MANITOWANING—On Tuesday, November 12, the Assiginack Public Library became a gateway to Paris, France. Librarian Kari Gerhard, along with library volunteer Andrew Gerhard (her husband), took everyone who entered the library along with them on a walking tour of the city.
Before taking off for Paris, photos were taken, passports created, boarding passes issued and, at the end of the evening—passports stamped. It was the attention to detail that made the evening so special – the sights, the sounds and the foods of Paris. Baguettes, Brie, fruits and champagne (well, a lovely bubbly beverage) in a café setting, added to the ambience.
Andrew Gerhard, aka André while in Paris, began the tour by introducing us to Romain, our virtual tour guide. Romain has a couple of guided walking tours on YouTube, and he began this one by taking us through the Latin Quarter, which is one of the oldest parts of the city and takes its routes from “straight back to the Roman Empire,” he said. Then on “to the island of the city, a glimpse through Notre Dame and then we end up our tour around the Louvre.” The tour was under an hour and filled with fascinating facts and images. We saw some extremely narrow streets, where residents in one building could literally shake hands through the windows with residents in the opposite building, then Romain presented an image of ancient times, no sewers, just chamber pots dumped into those narrow streets. Thanks for that Romain.
This tour was filled with historical accounts, and factual asides, the first one being the Saint Michael Fountain. This Fountain was built at the same time as the square in which it stands, in the 1850s. It was built by Napolean III. “Napolean III is the one that ruled France basically all around the 1850s, 60s until 1871,” our YouTube guide explained. “The statue here is of St. Michael, beating down the devil, but it was not supposed to be St. Michael originally, but Napolean III, right here in the middle of the fountain. The problem was that Napolean III came to power with a coup and was not that popular with the Parisians, so, in order to avoid riots, and we know that rioting is basically the national sport in France, he decided to switch the statue instead to St. Michael beating down the devil. We call this type of architecture Napolean III style.” Romain’s accent and dry humour added much to the tour.
From time to time, one or two of the travellers would wander away from the tour and return with a plate of delectable treats to nibble as the tour continued.
“It’s a thing,” Ms. Gerhard explained, when asked how she came up with the idea of a walking tour. Apparently, it is quite a big thing. Armchair traveling has become increasingly popular post-pandemic. In fact, the approximately one-hour virtual walking tour of Paris was filmed during the pandemic, and Romain, our tour guide, remarked on numerous occasions how empty the streets were of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, which, in truth, enhanced the beauty of the city and its landmarks.
This is the first in a series Ms. Gerhard is initiating at the Assiginack Public Library. “Where do you want to go next?” she asked the enthusiastic travellers. “Italy,” shouted Laurel Leconte, whose plans to travel to Italy in 2020 were cancelled due to COVID. “Greece,” was another suggestion.
Before the evening ended, all were treated to photographs of themselves in front of their favourite Parisian landmark – a charming souvenir for the travellers provided with the help of a green screen and an app. It’s all in the details. Anyone can armchair travel, with a good Wi-Fi connection and a large enough screen to virtually immerse yourself entirely in a foreign place. But, for the full sensory experience, come to the Assiginack Public Library, when they advertise their next tour. You’ll see the world, taste its delights, get your passport stamped and you’ll enjoy it all in the company of others, no travelling alone.
by Margery Frisch
