La Place de la Contrescarpe – Hemmingway’s Hideout
Place de la Contrescarpe
Ernest Hemmingway once said: “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” Indeed, in every sense of the word Paris is a feast – both gastronomically and intellectually. Up the road from the former house of Ernest Hemmingway is La Place de la Contrescarpe; an idyllic square incorporating the haute classe of Parisian café culture and the underground world of privately owned book shops. On every street one passes an ageing book worm slowly sifting his way through the dusty pages of first time editions of books by authors and poets such as Louis Aragon.
Next door to Les Jardins de Luxembourg and a ‘baguette’s breadth’ from La Sorbonne, La Place de la Contrescarpe is a place I go when in desperate need for an indigenous experience of Paris’ left bank. .
Tramps, artists, writers, students as well as the odd tourist are always guaranteed to be there, creating the perfect atmosphere in which to pass an afternoon musing over life’s many wonders.
It is an area of Paris I have always admired mostly for its relaxing pace. Stepping into the square next to the fountain the hustle and bustle of les grands boulevards disappear as the soothing murmur of many an espresso drinker helps to rid the body of any unwanted stress or strain.
The sheer essence of this serene corner of Paris inspired today’s writings. Unfortunately, I am to leave the tranquillity of La Place de la Contrescarpe travelling eastwards to the 12th arrondissement in order to sign the contract for my new apartment. Later on in the week I have two interviews for various internships. I fear it will be a few days until I again savour the moveable feast that Paris has to offer. The last mouthful of this rich coffee is in your name Ernest.
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
what it would be like to sit and ponder within the cafes that Hemmingway, Picasso, Camus, etc chatted and pondered in....soooo jealous, and what are the locals like today though?
One wonders whether the philosophers of `today will ever be heard, as the right wing slowly strangles freedom of speech, freedom of the difference of opinion and criticism...in Oz they have passed laws to prevent certain expressions of dissent, we live in dangerous times indeed!
VIVA LE DIFFERENCE!!!
cheers
fog
Froggy Views and French News
Froggy News
Times are changing however, as you say. Sarokozy's government promise to transform the French into an active and pragmatic bunch, meaning anyone who endeavours to spend their time pondering will find it difficult to keep up with society's pace. Times are moving indeed. It will be interesting to see how the French respond.