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to its former glory and also adapted

to meet new requirements such as the

ceiling rosettes in the arched bays being

restored to their original state, as well as

housing air-conditioning vents to reduce

sound reverberation. What you will see

when you visit this amazing museum are

collections of Impressionists paintings,

sculpture, decorative arts, architecture,

and photography, definitely one to visit.

One of the most interesting sights is the

Pantheon which used to be a church on-

and-off (it was changed to a mausoleum

at the start of the French Revolution and

then reverted back into a church twice

before becoming a temple again) and is

now a national monument where key

French people are buried. Both inside

and out, it’s very grand and demonstrates

early Neoclassicism, with a Greek-cross

plan and a massive portico of Corinthian

columns, plus a very vast crypt.The façade

is modelled on that of the Pantheon in

Rome and its small dome resembles that

of St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Located

in the 5th arrondissement on the top of

Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, the Pantheon

looks out over all of Paris. Before you

enter the crypt, you will notice the

striking frescoes depicting scenes from

St. Geneviève’s life. There are also murals

depicting the life of Joan of Arc as well as

statues in the crypt under the main church

where the ‘famous’ French people such

as Voltaire Rousseau, Marat, Victor Hugo,

Jean Moulin, Marie Curie (the only woman

to be honoured), Louis Braille and Soufflot,

its architect are buried. Interestedly, just

outside the Pantheon is the Sorbonne

University where one of their graduates

donated one of his sculptures called the

‘Big Nab on Campus’ as a ‘thank you’.Well,

you can imagine that there has been some

debate as to whether they will keep the

statue.

If you’re looking for a wonderful hotel to

stay at, Hôtel Saint-Louis Marais is such

one and described as combining‘the quaint,

old-world charm of an ancient dwelling

with all the comforts and conveniences

of a modern hotel’. It is in close proximity

to such places as the Place des Vosges, the

Ile Saint-Louis and the Village Saint-Paul

and has very lovely rooms and a hot and

forceful shower that will make you want

to stay under it all day. Another hotel, the

3-star Hotel Caron is for those who are

not too fussed about grandeur and is close

to the Hotel de Sully which is not a‘normal’

hotel but a large museum. Some find Hotel

Sully a wonder to walk through and in the

right-hand corner there is a passageway

that leads to the Place des Vosges. This

historical area has several small art galleries

including a glass sculpture of John Lennon

which is one of the four featuring the

Beatles in their famous walk across Abbey

Road. Food-wise, Le Temps des Cerises is

a delightful restaurant frequented by the

locals.The restaurant is quite small with a

modest street front and only seats 20 or

so but the French onion soup is said to

be absolutely delicious and the duck to die

for, as well as the crème brulee.

If you haven’t been to Paris before, make

sure you don’t miss out on the usual

tourist attractions such as the Eiffel

Tower, La Sainte Chapelle, the Louvre, the

Sorbonne and Notre-Dame Cathedral; the

location whereVictor Hugo’s fictional bell-

ringer, Quasimodo fought for the favour

and love of the beautiful Esmeralda.

Travel to Paris from London can be

made either by Eurostar or direct from

London Heathrow, Gatwick City and

Luton airports via Air France, British

Airways, easyJet and Cityjet. Connecting

flights via Amsterdam, Luxembourg City,

Düsseldorf and Manchester are available

through British Airways/Air France, Luxair,

Germanwings, KLM, Cityjet/Air France and

Virgin Atlantic/Air France.

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Photographer: Ian Gillett