Fred Moussaïan (1978)

Henri Cartier-Bresson died in 2004 and is remembered as one of the most important French press photographers of the past century (he co-founded Magnum Photos agency in 1947). In 2003, he and his family decided to create this foundation in order to conserve his works and to organize lectures and exhibitions related to photography.

Not to be confused with contemporary art orientated Fondation Cartier which is in the same neighborhood, Fondation Cartier-Bresson is located in an elegant building (once an artist studio, as there were many in Montparnasse) in a small and isolated cul-de-sac. A bench and 5 birches confer an original charm to the place. The building has four floors, with the reception (plus vast convenient free lockers) on the ground floor, exhibition rooms on the first and second, and a relaxing space on the third floor.

Temporary exhibitions are not focused only on Cartier-Bresson’s photographs, but generally display other artists whose style, period or favourite themes are similar to Cartier-Bresson’s.

The top floor is a relaxing area with a dozen of Cartier-Bresson’s photographs, and a resource centre, with books and audiovisual material.

On Wednesday evenings, it’s possible to visit the foundation for free between 18:30 and 20:30 (last admission 20:00). For photo lovers on a budget, it can thus be combined with the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (check the Maison Européenne de la Photographie article), also free on Wednesdays after 17:00.

Current exhibition: Vanessa Winship (until 28th July 2013)

Finding a good snack in Paris is not so easy, most of them being just like one another, with pervasive kebabs, panini, and crêpes, and, in some areas, really abusive prices.

Thankfully, Kaza Maza is an exception. Located in the very popular area near the Panthéon and Rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, where many local students and young tourists have nights out, Kaza Maza offers excellent Lebanese sandwiches at decent prices, considering their quality and the area.

The sandwich list is divided in three clear sections: meat sandwiches; cheese sandwiches; vegetarian sandwiches (all cheese sandwiches are vegetarian too). It’s also possible to have, as an appetizer, just a falafel or a meatball and obviously, oriental pastries, like baklavas, are also available.

The few chairs and a counter are for those who just aim to have a food break between two pints in neighbouring pubs. But the place is mostly for take away, and sandwiches are always delivered in a thin plastic bag in order to eat them comfortably and not pour all the hummus over one’s clothes while eating on the run to catch the last metro.

In the daytime, BUT ONLY during the weekends, I recommend enjoying the food in the Jardin Carré, the garden of the Ministry of Research, one minute walk along Rue Descartes (entrance at number 11 of this street).

Note: there’s another Kaza Maza (same menu, same prices) at 16 rue d’Odessa, in Montparnasse area.

Everyone knows the Eiffel tower, the symbol of Paris and of France. In a way, Eiffel Tower (1889) is symbolic of the metallic architecture, characteristic of the second part of 19th century, when Paris regularly organized World Fairs, in which were presented all international technological new trends.

But 45 years before the tower, a less famous construction – but not less interesting at all – witnesses this new « Iron Age »: the church Saint-Eugène Sainte-Cécile, located in the former working-class Faubourg Poissonnière.

Built in 20 months only, in ogival style (it’s an example of Gothic Revival in Paris), it is the first church in France with a fully metallic structure (except the 4 main walls, built in masonry), as you can check if you knock one of the numerous slender and colored columns… The use of metal not only reduced the costs considerably, but its strength allowed the columns and walls to be thinner, which increases the impression of space and lightness when you get inside, and made the use of flying-buttresses, those structural elements typical of Gothic Art, that you can see at Notre-Dame or Saint-Séverin, unnecessary.

Many elements of the decoration (stained glass windows, organ, spiral staircases at the angles…) are also worth a look: they were all presented at the first Paris Expo in 1855, at the time of Haussmann’s Renovations of Paris.

Last but not least, the church is often empty and quiet.

After advising you the so Parisian reclining chair, available in some of the most exclusive gardens of the capitals, here is a spot to have a more relaxed nap, off the beaten tracks, but in a very accessible and original place.

The Passerelle (footbridge) Simone de Beauvoir is the 37th and most recent bridge in Paris (2006), and it is one of the 4 bridges dedicated to pedestrians (and non motorised transports, like rollerblades or bicycles). It connects two modern (and green) urban areas of Paris, Bercy on the Right Bank, and Bibliothèque Nationale area on the Left Bank, where I already advised to stop for a nap, but rather in the winter time.

Not only it is an interesting bridge from an architectural point of view (with ondulating shapes and no pillar in the Seine), but also its structure makes it very comfortable for any kind of break: you’ll always find sunny areas next to shadowed ones (thanks to the above structure, see picture), especially at the warmest hours of the day; and its wooden floor is clean and quite comfortable to lie on for a nap.

Only (slight) problem: traffic on both sides of the river can’t be completely ignored, but the noise is quite regular and you won’t smell smog.

And if the quiet murmur of the river incites you to dive into the Seine, you might even end to the nearby Joséphine Baker swimming pool, the most original Parisian swimming pool, but definitely not the best to swim!!!

The history of Paris starts in the Île de la Cité: the first inhabitants of Lutèce are said to have lived in this island, before Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars. Then, the Romans developed the Left Bank (thus the name “Latin Quarter”), and later, medieval kings the Right Bank.

Nowadays, it’s difficult to imagine that the Cité is the oldest part of Paris: Haussmann’s renovation of Paris destroyed the small streets which testified to its historical role and homogeneity (refer to this page), and the omnipresence of police and justice institutions break most of its charm. Therefore, most tourists only visit the two big spots of the island: Notre-Dame cathedral and Sainte-Chapelle, famous for its stained glass windows.

But thankfully, two areas have been slightly preserved. In the West, the deserted and quiet Place Dauphine (see the Place Dauphine article) is one of the most charming squares in Paris. And in the East, between the Seine and Notre-Dame, a few streets have kept a sort of medieval romantic character. They are generally ignored by the crowds, which gives them even more quietness and mystery, especially in the evening onwards.

So, if you like wandering off the beaten track, explore narrow Rue Chanoinesse, with its beautifully-restored buildings, and walk into neighbouring Rues de la Colombe, des Ursins, des Chantres, and Massillon, onto the steps of Esmeralda and Quasimodo. You might be overwhelmed by the contrast between these streets where time seems to have stopped and the big touristic confusion nearby at Notre-Dame, just one block away!