Love it or Louvre it!

The Marais is located on the right bank. It has been the known as a Jewish neighborhood and later as gay area and now as a fashion area. It begins at the tourist information office and where or free walking tour meets. The day of our tour is the International Day of the Tour Guide. We identify ourselves as registered for the Marais in Anglaise tour.

As we a large group splits into two we discover we are the only native English speakers, however, or fellow “tourists” are all history students of our master tour guide hoping to improve their skills and knowledge attending his tour in English on this celebratory day. What luck!

Our guide is an excellent speaker and as any good tour guide knows sprinkles little known stories, jokes and comments into his very knowledgeable presentation. Several of the others pepper us with additional trivia or conservation about their insights into the neighborhood.

The motto of Paris… “Fluctuat Nec Mergitur” (she is rocked by waves but does not sink) or she floats but does not sink. We retraced the birth of Paris from a Roman outpost to a thriving city, through a violent medieval city through a tumultuous revolution. From the presence of Notre Dame despite its fire to the circles in the pavement throughout the neighborhood where castle towers once stood, we wandered through “ hotels” a former city palace for a wealthy family ( comparable to a Chateau out in the country), many of which now house city offices, or ministries, etc. The architecture in the Marais has been preserved and maintains its old world look. The streets are narrow and curved as they developed over centuries. Across the bridge the newer Neighborhoods of Paris destroyed older buildings in design of larger avenues and the recognizable organization of straight roads and grids.

The private palaces of the Marais are surrounded with a walled facade. Through the heavy doors awaits a majestic courtyard where the horses and carriage might have pulled in, the house itself, of course and through the house to the other side a beautiful structured French garden.

Full of intrigue, each house has a story. Several were bought or built with the favor of a king to his mistress whose husband was only too happy to increase his fortune with a large estate in the city. One story boasts the lady of the house had a precious jewel she would wear when her husband was away to alert the king he could visit freely. Some had secret passages which led to enchanting spaces.

One such passage lead us through to the Place de Vosges, one of Paris’s most lovely parks. It was the place where King Henry ll died in a jousting accident ( accidents happen even when everybody knows the king always wins)… so the palace is destroyed ( bad karma for future monarchs) and it is eventually turned to a monument and park honoring King Louis Xlll. Famous writers and celebrities live or have lived in the apartments which now frame the place de Vosges. If you listen carefully…”do you hear the people sing?” Or can you see Quasimodo ringing the bells of Notre Dame? ( you guessed it… Victor Hugo was one such writer here)

Many of the small book shops and small merchant businesses have been bought out by large fashion companies. The cafe culture is still alive and well. In the late 70’s and

early 80’s when the gay community was considered taboo this area was a place where people came to possibly meet someone. Today with a more open and accepting society, LGBTQ persons are embraced. An area of the Marais has a rainbow marked crosswalks.

The Jewish art and history museum stands and a new museum dedicated to the French Jews at the time of the Holocaust is underway. An area of the Marais still had Yiddish patisseries, several amazing falafel restaurants, and a thriving Jewish population. We will return many times to the Marais to enjoy its gifts.

We enjoy cafe life, having a wonderful lunch on a sunny- ish afternoon. This evening we have a reservation at the Louvre. Friday evenings they stay open late. While the collections are extensive and varied, the Louvre itself is a site/sight to behold.

We entered the pyramid and descends into the lower Musée and check in to the louvre. Initially the audio guide was frustrating! We struggled at first but once we gave ourselves over to not following the the path we planned we made an adjustment and greatly enjoyed the experience.

The standout this time was the statues. The collection of statues, horses larger than life and all from one block of marble. The combination of mediums is stunning. Statues are for gardens and monuments and burial markets. The space itself is stunning. The limestone walls and ceilings two and a half stories high give life and air to the art. The crowds have thinned when we reach this space. In a museum the size of this museum is like no other! We breathe in the magnitude of the space and exhale a beautiful peaceful feeling. Beyond the museum walls, the courtyard of the Louvre glows with the illumination of the pyramid and surrounding palaces all lit with a soft incandescent light that whispers… Paris the city of light! It is a feeling and a sensuality that engulfs your senses and leaves you illuminated.