Pages

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Cafe de Flore~ Travelin' Tuesday

Cafe de Flore~ A Paris landmark since 1887
and known as a favorite for many 19th and 20th century writers and artists
including Earnest Hemingway, Lawrence Durrel, Truman Capote and Camus
as well as Picasso and Apollinaire.

Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were known to
take their coffee and croissants here in the mornings
and discuss philosophy over drinks in the evening.

Sartre is said to have written one of his famous quotes here:
"Man is condemned to be free."
Put that in your beret and smoke it!

Writers still sit here and scribble away
and every year the cafe awards a literary prize
known as the Prix de Flore.

I've never written here but I think on my next visit
I'll park myself inside with pen and paper
and a couple of books on Sartre and de Beauvoir.
I've always meant to read more about them.
Where better than the very place they sat, wrote
and chewed on philosophy and croissants?
And until then, I'll have that to look forward to.

Located on the Left Bank
on the corner of St. Germain des Pres and Rue St. Benoit
in the 6th arrondissement,
check out the website for a few inside shots:

172 blvd. St. Germain
Metro: St. Germain des Pres
Open 7am to 1:30am
1.45.48.55.26

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing this, I must visit this place before we leave France.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kirsten dearest! OH I have been on vacation for 11 days in California and what a blast. But I come here to your blog to another favorite destination. I will never forget this place as I can still remember the time, the hour, the scents, the people....thank you for presenting such lovely images of a beloved landmark. CIAO!! Anita

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey, you. I dream of someday traveling as well and as frequently as you. I love these posts, you know.

    I was actually just dropping in to wish you and yours the happiest Independence Day. May your day be full! May you enjoy laughter shared with family, great food shared with friends, fireworks to make you gasp, a lump in your throat at the anthem, and a full and grateful heart at all we have been given. Happy Fourth of July, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cafes and literature !

    C'est la Mort qui console, hélas! et qui fait vivre;
    C'est le but de la vie, et c'est le seul espoir
    Qui, comme un élixir, nous monte et nous enivre,
    Et nous donne le coeur de marcher jusqu'au soir...

    ReplyDelete

Hello and Welcome!
Thanks for coming and for making your thoughts and feelings known. I appreciate all comments greatly.
Hope to see you again!
Kirsten