PULSATING PARIS

Croissant and Coffee anytime!

It's raining, it's pouring

~~The old man is snoring~~

And Paris is glowing........

Sometimes the image in the head is not just a random picture floating in the void; it is that indescribable feeling, that wanting to stand before the actual reality, run a hand over its its brick and mortar and walk in through the door. The elements finally conspired to make it real and on the second day in Paris one stood before Shakespeare &Company, the nearly 75 year old English bookshop housed in a 17th century building at rue de la Bûcherie. There was a queue as expected and that was when the elements conspired once again, this time, to open up the skies and bring down a relentless downpour. The other half ran away to come back with two black umbrellas. Except that everybody seemed to have the same idea. How to identify one's black umbrella from so many similar ones on the stand on the way back, tie the sheath as a big bow around the umbrella!

Shakespeare & Company to non-bibliophiles, is an English bookshop that is legendary. Founded by George Whitman in 1975, its initial name was Le Mistral - the cold winds that blow from Southern France into the Mediterranean sea. It was in 1964 that the bookstore acquired its present moniker after Shakespeare and Company founded by Sylvia Bleach in 1919. Sylvia Bleach, for the non-bibliophile again, was the gutsy publisher of James Joyce's Ulysses when it had been rejected by many. An American by birth she moved to Paris as a five-year old and opened her bookstore on the Left Bank and went on to become the gathering hole for expatriate writers. It shut shop in 1941. But the basic essence continues in Whitman's bookshop including the name of the original founder. Call it coincidence or serendipity but in 2006 George passed on the baton to his daughter also called Sylvia !

The founder George Whitman said of his creation: "I created this bookstore like a man would write a novel, building each room like a chapter and I like people to open the door the way they open a book, a book that leads into a magic world in their imaginations". It holds true, there is the bookstore, an antiquarian bookshop and a Cafe. It is a place where time can be forgotten (just ignore the growing queue outside). The inside is both ancient and so alive. On the ground floor there are walls of shelves lined with books and more books, but the actual magic lies upstairs. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside but think of a very comfortable nook in the wall, below bookshelves where one can curl up and read till eternity, a couple of chairs and small tables, a mirrored half wall to stick your messages and a large table with an old typewriter placed on it and big windows overlooking Square Rene Viviani which, in turn is a hands throw from the Left bank of River Seine and, as if that was not enough, the park is also home to a black locust tree officially recognised as the city's oldest tree. And so Shakespeare & Company and one met at last and met well. If the wish scribbled on the little white paper square one stuck on the mirror ever comes true, then the wind will blow us there sometime again.

EYEFUL EIFFEL

It's better to set things clear at the outset: This is not about Moulin Rouge, Lido, Mona Lisa and The Louvre - okay just a tad of it- Notre Dame and such which are labelled top tourist attractions. No Eiffel Tower on the no-no list? No, because it is indeed an engineering marvel and more because what started as an exhibit for the 1889 World Fair Paris outlasted the 20 year lifespan it was supposed to have and above all, Gustave Eiffel managed to recover the construction cost within less than a year! Then, the view from the top brooks no argument as to why one could not stay away.

A BIT OF HISTORY

If France gave Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (liberty, equality, fraternity) to the world why not take in a bit of its history. We meet the tour guide opposite Square Republic but unfortunately, we can't explore it as the Square now noted for political meets, strikes etc sprouts small white tents all over. Only the state of Marianne stands tall. She incidentally, was not a living historical heroine but the personification of the French Revolution motto and the inspiration for the American Statue of Liberty. The guide gives us quite a bit of historical dope with more focus on the revolution, the period before it, the Bastille, Napoleon and of course, Louis XIV and his predecessor and those who came after including their hygienic habits!

Thankfully, a beautiful piece of history, is ringing alive with melodious hymns. The Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Church ( Église Sainte-Élisabeth-de-Hongrie de Paris) was classified as a historic monument in 1937. The first stone of the Roman Catholic church was laid a decade before Louis XIV was born and is named for Elizabeth of Hungary renowned as a symbol of Christian charity. There is something almost hypnotic about soulful singing in churches and it was pleasantly surprising that outsiders were allowed in despite the service being on. The altar, the nave, the pulpit, the giant stained glass windows, the paintings and the frescoes - that's not just history but eternal exquisite art.

Majestic Marianne

As one looks at and walks through the market, its hard to imagine that nearly 400 years ago in its place stood an orphanage. The Marche des Enfants Rouges is the oldest covered market in the French capital, operating since the early 1600s and still going strong. At one time there was said to be a hospital nearby and an orphanage for children and the moniker came about because the kids wore red uniforms, the traditional colour symbolising Christian charity. A tad far fetched but after checking out the stalls -from bakery to cheese to flowers to spirits and more and sampling some cuisines that go from naturally French to Japanese, Lebanese, Moroccan and what have you, one can imagine laughing children in red racing around all over the lanes. A delicious Salmon quiche with eggs among others brought the curtains down.

ARTISTIC AFFAIR

There's The Louvre and Musee d'Orsay that need no tom-tomming about and then there is the Picasso Museum (Musee National Picasso) housed inside the majestic Hotel Sale, a 17th century mansion which, has over 5000 works, paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, engravings, notebooks to ceramics and above all, the artist's personal collection. A large portion of them were donated by Picasso's family as per his wishes. Incidentally, the Spanish artist lived in France for 68 years or so till his death in 1973. As usual the works on display ranged from impressive to quite repulsive at times, the latter true for me whatever the critics may say. The self portrait however, is fascinating as if he is looking deep within one and questioning one's reaction to his works.

Picasso Self Portrait

From Picasso's radical, innovative and even extreme works it is surrealism at its best at Espace Dali, the Museum, Montmartre, dedicated entirely to Dali with over 300 works highlighting his surreal and dreamlike creations and his three-dimensional works. In fact, the three-dimensional works like the Space Elephant and the Venus de Milo with drawers are so fascinatingly addictive that one doesn't realise how much time has passed. There are interactive displays too besides rare prints, lithographs and drawings. And above all, there is one of the five original versions of the 'Lipstick' or Lips Sofa - officially known as the Mae West Lips Sofa- and very pouty and alluring! What can one say except the most welcome surreal experience ever.

GRAVE MATTERS

Dead men tell no tales, it is said. But dead men do leave tales behind. They leave behind innovative creative works that elicit awe and will continue to do so. Writer Alexander Duman, artist Edgar Degas, the founder of sax Adolphe Sax, composer Hector Berlioz French Chef Marie-Antoine Carême, French writer Stendhal, popular French singer Dalida, filmmaker Francois Truffaut and, believe it or not, the heart of Jean Lannes, a general and Marshal of France under Napoleon whose body lies in the Pantheon. Thankfully, Emile Zola's whole body was moved to the Pantheon, six year after his burial. However, his name is still on the family's burial plot. They all were laid to rest at Cimitière du Nord also mundanely called Montmartre Cemetery, the third largest in Paris. When it opened officially on the first day of 1825 it was also called the Cemetery of the Large Quarries as the area was a former limestone quarry. And ahem! this was where the bodies of the thousands guillotined during the country Reign of Terror (that preceded the French Revolution) were dumped and also where the bodies of royals executed during the Revolution were put. Macabre as it sounds, the cemetery today is a popular destination for history lovers.

Located below the street level with a 19th century lattice bridge looking down on it, the cemetery has only one entrance and a sort of rambling terrain that rises up, especially on the right side, as one walks in. Interestingly, most of the cemeteries, even small ones, that one saw had graves that were elaborately constructed. At the Montmartre Cemetery the graves, from centuries old to newer ones, display exceptional architecture, art, engravings, stained glasses and more. The weather was good, our ebullient guide Billy was knowledgeable and entertaining, but looking at some of the graves particularly of those brilliant minds, one couldn't help but think that mortality literally levels everyone down to the ground.

Why did Montmartre, spread out over a steep incline making it the city's highest point , draw so many renowned artists (many young and struggling) to live there? Why is it often called a village within a city? A tourist trap or a historic charming Bohemian village? As one approaches the art district - another common moniker for it - one sees the Le Petit Train de Montmartre, a white mini train with dashes of red awaiting riders for the ride up the hill and through the narrow pathways; the instant reaction is 'tourist bait' and even Disney-fication! We opt to walk up the cobbled path, the winding alleys and navigate the plentiful stairs around. Yes there are Cafes and more Cafes, souvenir shops and all the commercialisation bits but overlook them and walk up higher and gradually the distinct charm bowls over one completely. The name however has gory origins, Montmartre translates to ' mountain of the martyr' because it was on the hill that circa 250AD the first Bishop of Paris, Saint Denis was beheaded.

Very soon no explanations or excuses are needed to understand why artists like Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Pierre-Aguste Renoir, Modigilani and Heni de Toulouse-Lautrec chose to live in the village, some for long, some for couple of years. In fact, even Claude Monet lived in a lodge at Montmartre briefly as a young art student. It appears that that Montmartre became an art haven from the late 19th century onwards not because of its cobblestone streets, windmills and village lifestyle but because primarily as it was exempted from the city's taxes and urban renewal laws, housing was cheap. So while Paris was being redesigned Montmartre was left alone. And the city-village knew what had to be left as it was. Like the Moulin de la Galette a windmill built in the early 17th century that produced its own brown bread called galette served at the attached guinguette or open air Cafe, bar and dance venue immortalized by Renoir, Van Gogh and Picasso.

Living in Montmartre for about two years (1886-1888) saw a transformation in Van Gogh's work from the dark shades of his earlier to bright colours and newer techniques. Picasso moved from the pensive Blue Period to the happier Rose Period. Then, of course, there was Henri de Toulouse Lautrec who chronicled the district's nightlife - the cabarets, the dance halls and the Moulin Rouge through his brilliant colourful posters. Then there is Le Lapin Agile, redolent again with history - once the favourite place of struggling artists including Picasso - and sensuousness because cabarets still happen here. Au Lapin Agile (At the Lapin Agile) the 1905 oil painting by Picasso is said to have made the place world famous.

Art is not just kicking but thriving at the Place du Tertre, the artist square artists paint, sketch, display an sell their artworks. The square, close to the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur and not far from Le Lapin Agile is bustling with artists, young and old, and of course tourists. The guide takes us to meet a woman artist who has been operating there for over 55 years! There's that hail-blithe-spirit feeling to sit an open Cafe nearby and watch the whole scenario. No wonder Montmartre is a buzzing tourist magnet because it encapsulates pure creativity, preserved rich history, the best of location and that incomparable lighting that drew artists galore. And oh, Montmartre is where the pink Cafe of Emily in Paris fame is located!

To round up the tour, our exuberant guide makes us draw live La Lapin Agile on tiny canvases. He then ropes in a group of young Scottish women tourists to play judge. Ahem! guess who walked away with the best live pencil rendering!

The Pink Cafe !

SEINE-FUL SAILING

Seine River, in a way, can be termed the soul of Paris. It is a day when the city skies seem unable to make up its mind on whether to stay sulky grey all over, go thunderous black or retreat and let the blues reign bright or maybe pour down heavily or let some sun sneak in through the clouds. It swings between all three as the cruise begins. The wind is quite biting and thanks to it, the upper deck has few people. The over 770 kilometre river that originates in the Burgundy region flowing through Paris before disappearing into the English Channel. And both the Left Bank and the Right Bank are flanked by impressive architecture with the Eiffel Tower looking down on it from bit of a distance, the banks are studded with the Louvre Museum and Musee d'Orsay, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Sainte Chapelle, the Mint (Monnaie), the Palais de l'Institut, the Grand Palais of the Champs Elysees are all waving intervals and all are architectural masterpieces, historical to the last century. From Pont du Sully to Pont d'Iena the Seine banks were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

As the weather palette shifts colours somewhat furiously with the wind tempo fluctuating with equal speed, sitting on a lonesome corner on the deck cruising down the Seine is an experience best felt and not described.

TABLE TALK

No escargot or snails, certainly no frog legs. Lots of croissants, lots of coffee and overflow of wine and cheese. Travelling anywhere means trying out local cuisines and the markets. There are meals that are highly memorable and meals so disappointing. And there are meals with memories that etch themselves onto you and can never be erased. Joon (Moon in Nepali) at Les Marais is a small Nepali restaurant. (A little explanation: After a series of European food the other half desperately craves Asian fare especially the North Indian kind). So Joon it was, run by a young couple from Nepal, a compact eatery, all tables occupied. It was full 'thali' wholesome Nepali fare from non-vegetarian to vegetarian et al. But, obviously it had been made to suit the European palate and thereby somewhat bland for me. The next thing I know is a small bowl materialises on the table and she says, this is what you need, we make it for ourselves. Aa bit of garlic, ginger, onions, green chillies and tomato with salt to taste, pounded into a smooth paste and tastes heavenly adding the perfect zing to the 'thali'. Not just that, she also didn't charge for a large plate of edamame!

Bad Picture, Excellent Chutney!(Small white bowl)

In 1995 Chef Bertrand Larcher opened the first Breizh Cafe in Japan, a speciality creperie and went on to launch several more, all overseas. He returned to his home country in the early 2000s and presently there are eight Breizh Cafes in Paris where he is in his own words, 'modestly aiming at building a bridge between Breton and Japanese cultures.' Breton because Chef Larcher is from Brittany in Northwest France. The crepes are all made from buckwheat sourced from his farm in Brittany. The fresh organic taste comes through beautifully. We opt for Breizh Cafe at Les Marais, said to be the most popular one. I opted for complete oignon with sunny side up organic egg, artisanal ham from Brittany, raw milk comte cheese and candied onions served with a refreshing glass of cider. Breton cuisine with Japanese Umami tinge - perfect combination.

There was a little celebration (absolutely private) called for and Les Artizans it was for authentic French cuisine with locally sourced products and an extensive wine menu and wide range of cakes and pastries. Tastefully done up place but reasons unknown a certain staff (shall go unnamed) felt that we were in dire need of on-the-spot- education about French cuisine, the products, the process and tra-la-la. And somewhere in between the long winded talking to us, one forgot to take pictures of the delicious appetiser and the dessert. One opted for sea bream with passion fruit crust ,sweet potato puree and a coconut lemongrass emulsion. The other main dish was Rougie duck breast with a honey, smoked thyme sauce and black truffle puree. Good food but not enough to go into raptures. Ghastly as it may sound, every time I saw the other half slicing the duck breast all one could think of was the butcher because the mains on the menu was headlined Le Boucher or From the Butcher. Quack to that!