From the Archives

Zara coat (similar)
Le Chateau sweater (c/o) (similar)
Mavi jeans (c/o)
Le Chateau boots (c/o) (similar)
Chanel handbag
Celine sunglasses
Keltie Leanne Designs ring (c/o)

The National Archives is one of my favourite places in Paris. The French take their history seriously – very seriously, indeed. When it comes to their collective past, they are fastidious in their record-keeping and often humourless in their retelling. (To be honest, the French take many things very seriously – they are a nation of bureaucrats, rule-abiding and often officious. At the moment I recall this as one of their charming quirks, but when I have lived in Paris, I have not always felt that way.) Nowhere is this seriousness more evident than at the National Archives, a monolithic structure that is somehow discreetly tucked away in le Marais despite the fact that it takes up half a block in more than one direction.

We discovered the National Archives by accident when we lived in Paris. Le Marais was our neighbourhood and we often simply wandered to see what we might see. The door to the Archives complex is almost always open during the day, revealing a lovely manicured courtyard. Naturally, we had to investigate. Since then, we’ve taken photos there more than once – although looking back, I realise our that prior to these, we shot our last set there in early 2015. (What was I just saying about how time flies?!)

Visiting anywhere of national importance in Paris is far more complex than it used to be. Security in the city is much higher than it was before the 2015 terrorist attacks. Handbag checks are in effect almost everywhere you might go inside. Since most visitors don’t actually enter the Archives building, the security checkpoint is at the door, where gates have been installed and guards are stationed. This has become a fact of life, like not taking bottled water on airplanes. In the moment, I think nothing of it. But writing about it, I can’t help but feel a bit saddened as I reflect on the way our freedom to wander our favourite city has been slowly restricted, a little bit more with each passing year.

So we don’t visit the Archives as much anymore. It is a bit of a hassle now, one that doesn’t seem worth the bother when you just want to take a walk around and grab a few snapshots. But I’m glad we got these, because the French do take their history seriously – and someday, the big wooden door to the lovely inner courtyard may be permanently closed for safety reasons.