Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
LES BOUQUINISTES
With some 3km of wagon-green boxes lining the Seine, more than 300,000 used
books and a handful of rare Van Gogh masterpieces (yours for only €4!), Paris'
ral to the cityscape as Notre Dame. The bouquinisteshave been in business since the
16th century, when they were itinerant peddlers selling their wares on Parisian bridges
- back then their sometimes subversive (eg Protestant) materials would get them in
trouble with the authorities. By 1859 the city had finally wised up: official licenses
were issued, space was rented (10m of railing) and eventually the permanent green
boxes were installed.
Today, bouquinistes(the official count ranges from 217 to 240) are allowed to have
four boxes, only one of which can be used to sell souvenirs. You'll find them on the Left
Bank from quai Voltaire to quai de la Tournelle, and on the Right Bank from Pont Marie
to Quai du Louvre. Look hard enough and you just might find some real treasures: old
comic books, forgotten first editions, maps, stamps, erotica and prewar newspapers -
as in centuries past, it's all there, waiting to be rediscovered.
SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
SPA
HAMMAM DE LA MOSQUÉE DE PARIS
mission/spa package €18/from €43; 10am-9pm Wed-Mon; Censier Daubenton or Place Monge)
Massages at this atmospheric
hammam
cost a little over €1 a minute and come in 10-, 20- or
30-minute bookings. The exfoliating body scrub is generally regarded as an integral part of
the experience, so you may as well opt for one of the spa packages. There are also lunch
deals at the
restaurant
.
Bring a swimsuit but hire a towel/dressing gown (€4/5). Women
only, and no children under 12.
BOWLING
BOWLING MOUFFETARD
5e; games €4.90, shoes €2; 3pm-2am Mon-Fri, 10am-2am Sat & Sun; Place Monge)
Intimate, friendly alley with eight lanes. There's a separate entrance off rue Gracieuse,
though it was reserved for deliveries at last check.
