July 9: Paris: Marais Quarter and various sites throughout Paris
Dear Friends and Relatives,
I woke up after a dead-to-the-world sleep which was enough to render me fully charged for the day. With four of us sharing the bathroom, I checked all my emails and corresponded, then made sense of all my washed clothes and established piles of what went where. In my humble opinion, there is nothing like having things in order and being able to place your hands on them easily and without having to wrack the brain forever attempting to find that stray ziploc, paper clip or string. Everything being in order, then, I showered and got ready for our walking tour today. Paula and Kay accompanied me. It was wonderful for them to be along, since both know the city and their way around very well, and, to top it all off, speak an excellent French. I pretty much understand everything that is said, but have trouble with slang and require a speaker to slow down when it comes to French, but I am champion when it comes to reading and deciphering signs, my favorite thing to do.
Our first objective was the Marais, located on the RIght Bank, just west of the Bastille. It was largely untouched by Haussmann and modern development, and preserves its magnificent Renaissance “hotels particuliers” and narrow streets, several of which I photographed along the way. The area was little more than a riverside swamp (marais)until the 13th c., when the Knights Templar moved into the northern section and began to drain the land. It became a magnet of the aristocracy in the early 1600s after the construction of the Place des Vosges by Henry IV in 1605. This golden age was relatively short, however, as the aristocracy began to move away after the king took his court to Versailles in the latter part of the 17th c., leaving the grand houses to the trading classes, who were displaced during the Revolution. From then on, the mansions became slum tenements and degenerated into squalor. But restoration proceeded from the 1950s on, and now the quarter is known for its exclusivity, sophistication, and artsyness.
Before the walk, Paula, Kay and I had a mid-morning snack at an outdoor cafe (my order a scrumptious pistachio ice cream topped by a cigarette russe). Then we walked across the street to see the St. Peter and Paul church (Baroque). Afterwards, we proceeded to the Carnavalet Museum, a venue I really wanted to see due to its incredible collection of interior furnishings, especially from the Art Nouveau period. However, the museum is completely closed until September due to renovation. A real disappointment! However, the day was gorgeous, so I decided to soak up the ambiance of Paris through the pavement, walking here and there, photographing interesting shop windows, gates, doors, and windows; stepping into interesting shops devoted to honeys, children’s clothing, chocolates, etc.—all creatively, uniquely, and inevitably wonderfully presented, with a “je ne sais quoi” type of chic which only the Parisians can do quite as well.
For lunch we stopped in a wonderfully named restaurant: “L’elephant du nil” or “The elephant of the Nile.” I had salmon with parsley yogurt sauce and arugula salad on bread, with an accompaniment of a bottle of Orangina. From there we took the metro and got out at the Charles de Gaulle stop, from which we could see both the Arc de Triomphe and the Tour Eiffel. We walked the opposite direction along the Avenue Wagram, turned right and found both the Salle Pleyel and the Russian Orthodox Church. We saw the facade of the Salle Pleyel, which dates back to 1927 and reopened in the autumn of 2006 after a highly-acclaimed renovation. The Art Deco reception hall has been restored to full splendor. We saw the exterior and interior of the Alexander Nevsky Church, which has five golden onion domes, and its sanctuary is filled with remarkable icons.
After that we rushed home, changed clothes, and raced to the subway to get to the Opera Garnier, the famous opera house of Paris which is over-the-top in opulent, 19th c. Belle Epoque style. We met three of Paula’s friends: Jean-Luc, Renee, and Natalie. Jean-Luc had a birthday, and several parties had brought along food. During intermission, Kay and I went to concessions and ordered Taittinger’s champagne, holding three champagne flutes a piece and racing back to where the others were eating. Of course I could have told them we had no time for the champagne, and so we chugged it until we had it almost all finished. The program: Mats Ek, choreographer, adapted Rodion Szechdrin’s “Carmen Suite” to a brilliant ballet. After the intermission, the same group danced to both a Liszt piano sonata and a performance of Ravel’s “Bolero.” I like the first and last one best, but found the second to be tedious. However, coming out from the Garnier, we were met with a beautiful sunset, lights on all over, and people dancing to tango music on the steps of the Garnier. A magic evening I shall never forget!
Need a bit of sleep, as I am exhausted. Tomorrow off to Chartres. As ever, Sylvia. P.S. Facebook pictures will be up in a few minutes.
I woke up after a dead-to-the-world sleep which was enough to render me fully charged for the day. With four of us sharing the bathroom, I checked all my emails and corresponded, then made sense of all my washed clothes and established piles of what went where. In my humble opinion, there is nothing like having things in order and being able to place your hands on them easily and without having to wrack the brain forever attempting to find that stray ziploc, paper clip or string. Everything being in order, then, I showered and got ready for our walking tour today. Paula and Kay accompanied me. It was wonderful for them to be along, since both know the city and their way around very well, and, to top it all off, speak an excellent French. I pretty much understand everything that is said, but have trouble with slang and require a speaker to slow down when it comes to French, but I am champion when it comes to reading and deciphering signs, my favorite thing to do.
Our first objective was the Marais, located on the RIght Bank, just west of the Bastille. It was largely untouched by Haussmann and modern development, and preserves its magnificent Renaissance “hotels particuliers” and narrow streets, several of which I photographed along the way. The area was little more than a riverside swamp (marais)until the 13th c., when the Knights Templar moved into the northern section and began to drain the land. It became a magnet of the aristocracy in the early 1600s after the construction of the Place des Vosges by Henry IV in 1605. This golden age was relatively short, however, as the aristocracy began to move away after the king took his court to Versailles in the latter part of the 17th c., leaving the grand houses to the trading classes, who were displaced during the Revolution. From then on, the mansions became slum tenements and degenerated into squalor. But restoration proceeded from the 1950s on, and now the quarter is known for its exclusivity, sophistication, and artsyness.
Before the walk, Paula, Kay and I had a mid-morning snack at an outdoor cafe (my order a scrumptious pistachio ice cream topped by a cigarette russe). Then we walked across the street to see the St. Peter and Paul church (Baroque). Afterwards, we proceeded to the Carnavalet Museum, a venue I really wanted to see due to its incredible collection of interior furnishings, especially from the Art Nouveau period. However, the museum is completely closed until September due to renovation. A real disappointment! However, the day was gorgeous, so I decided to soak up the ambiance of Paris through the pavement, walking here and there, photographing interesting shop windows, gates, doors, and windows; stepping into interesting shops devoted to honeys, children’s clothing, chocolates, etc.—all creatively, uniquely, and inevitably wonderfully presented, with a “je ne sais quoi” type of chic which only the Parisians can do quite as well.
For lunch we stopped in a wonderfully named restaurant: “L’elephant du nil” or “The elephant of the Nile.” I had salmon with parsley yogurt sauce and arugula salad on bread, with an accompaniment of a bottle of Orangina. From there we took the metro and got out at the Charles de Gaulle stop, from which we could see both the Arc de Triomphe and the Tour Eiffel. We walked the opposite direction along the Avenue Wagram, turned right and found both the Salle Pleyel and the Russian Orthodox Church. We saw the facade of the Salle Pleyel, which dates back to 1927 and reopened in the autumn of 2006 after a highly-acclaimed renovation. The Art Deco reception hall has been restored to full splendor. We saw the exterior and interior of the Alexander Nevsky Church, which has five golden onion domes, and its sanctuary is filled with remarkable icons.
After that we rushed home, changed clothes, and raced to the subway to get to the Opera Garnier, the famous opera house of Paris which is over-the-top in opulent, 19th c. Belle Epoque style. We met three of Paula’s friends: Jean-Luc, Renee, and Natalie. Jean-Luc had a birthday, and several parties had brought along food. During intermission, Kay and I went to concessions and ordered Taittinger’s champagne, holding three champagne flutes a piece and racing back to where the others were eating. Of course I could have told them we had no time for the champagne, and so we chugged it until we had it almost all finished. The program: Mats Ek, choreographer, adapted Rodion Szechdrin’s “Carmen Suite” to a brilliant ballet. After the intermission, the same group danced to both a Liszt piano sonata and a performance of Ravel’s “Bolero.” I like the first and last one best, but found the second to be tedious. However, coming out from the Garnier, we were met with a beautiful sunset, lights on all over, and people dancing to tango music on the steps of the Garnier. A magic evening I shall never forget!
Need a bit of sleep, as I am exhausted. Tomorrow off to Chartres. As ever, Sylvia. P.S. Facebook pictures will be up in a few minutes.
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