A Rare Unplanned Day - October 9, 2025

Place des Vosges

This morning, we made our way to the train station where we grabbed breakfast at Paul, a French chain that sells baked goods. We had tickets for the express train to Paris, leaving at 10:00 a.m. After two weeks on the road, it was lovely to be traveling on a train instead of a car. I enjoyed the trip so much that I dozed during most of the two hour journey. 

A small garden

Table tennis trio

After we arrived at le Gare de Montparnasse, we picked up a couple of sandwiches to be eaten later, and returned by taxi to the New Hotel République, where we had stayed at the beginning of our trip. There we ate our lunch and discussed what to do with the rest of our day. Except for a dinner reservation, we had no plans.

Modern fountain

Bridge and lock

I wanted to buy gifts for our grandchildren, so we searched online for clothing and toy stores for children. We found a shop with good potential not far north of us, so we set out on foot in that general direction. We began our excursion on Boulevard Jules Ferry, a wide thoroughfare with a park in the middle. 

We arrive at the canal.

Park bench beside the water

There we saw garden plots, people playing table tennis, and a fountain. It was a pleasant afternoon, and many Parisians were out enjoying the weather. At the end of the first block, the Boulevard Jules Ferry changes its name to le Quai de Valmy because here le Canal St-Martin appears, seemingly out of nowhere. In fact, it had been beside us all along, but underground. This part of the waterway extends over four kilometres in central Paris. It is punctuated with locks and footbridges.

A couple on the bridge

A narrow segment

We followed this route for a time, sometimes crossing to the other side over the footbridges. The canal was very narrow at first, but it widened the further north we walked. This is a delightful part of Paris, a bohemian area, with a very relaxed atmosphere. 

A wider portion

Young women enjoying the day by the canal

I have learned that it is possible to take a slow boat ride along Canal Saint-Martin. We would have to save this for another time, because today, we were on our way to that store we had read about, le Centre Commercial Kids. Close to it, Bob spotted a little fellow on an eave–a throwback to the red guy on a bridge in Toulouse. 

Red fellow

Inside Centre Commercial Kids

There were some lovely clothing items at the store, but what caught our attention were large posters of French attractions which were meant to be coloured. Here was a way for the little ones to learn a little about France while at play. The posters were folded up and packaged in flat boxes–they would not take up much space in our suitcases. 

Patissier/Boulanger Aux Pêchés Normands

Cafe du Temple

Our mission accomplished, we were free to wander for the rest of the afternoon. We headed south along Rue Yves Toudic, passing by typical French establishments on the way: a large patisserie (which we did not visit, amazingly) and a corner café, with patrons sitting outside, as they do here. Both occupied the ground floors of lovely Haussmannian apartment buildings from the 19th century. Paris at its best!

Boulangerie Utopie

Yummy display

After we dropped off our purchases at our hotel, we preceded to the bakery down the street, Boulangerie Utopie, ranked among the top in the city. We had been there several times during our first days of the vacation, but it is irresistible, so we went back. This time, I opted for the lemon tart on the far right, while Bob chose an almond croissant. 

Église Saint-Denys-de-Saint-Sacrement

Ionic columns line the nave of the church

From here, we headed towards the familiar streets of La Marais, letting our feet take us wherever they wanted. When we came upon the Neoclassical Église Saint-Denys-de-Saint-Sacrement, we popped in for a visit. Built in the early 19th century, its grandeur comes from its many ionic columns, both outside and in.

The half-dome over the choir

Pieta by Delacroix

The art in the interior impressed us. In the half-dome above the choir, a large painting, "The Eternal Father, Christ and the Virgin" is the work of Abel de Pujol, a student of Jacques-Louis David. There is also a painting, "Pieta" by Eugène Delacroix, in one of the chapels, . 

One of the Stations of the Cross

We took this advice.

Bob's eye was also also drawn to the works that represented the Stations of the Cross, which seemed to be done in watercolours. Actually, finding art of every sort is common in Le Marais. Years ago, we had walked these streets during "Nuit Blanche", where there was a installation on every corner. The sherry creation, above, reminded my of that night.

Relief at a construction site

Le Marais can be described as bourgeois-bohemian, since, while it attracts many artists and art lovers, many of its buildings were once the mansions of Paris' well-to-do. An example of this is the Hôtel de Montpouiilon, with putti (cherubs) holding a globe above a mascaron (a decorative face carving) on its doorway.

Paroisse Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis

Baroque interior

Towards the south end of the district, we arrived at la Paroisse Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis. Although we had had a guided tour of it in the past, we decided to have a second look. It is notable for many reasons.  For one thing, it was the first Baroque church erected in Paris, a style popularized by the Jesuits. Its façade is similar to the Church of the Gesù in Rome, the mother church of that order of priests. 

More of the interior

Its lofty interior was designed to bring people closer to God, and its lavish decorations stand in contrast to austere Protestant churches. It is interesting to note that, in the Baroque tradition, the stained-glass windows are white, in order to let in as much as light as possible. 

The dome

Wood paneling

Also inspired by similar ones in Italy, the dome of Paroisse Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis was the first of its kind in Paris. Resting on an octagonal drum, it reaches a height of 55 metres. The medallions on the pendentives represent the four evangelists. The wood paneling in the passages leading from the side aisles adds warmth to this predominantly grey house of worship. 

Petit Pan

Au Petit Versailles du Marais

The church is located on a main thoroughfare, Rue du Rivoli, so we decided to explore some of the shops there. Among these was Petit Pan, where colourful cotton fabrics have been used to create toys and clothing for children and adults. It was charming, but expensive. 

The interior of Au Petit Versailles du Marais

Au Bourguignon de Marais

Soon afterwards, we arrived at yet another patisserie, Au Petit Versailles du Marais. Established in 1860, it is one of the oldest bakeries in Paris.  Although the goodies there were tempting, the building itself was what drew us in. The exterior contains beautifully painted wooden panels, and the interior is spectacular, with ornate woodwork, workshop mirrors, and antique chandeliers. After we had a look around, we stepped back outside and realized we were directly across the road from the restaurant where we had dined on the second evening of this trip–Au Bourguignon du Marais.

Medieval building

Historical society 

Some of the oldest houses in Marais–actually, in all of Paris–stand a few metres away from this corner. According to a sign posted in front of them, the two half-timbered buildings date from the 14th century, although they were redone two hundred years later. Nearby is la Maison d'Ourscamp, the headquarters of the Paris Historical Society. Its gothic cellar, built in the second half of the 13th century, is even older. On an earlier visit to Paris, Bob and I had visited this place.

Our first sight of Musée Carnavalet

A second sighting of la Musée Carnavalet

Bob and I usually choose le Marais as our base when in Paris, so it is no surprise that much of what we saw was familiar. Earlier in our walk, we had passed by la Musée Carnavalet, and now, an hour later, we encountered it again. Housed in two neighbouring mansions, it is dedicated to the history of the city of Paris. We recommend it if you ever visit the area. 

Hotel de Lamoignon

More of Hôtel de Lamoignon

This part of the city is full of "hôtels particuliers", grand townhouses, that have been repurposed in one way or another. L'Hôtel de Lamoignon, above, is now the home of la Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris. It has a beautiful garden which we had entered twice before. 

Georgia O'Keefe

I love Buffet's signature.

I mentioned earlier that le Marais is known for its art scene, so it was no surprise to come upon a large ad for Georgia O'Keefe, although I cannot find any information about a recent exhibition of her works in Paris. Earlier, Bob had spotted a poster of an exposition of the art of Bernard Buffet, a favourite of his.

Vaulted arcade on the perimeter of Place des Vosges

We enter Place des Vosges

As we approached the dinner hour, we made our way to la Place des Vosges where I make a pilgrimage every time I visit the city. It is the oldest planned square in Paris, dating from the reign of Louis XIII, and originally called "Place Royale". A photo taken there begins this post.

The King's Pavillion

So beautiful!

In my opinion, this is an ideal space. Its dimensions are perfectly symmetrical, measuring 140 metres x 140 meters, and bordered by 36 buildings, nine on each side. The central buildings on the north and south sides are the only exceptions to the clean lines of the surrounding structures, since they are one storey taller than the rest. These are le Pavillon du Roi and le Pavillon de la Reine, although no royalty has ever lived there.

Louis XIII equestrian statue

Boys playing soccer

The design features of the buildings in Place des Vosges are very pleasing to the eye. All are made of red brick with rows of stone wedges. These are topped by steep roofs made of slate, and dotted with dormer windows and narrow stone chimneys. Vaulted arcades link all the pavilions at the ground level. Many of the shops in the arcaded section are upscale art galleries, elegant cafés, or antique stores. We always enjoy looking through their windows, even though we cannot afford to buy anything. In spite of the formal nature of Place des Vosges, it is open for anyone and everyone to enjoy. In the past, we have seen young lovers canoodling here, senior citizens relaxing on park benches, and folks taking a lunch break; today, we watched some boys playing soccer. 

L'Ange 20

My delicious dinner

After feeding our spirits at this, our favourite spot in the city, it was time to feed our tummies. We had made a dinner reservation at Restaurant Ange 20 where we had enjoyed a meal in 2019. To mark this occasion, I put on the same pink scarf I had worn six years previously, and have included that earlier photo. I haven't changed a bit!

Wine in the left hand 2019

Wine in the right hand 2025

This is a small establishment, where the tables are set up very close together, so while we enjoyed our meal, we conversed with our neighbours: a couple from Halifax, a mother and daughter from Boston, and two young women from Shanghai. Afterwards, we walked back to our hotel for a good night's sleep. After all, we had walked over 20 000 steps on this day.