Late March Catch-Up: A Couple of Exciting Openings to Watch For in Paris

....plus, happening on a Romantic French poet's haunt in Bulgaria, & Paris' beloved bouquiniste stalls to remain in place through the Olympics

Some good news for fans of the Bouquinistes (Paris’ iconic Seine-side booksellers): they’re staying open in the run up to the Summer Olympics, after all (Image by Courtney Traub)

Dear Subscribers,

I’m back at it after a few days roaming two fascinating cities in Bulgaria. I’d never been, and without wanting to delve into too many particulars— this is, after all, a Substack about France— what I will say is that it’s a dizzyingly rich place that really deserves more interest from travelers. Both cities we visited, Sofia (the capital) and Plovdiv, are swimming in ancient (and very visible) Roman history. Key early medieval sites also abound, with some of the finest examples of early Christian mosaics and painting I’ve yet seen.

They both also harbor some dramatic traces of the Soviet period: something that has always intrigued me, having grown up when the idea of the “Iron curtain” was still absolute.

The cuisine is marvelously hybrid and flavorful, melding Mediterranean, Slavic and Turkish cooking in ways that really surprised and delighted me. The people were almost invariably friendly and open. And if you’re interested in more recent architecture, Plovdiv’s Old Town harbors some beautifully-preserved houses designed in the “Bulgarian Revival” style of the late 18th and 19th centuries, featuring graceful curvatures and elaborately painted wood.

“Bulgarian Revival” architecture reaches its summit at the Ethnographic Museum in Plovdiv. Courtney Traub/All rights reserved

I’ve digressed embarrassingly, though. Aside from wanting to share my new enthusiasm for a country I previously was completely ignorant of (and thus under-estimated) the reason I bring this all up is that I came across an interesting site of French literary and cultural history while wandering through Old Plovdiv.

The Bulgarian Revival house in Old Plovdiv where French poet Lamartine stayed for a time/Courtney Traub/all rights reserved