TravelswithCharie

Rue Crémieux It’s as if I’m going out again with my old lover. I’m discovering new things about him that I wasn’t aware of before. That’s how I feel about my love affair with Paris . Case in point: Rue Crémieux. Rue  Crémieux  is a sleeping beauty with its cobblestone street, pastel painted fa ç ades, thoughtful murals, potted plants and an air of unhurried pace amidst the bustling Gare de Lyon area.   The concerted efforts of the residents of Rue  Crémieux  to beautify their neighborhood is cause for applause. This is what happens when neighbors commit themselves to a worthy and far reaching goal. I love the illusion of a tree straddling the house as if it always belonged there. Notice the murals on this house. These well thought out personal touches define this neighborhood. To get to Rue  Crémieux, take the metro to Gare de Lyon. Walk down a few blocks along Rue de Lyon which is across from the station and Rue  Crémieux will be on your left side.

I've just discovered the Rue Mouffetard which is a short walk from my hotel on the Left Bank. All along its cobblestone streets are stalls selling fruits and vegetables, wine, cheese, pastries and bread, meat and seafood as well as take out food. Several restaurants and two supermarkets flank both sides of the narrow street. There are a couple of shops with a good selection of wines and the prices are reasonable. When I came back around 3:30 p.m. to Rue Mouffetard after spending some time at the Cluny, the restaurant where I wanted to eat was already closed for lunch so I stopped by a traiteur (prepared food for take-out) and I bought riz cantonais and poulet croustillante . It wasn't what I hoped for so after eating my "to go" lunch I walked across to the patissier and studied the sweets. I picked up a pavé of chocolat to save the day. All's well that ends well. * * * Photos by Charie