Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Place des Vosges


I told you I would pick up a more representative photo of what you can see during Richard Nahem's tours than the one of the Laundramat, so here it is! I took it on La Place des Vosges right after Richard showed us how to get there from the Musée du jeu de Paume (also called Hôtel de Sully) through a secret passage (well secret to me!) . It's quite pleasant to be taken on these Eye Prefer Paris tours and to hear an American teach you new things about your home town! Thanks again Richard.

21 comments:

  1. Notwithstanding that born and bred locals here have said that I know Tenerife's history better than they have ever had any interest in knowing, this gives me ideas Eric ... I wonder if I can find some willing tourists to take me around Tenerife and show me the bits I've missed. :)

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  2. I love la Place des Voges, so mellow, so isolated from the bustle and noise, it's a great break. I haven't seen l'Hotel de Sully, but a secret passage? Cool! Passage Sully?

    Now, I don't want to sound like an American telling a Parisian anything, but isn't Musee du Jeu
    de Paume in le Jardin des Tuileries? Now THAT would be a secret passage!

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  3. Hi Eric, remember Virguina Gallery, a post of yours of last May... Listen to this: my wife Sandrine's cousin who is right now visiting us in Sydney, travelling Down Under for his honeymoon, married a couple of weeks ago the very best friend of Nadia, the lady owner of the shop... Isn't it amazing? World is small indeed...

    Hope you are good anyway. I call you when I am back in Paris. Which is... soon!

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  4. When I was a kid, there was a little "boulangerie / patisserie" there, that was really, really good. It's gone now, I checked. Funny, but I can still remember the kids' games we used to play around the grass you photographed. God forbid we should actually play ON the grass, at that time, OMG, quelle horreur!!! Pelouse Interdite! (sauf pour les chiens, remarquez.) Last time I was there, there were people hanging out on the grass. Finally.

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  5. Rick Steve's book tells you about the the passage from Hotel de Sully too.

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  6. Now that's just the kind of picture that makes me dream... dream of Paris! The beautiful jardins de Paris, specially this one of Place des Vosges represents the city so well, it translates the charming and elegant atmosphere of Paris.

    Ok, I'm ready to start packing now!

    (Tomate lucky you being able to play there when you were a kid!)

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  7. I love the Place des Vosges.

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  8. Jeu de Paume and Hôtel de Sully are different monuments and quite far apart indeed.

    What Eric didn't explain is that the Musée du Jeu de Paume is now showing a photography axhibition inside Hôtel de Sully . Hôtel de Sully is the headquarters of Centre des Monuments Français.

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  9. And as I recall the Picasso museum isn't too far from La Place des Vosges. Nice little stop if you have the time and, of course, like Pablo's art. (I did...and I do.)

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  10. I love that area. We spent a lot of time there including a visit to Victor Hugo's house.

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  11. I saw the place des Vosges once, briefly. It is so beautiful. I hope I can see it again soon.

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  12. This is a spot that I try to go to every time I visit Paris.

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  13. Imagine having to be shown your hometown by an outsider.

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  14. Speaking of the Musee Picasso..there is a small cafe close to that area at the corner of rue du Parc Royal and rue de Sevigne'. It takes up the whole corner and there is a small dining room upstairs. I have eaten in the downstairs cafe several times and it is the quintessential Paris cafe experience. People from the quartier pull up on their scooters for a quick cafe, there are young art students from faraway places talking over lunch or sketching in a journal. The server is an elegant woman of African origin that seamlessly glides around the room, smiling and looking as if she could be a fashion model or a Queen. The woman that owns the cafe is friendly and sweet[from Normandie I believe]and her Tarte aux Pommes is incredible!! If you are at the Musee Picasso stop by for a Charcuterie Plate...and the tarte!

    Funny tomate...one of my memories of the Place des Vosges is of "lying" on the grass...and I was smoking then...Oh nooooo!! A young French woman[student] shouted through the fence at me asking for a cigarette. When I gave her one her friends suddenly appeared and all asked for a cigarette as well. It was sort of funny, and we all laughed..realizing we were all young[students] and taking advantage of a situation but helping each other out! A big change from the "duels" that once took place there...ehhhh?? LOL!!

    By the way I love the blog, "eye prefer paris"...but the price of the tour..tres cher..Non???

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  15. Oh, I don't know Monica. I'm not sure Place des Vosges was or is the right place for kids because there isn't anything to do, there, no swing, no nothing, for kids. As little kids, we liked Jardin D'Acclimatation, Jardin des Plantes or even les Tuileries or Luxembourg much better. Bois de Vincennes was kind of cool, too, because you could go feed the ducks and look at the giraffe's neck stick out from the zoo across the street on the way back. I wonder where people take their kids in Paris these days - that is when Paris Plage isn't there :)

    (I know what you mean, Monica. Are you packed yet?)

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  16. First, I would like to thank Eric for supplying my daily piece of heaven. Paris has been my favorite city since my parents first took me there as a child more than 25 years ago. Every year I return, I find it harder to leave. It is an obsession. Now, my wife and daughter are hooked. I am sure my son will follow suit after his first visit.

    With regard to the photo, I know I am a little late in commenting, but the rounded roof protruding in the top left of the frame is the Synagogue des Tournelles. My wife and I (both Americans) were married there in 2000. If you are in the neighborhood, you should visit the synagogue, as it is beautiful and the metal work on its interior was designed by none other than Gustav Eiffel.

    As a side note, tomate farcie is right that there are better parks for kids in Paris, but Place des Vosges does have some sandboxes. We have taken our daughter there on several occasions.

    Best to all,

    Don

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  17. Tomate I see what you mean, not having much to do in that garden, but I think children usually have fun most anywhere because everything seems like a big playground for kids! Even if there isn't much around, their imagination is enough to turn, for instance, a big paper box into a tent! Seems like you had a lot of fun in the other parks anyway.

    I'm in the middle of packing but I keep getting distracted by PDP!!!

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  18. this was our home in Paris last March. An absolutely ideal place to stay when you visit. Another great photo; thank you for bringing back some wonderful memories.

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  19. I have been to Paris many times, but it wasn't until last month on an "official" tour that I found the secret passage from Sully! This is my favorite place to spend time in Paris--much less touristy than other parks!

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  20. Saw Places des vosges for the first time April 2006. Relaxing 'pocket park' compared to, say, the Luxembourg. Remember lots of kids and people relaxing on the grass. Very pleasant interlude, since I found the rest of the Marais mildly claustrophobic with all the people...of which I was one, of course! I check PDF daily. I am in your debt, Eric!

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