A friend of mine has just written to ask for recommendations of places to visit in London and Paris this weekend. Considering that visitors to the Ink Desk might also be planning or hoping to visit England or France, I thought I’d share my recommendations here. This is my reply to my friend.
Normally I tell people to see the obvious sites in London and then travel to different parts of the English countryside, off the beaten track, to see the best and most intersting parts of England. As such, I have lots of good places to recommend if you ever have enough time in England to travel around a bit but I’m not sure that I have too much to offer with regard to sites in London. Nonetheless, and for what it’s worth, here are a few suggestions:
You should visit the London Oratory (nearest tube: South Kensington), which is a truly beautiful church. If you are there on a Sunday you should make a point of attending the 11am Latin Mass. It is one of the most sublime liturgies and musical experiences I have ever encountered: wonderful organist, beautiful choir, choreographed liturgy. The oratory is also in a great part of the city. It’s next door to the Victorian & Albert Museum, down the road from the Natural History Museum and round the corner from the Science Museum, all of which are worth visiting and are either free or very cheap. These are all to be found if you turn right when leaving the Oratory; if you turn left, you will find Harrods on the right after a walk of about half a mile. En route to Harrods you will find several good though somewhat pricey restaurants.
The most interesting pub in London is probably Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, down a back alley on the north side of Fleet Street. You should check out the two levels of cellar bars below the bar on the ground level. The bar on the right as you enter the pub has the same wooden benches on which the illustrissimi of English culture have sat. You will be sitting on the same benches which graced the backsides of such luminaries as Samuel Johnson, Coleridge, Shelley, Byron, Chesterton, Belloc and many others. The ale and food are also very good!
As a fanatical supporter of Chelsea Football Club, my childhood team who are currently champions of Europe, I would make a “pilgrimage” to the club’s stadium at Stamford Bridge (nearest tube: Fulham Broadway) for the huge game against their biggest rivals Manchester United this coming Sunday. I dare say that this doesn’t particularly interest you and, in any case, tickets are probably like gold dust!
If I think of anything else between now and the weekend I’ll let you know.
As for Paris, I’ve only been there once. The highlight for me was Montmartre. The church of Sacre Coeur struck me as being more beautiful than Notre Dame cathedral and the view of the city from the top of Montmartre is outstanding. There’s also an interesting Salvador Dali museum nearby (there’s a good Dali museum on London’s South Bank too) and some good restaurants in this traditionally Bohemian part of the city.
Dear Dr Pearce,
If I may, I quite agree with your London recommendation, perhaps would add the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. As for Paris, ah there is so much. Certainly Sacred Heart on Montmartre, but I would also suggest the following:
1. Notre Dame des Victoires, the real spiritual powerhouse of Paris in the mid 19th century, you can see the thousands of ex votos on the walls and learn about the special relationship of Saint Therese to the church, among many others, including Bl J.H.Newman.
2. Go to the rue du Bac to see, within one block or so of each other, the Miraculous Medal Chapel, where Saint Catherine Laboure received the apparitions, and then down the street to the Foreign Missions Seminary, there go to the Salle des Martyres, to venerate the relics of Saint Theophane Venard and others of the Asian missions.
3. During daylight hours, go to Saint Denis, to see both one of the earliest examples of Gothic architecture, and also the relics of the Kings of France. See the tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, when I was there, they were adorned with fresh flowers…
4. The Extraordinary Form is celebrated at Saint Eugene (archdiocesan) and of course the famous Saint Nicolas du Chardonnet(SSPX). Around the corner is the Linrairie Daint Nicolas, with tradd books and right wing political tracts.