Ann Jeanne in Paris

a Friend in Paris

8May

MONTMARTRE : a village in Paris

Posted by: afriendinparis Categories: Paris Neighborhoods Tours
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Montmartre and the Sacré Coeur

Montmartre, a Paris neighborhood,

but still a village atmosphère.   

On of the most visited Paris neighborhood – One of the city’s most famous landmarks.

Montmartre is a hill. On its summit : the Sacré Coeur (=Holy Heart). For some Parisians, its nickname is “Paris’ beauty spot“

Sacre Coeur – Édouard Leon Cortès (1882–1969)

A village until 1860 and the feeling still nowadays that you’re not totally in Paris.

Cobblestones narrow and winding streets, quaint houses, vineyards (yes : still nowadays ! A Harvest Festival every 1st weekend of October), 2 windmills, romantic alleyways and long stairways, restaurants and cafés that could be located in Provence, quiet squares. The feeling that you’re far from a big city…

And it’s where Amelie, (the movie) was shot.              

       

And from the Sacré Coeur terrace : a beautiful view over Paris.

Montmartre : the highlight of artistic life 

From the end of the 19th century ,  Montmartre is the center of artistic life in Paris, the model of a free , bohemian existence.  Composers, writers, painters, poets are gathering, lived and worked in Montmartre

Impressionist painters :Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Pissaro, Utrillo, Cezanne, Sysley…

Other painters : Modigliani, Picasso (he painted “Les demoiselles d’Avignon” in Montmartre), Van Gogh, Dali, Braque, Toulouse Lautrec, Seurat, Léger…

Writers, singers, poets, musicians : Appolinaire, , Debussy, Ravel, Satie, Stravinsky, Mallarmé, Verlaine, Proust, Edith Piaf, Boris Vian, Jean Cocteau, Truffaut,  ,, the Surrealists…etc lived  there too.

To enjoy Paris as a local : take a walk in Montmartre with “Ann Jeanne in Paris”

More photos :

My advice :

I’m a bit sad to see visitors going straight up to the top of Montmartre hill, stay for a while near the Sacré Coeur and Place du Tertre, then get back to the Metro stop Abbesses or Anvers. Yes, they’re missing a lot of what makes Montmartre a charming and quiet place, a village with its narrow cobblestone streets, its quaint houses…etc They’re probably missing the most important.

  • Visit Montmartre in the morning so to avoid too much crowd and if possible, plan to stay at least 3 or 4 hours in the neighborhood, the best would be the day with a break in a nice and quite restaurant or café not too close from the most touristic spots.
  • Why not start your walk from the Metro Stop Lamarck Caulaincourt (north of the Sacré Coeur) or from the Metro Blanche ? (see the Metro Map – Menu : Useful informations) – Metro Pigalle or Anvers possible too

Plan de Montmartre

How to get to Montmartre ?

Lamarck Caulaincourt  or Abbesses (line 12)

Blanche, Anvers (line 2)

Buses : 30, 54, 67 or Montmartrobus.

 

Some addresses :

  1. Le tracteur rouge – 41 rue Caulaincourt – Paris 18 : for a lovely lunch, brunch, or dinner in a charming and very welcoming place. Metro Lamark Caulaincourt (at the bottom of Montmartre hill)
  2. L’Hôtel Particulier – Charming hotel in the middle of Montmartre
  3. L’été en Pente douce – a nice colored tarrace – a quiet village atmosphere – a very pleasant place for a lunch, a drink, a break
  4. Le café des 2 moulins (the café of Amelie (movie)) – 15 rue Lepic – Paris 18 – Rue Lepic : where much of the movie Amelie was shot)
  5. Grenat et Taffetas –  Beautiful vintage jewels – 25 rue Houdon – Paris 18 nearby the Place des Abbesses – Metro Stop : Abesses
    75018 Paris –  0142592249      –   Tuesday to Saturday : 11 am to 7 pm, Sunday : 12 am to 6 pm
  6. Bakery Boris Lumé – 48 rue Caulaincourt – Paris 18

Here is a video shot a rainy winter day in Montmartre

Visit Montmartre, with “Ann Jeanne in Paris”, native Parisian : 

(cobblestones winding streets,  romantic alleyways, long stairways, vineyards, windmills, authentic cafes …)

  • You’d like to feel like a local and having a tour in a Paris neighborhood, but you don’t feel having a tour with a group ?
  • You’d like to discover Montmartre off the beaten path and get a real feel of an authentic Paris ?
  • You’d like to see Paris in another perspective and to know more about Paris lifestyle and Parisians ?    Feel free to contact me

Anne à Montsouris - Format original-2637

WELCOME !

  • I’d be delighted to welcome you and show you “my” Paris. And Paris will become “your” city too 🙂
  • The tour is private (with you only or you and the person you choose), at your pace. Duration : Half a day
  • For more details : The tours – Booking and Pricing
  • Feel free to contact me

 Ann Jeanne in Paris’ Private walking tours

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29Feb

La Closerie des Lilas – a delicious portrait of the old Paris

Posted by: afriendinparis Categories: Cafés-Pastries
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La Closerie nowadays

“La Closerie des Lilas” means “Small enclosed lilac garden”. It’s a place, with an enormous charm, calm and elegant, which makes Paris magic. It’s one of the mythical brasseries of Montparnasse neighborhood.  The ambiance of old-world Paris.

WHERE ?

La Closerie des Lilas

“La Closerie des Lilas” is located in Montparnasse neighborhood which was, between WWI and WWII, the heart of the artistic and intellectual Parisian life (after Montmartre and before Saint Germain des Prés heydays). On the corner of Boulevard Montparnasse and Boulevard Saint Michel. A bit off the beaten path. Most regulars are Parisians.

A ONE MINUTE VIDEO FILMED ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON :

A bit of History : 

You can’t forget the richness of its past… La Closerie des Lilas is over 100 years old. It has entertained visitors from all over the world. And many writers and artists met up at the Closerie des Lilas.

Here, you can feel the presence of Hemingway : 

“The only decent café in our neighborhood was La Closerie des Lilas, and it was one of the best cafes in Paris. It was warm in the winter and the terrace was lovely in the spring and fall,” Hemingway – A Moveable feast

Also the hang-out for : Verlaine, Apollinaire, Beckett, Man Ray, Sartre, Baudelaire, Cezanne, Modigliani, Oscar Wilde, Emile Zola, André Gide to name a few.

A revered haunt for the Lost generation writers  : Francis Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Hemingway who used to come here to write. La Closerie des Lilas was one of Hemingway’s favorite cafés, where he wrote parts of “The sun also rises here”, and where Scott Fitzgerald showed him “Gatsby” for the first time. Behind the bar, one can find a picture of young Hemingway in an army uniform form WWI.

THE SETTING

A warm and cosy ambiance.

A restaurant with a pleasant terrace, a quaint little tree-enclosed patio, a brasserie, and a bar.

The bar : a gorgeous setting, low-lighted, with furniture made in polished mahogany, red-leather confortable banquettes, A brass and chrome bar. There are one-by-three-inch brass nameplates on the corner of the tables with engraved names of literary figures who supposedly sat there. The bartenders are dressed in white jacket. They will serve you a customized cocktail. Live music most evenings and the sunday afternoon too make the place even more special…. and a wonderful Art Deco bathroom. Probably the most beautiful bathroom in Paris  … and a wonderful Art Deco bathroom. Probably the most beautiful bathroom in Paris.                                                        

Practical details :

  • La Closerie des Lilas – 171 boulevard Montparnasse, Paris 6 –  Hours: 12 noon – 1:00 a.m.  Web site : www.closeriedeslilas.fr    Tel. : + 33(0)1 40 51 34 50
  • Metro : Vavin (line 4) or Raspail (line 4 and 6) (Both metro stop at about 7 min walk) RER : Port Royal (just beside the Closerie des Lilas), Bus : 38 (a bus stop just nearby)

My advice :

  • a must-go on your visit to Paris,
  • Why not a drink (a cocktail, a coffee, a hot chocolate or whatever) in the gorgeous bar, where the bartender will serve you a customized cocktail if you wish to !
  • When you have a drink , you can have a pastry too. The “assiette gourmande” is delightful (An “assiette gourmande” is an assortment of a few very littles pastries). 
  • Or for a lunch or dinner either at the restaurant (but quite pricey, an upscale restaurant) or the brasserie.
  • After a lunch, you can either go for a walk in the Observatoire garden, (nearby –   ) then the Luxembourg garden (10 minutes walk from La Closerie), or go for a walk in the Montparnasse neighborhood (around Vavin) then to the Luxembourg garden (an entrance nearby Vavin street)
  • … And don’t miss the bathroom, which is really gorgeous ! Beautiful Art Deco style. 
  • The 4 other popular literary cafés/brasseries in Montparnasse neighborhood are : “Le Select’, “La Rotonde”, “Le Dome” and “La Coupole”

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