www.theblisspages.com - travel: France
www.theblisspages.com - travel: FranceLinks on this page:
saturday :
sunday :
monday :
tuesday :
Arc de Triomphe :
Tuileries :
Musée d'Orsay :
Ile de la Cité :
Notre-Dame :
Eiffel tower :
Montmartre :
Place Igor Stravinsky :
other sites in Beaubourg and les Halles
This last-minute long weekend in Paris was my summer holiday this year, but we packed the same amount of fun into four days that some holidays spread over fourteen. Ironically, it's taken almost as long as the trip to write this report and process the photographs.
Saturday morning saw the traditional rush for the station, with toast left languishing in the toaster and discarded dishes in the bowl. We drove down to the station arriving with time to chat on the station before the Thameslink train arrived to whisk us to Waterloo East. From there it was over the bridge to the main station and the Eurostar terminal. Security has been stepped up after 7/7, but after the queues and checks, we were on. The journey was smooth, stress-free, and uneventful. On arrival at le Gare du Nord, we bought a carnet de billets for the metro, and proceeded to our hotel at Porte de Champerret. The reception at Hotel Cheverny was friendly, but the room was tiny, and had no bath - only a shower. I asked for a bath, and was promised one for the next night.
But hey, this was Paris, and there was a city to explore. I haven't been to Paris for about fifteen years - and that was a business trip.
We set off towards the Bois de Boulogne, and after a diversion down the gardens along Boulevard Periere, we arrived at the Avenue de la Grande Armee.
We wandered up the wide street with its shops and cafes, but our eyes were focussed at the great monument at the far end, the Arc de Triomphe.
Weighing in at 100,000 tons, the scale of this immense building was hard to grasp, until you realised the little dots on the top were people.
There was a ceremony for the Unknown Soldier under the arches, and we pondered on the significance of the day - 20 August.
In fact, it seems that this ceremony occurs every day, and this was something we really noticed in Paris - the esteem in which war veterans are held.
We took the underpass; you would not be wise to battle with the traffic around Place Charles de Gaulle - or l'Etoile, as it was known before de Gaulle's death in 1969.
We bought tickets and started climbing the 284 stairs.
Long flights of stairs were to be a frequent feature of our Parisian peregrinations.
There was an interesting exhibition dedicated to Napoleon in a large room under the roof, but the highlight was the viewing platform, with fantastic views over Paris.
Some of the carvings were very interesting, and I took a picture of 'The Departure of the Volunteers', sculpted by François Rude.
We then walked up Avenue des Champs-Elysées, and started to look for something to eat. Our guidebook - the otherwise excellent DK Eyewitness travel guide to Paris - had a rather different definition of eating out on a budget, and after checking out a few recommendations, we caught the metro back to Porte de Champerret, but not before admiring the illuminated Eiffel tower from Place de l'Alma.
We had a very good meal at a local cafe. I had a steak accompanied by a local dish of potatoes and cheese, and a glass each of Chinon and red Sancerre.
After a leisurely breakfast, we decided to visit the Musée d'Orsay.
We took the metro to Tuileries, planning to walk along the quiet gardens.
Instead, we came across a fairground, with a huge water slide and a fearsome bungee ride.
For only 25€, you could experience 5G as you left your breakfast behind, and then relive your terror over and over on the supplied DVD. I wasn't feeling 100%, so declined.
We did go on the Ferris wheel, which gave some great views over Paris, without, joy of joys, having to climb lots of steps for once.
We wandered through the formal gardens, which were laid out in the 17th century by Louis XIV's gardener, André Le Nôtre.
We came across a large pond -the grand bassin - where boats, and sticks with which to poke them, were on hire to small girls and boys who were having a great time - although I'm not sure the ducklings were enjoying it quite so much.
We sat down to eat a relaxing picnic lunch, after which we meandered towards the glass pyramid dominating the Louvre.
We were accosted by a painter who persuaded us to pose for a portrait, and who - luckily - agreed that if we didn't like it we didn't need to buy it. Unfortunately, the caricature he produced did not capture Chris's character at all, so no sale. We then wandered across the river on the Pont du Carrousel, admiring the paintings and postcards on display on Quai Voltaire on our way to Musée d'Orsay.
I have to confess to being a bit of a philistine when it comes to art, but seeing pictures in the flesh is very different from on the page of a book.
The building itself is well worth a visit. A railway station from 1900, it opened as a museum in 1986. I was very pleased to see that the museum allowed non-flash photography, which I thought enlightened and inclusive.
As we stepped inside, I was struck by the huge open space with stepped balconies.
We wandered around the sculptures on the ground floor, before looking at the pre-impressionist works.
I was particularly struck by Auguste Jean-Baptiste Clésinger's 'Woman Bitten by a Snake', which provoked scandalised reactions in 1872. The position must have been very uncomfortable for the model, Appollonie Sabatier, when she was cast.
I was also intrigued by a sculpture of a bear.
François Pompon's sculpture, 'Ours Blanc' was created in 1928.
Did it perhaps influence 'The Bear', by Raymond Briggs?
I was drawn to a wooden piece by Paul Gauguin, 'Be Mysterious'. Influenced by Art Nouveau, this relief shows a moonlit naked woman from behind sitting in a wood.
The paintings were a real inspiration to me. Some I have seen in books, like 'Calling in the Gleaners' (1859) by Jules Breton, but seeing them in the flesh adds a new dimension to the experience.
A particular favourite is Edoard Manet's 'Dejeuner sur l'herbe' (1863), which inspired a controversial album cover by Bow Wow Wow, when the fifteen year-old lead singer, Annabella Lwin, posed nude for 'See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah! City All Over, Go Ape Crazy.'
See the cover at the Bow Wow Wow website.
The painting was a lot larger than I expected.
I must admit to feeling a bit sorry for James Abbott McNeill Whistler, as the 1871 picture of his mother portrays her as a very sour-faced woman. Perhaps her beauty is on the inside.
I was fascinated by Claude Monet's 'The Magpie' (1869). The snow of the landscape looks real enough to reach out and touch.
I also enjoyed some of the works he painted at Giverny, including 'Blue Water Lilies', painted somewhere between 1916 and 1919, and a picture of a bridge.
I'm not a fan of still life, but have to admit that Paul Cézanne's 'Apples and Oranges', painted between 1895 and 1900, is vastly superior to my 'Studies of an Apple', circa 1989. It was my first effort with a graphics tablet, after all.
Vincent Van Gogh is an artist I've never 'got' in the past, but looking at his works in the flesh, I can appreciate them.
I really loved 'Church at Auvers-sur-Oise', painted in 1890. I also enjoyed 'Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles', painted a year earlier, in 1889.
However, these were troubled times for him, and on 29 July 1890, he shot himself.
I liked the pointillism of George Seurat, particularly in 'Port-en-Bessin, Port at High Tide' (1888).
The technique was also hinted at in the works of Camille Pissarro - for example in 'The Red Roofs', painted in 1877.
Several works by Henri Rousseau were exhibited, but the only one I liked was 'The Snake Charmer', painted in 1907.
It is mysterious and evokes memories and fears of the jungle.
Sadly, the museum was then closed, and I had to leave. I wish I'd had a few more hours, but there's always next time. You can see more details at the museum's website.
We walked up the river towards Ile de la Cité and crossed at Pont Neuf. After wandering round the isle, we had dinner - a bargain at 7.5€ for hot quiche, a small bottle of wine, and coconut tart to finish. We then visited Notre-Dame.
The cathedral was closed, but the towers were open - and with no queue - so we paid and started climbing. After resisting the blandishments of the heritage gift shop and reading the informational panels about Quasimodo, we continued climbing.
We then walked along the Chimeras gallery, 46 metres high, which runs between the two towers, admiring the chimeras. They were not gargoyles, which are designed to drain rainwater.
After admiring the magnificent views, we visited the south tower belfry. The 13 tonne bell, Emmanuel, is the cathedral's largest, and I wouldn't want to be standing too close when it's ringing. We then went to the top of the tower for some more fantastic views.
After descending the seemingly-interminable spiral staircase, we watched a fire-eater, and some skaters doing ramp jumps for an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd. We were then able to visit the church, which was showing a free film.
After leaving, we walked up to the Opera metro station, and returned to the hotel, exhausted.
Another morning and the sky was blue. This time, we wandered the side streets until we reached Place Charles de Gaulle, and then walked around until we reached Avenue D'Iena. At least, that was the intention, but in my enthusiasm, I went several streets too far.
On our walk, we saw a rather interesting bike, seating, I think, seven. It was attracting a lot of attention.
Retracing my steps, we finally got back to, and walked along, Avenue D'Iena. We approached the tower from the Place du Trocadero, to get the best view possible.
We stopped for a rest and a picnic at Jardins du Trocadero.
I've never made it to the top of the Eiffel tower before, as it has either been closed, or several times, I have been with people who were scared of heights. This time I was determined to get to the top.
We had to wait for a couple of hours, but we made it, and it was worth the wait. We took one lift up to level two, then changed for the second lift to the top at over 900 feet.
The views were as amazing as I had hoped and so was the company. We wandered round the varous exhibitions, including one on the making of the Statue of Liberty and its shipping to the United States. It really was a magnificent edifice.
We had hoped to get to the Cathedral at Chartres, but at least we saw it on the horizon. Another time, perhaps.
We were undecided as to our next stop. So many places to see in a limited time. We had hoped to go to the cemetery at Montparnasse, but it was already gone eight - we'd been at the Tour Eiffel for five hours!
We next thought of the Pompidou Centre, but decided instead to go to Montmartre. We jumped on the metro, and were at Barbès Rochechouart station in half-an-hour.
We planned to go on a ninety minute walk in Montmartre but this plan seemed doomed from the start. After arriving at Barbès Rochechouart, which was overground, we were taken aback a little by Boulevard de Rochechouart. It seemed a seedy area - one that you wouldn't want to be in after dark. Everyone appeared to be staring at us as we hurried by surreptitiously consulting our map. We were pleased when we arrived at Rue Steinkerque as we were now on the route of the walk. We turned left onto Rue d'Orsel, but never reached the leafy square promised on the map.
Instead we were seduced by a restaurant on the left - whose name escapes me - and had a very enjoyable meal. I started with escargots, followed by duck with blackcurrant sauce, and finished with a crème brûlée, whilst Chris opted for cock au vin and crêpe suzette. We accompanied this with a bottle of Beaujolais Villages, and finished with coffee. I developed a real taste for espresso coffee during the trip, and crave one now as I write. This meal was our only real extravagance of the whole trip, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Almost as soon as we sat down, outside but under a canopy, it started to rain, and it continued unabated for the whole meal.
As we left the café, the rain lightened and we walked up a steep flight of steps to Sacré Cœure.
It was beautiful, and we drank in the view and atmosphere before walking back down, next to the Funicular railway, towards Pigalle station, where we caught the metro back to the hotel.
After a good night's sleep, we felt refreshed and in a great mood, ready to make the most of our last day.
The breakfast room at the Cheverny was overwhelmed this morning for some reason. There were not enough tables for everyone, with some people standing at the bar with their croissants. As we tried to clear a recently-vacated table, we were ushered into a hitherto-unseen overspill area. As we sat down with such food as was left - we had not risen at the crack of dawn - we heard a commotion, and it became obvious that some of the guests were not happy. Several of the English guests thought they had received second-rate service, in particular not enough food, and were convinced that it was because they were black. I was bemused by this, as the food was self-service, and the staff were rushing around refilling the service tables as fast as they could. I'm all for complaining when service is sub-standard, but these guests were working themselves into a real frenzy, which had not completely subsided by the time we left, replete.
The sky was still grey, and we decided to go to the Pompidou centre, as it was closed when I arrived - late - on my last trip. Again, I was thwarted, as on Tuesday the Centre Georges Pompidou is closed all day. I was not alone in my ignorance however, as a gaggle of tourists milled disconsolately around.
There was plenty to see in this area though, so we walked to the Place Igor Stravinsky, where there is a contemporary fountain, comprising sixteen kinetic sculptures inspired by Stravinsky's music, created by Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely in 1982-83.
It was a fun place, but I would have liked to see some explanatory signage, giving more information about the elements of the fountain, and how it had come about.
Feeling hungry and a little damp, we repaired to a Crêperie next to the fountain. We had Crêpe Le Celte, flambéed crêpe au Grand Marnier, and espresso coffee. Recommended.
We wandered to a church behind the fountain, St-Merry. There has been a church on this site since the 7th century, and building work is still continuing - or at least restoration. There was an interesting exhibition inside featuring life-size cardboard cutouts, but most of the grafitti was in French - hardly surprising, I know - so I could only understand some of it.
We next walked through Rue de la Ferronniere, where in 1610, Henri IV was assassinated, then spied the Fountaine des Innocents, sadly graffiti-laden, the last Renaissance fountain in Paris, which was designed by Jean Goujon.
I then realised the time - it was nearly on the hour - and we needed to hurry if we were to catch the display of Le Défenseur du Temps, designed by Jacques Monastier.
Unfortunately this thirteen-foot one-tonne monster built in 1999 defends time no more, as it is currently faulty.
The dragon breathes, but no longer battles hourly.
Wandering on, we walked through the giant underground shopping complex Forum des Halles, which I gather is unsafe to walk through at night. The above-ground section was not very exciting, so we decided to move on. We only had a couple of hours free, so thought we'd better not rush down to the famous cemetery at Montparnasse, where lie such luminaries as Samuel Beckett, Camille Saint-Saëns and Charles Baudilaire.
Instead, we walked towards Ile de la Cité, passing an interesting florist by the Seine. We walked round Sainte-Chapelle, which was beautiful, but didn't have time to queue for a look inside. Instead we went past the bird market, past Notre-Dame - again - and over Pont St Louis, to Ile St Louis. This island featured in a book I'd taken to read during the trip, Weekend in Paris, by Robyn Sisman, and it was fun wandering around, drinking in the atmosphere. Chris had taken more rarefied reading matter, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, and delighted in seeing some of the venues mentioned.
Our real discovery was in an amazing shop selling chocolate. I loved the novel, Chocolat, by Joanne Harris, but never understood how wonderful the drink could be.
Drinking chocolate, to me, was always an insipid, chemical, sweet liquid made from cocoa, sugar or artificial sweeteners and preservatives, and water.
Real chocolat chaud comprises melted chocolate of at least 60% cocoa purity and just enough whole or half-cream milk to make it fluid.
Pure bliss. It was just incredible.
All too soon, we had to walk back to Pont Marie metro station, go back to the Cheverny to pick up our cases, and continue to Gare de Nord to get the Eurostar back home.
This trip has made me even more determined to improve my knowledge of the French language, ready for my next visit!
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: © Mike Bliss 2008