The Heart of the Marais

Related by Gideon, David and Miyuki

In the last audio tour we left Gideon, David and Miyuki sheltering from a deluge of rain on rue Vieille du Temple but our intrepid team were not going to be outdone by a measly storm so they headed off boldy into the watery afternoon to continue the audio tour of the The Marais.

In this installment Miyuki goes undercover to purchase tea from Mariage Freres 30-32, Rue du Bourg Tibourg , 75004 Paris. It's a Paris institution founded in 1854 and has more than 500 teas to choose from. There is also a cafe/restaurant and a fascinating tea museum upstairs. Not to be missed.

From there they head down the street to The Lizard Lounge 18 rue du Bourg Tibourg, 75004 Paris an Anglophone bar with a good ambience and where David presents an open mic poetry evening fortnight on a Monday at 9pm. If your in Paris at that time drop in and listen, or, read if you are a poet.

Along rue Vielle du Temple the Paris Au Petit Fer à Cheval 30, Rue Vieille du Temple, 75004, Paris with its famous bar in the shape of a horse shoe. Then David is sent undercover to buy a Falafel at L'As du Falafel 34, rue des Rosiers 75004 Paris. Which claims to be "The best falafel in the world". Well at least Lenny Kravitz thinks so (yes, Lenny Kravitz).

The rains came down again and the team took refuge at La Panfoulia 7 rue Ste Croix la Bretonnerie PARIS 75004. (Metro St Paul for all of the above addresses) where the kindly waitress Katrine from Denmark allowed them to continue recording inside.

The topic of conversation turns to the Jewish community in the Marais now and through the ages. The greatest tragedy of all to afflict the Jews of Paris was the deportation and murder by the Nazis of one third of its population in the concentration camps. Before the second world war the Jews of Paris numbered 150,000 this fell to 100,000 after the war.

A jewish shopkeeper on rue de Rosiers

The map of the audio tour

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Heart of the Marais audio tour.mp3

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