Friday, June 24, 2011

My Late Night Paris Adventure

The night of Fete de la Musique, I wore flip flops as I had just returned from Lisbon and wanted to wear flip flops or sandles.  The evening was great and wanted to get back in time to meet Howie.  Lynn, Jean-Luc, Theresa and I all split up to take our respective Metro routes home around 12:45 a.m. and my Metro stop was not nearly as crowded as others and was relieved thinking I would arrive home in time to meet Howie.

The time on the Metro clock read 1:02 a.m and I saw the expected arrival of the next Metro to be 20 minutes which is unusual for the Metro further most of the trains were running due to the Fete de la Musique.  Just then a train passed by and didn't stop.  The driver honked his horn as he ran by.  Not a good sign.  Soon there was an announcement in French indicating trains had been suspended.  Now, I know French words and can understand some of what people are saying however, I do not speak French!  All I knew was the trains had been suspended and I needed to get home. 

Note:  The Metro workers went on strike at 1:02 a.m. during the busiest day of the year.  Unions...further, the city officials had no contingency plan if a strike should occur.   Unbelievable.

Before we left Theresa and Jean-Luc's apartment that evening, Jean-Luc indicated there maybe a union worker strike.  Keep in mind, there are thousands of people throughout the city partying and will eventually need to get home.  Oh, did I mention it was raining and I had on flip flops? 

As most of you know, I'm stubborn, tenacious and certain I could get home on my own.  I tried other Metro stations, bus stops, taxis and my metro map to no avail.  By then it's 2:30 a.m. and raining on and off and I'm forced to call Judy and Ekkehard.  Ekkehard encourages me to stay on the street where it says Taxi and someone will stop...I tried to explain that I had been standing at another Taxi area and tried to flag them down and no one stopped.  Ekkehard assured me they would come but I needed to wait.  So, I call Ekkehard after nearly 45 minutes later as not one taxi stopped to pick up e or anyone of the 12 people waiting.  I insisted on walking directions as it was late and he couldn't reach me due to the congestion on the streets.  I wasn't scared but alert and very aware of my surroundings.  It's 3:00 a.m. and I'm on a mission to get home. 

With an umbrella in one hand, I begin a jog walk towards home.  I did get a piece of glass caught in my heel near the Louvre but was able to remove it so I could continue my evening adventure.  Some guy asked me in French if I was OK when I stopped near the river to get the glass out of my heel.  I responded and ran.  I got spooked when I got to the Champs Elysees as it was dark and there were very few people visible to me, so I ran to the end of the strip which is the Metro stop near Judy and Ekkehard's...Charles De Galle-Etoile.  Now, I'm tired, sweaty, have blood dripping from my heel and I'm thirsty but I'm closer than before. 

I reached the Faraday apartment at 4:15 a.m. and was to meet Theresa at 10:00 a.m. to go consignment shopping.  That was not going to happen and I asked Jude if she would send her an email letting her know I had a late night and would follow up later.  I felt bad for Judy and Ekkehard as they were waiting pensively for me to get home safely.  My adventure home took roughly 1:15 minutes due in large part to my getting spooked on the Champs Elysees as well as jog walking like a mad woman with an umbrella set to strike at any minute. 

It was a great way to see the city.

Oui, Paris: Until Next Time...Au Revoir

The night before I left for the U.S., Judy and Ekkehard hosted a great party and invited Lynn, Howie, Johannes and his girlfriend Barbara.  We drank wine, ate bread and cheese and talked about all the great adventures and happenings in Paris and U.S.  Johannes and Barbara arrived later in the evening from Vienna and it was great to see him and catch up as I had not seen him in over 15 years.  Lynn left early as she had class the next morning. 

Meanwhile, Mak was enjoying have Faraday back in order and all the company.  I noticed him playing with a feather in the hallway and thought it cute but didn't think much of it.  A second feather appeared which peaked Judy's curiosity.  It looked like Mak may have caught a bird.  I went out back only to find him on the window box with his head down.  I reached in to grab the nape of his neck but he ran back into the house.   Judy check the windowsill and there was no bird.  Judy thinks the feathers blew in or Mak found them on the windowsill.  I posed the following... In all the years you've lived here with Mak has there ever been a feather in the house?  I think there was a bird but he was able to fly away before meeting his maker...Mak!

Ekkehard and I awoke early to make coffee before our walk to the Air France bus at Port Maillot.  To my surprise, Johannes and Ekkehard both walked me to the bus stop and carried my luggage.  Two porters?  Did I feel special and grateful though I was trying hard not to cry.  I hugged Jude, started to cry and away the guys and I went to meet the bus.  The morning Paris air was cool, crisp and made the walk all the more delightful.  

The bus was packed so I had to sit on a metal bar surrounding the luggage.  What is it with me and luggage racks?  (I have another story about me, a train and a luggage rack).  As we circled through the city on our way to the airport, I reminisced about my time with Judy, Ekkehard, Mak, Lynn, Theresa, Jean-Luc, Susan, Rita, Mark and was delighted to see Johannes and meet his lovely girlfriend Barbara.  And, it was great to meet Howie as I had heard great things about him.
This trip was meaningful, fun and filled with extraordinary experiences with friends, colleagues and family.   Leaving is bittersweet as I love Paris, Judy Ekkehard, Jan and especially Mak.  As I close out this blog and say goodbye to Paris, I'm grateful for the experiences and opportunities and my Paris family.  You've enhanced and enriched my life in so many ways.  Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

Jusqu'à la prochaine fois...Au Revoir

Lisbon

Lisbon was great though I spent only three days in and around the city.  I saw and learned a few things about Lisbon's history.  After spending half a day trying to get to Sintra by train, I decided to book an all day tour to Sintra and take a bus.  There are four notable "villa's" to visit but the tour planned a visit to two and the third I tackled on my own.  I would have hit the fourth but ran out of time. 

My two favorites were Palacio de Pena (on the tour) and Quinta da Resaleira (not on the tour). The Palacio de Vila was overrated. The architecture resembled a Spanish influence however the literature indicated the Roman era inspired the architects of the time.   

The Palacio de Pena was formerly a monestary and was abandoned after an earthquake destoryed the structure.  The monestary and was later purchased by King Ferdinand for use as a summer home.  You can see the delineation from old monestary in pink to new colors in yellow.


The Palacio de Pena



You can see how lush the vegetation is around the Palace and the city in general

The yellow represents the modernization of the Palace while the pink resembles the days of the monestary.



My favorite spot was Quinta da Regaleira.  This was the summer residence of the Carvalho Monteiro family built in the neo-manueline style.  The Palace was buildt in the 1500's and changed hands various times.  In 1840, the property was bought by Baroness da Regaleria and was transformed and I mean that literally into s summer paradise.  The lush gardens with grotto's, fountains, a Terrace of the Gods, Chapel ( can't have a palace or castle without a church), Tennis Court, Theatre (outside of course), wells, secret hiding places.  I would have stayed longer if time permitted.  Spectacular, breathtaking, romantic and a great place to take kids and explore the grounds for hours.  It was a dream. 

Quinta da Regaleira

Grotto



Quinta Da Regaleira

Sintra - a city perspective

Summer Solstice - La Fete de la Musique

La Fête de la Musique is a lively street music festival held on the longest day of the year, June 21st.  It is one of the most popular events in the city of light. Hundreds of musicians gather in the streets, bars, and cafes of Paris, giving free performances of everything from jazz and rock to hip-hop and electronic music. The event begins at 8:00 p.m. or sundown and everyone converges throughout the city.  I could see and hear music as I walked to the Metro to meet Theresa, Jean-Luc and Lynn for an evening filled with adventure.

First stop, Theresa and Jean-Luc's for an apéritif  and a skype conversation with my former boyfriend and he is a colleague of Jean Luc's.  After a few glasses of champagne, off we went to listen to music.  Judy and Ekkehard did not attend has Judy was working as well as entertaining her newest guest Howie from New York.  The music and people rock.  I took some pictures of the streets for you to see what I'm talking about.





Lynn strolling the Fete du la Musique

Drummer, no shirt



Hundreds of people lined the river walkways near Notre Dame.  I've never seen so many people at night!

People at the river near Notre Dame

Hula Hooper at Notre Dame.  I wish I was this good. 


I don't remember learning this at Hoopnotica...Hmmm
Earlier, I made the comment to Judy, Ekkehart, Theresa and Jean-Luc about how outwardly demonstrative and affectionate people are in Paris and Portugal.  Couples hold hands, talk to each other whether riding the metro, grocery shopping, just strolling the streets, dining or drinking coffee.  It was noticable enough for me to make the comment and snap the following picture ala Jean-Luc and Theresa...Enjoy!
Theresa and Jean-Luc at Fete de la Musique

Fado

Cafe LUSO is where I finished off my stay in Lisbon.   Cafe LUSO is recommended as one of 10 of the best restaurants for Fado musici.  Cafe LUSO is a restored 17th century stable and features singing, dancing and dining Fado style in a trendy part of town called the Bairro Alto.  I was engaged and entertained the entire time.  The dining areas are long wooden tables with a few smaller varieties for single folks like myself.  The singers and dancers move about the room singing spectacular music.  It was too dark to take pictures so I copied some pictures to try to capture the essence of  Fado at Cafe LUSO.



Add caption

Friday, June 17, 2011

Une petite déviation (a small detour) Off to Lisbon

I will post something about my trip to Lisbon by Wednesday as I'm not certain I will have much Internet access.  I hope you're enjoying reading the blog as much as I am trying to be creative in the way I post!

Au revoir.

Corine

Willi's and Wine

It's hard to believe that four people I have worked with at sometime or another are in Paris the sametime as I.  Judy, Lynn, Susan, Rita and her boyfriend Mark and I all met at the Wine Bar (see picture below). 

From left right, Lynn, Judy, Mark, Rita, Susan and Corine


From left right, Lynn, Judy, Mark, Rita, Susan and Corine

Ekkehard and I went to the Museé du Vin or Wine Museum today.  It was really interesting to see the wine making from way back in the 1700's and beyond.  The craftmanship, ingenuity and hardwork makes me appreciate drinking wine even more.  Wine is very political in Europe and not all vintners who manufacture wine get a label.  We did get to taste a some wine and both Tart and I gave a look of "interesting" but not great.  My comment to the attendant was "it's a young wine isn't it?"  She indicated it was and she liked young wines...yuk!




Impressions, Impressionists and Others

I'm a big fan of the Impressionistic era art though Henri Matisse (post impressionist movement) is my fav, fav, favorite though there are others I more than appreciate.  I met Lynn Shaw at the Grand Palais along with a friend she met a year earlier in Paris to see the Odilon Redon exhibition.  Redon was a surreal impressionist using symbolism as a way to communicate his style to the more well known impressionist artists. 

His art consists of both black and white sketches and paintings using color to illustrate his concepts.  He was a perpectual student unlike the masters such as Picasso, Matisse, and Manet but he improved over the years.  He was a master promoter dedicating his collections to famous people such as Edgar Alan Poe.  We could all learn a thing or two from his marketing prowess.    Below is one of his ink sketches though my favorite is one called derriere and the fish head... I hope you enjoy!!!



I waited in line for the free impressionist exhibit at the Hotel de Ville featuring drawings of Paris!  It was really nice to see Paris back in the 19th & 20th century.  Additionally, they showed a great black and white slide show of Sacré Cour and Monmarte using real people!  It was awesome and would I loved to have found a book with those prints alone.

Bon Bons and Bones

The last few days have been fast and furious but I did manage to fit in what I think is off the beaten track and not a Paris monument...the Museé Gormand du Chocolat.  The Museé Gourmand du Chocolat was interesting in that they took what the Olmec civilization (B.C.) developed using roasted cacao beans, corn and other hot spices to create a liquid concoction known today as chocolate. 

The Parisians loved the taste of chocolate and began to add sugar to the hot drink.  It became so popular they developed china specifically for drinking chocolate.  Children drank from small, round bowls, while adults drank from cups with a hole at the bottom for melting chocolate with hot milk.  Society vascilated regarding the benefits of chocolate.  Parisian's believed chocolate to be healthy and encouraged people to over-indulge in drinking chocolate because of its curative benefits while other years it was thought to not be good for the constitution.  Whatever the case, chocolate is still here to stay.

I did bring Judy and Ekkehard some chocolate with hot spice to stir into hot milk.  We'll see how they like it!

My next venture included seeing the Catacombes of Paris which is an underground cemetary for the remains of 6 million people who were killed by either the plaque or were to poor for a buriel. 

The catacombs are underground tunnels and taverns.  The tunnels are below both the metro and sewer lines.  It's open to the public and the bones are moveable...I touched the skulls and bones and they do move.  Parisian's now refer to this former stone mine as the Catacombs of Paris (picture below).

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The Cat's Meow

Mak and Ekkehard
The last couple of days have included Mak (the cat) drama starting with the Mak accidentally getting locked in the car overnight (key inside the locked car) and this morning waking up to NOT finding Mak in the apartment.  Keep in mind that Mak leads a charmed life floating from the countryside home where he roams the yard to catch field mice to his home on Faraday where he receives fresh tuna and lots of love from Judy and Ekkehard.

For those of you who know me well you will be pleased to know I did not panic nor did I do anything irrational like break the window to rescue Mak.  Since Ekkehard's last words before retiring for the evening were "don't lose too much sleep over this,"  I thought he loves the cat as much as I and if he can sleep well, so can I.  However, it didn't stop me from sending Jeff a "mayday" email asking for ways to break into the car.  I'm sure he thought I lost my mind and his recommendations were what ultimately happened...we called roadside assistance!

Monday morning was a holiday and to contact roadside assistance may not have been possible, however early Monday morning we were woken up by a phone call from the European equivalent of Triple A.  When the guy realized Mak was in the car he assured us he would not harm the cat.  After breaking the window the key and cat were rescued! 

Mak stayed with Judy and me in the Grenelle apartment as we thought he'd been though enough drama for the day but the story does not end there.  After spending most of the evening looking out at the Seine river, Mak decided to snuggle up on top of the dishwasher!  Who does that?   I could not find him anywhere and decided to head out in my jammies and tennis shoes to verify he had not fallen out of the 18th floor window while taking in the river Seine.  He mysteriously appeared from kitchen...unbelievable.  Enough about Mak. 

Yesterday Lynn and I went to see the Tapestry museum or Musee du Cluny while Judy and Ekkehard dealt with the car, cat and work.  I arrived early to the museum and decided to visit the Sorbonne where Jackie Kennedy studied French in the forties.  The Sorbonne is located in a trendy part of Paris calld the Latin quarter.  What I love most about Paris and Europe in general is the historical richness on every street, step and building.

The Musee du Cluny was formerly a home for the abbots of Cluny or an Abby for nuns. In 1843 it was made into a public museum and contained relics of France's Gothic past.  From my persepctive, the tapestries, which reflect the gardens surrounding the museum, are spectacular.  The jewelry and stained glass collections were breathtaking as well. 

We then went cruising around the the city and stopped briefly at the Kilometre Zero or the Center of Paris which is located directly in front of Notre Dame.  Tourist's throw coins in the Center and take pictures while standing on the circle (see picture below).



Let's see what today brings....

P.S.  My cat Chelsea is happy and doing well!!!

Literary Art

This picture spoke to me and wanted to share it with you.  It was an advertisement for the School of Literary Arts.  The picture represents manuscripts, abstracts and published material with the Eiffel Tower sketched out in charcoal.  Cool huh?

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Passages

Today, Dimanche (Sunday) started by meeting Lynn Shaw at Cafe Artist in the Marais arrondissement.  Marais means swamp and was historically known as the Jewish quartier (sounds like cartier)  but is now a trendy part of Paris.  Lynn is big on having a plan for the day while I'm a more "go with the flow" kind of girl but given my choices I opted for the Musee de la Poupee where the current exhibition is Ken & Barbie dressed in vintage clothing.  Upon our arrival the musee was closed due to tomorrow being a holiday.  So, Plan B...Passages.

At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century numerous covered passages were created in Paris. The passages, mostly shopping arcades covered with glass roofs, were modern symbols of urban life and the place to shop in Paris. Many of these passages were beautifully decorated with mosaic floors, cast iron gates, marble pillars and ornate clocks.

At its peak during the mid 19th century, there was a network of more than 140 passages, many connected to each other. The pedestrianized passages, home to shops, restaurants and apartments, were very popular as they protected visitors from inclement weather and the often dirty and odorous streets. Their popularity soon started to decline due to competition from large department stores, and many were abandoned and started to fall in disrepair. Others were demolished during the redevelopment of Paris by baron Haussmann between 1852 and 1870 (see pictures below.)




During our Passages trek we stopped at the  Porte de la Saint Denis.  Some historical information incase you're interested:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History of the Porte Saint-Denis

The Saint-Denis arch was erected (1671-74) by Nicolas François Blondel, and paid for by the City of Paris. Small openings were cut into the sides to facilitate circulation, contrary to the architect's wishes.

It was through this gate, and along the rue St-Denis, that the kings of France would return to Paris from religious services at the Basilica of Saint-Denis. Napoleon's troops also passed through the arch, entering the city in 1816 after a victorious campaign. On the occasion of her visit to the Universal Exposition in 1855, Queen Victoria passed under the arch; she was the last sovereign to have completed this ritual dating back nearly a thousand years. View of Porte de Saint-Denis from rue du faubourg St-Denis.

On June 23, 1848, a bloody insurrection of disenchanted workers took place here, complete with the erection of barricades and capture of the national guard's post at the boulevard Bonne Nouvelle. In the ensuing firefight, over 30 insurgents were killed or wounded. The whole confligration was documented on June 25 by Fredrick Engels (the co-founder of Marxism), who subsequently published many accounts of the June Revolution in Neue Rheinische Zeitung.
The arch of the Porte Saint-Denis served as the inspiration for the more famous Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile (completed in 1836), as well as for the Manhatten Bridge Arch in New York (designed by Carrere and Hastings, completed in 1909).

Historical factoid: Back in 1436, when Paris was still a fortified stronghold, the English — with the support of the Burgundians — had invaded and occupied an area of the city around the Porte Saint-Denis. However, their unwelcome presence was soon to be challenged: While King Charles VII was approaching Paris, its citizens began to revolt against their unwanted guests. Directed by Michel de Lailler and aided by the High Constables Richemont and Jean de Villiers d'Adam, a plan of attack was devised. Richemont, who was based in Saint Denis (outside the city limits), decided to enter Paris through the Porte Saint-Martin, while the English were expecting him at the Porte Saint-Denis. The English were soundly defeated, allowing King Charles VII to triumphantly enter the city on November 12, 1437.



















 One more factoid, the Musee Gormande du Chocolat is on Bonne Nouvelle.  I thought you'd like to know.

Six Degrees of Separation


Judy and I set out to meet Lynn Shaw at a colleagues (Theresa's), apartment. Theresa noticed Judy and I waiting for Lynn while taking pictures of interesting architecture as well as of ourselves in a mirror outside her window (see below).  Theresa introduced herself to us and invited us in to wait for Lynn.  As the small talk ensued, I learned that she and her husband were very good friends and her husband a close colleague of a former boyfriend from years past.  Talk about six degrees of separation.  It was fun to share stories and reminisce about times past. 

 

















Judy, Lynn, Theresa and I then shopped the consignment stores and flea market while I purchased two pairs of earrings for 5 Euros.  Bargain right?  Additionally, I met the fabulous Lawrence while shopping at the flea market.  I've purchased many a things from the Paris flea market but never came across the likes of Lawrence.  His boots were made of red Pony fur (from Italy according to Lawrence); his jacket was purple and he sipped champagne and offered me some while we looked at Channel and other notable items.  He was a true gentleman while wearing my favorite color combinations (see Lawrence below).