Paris Walks [Paperback]

 

 

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"Paris Walks" is a guide favouring the older and historic streets of Paris, most of which are within easy walking distance of Notre Dame Cathedral. Moreover, each walk is quite short, being only three or four kilometres in length. Only seven walks are included. My first thought, before departing for Paris, was that I needed a larger compendium to choose from, and longer walks, so that more could be seen. However, reading it before going proved such an entertaining and informative experience, that I took it anyway. I also took Gilles Desmons recent book "Walking Paris" with 30 much longer walks, which I thought I would probably find more practical on arrival. In the event I found that "Paris Walks" was by far the better of the two. The authors, Alison and Sonia Landes (mother and daughter), have done incredible research to ensure the reader and user on tour misses nothing in the rich, historic heartland of Paris. The discovery of a church, for example, like Saint-Medard near the rue Mouffetard, where there is a fabulous market, leads to a vivid and thrilling recounting of events through many centuries which can be chilling, charming and often bizarre. At St-Medard, for example, young girls used to beg for torture to be inflicted on them in the name of religion, and the nuns at one stage used to meow like cats! Plaques commemorating the murder of French resistants near the end of World War 2 are pointed out and explained, and the background to the Shakespeare and Co bookstore is retold complete with a photo of George Whitman, the present owner. I was lucky enough to be served by him when I made a purchase at the store, and got my own photograph as well. At times, the stories prefacing or illuminating sights along the way are very detailed, and take some time to read. No matter, since this is the time to find a bistro (listings of those to visit in the area are provided), order a cafe creme and read the section aloud to your companion. The book is full of charm and wit. It wears its historic information lightly but with such interest that it is a compelling read. Other walking guides I have encountered are superficial and, whilst generally useful on tour, are impossible to read in the armchair at home. This book serves equally well as a read for those who may never visit Paris, but want to see it through the eyes of someone who can tell its story, and for those actually walking through the streets described, so that every detail is observed. As an example of the latter, it took me some time to glimpse the 16th cent open stairway in the rue de la Bucherie, which I should certainly have missed without this book. If you are looking for a guide to Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and other major tourist sites, look elsewhere. This book is for those who have done that. I used it on my fourth visit to the city, and found fascinating places like la Huchette, which I had walked past without seeing on my previous visits. One hint, take a good street map with you. The maps in the book are OK but not detailed enough to find your way quickly and easily. If you love Paris, buy this book; you will love it

Altough many details it sticks to well-known street and if you wish to get walks off the beaten tracks and explore paris a bit more in depth it may not be the right choiche. Too much name dropping (shops and fashion makers)-- and certainly very American (in a negative sense) - I personally is much more satisfied with Time Out's Paris walks

I, too, own Paris Walks as well as Walking Paris by Gilles Desmons. They complement each other.

Frankly, I am not all that interested in deep history. Instead, what I look for is a path to travel on a road littered with interesting sights! The bottom line? I want the maps, with a minimum of chatter.

The problem with the historical approach to walks, especially with the type of breathless gossipy chatter found in Paris Walks, is that it's so 1200 this and 1300s that, with a bit of 1475 and maybe 1623 tossed in. The stories don't hold a thread, but the object of the stories is almost always that of surprise or shock, such as "On this day in history 326 years ago, many people were killed." OK. Gee. Talk about the NY Post Guide to Historical Tidbits! Do I care about a king's mistress? Oh noooooooo, spare me.

Historical interests aside, what we do need are good paths to travel, which Paris Walks and Walking Paris both deliver. You will need to do your homework with both, however - charting out your walks on larger maps. Small paperback books like these simply do not show enough detail. Tip: enlarge the maps on a photocopier!

Obviously, carrying coffee table-sized books around is not the answer, either. But heck, a few minutes of your time spent planning will lead to a lot of enrichment. If, after trotting around neighborhoods, you want a historical perspective on some aspect of your travels, take lots of photos, then buy books appropriate to the subject. Karen Little, www.littleviews.com

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