“The brisk November wind was threatening to break through my jacket as I stepped out of the metro. Turning left, I located Rue de la Banque–the starting place for my Palais Royal Soundwalk. With freezing fingers, I plugged in my headphones and pressed play, immediately hearing the honey-like voice of Helene Fillieres infiltrate my mind. As the tour began and I set off towards the Palais Royal, the dropping temperature around me seemed less and less significant. Before I knew it, I was in another world, surrendering myself to the story unfolding around me. My stride naturally fell in place with hers and I could have sworn the sound of footsteps on gravel that filled my ears was caused by me rather than a brilliant sound effect. The tour took me into stores and cafés that I would have otherwise missed had I been merely strolling on my own. A tiny bookstore here (my favorite was Librairie Jousseaume), a hidden café there–each one with its own story, just waiting to be told.
My favorite, and most memorable part of the Soundwalk, however, was its ability to involve so many of ones’ senses at once: taste, sight, sound, smell…something you’d never find on your average audio tour. When I stepped into Salon Shiseido-Serge Lutens, a stunningly beautiful perfume store, I was instructed to smell a specific scent that, of course, had a story of its own to tell. Then, at the end of the Soundwalk, I slipped into a café and drank hot chocolate in a café alongside Miss Fillieres, the warm, rich aroma providing the perfect ending to such an intriguing hour.
Somewhere in the midst of the tour, I remembered that I had walked the same passageways on a fieldtrip for class but this time, it all seemed completely different. Doorways and windows I had simply strolled by the last time suddenly became consequential as I learned of the history they held behind their seemingly insignificant exteriors. Ten times more exciting than a movie and infinitely more enjoyable than an average audio guide, yesterday’s Soundwalk was a unique and surreal experience that I feel lucky to have had.” -Esther (Paris)
For more about the Paris Palais Royal Soundwalk here.
Esther is a senior at Boston University spending the semester in Paris.
This thursday, Camille Kiejman, editor of Le Nouvel Observateur‘s fashion and lifestyle blog “En mode Libre” talks about one of her “coup de coeur” of the year, namely the soundwalks. After a quick description of the origins and concept of Soundwalk, she reviews the different tours that are available in Paris : Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Le Marais, Le Palais Royal, Belleville, Pigalle. Having tried out all the Parisian Soundwalks herself, she offers an authentic overview of her impressions and gives out her own recommandations about the tours.