Looking Back on the Trip

 Basic premise…there is no such thing as a bad trip to Paris.

That said, this trip was not one of our top visits.  It started out with the drama & the one day delay getting to Paris, then the jet lag that wouldn't let go.  Susanne felt grossly cheated out of that one day by United Airlines equipment problems.  The weather the first week was very good, even bit on the warm side several days.  But by the time the jet lag passed, the weather turned rainy & chilly with no respite.

Taking photos was less fun because it seemed that all the usual color was drained away.

We never got our picnic at Place des Voges even though our very accommodating landlord supplied a blanket.   We didn't get to as many museums as usual.  A stroll along Canal St. Martin didn't happen.  No tango on the Seine.  We didn't see several of our friends that required walking to visit them.

On the plus side…first and foremost, we were together.  That accounts for a heckuva lot.  Laugh or cry, smile or frown, even getting drenched in Rouen, we did it together.  And assembling a dinner because we just didn't feel like going out into the wet and the chill…bumping into each other in our tiny kitchen, it was together. On Sundays in Scottsdale, we have a special brunch at home.  That didn't change in Paris although getting just two bagels & some cream cheese on Saturday was a small challenge.

We did see the friends who really counted and got to know them even better.   We rode the bus system more and increased our familiarity with it.  We're improving our ability to use the rail system & the St. Lazare rail station and look forward to another day trip out of Paris next time.  Reims, Angers or Tours anyone?

This was the second (and not our last) stay at our apartment, so with two visits in 12 months, we are finally on first name terms with our landlord.  His name is Philippe, the best landlord ever.  (Don't in any way expect me to call him "Phil".)

Susanne & I each lost five pounds.  Not by intent, but we partager (shared) more & probably ate less.   We often shared a main course and a salad then one dessert at the bistro or sometimes it felt better to walk home first, then have a deep dark chocolate pudding or ice cream from the Monoprix.

What changes did we see in Paris?  In no particular order:

Sky cranes, mostly in the outer areas.  Always a sign of progress and change (yet a photographic blight, Susanne adds).

E-cigarette stores and tattoo salons.  The culture is changing.

Noses in smart phones everywhere all the time.  What on earth did people do with those extra moments before wireless?

More English spoken even though we were using our French & felt better at it.

The increasing kindness of the French.  They are always willing to help, stepping in whether you ask or if it looks as if you need it.  And they won't quit until the problem is solved.  We nearly missed the Rouen Metro and therefore our train back to Paris because the young man felt there was one more thing he needed to explain about the automatic ticket machine.  He had pushed the right buttons, I fed it 3 euros, out popped two tickets…that's all we really were looking for.

Increasingly casual attire.  Few and fewer really sharply dressed Parisians.  (Did you notice no Mademoiselle Noire this year?) Yet the shops are chock full of chic, expensive, designer duds.  Go figure.

Starbucks everywhere.  Their prices seem high but that doesn't bother the French.  And free WiFi (or WeeFee as they call it) doesn't hurt.

This one impressed Susanne: The custom in France has been that you don't get the check until you ask for it.  That's changing, unfortunately.  In the more tourist frequented places, the check comes as soon as you indicate that you won't be ordering anything more.

Still a lot of smokers but now roll your own is making an appearance, with filters no less.

The go-to areas now were not considered "in" five years ago...Canal St. Martin, Bastille.  The current October 2013 issue of Condé Nast Traveler features a cover story on these sections for the skeptical.  It seems that the older Left Bank has fallen out of fashion for the time being.

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Can't have a post without some visuals. 

Typical dusk at the column.

The best sunset we could muster.  That clear spot was the story of our stay.  It would get very nice, but only last for half an hour or maybe even half a day but nothing we could plan on.

Last year we had wonderful blue moon shots at the Eiffel Tower and the Bastille column.  This year we had to settle for a quick opportunistic pic before the clouds covered it over. 

And finally, a video of a Metro musician, run time about a minute:

Website HERE

And that is the end of the Paris posts for 2013.  Thank you for tuning in.  We're looking towards a return in 2014, but right now that's a long ways away.

Last Full Day in Paris, the Chopin Museum

Wednesday was pack, clean & dash over to the Chopin museum day.  Packing is easy, just throw everything into the suitcase & add multiple packages of French coffee which we import in amounts worthy of opening up a French coffee store in Scottsdale.

Cleaning is also not difficult because Susanne does a wonderful job of keeping up with things during our stay. The landlord complains that she is doing his job.

So we had time to walk over to Ile St. Louis to the Polish Cultural Center & their Chopin museum.  He spent most of his productive time in Paris, lived a short life (1810-1849) dying from a chronic lung condition that was thought to be tuberculosis though now some think was cystic fibrosis. 

But in those 39 years he produced a great body of work, had a long standing affair with the French author Georges Sand who was a serial mistress to a number of prominent Frenchmen at the time.  He had a great friendship with Franz Liszt who outlived him by scores of years (1811-1886).

The Polish Cultural Center has been in its location since 1858.  We made our way upstairs and entered a large room.  In the center was a seated young lady armed with a cash box.  For five euros each we could walk through the doorway on her right to enter the Chopin Museum.

This we did, discovering that the Chopin Museum was one room, smaller than the ante-room but loaded with Chopin memorabilia. 

The best Chopin portrait turned out to be on a poster at the doorway of the Center, a teaser for sure.


























In one case was a cast of his left hand, smaller than mine.  A lock of his hair and a copy of a daguerreotype, the only known photo of him.

A collection of busts done at various times in his life.

A chair taken from his apartment at the time he died.  A sign in French said, in effect, "Chopin sat here but you're not going to".

There was a flyer on the wall announcing the public sale of his personal effects.  If only I'd been there to buy up the stuff, then save it for Ebay.

Chopin's funeral was held at the Madeleine Church (relatively new then, being completed in 1843) attended by over 3,000.

At the time, it was common for wealthy patrons to hold "salons" in their very large homes.  A small group of friends would attend and composers would play their works.

This piano is said to be one on which both Chopin & Liszt played, separately & together.  Although it looks like a grand piano, it is very much a baby grand & hard to imagine two men playing side by side.









We were not supposed to take photos in this room.  So I had to use natural light which turned everything yellowish, probably by design.  Since the portrait below was B&W anyway, I changed it back.

Franz Liszt in one of his best known portraits.  Not only was he a great composer but he is considered the greatest pianist of all time. 

As Jeffrey Siegel put it during one of his Keyboard Commentary performances, "...the greatest concert piano performer who ever lived or ever will live."

There's a certain conclusive finality to that claim.

And lastly we come to Georges Sand, the pseudonym of Amantine Lucille Dupin (1804-1876).  An author in her own right, this lady had a long and active life, married & divorced young (two children who lived til the end of the century), then on to brief (a year or two) flings with several famous at the time Frenchmen before a long 10 year affair with Chopin.

These pieces don't do her justice (facial proportions are inconsistent) so I took an image from Wikipedia, below.

The affair with Chopin began in 1837, this piece was done in 1838.  I'd say she was quite beautiful, making major allowances for the incompetence of her hair dresser.

There is a chain of restaurants in Paris called Indiana with an Indian head as the logo.  Has nothing to do with our state, but the name of Sand's first novel.

The affair ended in 1847 on less than good terms.  She went on to a reputed affair with another woman.  Chopin, horribly ill by now, died in 1849.  Sand was not among the sad 3,000 at the Madeleine.








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A complete change of subject.  Anyone who has been to Paris is familiar with the alternating two-tone siren sound of an emergency vehicle, police, fire engine or ambulance.  For years I've been trying to capture it on video but I didn't have the camera with me or didn't have it ready cuz they go by so quickly.  But that afternoon on Ile St. Louis, I got lucky.  Here it is, all 14 seconds of it.

Website version HERE.

Our Day in Rouen

We caught the city bus to Gare St. Lazare at first light.   Allowed plenty of time before the train was due to leave.  We shared a small b'fast of espresso & a chocolate pastry at the Gare then had a 45 minute wait when I noticed an earlier train also going to Rouen.  I checked with Information to verify that our changeable, refundable tickets would work, they would.  So we boarded the earlier train but found out it was a local that left 33 minutes earlier, but arrived only 11 minutes sooner.  Still a good deal because the train seating was far more comfortable than in the gare.

Arrived Rouen & got a tourist map of the city that was pretty good.  The weather was very chilly & partly sunny.

Off we went into a residential area of very old houses.

As we were consulting the map, a kindly gentleman asked first in French then in limited English if he could help us.  He then took the map, put on his spectacles, reached into a coin purse to fetch an ancient one inch stub of a very dull pencil and proceeded to give us a guided tour of the city on the map, all in rapid French that we didn't understand.  Apparently the English he used was all he knew.  But he was pointing consistently down one street so we got the message...to see Rouen, first go that way.  We did and came upon their Beaux Arts museum.









It's sort of a Louvre & Musee d'Orsay rolled into one but much smaller.  So we decided to have a look.  It had a little bit of everything including the Impressionists, Monet, Renoir, Morisot, etc.

The next photo I cribbed from Wikipedia.  It is one of Renoir's most famous, Bal de le Moulin de la Galette, famous for the dappled sun shining through the trees.

He painted it in 1876.  The reason for including it here is the next piece at the Rouen museum.




 

This piece by Albert Fourie painted in 1878 has the same dappled effect to a lesser degree.  It may be a wedding reception, the title wasn't specific.   Only an art historian knows if he was inspired by Renoir.

This piece was in a courtyard, photos allowed.  Photos not permitted in the rest of the museum and there were docents in every room to make darn sure.  They looked like art students to me & very bored...nothing to do but be there.

They had a Modigliani room but none of the few works there had the almond eyed subjects he was noted for.  We dashed through the 14th thru 18th century art.  Not much interest in the grand scenes of barely clad subjects doing good things, violent things or not doing anything at all.

Off we went towards the Hotel de Ville...the Rouen city hall.  By now it was getting on to noon & we were hungry.  While Paris seems to have eating places everywhere, we came to an area that had almost none.  We spotted a pizza joint & decided to try.  We each ordered the same...capers, anchovies, olives & garlic...with an egg plopped in the center.  The nice man who made them loaded each up with toppings, far more than the sparse toppings we've always gotten.  The cheese-laden circles came piping hot and turned out to be the best pizza we've ever had in France.  We dug in so quickly, I forgot to take a pic. I've done that most of the trip.

While having lunch it started raining but it quit by the time we finished.  Off we went to the H de V.

There is it, big is about all you can say for it.  Gotta have a look at the statue in front.

Yup, there's our boy...Napoleon himself.

Next to the H de V is a large church.  You can see the statue as a reference point.  It is large & badly in need of sandblasting.

Here is the official entrance, locked.

We finally made it to the Cathedral of Notre Dame (the one Monet painted) but it is so large and the city is built up so close around it that it's impossible to get back far enough to get a good overall shot.  Add to that the grayness of the day washed out the recently sandblasted stone & you get boring pics. 

In the small Place in front of the cathedral was a restaurant with a very politically incorrect statue.  Couldn't resist taking a photo.
















We walked towards the town center, strolled through a Galeries Lafayette department store  (a much smaller version than in Paris) and stopped off for a hot drink.  The sun was peeking through the clouds when there was a very startling, very loud thunderclap...seemingly out of nowhere.

Well, it wasn't out of nowhere.  LSS, while having our tea/hot chocolate it started pouring & wouldn't let up.  It was a bit after 2:00pm, our ticketed train wasn't leaving until 8:00.  But there was a 3:00pm train back to Paris & we decided to be on it.  We dashed a couple of blocks through the rain to a Metro stop & with the help of a very nice young man, coaxed tickets from the machine and two stops later we were at the gare.  By 5:00pm we were back in our apartment in Paris.  The weather was clear because we had outrun the storm but by dinner time it was upon us, again.

Not wanting to schlep in the rain once more, we had dinner at Chez Clement, a chain restaurant immediately below our apartment.  I had a hankering for fish, Susanne had escargot, we shared a salad & a half bottle of house wine.


The next day was windy & chilly, very little sun.  We went to the Polish Cultural Center to see their Chopin Museum.  That may be my last post and may not be sent til late this week when we're back in Scottsdale because the next day is packing & cleaning & Thursday we're off!









 

Sunday on the Left Bank

We decided to hang out on the Left Bank taking the bus from Bastille to St. Germain des Pres.

The day started out sunny enough.  I wanted to get a pic of this French couple waiting at the bus stop, but did it by concentrating on Susanne.  I didn't quite get the right angle so I could crop Susanne out, so here are the three of them.

A quick shot across the Place to the new Opera, the one everyone thinks is ugly, me too.
















We decided to check out the St. Germain church first.  It is the oldest church in Paris, parts of it going back to the 11th century.

  

 From the outside it looks quite plain.

In front of the church steps, remnants of a morning wedding

Looking toward the chancel, the Gothic arches added in the 14th century are a nice contrast to the painted ceiling.

Looking back towards the entrance and the organ above.














On the boulevard side of the church a dixieland jazz group was playing for the enjoyment of the passersby & perhaps garnering a few euros on the side. Click HERE to get  to the web.

We then meandered down Boulevard St. Germain.  The day became less sunny & a bit chillier.  We decided to have a hot drink outside the cafe...me/tea with milk, Susanne/hot chocolate.  The tables extend out towards the sidewalk, three tables for two each that can be put together or separated as needed.  The four places closest to the cafe were occupied by two couples who got in from San Francisco a few hours before, just finishing up their meal.  We took the outer two places.  They were operating on adrenalin.  Had a very nice visit, they have four full days, no specific plans, first trip to Paris.  They had the worthless freebee map from the hotel, I suggested a better map in book form & that they rely on the hotel concierge for recommendations.  

They then left and were replaced by a French Fat Bastard & his girlfriend, smoking & making out with her.  He was kind enough to put out the cigarette first thing and as time passed, we had a nice visit...his English was quite good.   He turned out to be a cordial, friendly & quite lovable French Fat Bastard.                  

Here he is avec GF, I'll spare you the smooching pic.  

 He was quite proud of that shirt.

Here is our nomination for the weird car of 2013.  Forgot the brand, it is not one of the known French or European car makers.  It appears the hard top folds into the compartment where the trunk ought to be.

Susanne said they sure make the sizes small here.  That's not a trick of perspective.  It's actually doll size.

Continuing our stroll, we happened upon a flea market & bought a few things.

We decided to head home but stroll thru a part of Ile St. Louis, crossing one of the many Seine bridges.    Lots of other folks out for a stroll. 













In a rare moment of sunshine, I caught the back side of Notre Dame.

The Paris blogs say Berthillion, on Ile St. Louis has the best ice cream in town & always has a line.  They're right, by golly!!!!

While on the island, we came upon a church St. Louis-en-L'Ile and strolled in.  Wow! We were glad we did.  Built during the 17th & 18th centuries, it has to be the best lit church in Paris.  Here's a shot, again, looking towards the chancel.

A closer view of the main altar. 

The sunburst below the stained glass window yields a Hebrew word, pronounced "Adonai", one of the words Jews use for God.

We ain't so far apart after all!!

Looking back in the other direction is the organ, of course.

And finally, why the church is so well lit.  It's those extra large, extra high, plain glass windows, unobstructed by the arches.  The sun being fairly low in the sky also helped.





















 





From there we walked home, as it turns out St. Germain-des-Pres to Bastille.  


And for dinner we walked up & back almost to Republique.  At a Moroccan restaurant, we had a lamb & vegetable tajine & a tomato salad plus a bakalava for dessert, all to share.  The food was great but the service was horrendous, the worst we've had in France since we can remember.  It was clear we didn't spend enough to suit the server; the man didn't really want to be waiting on us.  I wrote them a lousy review on Yelp.

 

















It turns out we walked a lot on Sunday.

I'm falling behind with the posts & can feel blog fatigue beginning to set in.  If there are any posts left to prepare, I will do them in my spare time during the nine hour flight Paris to Dulles on Thursday, then publish them from Scottsdale.  We'll be home but blog-wise, you'll still be in Paris.

Out and About on a Rainy Day

Saturday dawned rainy & cool.  By the time we hit the streets, it was alternating rain, no rain, misting, raining.  We brought our umbrellas, thanks to the landlord.

This is a collection of mostly street photos.

Getting into the dreariness of it all.

Looking down Rue St. Antoine towards the column.

Up the street towards Rue de Rivoli.

The Seine splits around Ile
St. Louis.  The only color in the photo is the car tail lights. 

Last year we found God Street.   This year it's Bad Boys Street

 The back of l'Hotel de Ville.

Parisian bike lanes, on the sidewalk.















Palais du Justice in the distance.  The spire of Sainte Chapelle on the left.   Yankees fan at lower right. 

The Concergerie is a prison where hapless folks on their way to the guillotine were held.   Marie-Antoinette & Louis XVI were held here for several years until they were taken to Place de la Concorde.

Note the "N" seal on the bridge above.  Napoleon & his heirs made their marks all over Paris.

For those who need a hot dog fix, a less than subtle reminder.

It's hard to see inside the booth, but beyond the mustard bottles, the lady is wearing a stars & stripes shirt.

President Hollande led the French parliament to support the Americans on some sort of military thing in Syria.  Here's the word from the other side stenciled onto the sidewalk.

A display of old police cars.  Can't you just see Inspector Clousseau getting in and driving away?

And can't you see the Gestapo colonel stepping out of a '50's film noir movie about the French underground in Paris during WWII?

As we were heading back to the apt. there were all these young kids spilling out into the streets, making as much noise as they could.  It turned out this was but a small part of we were to find out was an annual Techno Parade, featuring earsplitting music.























 The crowd at Place de la Bastille was the largest we've ever seen...a sea of people.

The sidewalks were completely full as were the streets.  There were plenty of cops around, you can see a few back row left.  As long as the "manifestation" as the French call it remains peaceful they are just spectators.  But they are in full riot gear, see the cop on the left looking at the redhead.  At the first sign of trouble the helmets go on.

Costumes optional.


















And finally, a video of a tiny bit of the whole thing.  There were lots & lots of these trucks, each blaring mostly pounding bass with the volume on super high.  Click HERE for the web.