Cracks In Sidewalks

Years ago my girlfriend in Paris who lives in the 5th, told me she wanted to take me to a café on her favorite little street in all of Paris, Rue Mouffetard, one of the oldest streets in Paris.  At that time I had only been to Paris 2 or 3 times.   It was winter and we were with friends, happy because it was the holidays and also happy because we were in Paris.  We proceeded to walk from her apartment bundled up in our warm coats, scarves and gloves, and soon found ourselves landed on this little quaint cobblestone street all lit up for the Christmas season.  Walking up the street looking in the windows everything looked to me like it was suppose to look.  Everything looked absolutely perfect!

We had a wonderful meal with our friends and later I told my boyfriend of the time, that I was in love with this street and we had to come back here the next day.  The following day we returned and the same cobblestone street was bustling with commerce, filled with the freshest flowers, vegetable stands with the most wonderful farmers vegetables, every kind of cheese imaginable, breads to die for, poultry and meats that would make the carnivorous mouth water.  All the shop windows were decorated for the holiday, full of color, full of life.  The patisseries beckoned you to walk inside and try some, and the little shops that lined the street were filled with fun and interesting objects one needs and doesn’t.  I remember finding some pretty wonderful shoes, innovative clothing that I had to try on, and lots of other small restaurants with menu’s, many ethnic, to someday sample, which I since have.  Also note there are some great side streets and restaurants to explore nearby as well.

From that night on whenever I am in Paris, I never miss an opportunity to walk up or down the gentle cobblestone slope called Rue Mouffetard, also referred to as “Le Mouffe”. It’s got to be my favorite place in Paris, if one can choose.  Located in the 5th arrondissement near the church Saint Medard, by what I always consider to be the base of the street, is a circle with a fountain surrounded by little cafes and patisseries.  From there, your nose and the colors will lead you to where you want to go.  Some people say the street represents the history of Paris.  So if you’ve never walked on Rue Mouffetard, and you’re going to be in Paris this summer or any season, try to find time to savor this vibrant colorful neighborhood.  You’ll thank me.

A short walk from the Pantheon, the nearest Metro stops are Place Monge and Censier-Daubenton.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 8th, 2008 at 6:17 am and is filed under Daily Crack. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.