In Love With the Eiffel Tower? It’s Okay, I Might Be, Too.

I once saw a piece on 60 Minutes or some show like that about a woman who was in love with the Eiffel Tower.  Not the kind of “Ahh, I love the Eiffel Tower!” stuff people throw around freely just because they think it’s pretty. No, the kind of love that would have gotten you teased on the playground at school. You know, the old “if you love it so much, why don’t you marry it?” This woman was bona fide in lovewith a 1,063-foot metal structure. Loony, right? Craaaaazy. But to be honest, watching her I really didn’t think she was that weird. I mean, as I figured in my head that everyone else in the room had to be thinking what a nut job she was, I was actually thinking to myself, ‘thank goodness I’m not that bad.’ But I am that bad. Well, almost.

You see, I’ve also seen those same TV spots about the human brain’s reaction when a person sees the person he or she is in love with. There’s actual readable and measurable change in the brain activity that is not present when one is visualizing other people for whom they have no feelings. I’m not going to lie; I think I have that physical reaction when I see the Eiffel Tower. In fact, why stop there? I know I have a physical reaction to the Eiffel Tower, and I also have a change in brain activity – albeit lesser – when I see other sights in Paris. Just the act alone of seeing it does it for me, but it’s always augmented when there’s some element of surprise involved. Seeing the tip of it over a building as I’m walking through the city is fail-proof. Seeing its revolving light take its path atop those famous Parisian roofs always brings that tinge of excitement to my gut.  And of course there’s that moment when I come up from the Trocadéro station and walk past the Palais de Chaillot only to have that spectacular view on it and feel, well, love inside me.

Unfortunately, it seems very few people have ever experienced this love for something else – that is, something other than a human being. As tempted as I am to get all philosophical on you here, I will restrain myself and just offer that, contrary to what some of my closest friends and family believe, I do not love that massive collection of metal and bolts more than I do them. Rather it’s more likely that it serves as a concrete representation of me following my dreams. And I sincerely hope the day never comes that that feeling or reminder does not give me a positive physical reaction.

Line 5: Look Quickly or You'll Miss All Those Landmarks

Back on the metro topic, I have to share what I think is one of the best metro routes in the city. This isn't that hard to accomplish because most are of course underground, leaving one to find entertainment in all those fellow voyageurs whose most exciting activity the entire ride might be nothing more than a glance up from their iPods.

See, I used to have a metro route that initially I didn’t care for but eventually came to be one of my favorites. I regularly needed to take Line 5 from almost the top of the line all the way down to its termination of Place d’Italie. It requires passing through three not-so-pleasant gares, but what is sandwiched in the middle of this line makes it all worth it.

For those who don’t know the line well, it comes above ground between Bastille and Quai de la Rapée to cross the Seine, which in and of itself is a truly glorious moment. Any relief from the darkness of the tunnels is welcomed, especially if its accompanied by a slew of Paris' claims to fame. As I took the line more and more, I kept spotting more famous buildings, monuments, and bridges. It became a game to see what else I could spot in those short seconds of exposure, a game of speed and positioning.

For optimal viewing, the key is to position yourself in a seat on the right side (again, we're going south here). I probably haven’t noticed them all but what I can confirm is in view, if even for a second, includes: Bastille tower, Centre Pompidou, the Louvre, Hôtel de Ville, Tour Montparnasse, the Panthéon, the Eiffel Tower, and many of Paris’ beautiful ponts, or bridges. I welcome you to challenge yourself to this little game that, by the way, only takes place between Bastille and just after Gare d'Austerlitz. It's a great little tease to get your bum out from underground and go enjoy the city.

L’Oisive Thé: A Delightful Little Parisian Tea Room

The first time I moved to Paris, I had someone, a Parisienne, tell me that I must go to La Butte aux Cailles, a street in the 13th that she described as quaint and pleasant. Her enthusiasm for this street was enough to ensure it made it to the “must-do before I leave in three months” list without me ever questioning it. I suppose I must have finally gone there on a Sunday because I found very little on that street. I checked and re-checked the map- was I in the right place? Had I taken le mauvais chemin? Nope, this was it – a non-descript dead couple of blocks with nothing happening. Needless to say, I was very disappointed.

Then I met Chloé. Chloé is French, lives in the 13th, and finds interesting blogs – often about Paris – like it’s her job. She eventually became my afternoon tea buddy, and it was with her that I found myself truly discovering La Butte aux Cailles. She had come across a blog of an American who had opened a salon de thé on the very street I had failed to find excitement on, so we made a date to try it out.

L’OisiveThé was indeed a charming little spot that in the end made up for what I still found its neighbors to be lacking. The corner location gives the space a lovely brightness, and the cozy room was bustling on that Saturday afternoon. The mismatched tables and chairs is a design practice that I love, so I felt good about the spot before we were even seated.

As I recall, the tea choices were slimmer than other tea rooms we had frequented together, but the gateaux and patisseries were definitely on the mark and very fresh. There’s a delightful mix of the pastries people travel hundreds of miles to savor in France with those we love in the United States. I am reminded of the traditional American coffee cake, which we allow ourselves to enjoy at any hour of the day, as long as it’s accompanied by a good coffee or tea. An American who embraces the two cultures, the owner of L’OisiveThé has outdone her neighbors and created a lovely escape from the busyness that in Paris.

Update: Since our visit, L’OisiveThé has started to sell yarn and offer knitting “parties” on a regular basis. It sounds like it’s quite the success.

L’OisiveThé
at rue de la Butte aux Cailles and rue Jean-Marie Jégo
Tél : +33 (0)1 53 80 31 33
Métro: Corvisart ou Place d’Italie
Open Tuesday to Thursday 12h to 19h and Friday to Sunday from 12h to 20h. Closed Mondays.

Cartes d'Art - Setting the Record for How Long I Can Spend in a Shop

I love Saint Germain. No, not Boulevard Saint Germain so much, with all those frou-frou shops. I love the area more down toward Saint Sulpice where everything is gloriously charming.

I don’t even remember how it happened, but a couple of years ago I came across this wonderful little shop in the 6ème called Cartes d’Art and now I’m ashamed to admit how much I spend on cards there. But I don’t even have to buy anything to feel good in this shop. It satisfies the writer in me; it makes me want to write, whether it’s a note to a friend, an observation in the metro, or a diary entry.

That is because they sell more than just their own darling signature post cards. They also sell their very own lines of notepads and notebooks splattered with all the cutest French characters and sayings you could imagine. It’s enough to make me buy a new cahier every time I see the latest designs – even if I haven’t filled the last one! The shop carries other lines of cards too, just not in their entirety. It is clear, though, that the buyers look for cards with similar charm to that of Cartes d’Art because I cannot stress how super mignons they all are! If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend this little shop on this quiet but charming street.

Cartes d’Art

9 rue du Dragon

75006 Paris