The Marais

The Marais is a blend of the old and the new, the hip and the historic.  Many 16th, 17th, and 18th century buildings have been preserved and repurposed into trendy apartments, with ground-floor restaurants, shops, and bars.

Our walk today begins near one of the oldest churches in Paris: Église St.-Gervais, which was begun in 1494.

The facade is from the 1600's

Simple wooden stools instead of pews in the nave of L'Église St.-Gervais

Beautiful Pietà in the transept

Music stand with book of hymns

Since the 19th century the Marais has also hosted a thriving Jewish community.  There are many Jewish-owned businesses within the district, as well as the important Mémorial de la Shoah, which houses a crypt with an eternal flame to honor the Jewish martyrs of the Holocaust.  The Wall of the Righteous is located in the Allée des Justes; this wall lists the names of non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.

The Wall of the Righteous

Interlocking Star of David motif

 

Fountain in the Allée des Justes

The heavenly scent of spices from this exotic food-seller on Rue François Miron wafted out into the street.

Sacks of beans on display inside

Across the street are two of the oldest houses in the district, from the 14th or 15th century.  The narrow facades and exposed wooden beams really stand out among the more modern surrounding buildings.

On the Rue des Nonnains d'Hyères, the medieval Hôtel de Sens looks like a castle from a Grimm fairy tale.  It is now the Bibliothèque Fornay, a library specializing in art and art techniques.

Hôtel de Sens and attached garden

A cannonball from the Revolution in 1830 (overthrowing Charles X) is stuck in the exterior wall of the Hôtel de Sens.  Can you spot it?

Hôtel de Sens street view

Here it is:

On the Rue de l'Avé Maria, some kids shoot hoops in the basketball courts that are bordered by a wall and two towers from the 13th century.

From there we turn left on the Rue St.-Paul and run into all sorts of Americana.  The aptly-named "Thanksgiving" is a store that supplies hard-to-obtain American products like Lucky Charms, Kraft Mac & Cheese, and Betty Crocker mixes to the local community of expats.

The Red Wheelbarrow is an English-language bookstore.

 

And finally, Breakfast in America is an American-themed diner serving up actual breakfast (instead of the French coffee/croissant/cigarette), along with cheeseburgers, nachos, and even chicken wings.

And then suddenly we are back to delicious ethnic food with L'as du Falafel being one of the most popular spots in all of Paris for some tasty falafel.

Other fun sights seen on our walk:

Bright mosaic signage at this restaurant

For my Dad: you CAN get Miller in Paris...

...at the Lizard Lounge on Rue Bourg-Tibourg!

And just for grins, a shot of the back side of the Centre Pompidou from Rue Rambuteau as we make our way back home after a very satisfying walk.  I still don't think it's pretty, but it sure is colorful!