Traplanz
Ernest Hemingway’s name carries a lot of weight in Paris. During the “Roaring Twenties”, he called the City of Lights home from 1921 to 1928. A century later, his legacy looms large in this town. There are a few places tourists may visit and embrace their inner Hemingway. To join in drink or food and celebrate where Hemingway rubbed shoulders with literary contemporaries like F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, E. E. Cummins, and Gertrude Stein. Where Ernest talked philosophy and life with painters Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.
If there was an epicenter for the eruption of monumental books and writings now synonymous with, “The Lost Generation”, ground zero would be the near the corners of Boulevard Saint Germain Rue de Rennes.
Shakespeare and Company:
Though this is not the original location, Hemingway would visit the original store to read and buy books from owner Sylvia Beach. She proclaimed in her memoirs Hemingway was her best client. Today, thousands travel to this store to buy books written by icons of the Lost Generation. This bookstore also published James Joyce’s eternal novel, Ulysses. There is often a line to enter, but once inside, you will get lost in the endless books and photos in this store.
Brasserie Lipp:
When Hemingway had some money in his pocket, and it was not often this happened to him during the 1920’s, he would enjoy Brasserie Lipp, feasting on beer and potato salad. Today you need to order a main along with your potato salad. Enjoy a meal, a few beers and imagine Hemingway sitting next to you explaining an idea for a new novel.
Cafe de Flore:
Across the street from Lipp, is Café de Flore. Another watering hole and eatery frequented by Hemingway and his cultural peers. Ordering a Cuba Libre would get a nod from Hemingway and is a wise choice for sipping and people watching. Our favorite is the Le Flore, which is a mix of Grand Marnier, Cognac, Champagne, and red berry coulis.
Les Deux Magots:
A few steps from Café de Flore, you will find yourself entering a place steeped in writing and philosophical tradition. Not just writing giants like Hemingway and James Joyce, but philosophical heavyweights like Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvior would hold court. Much of Hemingway’s classic The Sun Also Rises was written here. Les Deux Magots has offered a literary prize annually since 1933. It is said Hemingway and Joyce would enjoy dry sherry here, and so should you.
Harry’s New York Bar:
About a thirty-minute walk from Les Deux Magots, Harry’s looks like it belongs in the USA, not Paris. The ceiling is lined with American college pennants. Cabinets display vintage Scotch and other rare liquors. Hemingway would saddle up to the bar and order a Bloody Mary. Why? Because the Bloody Mary was the “Hair of the Dog ” cure for a hangover in those days. It still is, but more importantly, this is where the drink was invented in 1920. You owe it to yourself to order a Bloody Mary, and walk about the bar, taking in the memorabilia.
Bar Hemmingway:
Another haunt of many writers, painters, philosophers and composers, the Ritz Paris was always loaded with famous people, who were loaded on booze! The drinks here are pricey, but very good. The Ritz Sidecar is several hundred euros, so we suggest the French 75 or a Classic Martini.
