Moi, La Flâneuse

The French word flâner means to stroll, so a flâneur (or the feminine flâneuse) is one who strolls. That was me yesterday, une flâneuse. After breakfast I walked to the Seine for a view of the reconstruction of Notre Dame cathedral and was stupefied by the complexity of the scaffolding that has been erected. An engineering marvel itself!

Along the way, I ambled past the bouquinistes whose stalls line the sidewalk. I learned that these 200-some odd stalls have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Used books, old postcards, posters, trading cards, stamps — all organized in 10-meter parcels along the railings. They all seem to sell the same things, so I can’t imagine how anyone makes a living at this. This uniquely Parisian tradition dates from the 17th century.

Crossing the river en route to Île St. Louis, I came upon the city’s concession to people’s urge to affix “locks of love” on bridges. Years ago when I visited, the Pont des Arts, was covered in padlocks — 700,000 of them — most bearing a message of love. The weight of the hardware caused the bridge to collapse in 2014, so city officials removed the locks and issued a ban. These locks were attached to the end post of Pont de la Tournelle connecting The Left Bank to Isle St. Louis.

While Île de la Cité, home to Notre Dame, is usually bustling, Île St. Louis is a quiet place for strolling. Sadly, there are many empty shop fronts along the main street.

Back across to the Left Bank, I continued my exploration of churches I’d never visited by dropping by the oldest in Paris, L’Église de Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Founded in 558 as an abbey, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 10th century after being destroyed by fire. During the French Revolution all abbeys were suppressed, and this one became a saltpeter factory where gunpowder was produced.

Inside, the nave soars to the breathtaking heights associated with the Romanesque period, and murals line the walls of the bays and chapels along the perimeter.

The organ dates from the 1700s.

Outside there’s a pretty little garden with a Picasso sculpture beloved by pigeons.

I capped off the day with a pot of moules marinière and frîtes.

Rain finally caught up with me just as I reached the hotel, and it commenced to pour for hours, accompanied by thunder and lightning.