“A quay named after a woman? How unusual!” you might think. And you’d be right, it wasn’t common in earlier times. This, my friends, is Quai Lucie. It might surprise you, but this peaceful stretch of waterfront was once part of a much grander neighbor – Quai d’Orsay. Quai Lucie shares a connection with the celebrated French author Anatole France. Before being named after Anatole France in 1947, the eastern part of Quai d’Orsay, stretching from Pont Royal to Pont de la Concorde, bore several names – Quai de la Grenouillière, Quai Bonaparte, and as we know, Quai d’Orsay again. Anatole France himself was no stranger to these Rive Gauche quays. He resided at 15, quai Malaquais, and his father ran a bookshop at 9, quai Voltaire. So, as you stand here, picture the bustling literary scene that once graced this area. Imagine the conversations, the exchange of ideas, all happening with the majestic Seine flowing silently by. Quai Lucie, a quiet testament to changing times, stands as a bridge between a storied past and the dynamic present that is Paris.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.