The hidden and not-so-hidden gems of Paris
Paris! Since the Age of Enlightenment, its luster has never dimmed. Through the centuries this true treasure of France has beguiled and enamored all those who encounter her hidden and not-so-hidden gems. And we’re not even talking about the heist at the Louvre though there has been no shortage of talk about that, and theories fly as thickly as the autumn leaves.
You can’t help but fall in love with a city whose many facets sparkle, from the light that dances on the water of the river Seine to the beams of light that shoot forth from the Eiffel Tower every night. You need only look up to the dark skies to find your way home.
Home for us on this visit is a beautiful gem of an apartment in Le Marais, itself a charming neighborhood of artisanal jewelers bereft of tourists in late fall. At this time of year the Parisian weather is crisp, clear and calm. The trees are shedding their yellow and orange-red leaves. The light is clear and the sunlit visage of the city’s perfectly proportioned boulevards, roads and trees is the dream of any poet, painter or lover.
Lovers are in no short supply in the City of Love. In chilly weather, there are perhaps fewer lovers sauntering along the banks of the Seine as compared to the spring and summer months. Nevertheless romance is in the air as we spy French couples in restaurants, a husband tenderly touching his wife’s arm and guiding her toward their table.
The tables of France are, of course, renowned. Careme, Escoffier and their disciples defined haute cuisine, refining dishes originally brought over by the Italian cooks of Caterina de’ Medici, wife of King Henry II. Each meal is a quiet celebration, whether it consists of rustic galettes or quiche Lorraine, chopped steak hachè or all manner of porc and poulet dishes. Even the most ordinary pomme frites and salad vinaigrettes are over the moon.
The moon waxed on this trip from a crescent to a full one wreathed with clouds. Evenings are pleasant for walking when it’s not too cold, because the neighborhoods of Le Marais, Rue de Saint-Honoré and the Boulevard St Germain are bustling with life, lights, cafés full of chattering locals.
The locals must be so happy to walk, live and work along the leafy boulevards lined with those lovely apartment buildings that never exceed six floors. Even the height of trees and width of streets are pleasing to the eye, thanks to city designer Baron Haussmann. This is why to stroll along the avenues and boulevards of Paris is among the world’s simplest yet greatest of pleasures.
When walking it’s wise not to commit to a strict itinerary, especially when you spy one of the covered passageways that take you from one street to another. You can find antique bookstores that add to the old world charm of these passageways. They are a 19th century convenience that allows you to shop, eat or simply enjoy walking through a narrow kind of shopping arcade in any kind of weather.
And in almost all kinds of weather, you can take in the sights. The Eiffel Tower impresses whether it’s near or far, seen in the daytime or at sunset when its golden lights sparkle. Another time take the subway to Sacre Couer, the lovely Romano-Byzantine church whose white domes can be spotted from different vantage points because it sits on top of Montmartre, the highest point of the city. Then walk downhill to visit the iconic windmill of the Moulin Rouge. Along the way, you can browse the stalls of brocantes at Rue Abesses for vintage treasures and delicious crepes.
Don’t miss the Arc de Triomphe, taking the Champs Elysees to reach it, because that will take you by Le Drugstore. This is as iconic as any famous Parisian landmark. It does sell over-the-counter and prescription drugs, plus any charming thing it can think of. The adjacent cafe serves the best croque monsieur and a coupe shaped like the Arc de Triomphe, a divine concoction of white chocolate, passion fruit and ice cream.
As for ice cream, you must saunter over to the Ile Saint-Louis where, near the Notre Dame, Berthillon has been serving up their famous ice cream at 34 Rue Saint-Louis, since 1954. If you’re fortunate enough to be there in the fall, that’s the season for pears and they will serve poire Belle Helen, a rich coupe of vanilla ice cream, fresh pears, chocolate sauce and a mountain of Chantilly cream. Luscious French ice cream is custard-based, when you compare it to cream-based American ice cream.
While you’re in the mood to compare, join the game of comparison between Laduree and Pierre Herme. There are no losers in this contest for title of best macarons in Paris, with arguments put forth that are both sensible and silly. We would compare Laduree to something classic like Christian Dior, and Pierre Herme to the edgy Rick Owens, both being very good in completely different ways.
No trip to Paris is complete without visiting its fashion temples. When we were there, no less than four spectacular exhibits swept us off our feet, beginning with that of Dior and Louis Vuitton and ending with Paul Poiret whom the late Christian Dior admired. But Rick Owen’s controversial temple of was achingly beautiful, while the atelier of Azzedine Alaïa was poignant with memories. Everything in Paris conspires to wash you down the Seine in a river of memories both real and imagined, joyful and bittersweet.
But at least the sweets remain perfectly not too sweet and a madeleine, that shell-shaped petit gateau, might set your mind off wandering in a stream of thoughts as it did for writer Marcel Proust. That’s what Paris can do for you in the fall, as you tread on fallen leaves, on the avenues and boulevards of the city, along the river Seine; a time of the year when the locals are less harried and able to show you the best of themselves, and kindness washes over everything in that clear Northern light.
