Travel Notes......Part Deux

The Latin Quarter of Paris is parts of the 5th and 6th arrondissement; the curious name arises from that fact that Latin was spoken in the middle ages in the areas surrounding the (Sorbonne) University. The Latin Quarter has been the heart and soul of Parisian intelligentsia for centuries. It is lively and literary; full of delightful browsing for books and music -first, second and other multiple hand; cafes- Greek, Turkish, Armenian, Indian, even vegetarian and the whole area is dotted with parks, churches, and monuments.

One of the monuments is the Panthéon- an impressive neoclassical structure –which was originally supposed to be a church dedicated to St. Genevieve (the patron saint of Paris). But as it approached completion the French Revolution began and the new government-apparently not a big fan of religion and churches-converted it to a mausoleum. It became a place where the great men of France will be interred. It has since then gone back and forth between being a mausoleum and a church and now performs both functions. Interestingly, it has also been a scientific laboratory; this is where physicist Léon Foucault conducted his experiment on the rotation of the Earth by constructing a pendulum, suspending a 28-kg bob with a 67-metre wire from the dome. The original pendulum is still there, something to thrill all physics lovers.

The Panthéon is dedicated to the ‘Grands Hommes La Patrie Reconnaissante’ –‘To great men the grateful homeland’. It is a high honor to be accorded a place here; entry is governed by a parliamentary act for ‘National Heroes’ and requires major achievements, lesser achievers will themselves at the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. The Panthéon is the resting place of luminaries such as Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Alexandre Dumas and Louis Braille. It opened it’s doors to great women as well in 1995, when Marie Curie became the first woman to be buried here.

From monuments to book stores, the iconic ‘Shakespeare and co’ bookstore (and library) run by George Whitman is also located in the Latin Quarter. This is not to be confused with the establishment that belonged to Sylvia Beach that famously published James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’. Beach bequeathed some of her collection of books and the rights to the store name to Whitman. The original Shakespeare & Co, a happy hunting ground for Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce no longer exists.

The present store has been the stuff of legend since it opened in 1951. Henry Miller called it "A wonderland of books". I won’t describe it because it is one those places you have to discover on your own. I find it's kookiness to be somewhat studied rather than spontaneous and it has the complacent air of being legendary, name dropping but acting as though it were perfectly natural to do so. But, it is undeniably delightful and is open incredibly enough from noon to midnight.

But this far more than a book store. Whitman thinks of Shakespeare & Co as "a socialist utopia masquerading as a bookstore". This is a place that supports the written word in every way. From day one Whitman has allowed people-aspiring writers and bibliophiles impecunious as only aspiring creative types can be- to live in the premises in exchange for helping out at the store. Author Jeremy Mercer who spent five months there says, “All he asks is that you make your bed in the morning, help out in the shop, and read a book a day.”

Whitman has hosted over 50,000 people, some of the more well known being the beat generation authors like as Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso and William Burroughs, am guessing when they were dead beats. This is a platform like no other for new writers-letting them live for free, network with like-minded individuals and being a forum to give exposure to their work; all of this in beautiful and cultured Paris.

So, you get to work in a bookstore with great atmosphere, live across the river Seine-more atmosphere, read and write, savor reasonably priced eclectic cuisine from cafés and restaurants nearby; the whole thing does sound like a state of utopia dreamt up by a bibliophile. I think there must be some flaw in the scheme but am content to not look for it; just knowing that there is a set up like this somewhere in the world is good enough for me. The store is also the hub of English language literary and cultural activities-book readings, workshops and the like-in Paris. For the tourist, it is a good place to visit in Paris if you are pining for some English.

‘The Abbey Bookshop’-30000 new and used books (English) - is also to be found in the Latin Quarter along with the ‘Gibert Jeune’ bookstores. There are nine stores totally of the latter, all located near each other, easily identifiable by their distinctive yellow logo and one of these stores- I think the one devoted to literature-stocks English books. I also saw the reliable 'W.H Smith' somewhere in Paris. So, there is a lot of fantastic and absolutely satisfying English language book hunting to be done in Paris. Further, the all of Latin Quarter is less pricey and full of bargains as it is frequented by the student community.

The gardens of the area are perfect to laze and take a break. Of the gardens and fountains here, the highlight is the Jardin du Luxembourg, beautifully landscaped as can be expected in Paris. It is the largest public park in the city and one of the best too. The park belongs to the French Senate, which is located at Palais du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Palace). But, the senate most kindly lets the public use the garden area and it is an extremely popular family hangout, especially in the summer.

I finish exploring the Latin Quarter by browsing at the ‘Boquinistes’. These are stores that are nothing more than little Green boxes all in a row along the Seine. The first time I see them I am thoroughly taken in by the quaint charm of their appearance, not to mention their wares- second hand books, new and old CDs, copies of magazines like the ‘Paris match’ from the 60s and 70s, plenty of posters of events like concerts by ‘The Beatles’ and ‘The Doors’ and of course posters, prints and paintings of Paris itself. There are also plenty of souvenirs and a nice assortment of oddities.

But, I keep wandering along the Seine plentifully, and I check out the green boxes whenever am there and after I have been there a few times I start seeing the repetitive themes like the posters for performances at the ‘Moulin rouge’, the ‘Paris exposition’, the famous advertisement for the tour of ‘Le Chat Noir’ cabaret by Théophile Steinlen. These posters catch the eye with their appealing style of artwork from the early 19th century. There is the feeling of a throwback to past, the air is scented with nostalgia.

I sense a wistful longing for the past when Paris was the center of the world, so many of the posters of the city are in black & white. Paris is not nearly as happening today as it used to be in the spheres of art, literature, fashion or food. Everywhere in Paris you can trace the presence of geniuses of the artistic and intellectual world-the impressionists, the existentialists, the creators of modern fashion and so much more, but nothing really dating in a time period after the Second World War.

I sense a deliberate tourist trap here- to cash in on the emotions created by this blast from the past. However, there are many good bargains at the ‘Boquinistes’and what is the harm really in being a sucker for a piece of nostalgia. This is one trap to fall into, and though I feel that the locals will snigger at these posters and prints, they are great buys for the visitors. There are also plenty of portrait artists all over the place who will paint you a personalized souvenir. The Boquinistes are full full of ye olde world charm and are not to be missed.

From there, you can see the church, Notre Dame (Our lady) de Paris, a splendid Gothic cathedral across the river. France's ‘Point zéro’, the reference point for mapping local road distances in Paris is located in the square in front of the cathedral and it is believed that visitors who stand on Point zéro will come back to Paris again some day. That is not a bad thing at all.

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In Paris, the footprints of famous people can be traced through the places that they lived in, through a small engraving of some sort in the building that has the name, profession and the time period that the person spent there. Something like this, (look carefully). If you are the kind that gets excited at the prospect of a hotel that Sigmund Freud spent a couple of years in or a house where Pablo Picasso lived, you will be in state of perpetual excitement because any and everyone has come to Paris to be inspired. So, you need to pick and choose what interests you specifically.

I go looking for the café ‘Les deux Magots’ and ‘Café de Flore’; favourite hang out of intellectuals such as Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemingway and Albert Camus. These cafes are especially famous because the first two mentioned used to rendezvous here. In fact, the street where they are located was renamed Place Sartre Beauvoir in 2000. I figure it should be interesting to pay a visit. Plus, I really wanted some coffee.

I don’t what I was expecting but I could not have been more disappointed regardless. May be I wanted something small, with atmosphere and a view. Les deux Magots is huge, full of people, hustle and bustle and is generally very loud. It is not the sort of place you can associate with intellectual exchanges; when your own thoughts are drowned out how can you hear anybody else’s. When I find artsy interiors and décor, I often feel that it is pretentious. But in this place, I would not have minded an artsy thing or two. The presence of the eponymous magots in the form of two wooden statues of Chinese commercial agents (magots) on a pillar is the sole interesting thing about the decor. As for the view, what I got was an ‘Emporio Armani’ showroom. I am guessing things have changed around these parts. At least I got my coffee.

The nearby Café de Flore, which is closed for summer, looks more promising. If they are packing off on a summer break, they must be a cool and small business. But, I won’t be able to find out on this visit.

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One Sunday, I am at the Lord’s watching cricket and the next Sunday morning I am taking a slow walk along the Champs-Élysées towards the Arc d’Triomphe, although the eventual intention was to watch the finish of the tour de France.

I am surprised at the amount of people who have come to book a spot along the route as early as 11 am considering that the cyclists would ride in only a good six hours later. The crowds are well prepared, armed with portable chairs, something to protect them from the persistent drizzle and enough food to last the long wait. A mini economy of food, umbrellas & plastic macs and souvenirs sold from portable vans has sprung all along the way.

There is not too much to see in such an event. But it is a great sight when the cyclists appear racing into view and it feels good to cheer the athletes who have completed a task so remarkably arduous. It is certainly worth turning up if you are in Paris at that time.

Assuming that the race survives the all the doping scandals, I have some simple advice for those who intend to be there. There is no real need to be early to find a suitable viewing spot; it will suffice to go to one end of the Champs-Élysées, close to the Arc d’Triomphe with a portable stepladder. This will ensure the best views and this is what the people in the know seem to be doing. If portable stepladders are not within the realm of possibility, then you can go into one of the shops or restaurants from where you can comfortably watch the event from the first or second floor. Surprisingly, the stores let the public use their premises as a viewing gallery. But whatever you do, it is a bit of an effort to show up, find a spot and watch. I will surely be mad if it ever turns out that this year’s winner, Alberto Contadar-a name I will not forget-cheated.

It is a perfect day to be on the Champs-Élysées and I went there again. This time taking a rambling walk- eating, drinking coffee as usual, window shopping and actually buying things in the pleasurable languidness of a Tuesday afternoon. The charms of the famed street are best appreciated standing at the median in between, with the Arc d’Triomphe on one end and the avenue stretching endlessly on the other; it is possible forget to cross and get to the other side.

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To be concluded, only 1972 words to go.