Abroad

Welcome to My Place . . . Paris

Gráinne Dirwan recommends the sights to see, food to eat and things to buy

Gráinne Dirwan and her boyfriend Pierre Gellie drinking coffee in the bathtub of a café on the Canal Saint Martin.

Grainne Dirwan
Sun Jan 7 2018 - 07:00

Where is the first place you bring people when they visit Paris?

The route to Berthillon is well trodden, by myself for guilty weekend pleasures, and with our guests, after a visit to Notre Dame. This Parisian institution is renowned for its ice cream, with flavours reportedly attuned to the season and moods of its frequenters. By bypassing the queue outside for ice cream cones, the salon de thé offers a sanctuary in which to enjoy a fairly-priced café gourmand – a coffee accompanied with two viennoiseries dressed with Chantilly cream and a choice of ice-cream.

The top three things to do there, that don’t cost (much) money, are . . .

Canal St Martin: Lazy weekends are spent enjoying the hip atmosphere around the canal, which stretches from the Basin de Villette to Place de la Republic. One of my favourite stops en route is to the Pavillion Café where good coffee can be had in every room of this topsy-turvy house, including inside the bathtub.

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Marché aux Puces St Ouen: Skirting the city boundaries at the end of metro line 4, the vast flea market of St Ouen is a myriad of the many sides of Paris. Large in size and unappreciated in a short visit, alleyways filled with antique shops open up to warehouses with vintage clothes and retro knick knacks. Little French bistros with seasoned house bands and weathered waiting staff dot the market, satisfying the desire to connect with old French glamour.

Falafel tasting: Falafel is king in Paris. The trendy city neighbourhood of the Marais hosts the best Parisian falafel experiences. All locals will hold their own views on where the best falafel can be enjoyed. Among the intimate streets is the setting for my last supper – a juicy falafel sandwiche traditionel from Chez Marianne. Eating in you can take a menu and absorb the quaint atmosphere, but my preference is to take-away and enjoy the many local parks, such as in the Picasso museum, or sit on a church step and listen to street music.

Where is the best place to get a sense of Paris’s place in history?

Parc Saint Cloud offers the best viewing point in the whole of Paris. The old domaine of St Cloud started its existence in 16th century. Only the bones of the estate remain, allowing the imagination to revert to regal times and then be transported straight back to modernity at the Laterne viewing point. It is never crowded, and the viewing point helps visitors make sense of this enormous city.

For what should visitors save room in their suitcase after a visit to Paris?

Budget and occasion permitting, a self-assembled box of macarons make a colourful and sweet treat. The celebrated names are Ladurée and Pierre Hermé, where you can add at least another €7 for the decorative box. However many boulangeries also hand make their macarons and while more modestly priced and dressed, they do retain an artisan charm.

If you’d like to share your little black book of places to visit where you live, please email your answers to the five questions above to abroad@irishtimes.com, including a brief description of what you do there and a photograph of yourself. We’d love to hear from you.

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