The
curate and the latex underwear
9th
arrondissement - 21, Boulevard de Clichy
The
Bistrot du Curé, the Curate's Bistro, tucked towards the end of a row
of sex shops and porno cinemas, is something of an institution round about Pigalle.
Or at least was. On Dec. 21, 2002, the Bistrot du Curé closed its doors
for the last time. A fall-off in business, a decline in the number of clergy
in the local parish (La Trinité), the costs of renovation….all these reasons
are given for the closure. To these should be added another: the promotion of
the local parish priest and driving force behind the bistro to the status of
Bishop of Fréjus-Toulon on the Mediterranean coast in 2000. After the departure
of Dominique Rey, things were not the same. Fr. Rey had a doctorate in economies,
was a specialist in taxation, and had been a high-ranking official in the Ministry
of Finance, but he preferred to be known as "the dish-washing curate".
Now that he's left for sunnier climes, will he open a Bistrot de l'Evêque?
Manned by volunteers and (occasionally)
the parish priest, the place dispensed steak and chips and other traditional
concoctions six days a week, but never on a Sunday. An occasional meeting ground
for the local transvestite population and the odd prostitute. One good reason
for taking a trip up that way was the fact that it was one of the very few smoke-free
restaurants in Paris. If you felt like a prayer, there was a small oratory on
the first floor….but alcohol wasn't served at the bar. Behind the till hung
a picture of Saint Theresa of Lisieux and, alongside a book for prayer intentions,
a statue of the Virgin Mary had pride of place in the front window. Anybody's
guess as to whether she was admonishing or pardoning those on their way to the
latex underwear shop next door.
Further along this pretty mild local
version of Bangkok's night-club district is to be found the Chapel of Saint-Rita
(she of lost causes). It has an even more alluring neighbour in the form of
an establishment called Blue Girl's Sexy Lingerie.
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