{"id":656,"date":"2016-12-29T17:01:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-29T17:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochellesroost.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/29\/first-time-forays-into-islamic-paris-and-other-attractions\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T04:59:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T04:59:45","slug":"first-time-forays-into-islamic-paris-and-other-attractions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochellesroost.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/29\/first-time-forays-into-islamic-paris-and-other-attractions\/","title":{"rendered":"First-Time Forays into Islamic Paris…and Other Attractions"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\nDecember 8, 2016, Thursday: Paris<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nFirst-Time Forays into Islamic Paris\u2026and
\nother Attractions<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>For some odd reason, I had a rather
\nlate start today\u2014probably was not woken up by the tram bell outside my window.
\nA 7.45 am rising is late by my standards. I had a Pierre Herme Ispahan
\ncroissant for brekkie with orange juice, showered and got dressed. I left my
\nplace at 10. 45 after carefully drawing up a route that would take me to parts
\nof Paris into which I had never before ventured.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/o:p><\/span>Exploring the Jardin des Plantes<\/i>:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>My first stop of the day was at the Jardin des Plantes<\/i> (Botanical Garden)
\nand the reason for my visit was the magnificent novel by Anthony Doerr called All The Light You Cannot See, <\/i>winner of
\nthe Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the best novel I had read in 2014. The
\ninitial section of the novel is set here in the Botanical Garden in general and
\nthe Museum of Natural History in particular as it is where the museum is
\nlocated. The father of the female protagonist of the novel, Marie-Laure, is one
\nof the curators of the museum and his task is to keep the keys of the museum
\nsafe as well as a fictional stone that is usually on view at the Museum of
\nNatural History. As an old woman and a survivor of World War II, Marie-Laure
\nreturns to Paris and makes her home close to the Museum and to the Botanical
\nGarden where she passes most evenings in the company of her grand-son.  <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Because I had been so taken by this
\nsplendid novel and because I had never been to the Botanical Garden, I decided
\nthat I would visit it this time round as well as check out the Museum of
\nNatural History. I was completely floored by the Botanical Garden. It was
\nhuge\u2014extensive and well-manicured. There are alles <\/i>of linden trees (which, because it was nearly winter, were
\nstripped of their foliage) that provide wonderful walking paths through the
\ngarden. The alles<\/i> are lined on both
\nsides by glass conservatories and by a number of buildings. I soon discovered
\nthat those buildings comprise the Museum of Natural History as it is not one
\nbuilding but about 12\u2014scattered all over Paris, although about six of them surround
\nthe alles.<\/i> I took several pictures of
\nthe garden and the conservatories and then made my way into the Museum of
\nPaleontology where a number of dinosaur skeletons attract large numbers of
\nchildren. Unfortunately, each of the museums has a different entry fee\u2014there is
\nno single fee to cover them all. By the time one sees them all, one has spent a
\nsmall fortune. They would not recognize my Met ID card and I did not wish to
\nspend too much time in any one of them. I decided, therefore, to merely poke my
\nhead into the Museum of Mineralogy where the fictitious stone would have been
\nstored and to take a couple of pictures there. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Then, I left the museum and the
\nBotanical Garden and went on to the next attraction on my list\u2014the
\nrarely-visited Grand Mosque of Paris.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/o:p><\/span>The Grand Mosque of Paris:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nTo
\nenter the Grand Mosque in Paris is to enter into an altogether different world.
\nIt is hard to believe that you are in Europe\u2014you would think you were somewhere
\nin Northern Africa: in Algeria, Tunisia or Morocco (artisans from these
\ncountries had been specially commissioned to undertake the job). The mosque is
\nlarge and beautiful. It has all the characteristics of Islamic architecture
\nplus gorgeous decorative tile-work that is reminiscent of the Al-Hambra in
\nGranada, Spain. The central courtyard concept is in force with rooms radiating
\nout from a very lovely garden that fills one with a sense of spiritual
\nserenity. There is a towering minaret in the North African style. Visitors are
\nfree to wander around anywhere\u2014there is a really large hall with a central
\nfountain with all sorts of decorative tile work. The only room you that
\nnon-Muslims cannot enter is the Prayer Room itself which contains the Mihrab.
\nSince it was not a Friday, it was rather quiet at the mosque but a few worshippers
\nwere around, both in the corridors and in the Prayer Room (you can get a quick
\nglimpse from the main door). I took so many pictures as I was completely
\nenthralled by this unusual structure right in the middle of Paris\u2014it was so
\nhard for me to believe that right across the street was the 19th<\/sup>
\ncentury Botanical Gardens. It really is a quite distinctive place to visit and
\nI am glad I went.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>The mosque has a restaurant attached
\nthat offers Middle Eastern and North African cuisine such as mezzes<\/i> and tagines<\/i>. It is set in a lovely shady garden (if you prefer to sit
\noutdoors) or inside in a space that resembles a souk<\/i> or a casbah<\/i>. As I
\nsaid, everything about this place is enchanting\u2014even if you are not a Muslim
\n(perhaps especially if you are not a Muslim).<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/o:p><\/span>Visiting the Institute du Monde Arabe<\/i>:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Co-incidentally, although I had not
\nactually planned for it, I went from one Islamic space to the next\u2014but from the
\nsacred to the secular. When I lived in Paris, a few years ago, I used to pass
\nin the bus by this striking building that I realized was designed by the
\nrenowned French architect, Jean Nouvel. It is on most tourist maps of Paris,
\nbut somehow I had never found the time to explore it. This visit would remedy
\nthe omission.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>It was a twenty minute walk from the
\nMosque to the Institute which is sweetly located on the banks of the Seine. It
\nis a nine-story structure that looks like a cube. It has a huge Omani dhow
\nright outside it\u2014a gift from Oman whose government has sponsored the special
\nexhibition on right now called \u2018Sea-farers of the Mediterranean.\u2019 I was
\nfortunate that my Met ID was recognized here. I was handed different ticket
\nstubs to get to the different floors, on each of which they was a different
\nexhibition. Two floors contain objects that remain permanently in place\u2014they
\nrange from illuminated Korans to ancient pottery. I also saw a special
\nexhibition on the Bhiksha Oasis which is in the North African country of
\nAlgeria. The \u2018Sea-Farers of the Mediterranean\u2019 exhibition was splendid. It
\ncarried vast amounts of material on a number of countries, explorers and
\nnavigators from the Islamic world whose courage and vision opened up the area
\nto the rest of the world. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>In-between seeing the floors, I sat
\non a bench and ate my smoked salmon baguette. I stayed for another hour as I
\nrode up and down the glass elevators inside the building which allowed me to
\nadmire the wonderful architectural work of Nouvel with its emphasis on
\nthousands of pipes that form sharp angles in the interior or the building. The
\ntop-most floor is an empty viewing terrace with a small caf\u00e9 attached to it. It
\ndoes, of course, offer lovely views of Paris and of the Seine and I took them
\nall in with deep pleasure. When I was done, I walked out of the Institute,
\nquire pleased that I have covered yet another item on my To-Do List.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/o:p><\/span>A Bit of Shopping:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>From this point on, I decided to go
\nout in search of a French beret together with one of the woolen caps that are
\nnow sporting fur pom-poms. My idea was to detach one of the pompoms and sew it
\non to one of the berets in imitation of a favorite hat I had once owned but
\nwhich I had lost, much to my sorrow. This specific need involved getting to the
\nside streets around the Cathedral of Notre-Dame where the inexpensive souvenir
\nstores sell the sort of item I was seeking. It took me absolute ages and a
\ngreat deal of sweat equity to track down the hats I wanted at the right price.
\nAfter scouring at least half a dozen stores, I found exactly what I wanted and
\ncouldn\u2019t have been happier.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/o:p><\/span>Ice-Cream, Marron Glaces<\/i> and Other Goodies at the Ile de St. Louis:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Since I was so close to the Ile de Saint
\nLouis, I had to go in search of some ice-cream at Berthillon<\/i>. And after I had my treat, I stepped into a cookie store
\nwhere I received a few more goodies for sampling. Then, on passing a candy
\nshop, I stepped in, on impulse, to buy myself a marron glace<\/i> (glazed chestnut) as this is a French specialty that
\nis very popular at Christmastime and which I had never tasted. Keen to see what
\nall the fuss was about and wondering why these little confections are so
\nexpensive, I bought myself one and was completely surprised\u2014both at the taste
\nand the texture of it\u2014it was spongy, not hard (and I am still wondering what
\nall the fuss is about!). But then there you have it! Another item ticked off my
\nTo-Taste List!<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nOff to the Bastille for a Croque Monsieur<\/i>:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Also on my To-Eat List before I left
\nParis was a really good Croque Monsieur<\/i>\u2014which,
\nas most people know, is a ham and cheese sandwich that is dipped in a Mornay
\nsauce and grilled. I have loved Croque Monsieurs<\/i>
\nsince I first tasted them, about thirty years ago. And on every trip to France,
\nI make sure I eat at least one. When I lived in Paris, I made them at home very
\nfrequently for it is the wonderful. combination of smoked ham and Swiss cheese
\n(found most flavorfully in France) that make the best Croques.<\/o:p><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Well, having done my research on the
\ninternet (to find the best Croque
\nMonsieur<\/i> in Paris), I was directed to the Cafe des Phares<\/i> which is right at the Place de la Bastille. So I
\nwent on the metro from \u2018St. Mich\u2019 (as St. Michel is known) to Bastille and as
\nsoon as I emerged from the metro, I spied the restaurant across the wide
\ncircle.  <\/span>I made a beeline for it and
\nsettled myself down at a table and gave my order for a Croque Monsieur<\/i> and a caf\u00e9 au
\nlait<\/i>\u2014it would be a very early dinner. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>My Croque<\/i> was wonderful. It was best when it was freshly served to me
\nand since I love eating my food piping hot, I did not wait too long for it to
\ncool down. As it cooled, it got less and less succulent\u2014in fact, it started to
\nget rubbery as the melted fondue-like cheese hardened. Served with a salad and
\nmy coffee, it was a great meal. As you can see, I seem to have lost my
\ninhibitions altogether about dining alone in restaurants. The French seem to
\nhave no problem with it at all and seem not in the slightest bit surprised when
\nI request a table for one and place a single order. As it turned out, at the
\nnext table was seated an African-American couple who, lost little time in
\ngetting friendly with me. We had a very nice conversation. He happened to be a
\nformer restauranteur who has lived in Paris for the past forty years and she,
\nhis friend, turned out to someone in international finance who was taking a
\nyear off to travel and had made Paris a temporary base. One of the best things
\nabout being a solo sojourner is that you make friends with all types of people
\nwho reach out and include you in conversation\u2014so that you are never really completely
\nor uncomfortably alone.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>A little while later, after clearing
\nmy bill, I took the metro from Bastille and got back home. As I had a very
\nearly dinner and had sat up communicating on my computer to so many people, I
\nhad myself a late-night snack of salad and yoghurt and then fell asleep just
\npast midnight.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\n <\/div>\n
\n          A demain…<\/em><\/div>\n
\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

December 8, 2016, Thursday: Paris First-Time Forays into Islamic Paris\u2026and other Attractions             For some odd reason, I had a rather late start today\u2014probably was not woken up by the tram bell outside my window. A 7.45 am rising is late by my standards. I had a Pierre Herme Ispahan croissant for brekkie with orange… <\/p>\n

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