Third Time Lucky - September 21-22, 2025

Aboard our Air Canada flight

We had not traveled outside of North America for six years, but finally, on the evening of September 21, we boarded a flight to France. It is Bob's favourite country to visit, but the pandemic and some health setbacks over the past two years had caused us to delay this long-awaited trip until this day. Just as we were leaving the house, the top handle on Bob's suitcase broke. Was this an omen of bad things to come? Fortunately, there was another handle on the side, so off we went.

The small lobby of our hotel

We were located close to Place de la République

We landed in Paris the next morning without incident, sailed though customs, picked up our bags, and were met by Mehdi, a driver we had booked in advance. We had a pleasant visit with him during the 45 minute transfer to our boutique hotel, the New Hotel République. I had chosen it for its location and its reasonable price. Arriving in the early afternoon, we were warmly greeted by the staff, who stored our luggage until later in the day when our room would be ready. 

La Porte Saint Martin

Relief on la Porte Saint Martin

We were happy to set out on foot after so many hours confined in an airplane or taxi. We were a mere six minute walk from Place de La République, but having visited it in the past, we kept going. The goal on this visit to Paris was to visit new places, so our walk was planned to do just that. Our first stop was la Porte Saint Martin further along the same street. This triumphal arch was erected in 1674 in recognition of Louis XIV's victory in Franche-Comté and Limburg. Who knew the Arc de Triomphe was not the only such monument in Paris?

Theatre de la Renaissance

Biker

Next to it is le Theatre de la Renaissance, a performance venue for 150 years. We were now in uncharted territory, as we wandered the streets looking for a second triumphal arch, which I knew existed, but we could not find. (I later discovered my error and corrected it the next day.) Navigating Paris streets was different than our last visit six years before. Now, we had to dodge bikers who seemed to be everywhere. 

Wandering Paris streets

La Boulangerie du Pain de des Idées

After we gave up our search, I realized we were close to a bakery I had read about, la Boulangerie du Pain et des Idées (the Bakery of Bread and Ideas). It is among the most popular in all of Paris (Trip Advisor rates it #4 of the 506 in the city.), so we joined the line-up at the door. We picked up a couple of pastries and continued on our way. 

Some of the goodies on sale

Bob doing what he does best

We made our way south from here into the familiar Marais district in the 4th arrondissement. As we entered its northern boundary, we walked through a small park, le Square du Temple, where a statue to Holocaust survivor and author, Elie Wiesel stands. In another part of this small green space is a memorial to  Jewish children who were deported during WWII and murdered in Auschwitz. These little ones, were between 2 months and 6 years old,  and, as is written on a memorial stele "never had time to attend school." How very sad. 

Elie Wiesel Memorial

Part of the relief on the doorway of Hôtel Monescot

We stopped briefly in front of some of the areas' remarkable doorways. Here was a reminder of the grandeur of this part of the city. The doorway above leads to the 1647 mansion known as the Hôtel Montescot, while the more modern building across the road is notable for the relief sculpture of Caryatids over its entrance. It was fashioned by artisan Jean Boucher in 1911. 

I stand in a magnificent doorway under a relief of Caryatids

Modern mural

Much newer is the colourful and amusing mural a few meters away. It stands at the intersection of two streets. While Bob's eye was drawn to it, I noticed the Haudriettes Fountain in front of it, erected in 1764.  There is so much to look at in Paris, that it takes four eyes to see everything. 

Haudriettes Fountain

Entryway to Hôtel de Clisson

Those two sets of eyes spotted a stunning medieval gateway soon afterwards. With its corbelled turrets, it is a vey special entryway indeed, as it is one of the last surviving examples of 14th century architecture in Paris. Once part of the Hôtel de Clisson, it is now part of the large Hôtel de Soubise complex. 

Hôtel de Soubise

Double-columned peristyle

That same complex was our destination. I had read that this current home of the National Archives was a former mansion with free entrance to the public. It is fronted by a lovely courtyard, with a double columned peristyle on each side. We walked through this area as we approached the classical main building. 

Staircase inside Hôtel de Soupise 

Ceiling art above the staircase

This mansion was purchased in 1700 by François de Rohan-Soubise, a high-ranking member of the court of Louis XIV, who arranged for a modernization of the building  Later in the century, his son, now heir to the throne, had the mansion renovated a second time. A great architect of the 18th century, Germain Boffrand, then created what we see today. 

Beautiful mirror and fireplace

Wall sconce

The best painters, sculptors, and ornamentalists were hired to create sumptuous salons that are the finest examples of rocaille art, a decorative style in vogue during the reign of Louis XV. I loved the details in these rooms, particularly the embossed wallpaper. 

I read about this room.

The red room

There are only three or four of these salons open to visitors. In each, there are large cards with explanations of the room's features. The rest of the mansion houses the National Archives. This has been the case since 1806 when the state, which took over the building after the Revolution, decreed this to be so.

This room lies between the salons and the entrance hallway.

  The Hotel de Soubise is in the left foreground of this model. 

Back outside we entered the garden to the right of the entrance, a little oasis in this large complex. We wandered the paths of this green area, enjoying a few minutes of escape from concrete and stone. There were some sculptures and flowers here, but in late September, there was very little blooming. 

Enjoying a little greenery

Classical sculpture in the garden

As we made our way out of the National Archive complex, we passed through the entryway courtyard a second time, examining it from different angles. Again, the details captivated us. The double-columned peristyle is reminiscent of Ancient Greek architecture, while an old-fashioned lamp sits gracefully on an outside wall. 

The view through the peristyle

Lamp

Afterwards, we returned to the streets of le Marais. We had no other destination on our agenda, so we slowly made our way back to our hotel, ready to stop at any interesting sight we came upon. Not long afterwards,  we spotted a church and entered it. 

L'Église Notre-Dame des Blancs Manteaux

The barrel-vaulted nave

L'Église Notre-Dame des Blancs Manteaux (the Church of Our Lady of the White Cloaks) dates from the late 17th century, although an older church stood on this spot for four centuries beforehand. It was originally erected by the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin, a mendicant order of monks who wore white robes, hence the name. 

Beautiful pulpit

Biblical scene

The exterior of the church is quite plain but the nave with its barrel vault style is more pleasing to the eye. However, no feature of the church is more attractive than its 19th century pulpit, listed as a national heritage site. The steps depict Biblical scenes in marquetry panels. A combination of wood, pewter and ivory make up these images, contained within borders of carved and gilded wood. 

Crowds on a Marais Street

I shopped.

Our walk continued along the streets of the 4th arrondissement. It had turned into a beautiful day and there were many others enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. I was happy when I spotted a Saint James shop on our route. Before leaving home, I had resolved to get myself a new marinier shirt to replace the one I had bought eleven years ago and here was my chance. 

Rusting pipes in a construction zone

Lower body planter

We were feeling our jet lag by this time. After all, we had been up for well over 24 hours, because sleeping on a plane is not something we can do.  Still, as we made our way toward our hotel, Bob captured some unusual sights, as you can see in the above photos. Anything and everything can be a subject for his camera. 

A grand street in Paris

I stand in front of le Cirque d'Hiver

As we were leaving the Marais area, we approached a large circular yellow building in the distance. This is the Cirque d'Hiver, a venue for dressage, musical concerts, and, of course, circuses. Built in the mid-nineteenth century and opened by Napoleon III, this oval polygon has 20 sides. Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Georges Seurat have painted performances here and in the 20th century, James Brown put on a show. We found this building to be a pleasant surprise. Here was a reminder that Paris has so much history that a place that would have been a major attraction in Canada is not even mentioned in the guide books.

Close up of the façade of the Cirque d'Hiver

My dinner at Bouillon République

We were now a mere six minute walk from our hotel where we soon checked in and had a short rest before dinner. We asked the woman at the reception to recommend a local restaurant where we could be served quickly. She suggested the Bouillon République a short walk away. This was a fast food place, French style, although we had to line up to get in for about 15 minutes. Once inside its massive dining room, we ordered from a large menu, and were served pretty quickly. Bob ordered tuna and rice, while I opted for soup and steak frites. Neither of us were thrilled with our meal but al least we were able to have an early dinner and, not long afterwards, get a good night's sleep, after a very tiring day where I had logged 15 000 steps. All in all, this was a good first day in France.