Page 147 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Paris

ST-GERM AIN-DES-PRES  145

and Montparnasse, become the dominant creed
where the literati of old and Jean-Paul Sartre its tiny
used to gather and charismatic leader. Sartre and
where the glitterati of his intellectual peers and
today love to be seen. followers, among them the
Before World War I, writers Simone de Beauvoir and
Montparnasse was Albert Camus, the poet Boris
haunted by hordes of Vian and the enigmatic singer
Russian rev olutionaries, Juliette Greco, gathered to work
most eminently Lenin and discuss their ideas in Les
and Trotsky, who Deux Magots (see p140) and the
whiled away their days nearby rival Café de Flore (see
in the cafés, grappling p141). The traditional habitué of
with the problems of these cafés is still to be seen,
Russia and the world albeit mixing with the
over a petit café. international jet-set and with
Entertainment in the Claude Alain café in the Rue de Seine Cultural life flourished self-publicizing intellectuals
during the 1950s in the 1920s, when hunched over their notebooks.
Surrealists, like
during Molière’s time in the 17th Salvador Dalí and Jean
century. In the 19th century, First Cocteau, dominated café
Empire Imperial guards officers life, and later when
were drawn to the Café d’Orsay American writers led by
and Second Empire financiers Ernest Hemingway and
gathered in the cafés along the F Scott Fitzgerald talked, drank
Rue de la Chaussée d’Antin. The and worked in various cafés,
smart set patronized the Café de among them La Coupole
Paris and Café Tortini, and theatre- (see p180), Le Sélect and La
goers met at the cafés around the Closerie des Lilas (see p181).
Opéra, including the Café de la Paix After the end of World War II, the
(see p217). The most famous cafés cultural scene shifted northwards Works by one of St-Germain’s elite,
are on the Left Bank, in St-Germain to St-Germain. Existentialism had Albert Camus (1913–60)
o Musée d’Orsay
See pp146–9.

p Musée Nationale
de la Légion
d’Honneur
2 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur (Parvis
du Musée d’Orsay) 75007. Map 11 C2.
Tel 01 40 62 84 25. q Solférino. W
Musée d’Orsay. Open 1–6pm Wed–Sun.
Group visits by appt on Tue. Closed
1 Jan, 1 May, 15 Aug, 1 Nov, 25 Dec. 7
= 9 ∑ musee-legiondhonneur.fr
Next to the Musée d’Orsay is the The Musée d’Orsay, converted from a railway station into a museum
truly massive Hôtel de Salm. It was
one of the last great mansions honour wear a small red rosette
to be built in the area (1782). in their buttonhole. The
The first owner was a German impressive displays of medals
count, Prince de Salm-Kyrbourg, and insignia are complemented
who was guillotined in 1794. by paintings. In one of the
Today, the building contains a rooms, Napoleon’s Legion of
museum where one can learn Honour is on display with his
all about the Legion of Honour, sword and breastplate.
a decoration launched by The museum also covers
Napoleon I. Those awarded the decorations from most parts of
the world, among them the
Napoleon III’s Great Cross British Victoria Cross and the
of the Legion of Honour American Purple Heart.

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