In Paris you are either a Rive Gauche/Left Bank or Rive Droite/Right Bank girl.
You just can’t have it both ways. Pick one and let loose.
Well, I for one am a Left Bank-alholic.
The historical nucleus of Paris is the Ile de la Cité, a small island largely occupied by the breathtaking Notre-Dame de Paris.
It is connected by a tiny bridge (always filled with accordian players – straight out of a film) with my favorite, smaller Ile Saint-Louis, occupied by elegant houses built in the 17th and 18th centuries. A walk along Rue d’Ile Saint Louis is like walking through a period film (albeit with une cornet avec Caramel au beurre salé de legendary – not to be missed Berthillon in one’s hand).
The Left Bank is so quiet…so magical…and refers to the Paris of an earlier era; the Paris of artists, writers and philosophers, including Picasso, Matisse, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and dozens of others.
They often spent their days whiling away the hours and submerging into “cafe life” at Les Deux Magots, a favorite haunt for both food and drink (I highly recommend the gazpacho with menthe sorbet).
Enjoy my favorite yummy video here:
http://www.lesdeuxmagots.fr/video.html
The tres charmant Latin Quarter is so named because originally Latin was widely spoken by the students at The Sorbonne. Who knew?
Why do I love River Gauche? For so many reasons, much too numerous to list.
Just a few off the top of my head…
cafe life – truly – seriously – a way of life in Paris
its tree-lined quays along the Seine River
the darling open-air bookstalls, as shown above…I could shop their brocante all day
the historic bridges that span the river (30 in all of Paris – so romantic)
the tiny narrow rues (streets) that twist and turn along history, most seeming much too petite for cars
lively Rue de Buci – where I somehow, mysteriously, always meander toward at any point in the day
After all this wandering, meandering, and tres chic window shopping (to say the least) one needs a cozy little spot for champagne pour deux.
I can’t get enough of the tiny Bar at L’Hotel – a secret rendezvous for over two centuries for bohemians and celebrities alike nestled into the heart of the Left Bank.
It is quintessentially french, glamourous, and Oscar Wilde’s final home, as well as the heart of Parisian society in the swinging 60s.
Recently remodeled by Jacques Garcia, it is one of THE original hip hotels – remember when that fabulous trend began years ago?
A bientot,
Debi Lilly, aperfectevent.com
