Le Passe-Muraille: Walking Through Walls in Montmartre

The French verb flâner defies translation. ‘To amble’ or ‘to stroll aimlessly’, don’t do the word justice. If you happen to flâne through the streets of Montmartre in Paris, once you reach Place Marcel Aymé, you might think it is possible to walk through walls. The statue of le Passe-Muraille depicts a man in action poking out of a wall.

The statue is based upon a short story by French novelist Marcel Aymé called Le passe-muraille , about a man who possessed such capability. It is also the work of one of my favourite actors, Jean Marais, of the French classics, La belle et la bête and Orphée.

The reality of my visit was a little more sobering than a fictional character or a piece of art. At the little graffiti-ridden square in front of the statue, a homeless person’s tent was erected over a grid, warming the interior of his temporary home on a cool November day.

Place Marcel Aymé is located at 2 Rue Norvins, at the corner of Rue Norvins and Allée des Brouillards, within close proximity to Moulin de la Galette, Place Dalida and Café des 2 Moulins of the Amélie fame.