Month: November 2015

Metro Station of the Month: Concorde (line 12)

After Bastille in September my Metro Station of the Month is Concorde, which is also a very busy station where one can take three different metro lines. The platform that is worth seeing is located on metro line 12 (Aubervilliers Front Populaire – Mairie d’Issy): do not take the wrong line!

I have thought that it makes sense to come from the mural painting representing the storming of the Bastille to the ceramic tiles telling the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789 which ornate the walls of the Metro Station Concorde. This work of art was made in 1991 by the Belgian artist Françoise Schein, who is also famous for the design of some other metro stations in the world (in Brussels, in Berlin, in Rio de Janeiro,…) on the same theme of the Human Rights.

I do not mind waiting for a train on that platform as my favourite pastime is to reconstruct the words and the sentences of the Declaration: Indeed each white ceramic tile is decorated with one blue letter and the letters and the words follow each other without any space or punctuation mark! One can let several trains pass before having reconstructed and read the 17 articles!

Back to earth: Do not miss the ‘Place de la Concorde’ of course, which got its name in 1795 to celebrate the national reconciliation after the French revolution (and gave it to the metro station) and is the most majestic square in Paris. And at that time of the year I would recommend three activities in the immediate surroundings: A visit to the Jeu de Paume to see the photography exhibition dedicated to Philippe Halsman; the Ferris Wheel on the Place de la Concorde which offers amazing views on Paris; and of course a night walk on the Champs Elysées to admire the Christmas lights!

Practical information : Website of the RATP

Christine Bokobza – Good Morning Paris B&B – www.goodmorningparis.fr

Top Three Wine Shops in Paris

France is THE country for wine and Paris is probably THE city in the world where one can find the largest quantity of Wine Shops. I would recommend any of them provided that the wines appear to be stored in good conditions and that the store owners seem to be experts in wines and the shop assistants able to give good advices… not only in French… but also in English for our foreign visitors! For my Top Three Wine Shops in Paris I have selected three places which are well known by Parisian people to be a Mecca for wine lovers in Paris, places where one can be sure to find what one is looking for. They are not necessarily the cheapest but each of them offer a wide selection of bottles, including the great wines of Bordeaux, good storage conditions and skilled sales assistants able to give good advices.

Legrand Filles et Fils: the most charming
Legrand Filles et Fils-Paris-The Vinotheque and the Bar
Legrand Filles et Fils-Paris-The Vinotheque and the Bar

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The Eiffel Tower Lit Up in Blue White and Red

Following the deadly attacks in Paris last Friday The Eiffel Tower had been closed during the weekend and its lights had been switched off. The iconic monument of Paris reopened to visitors on Monday afternoon and is lit up in Blue White and Red for three days, until tonight. The Eiffel Tower does not only wear the French national colours but also the motto of the City of Paris: ‘Fluctuat nec Mergitur’.

I went on the Esplanade du Trocadéro last night to admire the Iron Lady in Blue White and Red: so beautiful, so majestic, so… hard to put into words! The Esplanade was not crowded at all and everybody could take one’s time contemplating or taking pictures. If you are in Paris tonight I highly recommend you to go for a ride to the Trocadéro: the view on the Eiffel Tower is really worth seeing!

Christine Bokobza – Good Morning Paris B&B – www.goodmorningparis.fr