Hey there
I%26#39;m really interested in checking out the Basilica in Saint Denis, but I%26#39;m being told that the area is very dangerous. Can someone confirm or deny? I%26#39;m a 30-something, city-smart guy. I don%26#39;t plan on hanging around the town of Saint Denis much. I just plan on taking the train up from the centre of Paris one morning - checking the Basilica out and then being back by lunch.
Is there anything I should be wary of?
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First of all you should be very wary of all the ghosts of the dead kings and queens...... esp. Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI are said to roam around headless.....
NO - it is not very dangerous - what racist idiot told you that ???
YES - there are many people out there of different origins and skincolour, wearing all sorts of strangelooking garments.
and YES, they may not be wealthy and stick their noses in the sky like les bourgeois in the 6th and 7th arr. - BUT that does not automatically make them murderers and robbers.
I walked all the way through the village out to the RER station after having visited the church and I didn%26#39;t get bitten by any one of them once.
FYI - this summer there is a big classic music festival in Saint Denis:
http://www.festival-saint-denis.fr/
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and BTW - %26quot;city-smart guy%26quot;:
A church that dates back almost 1600 years as the burial site for the kings and queens of the great nation of France is not something that you %26quot;check out%26quot;.
It is a gothic architechtural and cultural jewel that you humbly admire with the deepest awe and respect.
IMO.
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Wow! I guess I stand corrected. Could have done without the sarcasm though. :(
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The Basilica is great. You%26#39;ll really enjoy it. I must have been 22 or so when I visited and felt completey safe. You will find that each area/quarter of Paris has it%26#39;s own unique atmosphere and may represent a certain class.
Hope you enjoy the Basilica.
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Sorry mickey - maybe I gave you a lecture undeservedly. It was just the city-smart-checking-out-thing that trigged me. Bear with me - I am a stoneageold hag.... (daughter-in-laws worst nightmare come-through !)
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Fair enough ... but just for the record -- this city-smart guy has as much respect for history as you or anyone else. I%26#39;m a board member for my provincial genealogical society and am a standing member of the historical society. I am with you on the whole %26#39;awe and appreciation for great buildings%26#39; rant -- but when I go to Paris -- it won%26#39;t be with a %26#39;nose-in-the-air -for-history%26#39; attitude. I%26#39;ll enjoy and appreciate the sites -- but I%26#39;ll be checking %26#39;em out at the same time!
Cheers!
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Wow, I can%26#39;t believe that response! I know you%26#39;ve somewhat apologized, but I believe he was only saying he was city-smart about being in a dangerous area. There was no mention of racism at all. That came from soooooo far out in left field.
Also, there are people on this board that believe they only need to check out the Louvre and Versailles for an hour or two, while others will spend the whole day there.
I hope you have a good time in Saint Denis, mickeytor. Don%26#39;t be discouraged from asking more questions if you have them. I think it was a valid question and worthy of a kind response.
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- maybe it is a language barrier thing ?? To me the word %26quot;checking out%26quot; sounds very much as some sort of hip-hop slang. You can %26quot;check out%26quot; my new BMW or my new basketball boots - but a cathedral ?
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Goldilocks just got a bad bowl of porridge this morning :) (Hi Gitte!)
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I do believe that one of our regulars got locked into the basillique on a visit, so that may be a concern... be sure to get out before closing.
Otherwise, I am a girl and I am not at all afraid to go there alone.
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