As we waltz around Paris, I like to think about what the Parisans we pass are thinking of us…
“Why are they staring at a random building?”
“Did they just gasp at the name of a street sign?”
“Am I hallucinating or does it look like that map they’re using is from the 16th century?”
“Americans…”
But, what might make a typical Parisian say “sacre bleu!” make us Bookpackers squeal with delight.
For example, part of our excursions have included locating Jean Valjean’s various hideouts throughout Les Miserables. One that particularly struck me was Jean Valjean and Cosette’s home on Rue Plumet. To prep for this excursion, we first mapped the exact location we thought the house would be. Before class, I created a side-by-side of the same location using Apple Maps and the Girard map of 1823.
I was thrilled while finding this location— pinpointing exactly where we believed Jean Valjean’s house would be today, and seeing how the shapes of the streets of Paris haven’t changed much over the years. In this side by side, you can really see a strong example of this, as the trapezoid shape of the streets stays largely the same!
Finding Jean Valjean’s house on the map proved to be an interesting challenge, as certain street names have changed over time. Particularly, the street where the house was located is called Rue Blomet in the book, but today has been changed to Rue Plumet. It’s a pretty simple change, so I guess it wasn’t that challenging… haha.
Still, there’s something really gratifying about this process— seeing visually how little things have changed in so much time.
Arriving at the house, we looked for evidence of our period in each corner. Being one of the places where Jean Valjean hid, it was appropriately remote. Not many people were walking around, there weren’t many interesting shops or restaurants, and the streets were calm. You could feel how this location was a perfect place for Jean Valjean to hide in plain sight. Curiously, we found that the Chinese consulate happened to be right on that same street where Jean Valjean lived, so it seems that this place has always been a secure, semi-remote location and continues to be to this day. As we trace the locations of various events in our novels, it’s so rewarding to see how areas keep their essences over time, and it makes it all the more interesting when we can see ripples of the past in the present.
As we explore Paris, the little things stand out to us bookpackers. The names of streets, shops, and cafes make us gasp as we watch the influence of our novels on Parisian life.
We pass a bar called “Le Gamin”, with an image of a young boy— reminiscent of Gavroche from Les Miserables.
Or a home where Victor Hugo once lived in, three decades before he writes Les Miserables…
And during our excursion in the 5th arrondissement, among the beauty of the area, we find a building ornately painted with scenes of provincial life.
On another excursion, we take a stop by Nicolas Flamel’s home, the oldest house in Paris, and we learn about his quest for the Philosopher’s Stone. Suddenly, as I learn about medieval Paris, I’m also bookpacking Harry Potter! I especially loved looking at the intricate designs on the building. I love medieval art and iconography, so I was enthralled by the home. Looking inside, we saw that what was once a place where Flanel welcomed the homeless for free meals was now a Michelin star restaurant with absurd prices… maybe the middle ages weren’t so bad after all.
I’ve been loving our excursions because they challenge me to look at Paris through a different set of eyes. During our excursions, I’m looking at the Paris of our period— walking through the contemporary streets but living in the Paris of old. When our excursions end and we’re free to explore on our own terms, I’m seeing the same areas through a contemporary lens. I feel this switching of lenses has really given me a holistic view of Paris; both what it was then and what it is today.
Bookpacking is about the little things. It’s about going to a random location in a random place, not because it’s number one on a list of “must-sees” in Paris, but because we’re on a citywide scavenger hunt. Using the books, we look for geographical clues leading us around Paris. The feeling of finding the exact location you were searching for is so rewarding, and even more so when the book we’re referencing is from the 19th century. It feels like we’re on a mission; looking for clues around contemporary Paris that reveal the past. The people around us may be scratching their heads as to why we’re so excited about such small details, but we know exactly what we’re here for.