Anybody Can Go See The Beautiful Parts Of Paris: Amy Alkon's Accidental Paris Slum Tour
Pretty much everywhere you turn in central Paris, there's something beautiful or at least very interesting to see.
Only *I* can manage to travel to a neighborhood devoid of beauty, although there's a certain ruin-porn allure to this decaying, graffitied building on the Canal d'Ourcq.
(There are quaint parts of the Canal d'Ourcq, apparently, but I did not take us to them.)
Because it was a beautiful, sunny Sunday, and I thought it would be romantic, I'd wanted to go with Gregg to the quaint, houseboat-lined Canal St. Martin.
Because I know Paris well, I knew pretty much to get off at the République Métro stop and walk in the direction of Place de la Bastille -- toward the Seine.
Well, dumb me, I second-guessed myself, and as we were leaving, paid heed to something I looked up on the Internet saying to start at the Eglise de Pantin Métro station, which turned out to be in a terrible neighborhood. (Apparently, this is the route you take if you are interesting in hiking past a lot of unattractive modernish buildings on a canal.)
Even worse, we were probably a few miles from Canal St. Martin, and then Gregg stepped in a space where some cobblestones were missing and turned his ankle, which meant we missed Jim Haynes' annual Sunday night fete.
Gregg's ankle is now not quite as colorful as that building, but veering in that direction. And now, I will be teased for days by our American and Frog friends for taking him for a romantic sightseeing tour of some water-adjacent Paris slum.
Did you get Gregg some "free" healthcare in a Paris Hospital?
Jim P. at November 25, 2012 9:40 PM
Hah - no freeloaders are we, and it wasn't that bad. We picked up a roast chicken and some creamed spinach on our way home and watched Breaking Bad -- the first one of Season Five -- instead of going out. He rested and I'm hoping he'll be okay today. We want to go to the dinosaurs exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, and we have dinner with our friend Laurent tonight.
I've always adored Laurent, but he gave us a life-changing experience recently: He turned us on to the French version of American-style bacon here -- poitrine fumé (de porc) -- and it's the best bacon I've ever had.
Amy Alkon at November 25, 2012 10:11 PM
Ah, I remember having a lovely midnight walk along the Seine in downtown Paris. After a long day working, it was just the thing. Full moon, lovely scenery, very relaxing.
The only thing I couldn't understand: it was utterly deserted! In the middle of Paris, not a city known for going to bed early.
When I got back to the hotel, they said "you went walking where? Are you ok? That's the place to go, if you want to be assaulted! The thing is, it wasn't any sort of run-down area, but apparently a bad neighborhood anyway.
bradley13 at November 26, 2012 2:49 AM
The metro station we got off at last time we went to Montmartre was not what we expected, as well.
I think we're going for Spring Break! Hubby will be working of course, but baby and I will get to sightsee and I'll finally see the Pillier des Nautes which was covered up by some stupid sword exhibition last time I went. Kiddo likes the unicorns.
Where do you stay when you go? We stay near the Pantheon.
NicoleK at November 26, 2012 8:13 AM
If you ever give up blogging you might just have a knack for the off-beat tourist's market.
HA! Amy and her "off-beat Parisian Tours," sign up today for the pate and slum tour; and get a twisted ankle as a bonus souvenir (something to remember Paris by)
Charles at November 26, 2012 10:29 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/11/26/anybody_can_go.html#comment-3475777">comment from NicoleKWhere do you stay when you go? We stay near the Pantheon.
There are various apartments we rent but the one I like best is in the 6th arrondissement, near rue de Seine. We're right near the Mabillon stop and can get to my friend Emily's easily and we're right near the Monoprix on rue de Rennes.
We've also rented in the Marais, at the end of the Champs Elysees (great apartment -- old lady with tons of weird old shit, rents her place when she vacations in Mauritius, etc.), and I traded for a place in the 15th...rue Cambronne. Oh, and we've rented a loft across from the Bourse twice, also, through my old assistant, whose mother knew the woman who owns it. And a place near le Jardin du Luxembourg.
Amy Alkon at November 26, 2012 10:56 AM
When my sister turned her ankle in DC, she stayed in the next day but after that the hotel came up with a wheel chair and we found the wheel chair entrances to most of the tourist attractions. We got to go to the head of the line at the Washington Monument.
Last year my niece's boyfriend proposed to her in the garden at the Château de Versailles.
http://en.chateauversailles.fr/gardens-and-park-of-the-chateau-
nonegiven at November 26, 2012 12:14 PM
Made it to Paris exactly twice, the first time with my then-girlfriend (now my wife!). After an overnight train journey from Stuttgart, we stayed at a small hotel near the Place de la Concorde.
The second time was a few years later, when a customer had us visit a vendor in that city. While we were in no way able to obligate our customer, we were wined and dined mercilessly, and I don't believe I've ever eaten so well (or so much) in my life! During a plant visit in a nearby town, we ate lunch at a cafeteria that served several nearby factories. Our host argued with the head waiter over that afternoon's wine selection -- I'll bet you won't see that on this side of the Atlantic!
Like others have mentioned in earlier posts, I didn't find the Parisians to be difficult people at all. Just smile, be polite, and make it clear that you appreciate them, and you ought to be okay.
Old RPM Daddy at November 26, 2012 1:03 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/11/26/anybody_can_go.html#comment-3476815">comment from Old RPM DaddyGregg just made some amazing duck for dinner. We bought it for $5 a breast at Monoprix (like Target, but with groceries). Veal, too, which he made us the other night, we got for a song.
Staying at an apartment and cooking is the way to go, if you aren't somebody who finds things being...eccentric and not quite working perfectly a problem.
Amy Alkon at November 26, 2012 1:39 PM
Is it me? I like touring slums in other cities. Friend of mine and I had a girls weekend in New orleans 3 years ago. Nice place in the garden district. We needed to go to walmart and the door guy told us we could walk there. We did, but only because by the time we realized we were going through the worst post-katrina deserted slum in town, it was too late to turn back. I prefer to see the slums from a car.
That doorman got an earful after we cabbed it back from walmart.
momof4 at November 26, 2012 3:19 PM
Good heavens, I remember Jim Haynes from the Paperback Bookshop days, when I was a young actor performing at the Edinburgh Festival. I guess that makes me old, like Jim.
I even crashed in the room above the bookshop with my cute red-haired girlfriend, as one does (or did) at Shakespeare & Co in Paris.
Neville Parchemin at November 26, 2012 5:15 PM
"Staying at an apartment and cooking is the way to go."
Totally agree, I did that in London and it was fantastic. The price for the "apartment-flat" (as they called it on their website) was about the same as a large hotel. But, having your own kitchen with a grocery store nearby couldn't be beat. I was there for three weeks and only ate out a couple of times; which made eating out that much more special.
Having our own kitchen allowed us to set our own schedule. If we wanted to stay in then we could - didn't have to worry about "what time does the dining room close?"
And if we were tired from a long day of playing tourist we didn't have to sit through a wait at a restaurant for food, we just grabbed some fish and chips or something quick and cheap from the grocery store. It was wonderfully relaxing.
I did the fish and chips thing about twice a week I loved it so much.
Having done this "apartment-flat" thing I don't ever want to spend an extended stay in some place without a kitchen again.
Charles at November 26, 2012 7:55 PM
I used to travel a lot for work. No matter were I went I always seemed to find the bad part of town. Even if I am in the back seating minding my own business...not navigating...we'll end up in the bad part of town.
The Former Banker at November 27, 2012 12:07 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/11/26/anybody_can_go.html#comment-3480447">comment from CharlesWe barely eat out. We have dinner tonight with Laurent at a fab place he's taking us. And we went out for lunch with M and E and Pierre the day after we arrived, and yesterday had café crème with E and Pierre at the upstairs café in Le Bon Marché overlooking rue de Sevres. Otherwise, we eat at home for all our meals. (The wine I like is a serious bargain -- 4 eu for a bottle of delicious, dry PicPoul at Monoprix.)
Yesterday, during our café creme date, Pierre told us about driving a tank in the Algerian war after E told us a story about M and Pierre moving her to the apartment she lives in now. M had rented a station wagon and he asked Pierre, who is 75, rail-thin, always impeccably dressed, and moves like a jackrabbit (two stairs at a time), if he could drive. "Seulment une tanke," he said. (Only a tank.)
Amy Alkon at November 27, 2012 12:38 AM
I LOVE the Marais.
Stayed there once in a Citidines when I was a counselor for a youth group. Hotel sucked but loved the area!
NicoleK at November 27, 2012 12:03 PM
Same here, Nicole. I believe it was the only neighborhood in central Paris untouched by Haussmann.
JD at November 28, 2012 6:18 PM
Hi Amy,
My family and I are going to be in Paris for about 2 1/2 days next month. Our first time. Can you recommend any restaurants that you liked, that are not out to gouge tourists? We're staying not too far from the Eiffel tower, but info about restaurants anywhere between there and Notre Dame, and surrounding area would be great.
Maria at July 1, 2013 7:05 AM
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