Deb's scattered comments

***Warren kindly took a picture of yet another Paris coat of arms, this one is from a small customs officer's house down by "our" canal. It's got all the basics - the ship with billowing sails and oars out, and the fleurs de lys topped by the crown. Yet it's still a different interpretation. Vive la difference! (in a different context.)  The most unusual one so far has been this blue ship above the front door to this school.


An additional note, we've mentioned the 'Histoire de Paris' signs that one sees all over town, they
were designed by Phillipe Starck before.  They were designed as an homage to the Paris coat of arms and represent the oars of the boats.

***In addition to the coats of arms, I've been noticing little mosaic street art pieces all over town, usually high up on the corners of buildings. I didn't even know what to call them to try to do a bit of research, but finally found that they are called pixel art. They were pioneered in the 1990's by a street artist who chooses to be known by the name of Invader, and who now  has done pieces all over the world. Others grabbed the idea and there are hundreds of mosaics all over the city. Some have been pockmarked by erosion but they're still adorning or disfiguring, depending on your view of street art, buildings throughout town. Apparently, the pieces are designed on computer, then realized with mosaic tiles, either small or large. And the idea has further morphed into mosaics done with shaped tiles. The subjects range from computer game related themes to sexual and scatological, to witty political commentary. It's fun noticing the various little artworks, and they give me an additional reason to look up at architecture (when I'm not keeping a wary eye out for various street hazards.)

*** Speaking of political topics, we were out flaneuring again yesterday (sounds so much better than "wandering around aimlessly") and I sat down on a bench to watch a canal cruise boat go through a lock. There were two particularly nicely dressed ladies sitting on the bench as well, and I couldn't help overhearing their conversation. Admittedly, I can only catch phrases and the overall gist of conversations (and often not even that) but these ladies were speaking clearly and with lovely "belles accents" so I got more than usual. I expected in my bigoted way that they might be discussing fashion or
grandchildren or travel plans. Instead they were having a spirited discussion of the various merits of the last several leaders of France and the implications of the Greek crisis on the banking system and on social issues like the migration crises. They had a lively discourse, agreed to disagree, and went of amiably to have coffee at a café across the street. The French love animated conversations but manage to tolerate disparate opinions.

***On an ongoing conversation, back to the question of "why we're doing this." We've been asked repeatedly why we're spending this year in Paris. I find that my answers keep evolving. One of my first answers was that Warren has dreamed of travel for as long as he can remember, and that both of us have talked of living abroad since we were first married. Our various stints working abroad and doing house exchanges just confirmed our wish. But I guess that saying that it's an old dream evades the issue of why. So, trying to peel a bit of the why-onion, I'd say that for me living in another culture helps me to open my mind to different possibilities and points of view. Even watching news reporting from a different media source presents new ways of seeing my own culture, and the chance to do more evaluating of my own ideas. The values I don't even realize I have are the ones I most want to examine, and being somewhere new and challenging helps me do that. I guess I want the mental stimulation.

***And to be a bit morbid, or at the very least, realistic, we're here because time is growing short. Whatever time is left to us, it's still growing short and our physical and mental capabilities aren't going to be getting better. Various little nagging incapacities just confirm to us that we'd better make hay, even it the sun does shine for amazingly long hours here (~16.25 hours today versus Denver's ~15). In any case, I'll keep thinking out why I'm here, and let you know what I decide.

***Our friend, Don Dalby, will be arriving in the next few days from Ireland. We're looking forward to seeing some museums and sites with him, and hope we can be good hosts. He's been visiting friends in Ireland since the end of May, and has already visited Mallorca and Edinburgh. He's having a busy trip! We'll try to smooth out some of the Paris tourist hassles, having bought advance tickets for him to Louvre and Musee D'Orsay to minimize time wasted standing in line.

***We'll also caution him about the pickpocket hazard. We've seen several arrests, and interestingly for me, the suspects didn't fit my preconceived notions. They have all been attractive, young women! So much for my expectations of slimy, suspicious-looking characters. We're just keeping our fingers crosses that we'll stay low-profile and lucky.

A stroll along the canal 6-20-15

Well today started with a bit of shopping to top up the larder and a little lunch to follow.  After that we headed down into town to catch a brocante sale and then walk along the Canal St. Martin.  I've made this walk a couple times previously once by myself and once with my niece Elizabeth, both times were very enjoyable so I looked forward to yet another walk, this time with Deb.
As things will go sometimes we were never able to find the brocante even though it was placed on the website so I don't know what was going on with that.  But on our way to the canal we also came across another smaller vide-grenier, which is the French equivalent to a local multiple garage sale. So even though we didn't get a lot to look at it was still fun to see what people are trying to sell.   We spent a few minutes looking and then walked down to the canal, which was several blocks away.
We arrived at the spot where the canal goes underground for quite a long distance until it reaches the basin at the Arsenal just below the Place de la Bastille.  And as luck would have it there was a boat making it's way through the last locks before the tunnel.   We watched that process and then started walking back to our apartment along the canal.  So many people out and enjoying their Saturday visiting and drinking wine and beer.

I mentioned to Deb that I would like to see one of the swinging bridges work as I've not seen that before.  I've seen the raising bridges but not the swinging bridges, so about that time I looked upstream and by golly there was a boat making its way into the basin containing the swinging bridge, so I got back to the bridge area and waited to see it in action.  It's very interesting to see the gates come down to block the street traffic and then see the bridge slightly raise and swing out of the way for the boat to pass.
As we got up to the next set of locks yet another boat was coming through so we sat down and watched them come through as well.   We took our 5:00 rest for a beer and a cider at a little restaurant next to the canal and then headed back along the canal to the apartment.  A nice leisurely day next to the water.

A little bit of it all 6-19-15

Today we had a classic tourist day (for us), a little bit of it all.  We took the bus over to Montmartre for a visit.  Our goal was a visit to the museum of Montmartre.  It has a museum where some of the impressionists had studios, the works on display are mainly lesser known lights, such as Suzanne Valadon, Alfred Utter, Theophile Steinlen, & Maurice Utrillo but the paintings, engravings, lithos, and ephemera are so very interesting.
Artists who worked there included the above but also Renoir, Degas and likely others.  Suzanne Valadon and her husband Utter, lived in the main house along with Utrillo her son.  They have reconstructed the apartment in which they lived long with the studio she where she worked.

There is a garden between the two museum buildings created by Renoir when he lived in the second building.  It coincidently is the oldest house in Montmartre still in existence, dating back to the 17th century.

Attached to the property is one of the last surviving vineyards in Paris, and they still make wine with the grapes.  Each year after the wine has been created they have an auction to support the local community and sell it by the half-bottle.  I guess it's pretty low grade but they have pretty spirited contests to own it.


We had lunch at the Maison Rose which is an historic restaurant just down the hill a bit from the Place de Tertre, and just above the Lapin Agile.  Of course after we ordered lunch I noticed a sign hat stated that no credit cards or checks were accepted and since our wine basically ate the entire cash hoard we were in trouble.  I had to trot up the hill and find a cash machine to get the money to pay for lunch, oops. The Lapin Agile is a cabaret where artists such as Picasso, Van Dongen, Braque, and others partied the nights away and where occasionally Picasso was known to shoot his pistol into the air.  This part of the hill is much quieter than the top but still many walking tours come through, seeing the sights.

Back to D'Orsay 6-19-15

Today was a rainy until late afternoon so we headed down to Musee D'Orsay to continue our little campaign there.   Today was mainly early surreallism and post-impressionist sculpture (if there is such a thing).  I was very impressed with Odilon Redon, and also August Strindberg, I don't associate either of this artists with surrealism, ignorance on my part.  After looking at the paintings we went up to the cafeteria for a little break and a glass of wine, it's a fun space because it's on the top floor behind one of the gigantic clocks.
We then headed down a couple floors to see the sculptures of Rodin, Maillol, and some other lesser known sculptors, like Francois Pompon who created this owl, titled Grand Duc.  I wonder if it's a reference to Marcel Pagnol's classic movie,



La Gloire de mon Pere?

So much to be learned so little time 6-17-15

Many years ago while traveling in England we learned a little truth, almost anywhere you go there will be something of interest to be seen, no matter how small and insignificant the place may seem to be.  Today another case in point here in France.   We took a day trip about 90 minutes southeast by train to a little town called Provins.  It is literally at the end of the tracks on a one track spur off the mainline.  
But the interesting thing about Provins is that it has so much of the medieval town still intact, it was originally the seat of the Counts of Champagne and Brie (yes that Brie). It was a significant market town throughout Europe for couple hundred years beginning around 1300.  There is still a castle tower of sorts, called Cesar's Tower, on a hill next to a truncated cathedral and overlooking a delightfully ancient town center.  The town is criss-crossed with small streams flowing through which supplied power for the mills that were in operation then. We arrived around noon and walked into the center to find a bit of lunch, after which we climbed the hill to view the upper town.

 You walk up a hill on a narrow one lane street overlooked by old buildings with gated fronts and old wood doors.  Periodically there are stairways between buildings that allow you to take a steep shortcut up.

At the top there is a parvis (small square) in front of the church surrounded again by walled buildings, very medieval in feeling.  It has two rows of trees giving shade to benches where you can catch your breath and cool off after the climb.
Cesar's Tower was begun in the 14th century as a defensive castle but evidently was a poor design because instead it was turned into a prison for a while.   In the 18th century the church's bell tower was destroyed in a fire so Cesar's Tower was converted into a belfry which function it still serves, as well as being a monument you can visit.
I love to visit these places for their romantic associations but I absolutely would not choose to try and live in one, they are dark and dank and colder than a welldiggers ass in the winter, I'll bet.  This place has only one fireplace in the entire structure and it's in a small room off to one side on an outer wall. Lots of stone steps taking you up to the main vaulted room probably 30-40 feet in diameter and 30 feet tall with openings leading to small cell like rooms on the exterior walls.  This portion of the building is square but the next story up was built in an octagon so visually it's quite interesting.


To reach the upper story you have to climb a very narrow staircase built into the walls, it's so narrow that my shoulders were in constant contact with both sides as I climbed a steep set of stairs.   The belfry is lodged in the upper part which is roofed over with a large timbered "pepperpot" roof.  The views from the top are beautiful as you can see for probably 20 miles in any direction, it would have been a very good spot to keep track of the neighborhood during those times.

On a bit of a sombre note, there are many plaques in Paris denoting where various people were born, died, lived and worked to give a flavor to the area, well here the plaques are for residents that were captured, deported, or killed by the Nazis a sad note.





After our visit to the tower we visited the church, it is a truncated affair due to the count running out of money.  The lectern is mounted on a column that is behind all of the part of the nave where the congregation now sits and right next to the front doors, in order to use it they would have to turn all the seats away from the altar.  The church was originally designed to completely fill what is now the square in front but as I mentioned the count ran out of money.  The ambulatory has a mixed set of arches from the floor up to the gallery, with pointed gothic arches for the main floor and romanesque arches for the gallery above, actually a pretty combination of styles.
We decided to have a fairly short day today so after the church we headed back to the rail station for the trip back, but there are many other things to be seen here and we will make another trip back.

A travel to the Sunny South (a suburb) 6-16-15

Today we headed down to the south of Paris to L'Hay les Roses the site of a renowned rose garden and it was quite lovely even if we were about a week late.   The problem with this climate is that everything blooms and ripens much earlier than in Denver so when we think that things must be at their peak we find that "that was last week".  Luckily we don't let little things like this become much more than a mistimed footnote.

The garden is on the edge of a larger town park and consists of several separate areas where roses are grouped by their types and geographical regions.  There are also areas where historically older species are grouped and others where modern species are grown in close proximity.   We spent a couple hours just wandering and sitting down to enjoy that colorful palettes and fragrances.  We joked about how Deb's mother, Flavia, would have enjoyed the garden while sowing cosmos seeds in all the beds because "they needed a little perking up".  
We took a turn around the park after the garden and enjoyed all the old plane trees and the wonderful shade cast all around the park, it was created in the 1860's and has been lovingly cared for since then.

It's not a vacation here, ya know - 6-15-15

Today was a day for taking care of chores. Deb undertook her Monday cleaning while I headed out to do outside chores.  Dinner however was entirely different situation.
A few days ago I made reservations for a train trip, we are going to accompany our friend, Don Dalby, out to La Rochelle at the end of his visit with us in Paris.  The reservations were online but I mis-read the French text on the site and thus had to go to the Gare to pay for them, plus I wanted to make sure that our seats were together for the trip out.  When I got to Gare du Nord I found that it was a zoo with long lines snaking everywhere so since Gare de l'Est is nearby I decided to go there instead. I've gotten somewhat nonchalant about taking the buses around town, so when I jumped on the bus it took me a few minutes to realize it wasn't going where I wanted and go into a little Keystone Cops routine of hitting the button for the next stop and retracing all the bus route on foot. So I got to the other station and went to the ticket office, took my number, and waited.   About 10 numbers before mine I realized that I needed the confirmation numbers to identify the reservations, no problem as I had entered them on my phone memo.  Great!  Except I removed Don's several minutes earlier so I wouldn't be confused, Crap!   I called Deb and asked her to get the number off my emails, but of course that cosmically forced the reservations clerks to become super efficient and before she could get the confirmation number, they called my number.  So I got my tickets paid for and left.   Deb called back a few minutes later and had the confirmation, so since I was still in the station I decided to finish the business.  After all, given my track record today, I shouldn't be out on my own unsupervised. I did have a bit of a walkabout and found an interesting building and a great little passage chocked full of Indian restaurants.   But all ended well, except I almost got on the right bus to go home but going the wrong way, AGAIN!  Still I made it just fine.

In the evening we had a date to have dinner with some friends from the states, Hank Tomlinson and his wife Donna.   I met Hank and Donna last year on Ride the Rockies, he was a new member of our riding group.   He's on a retirement tour for his company and is in Paris for a few days so we decided to meet for dinner at the Blue Elephant, a really good Thai restaurant.   Hank and Donna were ex-pats with Chevron for many years so they understand living in foreign places way more than Deb and I. During our planning Hank repeatedly asked if there was anything we needed over here and I repeatedly said no, but last week I had a revelation and asked for something.   Deb's favorite!  THANKS HANK AND DONNA!!