HOT on the heels of the summer blockbuster Around The World
in 80 Days, starring Steve Coogan and Jackie Chan, the works of
cult French author Jules Verne are being rediscovered.
The timing couldn’t be more apt. Next year marks the 100th
anniversary of the author’s death and Verne’s adopted
home town of Amiens, the capital of the Picardy region, is planning
a major cultural festival to mark the centenary.
Preparations have been underway across the city for the past
year with renovation work on Verne-related landmarks and the launch
of a Jules Verne trail around the Henriville district to the
city’s south, where the author spent much of his working
life.
He moved to Amiens in 1871 and produced many of the best-known
of his 62 novels and 18 short stories from his house in rue
Charles-Dubois, including Michael Strogoff (written in 1876) and
Leader of the World (1904).
So what is there to see for the dedicated Vernian wanting to
soak up the atmosphere?
The tourist office can help arrange guided half-day tours, with
a typical itinerary starting at the Maison Jules Verne. The house
will reopen next spring showing over 30,000 items of Verne
memorabilia, acquired from a private Italian collection.
Verne’s former office is currently being restored with
space allocated to house the Jules Verne International Centre,
dedicated to Vernian study.
The ground-floor exhibition area features illustrations from his
novels and the trustees work closely with a body called Imaginaire
Jules Verne, located on Rue de Noyon, which hosts exhibitions based
around Verne’s most famous works, accompanied by screenings
of Verne adaptations.
However, the most impressive site is Le Cirque Jules Verne on
Place Longueville. Verne was a prominent member of the local
council and used his influence to push through plans for
construction of the circus.
It has now reopened after extensive refurbishment and remains
one of only seven working indoor circuses in France. Today it
serves to champion circus arts in the same spirit that Verne
intended.
For those with just a casual interest in Verne’s writings,
however, Amiens offers plenty for the weekend-breaker.
Thanks to faster train connections from London Waterloo, the
total journey time is now about four and a half hours, with an easy
cross-platform switch from Eurostar to the French TGV network at
Paris Gare du Nord.
Hoverspeed Holidays managing director Geoffrey Ede said: “Amiens
is a haven for culture lovers with its impressive cathedral while,
on the outskirts of the town, there are a number of curious
‘hortillonnages’ or market gardens, nestled among
countless small canals and accessible only by boat. Amiens is also
particularly well-placed for exploring the surrounding battlefields
of the Somme.”
Cresta Holidays senior product manager Anne Hampson said:
“Amiens tends to appeal to older clients.
“The region is rich in history and architectural heritage. There
are some picturesque towns nearby, with fabulous food, wine and
shopping.”
She added: “I’m sure there will be a swell of interest for
the festival among a niche section of the public interested in
Jules Verne.”
Away from the Verne legend, the main attraction in Amiens is the
UNESCO World Heritage-listed Notre-Dame cathedral.
Tourists can hire audio guides from inside the entrance while,
during the Christmas market period, a 45-minute sound and light
show, called Amiens: la Cathedrale en Couleur, uses light
projection to recreate the cathedral’s former colourful
carvings on the sculpted the Gothic façade.
Culture aside, Place Gambetta offers a slew of cafés with a
great people-watching vantage point.
Les Marissons, which is located at Pont de la Dodane in the
lively St-Leu canal district – Amien’s answer to
Paris’ Left Bank – is something of a local institution.
The food is great, reservations mandatory and the diet-busting
blow-out of the 49 euro Menu Gourmande is enough to have you
snoozing all the way home on Eurostar.
