Instagram: it is the curse of living somewhere pretty.  I count myself fortunate to live in a nondescript 2-up, 2-down of limited aesthetic appeal, such that no one would choose to stop and take a selfie in front of it.  The residents of Rue Crémieux, located close to Gare de Lyon in Paris, are not so lucky.  They are regularly invaded by hordes of social-media snappers, all wanting to be seen standing in front of the colourful pastel façades of their pretty row of houses.

Admittedly, some of the residents seem to go out of their way to encourage photographers, adding trompe l’œil decorations to the front of their properties, as if to stand out from their neighbours, saying ‘look at me’ like a Miss World contestant who claims to speak seven languages, is doing a PhD in Cosmology, and who visits sick children in her spare time.

I visited Rue Crémieux very early one Sunday morning, aided by the fact that I was only staying two minutes’ walk away.  At that time of day, the street was deserted except for one insomniac jogger.  Undoubtedly, it is a very pretty street.  There are tubs with potted plants on the pavement, a cobbled carriageway, and a long double-row of tastefully colourful terraced house-fronts.

It is an oasis of Balamory in central Paris.

But Paris is a city full of beautiful streets.  The Haussmann boulevards are all similarly Instagrammable.  I can understand why Rue Crémieux is so popular but, in Paris, I prefer to discover beauty where it is least expected.

© E. C. Glendenny

E. C. Glendenny catches up on some beauty sleep after her early start.

E. C. Glendenny is the author of several travel books, including Easy Come, Easy Go.