Exploring the Marais

As I move around the neighborhood, I often see a sign pointing in the direction of "Village St Paul" and today I decided to go find out what it was.  While the Marais is one of the oldest parts of the city, dating back to the Middle Ages, much of it has been rebuilt over the centuries as streets and buildings began to accommodate a growing population and all sorts of vehicles.  The Village St Paul has escaped the various revisions over the years and remains the closest thing to what Paris once was in its earliest years...a labyrinth of courtyards, alleys, and narrow winding streets. 

The street level shops have been converted into boutiques and studios that cater to antiques dealers, art and design studios and home wares.  (Nirvana!)  Relatively undiscovered by tourists, it was a quiet refuge from the hustle and bustle of the rue de Rivoli just a block away.

                                       The courtyards of Village St Paul

The neighborhood is also home to the Musee Carnavalet which is devoted to the history of Paris and the exploits of its famous inhabitants over the years.  The museum has over 100 rooms filled with a wide range of art work, entire rooms of furniture from Louis XIV to the Belle Epoque, Jean-Jacques Rousseau's inkwell and other personal effects, Proust's entire bedroom, and Napolean's campaign kit that he took on the road with him whenever new places had to be conquered.   I barely scratched the surface of its vast collections so will come again another day to sift through the "attic" of Paris.

The Marais has historically been home to the Jewish community in Paris, so there are wonderful kosher restaurants and delis in the neighborhood.  The rue des Rosiers is a central artery of that community and I had come to look for Jo Goldenburg's restaurant, the site of a terrorist bombing in the 80s.  I didn't realize it had closed, but a plaque remains on the side of the building commemorating the loss of six lives and more than 20 injured.  Curiously, no one was ever arrested or held accountable for this crime.