Atlantica - 01.11.2002, Page 20

18 A T L A N T I C A
Ah, Paris in the spring. Well, it’s winter, but the capital
of France is the perfect destination regardless of the
season, writes Edward Weinman.
Photos by Páll Stefánsson.
In Paris, even the locals carry maps. Well, at least the locals from the
suburbs. I discovered this when asking what looked like an obvi-
ously Parisian couple for directions to the Oberkampf district, the
hip neighbourhood du jour.
A few blocks down from Place de la République, I knew that I was
closing in, but with the sidewinding streets and the criss-crossing
roads of Paris, it could take an hour to find rue Oberkampf. I asked
for directions.
The man looked at his girlfriend. She looked back at him. They
pulled out their guidebook, flipped to the appropriate page and
pointed me on my way. A bit confused, I asked them where they
were from.
“Paris,” they said in stereo.
Knowing that even the locals need help navigating Paris made me
feel better for having lost my way earlier this afternoon in the
Marais district, arriving at Musée Picasso just after the doors closed.
CRUISING THE SEINE
Getting lost in Paris is half the fun. But there’s plenty of time for aim-
less roaming from one arondissement to another. Right now, you’ve
just arrived and need a starting point.
Exploring the
River Seine
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