Metro-expo-resto #2

“métro, Expo, Resto”

Break out of the mould of “métro, boulot, dodo” (a French expression that, translated literally, means “Métro, work, sleep”) and get ready for “Métro, expo, resto”, as Babylangues introduces you to a new way of exploring the Paris Métro system. Join us in our quest to discover the various stations dotted across the city. How did they get their name? What are the surrounding neighbourhoods like? What can be found nearby? Some many questions and Babylangues has all the answers!

#2 Bonne-nouvelle

With its particularly memorable title, this Métro station acquires its name from the nearby church, Notre-Dame de Bonne-Nouvelle. Renown as a safe haven of healing and sterility, this place of worship literally translates as ‘our Lady of good news’, referring to the events of the Annunciation. The station, however, does not solely take its inspiration from the local church. Beyond its religious connections, the Métro stop equally pays tribute to the area’s contribution to the world of cinematic and theatrical production, as the signs of the Bonne-Nouvelle station are styled in a similar fashion to the Hollywood billboard.

What To Do Nearby?

Located in the second arrondissement, Bonne-Nouvelle boasts an array of exciting places to be discovered. Claiming the accolade of the largest cinema theatre in Europe, the Grand Rex, adorned with eye-catching neon signs and an art deco style tower, plays host to the annual Jules Verne Adventure Film festival in April. For those with a sweet tooth, the Musée du Chocolat is certainly worth a visit, guiding you through four millennia of this delicacy’s history and plunging you into a delicious world of unique aromas and tastes. As for its nightlife, the Memphis club, the biggest of its kind in Paris, offers a nostalgic look back to the cinema of the eighties, with its leopard-print sofas, giant mirrors and carpeted walls.

As the French say: “Pas de nouvelle, bonne nouvelle!” (No news is good news).