39Vaugirard

A friend asked me what to do on Bastille Day and I suggested fireworks on the Champs de Mars. But what about for our Independance Day. Here’s a fun idea for kids and adults that will get you out and exploring. Sitting in my office in San Francisco, I feel smug that I already had Clue 1 (below) for the 6th figured out without leaving my chair. I wish we could be there for this.  

On July 4th, the 4th annual Paris Treasure Hunt will take residents and visitors alike on a day-long quest through the streets of Paris. Previous years’ events drew upwards of 15,000 participants, and this year’s event will surely do the same. The event is open to individuals or teams (of up to six people), and prizes are awarded at the end of the day.

The treasure hunt is actually a series of hunts divided among the ten districts (arrondissements) that participate. Each district has its own quest and a variety of “enigmas” - the story that leads you along the path - to put people on different paths to the finish line. Each district also has an English-language enigma, so fear not. It’s not necessary to parle vous Française.

In the 6th arrondissement, for instance, your enigma may start off with a paragraph that reads: “Walk along the great garden. Your direction: the palace. You are on the longest street of Paris. On your right side, you will see the museum. Reach the painter, behind the forest. And when you see the arches, go under them. Against the wall, you will find a meter.“

[From The Paris Treasure Hunt: A Great Way to Explore the City of Paris | Parisien Salon]

I remember when my husband first took me on a canal ride on Canal St. Martin. A canal that is only open to boat rides during the summer. A canal that cuts through the 4th and 10th arrondisements, that is the heart of the bohemian Paris. Of course, as I read this article in NY Times, I was reminded once again, the democratic pleasures of Paris… that the Proustian aspects of Paris need not be costly….

IF YOU GO HOW TO GET AROUND

The Vélib’ bicycle-rental system has become exceedingly popular. Rental stations are located all around the city, and a one-hour rental costs only 1 euro.

The Métro is the best alternative (besides walking). Tickets are 1.60 euros each, but can be bought in packets of 10 (un carnet) for 11.40 euros, about $16 at $1.41 to the euro. If you’re going to be in Paris from Monday through Sunday, or plan to ride the Métro frequently, invest in a swipable Navigo card. The card itself costs 5 euros, and a weeklong unlimited credit is 16.80 euros. Hold on to the card when the week is up — you can use it on your next visit.

WHERE TO STAY

Hipotel Paris Belleville, 21, rue Vicq d’Azir, (33-1) 4208-0670; singles from 32 euros.

Hôtel des Arts Bastille, 2, rue Godefroy Cavaignac; (33-1) 4379-7257, www.paris-hotel-desarts.com; doubles from 59 euros.

Les Chansonniers, 113, boulevard de Ménilmontant; (33-1) 4357-0058, doubles with shared bathroom from 46 euros, with ensuite bathroom from 59 euros.

WHAT TO SEE

Musée Carnavalet , 23, rue de Sévigné;(33-1) 4459-5858; www.carnavalet.paris.fr, free admission.

Musée Cognacq-Jay, 8, rue Elzévir; (33-1) 4027-0721; www.cognacq-jay.paris.fr., free admission.

Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, 62, rue des Archives; (33-1) 5301-9240, www.chassenature.org; admission 6 euros, free the first Sunday of every month.

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK

Pink Flamingo, 67, rue Bichat; (33-1) 4202-3170; www.pinkflamingopizza.com

Le Verre Volé, 67, rue de Lancry; (33-1) 4803-1734; www.leverrevole.fr.

Bistrot Victoires, 6, rue de la Vrillière; (33-1) 4261-4378.

Chez Georges, 11, rue des Canettes; (33-1) 4326-7915.

Le Baron Rouge, 1, rue Théophile-Roussel, (33-1) 4343-1432.

Churrasqueira Galo, 69, rue de Dunkerque, (33-1) 4874-4940

Le Garde Robe, 41, rue de l’Arbre Sec, (33-1) 4926-9060.

Le Cul de Poule, 53, rue des Martyrs, (33-1) 5316-1307, is super-playful from its name (literally, chicken butt; figuratively, double-boiler) to its décor (orange chairs, bed-like banquette). But the cooking is serious, precise, creative and affordable, with two courses 23 euros, and three for 26.

Le Bar à Soupes, 33, rue de Charonne; (33-1) 4357-5379; www.lebarasoupes.com, offers an excellent lunch deal: a fresh market soup, two types of cheese, bread and a glass of wine for 9.90 euros.

WHERE TO SHOP

À Chacun Son Image, 35-37, rue Charlot, (33-665) 2395-0300; achacunsonimage.wordpress.com.

Native Kingdom, 24, rue de Poitou

A.P.C. Surplus, 20, rue Andre del Sarte; (33-1) 4262-1088; www.apc.fr.

So many friends and others interested in traveling to Paris have been calling us to rent our place or to find other rentals and hotels for their summer holiday. Even though the economy is still in the doldrum and they say travel is definitely down, there are still many who are taking advantage of the recession and finding great values in Paris and beyond.

Here are my favorite hotels in the neighborhood in order of preference:

Le Placide

This is probably my favorite. Three blocks away from our apartment. Contemporary Classic. The ultimate boutique hotel on the Left Bank. A former 19th Century private home with just 11 rooms, Hotel Le Placide has the feel of an exclusive private club. In a superb location in the 6th arrondisement just steps from the chic Bon Marche Department Store. Completely recreated and redesigned by Bruno Borrione, of the Philippe Starck design firm, the hotel offers 21st Century style, comfort and luxury. 6 rue Saint Placide, 75006

Hotel Senat This is also lovely, a block away from NE gate of Jardin du Luxumberg. I’ve walked by many times, never stayed there but looks lovely. Contemporary Classic. 10 rue de Vaugirard, 75006.

Hotel Verneuil Near the Quartier Antiquaire. Superb. Traditional elegance. Many interior designers stay here. The search stops here if you want a hotel that’s blushingly romantic, bathed in history, and stylish in a way that weds the past (miles of printed fabrics from France’s old-guard textile houses) to the present (iron cube tables with a deliberately rusted finish). Some of the 26 guest rooms are a bit tight, but with a heart-of-Rive-Gauche location—the Flore and Deux Magots are your local cafés— complaining seems like bad manners. Discreetly housed in a handsome 17th-century building with hand-hewn beams…” noted Travel & Leisure 8, rue de Verneuil, Paris, 75007

Hotel Le St. Gregoire We have stayed here. Charming, so so food, but absolutely quiet, as it used to be a mansion adjacent to the Abbe St. Gregoire. 43 Rue de l’Abbé-Grégoire, 76006.

Hotel Le Sainte Veuve. A little bit off the center of St. Germain in a quiet residential street, but walking distance to everything. French English in feel. 9 rue Sainte-Beuve, 75006

Hotel Le Relais Saint Germain. More traditional French, recently renovated, with one of the best restaurants for breakfast and lunch and dinner. On the border of 6th and 5th arrondisement. Provincial charm. 9, carrefour de l’Odéon 75006

Hotel Des Academies. Another great find. Chez Charlotte housed in the hotel is the newest tea room with the local buzz. More in the university area but wonderful as well. 15, rue de la Grand Chaumiére, 75006

Hotel Montalembert. We’ve stayed here as have many friends. Definitely a name brand, but lives up to the promise. Grand, upscale, and you can’t beat the location and the restaurants within a stone throw of the hotel. Contemporary Classic. 3 rue de Montalembert, 75007

If you haven’t heard, Nicolas Sarkozy, as did most notably Francois Mitterand before him, is fantasizing already about “les grands projets” which will someday memorialize his reign. While Mitterand got his I.M. Pei Pyramid, the La Defense Arche, the Ministere de la Finance, the Opéra de la Bastille, and the Bibliothèque Nationale, Sarkozy is looking even bigger, imagining an entirely new Paris.   

One of the first things Sarkozy did after he moved into the Elysée Palace was to convene a meeting of prominent architects and ask them to come up with a new blueprint for Paris…The results, a year later, may be the beginning of one of the boldest urban planning operations in French history. A formidable list of architects — including Richard Rogers, Jean Nouvel, Djamel Klouche and Roland Castro — put forward proposals that address a range of urban problems: from housing the poor to fixing outdated transportation systems to renewing the immigrant suburbs. Some have suggested practical solutions — new train stations and parks — while others have been more provocative, like Castro, who proposed moving the presidential palace to the outskirts.

[From The Architecture Issue - Remaking Paris for the 21st Century - NYTimes.com]

The slide show linked here is a beautiful set of images of what a country as dynamic and rich as France can do in the way of urban planning. Not since Haussmann, however, has anyone looked so broadly, at least outside of an architecture school project, for a new concept of the French capitol.

Many of the ideas, thankfully, take “green” to a new level, trading vertical space for more parks and “green belts” to provide the city with more air, produce, and outdoor space. Several of the plans even include vegetation growing up the sides and roofs of the buildings.

Slideshow Paris Is Building - The New York Times

For 50 years after World War II, Europe’s slow rebuilding was looked on as the failings of the quasi-socialist state. Without becoming overly Panglossian about the state of Europe, their “oppressively command” economies are capable of doing amazing things for all of their citizens while providing universal healthcare.

We were very concerned going into 2009 that tourism would be down dramatically and that Paris would suffer. The data below is for 2008, which showed a basically flat situation versus 2007, despite a recession that started midway through the year. In 2009, while we hear a lot more of the economic issues affecting Paris, so far, rentals of our apartment have been stronger than ever. This may be due to a flight to value, with people looking to spend less than they would on a hotel, or perhaps just because we’ve marketed our apartment for a few years now and are starting to get good word-of-mouth exposure for it.

Eighty million people can’t be wrong. That’s how many visited France last year. France must be doing something right. According to the French Ministry of the Economy, the country leads in attracting foreigners. Some people may simply be passing through on the way to final destinations because of France’s central European location and airlines’ use of Paris as a hub. But many people stay.

In spite of the global economic downturn, there was only a .3 percent decrease in the number of people who came to France in 2008 than in 2007.

[From tripso.com | France, the world’s #1 tourist destination]

And picking models that reinforce the identity of the hotel.

Le Meurice, the renowned hotel that occupies an 1835 palace across from the Tuileries, unveiled five retro-style bikes in the blue-green shade of the oxidized copper rooftops of the city, with matching helmets and front baskets emblazoned with the hotel’s gold logo. American and British guests in their 30s tend to be the most enthusiastic customers, according to the hotel; Le Meurice’s sister hotel, the Plaza Athénée, opted for zippy red bikes with panniers.

My husband and I always talk about being a month ahead of NY Times on finding and discovering new places in the neighborhood. Well, they beat us to this one. It’s on my list to try when we return this summer. A tiny, successful restaurant from the 11th Arr. decides to open Itinéraires, twice as large, in the Latin Quarter. And the proprietors are only 30 years old husband and wife team. What intrigued me was the blackboard menu: Jerusalem artichoke soup comes garnished with a granita of foie gras; roast cod is topped with layers of tempura vegetables; and pheasant breast is accompanied by dates, pistachios, fruit compote and the odd nugget of buckshot. All stuff I like. Apparently Itinéraires is already on the itineraries of many Parisians and visitors. Best to book ahead.

5 rue de Pontoise, 75005 Paris, 33-1-4633-6011

Mr. Phil and his wife, Marti, have just celebrated their 18th anniversary of moving to Paris. I just enjoy scrolling through his many photos for a random taste of the Paris I know. Take a gander and enjoy the rush of feelings associated with his images.

I love this town. Marti and I are approaching the 18th anniversary of our move to Paris. Except for the first seven weeks in a hotel, we’ve lived all of our years of voluntary exile in the same apartment at 85 rue Blomet.

From Mr. Phil’s Paris Posts: IN AND OUT OF THE ‘HOOD

I’ve never really been a fan of Rodin - too sappy and too derivative of Dobie Gillis, but do have to say that this is a great way to make use of Museum Night and give visitors a way to see art in a new light (excuse the pun). Other museums will likely just be open, but the seeing things differently should be what this evening is about.

Art lovers who visit the Rodin museum in Paris for this year’s Museum Nights festival will be given a flashlight to admire the sculptor’s masterpieces in pitch darkness.
Hundreds of museums in France and in 40 more European countries will hold the annual dusk-to-midnight event on Saturday to encourage patrons to appreciate art in a different light.

[From AFP: Rodin by flashlight? France gears for night at museum]

It’s not been six months since we were last in Paris and I start to get really really hungry looking at pictures like those in this excellent roundup of Paris pastries and patisseries.   Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki is literally three doors away from our apartment, so my wife goes there quite often. I find it a tad over-priced and as the article says, a little too “untraditional” for my tastes. Still, for amateurs du genre, it’s a good stop on any pastry tour. All of the patisseries listed in this article are a hop, skip, or a big jump from 39 Vaugirard.

From Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki, this is a chocolate caramel tart. Chef Aoki’s pastries use many Asian flavors, which sometimes are a little far out for me. I stay with his more traditional pastries.

[From Food Lover's Odyssey: Journey Through the Pastries of Paris -- Part 2]