Rue des Barres is one of those quintessential Parisian streets that everyone should experience. Not much there - a shop, a cafe, an old church. A way to get from the riverbanks into the heart of the Marais. But it is also a way into the heart of history.
Assuming reasonable prudence, central Paris is a very safe city at night. Besides restaurants, clubs, opera houses and theaters, some of the best entertainment possible is just to walk the boulevards arm in arm. The Right Bank area of the Marais is one of the most charming from dusk to dawn. You may even hear the clopping of horses' hooves around the corner, ghostly echoes from the very real equines of the Republican Guard at Sully Morland.
In fine weather, you may come across cafe boats moored at strategic points along the Seine. Our favorite is down the steps to the quai across from Notre Dame. Stop in for lunch, or for a carafe of Sancerre on a warm afternoon. You are here not just for a moment, but forever.
In making a list of things to do and things to look for in Paris, it occurred to me that I had to say something about the magic. Real magic. Most people don't talk about it explicitly. But the fact is, that if you are open to it, Paris will reward you with a piece of magic. This may come in the form of a rainbow on the hill at Montmartre, a chance meeting with the mayor, street art that smiles at you, a cloudburst that puts you next to a pleasant stranger, a sentimental object at the flea market, a free cluster of daffodils or muguets de bois, or a stunning snowfall as you walk home from the Garnier. For you, the visitor, or for you, the Paris resident, real magic is a daily possibility. Only the hardest hearts are immune.
