The Latin Quarter - St. Michel
Quartier Latin--- the name alone evokes images of bohemian Paris at its height. In spite of its indisputable gentrification and the loss of its former identity, the myriad streets surrounding what was the left bank's true student and intellectual center continues to attract tourists and Parisians who hope to discover, or possibly resurrect, a little of that electric sense of change we read of in Camus, Sartre and Beckett.
The heart of St. Michel is still the Place St.
Michel (Metro St. Michel) with its baroque fountain of St. Michel killing a demon of some sort. This was once the
site of numerous protests and social uprisings. One of the main events of French resistance to the occupying Nazis
took place in the square, and in the now legendary riots of 1968, students took charge of the square in the face
of tear gas and police clubs, declaring it an independent state! Odd as this may sound, it led workers to rally
the same cause by announcing mass strikes, which led to the eventual fall of De Gaulle's government. This was
once the "Washington Square Park" of Paris, filled with hippies, artists, writers, poets, dancers, musicians
and art students. Now you are more likely to see the "Des Moines Bingo Club" on tour, en masse, zipped
up in North Face and Gore-Tex as they climb the harrowing length of St. Michel in the extreme conditions of an
late spring chill.
The Latin Quarter is bisected by the Boulevard St. Germain and the Boulevard St. Michel. These are the two main
arteries running through the area, with the hundreds of crooked streets leading off them like capillaries. The
tree lined Place St. André des Arts, which was a gathering place for many French artists, is still ringed
with bistros and restaurants. Walk up St. Michel until you reach the intersection of Blv. St. Germain. The two
streets intersect near the Cluny Museum on Boulevard St. Michel, a museum well worth visiting. It is set inside
the ancient Roman baths (an astounding feat of architecture in itself) and filled with incredible artifacts and
artwork from Medieval Europe, I find it to be one of the most interesting and beautiful museums in Paris. Inside
you will find the famous "Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries as well as the original heads knocked from
the statues at the Notre Dame Cathedral, stained glass, jewelry, early paintings, stonework, and even a Medieval
garden. (Entrance is at 6, Place Paul-Painlevé, Metro Cluny-La Sorbonne, cost : 7 Euros, closed Tuesday)
The walk up St. Michel is interesting in it's own right. I prefer the cafes on the higher end of the street after
you pass the Cluny, which are generally less crowded and more authentic as far as bistros go. There are good used
bookstores and art book stalls to browse through here. This is no coincidence--- the Sorbonne is just a few blocks
away and the students are always on the lookout for cheap deals on their required reading. Take a little detour
and inspect the legendary university, or stop at the nice little Place de la Sorbonne square on your left, and
enjoy a coffee among chain-smoking, tragic-faced students.
Keep walking and turn left off the rue Soufflot and you will eventually run into the Pantheon. If you don't see
it, you need major eye surgery--- this thing looks like it was designed to resist a nuclear attack, but with the
inevitable Greek columns and Roman vault. Pantheon in a Greek word, meaning "all the Gods", which in
this case means, the Gods of French literature, arts and sciences. All the big shots are buried here, in what
is essentially a massive mausoleum. It was originally built as a church for which the foundations were laid in
1758. After the revolution, the new government decided it was more politically correct to rename it a mausoleum
for the interment of French genius. Unable to make up their minds (all this philosophy has confused them) the
French have twice reverted this building to being a church, and twice revoked its status. (imagine being the priest
here--- no job security) Among those buried in its crypt are Voltaire, Rousseau, Honoré Mirabeau, Marat,
Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Jean Moulin, Marie Curie, René Descartes, Louis Braille and Soufflot the
architect. (what a coincidence) It's in this same building that the famous physicist, Foucault, proved the rotation
of the earth by hanging his 67 meter pendulum from the dome in 1851. If you look up toward the main pediment as
you enter the building, the incription reads : Aux grandes hommes la patrie reconnaissante (For great men, the
grateful nation) No, there is no application process…
If you head back down toward the river, you can loop around the back of the Cluny museum and investigate the small
streets which have now been inundated by Tunisian kebab shops and wannabee Greek restaurants. No self respecting
Greek with a good restaurant will stand on the street and break plates for you. This is what you will find in
the ultra-touristy rue de la Huchette. These guys mostly pose as Greeks by yelling OPA! and crunching broken plates
on the sidewalk under their shiny shoes. These are places to be avoided, if only because of the insult to our
intelligence. I love a good North African specialty, so why these places are determined to make you think you
are in Athens, when you are clearly not, is beyond me.
Keep walking down the alley, cross the street and you will eventually run into the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore
at #37 rue de la Bucherie. This is truly a sight not to miss. Of all the English language bookstores in Paris,
this one has the most interesting feel. The shop is a remake of the original bookstore which was damaged by fire.
Founded by Sylvia Beach in the 20's, this became a focal point for expatriate Americans such as Pound, Hemmingway
and the Irishman James Joyce. It was actually Sylvia Beach who finally agreed to publish Joyce's much-rejected
novel, Ulysses. ( a good move) The shop was later taken over by George Whitman who is an iconic figure in the
American ex-pat community. He is now is his 90's and the shop is run by his stunning daughter. The bookstore
continues to offer refuge to young writers and poets who are allowed to sleep in the shop in exchange for some
hours work. If this seems strange, I think it should be commended as a remarkable act of generosity and empathy
in an age when things like this no longer happen. The architecture of the shop is interesting--- a maze of leaning
shelves, secret cubbyholes, piles of books, old sofas, posters and the occasional cat. This is a place to be preserved
and admired along with those who keep it running. If you are going to buy a book, why not buy it here and help
support this little enclave of culture. The benches and fountain outside the shop are also a wonderful place to
sit and watch the Notre Dame across the river.
If you are interested in a fine example of the "flamboyant gothic style" check out the nearby church
of St. Séverin on the rue St. Séverin. Notice the medieval sewer system still visible in the street's
stonework. This church was named after a 6th century recluse and apparently took longer to build than the nearby
Notre Dame. There is a 15th century ossuary (bone garden) inside as well as an exceptional stained glass window
depicting the seven sacraments. It's little known that there are some beautiful 1920's etchings by the great painter
Roualt inside this church. Roualt was trained as a stained glass artisan--- hence the obvious reference in his
later famous paintings with their distinct color patches.
Continue down the rue Galande to see the historic church of St. Julien le Pauvre. Chances are you will recognize
this scene from countless paintings. Because this church was begun in 1170, it may be the official oldest church
in Paris. In the 17th century it was taken over by the Hotel Dieu, became a salt warehouse, and was eventually
given to a branch of the Byzantine church run by Melchite Greeks! The garden is a beautiful spot to sit and try
to imagine the left bank as it was in the 16th century. This is the medieval heart of Paris.