The Man Who Could Walk Through Walls

Sure, every tourist knows about Montmartre since the 2001 Academy Awards-nominated movie Amelie starring the irresistible Audrey Tautou and some bloke made this quaint Parisian neighborhood quite famous. Things have never been the same since - the Basilica of Sacre Couer is now on everyone's list of places to visit, and nearby Place du Tertre is constantly overrun with tourists quaffing overpriced drinks at the cafes and artists offering to draw your caricature for a hefty fee. In short, it has become a classic tourist trap.
We decided to visit Montmatre on a two hour walking tour by Paris Walks, as they promised to show not just the sights, but also the more quiet parts of the neighborhood where the artists Van Gogh and Renoir used to paint, as well as other lesser-known landmarks.


One such interesting sight is the statue of a man stuck inside a wall. The statue is based on the French writer Marcel Ayme's story, "The Man Who Could Walk Through Walls". The story tells of a chap named Dutilleul, who at age 42 discovered his ability to walk through walls. It didn't occur to Dutilleul to use this extraordinary power, until a year later when a new boss showed up at his office and instantly took a disliking to Dutilleul, insulting him at every opportunity. No longer able to bear the insults, one day Dutilleul decides to poke his head through the wall to his boss' office, at the same time declaring, "“Monsieur, you are a hoodlum, a boor, and a spoiled brat". He did this no less than twenty three times that day. After a couple of weeks of seeing this talking apparition, his boss was taken away to a sanitarium. (Slackers of the world, rejoice!).

For more on Dutilleul's exploits as a bank robber, his struggle to keep his powers a secret yet at the same time eager for recognition, his arrest and escape (duh) from prison, and his affair with a married woman that sealed his fate, here is a long, highly entertaining version of the story, about a 15 minute read. It is as riveting and enjoyable as it sounds.

All Roads lead to the Arc de Triomphe

No kidding. Sitting on the Western end of the Champs Elysees, this magnificent triumphal arch commemorates soldiers who died fighting for France, and is at the intersection of no less than twelve different avenues. Damn, those must be some of the longest traffic stop lights ever! (Note that the pic is not of the Arc de Triomphe, but rather Washington Square arch in New York City, which was modeled after the Arc...but you get the idea). Again, it was my first time to go up to the observation deck, and it was a breeze - only 284 steps - compared to the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The observation desk afforded 360 degree views of the surroundings, with the Eiffel Tower seemingly close enough to touch. I especially liked looking down at the grand boulevards that led to the Arc and the greenery that lines them. Looking down the Champs Elysees reminded us of how far we had hoofed it - all the way from the Louvre museum! No wonder our feet ached, and our stomachs growled - a good excuse for a Berthillon ice cream stop ;-). On the upper right-hand corner of the photo on the left, the Sacre Couer is visible set on top of the hill in Montmartre.

The last two photos show, respectively, a view of La Defense, the Parisian business district; and the Louvre museum (the castle-like structure) in the distance just behind the Place de la Concorde. Everything looks so green, doesn't it?

Climbing up Notre Dame Cathedral

On the two full days we had before Roland Garros started, we managed to get in quite a bit of sightseeing. Like most tourists we decided to visit the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, shown here from behind as shot from my vantage point on the Pont de la Tournelle. There's always a throng of people lining up to get inside the cathedral (it's free, after all), and since I had done that on a previous trip to Paris, I wasn't eager to brave the crowds.

As an alternative, my brother P., who did his research, suggested going up the cathedral's towers where we can see the various gargoyles and the huge bell. (Insert obligatory hunchback of Notre Dame reference here. Whatever). I hadn't known about this option so heartily agreed. Oh, a minor detail - this endeavor involved climbing up over 400 steps up the circular staircase all the way to the top! As the Notre Dame website happily advises, "It's best to be in good shape!". They should probably add, "Proof of medical insurance required". After a brief self-evaluation, I deemed myself fit and started the ascent.

The views from the top were simply magnificent and one could see for miles around, including landmarks such as the Eiffel tower and the various bridges connecting the opposing sides of the River Seine. In the picture, I believe the building in the foreground is the hotel de Ville (city hall). I loved the gargoyles with their different poses as well, like this one who looks like a typical Frenchman eating a ham and cheese baguette. Despite the daunting and strenuous climb, lots of camera-toting tourists made it up there, including some who dragged their 300 lb. frame up the stairs, one slow step at a time. The views were well worth the exercise (and potential heart attack), as I'm sure you'll agree.

Crazy Action at Roland Garros

After subsisting on ice cream and granola bars the first day, I braved the lines at the concession stands and snagged a tasty hot dog on a baguette. The prices (converted to US dollar) almost gave me heartburn, but overall the delicious food at Roland Garros easily trumps the lackluster fare at the US Open. I spent most of the day watching tennis action on the outer courts, saw some good matches and spirited cheering from the Belgian contingent (all for naught, as their temperamental bet never stood a chance). Unluckily enough, in the late afternoon the rains poured causing the tarps to be brought out, and play was suspended for the day.

Anyway, I managed to shoot a video of some live exciting action before the rains fell. :-D


Sweeping has never looked so glamorous, has it??? LOL

Roland Garros, finally

The metro ride from Cluny-Sorbonne to the western edge of Paris and our Roland Garros stop, Michel-Ange-Auteuil on the #10 line was surprisingly swift, taking only about 25 minutes. At each metro stop, more and more tennis fans piled into the train, many with their backpacks containing provisions. I was surprised at this, since at the US Open the restrictions on what bags are allowed in are so onerous that I simply gave up bringing even the smallest item. Checking in your bags cost a lot too - both in terms of money (the nerve!) and time lining up. Another pleasant surprise was the nattily-attired spectators; well it shouldn't really be a surprise - these are the French, after all :-) In contrast, the sight of US Open spectators inexplicably dressed in tennis attire, as if they had a scheduled match, never fails to amuse. There's always someone wearing a ratty T-shirt with something like "1999 NJTL Tennis League" printed on it - um, those Federer Nike outfits look much more classier, hint hint. And until a few years ago when the above-mentioned bag restrictions took effect, it wasn't unusual to see some hard-core fans carrying those huge 6-racquet tennis bags (coordinated with their outfits, of course), seemingly ready to jump onto the courts in case their favorite player gets injured and has to withdraw. "Oh, Agassi's injured?! Well, I'm dressed and ready to play for him!".
Simply following the crowds after getting off at Michel-Ange-Auteuil took us to the grounds of Roland Garros. There are three big stadiums - Court Philippe Chatrier (center court), Court Suzanne Lenglen (named after the dominant womens' player in the '30s, who smoked cigars and drank wine during changeovers!), and Court One - in addition to fifteen or so outer courts where the lesser known players do battle. At the moment though, lots of famous stars were on these courts practicing for their matches. The top photo is of James Blake, a Harvard-educated, popular American who is wildly overrated and does poorly on clay every year. (True enough, he crashed out in the second round). This generation of American players never really figured out how to slide on the red dirt, so they might just as well eat baguettes and escargot all day and show up to collect their first-round prize money. Oh, for the good ol' '90s when Jim Courier, Michael Chang, and Andre Agassi showed them how it's done.
Above is Richard Gasquet, the top French men's player who hasn't lived up to expectations yet despite having a notably beautiful one-handed backhand. At age nine(!!!) he appeared on the cover of L'Equipe, the leading sports magazine in France, so just imagine the immense pressure on him every year to do well, if not win, Roland Garros. Alas, not being the most mentally strong competitor around, Gasquet decided to flake out at this year's tournament, claiming some sort of injury and disappointing the French yet again. I admit it must be tough for the French players to keep in tip-top shape, I'd rather eat all those baked goods, stinky cheese, and other fattening staples of their cuisine rather than work out at the gym too. Other famous players I saw practicing were Amelie Mauresmo and the 2002 womens' singles winner here, Serena Williams. Struggling with motivation and health issues lately, Serena looked, for lack of a better word, HUGE. Her tremendous biceps (and backside) were on display as she whacked balls with her male hitting partner, as her mom (and coach) stood behind the baseline watching them practice, and demonstrating the proper technique to Serena as she grew frustrated at her own form. As if mom knew anything about tennis. Although Serena obliterated Ashley Harkleroad, a really hot not-so-great player appearing soon in Playboy (formidable!), that day, she lost in the third round to an unknown. Me thinks maybe a new coach is in order.

Merci beaucoup, Federation Francaise de Tennis

Well, well, well...sandwiched among the usual junk mail was a notice to pick up a package from the post office - a walk of a mile or so. I made a mental note to go on Saturday, but I already knew that the package contained my long-awaited tickets to Roland Garros. As a long-time tennis fan who has schlepped to Queens for nine straight years to watch the game's biggest and brightest stars battle each other at the US Open, it had been my dream to watch the action on clay at Roland Garros.

How come? Due to the slower surface, long rallies were more common in contrast to the shorter points on hard court surfaces, and I enjoy the tension building up as the points become longer and longer and the players try to come up with all sorts of shots to outwit their opponent. So it's style and finesse over power and brute force. Besides, it's held in Paris, which is self-explanatory, isn't it?

So the obvious question is, how does one get tickets to Roland Garros without paying an arm and a leg? Here's how I got them, which involves a bit of luck and suspense. But thanks to the generosity of le Federation Francaise de Tennis, I'm off to the City of Lights in a few weeks to witness live tennis action on la terre bateau. Allez!!!