St. Medard (bottom of the 5th)

[Laidback]

The lower part of the 5th Arrondissement doesn't have the crush of tourists found in the upper reaches near the always jumping Pl. St. Michel and Rue de la Huchette , which if Elliot Paul saw it today he would probably write about "The Last Time I Saw Athens". As have many others, I stayed right in the heart of this frenzy during my first long stay in Paris but subsequently decided that I preferred the St. Medard area unknown to many tourists other than for the Rue Mouffetard market street which begins its' ascent in front of the church that lends its' name to the neighborhood which forms the lower edge of the 5th where it abuts the 13th.

A good starting point for a tour is the corner of Gobelins and Blvd. de Port Royal; head west and you will immediately see on your left one of Paris' favorite old fashioned restaurants, Au Petit Marguery, and just a bit further on your right 3 mornings a week is the Port Royal street market. Take a right (north) at the next street, Rue St. Jacques, and you will be at the church of Val de Grace



which has one of the most fantastic chapels in France. I tried unsuccessfully to gain entrance several different trips and finally had to resort to the punishment of sitting through an hour of excruciatingly boring organ music played on the marvelous organ there, but that was a small price to pay. This church was built by Anne of Austria to fulfil a vow made if she was given a son...understandably a problem since she was married to Louis XIII. Finally after 23 years of marriage the blessed event took place and Louis XIV saw daylight. There is some conjecture that Cardinal Richelieu may have had to help; after all he was devoted to France. Anyway this church is a real architectural gem, a product of the "All Stars" of French architecture, Mansart, LeMercier, et.al. It's master altar and the baldaquin over and around it is spectacular, and the forementioned organ is on the historical register.





Let's pause here before going back to Square St. Medard.

[Jody]

Laidback , we had the same problems entering the church , Val de Grace, over several trips. The secret is to go to the Musee du Service de Sante des Armees. The museum itself is much more interesting than sitting thru an organ recital...which always puts me to sleep. The museum attendent will lead you thru a private entrance and point out the many feaqures of the church.

I found the collection in the museum fascinating..as a pharmacist..and the reseach and other wartime problems very interesting..as did my husband.

[Happygoin]

You mentioned one of my favorite restaurants...Au Petite Marguery. I've enjoyed several wonderful meals there.

[GitteK]

No need having problems with getting in to see Val-de-Grâce.
All it takes is to know the opening hours.....

12:00-17:00 Tuesdays and Wednesdays
13:30-17:00 Saturdays and Sundays

perso.magic.fr/desarbre/pages/page3.html
perso.magic.fr/desarbre/pages/page47.html

NB! Some websites claim that the church is open all day long, all week. Not so, in my experience.

BTW there is a very cozy winebar with a veranda with plants and greenery on the left hand side of Rue St. Jaques, if you go north to the next crossroad (then it's on the corner, maybe on the corner of Rue de l'Abbé de l'Epée).

[geordy]

We wandered in one weekend after a Christening...it was after trying to see those #@$% hospital cloisters(later finding out here I think that they are by appointment only). Just walking by, saw the crowd in the courtyard so walked on over and in.

Also enjoyed a meal at Au Petit Marguery while staying at the Hotel Esperance in that area.

[Laidback]

Now that Gitte has gotten us into Val de Grace with out having to endure an organ concert and then has walked us up the street to what I believe to be the wine bar, Vin Sobre, on the next corner, I suggest going another block north to the intersection of Gay Lussac, taking a left and visiting one of my favorite bistro/wine-shops in Paris, "Les Papilles":



They have a single prix fixe menu, you can choose your wine from the shelves on the wall and they will add a small corkage fee and serve it with your meal. The owner was formerly a pastry chef at Taillevent so don't be surprised at the quality of the desserts served. It is small and every guide has found it, so reserve.

Retrace your steps back down Gay Lussac until it becomes Rue Claude Bernard and continue on until it dead ends into the lovely Square St. Medard.





Many Sunday mornings there is a group sing-a-long of chansons with an accordionist. The parish church (partially visible to the left in the last photo) is rather unremarkable, except for the documented reports of some strange behaviour of devout ladies during the 18th century who apparently would ingest a bit of earth from the cemetery there and go into spasms, contortions and even more interesting things, resulting in being called "convulsionnaires". My memory is shaky so if you are interested perhaps Google can fill you in.

Sq. St. Medard is also essentially where the ever popular market street Rue Mouffetard begins with a branch of the cheese shop Androuet and an Italian traiteur sharing the historically protected façade of a former pork butcher; sorry for the blurry photo probably related to wine tremors after Vin Sobre and Les Papilles.



If you go east on the street (Rue Daubenton) bordering the north side of the church you will immediately find the small Pl. Halpern, which harbors another of the lovely Wallace fountains that I can't resist photoing.



If you are into provincial arts and crafts, as is unfortunately my wife, on the south side of the Place, you will find one of her favorite places to shop, La Tuile à Loup, while I enjoy relaxing on one of the park benches. She has found some pottery from Provence and a few water colors there.



If you continue on about another 100 yds. east on Rue Daubenton you will run right into the Paris mosque, which has a tearoom/restaurant which I haven't tried, as we prefer to eat in the neighborhood at "Au P'tit Cahoua" for N. African cuisine which is located about 2 blocks south on Blvd. St. Marcel.



Even though technically it is in the mid-5th, the Arenes de Lutece is an amazing haven of quiet Roman antiquity stuck smack dab off the busy Rue Monge. It is a nice spot for a picnic or game of pétanque if you happen to be carrying your boules.



Other restaurants in walking distance of the St. Medard that we have enjoyed are: Marty, an elegant brasserie not owned by a chain, on Ave. des Gobelins; Refuge du Passé on Rue Fer-à-Moulin; L'Ourcine on Rue Broca, just behind Au Petit Marguery; Mavrommatis on Daubenton and around the corner, Les Delices d'Aphrodite, on Rue Candolle.

[GitteK]

geordy, I hear you about that ¤/*^%/%¤&#¤##&£€$£ abbey ! I searched every possible entrance to get into the courtyard, but no luck.

geordy is talking about CLOÎTRE DE PORT-ROYAL, which is now a maternity hospital. Dates back to a Cistercian abbey in the 12th century, became the centre of the catholic movement Jansenism, was a prison during the Revolution. Celebrities such as Racine and Pascal used to hang out here.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jansenism

Cloitre/Abbaye de Port Royal
Maternité Baudeloque
121-123 Blvd de Port Royal
75014 Paris

Informations pratiques :
Ouverture : seulement pour les Journées du Patrimoine ; quelques visites ponctuelles du lieu dans l’année, par diverses associations. Messe dans la chapelle de l’abbaye le dimanche 10:30.

(Les Journées du Patrimoine are in September, normally in the 3rd weekend. It's an EU event, where the countries open their buildings and institutes normally closed to the public)

Here is a link with more photos.
membres.lycos.fr/gotier8/abbaye.html

This is how it looks......... if you can get in there.....

[phread]

Just to the left of the Val de Grace chapel is the music school, Schola Cantorum. The building is interesting, but it is especially lovely to sit in the back garden there and listen as students practice their various instruments. Ben Franklin slept in the building when he was here trying to convince Louis to support the Revolution. BAD idea, Louis!

[mez]

You are all amazing!

Great photos with added commentary about every nook and cranny in Paris.

Thanks so much for sharing with us all.

Mez

[Darcy]

La Tuile à Loup
35 rue Dauberton
Metro Censier Daubenton

Mon 1-7pm,
T-S 11-7pm,
closed Sunday

I never seem to be in the area when La Tuile à Loup is open, I keep saying next trip!

[geordy]

I first heard about Val de Grace in the book "The Piano Store on the Left Bank" , the author would walk by it to and from music lessons/school as I recall.

Oops..cluttering up the thread again....

[Darcy]

I have visited the Grand Mosque and found it very interesting. You can see the small libraries with their beautiful carpets and you can look into but, of course, not go into the prayer room where part of it is curtained off for women.

In May 2007, the beautiful tiles in the courtyard were being renovated, even so it was lovely and peaceful. I understand the gardens have been updated as well.

I had a very good lunch at the restaurant at the mosque. You must walk through the length of the tea room and turn left to enter the restaurant. I was with two friends and we each ordered different meals. They were all delicious. We had curved banquette seating around an enormous brass tray which was our table. It was one of the quietest places I've ever eaten, delightful. Sorry, no alcohol, of course.

There is also a shop selling clothing, leather goods and decorative items that is on the other side of the courtyard from the tea room. I think many things are made in Morocco. If you're looking for a tagine, they have lots of them!

I highly recommend the Grand Mosque for something different in Paris.

[susanb]

I.m really enjoying this new post. It has become so easy for me to organize walks, shops and
dinners. Thank-you to all who write and include their most beautiful pictures. I truly appreciate it.
Susan

[chicchantal]

Is it necessary to book at Le petit Marguery in the evenings? And any idea how they feel about lone diners? I'll be staying nearby so a good restaurant in the area will come in handy.

[Jody]

I'd book to be sure. The phone number is 01 43 31 58 59. You might be able to book on their website.

www.petitmarguery.fr

[gracejoan]

Jim,

Thanks for th walk.....I plan to be spending more time in that area this fall.

Joan

[GitteK]

If you visit the area on a Sunday morning, it's market day in Rue Mouffetard and between 11:00 and 14:00 there is "bal musette" on the square in front of the Médard church. There is an accordeonist playing and a lady who passes out sheets with song texts and then everyone sings along. Also there are some couples who dance and all in all it's great fun. petitbal.com/galerie.htm

I filmed the "bal musette" in April with my camera (with music and everything !!), but the movie appears to be too big for YouTube. I have tried to upload it several times, but it will not work. So I can't post it for you to see. I watch it every now and again on my laptop to get a Paris fix.





You might also want to put these two restaurants into your list. They are very well known and well reputed for serving wonderful food and for their nice ambiance, only I personally haven't been there yet. But I can't wait...

Au Petit Marguery
petitmarguery.com/
Laidback and demarais mentioned APM further up this thread, but the new thing is that from 1 September 2008 they will be open on Sundays for lunch, and on Mondays even, both for lunch and dinner !

Auberge Etchegorry
www.etchegorry.com/

Also I strongly recommend a visit to:

La Manufacture des Gobelins
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 14:00 and at 14:45 for the guided visit (only in French, no audioguides, but it doesn't really matter very much).

www.arts-programme.com/musee.php?code=349
www.evene.fr/culture/lieux/manufacture-des-gobelins-648.php

It is stunning, close to aweinspiring, to these craftsmen and -women at work. You get to see both the haute-lisse and the basse-lisse method (vertical and horisontal) of weaving the Beauvais tapisseries/gobelins and you get to see how they make the plushcarpets “savonnerie” (I don’t know the right word – it is like Persian carpets, you can walk on them for 250 years and you can't see a trace).

The factory still dye their own yarn after the old traditions (Johan de Gobelin who came to Paris from Flandres was not a weaver. His family were yarn-dyers and settled at the river Bièvre in Paris, known for its fine quality of water) - and I mean to recall that the guide said that they produce yarns in more than 50,000 different shades of colour, something like that. Can't remember the exact figure, but it might even have been higher.



The craftsmen-/women who weave the tapisseries never see their work from the frontside – they work on them only from the back side, seeing the frontside reflected into a mirror. They then have all these small wooden sticks with all the shades of colour which they apply according to the design for the tapisserie. The design is placed behind the weaver’s back, so I suppose she sees it reflected in the mirror as well ? I never found out how they can keep track of what to do next.

This one shows the horisontal method (basse-lisse)


The savonnerie carpets weigh when finished, 10 kilos per m2 ! There are 2 persons in the front and 2 persons in the back of the carpet, working together. Each and every knot requires the work of 2 persons. The person on the frontside sticks the needle to the backside, makes a loop around her finger, then waits till the person on the backside has sewn the knot and stuck the needle back, then ties the knot and clips off the spare yarn.




And the factories not only produce new gobelins and carpets - e.g. for French embassies abroad or for international organisations, but they are also nationally in charge of maintaining state property, from chateaux, palais, museums etc. That could be gobelins or carpets, but also furnitures, curtains etc. We got to peep into a workshop where 3 young seamstresses in leggings and tennissocks sprawled on top of a huge table covered with some old, priceless gobelin. They were sitting on it or lying on their stomach while doing the miniscule stitch-by-stitch-by-stitch-by-stitch repair.




If you love slow food and slow travelling, really savouring your pleasures, a visit to La Manufacture des Gobelins will be a sheer delight. This is slow art, veeerrry slow. I asked one of the weavers how long he would be working on the current gobelin and he said: "Oh, about another 2 years....."

I was truly amazed by this visit, not least in this day and time, where we tend to measure the success of something by its being as fast and cheap as possible.

[Jody]

Gitte, if you still have the video on your camera , try uploading it to photobucket. I have some fairly long one there

[denise]

:)I don't know how I missed this thread before, thanks Gitte for flagging it up. We stayed on Rue Tournefort which runs parallel with Mouffetard last year and we spent alot of time wandering this area. The sing song and dancing on Sunday morning were fun and we also visited Rue Monge Market near the Monge Metro for our supplies, much better quality than the market at the bottom of Muffetard. IMHO. I was a little disappointed with rue Mouffetard.
I also visited the Mosquee de Paris tea room, for mint tea.( brought back memories of Turkey) I chickened out of going to the Turkish bath on my own, but regret it now and may go again sometime.
We missed the Arenes de Lutece, even though we looked for it. I think it's well hidden.
On Ave des Gobelins just to the south of St Medard there are several shoe shops with good quality shoes at reasonable prices, as it is out of the tourist trail. I bought some lovely black , flat, knee high , boots which I wore all winter to much admiration.
("just something I picked up in Paris, you know ,darling!")
The Manufacture des Gobelins looks interesting Gitte, was there an entrance fee? Not sure I can fit it in .
I really should be packing instead of on here! Going later today.
YEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
DEnise
love from England

[GitteK]

Yes, denise, there is an entrance fee: 8 euros (something like that. Not cheap, but worth every centime)

demarais, photobucket will only accept up to 100 Mb. My video is 204 Mb. BUT thanks to you I got curious about their "Pro" offer, and found out that it is in fact only a hilarious 25 USD per year ! So now I bought the Pro solution, but I still have problems with the upload. Have emailed their customer service to fix it, and then I'll see if I can post the video.