Paris in spring
So this year I´ve taken a longer weekend just to do my own private Paris...
Started with a good choice of accomodation: the "Hotel du Vieux Marais", Rue du Plâtre, right in the middle of the really trendy Marais quarter. The hotel rooms turned out to be much smaller to what I´ve expected, but as I was told by the very nice hotel-owner, this is real Paris standard. Room is small and therefore expensive. One should know that in advance when booking into a hotel in Paris. But the rooms itself are nice and clean and while being small not missing out on anything that´s important, from nice soap and towels, to comfy beds and cushions. The staff was very helpful and friendly.
To get to know the Marais quarter, which is amongst the oldest of Paris, I decided to take a walk around the area. As the weather was beautiful, and the weekend near, the roads were filled with millions of people. I let myself drift along with the crowds. Many upcoming young designers have openend up a store and it was fun to browse thru everything from Vintage to Latest Fashion. A good trip is Rue Rambuteau, Rue des Archives and Rue des Blancs Manteaux. Especially the many little Vintage shops are worth seeing. Too many to list them all. At Rue des Rosiers I had to make a stop at "Finckelstein". Their bakery is a class of its own. Huge portions of salty cakes and lots of sweet pastry are being sold. But you have to be prepared to wait in a long line. I went for a lovely orange-cheesecake, Yiddish style. Delicious!
Then on to Place des Vosges. One of the oldest and most beautiful places in Paris. Tout Paris was sitting on the lawn, celebrating the warm sun. I made my tour on to Place de la Bastille, alongside the river Seine, a stop at Nôtre Dame, Palais Royal and Centre Pompidou. After that I was surely exhausted. Time for an apéritif. The restaurant "Corse", Rue du Rambuteau was just the right place.
Obyiously the whole area is dominated by the gays. But that´s exactly what gives the Marais this modern creative twist.
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| ...not for gays only |
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| ...spooky "endemonium"-shop, rue du Plâtre |
Since every place was booked anyways on a friday night I had a rather late diner at 22 h. "L´Ange 20" , Rue de l´Ange Vingt" is a nice little typical Parisian place with homemade food, nice mixed clientele from the ubiquitous gays to young Paris people and the odd tourist. The staff makes you feel at home, and I sure will come back there.
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| Café at Le Grand Palais |
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| ... typical Helmut Newton: the beauty of strong women |
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| ...even Marilyn has arrived in Paris |
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| Could you guess what these people are lining up here for...? |
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| ...it´s for entering the "Abercrombie & Fitch"-shop! Only one after the other..... |
On my way back to my hotel I had to pass by Rue du Faubourg St. Honoré. So many shops, so many great clothes, I wouldn´t know which to point out most.
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| ....all these images so much OOH LA LA!!!! |
The evening I stayed in my sweet Marais quarter. It almost felt like home already. It´s so nice and cosy in comparison to the rest of the city. Had diner in the small Trattoria "Salento". A great mix of french and italian style. And again a nice mix of people: many gays, some fashion people, and a couple of tourists as well. The food (they serve only pasta and salads) was fabulous.
From up there Paris is lying at your feet. No wonder people are "lounging" around the stairs.
Oh, Paris, mon amour!!! I´m sure, I will be back as soon as possible!!!
