Paris: The Marais

My trip to France last month was a whirlwind of activity. I can't believe how much we saw and did in just two short weeks. Unfortunately, after a few busy days of touring, the entries in my journal dwindled to nothing. But I'm ready now to start documenting the journey while I can still remember the details. First stop: Paris.

Place des Vosges, Paris

Our base for our first three nights in France was the Marais, a historic neighbourhood of Paris that stretches from the Centre Pompidou to Place de la Bastille on the city's Right Bank. A monument has replaced the Bastille prison that was stormed by an angry mob on July 14, 1789, leading to the French Revolution.

Centre Pompidou and the Stravinsky Fountain

Place de la Bastille and the Opera Bastille

For lunch we made our way along Rue des Rosiers, the heart of the city's Jewish quarter, to the popular Yiddish deli/bakery Sacha Finkelsztajn, La Boutique Jaune. The deli opened in 1946 and features Polish and Russian cuisine. Their sandwiches looked delicious but they were huge so we opted for the potato latkes instead.

Sacha Finkelsztajn

After checking in at our hotel we were ready for some art at the nearby Musée national Picasso - Paris, which has the world's largest collection of Pablo Picasso's work. The museum was hosting an exhibition exploring the similarities between his art and that of Alexander Calder, the America sculptor best known for his mobiles. Exhibition Calder-Picasso is on until August 25th, when it moves to the Museo Picasso Malaga in Spain.

Musée national Picasso - Paris

Exhibition Calder - Picasso

Portrait de Dora Maar, Pablo Picasso (1937)

Our final destination for the day was Place des Vosges, the square built by Henry IV in 1605. Originally known as Place Royale, the name of this exclusive neighbourhood was later changed by Napoleon. It's a popular spot for families to relax on a hot summer day, whether reading a good book or splashing about in one of the fountains.

Place des Vosges

Place des Vosges

Statue of Louis XIII on Horseback

I'd planned to visit Victor Hugo's House at #6 Place des Vosges but a sign on the door said the house was "closed for works until March 2020 for the creation of a garden and tea room". Hugo lived at this address from 1832 to 1848, while he was writing much of Les Miserables. (The Musée Carnavalet, another museum in the Marais featuring the history of Paris, is also closed until the end of 2019.)

Victor Hugo's House

The Arcade

By this time we were rapidly running out of steam and ready for an early dinner at a bistro beneath the arcade, Ma Bourgogne. 

Ma Bourgogne, Place des Vosges

Escargots de Bourgogne

Steak Frites

In the morning (after a good sleep) we had plans to visit Ile de la Cité and Notre-Dame de Paris. I wanted to see for myself how the 800-year old cathedral had survived the devastating fire in April.

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