Glamour Apartments Blog

Cafe de Flore

Cafe de FloreIf you find bohemian life of Paris interesting, Cafe de Flore is the place which is necessary visiting. For a hundred and twenty years since its foundation Cafe de Flore has saved up the unique aura filled with creativity of many well-known people creating in these walls.

Located on Saint-Germain-des-Près in the centre of quarter of boutiques, Cafe de Flore is breathing the Bohemianism and history. The interior in style of the twentieth years, huge mirrors, leather armchairs, smell of coffee and croissant. However, Cafe de Flore is not famous for its interior and style but for those people who visited and continues to visit it.

From the end of 60-ies and up to now Cafe de Flore is a place of attraction for film bohemia, musicians and fashionable designers. Here just some names: Jane Fonda, Roman Polanski, Alain Delon, Yves Montand, Brigitte Bardot, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola, Jim Morrison, Cher, Tim Burton, Harvey Keitel, Givenchy, Sonia Rykiel, Yves Saint-Laurent.  

A little earlier, before film industry development, Cafe de Flore was popular with artists, writers, poets and philosophers. Those days, starting with 20th years, the history of world art was created in cafe. Every day, as if to work, poet Jacques Prévert came. He used to collect menus from tables, pieces of paper (happened, toilet too), wrote on them, sometimes forgot. After his leaving the owner of cafe Bubal accurately collected them and handed over to Prévert next day. Guillaume Apollinaire the great poet and the expert on painting, thanks to his articles written here after long conversations with artists, has for ever changed a sight of the world on cubism and surrealism.

Milan Kundera, Paco Rabanne, Karl Lagerfeld, Roland Barthes, Françoise Sagan, Pablo Picasso, André Breton, Louis Aragon, Jean-Paul Sartre – all these glorified names relate to Cafe de Flore. At will of destiny in the early thirties the cafe was a favorite place of fascists, but during German occupation – a place of meetings of the French communists. After war it was often visited by Lev Trotsky, Ernest Hemingway and Albert Camus.

Today the cafe is on peak of its popularity and simple mention that Johnny Depp and Sharon Stone happen to be here is enough for attraction of a considerable quantity of tourists. They write novels about cafe, it is mentioned at cinema, they compose verses about it and it can be recognized on pictures painted in Paris. “Lovers of Cafe de Flore” – is the name of a world-known novel about mutual relations of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre.

This place associates with French and a Bohemianism so strongly that this impression finds the reflection even in music. Modern music of Cafe de Flore is original musical sub-style or mini-style of music either old, or stylized so to absorb the spirit and to pass charm of the French song of bygone days. Such a mix of Cool Jazz and French chanson.  

To make out the prices in Cafe de Flore, check up an official web site. Visiting Cafe de Flore remember that Parisian cafe is not a place in which it is possible to eat tasty during the lunchtime, for these purposes try to choose a restaurant. In Cafe de Flore it is necessary to enjoy the atmosphere behind a coffee or French wine cup slowly. By the way, Cafe de Flore is one of rare places in Paris where Dom Pérignon is possible to get in a glass.

Choose an evening if you love noisy parties and music. Well and if noise and crowd is not your cup of tee – the best time, free from tourists, is a morning week-day. The cafe is open at 7:30 am and if you rent apartment close Cafe de Flore for the period of visiting of Paris you can enjoy morning coffee, absorbing the bohemian romanticism, though every day.

172, boulevard Saint-Germain
75006 Paris
Tel. 01 45 48 55 26

Restaurants: BON

In the 16th district of Paris there is very good restaurant which is called BON. It has a modern interior. It has a modern cuisine with very much asian influence. The food is very good there and you can also get a variety of wine. Very nice place to spend time with your business partners or with your girl.

The big advantage there is a smoking room – a nice place where you can smoke instead of freezing outside.

The prices are: 15-20€ for the starter, 20-35€ for the main dish, 10-20€ for the dessert. :)

The only negative moment was in the end when we asked the waiter to bring us a digestive as a present from the restaurant… The waiter refused our cheeky proposition :)

Restaurants: Bel Canto

Le Belcanto restaurantYesterday I was in very nice restaurant called Bel Canto located on Hotel de Ville. The interesting thing about this restaurant is that the waiters  sing arias and parts of the operas.

You enjoy the delicious Italian food to the accompaniment of professional opera singers and the sounds of grand piano. There were 4 signers: two men and two women. It is worth to try!

There are 3 restaurants like that: one in London and two in Paris. Actually the third one is in Neuilly-sur-Seine, 2 km from Paris and as I was told the interior there is more attractive.

I was talking with the girl under the piano about the repertoire – there are around 100 artists working in these restaurants, so every day they sign different operas.

Our company can help you with the reservation of the table. Just email us or via telephone.

Do not take Paris for a city of artists, it is an artist itself!

Many cities of this planet amazingly vary in spirit in the everyday life, however each of them has an especial line which characterizes it in many respects, allocates from others. Paris is a city which, being the capital of France, the centre of political and economic life of the country, first of all, associates, as cultural “Mecca” of Europe, and possibly of the whole world.

Great armies of various directions of art were always attracted to Paris. Here it is possible to meet young writers, artists, actors and musicians which have arrived here in search of inspiration, glory and recognition of the talents. Time spent here, highly affects artists as they have possibility of constant dialogue with the same kind of people, the adherents.

Sometimes there is a feeling as if Paris possesses a certain magic charm, magic attractiveness for talented and creative people, and at the same time has some kind of “dope” thanks to which these people completely change their world outlook, create the present masterpieces, in literature, architecture, design, fine arts, music or cinema. And after all it is valid so. Perhaps, nobody challenges the fact that many great people created their greatest masterpieces in Paris. As an example: Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso, Charles Aznavour also Marc Chagall, Claude Monet and Eugene Delacroix, Voltaire and Gustave Courbet and many-many other.

Moulin RougeAll these great representatives of the big art world worked in different trends and styles, however all are connected by one thing – Paris – the city of artist and poets wandering in search of originality. So it was, and so, probably, will always be until creative natures among us searching for something higher than daily work.

And art in Paris fills practically everything that surrounds a human being. Even passing by a usual cafe, inadvertently you notice that a usual signboard over a door is made with a certain highlight you never met before.

To speak about Paris and thus to mean art, undoubtedly, the first which comes to mind is the legendary Montmartre – a place where everything is filled with romanticism and cheerfulness – the world of art. Here you will always find something new and interesting. Visiting Paris without seeing Montmartre is incomplete. Montmartre is more than the Arc de Triomphe or Tour Eiffel, it lives and moves.

In the beginning of the nineteenth century this well-known Parisian hill was flooded with poor French bohemia which in consequence has glorified itself and Montmartre. Some time passed and the place became the recognized centre of new French and European creativity and art. And, in spite of the fact that recently Montmartre represents the historical value rather than is a place of artists’, writers’ and musicians’ conglomeration – inexpressible romantic atmosphere still belongs to this place.

If you have decided to visit Paris take advantage and visit Montmartre, here you can get at least a small piece of Paris on artist canvas possible to take home with you. Ah yes, by all means it is necessary to book tickets for Moulin Rouge – a magnificent cabaret-theatre, the native land of modern striptease.

19, rue des Frigos, ParisModern artists in Paris have more and more dispersed in other places which, quite probably, will become cult in some time. If you have decided to make a tour to Paris and are interested in art, visit the palace of Tokyo with its various opening days, where young artists of Paris demonstrate their creations (palaisdetokyo.com – the schedule of events).

Also, if your trip to Paris is long time, visit a popular habitat of the Parisian artists which is situated on the territory of an old refrigerating warehouse of the city (the address: 19, rue des Frigos). Here almost every day different performances – concerts, exhibitions, video displays, and presentations are held.  

Also do not follow a saying “to see Paris and to die! “. Live, come to this city more often, and you will always find something new of the world called Paris – the most important artist in the world!

Ameli has returned Parisians to Montmartre

AmeliIt is known that Paris is one of the most attractive cities for tourists. Only mentioning Paris causes visual images of Tour Eiffel, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées, and associations continue with mimes, berets, striped sweaters, long scarfs. Hunters for Parisian romanticism aim to visit Montmartre, to plunge into creativity atmosphere, to see, how art is born. Parisians have given Montmartre to tourists long time ago; however one cultural event has forced them to appear here again.

For returning to Montmartre Parisians are obliged to the director of a movie called “Ameli” – Jean-Pierre Jeunet. It has shown “not tourist” Montmartre in this movie and has inhaled new spirit of magic in the district La Butte. This district has ceased to interest the Parisian builders in the 19th century and was considered absolutely unpromising for development because of too steep slopes and descents. Partly therefore it is still one of the cheapest in the city. It is easily possible to rent an apartment for some days to plunge into the world of romanticism.

In 1975 Jean-Pierre Jeunet rented apartment on this hill. Being a 20 year old young man full of hopes and embarrassed financially, he has moved here to save on payment. Probably, in gratitude to Montmartre for his success, he has pictured these places with love and has shown Paris from other, unfamiliar side.

The excursion on “Ameli’s Paris” begins at a metro station Lamarck-Gaulaincourt which is called Abessess in the movie. All scenes connected to the underground were shot here. Having turned from the underground to the right along the street Rue Lamarck, we turn off on a paved small street going upwards Rue des Saules and we go to a crossroad with Rue Saint Vincent. It is the movie’s index point; the story about the childhood of Ameli begins exactly with this crossroad.

Popularity of Audrey Tautou has come after this role. Despite that the film scenario has been written specially for other actress, at latest moment Jean-Pierre Jeunet has invited Audrey Tautou to a meeting after he has seen her bottomless eyes on one of advertising posters, and without tests has confirmed her for the role. The actress has been enamored in her heroine, though in her real life she is a full contrast to Ameli. During the first two days Audrey has read the scenario for 12 times.

“The house of Ameli” is located on Rue des Trois Freres №56. Here is “Attics of Kollinon” where Ameli does her purchases. In reality the store is called «At Ali» (Chez Ali) and except for absence of bags with grain, in which Ameli started hands, looks just as in the movie.

From this corner, having passed along the street Abessess, we turn on the left on Rue Lepic. This is the route Ameli took to see a blind old man off, telling him what was happening around. In the apartment building №15 on Rue Lepic is that bar «Two mills» (2 Moulins) in which the heroine worked as a waitress. In reality it seems much smaller and waiters here are men. However, the interior did not vary since 1950.

The cinema, to which Ameli goes to watch spectators’ faces, is very old; it has been constructed in 1928. It is situated in the house № 10 along the Rue Tholozc. Here in district there is a sex shop, to which Ameli comes in search for Nino Quincampoix. It is located in boulevard de Clichy, opposite to cabaret “Moulin Rouge”.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet really shows Montmartre with deep trembling for the days of his youth. Even the surname of the heroine – Poulain – is the name of a chocolate the director once bought in the shop “At Ali”. Now it is difficult to imagine someone else in the role of Ameli instead of Audrey Tautou though the boots of the heroine were awfully great to the actress. Audrey thanks the director for this role: “I have read this scenario about a girl – a small fairy making good to people … I liked the role tremendously!”

Paris … Montmartre … and you!

montmartre

Magnificent, bewitching, gorgeous, amazing, grasping … How many words it is possible to apply to the unique place on the Earth which is able to bring unique emotions, make you look at the world in an absolutely new fashion, to transform your most secret desires into a reality. There is no need in guessing, what these words are about – concern one of the finest cities on our planet – Paris.

Paris is fine in all displays, it is equally magnificent any time of the year, you will always find something new in it, something surprising, subdue, amorous, remaining in memory for ever.

And if someone tells you that in Paris it is necessary to visit this or that place, do not doubt and take the person’s word for truth. The only thing, remember that Paris is never limited to a certain set of places and sights; Paris is interesting in each single moment. The Tour Eiffel, the Place Charles de Gaulle and the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées, the Louvre, Versailles is only a top of an iceberg of that magnificence for which the French capital is famous.

If you have creative and romantic nature you will also open the unique Paris for yourselves pleasing you with the unique colors. And we suggest you begin with the well-known Montmartre – glorious mansion of art and its attendants. This article is dedicated to it.

Montmartre – is the highest area of Paris located on a hill visible from any part of this city, and the whole city is visible from it. Montmartre gets its special beauty with the sunrise the beams of which give it a unique charm and appeal.

Historically this area of Paris is inseparably linked with art and its adherents. Since nineteenth century, Montmartre is a peculiar “Mecca” for representatives of the world of art – poets and artists, musicians and writers. In due time such known all over the world people, as Jean Corot, Berlioz, Georges Seurat, Theodore Gericault, Auguste Renoir, Pablo Picasso and Van Gogh were inhabitants of local places. And each of these great masters has contributed to glorification of Montmartre by means of the pieces of art – present masterpieces of world art. Montmartre got additional colors by other part of its life – bohemian cabarets, salons of exotic dances and, at last, brothels – art and debauchery always had joined hands, it is in the human nature.

Nowadays Montmartre is not the place where it is possible to meet artists fascinatingly narrating about the new pictures behind a glass of absinthe liqueur; eventually they have found new places for realization of their creative impulses. But, even becoming a tourist point on the map of Paris, Montmartre remains extremely interesting. Opportunely is to recollect Maurice Utrillo – the artist was never interested in the bohemian component of the hill; he simply drew its streets, empty and deserted, cheerful and noisily crowded, but always attractive and charming. This person simply loved the Montmartre.

In general, you can find a lot of interesting places, including a majestic temple towering on eighty meters, Cimetiere de Montmartre (Montmartre cemetery), original small restaurants and bistro and the well-known cabaret Moulin Rouge and many other things.

There is no need describing everything Montmartre is famous for; it is impossible to describe in words what you can see with your own eyes, touch, and inhale with your lungs. Our advice is to visit Paris, to climb up Montmartre and … to take pleasure!

Catacombes de Paris (The Parisian catacombs). A place where legends are weaved

Parisian catacombsParis, as any other centuries-old city, naturally gets truthful and invented stories and legends. Having visited this remarkable European city and having communicated to representatives of the senior generation of its population, you will obviously hear some of them. And believe us, even what you hear seems a fiction, an original and fascinating narration will make an unforgettable impression.

In this article we suggest to have a more detailed look on such a significant phenomenon for inhabitants of the French capital, as the Parisian catacombs to which a lot of local residents’ attention is paid in the folklore.

The word “the catacomb” itself is capable to make an impressionable person tremble; especially if it is accompanied by a colorful story here such a person can allow his or her imagination run high.

So, if your visit to France contains an excursion across Paris make sure underground Paris is part of it; these catacombs and tunnels are plenty in this city. According to the Parisians many underground ways have been dug long time ago by numerous smugglers with the purpose to deliver every possible goods to the city without fee, so to say, “duty free”. Having wandered on these underground lanes and streets, you will understand that visiting vaults of Paris is not less fascinating, than excursions to Louvre or Tour Eiffel.

Speaking about underground corridors – their extent under Paris makes some hundreds of kilometers; they create some kind of an underground labyrinth with set of entries and exits. These tunnels are settled under a considerable part of the left bank of the Seine, as much space under the right bank is also occupied by them. In many places the depth of the tunnels reaches over twenty meters.

So, tunnels of Paris … it’s high time to put a question: What is the main cause of their occurrence? It is banal enough. Paris – already in the Middle Ages – was a rather big city which constantly grew at the expense of increase in local residents’ well-being and immigrants arriving. To erect new private and public objects builders needed stone, and there was nothing easier, than to dig it from the underground. This is the way how many Parisian catacombs and tunnels appeared.

Already in the eighteenth century there was a special department established by the municipal government which was engaged in registering and protecting of the underground tunnels. Thanks to its efforts each underground street has been plotted on the map of the city under unique names already in those days.

When in the nineteenth century Paris got an underground, the tourists’ interest to the underground city had considerably increased, and the authorities had to limit the number of the tunnels opened for visiting. The Parisian authorities nowadays allow visiting exclusively famous catacombs which are under the Place Denfert-Rochereau particularly, and some other places. However, with the best will you can always find many institutions located underground in Paris, it can be various bars, showrooms, original museums.

Someone can tell, of course, that there are actually no Parisian legends in this article. We have made it on purpose. After all according to an old Russian proverb “it is better to see once, than to hear hundred times”, we urgently recommend you to visit Paris and hear Parisian legends from the mouth of its remarkable inhabitants. And, by the way don’t forget to visit the well-known tunnels of Paris.

Le Tour de France. History of the well-known bicycle race

Tour de FranceThe well-known race Tour de France (or as Frenchmen often call it La Grande Boucle – the Big loop) has started in 1903. Up to now over hundred races has already taken place under this name. This significant for any professional bicycle racer action is taking place in France during warm July time annually (with an exception during the First and Second world wars) and is considered the most significant competition in sport career.

Every year two more well-known long-lasting races take place in Europe – Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España namely; but Tour de France nevertheless is quoted much more above, its name unlike the two named above is familiar, perhaps, to everyone interested in sports in the slightest degree all over the world. Remarkable is the fact that starting in Paris the race is one of the most visited sport events in the world.

Coming back in this bicycle race history, it is necessary to notice that it is obliged by its birth to the newspaper L’Auto (the predecessor of the modern L’Equipe) and its founder Henri Desgrange (the guy himself seriously took a great interest in cycling), actually, at the first stage it was his advertising project, some kind of opposition to a popular bicycle race Paris-Brest (don’t confuse it to Belarusian city, there is a city with the same name in France). And the direct inspirer of “the Big loop” was a journalist of the named above newspaper – Geo Lefevre. And what is interesting, the owners of the newspaper have managed to achieve their goal, – in the first year the race took place the edition circulation has grown practically three times, and the further – the more, L’Auto became the most popular daily newspaper in France.

Nowadays a sports organization called “the Society of Tour de France” is engaged in organizing of the well-known race, it is a part of the same holding which owns L’Equipe newspaper. That is for it is possible to tell that the race has not lost the link with its founder.

Tour de France consists of a set of stages, each of which passes between two required settlements, thus each stage necessarily lasts for one day. As to the first in the history “Big loop» events only sixty sportsmen have taken part in it (quite modestly for present), it had six stages. The 1903 race was hosted by such big cities of France, as Paris, Nantes, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Lyons and Toulouse. The winner of the historical race was a local chimney sweep – bicyclist Maurice Garin. At that time professional sports simply did not exist, and many sports competitions, in France and behind its limits have been obliged to usual sportsmen-fans.

For over a centenary history Tour de France has seen many great sportsmen, it has given huge number of every possible records to the world, but what is the most important, for all this time it gave pleasure to fans supporting their favorite sportsmen.

And if once for the admirer of cycling from our country visiting the well-known race was something from the fantasy category, nowadays anyone interested having necessary means has a possibility to observe an event on the French roads. Besides, for example, planning visiting Paris, you can find time viewing one of the stages of Tour de France which passes the French capital.

Champs Elysée, Place de l’Étoile and Arch Triomphe – a majestic monument of history of France

Champs ElyséeFor each traveler, who ends up in Paris, naturally there is an actual a question: what places of interest to visit, and what is obligatory not to pass?

In general, it is possible to describe Paris and its places of interest in many beautiful words, however one risks to miss something simply because those places in the French capital are very numerous. That is why it is easy to forget something in their listing.

In this given article we would like to tell in more details about the central and most significant places of Paris, among which are Champs Elysée, Arch Triomphe and Place Charles de Gaulle.

So, we will begin with the Champs Elysée which, if to speak official language, settles down between Place de la Concorde known to many tourists and the well-known Parisian Arch Triomphe. If to speak about the Champs Elysée in context of the city history this street represents a young component. Long time ago in this place was the dried up arm of the Seine (which is one of the symbols of Paris itself). And only in the beginning of the seventeenth century the first three avenues has been laid here, set with elms. It was done by the order of Queen Maria Medici. After half a century these avenues have been added by walking territory which was some kind of continuation of le jardin des Tuileries.

The first buildings have started to appear on the Champs Elysée much later when erection of a new palace for royal family has begun in Versailles. And the great number of rich private residences here has appeared already during blossoming of the Second Empire.

For today the Champs Elysée is one of the most visited places in Paris. Some hundreds of people pass or drive here daily. It is worth seeing it.  The Most cult local places of interest – legendary cabaret Lido, restaurants “Le Fouquet’s” and “Rasputin”, Arch Triomphe, Place Charles de Gaulle.

That, here we have come close to other heroes of our narration – Place Charles de Gaulle (initially it was called as Place de l’Étoile (Star square) and Arch Triomphe which finish Champs Elysée.

Place de l’ÉtoileThe square. Its first name – “Star” was given to it in the eighteenth century because five most beautiful avenues found their beginning and went different in five directions from it. During the present moment the number of such streets makes whole twelve.

The main place of interest of the square is well-known for the whole world Arch Triomphe which has been erected by the order of emperor Napoleon in the first decade of the nineteenth century, as a symbol of victories of his army.
The architect of the project was Jean-François Chalgrin, thanks to his imagination and work in the centre of square the majestic Arch Triomphe (by the way, its height makes fifty meters, and width – forty five) towers.

What is remarkable is that Napoleon has not seen the arch ready, but in 1840 year the emperor nevertheless has visited it. His ashes accompanied by a special escort, have proceeded under the arch. Thus Napoleon’s supporters honored his memory.

However, there is one more untold moment, concerning this square. As we already told, its primary name was Place de l’Étoile. And only in 1970 the government of the country has decided to change it in honor of the legendary president of France general Charles de Gaulle. Certainly, the French citizens respect the memory of this great person and his merits before the native land, however till this day the name of the area in use sounds more often as l’Étoile (star). And in guidebooks to Paris you can find two names – Place de l’Étoile and Place Charles de Gaulle.
In the conclusion of this narration we would like to tell one thing: being in Paris necessarily visit these places where you will get many positive emotions.

Chanson …Aznavour… Paris …

Charles AznavourFor the domestic music fan a word “chanson” is for a long time a conception; however this musical genre is not always understood correctly. The present chanson has appeared not in Russia in “perestroika” times but thanks to legendary musicians from France. And speaking about the French or Parisian chanson, it is necessary to tell about such legendary person in the music world, as Charles Aznavour.

During the long career this performer of French chanson became the author and the singer of more than thousand of songs the considerable part of which is included into gold fund of the French and world stage. It is possible to consider as recognition of talent of Aznavour that his songs are part of repertoire of stars of world size, Liza Minnelli, Bing Crosby, Ray Charles, Fred Astaire, and Shirley Bassey – legendary performers singing songs of the Frenchman.

In general, Charles Aznavour’s career has begun after the Second World War; the first serious popularity has come after ten years in spite of the fact that in the beginning of the creative way the young actor had been supported by the well-known French performers Édith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier. But, nevertheless, this modest in appearance person with his raucous voice has succeeded to achieve his goal. Thanks to his talent this person has managed to charm the audience with his art despite that his music didn’t correspond the standard musical norms of France of the fiftieth years. However today songs of Charles Aznavour are known and popular far outside France, and for certain among domestic music fans there will be many admirers of his talent.

If to speak about all many-sided nature of the artist, it is necessary to notice that he has achieve recognition as the actor of cinema, having played many remembered roles. He was noted in the world of art being the director of musicals. Charles Aznavour was engaged in charitable projects, aspiring to introduce more good and love to the world.  

Certainly, last decades the creative work of Charles Aznavour, Yves Montand and Édith Piaf has lost the former popularity on the French earth, however true admirers of the Parisian chanson exist (and should be). And anyway, visiting magnificent Paris, every admirer of the French chanson aspires to spend time pleasantly in a cozy bar where his or her favorite musical genre songs are sung on stage. Believe, you can find many bars of that kind in Paris. For this purpose you should buy a guidebook to the city or ask your guide for recommendations. Or you might simply come across an announcement, saying that a Parisian chansonnier is ready to please you in this or that public house. Having visited a restaurant of that kind is important, you will plunge into atmosphere of the present France … the present Paris … and the real Parisian chanson will be performed for you

Undoubtedly, it is possible to listen to this music at home on the musical centre, but after all nobody will challenge that fact that this music will bring incomparably more  impressions in its native environment, in the best city of the world – Paris.

Therefore the admirer of the real Parisian chanson is simply obliged to visit the native land of this music and to take pleasure in it there!

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