Last night we had aperitifs with Andre and Marie, residents of the apartment block we previously stayed in, and they gave us recommendations for special places to visit in the 4éme arrondissement. Parfait!
We visited the Maison de Marie Touchet (the mistress of Charles IX, who became king at age 11!), the building dating from the 16th century; l'Hotel de Beauvais, dating back to the 13th century and now housing what I think is a combination of our civil court, administrative tribunal and appeals court; l'Hotel d'Aumont, dating to the 17th century; and the Hotel de Chalons - Luxembourg, dating to the 17th century. We visited each building as part of a guided tour and, although we could follow parts of the story, I will need to translate the brochures so that we fully understand what the guide was telling us! Nevertheless, we could certainly appreciate the sense of history and the beauty of these buildings - most of which are in current use as libraries or for administrative functions. What wonderful spaces in which to work!
Oh, and the day was punctuated by late coffee, croissant and pain au chocolat for breakfast at the beautiful boulangerie pictured below, and crepes for lunch in the park behind Notre Dame. Une bonne journée!
2 comments:
Hi Sally & Brent, Une journee vraiment interessant. Once again your 'photos are quite lovely. L&G
It is those decorative features around doors and windows which make the architecture so exquisite to see. I am hoping to forward your blog to the Baillieu government, and hopefully it will be mandatory to include design features such as these in all of the building which is invading Melbourne....otherwise, we're all moving to Paris!
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