I know many of you have been suffering through one of the coldest and snowiest winters the U.S. has ever recorded, so to give you a ray of hope and sunshine I present Courtyard Week 8, with photos from last summer when the temperature was in the high 70s Fahrenheit. (Don’t you wish it was like that now?).
I haven’t done a Courtyard Week in almost three years and I decided it was high time to post a new series. In case you are new to the blog, Courtyard Week is a series I started way back in 2009 where I visit/sneak/ cajole my way in/ rush the door when someone opens it into a courtyard and take photos. They have been some of my most fun and sometimes daring moments in Paris and I was even chased out of one once.
The courtyards in series eight were all in the Marais and two were on the same street. Today’s courtyard is on rue Charlot in the northern Marais/NORMA. I especially like this one because of the lush greenery and potted plants plus the lopsided marble stairway with an ornate ironwork banister.
I couldn’t find any historic information about the building but from the architectural characteristics, it looks like it was a hotel particulier from the 1600s. A hip women’s clothing shop, AB33 is one of the store fronts and is next door to the Marche des Enfants Rouges, the oldest food market in Paris.
Stayed tuned for the rest of Courtyard Week 8.
Click here to see other Courtyard Weeks.
33 Rue Charlot, 75003
Metro: Filles-Calvaires
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 195 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more. In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.
Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour