Flying over Normandy for D-Day - Thursday, 6 June

 

Today, shortly after we departed Paris, our pilot announced a special treat for passengers on the right side of the plane (not me, unfortunately 🙁) - on this, the 80th anniversary of D-Day, they would be able to clearly see the beaches of Normandy for about 5 minutes.  I believe that many of the rest of us breathed a silent thank-you to the soldiers (very few still living) who risked or lost their lives there.

On a related note, our flight was delayed over an hour because the flight crew's shuttle was stuck in a traffic jam for 3 hours caused by motorcades for Biden and other prime ministers, presidents and monarchs who were on their way to the commemorations.  A delay is a small price to pay ... no, it's no price to pay for their sacrifice and for our freedom.

Pionnières Creating Beauty and Doing What Needed to be Done - Thursday, 21 April

So this afternoon I headed down to the Musée du Luxembourg to see their recently-opened exhibit of works by Parisian female artists of the Roaring ‘20s - mostly paintings, but also works of sculpture, architecture, literature and design.  

As you entered the exhibit you encountered videos from the late 19-teens of women performing what were formerly men’s jobs before they went off to war - in factories, on railroads and trams, on roadways (including devising fulcrums and levers to get trucks out of muddy ruts), assembling and packing munitions, sweeping chimneys, lighting streetlamps, etc. - many of the snippets were quite amusing.  

Another video presentation, though, was the most affecting for me - you saw women artists and craftspersons creating masks for soldiers who lost parts of their faces in WW1 - measuring the portions of the faces that should be covered, forming the masks, fitting them, painting them to look realistic, calculating and attaching straps that allowed the masks to stay in place without being too obvious, all while obviously interacting with the wounded men in a very caring and sensitive manner.  It was moving and heartwarming and inspiring.

Ya, the artwork was great (although there were a few too many nudes for my taste), but the video glimpses into the century-ago world of clever and hard-working women at work was most rewarding.  

https://museeduluxembourg.fr/en/agenda/evenement/pionnieres

I took a walk in the gardens after viewing the exhibit.  The spring bulb flowers have gone kinda wild and are on their last legs, but they’re still beautiful. Perhaps a lesson for us all!

Accommodation, Unexpected Holiday, Cheap Entertainment - Monday, 18 April

Well, I finally gave in.  I decided that it wasn’t worth wearing out my wobbly legs on the LONG trek from the arrival gate to the shuttle train, through passport control, and down to baggage claim, so I booked the wheelchair service.  (Besides, I didn’t want to run into the airport employee who upbraided me last fall - see this post: http://mariellen-musing.blogspot.com/2021/09/airport-taxi-real-estate-and-roof-guys.html ).  As my “driver” and I were zipping down the handicapped aisle next to the massive zig-zag line at passport control, I saw a sign that said “average wait: 45 minutes.”  Yikes.  People are traveling again.  And “accommodation” is my new byword!

The owner of the apartment I’m renting recommended a car service for transport into town.  I thought I’d give it a try it since it was about the same cost as a taxi service or Uber when buying the round trip version from them, and the driver would be at the terminal exit waiting for me.  Thanks to my speedy ride through passport control, I arrived in the reception hall before my driver did - no worries, though - I just gave the service a call.  There was a long walk to the car, much longer than to the taxi stand.  But the ride was nice and smooth!  Surprisingly, the traffic was the lightest I’ve seen - it turns out that today was a national holiday.  What???  They were celebrating the midnight ride of Paul Revere???  Nope.  Apparently, back in the Middle Ages the eight days following Easter were called the “Octave of Easter” and were celebrated in the Catholic Church with daily Masses and time off work to make pilgrimages.  Only Easter Monday remains from that tradition, with most small shops closed (but bars and cafés open, thankfully!), and hence much less traffic on the big highways. 

Paris treated me to a spectacular blue sky and about 60 degrees when I arrived.  The apartment manager showed me how to use all of the appliances and equipment and WiFi, and just before he left he said “of course you have everything on rue Montorgueil” (just 1/2 block away).  Yup!  It’s my favorite street in Paris - three blocks of bakery next to wine shop next to vegetable stand next to fish/seafood market next to butcher next to florist next to cheesemonger next to olive oil purveyor next to foie gras and preserved food vendor next to chocolatier next to café next to supermarket next to Italian deli next to tea merchant next to pharmacy – you get the picture! Pâtisserie Stohrer, a spectacular bakery established in 1730, is just a few steps from my front door.  E. Dehillerin, my favorite cookware shop, is just a few blocks away and A. Simon, a great porcelain shop, is even closer.  G.Detou is the place for chefs and bakers to go for flours, oils, chocolates, dried fruits, mustards, preserved fish and poultry, gelatins, candied flowers, vinegars, honeys, nuts, etc.  I recently read that Paris passed a "Local Urbanism Plan" law in 2006 to give zoning protection to historic streets like rue Montorgueil - ground-floor artisanal shops can be replaced only by other artisanal shops (so no Monoprix or McDonald's!), thank goodness!  Hopefully this will preserve the street's charm for many years to come.

BTW, this is the apartment I've rented for this trip:    https://www.vacationinparis.com/listing/79/vieux-paris-one-bedroom

The apartment manager warned me about pickpockets - apparently they’re more prevalent since Covid, as is crime in general due to anxiety and genuine hardship.  And I noticed much more graffiti than before, mostly in the second “ring” of arrondissements.  Sad. 

But today was a glorious day.  And you don’t have to go far for entertainment!  Since it’s a public holiday, everyone is out and about - just sit at a table on the terrace of a rue Montorgueil café and watch the world go by!  In my half-hour enjoying a Grimbergen I saw kids, parents, locals, tourists, bicycle food delivery guys, flâneurs, ice cream cone eaters, crêpe and galette eaters, every nationality and color of the rainbow, old folks with canes, apparent models (female and male), gaggles of teens, fancy athletic wear, casual wear, bare arms, sweats, scooters, plain & fancy scarves, backpacks, tiny purses, fanny packs, strollers, skateboarders, bikers, big dogs, tiny dogs, fat guys, muscle guys, phone-focused people, find-an-available-café-chair-focused people, queues for pastries, very few masks, long dresses, very short dresses, smokers, vaperers, blazers, waiters scanning their tables, dresses with boots and ankle socks, a couple taxis, dark clothing (black, blue, khaki), jeans, stretch pants, shorts and leggings, a family mom pushing the baby in a stroller and dad holding the toddler on his shoulders while pushing a child’s blue bike (unfortunately, I couldn’t grab my camera in time to catch the charming scene), a guy muttering to himself and looking vacant, Muslim head scarfs and dresses, pigeons, French sailor shirts, a guy on a hover wheel, rolling luggage, shopping roller bags, neon sneakers, people having phone conversations on wireless earbuds (it still surprises me to see someone talking to the air!).  See, you would fit right in!  The little kids in strollers and on shoulders and toddling along were especially curious about everything around them - I enjoyed making eye contact with several of them!  And I just sat there, watching the whole circus while trying to not bring down the average attractiveness of the participants!

And later, a little restorative before heading back to the apartment!

Incense, Architecture, Etchings, Sculpture, Memories, Tears - Sunday, 7 October

Incense hung in the air of l'Église Saint-Séverin as I stepped inside on Sunday afternoon. This just might be my favorite church in Paris. I’ve been here many times, but I’ve never experienced the incense so present - sandalwood and floral - there was something very purifying and holy about it. There has been a church on this site since the 11th century; it is named after a 6th century hermit who lived in the area. It sits in the midst of the insanely bustling Latin Quarter, a welcome refuge from the madness of the world, a quiet and sacred space. I shuffled around the double ambulatory (stepping cautiously on the very worn-down paving stones), stopped at the side chapels, sat and breathed deeply in the nave.

Then I proceeded to the small elliptical Mansart Chapel in the southeast corner of the building. This simple chapel, with its etchings by Georges Rouault, and beautifully cast bronze Madonna and child by Georges Schneider, and crucifix, altar and lectern by I-wish-I-knew-who is a beautiful spot for quiet reflection.

And reflect I did. And cry. Many many years ago, I told my friend and college-freshman-year-accompanist Leah Harding about this place, and about the etchings. As an artist herself, she knew of them, and told me that they were by Georges Rouault. Then, in April 2008, Leah came to Paris with me and we visited Saint-Séverin, where she was also enthralled by the three organs in the church. We ate lunch across the street (where I had my confit de canard today). The incense in the church reminded me of the perfume she always wore.

Leah died almost a year ago of cancer. So all the memories came rushing together as I sat in the Mansart Chapel, and tears ran down my face, and my sniffling was quite loud in that elliptical stone space. Happily, there was only one other person in the chapel whose prayers I disturbed. He smiled at me kindly when he left.

Handel, Mendelssohn (and Mozart) @ Saint-Eustache – Sunday, 1 October

the view from my chair

With 8,000 pipes, the organ at Saint-Eustache, my little (ha ha) neighborhood church, is reputed to be the largest pipe organ in France. Free half-hour recitals are given there almost every Sunday afternoon, and today the organist was the 30-year-old Virgile Monin, a graduate of the Conservatoire de Nantes and winner of major organ prizes in France and Luxembourg.

Mr. Monin played Jean Guillou’s transcription for solo organ of the Allegro from Handel’s Concerto in G minor Op.4 No.1 and his own transcription of Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides Overture.  I particularly liked his Hebrides – those dark opening chords, the swells, the drama, the moments of calm, the beautiful melodies – I thought that they all fit very well for the organ and this very resonant space. And his playing was spectacular!

part of the crowd

The place was packed, and hopefully everyone contributed a few euros at the exit. According to the program, last year the parish of Saint-Eustache spent 53,000 euros on the organ’s maintenance in addition to its usual tuning!

Mozart’s mother Maria traveled with him to Paris on a concert trip in 1778, and they stayed in this neighborhood. Sadly, she died while they were here. Her funeral? It was at Saint-Eustache. So come for the music or come for the beauty or come for the spirit or come to catch some Mozart vibe, just come!

Nationality, Era, Instruments, Building in Alignment - Wow! - Wednesday, 5 April

it was a full house!

Tonight it was a concert of music by the French Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpontier played on period (or period-replica) instruments at the Oratoire du Louvre (145, rue Saint-Honoré in the 1st arrondissement). Somehow I had never been to this venue before - it’s terrific and in the very center of town (just a block from the Louvre) and beautifully accessible. Its construction began in 1611 and it was made the royal chapel of the Louvre palace by Louis XIII in 1623.

the "upper room" at the
Oratoire du Louvre

Subsequently it became the home of the “Eglise Réformée de l'Oratoire du Louvre” protestant church, and The American Church in Paris used its “upper room” for its worship starting in 1816, before that congregation built its church in the 7th arrondissement (my favorite Sunday haunt!). I must explore the Oratoire some more next trip!

Anyhoo, the performances and program were excellent. There’s something about listening to music composed in the era of the building you’re occupying by a composer of that nation played on instruments he would know that can transport you to another reality! Sorry to say, though, that my reverie was broken a few times by the very uncomfortable and small chairs that filled the sanctuary!

"Écoute"
(aka the big giant head)

Walking back to the apartment, I passed my favorite outdoor sculputre, one that entranced me on my second trip to Paris back in 1989, Henri de Miller's "Écoute" on the plaza outside Saint-Eustache church. It was even more magical in the light of the streetlamps.

Tomorrow morning it’s up early to pack and turn my keys back to Philippe and catch an Uber to Aéroport Charles de Gaulle for my trip back to reality. It’s my least favorite part of the trip! But hopefully it’s “à bientôt” (see you soon), not “au revoir” to my favorite home-away-from-home!

Street Scenes and Other Fun Stuff - C'est la Vie! - Wednesday, 2 November

It’s a wrap for this trip! Just a few more photos and brief explanations….

The sculpture “Écoute” (“Listen,” or as I like to call it, Big Giant Head) sits just outside Église Saint-Eustache a few blocks from the apartment, and it’s been a favorite of mine since my first solo trip to Paris in 1989 when I stayed in the cute little Hotel Tonic on rue du Roule. There are always little kids climbing all over it – into the hand, then up on the nose, then to the eyebrows, then to the top. No soft landings on nice grass if you tumble – the sculpture has always sat on stone pavement. I wonder how many arms have been broken there over the years!

Fashion!  I wish I had been quicker with my camera to get a better picture of this woman’s outfit – the skirt had pieces of fabric of various shapes and sizes sown onto a few petticoats.  And the fake fur shawl! And the hat!  And the boots! Loved it!

Checking out the architecture? Contemplating profound truths? Wondering how soon I’ll be in a café with a decent … um … water closet?

A little silverware sculpture for all of my bass player friends!

The late-night crowd on our street – it’s a lively part of town, and the partying often continues until about 2 am!

A new vehicle for the conveyance of packages – trucks get stuck in massive traffic jams, and this thing could slip between lanes. Have nerves of steel? You too might be able to get a job like this!

There are specialty shops for everything, including rodent traps. Here’s one that displays taxidermied rats caught at Les Halles in the 1920s in its window. Charming. But there’s no doubt what kind of store it is! (The building across the street is reflected in the top portion of this photo.)

How I spend half my day, it seems, at least when I’m not in a café watching the world go by! But since my legs can’t handle a lot of walking, and since technology allows me to work anywhere, I really don’t mind spending time in the apartment writing blog entries, reading emails & Facebook & news articles (given my hand-on-hip posture here, I’m probably reading an irritating article about a certain Presidential candidate!), doing work for various nonprofits I’m involved with, etc. And back in my pre-retirement years I was even known for participating in the occasional work conference call via Skype. Of course, my habits can be a bit irritating to my travel companions!

Driving through the northern part of Paris in an Uber one night, we saw lots of little tents and groups of people standing around. These were likely migrants who had shifted from Calais to Paris, according to this NY Times article (photo from the article). So sad:  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/04/world/europe/paris-migrants-refugees.html?emc=edit_th_20161104&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25767547

The weather was great the whole 10 days – this might be a record – just short spurts of drizzle a couple days. I did carry an umbrella in my purse the whole time, so I’m sure that that’s what kept it sunny for everyone! It was in the 60s F. most days.  (P.S. the forecast for the week after we returned is highs in the 50s F. and rain most days!)

This was the scene walking home from Maison Eric Kayser with our morning baguette and croissants one day. C'est la vie!

Patronne de Paris and Some Other Patroness - Tuesday, 1 November

Sainte Geneviève is the Patron Saint of Paris (or, as it says on her statue, Patronne de Paris, 423-512). A peasant girl from Nanterre, she saved Paris from Attila the Hun. And she influenced subsequent marauders to show clemency. Impressive. She deserves a visit to her statues at Jardin du Luxembourg (at the top of the stairs on the east side of the big pond) and other locations (I just learned that there’s one on Pont de la Tournelle – next trip!).

the Patronne de Paris
and one of her big fans

Here’s her story (my summary from a Wikipedia article and other sources):

A peasant girl born in Nanterre, Geneviève became a nun at the age of 15 and moved to Paris to live with her godmother Lutetia upon the death of her parents. Later, the bishop of Paris appointed Geneviève to look after the welfare of the virgins dedicated to God, and by her instruction and example she led them to a high degree of sanctity. In 451 Attila and his Huns were sweeping over Gaul; and the inhabitants of Paris prepared to flee. Geneviève encouraged them to hope and trust in God; she urged them to do works of penance, and added that if they did so the town would be spared. Her exhortations prevailed; the citizens recovered their calm, and Attila's hordes miraculously turned off towards Orléans, leaving Paris untouched. When Childeric I besieged the city in 464 and conquered it, she acted as an intermediary between the city and its conqueror, collecting food and convincing Childeric to release his prisoners. Some years later Merowig (Mérovée) took Paris; during the siege Geneviève distinguished herself by her charity and self-sacrifice. Through her influence Merowig and his successors, Childeric and Clovis, displayed unwonted clemency towards the citizens. It was she, too, who first formed the plan of erecting a church in Paris in honour of Saints Peter and Paul. It was begun by Clovis at Mont-lès-Paris, shortly before his death in 511. Geneviève died the following year, and when the church was completed her body was interred within it.

Now, that's what I call a Patronne! Her feast day is January 3. She was a vegetarian and fasted all but a couple days a week, but let's not hold that against her, OK?

Here are some other photos I snapped at Jardin du Luxembourg today:

La fontaine Médicis

plantings at la fontaine Médicis

Le Palais du Luxembourg (le Sénat)

just two little boats on the big pond today

but plenty of waterbirds

Never-Ending (Destruction and) Construction at Les Halles - Monday, 31 October

Les Halles prior to the 1970s

For quite a few years, I took photos of the massive reconstruction of the Les Halles area every trip. This is the former fabulous central food market of Paris in the 1st arrondissement that has quite a history of construction, destruction and re-construction! In 1135 King Louis le Gros commissioned the construction of a public market or Halle at a place known as Campelli (fields) then Les Champeaux. In the mid-19th century the architect Baltard designed massive iron and glass market stalls (here’s a historical photo), which were immortalized in Emile Zola’s novel The Belly of Paris. They were torn down in the early 1970’s, the wholesale food markets were sent to the suburb of Rungis, a rather nasty underground shopping mall was built (an immediately became a teen hangout and hub of petty crime), and a series of moderately successful plantings, paths and structures were installed on the ground level. About 10 years ago Paris held a competition for a new design for the area, the former amenities (except the shopping mall) were bulldozed, and it’s been under re-construction ever since. I swear, every trip they just keep changing the projected completion date of the project - it’s always about 2 years out!

promotional photo of  the canopée 

Anyhoo, one new structure, a massive undulating “canopée” has finally been installed above the shopping mall, opening at least part of it to sunlight and fresh air, and adding a new rather attractive visual element to the streetscape.

just outside brasserie
Champeaux

And superstar chef Alain Ducasse has just opened a modern brasserie called “Champeaux” on the ground level under the canopée. It’s getting good reviews, so we decided to check it out for lunch! Unfortunately, since I was dragging us around the neighborhood visiting cookware, baking and uniform shops (you should see my new chef’s jacket!), by the time we got there it was afternoon snack time and they were serving just a few sandwiches & salads & desserts, and not the individual soufflés for which they are becoming famous. Oh, well. Our sandwiches and desserts were very tasty!

I hope to remain healthy and mobile enough to eventually see the completion of Les Halles' re-construction. We'll see! I will definitely swing by "Champeaux" again for a meal or snack or soufflé!  http://www.alain-ducasse.com/en/restaurant/champeaux

I’m the Willing Slave of my Ever-Growing To-Do List - Sunday, 30 October

During every stay in Paris my to-do list grows. I mean, I do knock some things off my list, but always add more than I delete. Of course, this situation is exacerbated by the fact that my legs can handle only few things a day, but hey, I’ll use that excuse to keep coming back!

la Place de la Sorbonne

After church today I had lunch in a little café at la Place de la Sorbonne. It’s always a stunning location, but with today’s bright sunshine and topaz blue sky, well, just wow. I was planning to head over to the Jardin du Luxembourg after lunch (it’s just a few blocks away) to visit the statue of Sainte Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, and to catch some rays, but I got to talking with a British couple sitting at the next table who told me that the “Sainte-Geneviève Church” next to the Panthéon was a must-see.

Saint-Etienne-du-Mont

So I walked over there. It was a worthwhile jaunt even though 1] it’s not really Sainte-Geneviève Church (it’s actually Saint-Etienne-du-Mont), and 2] at the time I got there mid-afternoon it wasn’t open.

What I've been able to piece together is that back in the 6th century, King Clovis built a church of Apostles Peter and Paul on this site. Saint Geneviève was in the habit of coming to pray, taking a route that is today rue de la Montagne-Sainte-Geneviève (I must tread those paving stones!). In time Clovis was buried here, as were his wife Clotilde and Sainte Genevieve. In the Middle Ages, this church was turned into a royal abbey. Various changes and additions were made to the abbey church over the centuries, but it was devastated during the French Revolution, and the relics of Sainte Geneviève were burnt.

All that remains of the abbey church is the bell tower, which is enclosed in the premises of the Henri-IV school just across the street from Saint-Etienne-du-Mont - you can see it in the middle of this photo, to the left of the Panthéon.

Saint-Etienne-du-Mont church did inherit the relics of and the devotion to Saint Geneviève. From what I've read about its interior and exterior, the church really does sound fantastic, so it’s going on my list for the next trip! And besides, it's been a religious site for 15 centuries, so it will be sure to do me some good!

What Went Down at Sequana Today? - Wednesday, 26 October

Near the western tip of the Ile de la Cite sits a beautiful small restaurant "hidden in full sight," as resto blogger John Talbott says. It's called Sequana, and we had a terrific lunch there today.

The place is comfortable, welcoming and lovely - mostly wood, greys and burgundies, with a great splash of turquoise in the banquettes.

our beautiful amuse bouche - braised leeks with a thin slice of radish and little turnovers stuffed with lentils

first course - leeks, carrots, scallions, and a tiny taste of fabulous Colonnata lardo

a substantial portion of veal with little cubes of butternut squash, mushrooms, celeriac puree

fig tarte tatin with rosemary ice cream (WOW!) and honey 

coffee with tiny house-made white chocolate and verbena macarons

In addition to the food and beverages going down, there was some kind of police SWAT team action going down just outside the resto. Yikes! It's not unusual to hear a lot of sirens in the center of Paris, but there were suddely more than usual while we were eating, and traffic stopped on Pont Neuf, and several police cars drove right past the resto window, and then several policemen in hoods and partial masks carrying rifles started looking around the cars parked just outside. In a couple minutes they were gone and things returned to normal. We never learned what this was all about - didn't see anything in the news - happily, it must have been some empty threat.  C'est la vie! Life in the big city!

72, quai des Orfèvres http://sequana.paris/en/

Thanks to Wikipedia, I learned that in Gallo-Roman religion, Sequana was the goddess of the river Seine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequana  Hey, maybe she was watching over us today!