We went on a crazy adventure!! (Scavenger hunt in Paris)
Paris in the morning is a beautiful time. Like today when the sun was bright and shiny, cute Perisian people were milling around and having strolls around Place d’Itilie, and there were a bunch of crazy Americans running around the city for a scavenger hunt. So relaxing....?
With thirteen people split up into groups of two or three, nine obscure places or things to find, and six hours to do so we were off at eight o’clock in the morn with a plan. I’m quite proud to say that as a group, the three of us occomplished great things in those six hours, and we found some pretty good stuff along the way. So in a whirlwind tour of Paris, here are a few of the interesting (and often unnoticed) places we got to visit and learn about in the process.
Ruins of the Roman baths:
Deep in the heart of Paris, in the 5th arrondessiment are the ruins of a great Roman structure that showcases the incredible architecture and design of the ancient times. The building, now called the Gallo-Roman Thermes de Cluny, is believed to have been built by Roman boatsman in the 1st or 2nd century A.D. and was used as a bath house that was open to the public with a variety of rooms and facilities.
The ruins are now both a place of continuous research and exploration, as well as a place that the public can visit through entrance to the Musee de Cluny which stands next door. The museum allows for tours of the ruins and information regarding not only what one can see of them, but what one cannot see. So what can we not see?
It is true that while the building is mostly in ruins, there is much of it that has yet to have been uncovered. Archeologists have discovered a variety of spaces within the ruins that would have been used as cold rooms, hot rooms, and utilies that still lay below the surface of the grounds.
While we didn’t get to physical enter into the ruins, the experience of seeing them through the slits of a large gate was beautiful and strange. Beautiful and strange because of how old this place truly is and thinking about the hands that built it. What were those boatsman’s lives like? How can a place so old continue to live on in its ruins and what does it mean to preserve them? I found myself asking these questions as we looked into the ornate structure that was both stunning and broken.
Square Barye:
Square Barye is located on the very tip on Ile Saint Louis (the smaller of the two islands that sit in the middle of the River Seine) and encompasses a triangular park featuring a large monument, attractions for young children to play on, lots of greenery, and most fabulously a beauful view of the city from the middle of the river.
Once the sight of a monestery with a chapel and lush gardens, the space was a lovely spot for locals to visit. However, during the revolution the space was devestated and eventually torn down due to the state of religion in France at the time. In its place was arrected Square Barye, now a park without religion affiliations and open to all.
The center of the square houses the large monument, as mentioned above, that was dedicated to sculptor Antione Louis Barye. The artist was a lover of animals and created many a sculpture that can be found amongst the Tuilleries Gardens near Musee de Louvre.
I loved walking through the peacful gardens and experiencing the view of Paris from a little point at the end of Ile Saint Louis. There was so much greenery and spots to sit and be in nature, while still enjoying the luxeries of a created park. Overall, a wonderful find.
Place Edith Piaf:
If you have ever heard the dreamy tune of La Vie en Rose or the powerful song that is Non Ve Ne Regret Rien than you are familier with the incredible artist that was Edith Piaf. Piaf was a young girl living in Paris during the early 20th century trying to make a living as a singer on the streets of Montmartre.
She was eventually noticed by the owner of a cabaret in the city and given her first job as a singer. From then her career took off with success, heart break, and the eventual death of Piaf at 47 due to health, drugs, and alcohol abuse. Regardless of the sadness in her life, Edith was a powerhouse of a women and handled her many trials with grace. When she passed away it would not be the struggles she went through, but her incredible talent and grace that she would be remembered by.
Thus, the creation of this tiny little place in her name. The place was created in 2003 and it’s now famous statue was commissioned to artist Lisbeth Delisle as a way to commemorate the space for the 40th anniversary of Piaf’s death.
Though the place is small and is not known for its tourist attractions, I found it to be full of charm and a beautiful way to recognize the late singer. Simple, elegant, and a little quirky.
In short, the adventures of today were one for the books and gave me the opportunity to explore parts of Paris that I may never have wandered into. While the huge, famous, and touristy areas of the city are certainly a wonderful place to be, the secrets of Paris (or just the little spots most visitors would never go to) are the most charming to me.
Thank you for the adventures, Paris.
Sources: Micheline Green Guide, Musée de Cluny website
