Cool Stuff in Paris

Deyrolle — legendary Parisian taxidermy shop

2012-02-03T15:41:00.000+01:00

Deyrolle is a fantastic taxidermy shop that's been open since 1831. The shop occupies two floors with several rooms full of tons of exotic and majestic animals, all of which are very pretty and very dead. The place is very inviting and is a somewhat well-known tourist attraction, so it's definitely worth popping in if you're in the neighborhood, even if you're not actually interested in buying any taxidermied creatures... Read more

WWI facial injury models and drawings at Librairie Alain Brieux

2012-01-31T15:59:00.000+01:00

While on my way to have coffee with a friend a few weeks ago, I wandered past Librairie Alain Brieux (48, Rue Jacob, 75006 Paris, www.alainbrieux.com) and had to stop and take a few pictures of their fantastic window display. Check out these amazing World War I facial injury models and drawings.

I wish I'd been able to visit! It was much too early and they were closed. But here's a wonderful blog post with beautiful pictures of the place.

Colorful bunnies in front of a gallery on Boulevard Saint-Germain

2012-01-07T18:00:00.000+01:00

These guys look like they might be cousins of this giant bunny I found a while back.

Pixel monster hunting in Paris — part 4

2012-01-05T18:05:00.000+01:00

If, in your Paris wanderings, you've perhaps glanced up once or twice, you've probably seen a few pixel art mosaics, usually in the form of little low-res aliens, like something out of a 1980s arcade game. I've always really enjoyed spotting these things, mentally cataloguing my favorites, pointing them out to friends, et cetera, so a couple years ago I started taking pictures of them whenever I happened to notice one... Read more

Part 4 of 4. (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4)

Tree shadows mural on the Hotel de Chevreuse

2012-01-02T19:21:00.001+01:00

I was wandering around the Montparnasse neighborhood a couple weeks ago and I happened upon this small hotel with a really neat mural that's reminiscent of the shadows of trees being cast onto a wall. A little Googling reveals that this is the Hotel de Chevreuse, on Rue de Cheuvreuse in the 6th arrondissement.

Sculptures in a courtyard on Boulevard Saint-Germain

2011-12-30T19:49:00.002+01:00

I happened upon this open courtyard full of neat sculptures the other day on Boulevard Saint-Germain, near Métro Solférino. In between taking pictures I read the name of the artist on a card by the entrance, and then promptly forgot it; oops! I've been trying to do some clever Googling to find some info on the artist, but so far I haven't been able to turn up anything. Any ideas?

Parisian Proto-Goth Beauties, 1910

2011-12-30T00:18:00.000+01:00

(Parisian Proto-Goth Beauties, 1910, from http://chrisarrant.tumblr.com)

Skeleton street art, Boulevard Raspail

2011-12-29T15:58:00.000+01:00

A friend of mine posted one of these skeletons, in pink, on his Facebook a couple months ago, and I thought it was one of the coolest pieces of Parisian street art I'd ever seen. I was delighted to run across this blue one the other day in front of the entrance to the Notre-Dame-des-Champs Métro station.

New article: Le Cimetière des Chiens — the Dog Cemetery in Asnières-sur-Seine

2011-12-28T18:28:00.002+01:00

Le Cimetière des Chiens is a pet cemetery in Asnières-sur-Seine, a suburb just outside Paris. Its full name is "Le Cimetière des Chiens et Autres Animaux Domestiques" (the cemetery of dogs and other pets), so this cemetery has welcomed non-canine animals as well for a long time, perhaps since the place first opened in 1899. There are tons of cat graves, as well as some horses, at least one monkey, a sheep, a hen, etc... Read more

Clever stencil of a guy stealing a no entry sign

2011-12-19T14:56:00.001+01:00

(Well, stealing part of it.) Spotted on Rue Lepic.

Vincent and Théo Van Gogh's apartment at 54 Rue Lepic

2011-12-19T14:12:00.004+01:00

One of my favorite strolls in Paris involves taking Rue Lepic and winding up around the hill of Montmartre; I mentioned this a while back in my article about La Basilique du Sacré Coeur . One of the many interesting sites along this path is the Van Gogh brothers' old apartment. The plaque marking the place is small and a little high up and easy to miss. But if you're in the area, just look for number 54 and you'll spot it.

The plaque reads, "Dans cette maison Vincent Van Gogh a vécu chez son frère Théo de 1886 à 1888." — "In this house Vincent Van Gogh lived at his brother Théo's place from 1886 to 1888."

13 858 € — Etonnant, Non?

2011-12-16T16:54:00.001+01:00

€13,858 — Surprising, huh?

Real estate in France is measured in square meters, and there's always a lot of discussion about how many square meters one's apartment is, how much per square meter a particular apartment costs, etc. I found this delightful stencil on the sidewalk of Rue des Saints-Pères, in the very fashionable (and pricey) Saint-Germain-des-Prés area in the 6th arrondissement. I have to wonder if this price is accurate (I have absolutely no notion of these kinds of things, but I figure the guy did his homework) and if the artist who made this particular stencil has perhaps made others that are specific to certain streets or neighborhoods. A neat — and humbling — idea in any case! I've daydreamed from time to time about buying an apartment in Paris someday, maybe in the Marais or Montmartre, which are two neighborhoods that are probably only a little less expensive than this one, and this stencil is a real wakeup call. Wow.

Colorful monster van on Rue de l'Université

2011-12-16T16:53:00.000+01:00

Giant creepy face on Boulevard Raspail

2011-12-16T16:52:00.002+01:00

Merry Christmas, Capitaine Dreyfus

2011-12-15T13:21:00.006+01:00

Having grown up in America, I never heard about the Dreyfus affair (aka l'affaire Dreyfus) until I was living in Paris as an adult. It's a fascinating, heartbreaking, frustrating story, and it's very well-known by most French people I've talked to. The Wikipedia article is a good introduction to the story, which is one that definitely still weighs heavily on the French conscience.

I happened upon this statue of Capitaine Dreyfus in a tiny park in the Montparnasse neighborhood; I recognized him by his broken sword, and a glance at the plaque on the pedestal confirmed that this was indeed Dreyfus (and not some other guy whose statue had simply fallen victim to vandalism). The plaque includes the sobering inscription, "If you want me to live, restore my honor." Anyway, it struck me as a little bit odd and a little bit funny that this poor guy, who happened to be Jewish and suffered greatly for that fact at the hand of the mainstream/Christian French people, has to share his little park with two big ol' Christmas trees. You're seeing the whole park in the picture above; there's really nothing in it but the statue and the trees.

Something I end up discussing with my French friends a lot is the strange, often misguided American notion of political correctness. I personally think we Americans overdo it a lot, but I always mention that I'd almost always prefer to err on the side of overdoing it rather than rejecting the idea all together and adopting the kind of carelessness or insensitivity that I often see in a lot of other countries (and back in the US a lot of the time, I should mention!). It's a matter of perspective, and I don't blame the French for not seeing what I see as insensitivity where they just see things as they've always been.

In any case, I'm not even really criticizing the city of Paris for putting these Christmas trees in Dreyfus' park; it's just something that struck me as funny, because if this happened in the US, some folks (both Jewish and non) would definitely take issue with it, complain to the city, and probably demand an apology and that the trees be removed. And they'd probably get it. In Paris, no one bats an eye. I don't have any strong feelings about this particular instance myself; like I said, sometimes I think we take the PC thing way too far in the US, and sometimes I think the French should really be a little more sensitive about these things. It's a gray area with a million different shades of gray. Just something to think about.

I really recommend reading up on the Dreyfus affair. You can visit Capitaine Dreyfus' tomb in the Cimetière du Montparnasse.

Mr. Ryde is Watching You! (Ta Gueule)

2011-12-14T14:46:00.001+01:00

I happened to be wandering around some little side streets in between the Luxembourg Gardens and the Montparnasse neighborhood when I came upon this lovely bit of graffiti that says "TA GUEULE" (photo 1), which is a common French expression meaning "shut up." (It comes from "ferme ta gueule" — literally, "shut your mouth/snout.") Delightful! Upon closer inspection, I noticed this charming little stencil off to the side, and decided to take a photo of that as well (photo 2). Then I wandered a block or so and found a different version of this same guy (3), and then another (4), and another (5)! Lastly, I bumped into this poster (6) pasted high up on a wall, declaring, "Mr. Ryde is watching you." It certainly would appear to be so!

(Click any of the pics to see a larger version.)

I did a bit of Googling to see if I could find any information about our friend Mr. Ryde, but so far I've come up with nothing at all. I've never seen this image anywhere else in Paris, and after finding these five, I wandered in a one-block radius around this area looking for others, but didn't find any more. Quel grand mystère !

Update: Intriguing!

Le Musée des Arts Forains — The Museum of Carnival Arts

2011-12-13T19:59:00.000+01:00

New article today on Cool Stuff in Paris: Le Musée des Arts Forains — The Museum of Carnival Arts

Le Musée des Arts Forains is a stunning collection of beautiful old amusement park rides and other carnival-related attractions, housed in one of the most absolutely magical spaces I've ever had the pleasure to visit... Read more

My reunion with Réunion

2011-12-03T06:44:00.002+01:00

Hi folks! It's Manning, your Cool Stuff in Paris editor here. I'm spending a couple weeks with my girlfriend's family on l'île de La Réunion, a tiny French island in the Indian Ocean, way down near Madagascar. I realize this isn't terribly Paris-related, but if you're interested, I've been writing about my time here over on my personal blog as well as my Twitter. Oh yeah, plus I have a photo gallery of my previous visit to Réunion here. Check it out! This place is amazing.

Halloween party at Le Cherfa, Monday the 31st, 8pm

2011-10-30T19:25:00.001+01:00

Whoa, check this out! Cool Stuff in Paris reader Gemma writes...

"Hi Manning! I've been living in Paris for nearly 5 years & I soooo know what you mean about the French & Halloween (a nightmare, & not in a good way!) Which is why I've bullied my local bar in the 20th (not far from Père Lachaise!) into having a Halloween party & there will DEFINITELY be more than a jack o' lantern for decorations cos I'm in charge! Also a Halloween menu, Halloween cocktails, & if I can sort it out in time, a prize for the best costume..."

Sounds awesome! Le Cherfa is at 198 Rue des Pyrénées, in the 20th arrondissement. The party starts at 8pm! Get dressed up and get your asses over there! Happy Halloween!

Paris Métro station names interpreted literally – photos by Janol Apin

2011-10-26T16:31:00.003+02:00

Oh man, this is so cool! Les noms des stations de métro pris au pied de la lettre – Photographies de Janol Apin — Métro station names interpreted literally, photos by Janol Apin.

A couple of these are cultural references that even I don't get after living in France for years and years, but most of them are fairly obvious and fun and clever. Check 'em out!

Oops

2011-10-13T15:12:00.001+02:00

During all my time in central Paris, I was always fascinated by these posts that come out of the street to regulate traffic. Some streets are pedestrian-only during certain parts of the day and open to cars at other times, and these posts keep the cars out. But what if you're unfortunate enough to be driving over them right when they're coming up? Well, fortunately there are traffic lights in place to tell you to stop when the posts are going to pop up. But if you run the light, which happens all the time in Paris, you might be in for trouble!

I saw this taxi on Rue Montmartre one morning. I love how his license plate popped off and is just sitting there in front of the car.

Scarfood

2011-10-13T15:11:00.007+02:00

Say bonjour to my little friend.

I present to you, dear readers, one of my favorite stupid and nonsensical things in all of Paris:

This place was/is right down the street from my old apartment in Pigalle, just below Place Blanche, where the Moulin Rouge is. Note they even put a Scarface poster on the door in case you didn't get the reference. What I wish they'd put up is a poster explaining why they're making the reference.

Attention au vampire

2011-10-13T15:11:00.004+02:00

I bumped into this sign a while back up in MontMartre, on Rue Lepic. It stayed up for a few days. I never did find that vampire.

Artwork on Rue Chapon

2011-10-13T15:11:00.002+02:00

This piece used to be right outside my apartment on the edge of the Marais. I have no idea who these people are or if these photos might have been taken at my building; if so, the door has been changed since then.

L'Escargot Montorgueil

2011-10-01T00:30:00.003+02:00

Guignol

2011-10-01T00:29:00.001+02:00

Back in the days

2011-09-30T16:57:00.005+02:00

Run-DMC, Eiffel Tower. Well, of course!

Le Défenseur du Temps — the Defender of Time

2011-09-29T19:36:00.002+02:00

New article today on Cool Stuff in Paris: Le Défenseur du Temps — the Defender of Time

The skinniest sandwicherie in Paris

2011-09-29T16:44:00.002+02:00

This has gotta be the world's skinniest sandwicherie! That's a scarf store and an art gallery on either side, so the sandwich place really is just that narrow section in the middle. I bet they get stuck if they try to hand you your sandwich longways. New employees probably do that all the time.

(Rue des Gravilliers)

Sham Paris

2011-09-28T21:28:00.003+02:00

Holy crap! During World War I the French worked on building a fake Paris outside the real Paris, to "disorient German aviators into bombing and destroying it rather than the real city." Amazing! Check out the whole article, with maps and photos:

A Paris Made to be Destroyed--Sham Paris, 1917/18

Giant thumb at La Défense

2011-09-28T19:31:00.000+02:00

Did you know there's a giant thumb over by La Défense? There's a giant thumb over by La Défense.

Kill Kill Kill

2011-09-23T20:54:00.004+02:00

"Eye-sight test for the military service enrollment."

Rue Saint-Martin, near the Pompidou Centre.

New article: Le Musée de la Magie —the Museum of Magic!

2011-09-22T20:58:00.002+02:00

Welcome to one of the coolest and oddest attractions in all of Paris, le Musée de la Magie! This museum is full of amazing artifacts from the history and magic and illusion: antique magicians' props and gadgets, stunning optical illusions, beautiful old posters advertising magic shows, and more, all housed in a spooky old underground chamber that looks like an old wine cellar... Read more

New article: Musée des Automates — creepy mechanical oddies at the Automata Museum

2011-09-22T20:57:00.003+02:00

The Musée des Automates is a tiny museum housed in the same building as the Musée de la Magie. Tons of delightful old coin-operated automata are on display, and you can operate most of them yourself... Read more

New article: Métro Arts et Métiers — steampunk Métro station!

2011-09-22T20:56:00.002+02:00

If you're in Paris and you're a fan of old-timey steampunk stuff, then it's an absolute necessity that you stop in Le Musée des Arts et Métiers to check out Avion III, the beautiful bat-shaped plane they've got in there. And then afterward, you absolutely must pop into the Métro station that's just out front of the museum to see the amazing submarine-like decor... Read more

Eat, drink, and be merry

2011-08-24T23:17:00.003+02:00

Some new Paris bar, restaurant, and café listings:

L'Imprévu Café — laid-back, artsy café/bar near the Pompidou
Kata Bar — fun goth bar in Pigalle
Gang Seng — Tibetan restaurant in Montmartre
Creperie Lepic Assiette — cute creperie in Montmartre

Roman columns and a couple new pixel mosaics

2011-08-24T15:25:00.002+02:00

A couple new things on the site!

Saint-Pierre de Montmartre — 12th-century church containing a few 7th-century Roman columns. Read more
Updated: Photo gallery of pixel art mosaics all over Paris — a few new photos at the end. Read more

Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

2011-08-17T20:09:00.001+02:00

The Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature — the Museum of Hunting and Nature — is a fascinating museum about the history of hunting and our relationship with animals and nature in general. It's full of beautiful art objects inspired by animals, antique hunting rifles and taxidermied creatures, and much more, all housed in a space that looks like an opulent 18th-century French country home. It's really one of the most gorgeous and strange places I've had the pleasure of spending an afternoon... Read more

Good bars/cafes to watch a rubgy match in Paris?

2011-02-24T16:01:00.006+01:00

I received a message on Twitter from @sjhphotography asking the following:

"Hi Manning. I am in Paris this weekend & wonder if you could recommend a bar/cafe to watch the England v France rugby? Stuart."

The short answer is, I really don't know! Well, specifically, anyway. I've never been much of a sports fan, so I don't have a particular bar to recommend. Fortunately, I can tell you that practically every single bar and cafe in Paris will be showing the game -- some of the smaller ones even wheeling in a big ol' tv from home just for the occasion -- and I can suggest a few neighborhoods and streets with lots of lively bars and pubs, so you can bar-hop a bit and find something you like. Paris goes completely crazy during rugby and football season, and there are fun times to be had all over the city.

So, first of all, if any readers have any specific suggestions for bars/pubs/cafes that are great places to watch a game, please leave a comment! Thanks!

The first area that springs to mind for me is Pigalle, aka Paris' red light district. The main big street that runs through Pigalle, called the Boulevard de Clichy, is full of bars and cafes and pubs, which are somewhat touristy, but I don't see that as a bad thing when you're looking to watch a rugby game with a lot of fans, both local and from out of town. The area is a little seedy, and you'll want to keep an eye out for rowdy drunks (both domestic and imported), pickpockets, hash dealers, strip club employees aggressively trying to pull you into their clubs, etc, but none of this should be a big deal if you keep your eyes open. I lived in the heart of Pigalle for about a year, and I absolutely love the sleazy ambiance there; I never had any trouble there at all. So, if this all sounds good, I recommend taking the Metro to Place Blanche, right in front of the Moulin Rouge, and then walking up and down the Boulevard de Clichy from there until you find a bar that looks good; you'll be able to see the big-screen tvs from outside of most of them, and if the weather is okay a lot of them will have opened up their front walls/windows completely, so the party will be spilling out onto the street. I can think of at least two Irish pubs within a couple blocks of Metro Blanche, and all the French cafes and bars there are also big and loud and fun, and they all definitely have televisions. Anywhere on this street should be great.

Another bustling neighborhod that's definitely fun but less wild and sleazy is the area referred to as the Grands Boulevards, centered around the Metro station called Grands Boulevards. The big street there is called the Boulevard Poissonnière, which soon turns into the Boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle in one direction, or Boulevard Haussmann in the other. This whole boulevard is full of bars and pubs (as well as restaurants, shops, clubs, etc), which you'll see immediately. Again, you'll have the combination of French cafes with local French fans and lots of tourists, and a few Irish or English pubs with lots of out-of-towners, and some locals too. This area is a little classier and more expensive than Pigalle, but they're both a lot of fun. I like recommending this area to people just because it's a part of Paris that most short-term visitors never see, even though it's relatively central. There's nothing particularly famous there, but it's a fun area with a wonderful, very Parisian ambiance.

I hope some of that helps! Good luck,

- Manning

A gallery of pixel art tile mosaics all over Paris

2010-11-22T19:37:00.003+01:00

If, in your Paris wanderings, you've perhaps glanced up once or twice, you've probably seen a few pixel art mosaics, usually in the form of little low-res aliens, like something out of a 1980s arcade game. I've always really enjoyed spotting these things, mentally cataloguing my favorites, pointing them out to friends, et cetera, so a couple years ago I started taking pictures of them whenever I happened to notice one. The trend was popularized in the 1990s by a French street artist artist who goes by the name Invader. But he might not be the first guy who ever... Read more

Stand in the spot where Henri IV was assassinated

2010-10-29T14:27:00.000+02:00

Henri IV was the king of France from 1589 to 1610, right up until he went and got himself assassinated in broad daylight in the middle of Paris, in the bustling neighborhood known as Les Halles. A guy named François Ravaillac ran up to Henri's coach while it was stuck in traffic stabbed him to death. There are two different sights to check out that mark the place where Henri IV was killed. Both are located on the Rue de la Ferronnerie...
Read more

The tomb of Comtesse Marie Potocka / Princess Soltikoff

2010-10-28T14:25:00.005+02:00

This is one of my favorite tombs in my favorite cemetery in Paris: it's the tomb of Comtesse Marie Potocka (and Princess Soltikoff, I guess? or Comtesse Marie Potocka was also known as Princess Soltikoff?) in the Cimetiere de Montmartre. I don't know anything about this lady/these ladies, and a few brief web searches haven't turned up much; mostly just other tourist's photos. But this ornate Russian-style tomb really stands out from all the traditional, drab, plain stone tombs in this and other Parisian cemeteries, and it makes me smile every time I wander by it.

Looking at the close-up photo, I just noticed the dates below the nameplate. It's tough to make out, but zooming in on the original high-res version of the photo, I believe it says she was born in St Petersburg in 1807 and died in Paris in 1845. I'm really stumped as to who's in this tomb and what their story is. The names certainly make it sound like there are two people, but the dates are clearly for just one person: the first one says "born" and the second says "deceased." Hooboy, I really don't know enough French/Russian history to be able to sort this out, and I'm certain as soon as I post this some brilliant reader will clue me in. Anyway, I like the tomb! It's a nice tomb.

Le Musée des Vampires, Le Café de L'Enfer, etc.

2010-10-21T17:31:00.003+02:00

Hey folks! It's been a while! A few neat things:

I've just updated my article on Le Musée des Vampires, with a lot more information and a couple photos.

In other news, my article on Le Café de L'Enfer has become somewhat of a hit on StumbleUpon this week, and was also featured on Disinfo.com!

Another neat thing, American celebrity chef and author Rachael Ray linked to my site on her blog. She mentions having lunch at Le Café Tournesol and links to my article about it. So, not exactly a shout-out, but nice nonetheless!

So those things explain that recent spike in traffic I noticed! Great!

I have a ton of new articles in the works, so keep your eyes on this space. See ya!

UK archivist says uncovers real-life Quasimodo

2010-08-17T06:51:00.000+02:00

Wow!

LONDON (Reuters Life!) – A British archivist believes he has uncovered the real-life inspiration for French novelist Victor Hugo's mysterious character Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

Adrian Glew, who works on the Tate collection's archives in London, was studying the seven-volume handwritten autobiography of 19th century British sculptor Henry Sibson when he came across a reference to a Frenchman whose nickname was "le bossu," or hunchback.

A couple new Big Stuff articles

2010-06-08T14:54:00.003+02:00

I'm knocking out a bunch of easy Big Stuff articles today: Notre Dame and the Panthéon. More soon!
Read more

Les Arènes de Lutèce — an ancient Roman arena hidden in the 5th arrondissement

2010-06-06T00:57:00.002+02:00

The Arènes de Lutèce is, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating things in Paris, and most Parisians have never even heard of it. It's a real-ass Roman arena dating from the first century, hidden right in the fifth arrondissement! Some historical information from the "Histoire de Paris" sign by the front entrance: "This amphitheater of simple stone brickwork was erected around the end of the first century AD. ... Destroyed during the barbarian invasions of the third century, its materials were reused by the Gallo-Romans, who were taking refuge on the Île de la Cité [the small island on the Seine in central Paris]. ... Its exact location remained unknown until 1858. It was rediscovered... Read more

Museum of the History of Medicine

2010-06-05T00:07:00.001+02:00

Le Musée d’Histoire de la Médecine is one of my favorite finds in all of my time in France. It's a relatively small but absolutely fascinating museum if you're into creepy medical stuff. The Musée is full of things like scary old medical instruments, creepy medical models, strange prosthetic limbs, and more. One of the strangest and coolest items, which you'd totally miss if you're not looking for it, is a small circular table right by the staircase to go up to the second floor. At a glance, the little table doesn't seem too noteworthy, but take a closer look. It's got an intricate design under the glass top, which is made entirely of human... Read more

Les Enfants du Monde

2010-05-11T16:00:00.001+02:00

Les Enfants du Monde (Children of the World) is a really neat group of twenty-one bronze statues I discovered over by the Parc de Bercy. When you first get a glimpse of the statues, you can quickly see that they're all meant to represent different nationalities and cultures. And when you really take the time to stare at these things for a while, a few other interesting details start to become apparent. It seems that a big motif of this project involved using textures of the city streets in these different countries to make up statues of the people who live there! How neat! Read more

News Flash! France To Permit Women To Wear Pants

2010-05-10T22:07:00.000+02:00

"A long-standing law in Paris, France that forbids women to wear trousers, might soon be repealed, the Telegraph UK reports. Ten French ministers submitted a bill to parliament to get rid of the outdated law, which was put into place in 1799. The law was amended several times: once in 1892 to allow women to sport trousers while riding horses and again in 1909 to permit the ladies to wear pants while on bicycles..." (Link)

French bread spiked with LSD in CIA experiment

2010-04-30T23:51:00.002+02:00

"A 50-year mystery over the 'cursed bread' of Pont-Saint-Esprit, which left residents suffering hallucinations, has been solved after a writer discovered the US had spiked the bread with LSD as part of an experiment." (Link)

Saint Denis, the decapitated guy you'll bump into all over Paris

2009-11-05T15:46:00.003+01:00

If, in your Paris wanderings, you've spent some time at Notre Dame admiring all the statues of saints and kings adorning the front of the cathedral, you may have found yourself wondering, "Who's that decapitated guy holding his head in his hands?" The headless man in question is Saint Denis, a martyr with a strange and incredible story. Saint Denis was the first bishop of Paris, back in the third century when Paris was still very much a Roman city. The prodigious number of conversions Denis performed got him on the bad side of the local pagan priests. So the Roman rulers of Paris had Denis arrested and brought him to the highest hill in Paris, now known as Montmartre, where he was executed by — you guessed it — beheading. Now, here comes the good part: It's said that immediately after Denis was killed, he picked up his head and walked six kilometers... Read more

Also new on Cool Stuff in Paris, two new Big Stuff articles:

ZHUD9EV4MKUJ

Hidden in plain sight: fake windows painted onto a building in Beaubourg

2009-11-04T15:01:00.000+01:00

I was wandering around taking pictures in my neighborhood this morning when I noticed these fake windows painted onto a building that's situated in a little unnamed square facing the South-East corner of the Centre Pompidou. I've walked by this spot literally hundreds of times and never noticed these before! Click here to see some more pictures of the fake windows.

Some closeup shots here!

L'Hôtel de Ville — a great place for an execution!

2009-11-03T23:16:00.000+01:00

L'Hôtel de Ville is Paris' beautiful city hall, situated on the North bank of the Seine right in the center of town. You'd never guess that just in front of its doorstep lies a site where hundreds, possibly thousands of bloody executions took place, spanning over five centuries. The big open square in front is now called la Place de L'Hôtel de Ville, but its original name was the Place de Grève, and for centuries this was the spot in Paris where most public executions took place. Convicted criminals met their fate in various gruesome... Read more

Monsters in the Jardin des Tuileries

2009-11-03T17:47:00.001+01:00

My girlfriend's father is visiting Paris from La Réunion, and he sent me these photos after a late afternoon stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries, the park that faces the courtyard of the Louvre.

There are a few more monsters here. It's great to have friends who know what you like.

A few new Paris restaurant and café reviews

2009-11-03T16:56:00.001+01:00

I've posted a few new Paris restaurant and café reviews, which you can find in the top two entries on the Recent Stuff page if you're interested! I have a lot more fun writing the Cool and Weird articles, but these are important too! People gotta eat. (And drink.)

An unfinished statue of the Virgin Mary, buried for eight centuries

2009-11-02T16:12:00.007+01:00

I'd never been in the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés until recently, but I'm very glad I decided to stop in one afternoon while in the neighborhood to take pictures of the hotel where Oscar Wilde died. The abbey is gorgeous on the inside, but the one thing that really struck me is this 13-century statue of the Virgin Mary that's all the way in back. The statue is in pieces and visibly unfinished, reassembled from three fragments of rock discovered in an archeological dig in 1999. The sculpture, most likely... Read more

And the award for Parisian bar most likely to keep all their neon letters in good working order goes to...

2009-11-02T14:03:00.003+01:00

Le Nazir, Rue des Abbesses, Montmartre

If I were the owner I'd be popping my head outside every five minutes to check.

Beautiful Russian nesting dolls at Peterhof

2009-10-30T15:50:00.000+01:00

I gasped out loud when I noticed these beautiful matryoshka dolls, aka Russian nesting dolls, in the window of Peterhof, in the 6th arrondissement.

I count 65!!

This is right around the corner from L'Hôtel, the hotel where Oscar Wilde died, if you're interested in checking out one or both!

Smooshed-head guy in the Cimetière de Montmartre

2009-10-29T13:39:00.000+01:00

In the Cimetière de Montmartre the other day, I noticed while wandering past this tomb that there was something not quite symmetrical about this gentleman's head...

The head is hollow and has been completely smashed in on one side. Click here to see the damage from a few more angles.

Tree growing around tombstone, Cimetière de Montmartre, Paris

2009-10-28T18:31:00.000+01:00

I lived around the corner from the Cimetière de Montmartre for a couple years, but I just ran across this tree growing around a tombstone a couple days ago. I love finding scenes of nature reclaiming what once belonged to it.

Click here to see it from a few more angles.

Creepy French ad for hand sanitizer

2009-10-28T14:47:00.000+01:00

Not exactly Halloween-related, but I'll take it! Check out this great (and creepy!) fear-mongering ad for hand sanitizer!

I spotted this in the window of my local Parisian pharmacy this morning. The red circle proclaims that this hand sanitizer is effective against the H1N1 (aka swine flu) virus. The metal pole they're all holding onto is clearly meant to be the pole in the Paris Métro (subway), which of course is an excellent place for viruses and bacteria (and apparently werewolves and mummies) to hang out. Touching filthy stuff in the Métro was something that already grossed me out bad enough before seeing this ad, and now it's going to bother me more than ever! Now that's effective advertising!

Dans le Noir photo

2009-10-27T22:30:00.002+01:00

Added a great new photo to my review of Dans le Noir, the restaurant where you dine in total darkness.

The Wolves of Paris

2009-10-27T18:03:00.003+01:00

More weird and cool history on Cool Stuff in Paris today:

The Wolves of Paris

Les Loups de Paris — the Wolves of Paris — were a pack of man-eating wolves who terrorized Paris during the winter of 1450. The wolves were able to enter Paris through breaches in the city's poorly maintained outer walls, which had been... Read more

Le Café de L'Enfer

2009-10-27T15:18:00.003+01:00

Today on Cool Stuff in Paris: Le Café de L'Enfer

Le Café de L'Enfer was a Hell-themed café in Paris' red light district (aka Pigalle, the neighborhood of the Moulin Rouge), created in the late 19th century and operating up 'til sometime around the middle of the 20th. I first heard of this place... Read more

Spooky crows at the Cimetière de Montmartre!

2009-10-26T19:58:00.002+01:00

I was taking some photos at the Cimetière de Montmartre just before sundown this evening, when suddenly a small murder of crows (wow, how often do I get to say that?) alit on some tombs right next to me! Talk about creepy! Finally, there's the Halloween vibe I've been desperately searching for over here.

More Halloween in Paris Peur sur le Parc Astérix!

2009-10-26T18:43:00.010+01:00

Peur sur le Parc Astérix — Fear at Astérix Park!

I saw this poster in the Métro today and thought I should mention it as another thing going on in (well, near) Paris in addition to the stuff I wrote about in my Halloween in Paris article the other day.

I've never been to Parc Astérix myself, but I've heard — somewhat to my surprise — that it's really fun!

Astérix, if you're not aware, is the star of a French comic book series that's been around since the late 50s, about the last village in Gaul (i.e. France before it was France) whose warriors manage to hold out against the Romans, thanks to the magic potion whipped up by the town druid. Astérix comics helped me a lot with learning French in the first year that I lived over here! I'd barely ever heard of him in the States, but he's absolutely huge here. He's practically the French Mickey Mouse. I don't know what they've got going on at his park for Halloween, but that bottom headline on the poster says, "You're going to love being scared!"

Five new reviews

2009-10-25T23:12:00.007+01:00

Just added five new reviews to the site:

Read more

Lots more soon!

Getting the most out of the Louvre

2009-10-25T11:54:00.016+01:00

Today on Cool Stuff in Paris:
Getting the most out of the Louvre

My guide to visiting the Louvre, covering stuff like avoiding the insane crowds, managing your time wisely, what to bring, and a look at a bunch of my personal favorite exhibits. Read more

Mysteries of Paris The Paris Ghost Tour

2009-10-24T17:37:00.004+02:00

I enjoyed a cool Autumn evening last night wandering Paris' spookiest sites with the Mysteries of Paris Ghost Tour. I was happily surprised to discover this tour existed while doing research for my article on Halloween in Paris; there's not much to do here for Halloween, and I'm thrilled to find anything new to try that might satisfy my Halloween cravings at least a bit. As a lifelong fan of ghost stories and urban legends and an amateur French history... Read more

Mysteries of Paris ghost tour tonight

2009-10-23T12:44:00.004+02:00

Tonight I'll be attending the Mysteries of Paris ghost tour (update: I did! My review is here) with my good friend and esteemed About.com Paris blogger Courtney Traub. The ticket price isn't listed on the site, so I called and learned that it's €20! Wow! I'm looking at it as an expensive birthday present to myself. I'll let you know how it goes!

New Featured Article: Halloween in Paris!

2009-10-22T18:07:00.001+02:00

Me at Disneyland Paris around Halloween 2005.

New Featured Article: Halloween in Paris! Halloween is definitely a much smaller affair in France than it is in the States, but if you're a Halloween fanatic like I am, it's worth putting in the extra effort to find something cool going on. Fortunately, Parisians will use any excuse for a party, and there are in fact several bars and clubs in the city that advertise Halloween parties every year, and these may satisfy your Halloween cravings at least somewhat. While there are no haunted houses you can visit in Paris, there is a guided "ghost tour," called Mysteries of Paris — The Paris Ghost Tour, with a focus on gruesome and violent historical events in Paris. Also, every October, Disneyland Paris... Read more

Cool Stuff in Paris mentioned on Wired

2009-10-22T13:57:00.000+02:00

Hey, neat, Cool Stuff in Paris was mentioned yesterday on Wired Pulse: the daily beat of the Wired world. Exciting!

A bird's-eye view of chaos at the Arc de Triomphe, and more

2009-10-22T12:29:00.002+02:00

New article on Cool Stuff in Paris today:
A bird's-eye view of chaos at the Arc de Triomphe

Safely observe the insanity of a hectic multi-lane traffic circle from above, and look for the occasional crazy tourist dodging cars. Read more...

Also new today:
The arrondissements — Paris' twenty districts

Nothing mindblowing here, just a brief guide to understanding how the city of Paris is chopped up geographically. Read more...

A gallery of weird public art in Paris

2009-10-21T17:21:00.000+02:00

Today on Cool Stuff in Paris, a gallery of weird public art. Lots more where that came from.

Introducing Cool Stuff in Paris!

2009-10-19T10:02:00.003+02:00

Your host, Manning Leonard Krull

Welcome to Cool Stuff in Paris, your guide to the the coolest and weirdest stuff in Paris, France. This website and blog are a directory of my personal favorite stuff in Paris: strange attractions, creepy museums, awesome restaurants and bars, bizarre public art, fun events and day trips, and much more. My name is Manning Leonard Krull. I'm an American web designer and travel junkie who's been living in Paris since 2005. All the content on the site is written by me, about my real experiences in this amazing city. This is really and truly all my favorite stuff. Subscribe to this blog to see links to all new articles as they go up, as well as snippets of interesting things from my every day life in Paris. You can also follow CoolStuffParis on Twitter to see all updates. Thanks for reading! Safe travels,

Manning Leonard Krull
www.coolstuffinparis.com
www.twitter.com/coolstuffparis
www.manningkrull.com