Time Travel on Ile St. Louis

Charles-Jean de Rarecourt de La Vallee Marquis de Pimodan (aka Marc Soleranski)
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2007
If you had arrived in front of #17 Quai d’Anjou at 7:45 last night, you would have been just as surprised to see as we were that the guide we had expected to meet, Marc Soleranski, had a curious replacement.

It was Charles-Jean de Rarecourt de la Vallee, the Marquis de Pimodan who greeted us at the front door of the Hotel de Lauzun. He explained that since the Revolution when he was forced to hide in a crawl space for three years, he had since then gained his livelihood by conducting tours of his own former home. (Some of these Marquis seem to live forever!)

A Little Swordplay on the Ile St. Louis
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2007

We felt somewhat underdressed for the occasion. I had left my evening gown back in - another era. As for the description of all the treasures shared, and the brilliant performance of the theatrical troupe assembled for the occasion - I will be devoting another post to this story.