When I sat down for breakfast on my first morning in Paris, Brigitte fanned a heaped collection of brochures and coupons on the dining table. “Do you know where you want to go?” she asked.
“Oh, yes,“ I said, and immediately launched into a whole stream of locations. Well, more of a gushing torrent than a stream, I should amend. I knew exactly where I wanted to visit and what activities I wanted to indulge in, complete with preferred order and ideal time, not to mention grouped by arrondissement.
(I would love to tell you that I’m far more casual now, but a few days ago Tonje took a look at my list of Belgian must-see’s and responded, “Good lord, woman. You do know we’re only going to be there for a week, right?”)
One place I knew I did not want to go was the Eiffel Tower. I know it’s the very symbol of the city—and it was rather charming to watch it buzz with flickering blue light from my bedroom window at night—but it was more than a little too touristy for me. Visiting a sight just for the sake of saying you have is fulfilling an obligation to others, I think, instead of to yourself.
Still, I wanted to get a panoramic view of Paris. One option was a hot-air balloon ride I had learned about.
“The hot-air balloon is tied to the ground the whole time,” Brigitte broke the news to me. “But if you want a 180-degree view of the city,” — she pulled out one of the brochures on the table, a twinkle in her eye, and laid the brochure beside my plate of pain au chocolat — “you should go to the Samaritaine department store.”
Located at the very heart of the city, I learned, right next door to the Louvre and facing the River Seine, La Samaritaine lets you do some old-fashioned shopping, but more importantly, lets you view Paris all you want from its rooftop. All for free.
In the store, I bypassed the masses who were rifling through some pink tafetta material on hangers, and made a beeline for the elevator. I wasn’t the only one who knew about the ninth-floor view. Two ladies with salt-and-pepper hair pressed the button and gabbed beside me. When the elevator doors reopened, we stepped out into the outdoor café, breathing in scores of lavendar, and finding a full view of blue sky, Pont Neuf, the Seine, and layers upon torrid layers of French sights.
Walk to the left and you glimpse Notre Dame’s towers at the Ile de la Cité over the river. Walk to the right and you look across the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower. In between you grin and point out the places you recognize in the distance, including La Basilique du Sacré Coeur and the very hot-air balloon you’d wanted to ride in.
(Not to mention that with such a clear view, you can observe the precise level of smog overlaying the city. Ahh, the joys of urban living!)
Last year, they decided to shut down La Samaritaine due to its being a “fire risk.” I have to give props to the store for continuing to give its workers full pay during this time. Not many businesses would do that, least of all a department store, so good show, I say. Check its website to see when it will reopen, so that you can view a total 180 of Paris from its rooftop.
Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) on top
of La Samaritaine Movie still from The Bourne Identity |
To nurse my longing of the city, I satisfy myself with copious amounts of glee by watching The Bourne Identity. Jason Bourne, you see, played by Matt Damon, at one point gazes down at his antagonists on Pont Neuf while he stands at the very rooftop of La Samaritaine. They shot the film during winter, clearing away the lush lavendar plants as well as the existing café (when I was there, you had to weave your way around the wooden slatted chairs and the patrons sitting on them to indulge in a good bit of photo-snapping). Everytime I watch that scene, I break out into a huge grin, because I had stood at that very spot too, and I had looked down at Pont Neuf and the vehicles crowdedly beeping their way on it too, and it was good.
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