The Paris of Esther Goedegebuure

Esther Goedegebuure is editor-in-chief of JAN and in that capacity has of course been to Paris ‘a thousand’ times, but as a culture vulture she also likes to go there privately. In this Paris-themed week, Esther shares her memories and, well, also her tips for later when we can go again.

I think your parents took you to the Louvre as a young girl, or am I mistaken? Do you remember your first time in Paris?
‘Absolutely! My first time in Paris, I was ten years old, it was during the Easter holiday, a week long, with my parents and little brothers, going in and out of museums, which I actually really enjoyed. My parents made it a sport to slip through the turnstiles with one metro ticket for the two of them. I was of course terribly embarrassed about that at the time, but now I find it a funny memory.’

And your first time without parents? Off you go, interrailing and seeing Paris?
‘That time during Interrail consisted of nothing more than sleeping on the dirty floor in the hall of Gare du Nord, coming by train from Nice, waiting for the first morning train to Amsterdam, exhausted and dirty after a month of wandering through Europe. Not so glamorous, not so romantic. The year before that was indeed a different story, with my first great love. I had just turned 17 and went back and forth with him by bus (for 40 guilders!): for 24 hours in Paris. I can still see us walking, arms intertwined over each other on Pont Neuf, while we listened to The Unforgettable Fire by U2 on the walkman. I was bursting with happiness.’

You probably can't count the number of times you've been to Paris anymore, but there must be one visit you won't forget quickly, tell me...
‘As a transition gift from primary school to secondary school, we have taken each of our three children separately on a trip to Paris. A lovely tradition that always unfolded according to the same fixed patterns. With an undisputed highlight for each of us being a visit to Sacha Finkelsztajn, a Jewish caterer in Le Marais, where they seriously have the best cheesecake in the whole world.’

What does your ideal Paris day look like?
‘My Paris visit always starts and ends at Terminus Nord, such an authentic French brasserie, with lots of mirrors, older waiters, crisp table linen, and classic dishes like bouillabaisse and steak tartare. You roll out of the Thalys on Friday and start there with lunch (with wine). Before you head home on Sunday, you finish in exactly the same way. That's how it should be, as far as I'm concerned.’

Where do you prefer to sleep, eat and shop?
‘Through my mother-in-law, we always rent an apartment in the 5th, not far from the Sorbonne and Jardin Luxembourg. Nothing special but very affordable and conveniently close to everything. Nearby is a very authentic neighborhood: Butte-aux-Cailles, where you mainly meet Parisian students in the countless bistros and bars. So nice, no-nonsense, nothing pretentious about it and far from touristy. I love shopping in Le Marais, and – secret tip – for mothers with children under ten years old: at Monoprix you can find such fantastic skirts, sweaters, and swim trunks. For nothing! I've scored big here for years.’

Are you team underground, taxi, bike or the old-fashioned pram?
‘The bike. In the 5th, there's Gepetto et Vélos, an original Twente (!) bike maker that only rents out really good bikes like we Dutch like (with gears and light pedaling), I cross all of Paris with it. Biking is not only incredibly efficient, it also feels so unbelievably cool, cycling through such a metropolis!’

What can we learn from the Parisians?‘I was once in Paris when the Musée du quai Branly (a fantastic ethnographic museum and prestige project of Chirac) had just opened. I had read about it and wanted to go there no matter what, even though there was a line a kilometer long and it was pouring non-stop. When the Parisians saw that I was quite pregnant, they immediately pulled me out of the line and set me down at the entrance; I was astonished that I would wait, of course, I got priority! That courtesy, well, good luck finding that in Amsterdam.’
’I would say: smile a little more often, but do the Dutch actually do that to tourists (or to each other)?’

And what can they learn from us?
‘Choose? Not a chance.’

Are you a left banker or a right banker?
‘She is not an original Parisian but Carla Bruni has it all as far as I'm concerned: she is sultry, cool, and a bit rough. I can keep listening to ’Quelqu’un m’a dit.’

What are Parisian women you like to lavish yourself on?
‘Most beautiful square in Paris:‘

‘Place des Vosges, to lie in the grass in the summer.’
‘Oh, May, I don't know this one.‘

Ever wanted to party with whom in Paris: 
‘And I don't know this one either.’

Out of Paris with pitch and feathers:
‘Hôtel du Nord, near the Canal Saint-Martin, where on beautiful summer evenings people sit by the quay with a bottle of wine, legs dangling over the edge, so cozy.’

Favourite restaurant:
‘Taking a taxi at the end of the day: you don't get anywhere.’

Never do Paris again:
‘A piece of cheesecake from Finkelsztajn.’

Standard along as a souvenir:
‘Musée Marmottan Monet, in the 16th, has a beautiful collection of Impressionists, is not such a tourist attraction but very charming.’

Required reading if you are in Paris:
‘A favorite memory is of that time when May and I were in Paris at the invitation of Hermès. At the Trocadéro, we were treated to an exclusive dinner, show, and ballet performance, but the best part was the morning after when we went for a run together along the Seine and the Tuileries.’

Fondest memory of Paris:
‘The dynamics, the beauty, the elegance, the monumental, that completely different world and just a stone's throw from home.’

I miss this when I'm not there:
‘Esther Goedegebuure and May in Paris’