Paris, 19 May 2012

Today started off with us heading to the catacombs.  The Catacombs of Paris or Catacombes de Paris are an underground ossuary located at  Place Denfert-Rochereau. It holds the remains of about 6 million people in what were once Paris' stone mines.  On our arrival, however, there seemed to be more people waiting to enter than were actually buried in the Catacombs.  Since only 200 people at a time are admitted, we estimated the wait would be between three and four hours so somewhat disappointed we trundled back to Montmartre.

To relieve our spirits, we went to one of the local cafés for a morning coffee.  As we sat there we noticed that a gentleman in a walking frame was crossing the street.  Several of the street beggars immediately helped him across and installed him in a table at the café. There is, in France, a general culture of helpfulness although it is sometimes honoured more in the breach than in the observance.  We have already mentioned people giving up their seats to us.  While we appreciate the gesture, we prefer to think of ourselves as generally still young enough to stand on the bus or the metro.  While we sat at the café, a woman came up on a bicycle and parked it behind a truck in the street.  People at the tables kept an eye on it and when the truck moved away and another truck tried to take its place, several of those in the café carefully moved the bike out of the way and then placed it behind the newcomer.

A good way to get your bicycle flattened

After our coffee we continued on to do our shopping and then went home for lunch.  In the afternoon we went to the English bookstore, W. H. Smith, in the rue de Rivoli. Getting there by Metro took us to the Concorde metro station.

Exit from Metro at Concorde

Signpost at Concorde

 As we entered the Tuilleries, we stopped at the lovely gardening bookstore which seems to have everything one could possibly want on that topic.

Librairie des Jardins

We continued to walk in the gardens admiring the wonderful view of the buildings along the rue de Rivoli.

A View of the rue de Rivoli

 The gardens have many areas which are clearly for children and the young at heart.  The sculpture of the flowers is lovely and fun, and there are many playgrounds.

Flower Sculpture

A playground for children

There are all sorts of delights for the young including the omnipresent carousels.  The French seem to have a love affair with these devices.  There are hundreds, probably thousands, in Paris ranging from quite basic one's to complex double-deckers.  After getting the books and magazines we wanted we returned home.

I have been reading some very enjoyable detective novels set in Paris in the later years of the nineteenth century.  These books, recommended to me by a dear friend, are written by Claude Izner.  This is the pseudonym of Liliane Korb (1940) and her sister Laurence Korb (1951) known as well as Laurence Lefèvre. The two women are booksellers on the banks of the Seine in Paris, who jointly write the popular "Victor Legris" series of crime novels. Legris is a bookseller in late 19th-century Paris who is also an amateur detective. The writers do their homework and have captured the atmosphere on Paris at the end of the century.  It is peopled with real characters from the era and events and individuals are often documented with footnotes.  For anyone who knows Paris, the settings are familiar which makes the stories all the more fascinating. If you are interested, start with "Murder on the Eiffel Tower."

Paris, 18 May 2012

The boys are back.  After yesterday's public holiday, work on the scaffolding today is progressing nicely.  It is now to the top of the building (six floors above ground level) and covers the two exposed sides.

"Going Up!"

Raising pieces with a pulley

As we watched them using a pulley to raise the various elements up to the roof level, we couldn't help but think of the following song.

Dear Sir I write this note to you to tell you of my plight
For at the time of writing I am not a pretty sight
My body is all black and blue, my face a deathly grey
And I write this note to say why Paddy's not at work today.

Whilst working on the fourteenth floor,some bricks I had to clear
To throw them down from such a height was not a good idea
The foreman wasn't very pleased, the bloody awkward sod
He said I had to cart them down the ladders in my hod.

Now clearing all these bricks by hand, it was so very slow
So I hoisted up a barrel and secured the rope below
But in my haste to do the job, I was too blind to see
That a barrel full of building bricks was heavier than me.

And so when I untied the rope, the barrel fell like lead
And clinging tightly to the rope I started up instead
I shot up like a rocket till to my dismay I found
That half way up I met the bloody barrel coming down.

Well the barrel broke my shoulder, as to the ground it sped
And when I reached the top I banged the pulley with my head
I clung on tightly, numb with shock, from this almighty blow
And the barrel spilled out half the bricks, fourteen floors below.

Now when these bricks had fallen from the barrel to the floor
I then outweighed the barrel and so started down once more
Still clinging tightly to the rope, my body racked with pain
When half way down, I met the bloody barrel once again.

The force of this collision, half way up the office block
Caused multiple abrasions and a nasty state of shock
Still clinging tightly to the rope I fell towards the ground
And I landed on the broken bricks the barrel scattered round.

I lay there groaning on the ground I thought I'd passed the worst
But the barrel hit the pulley wheel, and then the bottom burst
A shower of bricks rained down on me, I hadn't got a hope
As I lay there bleeding on the ground, I let go the bloody rope.

The barrel then being heavier then started down once more
And landed right across me as I lay upon the floor
It broke three ribs, and my left arm, and I can only say
That I hope you'll understand why Paddy's not at work today.

So far, thankfully, the men erecting the scaffolding seem to be extremely competent.  A few more days should see the job completed and then the cleaning of the buildings will begin.

You may recall that in an earlier blog we described Virginia's visit to the Albert-Kahn Musée et jardin. It sounded so interesting we went back so I could see it.  To get there was an experience in its own right. 

We caught the 72 bus on the rue de Rivoli and enjoyed glorious views through some of the most interesting parts of Paris and along the river.  The bus goes past the back of the Grand Palais, past the Eiffel Tour, Tracadero, Radio France and on to Parc St Cloud. Of course, we used our Navigo cards so there was no charge for the bus trip. The "hop on, hop off" tour buses charge a great deal for this ride, but with a Navigo, you can do your own hopping off and hopping on for a fraction of the price. 

Not only were the gardens amazing, the whole organisation was a real "class act."  In addition to the gardens, there was an exhibition of photographs taken in Mongolia in 1912 and 1913.  But the high point had to be the gardens.  We visited the Japanese village and grounds which were absolutely superb.  I have to say I think they were the nicest I have ever seen.

Pool, bridge and bonsai

Bonsai

Japanese Village

There are a number of other areas ranging from the formal French to the wild forest and all of them are magnificent.

We returned on the 72 bus stopping at the Louvre.

View into Courtyard of the Louvre

The lines to get in were very long especially when you can actually get your ticket in advance on the internet.  We visited one of the shops in the complex so that I could get a new Paris tie.  It will be unveiled at the U3A the next time I give a talk there.

Paris, 16-17 May 2012

After a quiet housekeeping day yesterday we were out and about today.  In the morning we caught our old faithful, the bus number 80 to the Champs Elysees and walked up one side and down the other.  This is one of the great Paris experiences, just walking along this magnificent boulevard from the Rond Point to the Arc de Triomphe. Lots of wonderful shops and interesting buildings to be seen and a variety of people from all over the world. Today the Champs Elysees was replete with flags from the inaugural parade of Francois Hollande, France's new president.

Citron Building on Champs Elysees

Windows at Louis Vuitton

From these windows and many of the others, the colour for the summer looks to be white.

When I was in Miami, I enjoyed seeing all of the eating places on Lincoln Road.  Of course, outdoor dining is a major way of life in France.  Looking at the myriad outdoor restaurants all I could think was "Lincoln Road, eat your heart out."

Dining Out

Public phones around the world seem to be disappearing, but here, something new has appeared to take their place.  Admittedly we only saw these on the Champs Elysees but they are by France Orange (one of the major carriers in this country) and it is likely we will see more of these shortly.  They can be used for calling, emailing, internet access, and goodness knows what else!

The New Phone

Instructions

The French are prolific readers and there are lovely kiosks all over Paris. We stopped to buy a local paper and some magazines before returning to Montmartre.

A Newspaper and Magazine Kiosk

It is a public holiday here (Ascension Day) and much of the local shopping is closed.  But the boulangeres carry on regardless.  As long as the French can have their baguettes they know that G-d is in heaven and all is right in the world.

The later afternoon saw us walking down the lovely rue Caulaincourt and along rue Lepic and then taking the funicular up to the Place du Tertre which, because it was a holiday, was very busy.

rue Caulaincourt

rue Lepic

We pushed our way through the crowd to the Sabot Rouge where we enjoyed our final coffee of the day and a bit of tourist watching. Then home for dinner and to the blog!

The crowd at Place du Tertre

Our favourite waitress at Sabot Rouge

The long break

For those who follow this blog and have been wondering what has happened to it, I'm happy to say we are back.  Bruce was in the United States for ten days and Virginia was, effectively, computer-less during that time.  So, where did each of us go and what did each of us do?

Bruce flew to Miami Florida to visit three old and dear friends.  The flight was particularly interesting.  The airline was Corsair Air, which is the second largest French airline after Air France.  It is also quite inexpensive with the round trip from Paris to Miami costing about half of what Air France would charge!  One reason for this might be that the airline holds the record for most seats on a passenger aircraft (587 seats, on its Boeing 747-400s), but that isn't nearly as bad as it sounds, since the whole lower deck is actually economy class.  Bruce flew to Miami on an A320 airbus and returned on a 747.We have always joked about wanting to get on board a 747 and turn to the left (first class). Well on the flight from Miami Bruce actually got to turn left only to find more economy class seats! The flights were fine, the food typically airline stuff and the only wine was with the main meal.  For some reason, flying out of Orly rather than Charles de Gaulle was less hectic.  In fact the whole procedure with Corsair seemed faster and more efficient than with other airlines.

Corsair Air

Most of the time on the trip was taken up with visiting friends and reminiscing.  While in Miami, my oldest friend, Barry and I went to one of the wonderful "Everglades" national parks where I tried not to get up too close and personal with the alligators.  I had forgotten how lovely the Spanish Moss was on the trees but have to say that trees seemed, in Miami itself, to be few and far between.  From the air, and on the ground, it is really a concrete jungle.

Parking Lot Warning in Everglades Park

"Never Smile at a Crocodile" or in this case an Alligator

One day we drove over to South Miami Beach, which is where I grew up and went to school.  What used to be a quiet area with a large number of retired people living there has now become a huge resort.  The old hotels, mostly in an Art Deco style have been refurbished and now cater to the "beautiful people."

Miami Beach beachfront

South Beach Art Deco Hotels

Lincoln Road, at the top of South Beach, which has actually been a mall for fifty years was nice with all the outdoor eating places, but I felt a sudden urge to be back in Paris when I passed a stall selling French pastries and baguettes.

Outdoor Dining on Lincoln Road

An outdoor  Boulangerie on Lincoln Road

From Miami I flew on to Tampa and was picked up by a very dear friend and her daughter who drove me to the small community of Safety Harbor and the hotel in which I was staying.  Americans are very good in service industries.  Perhaps this is because the minimum wage is so low and there is such a reliance on tips.  Whatever the reason, service generally is amazing. Again the bulk of my time with Suzanne was spent reminiscing.  Names of people I hadn't thought about in half a century were suddenly in the conversation.  We had several meals out and food is abundant (possibly too much so) and very inexpensive. In a grocery store it is hard to find a steak that is not cut at least an inch thick. I have to say that the area is much nicer than Miami.  One of the effects of the overbuilding in the Miami area is that the Pelicans I remember as being all over the place are no longer there but they are still very common in the Tampa Bay region.

Tampa Bay from the hotel

My final visit was with an old university roommate.  Phil lives in rural central Florida, still another and different area.  Here the thing that was most noticeable was the prevalence of firearms.  When one of the neighbours came over he was wearing a holstered pistol.  Not something you are likely to see in Australia! Phil's daughter and I had some lovely conversations as well.  I had known her when she was about ten years old and it was interesting to see her all these years later. More reminiscing and then back to Safety Harbor for the night before flying to Miami and picking up my return flight to Paris.

Central Florida View

During the time I was away, Virginia stayed in Paris and enjoyed the company of her American friend, Winkie who just happened to be here at the same time. They met at language school five years ago when Winkie and her partner, Sandy were living here permanently.  Following Sandy's untimely death, Winkie returned to the United States but she and Virginia have remained in touch.

One Sunday Virginia and Winkie went to the morning service at the American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity which is situated on the swanky avenue George V.  Both Winkie and Sandy were heavily involved with the Cathedral when they lived here.  The Church has a congregation of approximately 500 people at its Sunday morning service.  The congregation largely consists of Americans living here, in Paris, but there are also some visitors and a number of French people who enjoy the ambience of this English speaking community.

American Cathedral, Paris

Another day Winkie took Virginia to Jardin Albert Kahn which is located in far western Paris near the Bois de Boulogne. The Japanese parts of the garden and exhibitions include an old village, filled with temples, lanterns, stone edged paths, and the contemporary garden, a tribute to Albert Kahn’s life, with azaleas, and streams crossed by stone or timber bridges. Most gardens are pretty at this time of year, but with the Azelias in full bloom and the special exhibition of Bonsai, it was truly remarkable.

Jardin Albert Kahn

Jardin Albert Kahn

Many of you will know that the former food market Les Halles which was one of the great sights of Paris was, some years ago, moved outside the city and the area was converted into a shopping centre and garden. At the time the move of the market was unpopular and controversial and the ensuing shopping centre has since  proved to be a disaster.  It has now closed down and the area is being developed.  Virginia went down to see what was going on and discovered what she described as a bomb site.

Les Halles

Another source of entertainment for Virginia this week has been the erection of scaffolding around the building directly opposite our flat.  We have discovered that municipal law requires that the exterior of all Paris buildings must be cleaned at least once in every fifteen years.  We have always been surprised at how much cleaner the buildings are in Paris than in London.  Finally we understand.  Sitting at the dining room table and looking out was interesting, amusing and educational.  As Virginia commented, "I never thought about scaffolding before - but there is quite an art to this trade."

Scaffolding works across the street

Back in Paris we spent today sorting out travel arrangements with our airline and then went for a leisurely French lunch.  The weather has changed dramatically.  Temperatures in Paris were in the high 20s last week but today with rain and hail the temperature barely struggled into the teens. While on our way to the airline office we got caught up in traffic restrictions and security because of the Presidential inauguration.  Lots of French jokes about the weather and the presidency especially when Hollande's flight to Berlin was struck by lighting and had to turn back.  Is this an omen?  And if so, of what?

Off to the USA

Today was a particularly easy day despite starting at a somewhat ungodly hour.  I flew to the United States but before getting aboard the plane I had to get to Orly Airport.  This involved getting Metro ligne 12 two stops and changing to Metro ligne 4.  The walk between the two lines is considerable and since I was travelling with hand baggage alone, it probably seemed further than it actually was.  Once aboard ligne 4 it was about 20 stops to the square from which the Orlybus departs.

Virginia came that far with me and then I crammed myself aboard the crowded bus for the 45 minute trip to the airport.  Friends had told us that they preferred Orly to Charles de Gaulle and it is easy to see why.  It is easier to get around in, certainly on this occasion the lines were short and progress was swift.  There was a bit of a problem because I was leaving France on my Australian passport and entering America on my United States passport, but that was quickly and efficiently sorted by the airline staff.  Indeed, so efficient was the entire process that 30 minutes after arriving at the airport I was sitting in the departure lounge!

Orly has lots of shops both before you pass through the gates to the departure lounge and even after.  With time to kill, I sat and read.

The airline I was taking from Paris to Miami was Corsair and that is the second largest airline in France.  They were also the cheapest flight by a considerable amount.  The plane was an A320 which was a bit shabby, but quite acceptable.  There was one main meal and a "snack" later.  Overhead screens showed a fairly recent film and some shorts.  Staff were fine although at lunch they seemed to have great difficulty in understanding that I didn't want wine with the meal.  What was this - an adult male passenger not wanting wine, or at least beer, with his meal.  Quelle Horreur!

Nine hours after taking off I was in Miami.  It is a bright, shiny airport but lots of long walks and one has to show one's passport or customs duane time and time again.  My old friend Barry met me and after settling in, the two of us went out for an early dinner.  I had forgotten what a wonderful dish Florida Lobster is.  That, a baked potato, a salad with blue cheese dressing and a piece of key lime pie for dessert made a terrific meal.

Paris, 2 May 2012

From where we sit in our tiny apartment it is impossible not to notice the comings and goings of the two nearest businesses, a "coiffure mixte" and a "restaurante Chinois."  We are sure that the same type of activity goes on in similar businesses the world over, but we have a better view of these two than we do of any others.  Taking first the hairdressing business we know this is owned by a French/Chinese woman who is married with two small sons.  She arrives to open her salon at about 8:00 AM after a half an hour train trip from her home in the suburb of Bercy. She is busy all day and rarely leaves the premises before 8:00 PM (10:00 PM on Thursdays).  Yesterday, a public holiday, she was there cleaning and doing maintenance work.  We have also observed that her husband attends the premises on the weekend to clean the windows inside and out. She is closed on Sunday and Monday for a well earned rest.

Our local hairdresser

Directly across the street from the hair dresser is the Chinese Restaurant which is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.  It also offers take-aways all day.  It is run by a middle-aged French/Chinese man and his wife with the occasional help from their daughter.  M. Yang leaves the building every morning and goes to the markets either on foot or in his car returning later with sacks of rice, fresh vegetables and other produce which he requires for his business.  Later he takes buckets of water to wash the pavements outside his restaurant so he can place a couple of tables on the footpath. Through the windows we can see the Mme. Yang cleans the inside of the restaurant, sets the tables and serves the diners.  They appear to close for several hours in the afternoon (possibly for a siesta), reopening at 6:00 PM and stay open as long as there is a demand for their meals.

Chez Yang

Virginia says that both of these are similar in terms of the work patterns to the business in which she was raised.

This afternoon we went to Trocadero, where until 1937 the old Palais du Trocadéro stood.  It was demolished and replaced by the Palais de Chaillot which features two wings which form a wide arc with an esplanade providing an open view to the Eiffel Tower and beyond. It is in the Palais de Chaillot that the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. This event is now commemorated by a stone, and the esplanade is known as the esplanade des droits de l'homme ("esplanade of human rights"). The Palais de Chaillot was also the initial headquarters of NATO, while the "Palais de l'OTAN" (now Université Paris Dauphine) was being built.

Eiffel Tower seen from the Esplanade

One Wing of the Palais de Chaillot

One wing of the Palais de Chaillot

Two wings of the Palais de Chaillot looking across the esplanade to the Eiffel Tower

Paris, 1 May 2012

Today is May Day and there were numerous demonstrations so we stayed pretty much in our corner of Paris.  In Bordeaux, according to notices we saw there, all public transport was closed and, we inferred, that most of the shops would be closed as well.  In Montmartre businesses were closed, with the exception of food shops.  We went down to get a few items and found that it was quite busy.

Shopping in our neighbourhood

On May 1, 1561, King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm. He decided to offer this flower each year to the ladies of the court. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became custom to give a sprig of lily of the valley, a symbol of springtime, on May 1. The government permits individuals and workers' organisations to sell them tax-free. Nowadays, people may present loved ones either with bunches of lily of the valley or dog rose flowers. In fact there are so many individuals selling the flowers it is like running the gauntlet. Knowing that at the weekend these will be available in large quantities at a much lower price we decided to forego the purchase now. 

A Seller of Muguet

At noon we watched our local boulanger doing the mid-day baking and we picked up our baguette for lunch.  The bread was too hot to handle, but we managed to juggle our baguette home and when it had cooled down a bit we made lunch.

Le Boulanger scoring the baguettes

The rest of the day was taken up with the usual chores one is faced with on returning from a trip.