Not just a must-visit international destinatio It~s time to transform the way you see this city

Paris, je t'aime encore

CERTAIN PLACES IN THE WO RED have drawn visitors for centuries;

London, Paris and New Yor~ thre e t I at spring to mind. Of cour §e,

there are concre te reassin{ why such citie enjoy enduring appe_lli with

travellers . Each of jhem has an established history as a globjil centre of

art,tulture and,& mmer ce that consistently Stands the test of time. / , ,,

Not jus tla must-visjt 'international destination, Par is qµalifi(:)s as

mu~ , visit. Bey~1;1d the obvio\ls; world-famo\1s reasons - The-louvre

,.museum, the Arc de TrioJJ p'he, the Palace of Versailles, Not~e Dame

, ' cathedraL and, of cours ~ the iconic Eiftel Towkr - t~ e is an ,almos t' / /

hidd ertParis, eclipse-cl by the tourist magnets but nonetheless fille\,l,with

asfonishingtreas~res that have remained little '..k~own all thi §,trrn1.

Join u& 6n a private t011r that uncovers further layer;s' of greatness

within ~ 1at is unquestionably one of the world's gr at ·ci;ies .

-

DESTINATIONS

ris qualifies as must-revisit. BY MARK HACKING PHO TOGRAP HY BY MIA HACKING

1~

Your first impressions of a given city will mark your view for an entire lifetime

14 EXPRESSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2014

My grade nine geography teacher had a theory about

travel and it boiled down to this: Your first impr essions of a given

city will mark your view for an entire lifet ime . My first impress ions

of Paris were as cliche as possible : a two-day stopoff on a post - high

school cross-continent bus tour that included whirlwind visits to

the Eiffel Tower, the Palace ofVersailles and the Louvre .

The experience involved too much wine and a too-harried

approach to too many essential works of art. That's the danger

of spending just 48 hours in a city that offers a lifetime's worth

of diversions. In retrospect , there was nothing particular ly

illuminating about these first impressions, certainly nothing of

any great depth that could not have just as easily been gleaned

today from a quick int ernet sear ch. Still, ther e was mor e than

enou gh to spark the desire to return; plenty of reason to explore

Paris further , to learn why it rema ins such a vital destination.

As a centre of creative expression, Paris continues to show

vitality and tenacit y. There are countless art galleries tucked away

in the city's side streets and even mor e burgeoning artists plying

their trade in the hop es of being discovered . In this environment ,

the Louvre maintains its status as the focal point for all other

artistic activiti es. In thr ee separ ate visit s to this dizzying network

of galleries contained under one roof, I've yet to successfully

schedule enough time to see it all. For this, the Louvre is a touch on

the frustrating side: a to-do list that contai ns too many must -sees.

Almost immediately across the River Seine from the Louvre

is another museum: the Musee d'Orsay, a less-obvious destination

that has the capacity to yield more satisfaction. The buildin g it self

is a masterpiece . A former railway station built in 1900 for the

Expos ition Universelle, the Gare d'Orsay gradually fell out of use

as it fell behind the times .

In 1970, slated to be demolish ed, the building was saved by a

remarkably attun ed politic ian, the then-minister for cultura l

affairs. Declared an historic monument - an edict by which

Paris has done exceedingly well over th e years - the station was

transform ed into the museum it is today in 1986.

A visit to the Musee d'Orsay is a very differe nt experience from

a visit to the Louvre . Both lay claim to permanent collections

bursting with important works of art. The latter is a cavernous

network of ind ividual rooms on various floors, man y dark and

recessed. The former, having been a tra in station, was designed

as a meeting point for peop le to efficiently head off in various

directions . As such, it feels less stuffy, mor e accessible than its

cross -river counterpart .

SPRI N G / SUM MER 2 014 EXPR ES SIONS 15

DESTINATIONS

Years ago, a fashion show featuring models draped around a

steam locomotive took place at the museum, the latest styles

brought into the heart of the converted space using the old track

system. This display perfect represented how the Musee d'Orsay

itself was borne of artistic sensibility and vision.

The words "artistic sensibility" and "vision" may not be

the most appropriate when considering the only vineyard housed

within Paris's environs. There's definite ly a sense of creat ivity

going on at Clos Montmartre, a roughly 1,500-square -metre plot

of land within sight of the glorious Sacre-Camr cathedral.

The history of Clos Montmartre echoes that of the Musee

d'Orsay: Like the railway station, the vineyard was threatened

with disruption, in 1933, before wiser heads prevailed. Some

27 different varietals are now grown, but the bulk of the annual

production, pegged at 1,000 kilograms, is Gamay and Pinot.

The wine is 'not impressive; this is entirely irrelevant. Though

not quite the "plank" that Parisians would snub their noses at, it

would never make a sommelier's preferred list, nor get served in

any of the city's finer restaurants. That's because the entire harvest

is auctioned off every year, with the proceeds going to charity.

The best time to visit the vineyard - the only time to visit, in

fact - is during an annual grape harvest festival called the Fete

des Vendanges. Blink during your walk around Montmartre and

you might miss the vineyard entirely: It's situated across from

the Musee Montmartre, and is far from obvious except during the

festival, when the wine-red carpet is rolled out.

In a separate area of the city, we find another source of

liquid sustenance - a variety of the non -alcoholic kind. The 16th

arrondisement, in the neighbourhood of Passy, boasts an artesian

well, a source of spring water that seems an anachronism in such

a large urban centre. As with wine, France is known for its spring

water, but Paris is another story altogether.

As far back as the 1700s, visiting the spring became a

recommendation of Parisian doctors, who prescribed it to cure

the ills of the day. Some 150 years later, the then -contaminated

source was fixed through a drilling project that tapped the water at

its source 586 metres underground. At the time, an on-site health

clinic (since closed), provided even more reason to visit.

Still, the well produces crystal-clear and pure water via three

publicly accessible taps in Square Lamartine. Like the wine

First impressions are one thing~ but with Paris there can never be afinal one

produce d by the Clos Montmartre, the water likely won 't win any

awards and become world -famous along the way. It's just another

well-hidden aspect of Paris worth discovering .

The.final stop on our revisit to Paris is a special place to

rest your head. The Saint James Paris is the only chateau -h6tel in

th e city, a surprising fact when you consider how many fine hotels

are in Paris and how many chateaux dot the surrounding areas .

A5 it is a proper chat eau, the Saint James boasts a lush ground

that was once the first -ever setting for hot-air ballooning . Part

of the redoubt able Relais & Chateaux collection, the property is

unique in ways to which other five-stars can only aspire.

Highlights include location (within an easy walk of the Arc

de Triomphe) and hi story - it's a former res idence of President

Napoleon III. Today, the chateau boasts a fantastic library bar ,

a world-class spa with treatments by Guerla in, and a decidedly

playful interior created by Parisian designer Bambi Sloan.

The decor itself is, arguably, the mai n selling feature of a

property filled to the rafters with selling features. The colours are

The Sain t Jam es

Paris chdteau -hote l:

The decor itself is the

main selling fea ture

of a p roperty that is

filled to the rafte rs

with selling features

vibrant, the mood bright and the net effect dramatic . There is also

an unmistakable air of lushness and opulence to the rooms that

encourages leisure and reflection .

Many of the chateau-h6tel's rooms are oversized - an extreme

rarity for any wor ld-class city, perhaps none mor e so than Paris .

The suites in particular provide a sense of comfort that is almost

boudoir-like. To cap it all off, the Saint James is also home to the

exclusive Saint James Club, a British -style gathering place that

is a stopoff point for the city's elite. Count yourself amon g th em,

discerning trave ller.

Paris is a city that does not just demand repeat visits: it

deserves them. Few cities in the world can make this claim . As the

experienced traveller peels back the layers , there are mor e points

of interest , more surprises and mor e re asons to plan yet anoth er

return trip . Cons ider it th e startin g point of a lifelon g adventure

that trul y will never end - first impressions are one thing , but with

Paris there can never be a final one. Isn't that what trave l is all

about in the first place? (}5)

SPRING / SUMM ER 20 1 4 EXPRESSIONS 17