Off to Paris - Part 7: Rue Mouffetard, Notre-Dame, Musée d'Orsay, and Galeries Lafayette

January 2012, Off to Paris - Part 7: Rue Mouffetard market, Notre-Dame, Musée d'Orsay, and Galeries Lafayette.

This was an ambitious day: a morning market where Parisians actually shop, then Île Saint-Louis, Île de la Cité, Notre-Dame, a walk along the Seine to Musée d'Orsay, and finally Galeries Lafayette and the opera house. On paper it looked smooth. On foot, it was another story. ~.~'"

Besides the famous sights, I wanted to bring the kids somewhere that felt closer to everyday local life. So we picked a morning for the traditional market on Rue Mouffetard, just to see what people usually bought. ^.^

Rue Mouffetard Market

Among the many small streets of Paris, Rue Mouffetard in the 5th arrondissement felt especially typical. It is one of the oldest small streets in Paris, and thanks to preservation efforts, it still keeps the feeling of a long, narrow, stone-paved sloping lane.

To get there, take Metro line 7 to Place Monge. After exiting, walk right and cross one block. Follow the slope down toward Église St-Médard; that is the liveliest stretch.

AI-added context: Paris's official tourism site also describes the Mouffetard district as one of the oldest streets in the capital, descending gently from the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève and known for dense, picturesque commercial activity. That matches the author's original reason for visiting: to see what everyday local shopping looked like. (Paris je t'aime: Quartier Mouffetard)

As soon as we came out of Place Monge station, we saw a pharmacy. At first it did not look special.

But once we walked in, it turned out to be huge inside: beauty products, cleaning supplies, health products, accessories, and all kinds of things I cannot even list properly. @.@'"

A large pharmacy packed with cosmetics, cleaning products, health items, accessories, and more @.@'"

There were quite a few Korean shoppers carrying lists in one hand and calculators in the other, counting furiously while baskets of purchases piled up by their feet. That was an eye-opener. ~.~'"

After being dazzled for a while, we, who did not really know what to buy, left with only a few hair accessories for the kids and a comb. My increasingly thin hair can be handled well enough with the "rib comb" made by ten fingers, but that comb was really useful for Lisa and Belle's long hair. XD

After passing through the smaller streets, we reached Rue Mouffetard. At a little after nine in the morning, the market was still surprisingly quiet. ~.~'"

A market street that felt surprisingly quiet in the morning... ~.~

A cheese shop.

A wine shop?! Ha... so this is how they sell wine here.

Wine and wooden crates displayed in a Rue Mouffetard shop.

Seafood shops, fruit shops, sandwich shops. We looked slowly, one storefront at a time. A market like this does not require you to buy much; just looking at the windows, ingredients, and how people line up already feels like travel.

After several days of cold sandwiches, we finally saw hot roasted chicken legs here. Drooling~~

One leg was 2.5 euros, almost NT$100. But while Lisa and her mom went into L'Occitane, Belle and I crouched at the doorway and ate one. Ha~~ it was good. ^.^

By the time we reached this fountain, the liveliest part of the market was pretty much ending.

Hemingway once lived around this neighborhood...

I had heard that Hemingway lived around here for a while during his Paris years. Looking around, the comfortable environment and convenient daily-life shops really did make it feel like a good place to hide away.

No wonder he later wrote, "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a movable feast."

From there, we walked to Censier Daubenton and took Metro line 7 back toward the city center, heading for Île de la Cité.

Île Saint-Louis

After exiting the station, we crossed a bridge and first arrived on Île Saint-Louis.

Street scene on the bridge toward Ile Saint-Louis.

Long ago, Île Saint-Louis was pastureland. In the 17th century, it was planned as an elegant residential area, and from then on, famous and wealthy people competed to live there.

Its reputation makes sense: grand entrances, quiet shaded riverbanks, and the gentle flow of the Seine give it a timeless atmosphere.

On European streets, many small shops put real care into their window displays. Even window shopping is interesting.

We found a small, delicate Italian restaurant on Île Saint-Louis and had a good lunch: vegetable pasta and a classic mushroom-and-ham pizza set. I will save that part for Part 10.

The famous Paris ice cream shop Berthillon has its main shop on this street: 29-31 rue Saint-Louis en l'Île.

Berthillon,: 29-31 rue saint louis en l'ile

The painful part is that while looking for lunch, we walked back and forth on this street twice, but never reached number 31. So we missed it. T.T

Île de la Cité And Notre-Dame

After crossing the bridge, we arrived on Île de la Cité, the earliest heart of Paris. When the Romans invaded in 52 BCE, this island in the Seine was only a village. Later it became the capital; by the Middle Ages, it had become a judicial and religious center.

Notre-Dame, from the back.

Mounted police on patrol. I specifically asked whether I could take a photo, because being caught taking sneaky photos would have been awkward. ^.^

The front entrance of Notre-Dame.

I had really wanted to climb up the towers, but the line was long -- at least an hour. We still had Musée d'Orsay planned, so with limited time, I gave up with tears. A photo would have to count as proof that we had been there. T.T

AI-added context: After the 2019 fire, Notre-Dame went through years of restoration. The official website now again provides visitor information and states that the cathedral itself is open to all and free of charge. This is current context added in 2026; the author's 2012 visit was before the fire. (Official Notre-Dame de Paris website)

Walking Along The Seine To Orsay

Next we walked along the Seine toward Musée d'Orsay. Along the way were stalls selling old books, vinyl records, landscape paintings, and more.

Small stalls along the way selling old books, vinyl records, landscape paintings, and more.

But honestly, we were getting tired. Before we even arrived, my wife's eyes were already starting to burn with anger. ~.~'"

We had just come out of Notre-Dame, where there was clearly an RER option that could take us one stop almost directly to the museum entrance. But I was fooled by the quiet riverside scenery and broke the travel advice I always give friends:

When traveling in Europe, "If you see a bus, get on the bus. If you see a horse carriage, get on the horse carriage. Always remember to save your strength, so you can see more places."

By the time we reached Musée d'Orsay, we saw a few paintings and several breathtaking sculptures, and then we were out of energy. ~.~'"

The museum was temperature-controlled, humidity-controlled, and extremely comfortable. The works in front of us were masterpieces, but even the most powerful painting could not compete with the stone bench in the corner.

In the end, once I found a chair, I did not want to move. ~.~'"

So Lisa and Belle's first visit to an art museum ended like this. The Louvre plan for the next day was immediately changed to the Champs-Élysées, to comfort my wife, who was already on fire. XD

AI-added context: Musée d'Orsay's official materials also emphasize that the building was once a railway station and later became a fine arts museum, with collections including paintings, sculptures, art objects, architectural models, and drawings. That is why the visit is not only about the paintings; the building itself is part of the experience. (Musée d'Orsay: From Train Station to Museum)

Galeries Lafayette And The Opera House

The strange thing was that on the way back to the hotel, once we passed Galeries Lafayette, my wife's feet suddenly stopped hurting. ~.~'"

Every year after Christmas, major European luxury boutiques and department stores hold big sales. That year the sale began on January 11, just in time for us. Discounts were around 50% to 70%, and purchases over 175 euros could also get a 12% tax refund. It was dangerous. ^.^

AI-added context: The glass dome at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann is one of the store's signature spaces. The official heritage page notes that the 43-meter-high dome became an icon of Galeries Lafayette and is connected with Paris Art Nouveau design. (Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann: Culture and Heritage)

While my wife shopped in the department store, I went next door to take a few photos of the opera house. ^.^