Our coffee shop ~ Le Brio

Well, it didn't take long. Just a few days in fact. We've tried a couple of places for our morning fix of coffee and seem to have settled on Le Brio on rue Marcadet.

There are probably ten different cafés within easy walking distance of our place in the 18ieme and Le Brio is just around the corner. It's a restaurant-bar in the traditional French sense; early to open and late to close, with coffee, beer, wine and spirits, plus a full kitchen throughout much of the day. Le Brio is a busy place, especially at noon and again around the dinner hour, which tends to be later than what might be expected in Canada.





Le Brio is very much a neighbourhood  café . There are lots of locals and the regulars are greeted by name. The service is friendly and personable, if at times a bit like Fawlty Towers. Becoming regular faces after just a few days we too are greeted amiably by the manager and staff. In fact, we no longer have to order as our waiter prepares our coffees as soon as she sees us come in the door. That does present a minor problem when one of us wants to try something different, but it's a minor quibble.







The decor is eclectic to say the least and kitschy doesn't tell the whole story. A poster of the Virgin Mary appears beside a calendar of Caribbean women in various states of undress. Cowboy hats and a license plate from Texas collide with art books and a matte cup from Argentina. There's a video screen of course, not tuned to a sports channel, but rather to arte, the international French language arts and culture network. Several mornings in a row, the channel featured a program on gorillas and I became involved in a discussion at the bar about these creatures. I fear my French language skills approached gorilla-like standards, yet my comrades were patient and forgiving.
















The coffees at Le Brio are highly acceptable. Beans are ground with each order and the crema is usually rich. In Paris, when one orders un café, an espresso drink will arrive. It might be slightly more bitter tasting than what you are used to having in Canada. A lump of sugar is provided, but never milk or cream.



Un café filtré, also known as a café américain, is as we might expect: an espresso with added hot water.

Technically café crème and café latte are different drinks (hot cream or milk) though many cafés will have difficulty differentiating between the two. Cappuccinos usually feature whipped cream on top and are rarely ordered by any sane Parisian, though some cafés will accommodate tourists and therefore charge accordingly.




A coffee drink to consider is a café noisette, or simply: noisette. This is an espresso with a spot of cream added. Its name comes from the French word for hazelnut and because of its colour. There won't be any flavouring added to this coffee.

Of note: it is less expensive to sit or stand at the bar for a coffee or a quick drink. Taking up space at a table, especially an outside table, will bring a higher charge, even for the same drink. At Le Brio, un café  served to your table on the sidewalk will be 2 euros. At the bar, standing or sitting if a chair is available, the same coffee will be only 1 euro. Sometimes it is nice to sit outside. Sitting inside at the bar however, can be fun and provide an opportunity to practise your French. And talk about gorillas.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2015.

Bikes, scooters and ... the romance of a Vespa

Bikes are everywhere in Paris. On the streets and sometimes on the sidewalks. It is important to look both ways when crossing the street. Then close your eyes and cross.









Individuals can have their own bikes in this city of course, and for those of who can't, there is Vélib’, a bike-share program offered by the City of Paris. The Vélib’ initiative was first presented by Paris mayor and French Socialist Party member Bertrand Delanoë. The Vélib’ system was launched in 2007 with 7,000 bikes available across central Paris. Today there are more than 20,000 bikes available from 1,800 stations located every 300 metres (well, that's what they say) throughout the city. All you need is a credit card.




During its first year of operation over 20 million bike trips were made by Vélib’ users. Last year trips exceeded 200 million and Paris is home to the most successful bike-share program in the world. And yes, there are bike lanes, sometimes where you might least expect one, like on the sidewalk, but that's another story.











Motorbikes are a popular form of transit. Less expensive to operate than a car and much easier to manoeuvre through the Paris traffic, they come in all shapes and sizes, with two wheels or three. Riders can appear on sidewalks too, looking for a parking space along a busy street.





Most motorcycle riders are by themselves; one rarely sees a passenger. However. Once in a while, for those of us who grew up in a long ago time and place, we glimpse an almost forgotten memory befitting a trip to the most romantic city on the planet. It's a Vespa. A young man and a beautiful woman, her arms wrapped round his waist. Riding through Paris.



When I first visited Paris, barely out of my teens, I saw the Vespa riders as I walked through the Left Bank and Montmartre. At that time no one wore helmets. It might have been a more dangerous time in some ways, and yet, it was a beautiful time too. It's nice to see again. Even with helmets.

And the couple on the left could only be Jeem et Sherry. With helmets. And the romance of Paris.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2015.

Back to the Marais and Aux Désirs de Manon

It was another warm day in Paris, mid-twenties and sunshine and perfect for a picnic along the Seine.


After coffee we took the bus to the centre of Paris and walked to the Marais. The Marais is an old and beautiful district of Paris, with a significant Jewish community, and a growing gay presence too. It was also our home for the time we spent in Paris five years ago.






We found our old apartment building, and laughed about what was possibly the smallest apartment in all of Paris; it's the narrow building on the left and we were on the 5th floor. There was no elevator.



A short walk down the street led to one of the finest boulangeries in the city.







Close to Saint-Paul metro station, Aux Désirs de Manon is a wonderful bakery. Established in 2004, it has become a favourite for people in the Marais, and beyond. Five years ago the queue started outside the door, and it was the same again this day.

We bought panini and some treats, made our way down the street to a local market to buy a bottle of wine and finally down some of the Marais' narrow streets to the Seine and our picnic.

And so, our afternoon was spent watching the river traffic and the sun move across the sky. It was hot, we had a spot on the grass and the pastries were excellent.

Later, we found our No. 81 Bus and made our way home to the 18ieme.  

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2015.

Walking around la Basilique du Sacré-Cœur and the money changers

La Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, or simply, Sacré-Cœur, is a Roman Catholic church and basilica. It is a major landmark and tourist destination, located at the summit of butte Montmartre, the highest point in Paris. It is also an easy walk from our apartment on rue Marcadet.





Our apartment is located in a decidedly residential area, and while a few tourists stumble through the area, for the most part, we are among locals. In and around Sacré-Cœur is the complete opposite. We took a less-travelled path to Sacré-Cœur, around the back and along the side, and what a difference a block or two can make in avoiding the crowds, which are large, even at this time of year and on a weekday.


The side streets are narrow, the stairs can be steep, and once in a while a glimpse of Sacré-Cœur can be seen, so you know you are heading in the right direction.

Sacré-Cœur is considered a double monument of sorts, both cultural, or religious depending on your perspective, and political. It is recognised as a national penance for the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War. It is also seen a monument of conservative moral order in the destruction of the socialist Paris Commune in 1871. However, the official line from the Church is that the building of the basilica has nothing to do with the Commune, and it goes to great lengths to dispel the notion. I'm not convinced either way. It is a significant symbol of the power of the national state and what was, at the time, the national church. The announcement of fund-raising to construct Sacré-Cœur, began with a speech by a Bishop Fournier attributing the defeat of France to divine punishment after "a century of moral decline" since the Revolution.


The Sacré-Cœur Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie. Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. It was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919.


Today there are all kinds of people selling things at Sacré-Cœur. Underpaid and overworked immigrants selling cheap trinkets, baubles and beads. Another group in tents selling "hot dogs" and falafels. The church itself gets into the act with donation signs and boxes prominently displayed most everywhere. Everything it seems has a price. I came away wondering, how a certain young itinerant rabbi would react to such a display; the one who overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple just before Passover.








Sacré-Cœur is not something to be missed. Indeed, I've made the trek on every visit to Paris, and I will again before we leave. It is a special place with fantastic views especially at sunrise and sunset. This time, coming up the back way, and leaving by the side, was better somehow. The crowds, and the money changers, will await, no matter how you get there. The journey makes a difference.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2015.

We've arrived. Where are we?

Our apartment on rue Marcadet in the 18e arrondissement is a delight. Walking through the neighbourhood after leaving the Lamark metro station while making our way from the airport yesterday, gave us a wonderful introduction to one of the most densely populated arrondissements in the city.










Few, if any buildings in the area are less than 100 years old; ours was built in 1908. We are on the 3rd floor, which means the 4th floor in Canada.








Our building boasts an old, cage-type lift which can hold 2 persons comfortably, or 3 people who will soon get to know each other intimately; luggage not included in either instance. Many apartment buildings in Paris are walk-ups only, so this is a bonus.



















The apartment has 3 metre high ceilings and a wooden floor that announcing itself with every step. The kitchen is bright and roomy and unlike our last trip to Paris, we  have a bedroom that is quite separate from the rest of the apartment. Our view is of the relatively quiet and narrow street.

A dusty playground is nearby, otherwise little green space. There are however, many shops, cafes, bistros, schools and other amenities that come with an old urban neighbourhood. We are in an area often called Montmartre and its history of bohemians, absinthe and writers. Today, it seems, at first reckoning, a diverse community of families, singles, young and old. We are away from the tourist streets of Montmartre; this a neighbourhood of Parisiens de Paris.

On our first night in the apartment the famous Paris garbage collection occurred on our street. A truck appeared, bright, flashing lights illuminating the street, and attendants running about collecting bins. The noise was extreme.





On a previous visit to Paris five years ago, without knowing what was going on, I thought hooligans were smashing every parked car on the street; the noise was of a battle zone. Instead the mechanized lifting of trash containers, then the grinding and digesting of the garbage into the truck, surreal indeed, moved along the street fairly quickly. It was almost comforting this time.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2015.

Before we begin ....

We've embarked on a walking tour, of sorts, of Paris, and before we begin all this walking, some facts and figures might be helpful. Or maybe not.

Settlement of Paris began around 4200 BCE. According to most scholars, by about 250 BCE the Parisii tribe (Celtic peoples actually) for whom the city is named, had established a defensive position on an island in the River Seine to control trade along it, which sounds almost like a city-state to me.

Well, that city-state idea was great until the Romans conquered and built a city they called Lutetia, on the left bank of the Seine. By the 6th century CE, the focal point moved back to where the Celts had established their original settlement and to what is known today as Ile de la Cite, around which our Paris has grown.

The city of Paris is relatively small: it's 105 square kilometres, with a population of only 2.25 million. What was once a city enclosed by Roman walls, is now defined by a ring road that surrounds the entire city, called the Périphérique.  Our apartment is located within the Périphérique in the 18th arrondissement  often referred to as Montmartre.

The larger metro region is about 12,000 square kilometres and has a population of over 12 million. The Paris agglomeration is the most populous urban area in the EU, and nearly one in five French citizens resides in this region.

Today, the Paris region accounts for 30 percent of the GDP of France and is home to the third-largest number of Fortune 500 company headquarters, behind only Beijing and Tokyo, surprising those who think of London, New York or Shanghai as being more significant, at least in a corporate sense.


It's that kind of surprise that takes us in another direction when we think of Paris. It's easy to think of Paris as the most visited city on the planet, which it is, with over 30 million tourists every year, but do we think of this centre of culture as an important economic hub? Perhaps not it would seem, yet, important economically, Paris is indeed.



Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.