Place de le République, just a short walk from the Hotel du Nord et de l’Est, is a memorial to the French Republic.

There have been five incarnations of the French Republic and I’m not sure which one is celebrated here, maybe all of them. The first republic was founded after the French Revolution when the French kicked out the monarchy. I think that was because they, like America, didn’t care for “taxation without representation”, but I’ll bet that the French aren’t that crazy about taxation with representation either.

Like most squares in Paris, this one has cafés and shops; steer clear of the chains and head to some of the more typical spots, like Chez Jenny on Boulevard du Temple.