Le Hasard: The Butterfly Secret of Bagnolet
Chance, or the celebrated French concept of “le hasard,” cannot be planned or even anticipated. It simply arrives. Today was the ultimate proof. Terrance and I set out for a casual walk through Bagnolet, planning for a bit of lunch before returning to Le Marais. I wanted to show him a pocket of the city I remembered from a previous walk with a greeter: the “Campagne à Paris.” This area is truly magical. What began as a massive pile of rubble from Haussmann’s 19th-century reconstruction of Paris was eventually transformed into a charming enclave of workers' housing. Today, it feels like a hidden village—a perfect marriage of British cottage charm and French countryside soul.
The Mysterious Sign
As we climbed the long and high steps toward the "Campagne," I pointed out a weathered sign for a “butterfly museum.” I’ve passed it several times on other balades but never quite knew if it was a real institution or a local myth. As we chatted outside, suddenly the door of the grand five-story house swung open. A man stepped out, offered a warm “Bonjour,” and just like that, we met Frederic.
He has lived in that house for decades and has been collecting butterflies since he was six years old. After chatting for a while in French, he extended an invitation: “Come back in thirty minutes, and I will give you a tour.” Terrance jokingly added, “...and you’ll share a bottle of champagne?”. Of course we said “avec plaisir” and we took a quick stroll around the neighborhoodreturned to the door with the “papillon” on it, and found Frederick waiting for us—with a bottle of champagne already chilled.
The Reveal: Count to Sixty
Inside, the atmosphere was one of refined passion. Frederic, an engineer, shared stories from his life as a muséologue (see his impressive projects at https://creatime.eu/realisations/), describing his work creating exhibits (including one project that occupied nine years of his life). Then, he gave us a curious instruction:
"Go to the window, look out at the garden, and count to sixty."
We did as we were told, the seconds ticking away in anticipation. When we turned back around, the room had been transformed. The various chalkboards and bookshelves lining the walls had been swung open to reveal his staggering collection: over 3,000 butterflies, each meticulously displayed.
A Life in Flight
Frederic explained that for him, every butterfly represents a specific story or a milestone in his life. For me I capture street photography stories, for him it was butterfly stories. To look at the collection was to look at a map of his experiences. We marveled at the vibrant, iridescent “papillons,” stunned by the sheer scale and beauty of his life's work.
After finishing the champagne and meeting his marvelous wife, Catherine, who is also an engineer in the same group, we headed back out into Bagnolet. We continued our adventure, enjoyed lunch, saw where the end of the Les Tontons Flingueurs was shot, but we both knew it would be impossible to top that level of serendipity. In Paris, sometimes the most nondescript door hides an entire universe worth exploring. So pull that “string” in Paris when you see it and you’ll probably find something amazing.
Visit by appointment only: https://www.musee-du-papillon.fr/
3 comments
Bill Grant March 23, 2026
Delightful eassy on butterflied. Rick Steves should make a visit.
Alice Robbin March 24, 2026
A wonderful story. Thank you for the outstanding recit. I have known the family for many decades, and spend at least five weeks at their home. It's a very happy time, just as you experienced. experienced.
Terrance Gelenter April 1, 2026
You are the lovely lady from Bloomington-Hag Pesach , I believe