and pick up the This is a lovely little back way stroll. angled rue St. Julien-le-Pauvre to see what is often thought of as the oldest church in Paris, 2b. Un Dimanche à Paris, 4-6-8 Cour de dating back to the 12th century. 6. Église St. Commerce, which you'll notice on your right is a Julien-le-Pauvre. Here they frequently have new chocolate store, actually it's more a choco- music performances such as Vivaldi’s Four Sea- late experience. Not only do they sell chocolates, sons or the Ave Maria, which we highly recom- pastries and wonderful edible gifts, they have a mend. Look for the schedules posted around chocolate lounge with chocolate inspired cocktails town and near the church itself. They also have and a chocolate focused restaurant, no joke! This these performances at Sainte-Chapelle, Église chocolate wonderland exists thanks to the imagi- St. Germain and other notable churches. nation of Pierre Cluizel, whose family has been making chocolate since 1948. Across the street, if you are here at night, there is a funky little café called 7. Aux Trois Mail- Notice the historic 3. Restaurant Le Pro- letz 56 rue Galande at the corner of rue St. cope 13 rue de l’Ancienne Comedie on your left Julien-le-Pauvre and Galande (01 43 54 00 79) where Benjamin Franklin dined. (We don’t recom- complete with a bad Edith Piaf imitator singing in mend the restaurant, as it is too touristy for our the back. The basement has a café and more tastes.) There is also a cute toy store further jazz. If you are in the mood for kitsch, have a down on the left. This passageway will lead you couple of glasses here. to rue St. André-des-Arts — turn right here. This is a fun day or evening stroll. There are some Also on rue Galande, there is a special little cute shops along St. André-des-Arts but nothing Japanese store called 8. Le Chat Huant, 50 terribly chic or original. The area is enchanting as & 52 rue Galande (01 46 33 67 56). We have this is actually what Paris looked like before the found some charming tea cups in there and other architect Haussmann tore down these small goodies from Asia that are finely crafted. Heading neighborhoods in order to make the wide boule- 2 31 4 Stroll from St. Germain to Notre Dame (6th - 5th) cont’d back up rue St. Julien-le-Pauvre towards the Seine After your literary exposure, you’ll be ready for there is a darling tea salon called 9. the Tea spirituality! Go across on the pedestrian bridge Caddy that has been at number 14 rue St Julien- (on the weekends this bridge turns into a roller- le-Pauvre since 1928. blading and skateboarding stage) to 13. Notre Dame. Stand in line to see this monumental At 4 rue St. Julien-le-Pauvre you’ll find the 10. Gothic beauty even if you have seen it before — Hôtel Esmeralda immortalized in the children’s we try to go in each time we are in Paris. It is sim- book Linnea in Monet’s Garden (01 43 54 19 20). ply amazing that this church is nearly 850 years Take a quick look inside — it’s about as old Paris old. If you haven’t done it, circle around to the bohemian chic as you can get as well as a real side and stand in line to climb to the top, there’s bargain. We understand that apartment 3 is par- a great view from the roof. ticularly charming. Then walk around to the back of Notre-Dame on Continue along towards the Seine to the Quai de the Seine side through the lovely gardens and Montebello — turn left on rue de la Bûcherie. Here take a much needed rest in the back garden, you’ll find our favorite bookshop in Paris and one of which is often very quiet even when Notre-Dame the most unusual bookshops in the world, called is swamped. The back of Notre-Dame is just as 11. Shakespeare and Co. at 37 rue de la impressive as the façade with its famed flying but- Bûcherie (01 43 25 40 93). There are a number of tresses and gargoyles. Further behind Notre books written about it but our favorite is Time Was Dame is a serene and moving monument that is a Soft There by Jeremy Mercer. George Whitman, an bit hard to find. It’s at the very tip of Île de la Cité American now in his 90s, began the bookshop in and is called the 14. Mémorial des Martyrs 1951 and everybody — and we mean everybody de la Déportation. This is a memorial to the — has done readings here. They still have poetry 200,000 Jewish people and others who were de- and other readings on Monday nights at 7pm. ported from France during the German occupation Check the website for details. Take a long look of the 1940’s and sent off to Nazi concentration around this place and you’ll find many surprises. camps. George has let struggling writers stay here over the years and you’ll see evidence — note the small Pick up your mood by crossing over the bridge to beds placed here and there. The place is open until Île Saint-Louis and try the 15. Brasserie de 11pm and you’ll undoubtedly meet some interesting l'Île St. Louis at 55 Quai de Bourbon (01 43 54 folks here. George’s daughter now runs the shop 02 59). This is a perfect stop for a pint of frosty cold but his motto remains on the wall on the 2nd floor beer and some French fries or choucroute (the fa- — “Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be mous Alsatian dish of potatoes, wieners and sauer- angels in disguise.” This place harkens back to a kraut). A drink on the terrace in fine weather is just lost time that somehow manages to live on strongly what the doctor ordered. Or, stroll further down the here in this tiny shop across from Notre Dame. rue St. Louis-en l’Île and sample some of the fa- mous 16. Berthillon Ice Cream at 31 rue St. If you need a quick coffee, stop in at 12. Café -Louis-en-l’Île (01 43 54 31 61.) Panis, 21 Quai de Montebello (01 43 54 19 71) where all the Shakespeare & Co staff go for drinks Continue down the rue St.