From Paris with Love: Rue Mouffetard

Rue Mouffetard is one of the oldest streets in Paris and was a remnant of an old Roman road to Rome via Lyon. It’s a long cobblestoned street, and along both sides, there are many cafes and shops. We took the metro one beautiful Sunday morning to Place Monge, where there is an open-air market. From Place Monge, Rue Ortolan goes past a pretty little garden and joins Rue Mouffetard. On the other side of Rue Mouffetard rue Ortolan becomes Rue Pot du Fer, a pedestrian-only street. Mouffetard is a very lively place on Sunday morning, beginning around 11:00 AM. Street musicians play for tips, but judging by their lively renditions, I think they play for the joy of it, too.

Place Monge metro station

They sell all kinds of things at the market.

Ortolan Square, on the way to Rue Mouffetard

An inviting path in the garden

Rue Ortolan becomes a pedestrian-only street.

Rue Mouffetard

Street Musicians on Rue Mouffetard

The musicians play lively music for the crowd and hope people will show their appreciation.

These kids seem to enjoy the music.

Maybe the little boy would like to stay and hear more.

With the help of his dad, this little boy shows his appreciation for the music.

The church of Saint Medard is located at the southern end of Rue Mouffetard and dates from the 1500s.It underwent changes and additions throughout the 1700s. However, the church became a center of religious controversy because of the teachings of Jansenism,which was a theological movement within the Roman Catholic Church through the 17th and into the 18th centuries. François de Pâris (1690–1727) was a Parisian Jansenist and a popular religious ascetic whose tomb in the parish cemetery at Saint-Médard gave rise first to miraculous cures and then to the convulsionnaire phenomenon, during which pilgrims to the site of the grave reportedly spoke in tongues, stomped on Bibles, barked like dogs, swallowed glass or hot coals or danced until they collapsed. The Catholic church eventually declared the teachings of Jansenism heretical, and the cemetery was closed in 1732. It’s hard to reconcile all of the chaos that went on at that time with the peacefulness of the church and grounds now. On Sunday morning, the most spirited thing that happens near the church is the exuberance of the crowd on Rue Mouffetard.

Saint Medard Square

The Church of Saint Medard

The Saint Medard garden

A view of the side of the church

A lovely little fountain at the end of Rue Mouffetard

There’s another kind of phenomenon that takes place on Rue Mouffetard every Sunday morning. It’s a kind of French karaoke that includes both singing and dancing. Copies of French songs are passed out to the crowd, and anyone who wants to can lead the singing, and anyone else who wants to can dance in the streets. The man and woman in white are lead dancers, and dance not only with each other but also with people in the crowd.

Dancing in the street

The lead dancers encourage others to dance.

Some people are singing along, and others get out and dance.

The lead dancers get back together from time to time.

A great ending with a dramatic dip.

A karaoke singer takes the mike.

By now, everyone is singing or dancing.

And everyone can enjoy the music.

Even the dogs like it.

We had brunch at La Table d’Orphee, a restaurant just down the street from the fountain and St. Medard Church. Alban was our waiter, and Pauline was the waitress/cashier. As an appetizer, I had something that was like a mashed potato patty with bits of fish inside. My entrée was salmon with pesto sauce, and a raspberry tart for dessert. Chef Orfeo Ruspoli, who obviously takes great pride in his creations, came out of the kitchen to make sure we enjoyed our meal. We assured him that we did.