Immortal on the Left Bank

 We dish out a great deal of time, energy, and money searching for
  BIG PARIS,
  the seductive sweetheart of postcards and guidebooks.
Amazing art and architecture, impressive monuments,
 glorious sunsets on rooftop bars, first-class foodie
  experiences, mega-movie stars & celebrity chefs, a sparkling
Eiffel Tower at midnight.... an infinite list of dramatic spectacle.
Too often, it's an exhaustive chase for the movie version of Paris.

​Our beloved City of Light offers an alternate universe as well.
​Let's face it, there are days when we
want nothing more than sweet simplicity. 
A walk in the park or along the river.
​Coffee and giggles with a good friend.
  Quiet time in a neighborhood church.
  A reasonably priced lunch that reminds us
why we get up every morning with a smile on our face.
  All the things that make life in Paris so rewarding.

​The older I get, the more I crave these modest moments in Paris.
  Unassuming, these are not experiences you'll check off your bucket list.
The whole point is to see and experience what others have missed.

​And all you have to do is walk around with your eyes,
your ears and your heart carefully tuned in.
​Reflection, quiet deliberation and keen observation
 are incredibly rewarding pursuits.
 Let others drool over themselves and their so-called luxury travel portfolios;
I'll take an ordinary walk in the park any day.

​"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
Leonardo da Vinci 

The Latin Quarter is one of the best neighborhoods in Paris
to enjoy a day of simple pleasures -- to see what others have missed.
Like finding money you've long forgotten in the pocket of
​an old pair of jeans, these are sweet surprises.

​ Sure, there are BIG attractions such as The Cluny
(Musee Nationale du Moyen Age), The Pantheon, The Sorbonne
and Shakespeare & Company just to name a few.
​But most of us, even if we've already tackled a few of these,
have probably missed a few gems. 

​For me, there aren't too many things that can compete with the
​joy of a whole day of sweet little nothings beginning and
ending in this legendary neighborhood. 
Sort of like "Seinfeld" -- the show about nothing --
​ magnetic, memorable, real life served sunny-side-up.
Abandon your pretenses and liberate your expectations.
​
"Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective."
​Doe Zantamata, author​​

Luxembourg Gardens is the perfect point of departure for a fresh look at the city.
​The grounds of Marie de Medici's 17th century chateau, filled with everything
from pony rides to beekeepers, feels like a gift from heaven.
On the one hand, it's fit for a queen and on the other, it feels like home.
And that's exactly what we're going for today.

​Depending on the time of day you arrive, the park's demeanor invariably changes.  My favorite time is early morning while the gardens
are nearly empty and the kingdom is all mine....
​But don't fret if you're a late sleeper; it's incredibly rewarding to see this
immortal green estate when it's hopping -- like a sunny Sunday
 in the springtime -- or even when it's not sunny or springtime.... 
​No matter how many times I've been there, I always see something new.

​Known as "Luco" to the locals, Luxembourg Gardens is more
than just pretty pansies and puppet shows.
  During the French Revolution, the chateau served as a prison
and throughout WWII, it was occupied by the Luftwaffe.
 The palace, now home to the French Senate, has lost its queen to
​ political opponents and infighting, the modern version of palace intrigue.
I guess it's fair to say this is a black hole in the middle of paradise -- 
with a view to die for.... 
​Lock me up and throw away the keys.

After the gardens, you'll want nothing more than to keep
that peaceful easy feeling going the rest of the morning. 

Le Rostand is a handsome café just across the street from Luxembourg Gardens,
the perfect place to share a belly laugh with your best friend.
​Whether you stop in for your morning café crème or for something more
substantial, you'll find yourself enamored with its long mahogany bar
and atmospheric tiled floors percolating with Paris sophistication.

​If it looks familiar, you may have caught a glimpse of it
in the 2006 movie "Paris je t'aime". 
Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara gave award worthy performances
in the "Quartier Latin" segment that evoked love and regret.
​ We broke out our hankies watching them say a tender and sarcastic
 goodbye -- "if only you had kept those impeccably tailored pants on" -- over
   a glass of rouge, poured by a sympathetic Gerard Depardieu.

  Le Rostand is named after playwright Edmond Rostand,
author of "Cyrano de Bergerac," a classic rom-com if ever there was one.
​Much like café sitting in the heart of the Latin Quarter,
​the 1897 theatrical will never go out of fashion.
Our hero is poetic and utterly romantic, his ridiculously long nose
adding to our sentimental fantasy of the more comic aspects of love.
​Lovely Roxane may have been unlucky at love but in today's Paris,
​we're rolling in four-leaf clover as we relax in a Cyrano inspired 
setting perfectly designed for an intimate tète-a-tète.

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to
stop speech when words become superfluous"
​Ingrid Berman, Actress

Step outside and embrace the hum of the street. 
Sure, it's crowded -- but no need to worry. 
You'll find peace and quiet at our next stop.

Saint-Etienne-du-Mont is a cathedral heaving with poorly kept secrets.
 That's a good thing, because which ever of its many mysteries make you
   pause at its ancient doors, you'll find a warm welcome and a superb refuge.

​Many stop just to gaze adoringly at the steps Gil Pender made famous
 in Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris."
​Yes, it's here he waited for his nightly rendezvous with history's greatest acts.

​Others see it as an infamous chapel of terror,
the setting for a heinous assassination in 1857.
​A disgruntled priest disputed the church dogma of Immaculate
​Conception and went off the deep end, murdering the bishop of Paris.

​Still others just want to come for the sheer joy of remembering the mass
 Pope (now saint) John Paul II celebrated on World Youth Day in 1997.

​As for me, strange as it sounds, I return again & again
to admire the rood screen*.
*sometimes referred to as a jube
  Sounds rather blah, but trust me, this is the Holy Grail of rood screens.
  A rood screen is the sculpted architectural partition that
separates the altar from the nave of the church.
  In this case, it's one lacey, gorgeous detail in a city boasting
​ mountains of amazing church treasures.
​So well done, it almost looks like it grew out of the ground
​in some magic trick straight out of Hans Christian Andersen.
​Saint-Etienne-du-Mont -- truly a magical stop in a city
endowed with supernatural powers.

"This is unbelievable! Look at this!
There's no city like this in the world.
​There never was."
​Gil Pender in "Midnight in Paris" (penned by Woody Allen)

Just part of the rood screen in Saint-Etienne-du-Mont Church -- Stunning!

Always look up in Paris -- 18th century steers stare down from what used to be a butcher's shop.

Rue Mouffetard -- lively market, historic landmark and good cheese -- A Triple Threat!

 The Mouffetard district is so distinctly Left Bank,
it seems more fictional than real.
​This feels like the Paris of novels.

  The market and church are compatible, the imaginary line
between church and state nearly blurred.
​After all, Mouffetard's house of worship is named after
​Saint Médard, patron saint of weather, wine & farmers.
It feels like a much loved neighborhood refuge paired
with a side order of some of the best farm produce in Paris.
  Sound crazy?
​  Maybe, but let's face it, food is a religious experience in Paris.
​
​Saint-Médard Church's long legacy is not well known to tourists
but definitely worth a mindful stop.
​It's beautiful, of course, like so many other churches in Paris,
​but the real draw is its cuckoo history.

​A string of strange events in 1727 caused such a commotion,
on-lookers actually rented chairs by the hour for the "show".
​Local priest Francois de Paris, at odds with powerful church hierarchy,
gained a reputation as he retreated into a life of hardship -- knitting
stockings for the poor and eating just one meal a day.
​As he retreated into the downright bizarre practice of self-flagellation
and self-denial of basic living necessities, he not only died at the tender 
age of thirty-six, but created a cult of over-the-top zealots.
They came in droves to "taste" his plot -- yes, they actually ate
the dirt -- in Saint-Médard's little cemetery. 
This extremist wing of the Jansenist cult began having visions,
then convulsions as they worked up their unleashed fervor. 
​After they began setting up crucifixions, the king stepped in and closed
the notorious graveyard before its notoriety overstepped all law and order. 

​Rest assured, you won't need to wear your spiked metal belt to get in.​

If church isn't your thing, try the roast chicken and potatoes on rue Mouffetard.
​They'll bring you to your knees in a hurry.
​From Place de la Contrascarpe to Saint-Médard Square,
​ La Mouffe -- as the locals call it -- is a lovely lesson in real life Paris.

 Whether it's lunchtime or the dinner hour, La Cuisine de Philippe is a
reliable stop just a block from les Jardins du Luxembourg on rue Servandoni.
  Sandwiched in-between the gardens and Saint-Sulpice Square, this tiny
street boasts a plaque to remind us William Faulkner used to live on the block.
​It's the perfect spot to sit and relax in a family owned bistro that
​has the right mix of atmosphere and fine food.

​Consider trying something you've never tasted before --- perhaps
their homemade wild boar paté or lobster soufflé and please
 don't miss the steak au poivre if it's on the menu.
Heightened by cracked peppercorns and a healthy dose of
cognac and butter, there's a delicious bite of comfort on every forkful. 
A leisurely dessert is definitely in order where you'll probably plan
another day of little nothings in Paris..... and give thanks
​ for your low key day in the Latin Quarter -- your date with immortality.
​
"How beautiful it is to do nothing and then rest afterward."
​Old Spanish Proverb

Joy and simplicity are connected at the hip.
As we discover the "obvious" in the Latin Quarter, as well as
 the sweet little nothings that make the world go wow,
we can't forget one more component in our search for immortality.
​The best of Paris always includes L-O-V-E.
Cole Porter's Jazz Age Paris melody says it all:

LET'S DO IT by Cole Porter

"Birds do it, bees do it
Even educated fleas do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
In Spain, the best upper sets do it
Lithuanians and Letts do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
The Dutch in old Amsterdam do it
Not to mention the Finns
Folks in Siam do it; think of Siamese twins
Some Argentines without means do it
People say in Boston even beans do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Romantic sponges, they say, do it
Oysters down in oyster bay do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Cold cape cod clams 'gainst their wish do it
Even lazy jellyfish do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Electric eels, I might add, do it
Though it shocks 'em I know
Why ask if shad do it? Waiter, bring me shad roe
In shallow shoals English soles do it
Goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love"

​Enjoy!