A Day in Les Halles (old and new)

Monday, May 19. Don't worry, I'm still here and still writing. But some entries are incomplete so not "published."

Forum des Halles. I spend some time (only a little because it's all I can stand) exploring the innards of Forum des Halles, the huge underground complex that was built on the site of the former city market, Les Halles. There's actually an Information desk with maps in English, but just looking at the map makes me queasy. It's a huge mall on four (underground) levels. Very disorienting like most malls, and I feel claustrophobic because you can't see out. (Now that I think about it, this was one of my problems at the Musee du Quai Branly as well.) But at least I locate the cinema which was my main objective.

From the bowels of the Forum des Halles, you can take any number of RER and metro lines. So I get on RER A out to Nogent-sur-Marne, where the only surviving pavillion from the original Les Halles market was moved. It's about a 20 minute train ride - two stops beyond Vincennes - and I have to buy a special ticket because it's outside the city proper.

Le Pavilion Baltard (as it is now called, after the architect who designed the pavillions) is a short walk from the RER station, heading downhill. It is now used as a concert venue, but nothing was going on today. Not possible to go in. In front of the Pavilion is a small park-like affair called the Square du Vieux Paris. It's Paris frozen in time: a Morris column, a Wallace fountain, wooden benches, the metal trash cans that were actually quite attractive, the old lampposts and signs. Kind of sad, actually. Maybe someday, this is the only place where we will be able to see these things.

Ile de la Beaute. I continue on down the hill as I have checked out the "walking tour" of Nogent-sur-Marne that was posted near the RER exit. I'm not going to do the whole thing but I'm interested in getting down to the river and seeing something called Ile de la Beaute. Of course, as I approach the area, there's a big sign that says "Propriete Privee" and "Access Interdit" but hey, that doesn't stop me. I'm going in unless someone tells me I can't! It turns out to be a lovely (and public) promenade basically along the river Marne, although you can't see the river because there is a row of houses between the promenade and the river. The walk is wide, gravel-lined, quiet and shaded with trees and flowering bushes. I walk about a mile until I reach a huge park where the promenade curves down to the river. The houses on the river side of the promenade must have a great view. Apparently this was originally an area of "weekend" homes, and the architecture is quite diverse. The river is peaceful and lovely. The promenade is named for Yvette Horner

I slog all the way back up the hill and take the RER back into town. Switch to the metro at Nation and alight at Oberkampf to walk home a different way. Down the rue Amelot (like Camelot without the "C"!), past the Cirque d'Hiver, then down rue des Filles du Calvaire (which should be called "Shirt Street" because of all the shops selling them) to rue Bretagne and the Marche des Enfants Rouges (I wanted to see this because one of the Claude Izner books takes place around here!). Down rue du Temple (past a lot of little jewelry boutiques), right onto rue Gravilliers which I'd never walked down before, to rue Saint Martin.

Out to dinner tonight at Le Cavalier Bleu for an omelette and salad. Amorino ice cream.