September 21, 2007

On the way from Montmartre...

From the area situated between Montmartre and the more central parts of Paris I have made a few posts about things that I believe are worth visiting – but there is more to see. This area goes under the name of “Nouvelle Athènes” (points 1-7 on the map and on the list at the end).

If and when you have visited some of these places I could suggest that you continue on Rue du Faubourg Montmartre (in red on the map). This was the street people used to take on their more ore less direct way home after a long evening in Montmartre; direction the “Halles”, for a nice onion soup in the early morning. The “Halles” used to be the centre for all fresh food distribution in Paris, but were torn down during the sixties; the activities were displaced to the suburbs and instead something modern was constructed with shops, cinemas etc. (already to be remodelled).

You could then possibly make a break on the way at the candy shop on which I also made a post (p.8) or in the very different church, Sainte Eugène-Sainte Cécile (p.9), also one of my posts. Then you have the choice to have a meal or to go to the cinema, possibly both.

The Restaurant Chartier (p. 10) has been here since 1896. It’s actually what was called a “buillon”, which means soup or a “soup place” in French. This name was used for restaurants supposed to serve some cheap but good food to people who could not afford the more expensive places. Chartier is today always full, the service is efficient but a bit rough, the “garçons” are old style, the food is correct but not excellent, very traditional dishes, the prices are still relatively low and the dining room has an old and nice charm. Somehow, it’s a place you must have tried.

The cinema Rex was inaugurated in 1932. Unlike most other cinemas today, Rex has still a big theatre, supposed to be the biggest remaining in Europe with almost 3000 seats, but has now also three smaller theatres. There used to be an organ and some dancing ladies, something like New York’s Radio City Hall with the Rockettes, but the dancing ladies are gone. During World War II, Rex became a “Soldaten-Kino”. The big theatre is today also often used for concerts (coming next: Celtic Legends, Harry Connick Jr, Hilary Duff, The Dubliners…).

From here your “guide” will leave you for the weekend! You can take the direction of the “Halles”, the “Opéra”… or just ask for a taxi to your hotel.


Hope to see you Monday in good shape! Nice weekend!


Here is the list, with links to the previous posts:
1. Cité Malesherbes
2. Avenue Frochot (same link as 1.)
3. Cité Monthiers (same link as 1.)
4. Museum of the Romantics
5. Gustave Moreau Museum
6. Square d’Orléans
7. Place Saint Georges
8. Candy Shop
9. Sainte Eugène – Sainte Cécile Church
10. Restaurant Chartier
11. Cinema Rex

35 comments:

Azer Mantessa said...

the cinema REX is quite interesting. there was a movie theater in Penang, Malaysia called REX and historically the owner named it after a theater in Paris. now i know how the real REX looks like ... tq :-)

Neva said...

HOw do you do those maps with the arrows??? you are very talented! I liked your post.

Shionge said...

Hiya Peter...saw your comment in my blog and you mentioned that you are glad you've retired ;) What is your last job by the way and you know what with your great blog and if I do have enough money I want to retire in Paris too hahhaha..

You have a wonderful weekend too my dear pal :D

Emilieee said...

The restaurant seems like a nice place to dine in. Well, shall bring me there next time, Peter! lol

I like the theater because it is RED all over. And I LOVE red. =)

lyliane six said...

Je croyais que le Rex était fermé! j'y suis allée pour un arbre de Noël quand les enfants étaient petits. J'avais entendu parler du restaurant à soupes, mais je ne connais pas. Au fait: ai je trouvé la bonne réponse pour les meilleures moules frites dans Paris? je ne crois pas, car tu ne m'a pas invité à aller en manger.

Cergie said...

Les Grands Boulevards c'est un endroit que j'aime bcp
J'y ai emmené Reflexe, en allant à pied depuis les Grds Magasins

J'avais déjà fait des messages sur Chartier
Les menus imprimés sur papier
La spécialité de dessert : la créme de marron à la crème
Les garçons, faut savoir les prendre. C'est un style qu'ils se donnent

Le Rex, avec la féérie lumineuse

Le passage Jouffroy et le musée Grévins

Et depuis j'ai découvert le petit Gymnase en face du Rex à l'occasion d'un spectacle cabaret.

Un beau quartier, oui vraiment (d'où on voit le sacré coeur)

Peter said...

azer:
It sems that Paris has somehow tried to copy NY and Penag has copied Paris. Anybody has copied Penang?

neva:
PowerPoint. Probably not the best tool, but the one I know. Azer is a specialist if you need some advice, but I would also be happy to give you a private lesson!

shionge:
A pity that you are so far from retiring!
My last job was in the paper industry and most of my "carreer" has been linked to forest products. Do you want to start an echological discussion?

hpy said...

Tu fais de plus en plus guide Michelin (sans les boués).

Peter said...

emily lin:
Maybe I will bring you to a better restaurant - also! (There are so many "promises" about coming to visit me, but so far hardly kept. I trust you will keep yours!)

lyliane:
Tu ne veux pas me donner l'adresse? Tu attends sans doute qu'on aille ensemble pour devoiler le nom du restaurant?

Chuckeroon said...

..I well remember the lament in the 60s.. "what a pity about Les Halles". As you say ..it was replaced with "something modern" which perhaps not surprisingly, is about to be replaced again. Those marvelous "correct but not excellent" restaurants will go on for ever. Delicious!!!!

SusuPetal said...

Cinemas are great places to rest your feet, if you're walking all day in Paris.
At least I did that, rested my feet when I was in Paris a long time ago. I stopped of course at the cafes, but the cinemas offered maybe better seats. Had just to be careful with the film -there were so many dubbed in French, which I found amazing and awkward. Dubbing is used only in children's films in Finland, we are used to subtitles.

Thanks for the this week's tour, Peter and have a nice weekend!

Peter said...

cergie:
Je vois (et savais) que le sujet n’était pas épuisé ! Pour Grévin, je vais sans doute faire un post un jour aussi, mais plus pour les locaux que pour les personnages.

hpy:
On attend le tour des restaurants normands sur ton blog!

Peter said...

chuckeroon:
We seem to share the same opinions!

susupetal:
Bad luck with the dubbed films! I think that one great thing with foreign films here is that you always can choose between the dubbed or the non dubbed version. Before entering the cinema, you have to check that the film is in "VO" -"version originale" - in my opinion the "only" version to see. On television, we can now also on the film chains program if we wish to see the original or the dubbed version, sub-titled or not.

GMG said...

Hi Peter,
Seeing all your last posts, I just think how interesting retirement time may be...
Loved to see the interiors of the National Assembly; have passed there so many times but never inside. And the reference to the Chartier "bouillon": made me remember the early 70s, when travelling with Frommer's "Europe on 5 US$ a Day"! If I'm right, he mentionned three places to eat at low cost: Drouot, Chartier and Commerce, near the Eiffel tower. Amazing experiences...
Sorry to keep you in Bali at Blogtrotter.
Have a great weekend.
Gil

Ash said...

As always, interesting images and info. Have a great weekend Peter!!!

hpy said...

Restau prévu ce soir sauf si DD rentre trop fatigué. Dure journée.

Emilieee said...

Peter, now I'm wondering what promises that I've made. But if you mean to be happy always, I think I will be glad to keep that! :) But if you're coming to Malaysia, surely I will bring you to some nice restaurant and hanging around KL, no matter how broke I am! LOL

Anonymous said...

A lot of beautiful work in your posts, Peter. You must spend hours gathering information, sorting it out and putting together the collage and then presenting it on the blog. Is this your new job since you retired?

My photography over 50 years ago >Sendai, Japan

Peter said...

gmg:
No experience of Drouot, but Café de Commerce, yes. Still fairly cheap and more up-to-date menu than Chartier. Also always full!
Don't feel "sorry" about Bali. Fantastic posts you made, but of course we wait for Greece now!

ash:
Thanks and nice weekend also to you!

hpy:
Bon appétit!

emily linn:
To make it clear! YOU have not promised several time, but I have received several promises, from different bloggers. There would be quite a few of them around if...

oldmanlincoln:
Not a "job", for the moment just a pleasure - and I have the time. But a weekend break is nice. For me the time to see friends and family - not yet retired.

Emilieee said...

Ahhh.. Now I got what you mean!! :P People always saying they gonna visit you but so far no one has done that, right? Hmm.. I think I should only tell you right before I reached Paris if I happened to go there, sound alright? :P But I will try hard to keep that (promise). :)

And when you ask me to put my bank reference number in my blog, so that $ will flow in. I nearly did that, but after considering that no one will actually "flow" the $ in, I've given up already. =(

LOL

Have a nice weekend :)

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hi Peter,
Thanks for this informative post again, I booked a Thalys train (on your advice thanks again) for November 12th arrive until November 17th leave, So I will dowoad and print lots of your tips!!!!

Thanks for your comments:)
I posted a cows B&W collage today:)
Have a great weekend !
JoAnn :)

Anonymous said...

En lisant votre post concernant plus particulièrement chartier, je vais vous dire ce que l'on trouve comme pub en Suisse. Le TGV Lyria qui relie Lausanne à Paris fait de la pub pour le prix des billets, environ 39 francs suisses aller-retour. Ca ne vous dit rien en euro mais c'est pas grave. Juste pour dire que c'est pas cher. Et sur la pub, il y une photo de serveurs parisiens qui tirent la gueule. Et le texte de la pub dit à peu près ceci: pour pas cher, vous pouvez aller vous rendre compte de la légendaire sympathie des serveurs parisiens. Cela m'a fait beaucoup rire mais j'imagine un serveur parisien en vacances en Suisse qui lira cette pub. :-)))
je vous souhaite un bon WE peter et plein de belles balades avec de belles photos à la clé. Bises!

Peter said...

emily:
Good, I count on it!
Good also, after all that you did not take the bank account idea too seriously. (I mean, it's dangerous to publish these details, nothing else of course.)

joann:
... and that we could meet! I'll contact you via your email for further details!

delphinium:
Intéressant!! Je peux imaginer cu'il ont pris les photos chez Chartier! Le service est un peu rude, mais finalement efficace (trop rapide?) et sympa! Bises! :-))

Mona said...

You really show us around don't you?

I guess Paris will soon be on my list for a visit :)

It seems & sounds awesome!

Peter said...

mona:
Not yet? What else do you need to be persuaded?

Cuckoo said...

Once again, nice info & good pictures. Bon weekend Peter !

Anonymous said...

I had now time to read also all comments, you have got. And I am smiling, they are so fine and positive.
Those comments and your brilliant posts got me to think, what we would like to do, if we could not have a possibility for blogging :))

I think, I could read as much I did before blogging and I could do handicrafts and seeing my friends here more often and . . .
but I am happy about this possibility to
meet such a wonderful people, which
I have met here in the virtual world.
Trees - your many work trips in Finland and why in Kemi - I understand now :)

I wish very best to you!

Shammickite said...

You are a wonderful and interesting tour guide, perhaps you could use your talents by starting a Paris tour for bloggers only.... show us all around your neighbourhood in person.
When I was in Paris we stayed at Hotel Eden in Montmarte, subway stop was Jules Joffrin.

Anonymous said...

bon à toi! un guide de Paris illustré ! t'as pas un éditeur?

Ming the Merciless said...

I love that you include the maps to all the site. It does help with the perspective of where things are.

krystyna said...

Hi Peter!
Thank you sincerely - wonderful post!

Zhang Chunhong said...

Notre guide est très charmant! Il est bp plus professionnel que moi...

Zhang Chunhong said...

J'ai dû certainement parcourir ce quartier. Ca ne fait rien que je le fasse une autre fois, avec toi ou, au moins, ton post comme guide. Ca doit être bp plus intéressant que ce que j'ai fait déjà. Bonne fin de week-end.

Peter said...

cuckoo:
Thanks!

leena:
To find the right balance between blogging and other activities is not always easy!

ex-shammickite:
For fellow bloggers, I would be pleased do try to make the guide!

lasiate:
Pas d'éditeur! Il y a déjà combien de livres sur Paris?

ming:
Yes, I think and hope that it may be useful!

krystyna:
Thanks!

zhang:
Merci pour le compliment, encore plus apprécié venant d'une personne qui a été guide professionnel!! On ira faire un tour ensemble quand tu veux!

black feline said...

i strongly suggest u publish a guidebook ala blog style...should be a huge success!