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Very enjoyable report! Thank you so much.
PS: I would kill for that black coat you're wearing. |
Well how cool it that? I love it that you went to the Porcher toilettes in Place de Madeleine based on my website! :-)
I took my mom there when we were there in October and yes, I noticed the new "no photographs" sign as well. Love the photo of you too-you're adorable! I'm always so impressed by (and a little jealous of) people who are comfortable traveling solo. That's just way out of my comfort zone, even given how much I like to travel. You go girl! |
Kristina,
Try a half-solo trip, where someone joins you for half a week but you have couple extra days before or after to yourself. That's what I did the first time. |
Still enjoying this report very much. Thanks for sharing, I know how much time it takes.
I agree about the half solo trip. That's what I did with a friend last March, and I enjoyed my three days alone at the end of the trip so much that I rented an apartment for two weeks by myself in November. |
wonderful report,
lovely photos(and coat :)) thank you. |
Wonderful report of my favorite city.
I loved looking at your photos as I read the text. It was far more interesting than seeing them all at the end. Paris calls us back time and time again. I could almost taste the pastry in your photos. |
MlleFifi-
Reading your TR and looking at your photos, reminds me of those lovely articles at Travel + Leisure. You should work for them! May I ask what camera you used on this trip? I'm very impressed with the clarity of the photos in (seemingly) low light conditions. |
BTW, MlleFifi, I'll be in NYC in mid-March to catch a couple of operas at the Met. If you're interested in meeting up, you can drop me an email. I posted my email address towards the end of my London/Oxford trip report. If you can't find it, let me know.
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So nice to be back online for more than 10 minutes and enjoy a report like this! I really like the way you inserted the pix along the way, makes you feel like you are there. I too have to put Nancy on the short list, LOVE the architecture!
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I agree with all those praising the report. And I love your photos, especially the way you are including them in the body of your essay. Now <i>that's</i> an organized Fodorite!
Thanks for a fun read. |
I've really enjoyed your report and pictures M.Fifi. Thanks so much for the tip on Ecole Lesage. I'd love to look into that!
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MlleFifi,
I also want to add kudos for a fabulous report! You've really done a stellar job of bringing us along with your truly offbeat trip. I can't tell you how much I love your report of Nancy - I, too, love art nouveau, and was thrilled with the photos. Add Nancy to the list of towns to visit! Loved your "tour" of the dance studio as well - really made me feel like I was there with you (I wish!). Paule |
<b>Day 6-- Marais, Printemps, Festival d'Automne</b>
Ballet class. M. Lazzarelli tells me again and again to "tends le genou!" even when I think my knees are straight. One window faces the back of Centre Pompidou, and I envy the classmates who can be here regularly. One of them lives near St Michel-- 3 mornings a week, she walks past Notre Dame and Hotel de Ville to come to class. Sigh... Today I'm going to the Marais, but first a quick stop at Forum des Halles (http://images47.fotki.com/v1400/phot...11B5282-vi.jpg) to pick up a ticket from Fnac. Seeing a Parashop (Walgreen-type store), I replenish my stash of bootleg sunscreen-- Avène eau thermale emulsion in the orange tubes. Forget complicated skincare routines; a good sunscreen is the only fountain of youth. L'As du Fallafel (http://images48.fotki.com/v1407/phot...1B5298e-vi.jpg) does live up to the hype. The fried chickpea balls are light and crispy, not greasy at all. http://images46.fotki.com/v1414/phot...1B5305e-vi.jpg One falls out while I'm fumbling for a napkin, and a group of birds immediately swoop down and gobble it up-- they must be old hands at this, perched nearby looking out for clumsy eaters-- wonder how many balls they score in a day? At least these get some exercise; pigeons around Notre Dame look as obese as genetically-altered mice: http://images42.fotki.com/v1378/phot...11B6662-vi.jpg. Next stop, some dessert from the pretty boulangerie-pâtisserie Florence Finkelsztajn (http://images47.fotki.com/v1402/phot...11B5308-vi.jpg), and then to... what, when did Goldenberg go out of business?! The name is still up, but the space is empty. Guess I haven't be back to this area in a long time. http://images47.fotki.com/v1401/phot...11B5309-vi.jpg There are posters up for some klezmer concerts-- I love klezmer music-- too bad they're for much later in December. Funny that the concerts are to take place not here in the Marais but "au Centre de Culture Chinoise." The first time I saw the Guimard synagogue on rue Pavee many years ago, I had no idea what it was-- just loved the undulating curve of the facade. http://images43.fotki.com/v1388/phot...11B5343-vi.jpg After reading more about it, I wanted to see the inside, but in 2002 a "NO TOURISTS" sign was taped on the door. I got lucky in 2005-- that time, there was no sign, and the door was ajar. Asking to use the toilettes, I was allowed upstairs and got a good view of the interior from a high balcony. This year, there's again a sign posted on the door-- not as harsh as the previous one-- something more diplomatic like "Due to security concerns, we regret that visits are not possible." In the few minutes that I spend admiring the facade this afternoon, many visitors approach door, see the sign, and sigh in disappointment. I feel fortunate to have peeked in at the right time. When I arrive at Musee Carnavalet, there's a large group of high school students. I move quickly to the next room to avoid the crowd, but their teacher is giving such a good lecture that I soon tag along to eavesdrop. He explains that the pearly shimmer of the Wendel ballroom is achieved by a layer of white-gold leaf under the paint. http://images43.fotki.com/v1384/phot...11B5361-vi.jpg Among the period rooms, I revisit a few old favorites such as Proust's bedroom http://images48.fotki.com/v1407/phot...1B5458e-vi.jpg and the Fouquet jewelry store. http://images47.fotki.com/v1398/phot...11B5390-vi.jpg http://images45.fotki.com/v1424/phot...11B5370-vi.jpg http://images48.fotki.com/v1405/phot...11B5388-vi.jpg A few other miscellaneous photos from Marais: Rue des Rosiers http://images47.fotki.com/v1404/phot...11B5296-vi.jpg a shop window http://images45.fotki.com/v1429/phot...11B5297-vi.jpg a pedestrian http://images47.fotki.com/v1397/phot...11B5351-vi.jpg The free map from a hotel has a discount coupon for Printemps (haven't been able to find one for Galeries Lafayettes this time), so before going back to G.L. to buy the suitcase, I stop by Printemps to see if they have the same Delsey model. They do, but I find a different one, by Lipault, that's much lighter-- only 2.2 kilos! And it looks good too. http://www.rayondor-bagages.fr/LIPAU...JPF%20020.html (the brown one). Since it's collapsible and comes with a carrying case, I won't even have to drop it off at the apartment before going to the theater tonight. Printemps' trompe l'oeil facade during renovations, with sparkling lights resembling fireworks: http://images43.fotki.com/v1389/phot...1B5519e-vi.jpg The Festival d'Automne usually coincides with my trips, and this year I finally try a play-- Marivaux's "La Seconde Surprise de l'Amour" at Theatre des Bouffes du Nord. Although I speak very little French, I can read a lot (learned with French translations of the Harry Potter series and have moved on to regular books now). Having downloaded and read the script (http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/La_Sec...%E2%80%99amour), I'm able to follow about 90% of the dialogue tonight. The old theater itself (built in 1876, once called Theatre Moliere, currently home to Peter Brook's company) is worth seeing too: http://images47.fotki.com/v1404/phot...1B5553e-vi.jpg http://images43.fotki.com/v1383/phot...B5555cr-vi.jpg |
Just realised that my title is a little misleading. I was there 11 days total-- the "week" plus arrival/departure days plus the 2 days in Nancy. A ballet classmate asked "why do you always come for such a short time?" Short? She didn't know that this is one of the longest vacations I've been able to take in ages!
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YK,
My camera is an old Fuji F11. All of Fuji's F-series does well in low light. There's very little noise at 400 or even 800 ISO. 1600 gets fuzzier but is still much better than most other small point-and-shoot cameras. I'll check Met Opera ticket availability this weekend (been procrastinating for too long) and email you. |
Your report could be a book in itself, love it and your appreciation of architecture and design.
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I agree - thank you again for continuing this very enjoyable trip report.
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Thank you so much for sharing your photos and experiences! I've been transported to a most beautiful part of the world. I'm definitely adding Nancy and Metz to my next trip to France, whenever that is.
My friends will be pleased to know that I am not the only person to take photos of beautiful or interesting bathroom features. Your attention to detail is most impressive. Thanks once again. |
bookmarking
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Congrats on finding such a lightweight suitcase, and getting a discount too!
BTW, DH & I visited Musee Carnavalet on our last trip, and I swear we didn't see anything that you mentioned, LOL! Guess we'll have to go back for a revisit. Your photos of Theatre des Bouffes du Nord seemed to show that it's in dire need of a facelift? Was it water damage in the ceiling and walls? P.S. those pigeons are obsene! P.P.S. I have tix for Rusalka (Renee Fleming) on March 12, and La Sonnambula (Florez) on March 14. Looks like Rusalka is close to sold out at this point, while there are still tix for La Sonnambula. |
I had the same thought as yk about the Carnavalet! My Mom and I went in October and we really didn't "get it", but we didn't see anything like you did! Where were those rooms???
Oh yeah, isn't L'As Du Falafel AMAZING? I swear, I never really like falafel before I had it there. |
Kristina,
Yes, the falaffel was amazing but smaller than I expected-- how could you and your mom have shared ONE? I was tempted to get a second one for myself! Musee Carnavalet-- I think the period rooms are on the 2nd (French 1st) floor. The Proust bedroom is in a narrow hallway (it's dimly lit, so you may have passed right by without noticing), and the Fouquet Jewelry store is in a corner, just past the toilets on that floor. |
<i>Your photos of Theatre des Bouffes du Nord seemed to show that it's in dire need of a facelift? Was it water damage in the ceiling and walls?</i>
The Bouffes du Nord looks that way on purpose. When Peter Brook took it over more than 30 years ago, it was an abandoned theatre. He renovated the basics but kept the abandoned look of the place. If you have ever seen the film "Diva," the Bouffes du Nord is where the opera performance is held at the beginning of the movie. |
I'm loving your report, MmeFifi. I'm another L'As Du Falafel fan. We just discovered the place this August and your picture made me salivate.
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slightly off-topic, MlleFifi, have you seen the "Chagall and the Artists of the Russian Jewish Theater" exhibition at the Jewish Museum in NYC? I think I'll go check it out in March before it closes.
http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/exhib...ishTheaterUSSR |
Funny, yk, and I want to suggest a show at the Museum of the City of New York entitled: "Paris/New York: Design Fashion Culture 1925-1940", showing the interconnections between the 2 cultures.
http://www.mcny.org/ It's a small exhibit, but it has some lovely work on display. Combining this with the Jewish Museum makes the trip a full one! Paule |
Thanks for the feedback!
Progol, Thank you so much for posting that. I hadn't heard about the MCNY exhibit before and will definitely go and see it soon. yk, I was going to suggest the Chagall exhibit to you too! Did you know it's free on Saturdays? Kristina, re Musee Carnavalet I finally dug out the brochure and looked at the floor plan. Looks like I missed more than you did! Going up the stairs, I somehow ended up on the Hotel Le Peletier de St-Fargeau side of the museum (missing the larger, main building, Hotel Carnavalet) and saw only the 20th century section. I'll have to go back again to check out the 17th century / Mme Sevigne section next time. |
<b>Day 7-- costumes, paintings, and pests</b>
Ballet class. Today there's pointe (optional) too, but I haven't done that in such a long time, and my old shoes are so worn-out, that I attempt only a few short barre exercises en pointe before switching to back to soft shoes. La Fermette Marbeuf: I have no reservation but arrive early enough to get a table in the lovely Winter Garden section. This room, actually smaller and more intimate than it appears in photos, soon fills up. Sunflowers, dragonflies, nymphs, gourds, and white peacocks adorn the tiled and enameled walls, and the ornate glass coupole is painted with Asian-looking branches. From the prix-fixe lunch menu, I get feuillete with leeks, steak tartare, and the dessert du jour, chestnut feuillete. I've wanted to taste steak tartare for a long time but have always been too afraid to risk food-poisoning while on vacation. (As it turns out, I do become miserably ill the next day, but not from the meat). My obsessive quest to see original vintage interiors comes with some chance of mediocre meals and rude service, but in this case food and staff are both excellent. http://images47.fotki.com/v1402/phot...1B5612e-vi.jpg http://images46.fotki.com/v1432/phot...1B5608e-vi.jpg http://images47.fotki.com/v1404/phot...11B5616-vi.jpg http://images43.fotki.com/v1384/phot...1B5642e-vi.jpg On avenue Marceau, a church tower catches my eye. It is the Église Saint-Pierre-de-Chaillot, a neo-Byzantine building from the 1930s. Inside, its arches and windows produce an interesting play of shadow and light, reminiscent of De Chirico. Some beginner is practicing scales on the organ. http://images42.fotki.com/v1378/phot...1B5681e-vi.jpg http://images43.fotki.com/v1383/phot...1B5695e-vi.jpg http://images46.fotki.com/v1432/phot...1B5722e-vi.jpg http://images47.fotki.com/v1403/phot...1B5724e-vi.jpg Musée Galliera's current exhibition, "Sous l'Empire des Crinolines," is about fashion of the Second Empire. Not only gowns but also accessories such as a muff made of peacock feathers and "dance cards" as intricate as jewelry. Museum: http://images45.fotki.com/v1429/phot...11B5737-vi.jpg Peacock muff: http://images45.fotki.com/v1428/phot...1B5743e-vi.jpg Dance cards: http://images42.fotki.com/v1374/phot...1B5742e-vi.jpg It's not too crowded, but for some reason one tourist who's coughing and sneezing with a severe flu seems only interested in whichever vitrine I happen to be looking at! Across the street, the Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris is showing "Raoul Dufy: Le Plaisir." As you can tell from the title, these paintings are bright and joyous. I love his huge murals with birds, and also his woodcut illustrations for Apollinaire's poems. Photos are only allowed of one painting-- the enormous "La Fée Electricité" mural which is part of the museum's permanent collection. http://images48.fotki.com/v1410/phot...11B5775-vi.jpg For a glimpse of his other works, watch the video here: http://www.paris.fr/portail/Culture/...rtlet_id=15515 Around the corner from the museum, the blue Eiffel Tower looks huge, topped with tonight's thin crescent moon. Never been up to Trocadero, and since it's so close, I may as well make a detour and see what the fuss is about. Up there, the view is good but the atmosphere far from peaceful. Aggressive souvenir vendors are swarming around like flies. With only a small point-and-shoot camera, cold fingers, and no tripod, it's hard enough trying to hold the camera still for a decent night shot without having a flashing plastic tower shoved within inches of my face every few seconds. Ignoring them doesn't make them go away. I growl a harsh "NON" and one of them still has the nerve to persist with "Are you SURE??" His accent is not French, and I'm suddenly overcome by an irrational rage, jealous that this twerp somehow manages to carve out a living in this most beautiful of cities while I, with more relevant skills, will never find the courage to try; and he's unknowingly rubbing salt in that wound by assuming I'd want a tacky plastic tower. No longer in the mood for any Eiffel photos (bright blue or not), I head toward the metro, and along the way there's yet another infestation of souvenir vendors. Ça suffit! This is getting almost as bad as the most charmless part of Times Square, and I certainly know how to navigate that. Switching gears, I walk with a brisk commuters' gait and stare straight ahead with the stay-out-of-my-way-or-I'll-trample-right-over-you lethal glare that I wear when late for work in my efficient home town. Works anywhere in the world. In my peripheral vision, one of the approaching pests hesitates and backs off, and I reach the metro without further harassment. Next stop, Champs Elysees Clemenceau for Emil Nolde at the Grand Palais (open to 10pm Wednesdays). Compared to the nuisance at Trocadero, even the Champs Elysees feels pleasant. The tartiflette stand at at the marché de noël will be open until close to midnight; I can go to the museum first. "Emil Nolde 1867-1956"-- my first exposure to this artist, and what a surprise. Unlike the somber sea scene chosen for the exhibition posters (http://images48.fotki.com/v1406/phot...1B5889e-vi.jpg), most of his other paintings are in striking, luminous colors, similar to Soutine's works. I especially like his "Adam and Eve", self portrait, and the Berlin nightlife scenes. When the museum closes, the street fair is still lively. I pick up some tartiflette and head back to the apartment, dead tired. http://images48.fotki.com/v1410/phot...1B5886e-vi.jpg http://images48.fotki.com/v1410/phot...1B5865e-vi.jpg |
<b>Day 8-- sickness, nostalgia, exhaustion.</b>
Waking up this morning, my throat feels like sandpaper, my nose is congested, and I'm weak and achy all over. When a bad flu was going around NYC about a month ago, I was actually relieved to catch it, thinking I'd be done and safe the rest of the season. But of course it's a different strain going around here, though the symptoms feel identical. Very tired, I sleep in late and don't get out of the apartment until almost noon. Too dazed to explore anything new, I head for comforting familiar territory-- Ecole Militaire stop in the 7eme, home base of our first few trips. For those of you who can't understand why Rick Steves recommended rue Cler: it really WAS an adorable, lively market street once upon a time. When Mom and I first stayed at Hotel Leveque in 2000, there was a butcher shop, a fish shop, Tarte Julie serving tasty sweet and savory pies (in the former "Boucherie Chevaline" that's now a Greek restaurant), a boulangerie making the best almond croissants (now a boring Petit Bateau T-shirt store), the best crepe stand (no, not the one currently in front of the Greek restaurant; THE famous old crepe guy http://images42.fotki.com/v1434/phot...repeguy-vi.jpg was in a small booth near the corner of rue du Champs de Mars-- he died a few years ago), and #40 (now plain) was an art nouveau building with a fun whimsical shape on the corner (torn off when Lenotre took over around 2002?) and housed J Ragut, a traiteur selling mouth-watering terrines. http://images45.fotki.com/v1425/phot.../JRagut-vi.jpg I wish I hadn't already eaten a sandwich and could stop at Cafe du Marche for my favorite duck confit with garlic potatoes, but too late. On to revisit a few dream houses: 33 rue du Champs de Mars, 3 sq Rapp, and the luscious 29 av Rapp, then a stroll along the Seine to Pont Alexandre III. http://images44.fotki.com/v1418/phot...11B6076-vi.jpg 33 r du Champ de Mars: http://images46.fotki.com/v1393/phot...11B5937-vi.jpg http://images47.fotki.com/v1402/phot...11B5947-vi.jpg 3 sq Rapp: http://images42.fotki.com/v1378/phot...11B5961-vi.jpg 29 av Rapp: http://images42.fotki.com/v1379/phot...11B6018-vi.jpg http://images43.fotki.com/v1388/phot...11B6000-vi.jpg http://images46.fotki.com/v1395/phot...11B5997-vi.jpg 3pm-- my time slot for the sold-out blockbuster "Picasso et les maîtres" at Grand Palais. Outside, the posted estimated wait time for those without advance tickets is 3 hours. Inside, it's as packed as the subway at rush hour and almost impossible to see anything. Plus the stuffy air is making me even sicker, and if I stand any longer I'll pass out. There are benches in the middle of most of the rooms, so I slump down wherever a space opens up and just look at the few paintings visible from across the crowd. Dozing off. When a good-natured old man waves his hand in front of my eyes to see if I was conscious, I finally get up and take a quick look through the rest of the galleries. What a waste-- other people are freezing out there for 3 hours or paying scalpers over 6 times face value to see this, while I with a coveted ticket is walking like a zombie past all these masterpieces, unable to absorb anything. After resting at the cafe with a big bottle of water and a fromage frais with creme de marron, I feel a little better and go over to Musee d'Orsay (open late Thursday nights). The related Picasso show there, "Picasso/ Manet: Le déjeuner sur l'herbe", is smaller, more cohesive, and more enjoyable (though I can't judge the other one fairly in this state). Another special exhibit, "Le mystère et l'éclat", shows pastels by Degas, Manet, Redon, etc. http://images43.fotki.com/v1382/phot...11B6104-vi.jpg http://images46.fotki.com/v1433/phot...1B6292e-vi.jpg On the still crowded Metro, one girl tells another, "Je suis vraiment, v-r-a-i-m-e-n-t, epuisee." Me too. Completely exhausted. A more sensible person would have scalped the Grand Palais ticket and stayed in bed today, but I've never been sensible when using precious vacation time. |
Next time you are in Paris, you might want to check out a restaurant called Bouillon Racine. The food is ok, but I think the Art Nouveau decor might interest you more. ;-)
http://www.bouillon-racine.com/ also on my website, bottom of this page: http://www.wired2theworld.com/PARIS2008Day2.html |
I'm amazed by how much you accomplished even when you were feeling so sick! I hope you felt better by the next day.
May I ask how much was lunch at La Fermette Marbeuf? |
Fermette Marbeuf's lunch menu was 24.5 euros for entree+plat+dessert. I should have had the two-course (18 euros?) menu instead-- was already full before the dessert arrived (snacked on too many crepes and chouquettes).
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ttt
Waiting patiently for the rest... :) |
Sorry I'm so slow. Can't believe some of you have already finished trip reports from 2009!
I'm waiting for my photo-hosting site to finish their maintenance and upgrades this week so I'll have the correct photo links. (That's why some of the above links are broken right now-- I hope it's temporary). |
I want to thank you again for this report. First, you helped me discover Nancy.
Second, after all my trips to Paris, walking on the same streets you have walked, I realize how often I didn't stop to look around me and "see" what you see. It's a lesson I hope I'm not too old to learn. Thanks again and whenever you finish up your report, I'll be waiting for it. |
Kerouac was right - This report was going to be excellent. And it is even more than that!
You do not have a hidden talent - it's out here for all of us to enjoy! Thank you MademoiselleFifi. |
I am waiting too--for Day 9.
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Aquarius211,
Are you <i>Mom</i>?! Welcome to Fodor's. |
Hey y'all, as I guessed, the new poster above is my mom, who has lurked for months and finally signed up! Some of you "met" her in my London report. Please join me in urging her to write about her recent encounter with acqua alta and cats in Venice.
<b>Day 9-- Van Dyck, Colette, Mantegna</b> Last ballet class. From the courtyard, I'm thrilled to see that M. Casati, the teacher I had on previous trips, is back from vacation! Unfortunately, though feeling much better than yesterday, I'm still too weak to dance well, so I hide in the back row and hope that he doesn't notice my mistakes. I met L, one of my ballet classmates, 4 years ago when she was amused by my T-shirt about "un idiot" (so thankful not to need a vice-présidente version this time!), and today after class we meet her husband M at Musee Jacquemart-Andre to see the special exhibit of Van Dyck portraits. The house is magnificent, especially the winter garden with its grand staircase and Tiepolo mural. http://www.musee-jacquemart-andre.co...alerie_photos/ The museum's cafe looks nice and smells great, but it's packed, with a long line waiting outside, so we stroll down avenue Percier and have lunch at at the eponymous brasserie. Good duck salad. L advises me to always insist on a "carafe d'eau" instead of being pressured to buy bottled water. She says Paris has excellent tap water-- that it's their most expensive utility, more than gas or electricity, so take advantage of it (but take quick showers). After lunch, L and M go home, and I go for a second try at finding no. 213 rue St-Honore. Colette no longer has the cute, inexpensive Pets@Work items I saw last year. Upstairs, I fall in love with the Odile Gilbert hair pin. A very simple little brass-toned thing, but as gracefully and ergonomically curved as a museum piece, and it holds up a twist or chignon with just the one single pin. What a lovely name too, conjuring two different swans. No price tag. I don't expect anything upstairs at Colette to be cheap, but the salesgirl's answer is about double my guess! I thank her and put it back, but downstairs before reaching the front door, all kinds of excuses and justification, some valid some lame, pop into my head: "haven't shopped much on this trip; people easily spend more than this on a haircut or dinner; my apartment for the whole week is less than what cousin Z pays for one night at the Hyatt; the exchange rate is decent this week...." Back upstairs to treat myself to the little splurge. (Googling it later, I find that when this pin first appeared, it sold out immediately, and there had been long waiting lists in both Paris and NY, and it costs much more at Barney's). http://falbalas30.canalblog.com/arch.../11485110.html Glittering Christmas lights and window displays around Place Vendome: http://images43.fotki.com/v1438/phot...B6216cr-vi.jpg http://images45.fotki.com/v1430/phot...11B6209-vi.jpg Wednesday and Friday evenings, when the Louvre stays open late, there's a program called "Les jeunes ont la parole" for art students to share their knowledge with visitors. Tonight, one graduate student is giving fascinating lectures on Mantegna's "Le Parnasse" (http://mini-site.louvre.fr/mantegna/...zoom/08_03.jpg), and another is explaining Bellini's "Le Crist Benissant" (http://mini-site.louvre.fr/mantegna/...zoom/02_10.jpg). The Louvre is always overwhelming; even after repeated visits, I've barely scratched the surface. After seeing the Mantegna and Picasso/Delacroix exhibits, I have hardly any time left for the permanent collection before they start herding everyone toward the exits. It's both funny and sad to see the mob pushing and shoving for a snapshot of just one painting in this museum while treating nearby Titians and Veroneses as wallpaper. I must admit though, that at least one of the hyped "Top 3" is not at all overrated-- no matter how many times you pass by the Winged Victory, there's always another angle to see. http://images47.fotki.com/v1397/phot...1B6250e-vi.jpg One of these days, I must float down those stairs like Audrey. |
<b>Day 10-- skulls and marionnettes</b>
I arrive at the Catacombes too late for the 11am guided tour. There's a long line of mostly French people waiting to get in (duh, why didn't I think to come on a weekday morning?) I almost give up and leave, but it's such a beautiful day out, and everyone else in line seems so happily unhurried, that I too decide to slow down, breath, and people-watch here instead of rushing off to yet another museum or monument. http://images42.fotki.com/v1377/phot...11B6336-vi.jpg I take a few random photos of the long line and, scrolling back through them on my camera, notice that a child has been posing for me. Very amusing how many Europeans, young and old, enjoy posing for strangers' photos when they just happen to be in the background! (For example, look at this passerby on rue Mouffetard last year: http://images32.fotki.com/v1062/phot...11B1468-vi.jpg) Another kid, a smartly dressed boy, proudly adjusts and readjusts a skull-print scarf which he must have chosen specially for this occasion. Much has been written about French women's knack for tying scarves, but I'm surprised to see boys practicing at such a young age! They let in only a few people at a time, and those in front of me must be walking much faster than those behind me-- during most of the descend to the second level, I see nobody else in the long tunnels, and it's quite eerie to walk through there alone. Once past the sculptures of Decure and the quarrymen's footbath, however, the crowd begins to thicken, and the ossuary is packed. The bones are so dimly lit that it's hard to see much-- the dramatic photos in guidebooks must have been achieved with special spotlights and/or Photoshop-- the actual skulls are not shiny, marble-like as they appear in the books; they're dark gray, matte, and ashy. About halfway through, I catch up to the guided tour and tag along to listen. The little snippets I manage to make out are fascinating, but this enthusiastic docent talks very, very fast so I only understand maybe 40% if what he's saying. http://images42.fotki.com/v1373/phot...11B6381-vi.jpg After strolling around the Alesia area for a while (http://images42.fotki.com/v1434/phot...11B6386-vi.jpg), I ride the metro to the Latin Quarter. Around Sorbonne, it's sad to see many empty storefronts of cafes and shops which appear to have recently gone out of business. Enticed by a chocolate Christmas tree in a window, I buy an onion tart and an orange cake from Patisserie Bon. http://images46.fotki.com/v1415/phot...1B6395e-vi.jpg http://images42.fotki.com/v1380/phot...11B6399-vi.jpg http://images44.fotki.com/v1418/phot...11B6413-vi.jpg At Bibliotheque Ste-Genvieve, I sign up for a library card (with the little photo that was prepared for but not needed at Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs), but the separate line to enter the famous reading room is long and slow-moving. http://images43.fotki.com/v1381/phot...11B6419-vi.jpg Again, as at the Catacombes, most of the people seem so laid-back and unhurried-- must be because they're the lucky ones with a whole lifetime to spend in this city. I, without that luxury, give up on the library and board the #84 bus for a scenic ride to Place de la Concorde for the Musee de l'Orangerie. http://images44.fotki.com/v1419/phot...11B6436-vi.jpg This may be sacrilege to admit, but I'm not blown away by the Monet waterlilies. Pretty? Sure. But moved to tears? No. Maybe it's from having to wait too many years to finally see this museum (which closed for renovations just before my first trip). I much prefer his city paintings such as those of the Houses of Parliament or of the Grandes Boulevards. The Soutines, Derains, and Utrillos are captivating though. For dinner, I have duck confit at Bistrot du Peintre on ave Ledru-Rollin, one stop east of the Bastille. This is my favorite kind of AN interior-- lots of sinuous dark wood, not too pastel. Wall: http://images42.fotki.com/v1373/phot...11B6495-vi.jpg Ceiling: http://images43.fotki.com/v1438/phot...B6485cr-vi.jpg Bar: http://images43.fotki.com/v1437/phot...1B6488e-vi.jpg Entrance: http://images46.fotki.com/v1446/phot...1B6493e-vi.jpg Theatre Dejazet, near Place de la Republique, has an interesting history as the only survivor among over twenty theatres from the "Age d'or" when blvd du Temple was nicknamed "le Boulevard du Crime". Originally built as a <i>jeu de paume</i> (a sort of indoor tennis court), it was turned into a theatre in the mid 19th century and almost became a supermarket in 1976. Entrance: http://images43.fotki.com/v1383/phot...11B6521-vi.jpg Staircase: http://images43.fotki.com/v1439/phot...11B6510-vi.jpg Ceiling: http://images45.fotki.com/v1421/phot...11B6506-vi.jpg Tonight I'm here to see Les Marionnettes de Salzburg in «Le Songe d'une nuit d'été» (Midsummer Night's Dream). Since most of the troupe's other productions are based on operas, I assumed this would be performed with just music, but it's actually the play, done in French. During intermission, I overhear some comments from the audience-- they think the puppets look <i>magnifique</i> but the translation sucks. Not a problem for me, whose French is obviously not good enough to tell the difference. http://www.lefigaro.fr/theatre/2008/...ionnettes-.php http://www.dejazet.com/ After the show and some dessert from the bakery next door, I return to the apartment and set the alarm clock for very early because, sadly, tomorrow will be the last (half) day. |
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