Parigi controcorrente - Eng - Graziella Martina

(corresponding title)

Paris off the beaten track

Past and present on the

 banks of the Thames

Graziella Martina

What does one look at when one walks through the streets of a city? The facades of the buildings? The statues? The shops? What does one choose to visit? Museums? Churches? Gardens? Whatever you decide is for you, the important thing is to break away from the heavily trodden paths, from the touristic areas, so that you can visit the other part of that city, the less ostentatious part but also the most interesting, so that you can focus an inquisitive gaze on the original details. Beyond the majestic Paris of the looming buildings, which welcomes a plethora of visitors every day, we find the romantic Paris of the Butte aux Cailles, the university gardens, the cloisters where art exhibitions are held, small museums, unusual fountains, and the lesser-known squares which have been modeled by history...

There is a Paris of old forgotten notice boards, sundials, fascinating details in the facade of buildings, the ghost stations of the underground network and their legends, and objects that can be found that were once a part of everyday life... Of course, more time is needed to dedicate one's attention to these places and relics, but there is a sense of reward for having come across something precious but unknown to most.

Paris is an international city, and it is interesting to visit the institutions and places of cult of foreign countries.

This guide provides a key to interpretation which anyone can use to make their own new discoveries. It is suitable for those who wish to explore the lesser-known corners of the city, or those who want to discover the place by observing the details. It is easy to find oneself pleasantly caught up in the game of discovering new and unusual things every day, and if one allows oneself to do so, the show put on by an ever-changing city, familiar yet mysterious, becomes truly enchanting.