Top of Paris Subway Lines charts : Line 14, also the best way to go to hell

It is the latest metro line built in Paris, the shortest, with only nine stations, and the fastest, for its automatic trains run faster than any other Paris subway trains.

Line 14 is very different from any other, not only because it’s trains having no human driver, they’re always running even on strike days. It has a special look, a special mood, and even a special smell.

A mysterious blue light hovering on line 14 platform in Châtelet, a major subway junction in the city center. Northwest the line starts at Saint-Lazare, which is also a railway station, and stops at interesting shopping or touristic places like Madeleine, Pyramides and Châtelet.

Then it heads south east, stopping at Gare de Lyon, where all trains leave to or arrive from south France.

There grows an underground exotic garden no one can walk in except the gardeners.

Going south east in new built areas, the stations get more and more monumental.

Like Bibliothèque François Mitterrand station, which makes me think a bit of Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” settings.

Though it goes up to the Olympiades, a renovated place in the south east Chinese area, I suggest to stop here if you haven’t visit the National Library exhibition, “L’Enfer de la Bibliothèque : Eros au secret“.

Going there, you’ll pass the small wood planted in a square pit in the middle of the library ’s four towers: just like the gare de Lyon garden, it is a kind of virtual wood, since nobody can go in.

You can look at it through the window in a sunny corridor, while waiting to visit the exhibition.

By the way, did you know that Georges Bataille, who was a great provider for National Library’s hell, worked there as a librarian, and that “Histoire de l’oeil” was written on the back of library’s book files?

Exhibition “l’Enfer de la Bibliothèque : Eros au secret” up to March 2, everyday except Monday 10 to 19, Sunday 13 to 19. Bibliothèque Nationale, site Mitterrand, 11 quai François Mauriac, 75013 Paris, station “Bibliothèque François Mitterrand”, on line 14.

One hour train from Paris, go to Lille and watch “Time go by”

It will take you just a one hour trip on TGV from Gare du Nord in Paris to Lille - a beautiful North France city- and discover a great modern art exhibition.

“Passage du Temps” is a part of François Pinault Foundation collection dedicated to photo, light, film and video art from the seventies to today. François Pinault is a business man who has gathered a rich collection of modern art, part of which is permanently exhibited in Venice at Palazzo Grassi.

The Lille exhibition is part of a cultural local event called Lille 3000, it takes place in the city’s former mail sorting building, located just behind the railway station. It has three levels, on the floor, you enter in a colored light installation by Dan Flavin (1973) which comes on the catalogue’s cover.

This level is dedicated to the seventies, showing several artists works, among which photographic works by Cindy Sherman (autoportraits as bus passengers and “Murder Mystery Series” characters ), a “Drinking Sculpture” by Gilbert and John, up to a recent (2001) video installation by Bruce Nauman “Test Tape Fat Chance John Cage” an automatic tape recording of his empty studio at night.

The first floor is divided in two parts, one called “let’s play”, with Gilbert and George, Cindy Sherman and Pierre et Gilles.

“le renard” by Pierre et Gilles (1999)

The other part is called “cinema stories” and shows very interesting pieces, particularly “Self Portrait As a Fountain” by Paul Pfeiffer (about Hitchcock’s “Psycho”), and a beautiful shot by Pierre Huyghe called ” l’Ellipse” ( he has filmed actor Bruno Gantz walking across a Paris bridge over the Seine, as a “missing part” between two sequences of Wim Wenders‘ film ” the american friend“, staring the same actor, in the same place, twenty years before. His shot is shown between the two parts of Wender’s film.)

In the upper level, you’ll find an explanation to the exhibition’s title “Passage du Temps” in the gorgeous Bill Viola’s “Going Forth by Day” (five video pieces all around a room.).

You won’t miss Gary Hill“s hypnotic “Midnight Crossing”. And on the other side of this second floor, dedicated to “Living and Surviving Stories”" don’t miss the astonishing “Rapture ” by the Iranien artist Shirin Neshat : a choreography between a group of men in a closed city and a group of veiled women in an open land up to the sea, each group filmed on separate screens facing each other.

And many, many more. If you’re interested in modern art, you don’t want to miss it.
It’s up to January 6, opened everyday - even January 1 - from 10 to 19, up to 21 on Fridays and Saturdays. You’re not allowed to take picture, but you can find some in the catalogue for 30 euros.

“Passage du Temps” le Tri Postal, avenue Willy Brandt Lille tel 33(0)3 59 57 94 00. Entrance 6 euros. You can make reservation from France dialing 0891 56 3000 or on line at : http://www.lille3000.com/

There are two railway stations in Lille : the closest to the exhibition is called “Lille Flandres”, the other called “Lille Europe” is not far either : about 400 meters. Make reservation for your train on : http://www.sncf.com/

Trains to Lille leave from Paris Gare du Nord. Before you get on the train, don’t forget to valid your ticket putting it in the yellow devices you’ll find in front of the platforms.

Paris Arsenal harbour and garden, a place to rest and play

The Paris Arsenal harbour is located along Saint Martin canal, between place de la Bastille and the Seine, which canal joins through a sluice gate.

It’s a good place to take a stroll, lay on the grass in the sun, and dream of taking off.

Along the harbour is a neat garden with playgrounds for children.

And if feel like sailing with the stream, you may take a 2.30 hour cruise along the canal.

This boat is called Arletty after a famous french actress of the thirties, and an as well famous 1938 film by Marcel Carné , “hôtel du Nord“, which major setting was this hotel and a bridge over the canal. Arletty plays a legendary scene and this part of the canal still seems part of this film universe.

Port et Jardin de l’Arsenal, Métro Bastille and Quai de la Rapée, accesses on boulevard de la Bastille.

Canauxrama : http://www.canauxrama.com/saint-martin.htm

An ecological way to move around Paris : Urban Cabs

The national transports strike continues on 10/19, so tomorrow as to day, if you are in Paris, you’ll have to stay around home, be athletic (trekking), lucky (find an available bike in a Velib station), reckless (hitch hiking). Or it might be a good day to try Urban Cab.

These funny electric tricycles are driven by young “chauffeurs”, you can catch one near Bastille, Saint-Germain des Prés or Concorde. They take two passengers, and your favorite pet too.

They charge 1, 50 a head, plus 1, 50 per km, Sundays 2, 50. And they’ll take you to your destination at the reasonable speed of 25, 30 km/h, which is perfect for sight seeing.

Urban Cabs fleet counts 7 vehicles, and each driver has a cell phone number that you may call to make a reservation for the following day ( see urban cabs site for phone numbers).

For all information and reservation, go to : http://www.urban-cab.com/Transport/transport.html

NEVER BEEN TO PARIS BEFORE?

A pretty good option to DISCOVER PARIS is to take a ride with the OPENTOUR, busses with an OPEN UPPER DECK offering a great view on sunny days. You may choose a tour all around the city, or one focusing on MONTMARTRE and the GRANDS BOULEVARDS, or MONTPARNASSE and SAINT-GERMAIN-des-PRES, or NOTRE-DAME, BASTILLE, the MARAIS and the new district of BERCY.
They provide commentaries in several languages, including english, of course.

A one day pass costs 26 euros, 29 euros for two days, it is free for children under four and 13 euros for children under eleven. You can hop in and out the busses as many time as you wish.

Tickets are available at the Open Tour shop, 13 rue Auber 75009 Paris, or in the busses. You will find their stops near all famous sites or monuments, such as Trocadéro, Concorde, Louvre, Eiffel Tower…Busses every 10 or 20 minutes (summer and winter schedules)

Informations at 33 (0) 1 42 66 56 56 or web site http://www.paris-opentour.com

Another option is BATOBUS, which offers to discover PARIS from the SEINE. A round trip on the river with 8 stops in selected places : Eiffel Tower, Orsay Museum, Saint-Germain -des-Prés, Notre-Dame, Jardin des Plantes, Hotel de Ville, Louvre, Champs-Elysées.

One day pass costs 12 euros (6 for under sixteen), 2 days pass is 14 euros (7 for under sixteen) and a 5 five days pass is available for 17 euros (8 for undre sixteen). You can get on and off board as many time as you wish, and at any stop.

You can buy tickets at the Opentour shop and at every stop. Boats every 15 or 30 minutes.

All informations on : http://www.batobus.com

You’re the independant type and wish to go wherever you want without following any tour?

You might consider the RATP offer PARISVISITE : a pass for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days, valid in metro, RER, suburb trains, busses, tramway as many time as you wish. Fares vary from 8,50 euros a day for zones 1 to 3, to 17,05 euros for zones 1 to 6. (For example, Versailles is in zone 4 and Roissy Charles de Gaulle in zone 5).

10 ordinary tickets ( a “carnet”) costs 11,10 euros. Each ticket is valid for one fare (you can change lines in the metro, but you’ll have to pay another ticket when you change busses).

You can buy PARISVISITE passes at metro employees in any main subway stations ( where several lines cross). In all stations tickets and passes are available at automatic machines with an english menu.
You can choose different options according to your plans for each day.

Prices and informations on : http://www.ratp.fr

how to get into paris from the airport?

No friends or relatives to pick you up on your arrival at Roissy? No hotel shuttle waiting for you? Don’t worry, you still have three options:

-TAXIS : the easiest way, but expensive, especially if you travel alone (about 50 euros), and it might take over an hour - trafficjams are not unusual.

- BUSSES : Roissybus stops at terminal 1, 2 and 3 and can take you to Paris centre (Opera). Follow the signs in the airport hallway to get to it, and buy your ticket from the driver. It will cost you 8,50 euros. Air France busses take you to the Etoile and Porte Maillot (northwest) or to railway stations : gare de Lyon (southbound trains) and gare Montparnasse (westbound trains) It will cost you 13 or 14 euros. Estimated time : about 60 minutes, but once again, it depends on the traffic.

- TRAIN : from airport terminal 2, go to RER B station, all trains have three stops in the city : Gare Du Nord (North Paris), Chatelet-les-Halles (centre) and Saint-Michel Notre -Dame ( leftbank). It is an about 30 minutes journey, and will cost you 8,20 euros. Definitly the quickest and cheapest way into town, but forget it ifyou have to carry heavy luggage up and down the stairs.

For more informations, click here :  http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/Adp/fr-FR/Passagers/Arrivees/QuitterAeroport/Envoiture/EnVoiture.htm