The cannonball walk is one of my favorite walks. It covers a part of the neighborhood my sister and I lived in for many years. It has history, great cafes and a nice outdoor basketball court. This is a slow meander that can take up to three or four hours or it can be done in half an hour if you insist on walking fast and not stopping to people watch.
This walk starts at Pont Marie. Before you start the walk make sure you take in the views up the river. From here you can see all the bridges that make Paris famous. The bridges painters love to paint and lovers love to cross. Yeesh Paris is really for lovers.
Let’s get moving. Cross the Quai to rue Hotel de Ville, it’s a little road that runs alongside a small but well sculpted garden. The garden is a good example of the types of manicured gardens from that period. If you want to know more about gardens look it up. Gardens are not really my thing.
Continue up the road towards Rue Ave Maria. Once you arrive at this juncture, turn and find the cannonball stuck on the old library’s walls up near the roof (1). The cannonball was fired from approximately the place you are now standing. Think about the panic those guys must’ve given into when they realized their most powerful weapon just got stuck in the wall of their adversary. Shock and awe, I love that cannonball, because in someway it symbolizes the futility of war. I love it.
Now keep moving up Ave Maria towards a large opening with a massive wall running up the left side (2). The massive wall is one of the last remaining parts of the original Parisian walls built to protect the medieval city. At the end of the expanse is Charlemagne High School. I think it’s the oldest High School in Paris. Oh! That’s also my preferred basketball court. Where else in the world can you play street ball in the shadow of Charlemagne and a medieval wall? Just freaking amazing.
Walk towards the High School a little further and dip into one of the first passageways on your right that you can (3). Feel the difference? You’ve just stepped into the Village St Paul. Get lost in the little streets and check out the boutiques and art galleries of this preserved medieval village in the centre of Paris. I tried to open an art gallery in this village. The rents were way out of my range. I instead chose to walk it as often as possible.
Past Village St Paul start your walk up Rue Charles V. Enjoy peeking in the open windows and wondering what goes on behind the giant wooden doors of each Maison Particulier. Of course I know exactly what is going on but I’m not going to tell you here. Check out the funky cooking school just before Rue Beautrillis. What a cool place to learn how to cook fine French food.
My sister lived on this Rue. She had a little studio that she loved dearly. I regret not visiting her more often while she still lived here. She’s the one that told me that Jim Morrison lived somewhere on this street (4). I never really knew exactly where it was but I did enjoy looking for his ghost many a drunken night. See if you can see his ghost while you move towards Rue St Antoine. If walking and staring up at windows is difficult then have a seat at the funky little cafes (5) on the street and check for fluttering curtains from there.
At Rue Saint-Antoine you have a choice to make. You can either cross the street and walk towards the majestic Place des Vosges up rue de Birague. Or if its during the day you should really consider walking towards Hotel de Sully (6). Walk through the Grand entrance of this royal home, into the garden and then toward the back right hand corner where there is a wooden door. Go through the door for one of the best secret entrances to Place des Vosges (8). Didn’t it feel like you were just transported back several hundred years in time? If you listen carefully you can still hear the horse and buggies circling the place. Or wait is that the drunk rattling his bottles? Don’t worry he’s always there and is rather friendly.
The Victor Hugo museum (7) is in the corner of the Place des Vosges. It’s free! Victor Hugo was some famous dude and writer. Check out his pad, they haven’t changed it since he croaked. I liked the views on the Place and the China room. After seeing that room I promised myself I would have similar room someday in my spacious home. That like many of my self made promises has yet to come true. After visiting Hugo’s crib you might think about having a coffee (9), there are plenty of nice little cafes for people watching, but if you can wait Chez Jannette is waiting for you around the corner.
Chez Jannette (10) is a pretty famous local eatery. They serve good Provencal inspired food in a neat bustling setting. The service can be slow, very slow, but take that as an invitation to watch the crowd and dissect their different styles and taste. There is bound to be at least one couple in there that shouldn’t be seeing each other in public if you know what I mean.
Leave Jannette behind to go back towards Place des Vosges. This time you’ll be entering through the northern entrance. Don’t miss peeking inside the glass veranda of the Hotel des Vosges. I’ve seen many a wedding party in the little garden. Through the entrance on your right and left are a dozen galleries and even more artisans selling their wares.
Just before you leave Place des Vosges think about buying yourself a new pair of shades at the funky wig and sunglass stall. The goggles are cheap and the selection is funky. You are in Paris after all if you don’t have attitude yet then you better get on the ball now. Keep your toes stretching up rue des France Bourgeois. The boutiques and people slalom will keep you awake. At rue Sevigny stop and take in the street view with the church at the end (11). For some reason I really like that view. What do you think?
Further down the road, tucked between two little side streets is Place St Catherine (12). If you’re not hungry and are into avoiding killer cafes on leafy plazas you definitely want to avoid Place St Catherine. I would suggest a tea at Place St Catherine and finish the walk off with a goat cheese salad on Rue Rosier and Café Rosier (14). Before you settle down to digest your walk don’t forget to grab a cheap art book, cookbook, or children’s book from the loft like Mona Lisait (13) bookstore on Rue Pave.
As you sip your tea, watch the crowd and eat your quiche, start thinking about how you are going to thank me for sharing my secret cannon ball walk with you.