The French Connection
La Vie Parisienne
My first jobs were in the export departments of wine and spirit companies, both Ricard (now Pernod-Ricard) and Courvoisier Cognac. Then I went to work for the Director of Personnel at McKinsey, the international strategy consultants, rising through the ranks over nearly 12 years to become the Manager of Administration of their Paris office.
I lived on the left bank, in the 15th Arrondissment, in a tower block which afforded a great view of the Eiffel Tower over the kitchen sink! McKinsey’s office was near the Champs Elysées, and quite often I used to walk to work, my journey taking me past the Tower itself, and over the Seine on the bridge now famous as the place where Princess Diana died. Walking through that area between the river and the Champs Elysées, you could not help but notice the Haute Couture outfits – Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Balmain, Balenciaga, Givenchy and Dior were all in that district. My son Alex once asked me how I could tell they were “couture” dresses. How do you know that a particular car, 100 metres away, is a Ferrari or a Lamborghini? They are simply unmistakable.
Life for me was the same as in any other large city, not very sophisticated on an every-day level but fast-paced and enjoyable. Paris is an easy city to live in, shops, restaurants, transport are very accessible. Nowadays we accept this as the norm in our cities too, but on my first visit to New Zealand in 1977, I was astonished that all shops except dairies closed from Friday evening to Monday morning! Fortunately, by the time I settled permanently in 1985, things were beginning to change. Otherwise I would have starved every weekend!
My Tourist Tips
As a resident in a city, you always have a few favourite places. Here are some of mine.
Atmosphere: Everyday Paris Life in the Rue de Bourgogne
If you are standing on the Concorde Bridge, facing south with your back to the Place de la Concorde, you will see the French National Assembly (Chambre des Deputés) with its imposing Grecian façade. The Rue de Bourgogne is immediately behind that building. Being so near to the tourist trail, you would expect the shops to be boutiques and souvenir outlets. But this is a residential district right in the heart of the city, with cafés, fruit and vegetable stalls, bakers, etc.
Culture: Musée Rodin
At the end of the Rue de Bourgogne is the Museum dedicated to Rodin’s sculpture – he was a genius – but also his personal collection of art, including Van Gogh whom he knew. The Museum itself was a large private house set in its own grounds, and although it is totally impersonal now, you can gain an insight into how upper crust Parisians lived during the 19th Century.
Accommodation: Hôtel de Suède
If you would like to stay in this district (the 7th Arrondissment), and don’t fancy the Hilton (which is near the Seine and the Eiffel Tower), I can recommend this much smaller hotel in the area. The address is 31 rue Vaneau, 70007 Paris, telephone (33) 1 47 05 00 08, www.hoteldesuede.com. When you arrive, do not be alarmed at seeing heavily armed gendarmes at the top of the street – you are very near the Hôtel Mâtignon, which is the official home of the French Prime Minister!
Restaurant: Au Pied de Fouet
The Hotel de Suède does not have a restaurant but there are plenty in the vicinity to choose from. My favourite is round the corner in the Rue de Babylone, called Au Pied de Fouet. It is a tiny local eatery, 150 years old, with a restricted menu that changes daily. Tables are so close they can only be called “intime”. There is even a mezzanine space, up a staircase so narrow and twisting that it would send an OSH Inspector into a cataleptic fit! But they do boast a website www.aupieddefouet.com and it even has a video! 45 Rue de Babylone, 75007 Paris, Tel: (33) 45 05 12 27. Bon appétit!
Architecture: Place de Vosges
Near the Place de la Bastille (which is not worth visiting, it is now just a huge roundabout) is this quiet gem of a square. It was finished in 1612, and unusually for Paris, all the 32 houses are built in brick. It is in the heart of one of the oldest districts of Paris, the Marais, which is worth a wander.
Atmosphere Again: Life in the Ile St Louis
Once you have finished looking at Notre Dame, go round the back of it, over a small bridge, onto the second island in the Seine called St Louis. It still retains it village character, with narrow streets, tall old buildings now converted into exclusive apartments, tiny shops and cafés.
Souvenirs: Kitchen Shop
I usually avoid Les Halles because it reminds me that even the French are capable of indiscriminate use of a bulldozer. But if you are in that area, or near the Palais Royal, a visit to the Etablissements E. Dehillerin (pronounced “Duh-ee-luh-rang”) is a must. The panel in the window proudly announces that it was “Fondée en 1820” and by the look of them, the shop fittings are original, along with the “cave” below ground. They specialise in kitchen equipment for the catering trade, so you will see more stock pots and cake tins in more sizes than you ever knew existed. But there are also small gadgets, and you can spend a happy half hour trying to guess what they are for. Just remember before you get totally carried away that this is a wholesaler, the prices exclude TVA (GST), so calculate just under 20% on top. The service is tolerant of tourists but equally antediluvian – one person to write out a docket for your purchase, a second to take your money (with a receipt printed in dot-matrix of course!) and a third to wrap up your parcel! However they have joined the current century with a website: www.e-dehillerin.fr. E. Dehillerin, 18-20 rue Coquillière, 75001 Paris.
