Paris November 2023: Quartier Latin

The last time I saw Paris—March, 2019– 2 weeks before the Notre Dame was almost completely destroyed by fire. Last week I returned to Paris after this five-year absence. My husband, David, and my oldest daughter, Kalie, and I spent 9 glorious days in Paris. It was so good to be back, like a hometown visit. I missed my city greatly.

Ten years ago, I spent a semester studying at the Cours de la Civilisation at the Sorbonne University for a graduate Internship. I had an apartment on rue Linne in the Latin Quartier close to the Pantheon. For this return trip, we rented an apartment in the same neighborhood on rue Monge and spent many hours walking the well-worn path to my Grammaire classes every morning (near Val de Grace), then down rue Saint-Jacques to my Phonetique class (across from the Notre Dame) and then back to the rue l’Estrapade where I attended nightly lectures from 6-9pm at the Sorbonne (this is where Emily in Paris is currently filmed).

Not much has changed in the Latin Quarter, which is part of the charm for me. I missed all of the Covid-quarantine years as my last visit was in 2019 and it was as if time stood still. These are my favorite activities in the Latin Quarter:

• Place de la Contrescarpe: Where Hemingway lived and wrote many of his novels. He frequented these restaurants with Fitzgerald, Stein, and other writers. I walked through this Place every morning on my way to class.

• La Pantheon: sitting on the front steps looking down rue Soufflot towards the Eiffel tower, eating a snack lunch before class

• A visit to Solques Bruno, 243 rue Saint-Jacque, Bruno still makes the best flan in Paris

• La Sorbonne: this system of public research colleges began in 1257 and was one of the first universities in Europe. There are 13 universities within this system located all over Paris. My courses were taught at three locations.

• Galerie de Paleontologie et d’Anatomie (Jardin des Plantes) :My Cachalots, Ammonites, and  Dinosaur fossils (Diplodocus, T-Rex, Pteradon) from the Sacabambaspis janvieri -400 million years old- Devonian period, and Quaternary period still take my breath away,

• Jardin des Plantes: The pathways through the 28 hectares of botanical Jardin des Plantes where Victor Hugo walked daily with his grandchildren, Jean et Jeanne are still clearly marked and include the Alpine Garden, the Menagerie (with Kangaroos!), Cedar of Lebanon and Ginkgo Biloba from China (planted by Buffon in 1754), and one of my favorite places, a Grand Labyrinth created by Louis XIII atop the hill overlooking the city and gardens,

• Shakespeare & Company: I spent many hours studying upstairs in the Reading Library when I was a student with a lovely view of the Notre Dame. I spent at least an hour per day in this reading room on my recent visit! Heavenly

Gibert Joseph Librairie: The best bookstore to find all your French treasures!

• Notre Dame cathedral: this is not in the Latin Quarter, but very close to it! The Notre Dame was my home church where I worshipped when I lived in Paris.

And, of course, the local restaurants that serve incredible French cuisine,

During our visit, we did venture out of the Latin Quarter to other parts of the city. We had to be very careful in our planning to avoid the massive demonstrations on Saturdays and Sundays and cold and rainy weather, Metro crowds and closures,  but this is part of the fabric of the city and is to be expected when one visits Paris!

In my upcoming posts, I will share about the other Arrondissments of Paris that we visited and the renovated museums, churches, and CDG (finally-we were checked in for our flight and to our gate in less than 20 minutes) which are part of the changes to get ready for the 2024 Olympics.