Globetrotting - Part 2 - Paris, France
By Russell Bartholomee & Elise Nussbaum

“If l had my way, I'd just walk out those doors
And wander down the Champs Élysées
Going café to cabaret
Thinking how I'll feel when I find
That very good friend of mine” – Joni Mitchell, “Free Man in Paris”

Two years ago, my wife and I took a group of students to Paris for eight days during Spring Break.  She and I had been to the City of Lights on several previous occasions, and it was a great pleasure to share one of our favorite cities with these eager students, most of whom had never traveled before.  So it was especially gratifying when one of them called us up a couple of weeks ago to let us know that he was going back this summer.  Evidently, he and another friend from school rented an apartment and were going to spend an entire month soaking up as much of Paris and surrounding areas as they could.  He said that one of the hardest things he had ever had to do was to get back on the plane to come home from the school trip and that he couldn’t wait to get back there. 

As a teacher, I’m very happy that a former student developed such a strong love of travel and a desire to further explore a city I introduced him to.  But if I’m honest with myself, I know that I have less to do with his return than Paris does.  It’s the city itself that is drawing him back.  It’s not just him.  Even though we were just there in March (with another student group), my wife and I very seriously toyed with the possibility of making a quick trip to Paris a few weeks ago.  Because of financial and time constraints, we opted instead for a trip to New Orleans, probably our favorite American city.  But all things being equal, if we could have pulled it off, we would have gone. 

Some of that is just wanderlust.  But when wanderlust carries you again and again to some of the same places, there must be something in the water.  What is the allure of Paris?  Why do we never tire of strolling through its streets and absorbing its rich culture?    I won’t be able to answer those questions any better than I did last month.  But for those who are willing to take my word for it and go, I can at least offer some suggestions for ways to enjoy French culture, should you decide to go and see for yourself. (And you should go and see for yourself!) Last month, my wife and I tackled the music and art of Paris, along with some recommendations for places to go and things to do.  This month, the focus will be on French film and literature, with a few more fun places to visit during the day, as well as some happening night spots.  To accomplish all this, I’ve enlisted the help of my friend Elise Nussbaum, who lived in Paris while getting her degree in French literature, and whose expertise on French film, literature, and Paris nightlife positively dwarfs mine.  The films, books, and locales she recommends would be well worth your time to check out.  But first, I’d like to give you some additional ideas about things to do after you’ve seen the monuments and more obvious sights of the city.


Sight Seeing

So you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and the other major monuments of Paris.  You’ve window-shopped on the Champs Élysées, and people-watched from your table at one of Paris’ multitudes of sidewalk cafés.  You’ve stood in awe of the Gothic wonders of Notre Dame and the Saint Chapelle, and you’ve visited some of the world famous museums.  If you went home right now, you could honestly claim to have had a wonderful trip.  But you’ve really only scratched the surface of what Paris has to offer.  Here are a few places that you should really try to visit if time permits.  Some are touristier than others, but many are not on most guided city bus tours, which concentrate on monuments.  All of these are easily reached by Metro, still the most efficient means of travel in Paris. 


Sacré Coeure/Montmartre

In stark contrast to the splendid gothic cathedrals of Paris is the Sacré Coeur, a Byzantine-style church atop Montmartre.  It’s free to enter the church (but it is a church, so remember to dress appropriately and not to disturb worshippers who may be there), but it costs a bit (about 5 euros) to climb the dome.  The view of Paris from the front of the church is quite lovely, especially at night.  While you gaze up in awe of the church’s gorgeous architecture, keep your hand on your wallet.  There are plenty of pickpockets, and if someone asks you if you’d like to buy a bracelet for a couple of euros, say “Non, merci” and keep walking. 



Next to the church is the place du Tertre, where Lautrec and the original bohemians and artists used to gather.  There are still artists, though you’re not going to find anything as grand as Lautrec for sale, and the paintings will be a bit pricey.  Still, you can have your portrait sketched for a few euros, and in spite of the T-shirt shops, Montmartre still has great atmosphere.  It gets crowded in the evenings, so if you want to avoid large numbers make an early trip.  You can climb the stairs if you really want to, but I find it well worth the price of a Metro ticket to take the funicular.  “Montmartre” may mean “mount of the martyrs,” but you don’t have to be one to get to the top.  You can combine your ascent with a visit to the Moulin Rouge, if you’re so inclined, which is at the bottom of Montmartre.




Opera Garnier

The Opera Garnier is a truly magnificent building, built by Napoleon III in the late 19^th century.  This historic building is, of course, the setting for The Phantom of the Opera, but even if you’re not a fan of Opera, it’s worth a visit to this impressive structure if only to get a look at its plush red velvet seats and Marc Chagall’s ceiling.  On our last trip, my wife and I were looking for the official visitor’s box to see the ceiling.  We asked for directions from a stage hand, who let us into one of the private boxes instead.  There were rehearsals for a show going on, and the house lights were out, but you could still see much of the ceiling.  Then, without warning, the house lights came up, revealing the Chagall in all its glory…and us.  We were gruffly asked to leave, which we did without protest.  But it was well worth a few awkward seconds for the view.




Père Lachaise Cemetery

If you’re feeling especially grim (or if you just dig the famous dead), you might be interested in the final resting place of some of the most famous Paris residents.  Here you can find the tombstones of Balzac, Edith Piaf, Modigliani, Chopin, and Molière, to name but a few.  Oscar Wilde’s grave is also here, the art deco monument covered in lipstick kisses.  I borrowed my wife’s lipstick and planted my own kiss, right between his first and last names (when in Rome…er…Paris…).  You can also find Jim Morrison’s much-defaced grave, though the graffiti-covered bust that once adorned it has been removed.  Get a map to the cemetery plots from a shop outside the cemetery walls to find the graves you most want to see.  It’s quite memorable and enjoyable with a map.  Without it, you’ll be there all day.




Catacombs

If Père Lachaise isn’t enough of an emersion into the macabre, you can always visit the catacombs.  Here you will find the carefully (and sometimes creatively) stacked remains of several million former Parisians.  My favorite display was a series of skulls in the shape of a heart.  Evidently, Paris is the most romantic city in the underworld, as well.




Seine Boat Ride

Paris owes its existence to the Seine.  Originally founded on L’Isle de la Cité (one of two islands surrounded by the river), Paris grew out in both directions, out from both banks.  The largest parts of the city are on the Left and Right Banks, and most of the action takes place on land.  But it’s nice to remember the river that gave the city its life in the first place, and boat ride on the Seine at night is well worth the time (just over an hour).  Try to go at night, when the City of Lights really lives up to its name.  There are guided boat tours that cost only a few euros, and which leave about once an hour. 



Now that you’ve heard from a tourist, I’ll turn things over to Elise to suggest some essential films and books, as well as good places to go to buy books, clothes, and generally to have a more authentic experience of the city.


Cinema:

Hate:  This is the movie that everyone who’s studied French in the last ten years has seen in their class, even though it’s worse than useless for learning the language.  The most disenfranchised youths imaginable roam the Parisian banlieues, where they face marginalization and the constant threat of violence.  They speak an urban slang so thick that not only does a teenager in her third year of French have no chance of understanding it, but subtitled versions of the film were shown in Paris for the general public.  (Called “Verlain,” French hip hop slang involves reversing the syllables of common words: “femme” becomes “meuf.”)  Unrelentingly tough and gritty, this is a much different Paris than the one you are used to seeing onscreen.  As a bonus, it stars Mathieu Kassovitz, before he went all soft for that meuf Amélie Poulain.

Touchez pas au grisbi:  Don’t touch the loot!  A depiction of an entirely different criminal underbelly than the one in Hate, this heist flick of the 50s has as its protagonist Max le menteur (Max the Liar), a thief who embodies the legendary savoir-vivre of the French.  Even his hideout is provided with Champagne and foie gras.  Proves that the “one last job before I retire” subgenre is by no means strictly American.  Would make an excellent double feature with Rififi.

Chacun cherche son chat (When the cat’s away): Chloe lives a secluded life in the middle of bustling Paris, until she comes home from vacation to find her beloved cat Gris-Gris has gone missing while in a neighbor’s care.  Chloe’s search for Gris-Gris forces her out into her neighborhood and, by extension, out into the world.  She meets her neighbors in an area fast being swallowed up by gentrification, and, this being Paris, most of them fall in love with her.  Does Chloe come out of her shell?  Does she find true love?  Does Gris-Gris ever turn up?  An utterly charming jewel of a movie.

Bande à part (Band of Outsiders): Any number of Godard films could occupy this spot (Breathless, Masculine/Feminine, Her life to live), but Bande à part is my favorite.  Franz, Arthur and Odile meet in English class, immediately form a love triangle and plot a robbery.  Bande à part has the brilliant “minute of silence” scene, immediately followed by the classic stylized dance (which inspired the John Travolta/Uma Thurman piece in Pulp Fiction).  And for iconic Parisian landmarks in the history of cinema, you can’t do much better than the three friends racing through the Louvre in nine minutes and 43 seconds.

Belle de Jour: In a world about as far as one can get from the desperate ghettos of Hate, a sixties housewife in Yves St Laurent undergoes her own quiet desperation.  A stunningly beautiful Catherine Deneuve plays Séverine Serizy, a doctor’s wife plagued by fantasies of her own sexual humiliation, which she can ease only by prostituting herself in the afternoon.  Less surrealist than most of Buñuel’s work, Belle de Jour is a brilliant meditation on the nature of compulsion, desire and love.


Paris in the evening:



Picnic on the Seine—He had improbably large hands for such a small frame, and kissed me on the lips when we met for our first date.  I had suggested a movie, for lack of a better idea, but he showed up with the freshest fruit imaginable, a bottle of white wine and two wineglasses decorated in gilt, like Moroccan tea glasses.  We sat on the banks of the Seine and talked about art, film, our childhoods and everything else, as the tourists waved to us from the Batofars.  If you can put aside everything that happened later—and I can—it was one of the most romantic nights of my life.

Pop-In—One of three indie-centered hangouts in Paris, if you spend any time going to concerts or have an affinity for vintage clothing, you will end up here.  And once here, you will run into people you know.  And unless you have the self-discipline of a retired nun, you will have kissed some of those people in public.  If that sounds embarrassing or uncomfortable to you, stay far, far away from the Pop-In.  And Truskel.  And Nouveau Casino.  It’s a big city, but not if you wear polyester.  If you’re looking to meet people, the Pop-In is perfectly lovely, with standard indie-rock playing in the bar area, and an edgier dance floor in the basement.  And lots of gorgeous French guys.  Consider yourself warned.

Nouveau Casino—A place like this would not survive in New York.  It would undoubtedly do quite well financially, but before long, there would be VIP lists and snooty bouncers and the Olsen twins or Chloe Sevigny would show up and ruin everything.  NC is much more low-key than that, despite a conscious effort to be up on all the latest trends (air guitar competitions, anyone?) and guest DJs like Jarvis Cocker and Graham Coxon.  Girls you don’t know will pass you their flask, and Jarvis Cocker might even thank you for your awkward attempt at expressing your undying devotion.  The bouncer will even look out for you if you’re having a rough night (don’t ask how I know), and won’t get too upset if your night gets so rough that you throw up on him (please, please don’t ask me how I know).

Au Petit Garage—a friendly, unassuming bar not far from NC and Pop-In, Au Petit Garage (next door to a mechanic) combines the laid-back charm of a French brasserie with the not so laid-back charm of heavily tattooed bartenders.  A note of caution: I don’t know if the bartenders just have terrible math skills or assume the patrons are quite drunk, but every time I’ve been, someone in the place is charged for drinks they didn’t order, and it’s not uncommon to hear someone point out, “But one hundred minus twenty-four is seventy-six, not fifty-six!”

Carl de Canada—Carl throws soirées improvisées: parties thrown in unexpected and sometimes illegal places, like an abandoned house or the top of la grande arche de la Defense.  Invites are sent out via email, and you often need to bring the printed email with you to gain admittance.  The quality of the parties does vary, and there is always the chance that a friend will break her collarbone while running for the last metro and you will have to accompany her to the emergency room, but secret parties, like secret love affairs, are inherently more fun than the public kind.


Literature:

One of the wonderful things about France is that every corner store, it seems, has a selection of cheap paperback classics; there is never an excuse to read The DaVinci Code.  For the insatiable bookworm, the 5^th arrondissement hosts Gibert Jeune, a huge bookstore mainly targeted at students, and there are Fnacs everywhere, which sell just about anything you might want to entertain yourself: books, CDs, DVDs, home electronics and concert tickets.  For the homesick (or monolingual) Anglophone, there is WH Smith in the 1^st arrondissement, and Shakespeare & Co. right in the shadow of Notre Dame (where Jesse and Céline meet up again in Before Sunset).  Once you get to a bookstore, you might want to check out:

Down and Out in Paris and London: Apparently, for a while, George Orwell was flat broke.  He describes the freedom of absolute poverty (“These are the dogs, and you have gone to them”) and the unrelenting scramble to keep even the semblance of a full belly.  To read when you first realize what “lousy exchange rate” means for your stay in Europe.

Le spleen de Paris: Charles Baudelaire, writer of the most beautiful poetry ever written (and I will fight you if you foolishly claim otherwise), turns his eye on the outcasts of Paris, the beggars, the poor and the prostitutes.  The throwaways of Parisian society 150 years ago mean more to us now than the prosperous and powerful.

Les nuits de Paris: A man strolling about the city late at night somehow falls in love with a chaste marquise (pre-Revolution),  As she lives a somewhat sheltered life, the flâneur reports back to her on everything he sees on his nightly walks, dedicating to her all of his observations and vignettes.  As you might expect from a collection of tales about people in seventeenth-century Paris at night, Retif de la Bretonne also features a heavy emphasis on the marginalized and disenfranchised members of society.

Swann’s Way: It’s harder to get farther from Baudelaire’s blind beggars than Proust’s elegant Swann, but he suffers, oh how he suffers from the indifferent faithlessness of Odette (who is not as far from Baudelaire’s prostitutes as one might imagine).  Swann’s suffering is richly faceted and will speak to anyone who has ever loved someone who was not meant for them.  The young Marcel gets a taste of adult anguish when he meets Swann’s daughter Albertine in the Bois de Boulogne.  But the plot is beside the point; Swann’s Way is really about the textures of everyday life, the complex relationships that spring up in social cliques, the effect of art and of nature on our sensibilities, the strength and presence of involuntary memories, and those emotions so subtle and layered that sentences about them run to fifty words or more.