City of (Literary) Lights

Here are the lovers, meandering down the sidewalk fingers entwined. There is the reed-like, impossibly chic woman of "a certain age," delicately pawing her handbag to find her ringing cell phone. A clutch of office denizens urgently discuss the details of the latest deal. And there, observing it all from a seat at a sidewalk café is a writer. Fueled by coffee, croissant, and the muse of a street scene, a page is filled, then another.

And there you are, too.

You can do this in one day, or take several for a more leisurely pace. But to really get a sense of place, this tour concentrates on the neighborhoods the literati frequented on the Left Bank. Once home to penniless intellectuals and bohemian artists, the sixth arrondissment is the current stomping ground of an educated bourgeois who frequent its charming galleries, shops and boites.

Begin by staying at a hotel that invokes the spirit of that great age. L'Hôtel, a former home of Oscar Wilde (he who still invokes the passions of many a lipsticked fan from beyond the grave), is comfortably ensconced on a side street, but no less opulent for it. Twenty rooms of different themes come off the central, magnificent spiral staircase. Even the smaller accommodations are festooned with sumptuous draperies and linens and the view, especially the one over the cobblestoned Rue des Beaux Arts, is sweetly picturesque.

You'll need to get some breakfast so walk down Rue Bonaparte towards boulevard St. Germain. Choose Café Flore, which opens at 7am, and select a table outside so you can sip your coffee or tea and contemplate the philosophy of Sartre, who wrote this of the Flore: "We installed ourselves completely: from 9 to 12 am, we worked, then we had lunch, and at 2pm we came back and spoke with friends we had met, until 8 pm."

As pleasant as it would be to linger and watch the goings-on of buskers and passerby, you have a busy day ahead, so leave your tip on the table and set off for the next destination, the Musée d'Orsay.

As you walk up the blvd St. Germain, be sure to poke your head into Deyrolle, a virtual Victorian cabinet of curiosities filled to brimming with all manner of shells, butterflies, and rocks, along with exquisitely preserved bears, mules, lions and more. Established in 1831 for the edification of scholars, the library and the collection are now very much like a museum of natural history without the price of admission. Deyrolle also offers items for sale, so keep your eyes open for an interesting specimen to take home.

Continue on to the Musée d'Orsay. An array of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works is housed behind its elegant façade and aptly displayed in the light filled galleries of this former railway station. Don't miss the cheeky (albeit unflattering) portrait of Oscar Wilde's rear on the upper level, or the one of Marcel Proust by Jacques-Emile Blanche in the middle level overlooking the Seine. A stunning array of Rodin's sculptures can be found on the terrace, juxtaposed with the view.

The lure of the Seine may prove too much to resist, once glimpsed from the museum. Give in and stroll along the bank. Note the many bridges linking the left and right banks. One that is particularly delightful is the elegant Pont des Arts that offers a panoramic vista of Ile de la Cite.

A little further on, you may also cross the river on the Pont Neuf. Ironically named, the city's oldest surviving bridge was constructed in 1607 and dips across to Ile de la Cite before continuing on to the right bank. Enjoy long views of the river, replete with boats, as you pass the Place Dauphine, a secluded square. As you walk along the small island's quay upstream, set your sights on Notre Dame.

In addition to being one of the most recognizable spiritual landmarks in the world, its surrounding streets once bustled with intellectual life. Medieval philosopher and writer (and lover of the wise Heloise), Peter Abelard taught at the cathedral school. That was, until the establishment caught wind of his possible heretic stance. Undaunted, Abelard moved across the river to the Latin Quarter with a dedicated band of students and founded what would become the precursor of the venerable University of Paris.