Tours highlight black Americans' love of Paris
 

That is the headline of a travel article in the Worcester Telegram written for the Associated Press by Jamey Keaton. I'm sure a search will find it.

The tour company is Black Paris Tours and you can find them at:

http://www.blackparistour.com/

Another site features a Josephine Baker tour, Black Pearl, and can be found here:

http://www.discoverparis.net/african_americans.html

I would like to suggest an excellent book "The Flaneur: a stroll through the Paradoxes of Paris", by Edmund White. He briefly and eloquently discusses the history of blacks in Paris, the writers...James Baldwin, Richard Wright and Chester Himes...... outstanding musicians (in their fashion), Josephine Baker, Bricktop and Sidney Bichet (master of clarinet and soprano saxaphone), Louis Mitchell and his group, the Seven Spades, the Jazz Kings...and many more.

"America may make B movies or film noirs and give birth to jazz soloists, but only the French have treated these forms as artistic from the very beginning and applied to them a flattering pedantry. More than once I've have French friends "tut-tut" and remark that my "film culture" or my "jazz connoissureship" was regrettably not very deep, read "non-existent".

In the post second world war years, these writers went to a soul food restaurant, the Haynes Grill, at 3 rue Clauzel, in the lower fringes of Montmartre. I think that it exists today, with a feeling of years gone by.

This book, The Flaneur, is an excellent read for those interested in the ethnic composition of Paris today. Also read Kerouac's posts re ethnic areas.

copperandjade,

The book sounds interesing, I'll check it out.

On another note, I read one of your posts about renting an apartment in Paris. I'm particularly interested in the apartment on Rue Maitre Albert. Can you give me more information? That is one of my favorite locations in Paris.

Thanks.

Luisah,

You can find the studio at www.frenchyrentals.com click on studio. It is now listed at 500E/wk. When I rented, last Feb./07, it was listed at 400E/wk and Darrin and Paula gave me the great deal of 1100E for the month of June. I enjoyed the location very much...it was wonderful to go to street level and be at the Seine in 3 minutes. There is a boat moored there and I often would start an "eastward" day having coffee on the boat with Notre Dame about 200 yards away. Or with another 2 minutes walk, I would be on the I'le Saint Louis. Most days, I would go in the opposite direction, also a 3 minute walk, and begin at Place Maubert where there are 2 excellent cafes. The market takes place here Tues., Thurs. and Saturdays...it is exciting to watch them set up and explore the market itself. Since it is only 3 minutes walk from "home", I would buy food and flowers, drop them off, and then proceed onwards for the day. At the Place Maubert, there is also a permanent group of excellent shops, a bakery, cheese shop, deli, wine store etc. which are usually open until 6PM. The market itself usually closes down at 1 or 2 PM.

I encourage to contact Darrin and see what kind of deal he may be able to give you. If you spend time checking out the rental sites, I think that you can always find what you want. If you are going for 3 weeks or a month, ignore the quoted weekly rate and contact the owners. Oddly enough, I found that the rates quoted for one month were the same as or LESS than for 3 weeks. Thus, in my last two trips I stayed for one month rather than 2 or 3 weeks. Yes, you need to factor in the extra spending money, but when all is said and done it was so worthwhile. Staying for a month begins to give you a feeling of living in Paris and you have the luxury of time. Look at many sites.

Luisah,

A few more notes on spending money. I have just consulted my journals and realized that I spent the SAME amount in a previous 2 week trip that I spent in the next 2 trips, one month each...essentially I spent the same if I was there for 10 days/2weeks/ or one month! I also rented an apartment for the 2 weeks. The difference came , I think, in that I did not feel pressured by time. There are infinite free and/or inexpensive things to do in Paris. Also, with time, you find the delicious but inexpensive places to have meals. Since I was alone, I tended to eat out most of the time, even though I had kitchen facilites on all occasions...loved the people watching and often enjoyed fascinating conversations with other diners. But several evenings I did come home, exhausted, and have delicious food at home. I averaged 50E/day...this included most meals out, coffee and wine breaks, transport, museums and the occasional day trips. My days were of quality and beauty.

One book I found very interesting, though sad, was "Giovanni's Room", by James Baldwin. It depicts a time and aspect of Paris that is very intriguing. I read something by James Baldwin where he said that when he went to Paris, he welcomed being treated with indifference. I can only imagine how he felt, being African-American and gay in segregationist America.

Thank you for the great information,copperandjade; it sounds wonderful. I'll check it out.

WillTravel, thanks for another book recommendation. I've read some Baldwin, but not that title.