Last Friday, I was in the Marais, one of the oldest parts of Paris and one of my favorites. Marais, by the way, means "marsh" and originally that's what was there before the medieval Parisians figured out how to turn it to usable land. There's always something interesting to look at when you walk in that quartier.
Saint Paul's church. In the nearly seven years I've been here, this is the first time I've ever seen it completely clean; they did a huge ravalement during the past few years. It went from black and sooty, totally filthy, to THIS: totally stunning. The clock is really beautiful and all three doors are painted this shade of cranberry red.
Someone's favorite café. I like the metal chairs and old tables, which probably aren't old at all since you can now buy reproductions that have been "aged", but it still makes a nice effect on their terrasse.
Exterior of an old boulangerie that once sold "little breads for dinners" that has now become an upscale boutique, as has much of the Marais in recent years. At least the boutique kept all the historical exterior painted bakery signs instead of covering them with something new and modern.
The neighborhood is very eclectic: it has been the center of Judaism in Paris for centuries, and on a Saturday there are many shops and restaurants closed to observe the Jewish sabbath, but on Sundays this place is hopping! The Marais is also considered the gay quarter. Plus, you'll find some of the oldest buildings in Paris here, including some that date back to the 12th or 13th century and still have their half-timbers exposed. And... best place to have falafel in town! See what I mean? Eclectic.
One of the boutiques I often browse in, Lollipops on Rue des Rosiers (I don't know the owner but her daughter-in-law is a good friend of mine). I totally fell in love with these beige-pink zircon-studded ballerina flats, but the size 39 was a little too long and the 38 was much too tight. And at 119€/$160 USD I decided to save the money toward my upcoming trip around England. This photo doesn't quite capture how beautiful they look with the light on them; these are much better than mere sequined flats! By the way, the shop has a web site and they seem to ship abroad. I have always liked their purses although lately some of the designs are getting too "Cyndi Lauper" for my tastes, but they are certainly fun!
One of the corner towers that you can still find in this area. They were designed this way so that a look-out could stand at the tower windows and see who was coming down any of the cross-streets, so that they could have warning of any trouble.
Just across from 48 Rue Vieille du Temples is a nice café where we stopped for a cold drink as it was a rather warm day. #48 is where they had the Salon du Vintages, by the way, and I'm still a bit sorry I didn't buy that coat because I think I could have auctioned it off on eBay for much more than they were asking for it in the salon! Anyway, in this café I noticed that they had this box on the wall with cubby-holes, some of which had cloth napkins in them, and I don't know the name for it in French (I'm sure someone will tell me) but I knew what it was for: in the old days, regular clients of a restaurant would bring their own napkin, if they wanted one, and the restaurant would keep it for them. Possibly they could also bring their own cutlery as well. This saved the restaurant from having to go to the expense of buying such things, and the customer would always know he'd be able to wipe his mouth or cut his meat with a decent knife and fork, in times when such things were not always "normal".
I just loved the color in these grenadines at a fruit seller in front of Place Saint Paul.
The only thing you don't find any more in the Marais is any sign of a marsh!
