The Best Of Paris by Night: On the Pont des Arts

Last Thursday my husband and I went for a walk to the Pont des Arts so as to enjoy the very special atmosphere of this pedestrian bridge at night and to take pictures of the amazing views on Paris one can admire from there.

The walk from the Rue Lacépède took about twenty five minutes through the Quartier latin. We had dinner in a good and very welcoming Italian restaurant just before arriving to the Ponts des Arts in the rue Mazarine, Amore & Gelosia: the Calamari fritti were excellent ; the pasta were good too and generously served ; and the waitresses were smiling and thoughtful!

We left the restaurant at night and kept walking towards the Seine. A few meters further in the rue Mazarine we noticed another restaurant with a pleasant outdoor terrace which could have been another nice place where to have dinner: it is called the Bistro Mazarin and is located at the corner of rue Mazarine and rue Jacques Callot. We have not tasted the food but it seems to be a traditional French Bistro and the terrace looks really great!

Pont des Arts-Paris-Rue Mazarine
Pont des Arts – Paris – Bistro Rue Mazarine

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Metro Station of the Month: Parmentier (line 3)

The metro station Parmentier reopened yesterday after two months of renovation. Let’s discover this gem of the Parisian underground life: it is on metro line 3, in 11th arrondissement of Paris.

The station gets its name from the Avenue Parmentier, so called in 1818 in memory of Antoine Parmentier who died nearby five years earlier. Antoine Parmentier (1737-1813) was a French army pharmacist who is famous for being the one who promoted the nutritional values of potato and introduced its cultivation in France whereas it used to be forbidden due to its supposed toxicity. Anecdotally Parmentier discovered crushed potatoes in Germany where he had been taken prisoner.

The decor of the platforms celebrates potato in all its forms. The screened camber reminds the mesh of the potatoes’ net. Some objects from pre-Colombian America are displayed in glass cases and billboards tell the story of potato from America to Europe and the main uses in France for each variety of potatoes.

And do you know which is THE country for potato? It is Peru, where more than 4,000 different varieties of potatoes can be found!!

Back to earth: One can admire the metro way out with its typical Art Nouveau kiosk made by Hector Guimard. And if you have become a fan of Parmentier keep walking east in the Avenue de la République: you will arrive to the Père Lachaise Cemetery and will be able to put flowers on his grave!

Practical information : Website of the RATP

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

Bye Bye Love Locks: A New Look for the Pont des Arts in Paris

It had become a must-do while visiting Paris with the beloved one. One could not leave the City of love without hanging a lock on the Pont des Arts, which is the pedestrian bridge leading to the Louvre and offering some of the most beautiful views in Paris; then one threw the key into the Seine as a proof of indestructible love.

Guess how many love locks had been hung this way? Betweeen 700,000 and one million, representing a total weight of… 45 tonnes! Unfortunately this was too much for the railing of the Pont des Arts and a piece of it fell into the Seine one year ago. Since then the Mayor of Paris has decided to have the locks removed.

This happened last week. No more love locks, which will be replaced by a glass railing next Autumn. Meantime a temporary railing has been painted especially by four famous international street artists: Two of them are French (Brusk, who painted ‘Love is the key’ and Jace); the other two are the Tunisian El Seed and the Portuguese Pantonio. Do not miss this street art exhibition on the Ponts des Arts, from now until October: It’s colourful, a bit quirky but highly photogenic!

And don’t be sad. Whereas the locks are going to be destroyed and recycled, the keys remain at the bottom of the Seine forever as witnesses of your indestructible love.

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