When something is over hyped, I tend to resist it with a 10-foot pole.The Paris plage is one of them. Curiosity and something new to write about broke my resistance and I finally checked it out.
The Paris plage is about a two-mile stretch of man made beaches with sand and chaise lounges, and other outdoor activities planted on the banks of the Seine every summer since 2002 from mid July to mid August. I entered by Pont Marie, near Ile St. Louis on a breezy half-cloudy/half sunny Thursday afternoon at about 3PM. Although large outdoor events with many activities and crowds of people is not my cup of java, I approached it with a reporters state of mind. The first thing I saw were boule courts with happy people bouling away heavy metal balls in the sand. The overall theme of it seemed Polynesian and next was the free massage station with its Bali looking stage set with bamboo mats, and colored gauze curtains. I promptly took my place in line for one, but after seeing eight people in front of me and only one masseuse, I decided to keep on walking. I passed a fun children’s sand park with a lovely mermaid sculpture, an outdoor café with royal blue umbrellas and pretty colored paper Japanese lanterns, and finally the beach. The sand was real and the chaises looked very comfortable. I was tempted to pass out on one for the rest of the afternoon but I was on assignment. Things like this usually reek of Coney Island but the tasteful restraint of the design and execution turned this possibly dreaded experience into a pleasant surprise.
Crepes are one of those funny things: they are everywhere but a really good one is almost nowhere. I shun the street ones after having a two-day food poisoning incident from eating one a few years ago. After many mediocre tries in various cafes and restaurants, I finally hit the jackpot a few months ago right in my neighborhood. With an obvious name like Creperie Suzette, one would immediately dismiss it as a tourist trap. Luckily I didn’t and gave it a try, and boy, am I happy I did. The small inside is cute with one long community table with a high banquette and high chairs on the other side but I sat outside on rue des Francs Bourgeois. I ordered the crepe with bacon, cheese, and potatoes and out came a dark brown, square looking like a Richard Serra edible sculpture. I finally found the perfect crepe with it’s crispy outside and smooth, creamy inside.
Finding a new tradition and the best of an old one, I was very happy.
Paris-Plage – Until August 20
Crêperie Suzette 24 rue des Francs Bourgeois 75003
that game they were playing with the metal balls is called Petanque (peh-TONK) ... it's like italian bocce. You should give it a try. They have a petanque court in the Luxembourg Gardins (lower/west portion of the park.
www.detroitpetanque.com
Posted by: Jeffrey Widen | August 10, 2006 at 04:47 AM
Nice pics.
Posted by: Jane | August 10, 2006 at 08:34 PM
Nice pics.
Posted by: Jane | August 10, 2006 at 08:34 PM
New Yorker here & I have been reading your blog, I find it facinating. I will be in France in October & in Paris Oct 22-26. I'm staying at Hotel du 7 Art on Rue St Paul near the Hotel DeVille & I plan on going to Crepe Suzette!!!
Thanks for the wonderful information.!
-JG
Posted by: Jeff Goldstein | August 21, 2006 at 07:47 AM