When we went to Ireland, we used a travel book that someone had marked in. It was great. They made comments about the places they had been. Quiet Paris, a charming book by Siobhan Wall, has a few handwritten comments by a previous owner. I thought they were perfect additions to the book.

The author says there are quiet place to escape to in Paris. Although the book was published in 2013, which means it was written in 2012, I’m sure the libraries, museums and parks she mentions are still there. She devotes a page to a number of sites, including a photo, the hours, phone numbers, and whether or not the place is wheelchair accessible. It’s a small book packed with information about cafes, bookshops, galleries, libraries, spas, museums, parks, restaurants. She is very pointed when she mentions that the restaurant or shop does not play music. Quiet Paris means quiet environments. And, she says, “Amongst the rather predictable brand name shops…”, there are still shops that are run by the owner or designer. She shows the different, calmer side of Paris, a side that she says is best appreciated on foot.

Why did I mention the comments? Because the previous owner wrote on the first page of the chapter featuring parks and gardens. That page highlights Musee Carnavalet / Histoire de Paris , the Museum of the History of Paris. The remark is, “Love this museum! In the Marais area. Free.” There’s a chapter for “Places of worship” because, of course, they are quiet. Under Eglise Saint Severin, the woman (her name is in the front of the book), wrote “Haven’t been here, but know of others who loved it.” Under the listing for the restaurant, Polidor, there since 1845, the writer put “Lovely!” It doesn’t mean I’ll make a point of getting to the places she marked. But, I appreciate a fellow traveler’s comments.

As I mentioned earlier, we’ll get to tourist sites. But, the author says of Quiet Paris, “This book quietly encourages readers to discover intriguing places hidden behind the imperial facades of Haussman’s grand boulevards.” I want to see those places, too.

Quiet Paris by Siobhan Wall. Lincoln, Frances Limited. 2013. ISBN 9780711233430 (paperback), 144p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure – The book was given to me as a gift.