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Look up the rue Servandoni, take it to the Eglise Sainte-Sulpice where CAMILLE DUMOULINS (of the French revolution) got married with ROBESPIERRE as best man, what didn't stop Robespierre to send him later to the guillotine. Right along the narrow rue Sainte-Sulpice (notice the classy shops at both sides), enjoy the fountain and look once again at the church because it is also there that VICTOR HUGO got married. What you probably don't know that this neighbourhood is the quarter of the three musketeers, described as heroes by ALEXANDRE DUMAS. PORTHOS lived in the rue des Vieux-Colombiers and ATHOS in the rue Ferou. Cross the rue de Rennes and walk until the carrefour de la Croix-Rouge. Make a left into the rue du Cherche-Midi. At no.9 the publishing company Jean-Pierre Ramsay. The famous bakery "POILANE" is at no.8. Poilane is like a landmark in Paris, since in a lot of cafes they offer "Poilane sandwiches". Always a line in front of the store. In the late days of the cold war the Soviet papers showed pictures of this queue with the comments that in the west they were also queuing and starving. The bad thing is that the owners are financing Le Pen and the Front National. Cross the boulevard Raspail and see the modern faculty of "human sciences" where the philosopher RAYMOND ARON teached the contrary of Sartre's theories. But also he is dead. Walk to no.89 because MADAME SANS GENE, you know, the laundress of Napoleon who made such ascension on the social ladder, used to live there. No, not Sophia Loren, despite she played a fabulous Madame Sans Gene with her generous bust, but the "maréchale Lefebvre", who inspired the writer VICTORIEN SARDOU to write the famous play. Return to carrefour de la Croix-Rouge and take the rue de Sevres where at no.35 the hairdresser Maniatis arranges all the heads of important people in the French republic. Prime ministers and presidential candidates included. At nos. 84-88 MATISSE had an atelier at the beginning of the 20th century. Return boulevard Raspail. HOTEL LUTETIA is there, witness of a dark past with a lot of press conferences. (see my article in the 6th arrondissement). It's during one of these conferences that a former galley slave called PAPILLON, later played in the movies by Dustin Hoffman, picked a fight with a former galley colleague. Fifty years of an old resentment, still from Devils Island, where Dreyfus has also been detained. Like you see, everything reunites in Paris. And blood was shed. Out of both noses.
Look up the rue Recamier at the other side of the boulevard, entering a few steps again in the rue de Sevres. Madame Recamier held a "salon" at no.16 of this dead end alley. Guests were BALZAC, STENDHAL, LAMARTINE and BENJAMIN CONSTANT. CHATEAUBRIAND looked her up every day. She fled to the rue des Petits Champs on the right bank in 1849 because of cholera epidemics.
Bibliography
Guide Bleu Paris-Hachette--Guide du Routard Paris--Americans in Paris--An anecdotal Street Guide by Brian Morton.
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