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NYT: Walking in Franklin's Footsteps in France (gift article)

From the NY Times:

Passy is a neighborhood where no one walks. They stroll, so I did, too. I strolled past the impromptu book stalls where each volume was, again, displayed with great care and — there is no other word for it — love. Franklin, the printer, no doubt would have appreciated this passion for books. I strolled past utility workers, leather-apron men, as Franklin called the working class, wrestling with a tangle of cables. I strolled to the Marché de Passy, a covered market featuring sides of beef, cuts of veal and wheels of cheese the size of my head. No wonder Franklin had trouble resisting.

Now I have to go back.

Posted by
4334 posts

Thanks for this !! I hadn't read the paper yet today , so I'm glad you posted this . A beautiful tale about one of my favorite parts of the city .

Posted by
1590 posts

I loved walking through the Passy area, including the market, churches and cemetery (final resting place of Edouard Manet among others). There is a statue of Franklin just outside of the Passy Cemetery. It's easy to stroll through after leaving the Musée Marmottan and en route to the Trocadéro.

Posted by
17114 posts

That was a good article.

Before Covid I did a Paris Walks walk with Brad who has a PhD in American history. He developed a walk covering the areas in central Paris where Franklin and Jefferson lived, worked, ate, socialized. It was an excellent walk but unfortunately they've not brought it back since Covid. IF someone has an interest in Franklin or Jefferson in Paris you might be able to book a private Paris Walks tour with him. We did not walk in Passy, though.