Already before I left for Paris I had decided that I wanted to go to see one of Yael Naims concerts when she was to come in November and so I did on 15th. It was at Folies Bergere where Edith Piaf, among many others, used to perform. And I so regretted that I had not brought my camera. The hall of the theater is exceptionally beautiful. But on the positive side I now have a great excuse to go some other time. Yael Naim is an absolutely amazing artist. Very sweet voice, lovely poetic feel to the music and lyrics. And she has a presence on stage like no artist I have ever seen. She looks so genuinely happy that I’m convinced she is. She has fun entertaining the audience and dancing in crazy shoes and getting all of the audience up from their seats and singing along. It was definetely one of the best concerts I have ever been to. So charming and sweet. She has not left my ipod since the concert.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Weekend in Denmark
After our lovely holiday it was very nice to only be back at work for one week and then have a long weekend. It was a national holiday on the 11th of November so that was two days off! On Friday the 7th of November I went to the airport in the afternoon and got on a plane to Denmark. I didn’t arrive in Odense until half past ten in the evening, so I was very tired, but I arrived to a nice milkfree batter for pancakes prepared by my wonderful boyfriend and that’s always good for lifting your spirit!
On Saturday we picked up some photos from the photo store from our holiday because I wanted to get them back with me to Paris. We had ordered one enlargement and I think maybe 15 normal size photos and that’s what we paid for, however when we saw the photos on Sunday all of them were enlargements so we had made a great bargain! In the early afternoon we went to the Zoo to say hello to all the animals who have been missing me for these last couple of months, or at least I have been missing them!
Late in the afternoon we drove along with Jacobs parents to the birthday party venue (his moms 70th), which was really lovely. The food was alright – not usually so when I haven’t cooked myself. Eating has turned very complicated for me having discovered that I am lactose intolerant and can only ocassionally eat very small amounts of dairy products. This spring I ate 100 % vegan and now I have returned to eating a bit of egg and chicken. But I suspect it will only be a matter of time until I become 100 % vegan (for specific health reasons). The birthday party was lovely, however I’m just not that much into the formal-dinner-party-followed-by-dancing. On Sunday we had afternoon coffe at Jacobs parents’ place (her real birthday) and when his dad said that he hoped I had realised I wanted my future wedding celebration to be like that I thought to myself: there is no way I’m doing that. Ever! I want to go to Vegas! However, boyfriend is not buying into that plan!
On Monday I took the train to visit my parents and we had a late celebration of my moms 50th with a nice lunch and lots of gifts imported straight from Paris. Also nice to go for a walk in the forrest with the dogs. Tuesday I flew back to Paris and then had to go to work on Wednesday.
On Saturday we picked up some photos from the photo store from our holiday because I wanted to get them back with me to Paris. We had ordered one enlargement and I think maybe 15 normal size photos and that’s what we paid for, however when we saw the photos on Sunday all of them were enlargements so we had made a great bargain! In the early afternoon we went to the Zoo to say hello to all the animals who have been missing me for these last couple of months, or at least I have been missing them!
Late in the afternoon we drove along with Jacobs parents to the birthday party venue (his moms 70th), which was really lovely. The food was alright – not usually so when I haven’t cooked myself. Eating has turned very complicated for me having discovered that I am lactose intolerant and can only ocassionally eat very small amounts of dairy products. This spring I ate 100 % vegan and now I have returned to eating a bit of egg and chicken. But I suspect it will only be a matter of time until I become 100 % vegan (for specific health reasons). The birthday party was lovely, however I’m just not that much into the formal-dinner-party-followed-by-dancing. On Sunday we had afternoon coffe at Jacobs parents’ place (her real birthday) and when his dad said that he hoped I had realised I wanted my future wedding celebration to be like that I thought to myself: there is no way I’m doing that. Ever! I want to go to Vegas! However, boyfriend is not buying into that plan!
On Monday I took the train to visit my parents and we had a late celebration of my moms 50th with a nice lunch and lots of gifts imported straight from Paris. Also nice to go for a walk in the forrest with the dogs. Tuesday I flew back to Paris and then had to go to work on Wednesday.
African Footprint
On the 5th of November I was going to the Casino de Paris to watch African Footprint. The metro wasn’t running as it should, so I was the one who ended up (almost) running in order to catch the show. And in heels I might add! The intro to the show was a bit boring, however once the real show began it became anything but boring. In contrast to the show at the Moulin Rouge some of these guys did not have that much clothing on and that really revealed their impressive muscles. Lovely! I really recommend that you and see this show if you get the chance somewhere. It’s awesome!
The Casino is a lovely venue for a show like this. I’ve actually been to the Casino once before and eaten a nice lunch in their restaurant and I think doing a before-show or after-show dinner there would be lovely. They have a very beautiful mosaic window in the restaurant which really adds something special to the room.
The Casino is a lovely venue for a show like this. I’ve actually been to the Casino once before and eaten a nice lunch in their restaurant and I think doing a before-show or after-show dinner there would be lovely. They have a very beautiful mosaic window in the restaurant which really adds something special to the room.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Tour Eiffel
On Sunday (2nd of November) we headed for the Catacombs once more and once more we gave up! The lines were exceptionally long and since there can only be 200 people inside at any given time and there were already 175 in there at that point, we estimated that it would take at least a couple of hours of waiting – something we did not desire at all.
We decided to go to the Eiffel tower instead and walked up to the second floor from where you have to take the elevator to the third, which of course we did. However, I like the second floor more than the third because the third always seems so crowded due to its small size. Of course it’s fascinating being so high up and all, but I like to have some space around me!
We ended up going home already in the middle of the afternoon because I wanted to get a little downtime to get some energy for going back to work the next day. We watched the last episodes of the first season of Dirt on dvd and cooked at home. So the last day of our wonderful holiday was spent very leisurely.
We decided to go to the Eiffel tower instead and walked up to the second floor from where you have to take the elevator to the third, which of course we did. However, I like the second floor more than the third because the third always seems so crowded due to its small size. Of course it’s fascinating being so high up and all, but I like to have some space around me!
We ended up going home already in the middle of the afternoon because I wanted to get a little downtime to get some energy for going back to work the next day. We watched the last episodes of the first season of Dirt on dvd and cooked at home. So the last day of our wonderful holiday was spent very leisurely.
Sartre & Le Train Bleu
On Saturday (1st of November) we wanted to go and visit the Catacombs however they were closed (I had suspected this since it was a national holiday) but we decided to give it a shot anyway. It rained pretty much cats and dogs, however we decided to go to Cemetiere Montparnasse, which is very close. So we sort of got our sightseeing in the land of the dead anyway. How is that for weird? Well actually I don’t think that’s weird at all. At home we often cross the cemetery when we are out walking and in my mind I think it must be nice for the people buried there to hear actual living people speaking. I know it’s sort of stupid, but from an emotional point of view I find it comforting. From a realistic point of view I find it very comforting that when you’re dead you’re not the one who is sorry about it. You’re just gone and that’s it.
We found Sartres grave which was our goal, even though none of us are great fans of Sarte. To me he was one of these pretend-to-be-philosophers. Or maybe I’m just not smart enough to understand him. You decide what you think ;-) But I’ll prefer Descartes or Rousseau anytime when speaking of French philosophers.
We got take away food from a great eco bakery at the end of Rue Mouffetard and then headed over to the Museum of Natural History because we wanted to see the Musee d’Homme which has Descartes brain on display. However when we got there there was a huge line, since it was autumn holiday in France during that week, and a warning posted outside that there could be lines after the ticket office to get into the exhibition as well so we gave up on it and we’ll go another time. Actually we didn’t really do anymore during the day as it was raining so heavily, we just walked through the Jardin des Plantes and took the metro back and relaxed for a couple of hours before dressing up for dinner.
And dinner was just awesome. We had reservations for 8 o’clock at Le Train Bleu which is just the most beautiful restaurant I’ve ever dined in and the most expensive I think! But well worth it. Le Train Bleu is a historical monument. It opened in 1901 and was renamed Le Train Bleu in 1963 after the legendary train service that brought the Parisian upper class to the Riviera in summer. It has had guests such as Coco Chanel, Jean Cocteau, Dali, Brigitte Bardot and last but not least the lovely Jean Gabin (whom I just adore in La Grande Illusion from 1937). We ordered a great salad for entré, Jacob ordered the beef fillet and I ordered the grilled vegetables, both dishes were outstanding. For dessert I tried the rhum baba, which was very “rhummy” meaning that I think I would have gotten drunk had I eaten all of it (it was huge and they poored a lot of rum on it). Jacob got the profiteroles, which I think are a bit wrong when served with ice cream in them but apart from that I love profiteroles very much! All in all one more very lovely evening ending, with the short walk back in the crisp cold Parisian November night.
We found Sartres grave which was our goal, even though none of us are great fans of Sarte. To me he was one of these pretend-to-be-philosophers. Or maybe I’m just not smart enough to understand him. You decide what you think ;-) But I’ll prefer Descartes or Rousseau anytime when speaking of French philosophers.
We got take away food from a great eco bakery at the end of Rue Mouffetard and then headed over to the Museum of Natural History because we wanted to see the Musee d’Homme which has Descartes brain on display. However when we got there there was a huge line, since it was autumn holiday in France during that week, and a warning posted outside that there could be lines after the ticket office to get into the exhibition as well so we gave up on it and we’ll go another time. Actually we didn’t really do anymore during the day as it was raining so heavily, we just walked through the Jardin des Plantes and took the metro back and relaxed for a couple of hours before dressing up for dinner.
And dinner was just awesome. We had reservations for 8 o’clock at Le Train Bleu which is just the most beautiful restaurant I’ve ever dined in and the most expensive I think! But well worth it. Le Train Bleu is a historical monument. It opened in 1901 and was renamed Le Train Bleu in 1963 after the legendary train service that brought the Parisian upper class to the Riviera in summer. It has had guests such as Coco Chanel, Jean Cocteau, Dali, Brigitte Bardot and last but not least the lovely Jean Gabin (whom I just adore in La Grande Illusion from 1937). We ordered a great salad for entré, Jacob ordered the beef fillet and I ordered the grilled vegetables, both dishes were outstanding. For dessert I tried the rhum baba, which was very “rhummy” meaning that I think I would have gotten drunk had I eaten all of it (it was huge and they poored a lot of rum on it). Jacob got the profiteroles, which I think are a bit wrong when served with ice cream in them but apart from that I love profiteroles very much! All in all one more very lovely evening ending, with the short walk back in the crisp cold Parisian November night.
Montmartre & Moulin Rouge
PICTURE: The "I Love You-Wall" just behind Place des Abesses. A great place for kissing! Notice the Danish: Jeg elsker dig just above the German: Ich liebe Dich.
On Friday (31st of October) we headed for Montmartre and started out scouting the souvenir shops on the street going towards the hill from the Anvers metro station. Lots of kitsch yes, but I did find a couple of items I liked. Just didn’t want to buy them right there and then and have to drag them along all day. That’s the good thing about living here – I can return when it’s more convenient.
We took nice pictures of the carrousel beneath the stairs up to Sacre Cæur and lots more on our way up. We went inside the church, which is really one of the most beautiful churches ever. Afterwards we walked a bit in the area near the church were I found my new green hat in a nice little shop. It’s a bit big but at ten euros and in freezing weather I decided it would be a good deal anyway.
After that we did the obligatory stroll through the Place du Tertre, which looses some of its charm in the cold, but the advantage is that there is more space to actually look at the paintings and the artists who are drawing pictures of people. We then went down to the Rue Lepic and saw the Café les Deux Moulins were Amelie works in the Fabolous Life of Amelie Poulain. If you haven’t seen it yet, this is a movie you absolutely have to see. It’s a very intelligent and beautiful love story, modern but still with some of the adventure and beauty which is otherwise only seen in old movies.
The adventure we had next on our list was to go to Antoine et Lili in Rue des Martyrs to find a very special dress for an important birthday party. Browsing through the clothing racks in this store will improve your mood no matter what. Their clothing is very special and a lot of it comes in very intense colours. I think I gathered five different pieces and as soon as I had tried the first one on the sales assistant said that it wouldn’t work. Which I complely agreed with. It made me look like a hippopotamus. There was actually something really reassuring about his behaviour – I’m absolutely sure that he wouldn’t have let my buy a dress which didn’t look great on me. The second dress I tried on was great, but not fancy enough for the birthday party. I might go back another day to buy it but before I even entered the store I had said to myself that I would only be allowed to buy one item and one item only as their clothes are quite pricey.
The third dress was the dress! A lovely green Asian-inspired creation made of dark green heavy silk. There was no doubt about it. This was going to be my dress for the party. I just loved the way the sales assistant spoke to me as if I were actually a trendy person, I who usually just throw something on and then that’s just it! He sure knew how to make the customer feel good and make her return, which I absolutely will. They have so many great items there. And I loved that he gave suggestions for various ways to style the dress without trying to sell me more stuff. After buying the dress I was so happy that I made Jacob take some snapshots of me being genuinely happy! After that we visited a shop in the Rue des Trois Freres were I have bought a nice day dress on another occasion but this time there was absolutely nothing interesting. Which I guess was lucky for my wallet!
Now it was time to go to the lovely maison de thé in Rue des Abesses, where I have gotten nice crêpes earlier. This time I decided to have crêpes with honey and lemon. This was a great combination. The room is so lovely decorated and it’s just so nice to make a stop there. Before the visit we were actually panicking a bit about what to buy Jacobs mom, for whom the grand birthday party was to be. And things turned out to be as they always are. Once we had given up for the day and retired to the tea house we found a lovely shop just next door and went in just to look, not actually thinking about the present at all and then I found a nice red leather bag which would just be perfect for her. She has a really cool style, effortlesly stylish and trendy despite her age and even though this is a “young” shop I just knew she would like it. We then decided to also buy her the Moulin Rouge perfume and returned to their shop, which we had visited earlier in the day, and tested it. It’s great. I want it for myself as well!
Then it was time to go back home and change into fancier clothing. We returned to Montmartre for our 20 o’clock reservations at Chez Svetlana, which I just love and finished our meal just in time to go for a walk in the area before the grand event of the evening: the Moulin Rouge show. Walking in the Boulevard Clichy on a Friday night really is a bit different from walking on most streets. Every 25 meters someone offers you to go inside to see a live show. And you hear all over “ladies free, ladies free.” Well not this time for us anyway! Also there are a lot of sex shop with many items on display in their windows.
At 22.30 we went to stand in line outside the theater as the show began at 23.00. Standing in line I noticed this American couple of whom I thought “she’s only with him because he has a lot of money,” and “he is only with her because she is young and has had breast implants” and so forth. As it happened we were placed at the same table as them and got to talk with them before the show and I just loved the fact that they disproved all my prejudices about them. They were so lovely people both of them and really interesting to talk to. I just love it when that happens because the next time your thoughts about another person is based on prejudice you’ll say to yourself, it might not really be the way things seem.
The show was awesome and I even liked the champagne which came along with it – and I only like it when it’s very sweet. The girls were very sexy. All the guys were of course gays and I can say that with some certainty as I’m actually one of these people who realise that not all dancers are gay. My brother used to be a dancer and he is very straight! One of the male dancers however was a bit hot but the problem is that the guys wear too much clothing. That isn’t fair! ;-) Apart from the dance acts there were also acrobats, who were absolutely amazing, and a magician and lots of other acts. The show didn’t end until 1.30 and we hurried to the metro station as the metro ends at 2 o’clock. We returned home very happy about this day and we’re happy that we were lucky enough to get to see the show, as my mom and dad had given us the tickets as an early Christmas present as they’re so expensive. But they’re so worth it!
We took nice pictures of the carrousel beneath the stairs up to Sacre Cæur and lots more on our way up. We went inside the church, which is really one of the most beautiful churches ever. Afterwards we walked a bit in the area near the church were I found my new green hat in a nice little shop. It’s a bit big but at ten euros and in freezing weather I decided it would be a good deal anyway.
After that we did the obligatory stroll through the Place du Tertre, which looses some of its charm in the cold, but the advantage is that there is more space to actually look at the paintings and the artists who are drawing pictures of people. We then went down to the Rue Lepic and saw the Café les Deux Moulins were Amelie works in the Fabolous Life of Amelie Poulain. If you haven’t seen it yet, this is a movie you absolutely have to see. It’s a very intelligent and beautiful love story, modern but still with some of the adventure and beauty which is otherwise only seen in old movies.
The adventure we had next on our list was to go to Antoine et Lili in Rue des Martyrs to find a very special dress for an important birthday party. Browsing through the clothing racks in this store will improve your mood no matter what. Their clothing is very special and a lot of it comes in very intense colours. I think I gathered five different pieces and as soon as I had tried the first one on the sales assistant said that it wouldn’t work. Which I complely agreed with. It made me look like a hippopotamus. There was actually something really reassuring about his behaviour – I’m absolutely sure that he wouldn’t have let my buy a dress which didn’t look great on me. The second dress I tried on was great, but not fancy enough for the birthday party. I might go back another day to buy it but before I even entered the store I had said to myself that I would only be allowed to buy one item and one item only as their clothes are quite pricey.
The third dress was the dress! A lovely green Asian-inspired creation made of dark green heavy silk. There was no doubt about it. This was going to be my dress for the party. I just loved the way the sales assistant spoke to me as if I were actually a trendy person, I who usually just throw something on and then that’s just it! He sure knew how to make the customer feel good and make her return, which I absolutely will. They have so many great items there. And I loved that he gave suggestions for various ways to style the dress without trying to sell me more stuff. After buying the dress I was so happy that I made Jacob take some snapshots of me being genuinely happy! After that we visited a shop in the Rue des Trois Freres were I have bought a nice day dress on another occasion but this time there was absolutely nothing interesting. Which I guess was lucky for my wallet!
Now it was time to go to the lovely maison de thé in Rue des Abesses, where I have gotten nice crêpes earlier. This time I decided to have crêpes with honey and lemon. This was a great combination. The room is so lovely decorated and it’s just so nice to make a stop there. Before the visit we were actually panicking a bit about what to buy Jacobs mom, for whom the grand birthday party was to be. And things turned out to be as they always are. Once we had given up for the day and retired to the tea house we found a lovely shop just next door and went in just to look, not actually thinking about the present at all and then I found a nice red leather bag which would just be perfect for her. She has a really cool style, effortlesly stylish and trendy despite her age and even though this is a “young” shop I just knew she would like it. We then decided to also buy her the Moulin Rouge perfume and returned to their shop, which we had visited earlier in the day, and tested it. It’s great. I want it for myself as well!
Then it was time to go back home and change into fancier clothing. We returned to Montmartre for our 20 o’clock reservations at Chez Svetlana, which I just love and finished our meal just in time to go for a walk in the area before the grand event of the evening: the Moulin Rouge show. Walking in the Boulevard Clichy on a Friday night really is a bit different from walking on most streets. Every 25 meters someone offers you to go inside to see a live show. And you hear all over “ladies free, ladies free.” Well not this time for us anyway! Also there are a lot of sex shop with many items on display in their windows.
At 22.30 we went to stand in line outside the theater as the show began at 23.00. Standing in line I noticed this American couple of whom I thought “she’s only with him because he has a lot of money,” and “he is only with her because she is young and has had breast implants” and so forth. As it happened we were placed at the same table as them and got to talk with them before the show and I just loved the fact that they disproved all my prejudices about them. They were so lovely people both of them and really interesting to talk to. I just love it when that happens because the next time your thoughts about another person is based on prejudice you’ll say to yourself, it might not really be the way things seem.
The show was awesome and I even liked the champagne which came along with it – and I only like it when it’s very sweet. The girls were very sexy. All the guys were of course gays and I can say that with some certainty as I’m actually one of these people who realise that not all dancers are gay. My brother used to be a dancer and he is very straight! One of the male dancers however was a bit hot but the problem is that the guys wear too much clothing. That isn’t fair! ;-) Apart from the dance acts there were also acrobats, who were absolutely amazing, and a magician and lots of other acts. The show didn’t end until 1.30 and we hurried to the metro station as the metro ends at 2 o’clock. We returned home very happy about this day and we’re happy that we were lucky enough to get to see the show, as my mom and dad had given us the tickets as an early Christmas present as they’re so expensive. But they’re so worth it!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Château Versailles
On Thursday (30th of October) we went to the Château Versailles. It’s a little less than an hours trainride from Paris to Versailles, however we had to change trains because the traffic was irregular (as always!). When you arrive to Versailles it takes less than ten minutes to walk to the castle. I was actually a bit surprised that it is so near the rest of the city. We waited in line for more than an hour to buy tickets and it was freezing, so I would certainly recommend buying tickets in advance. For instance at the FNAC.
We did however finally make it to the front of the line and decided to have the castle tickets sans Marie Antoinettes estate, which proved to be the right decision because the weather was really against us in the afternoon! The castle is very impressive, but we had both thought that there would be a lot more to see. Maybe I will go back another time to do the 1½ hour guided tour that takes you into rooms that are otherwise not open to the public. It was really interesting to walk around these old rooms and imagine the lives of the people who lived here. I’ve been thinking a lot about a certain concept lately. Actually I think it’s something my brother said that started this line of thinking. He had read Homer’s Odyssey and he was surprised that the story – despite its age – was so sophisticated and portrayed reality with just as much accuracy and insight that we write today. That has made me think about the real people, who only live on in our minds as historical characters in books. They were real people too and had real emotions that were probably not so different from what the rest of us feel, if any different at all. Of course they were surrounded by different circumstances, but I don’t think that the fear Marie Antoinette must have felt is any different than the fear people would experience today if their lives and existence were threathened. It makes for a more intense exploration of the castle, when you keep that in mind. Especially visiting the beedroom from where she fled was a very special experience.
My interest in Marie Antoinette, which has always been there in some way, was sparked further by the book I got from my cousin Michael for Christmas a couple of years ago (Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser). It is very insightful, well written and it’s supposed to be well researched as well. I spend a good part of the end of June 2007 reading this book at my lovely terrace after exams were finally over and I can tell you it was a real treat! Also the film directed by Sophia Coppola is lovely, even more because the role of Marie Antoinette is played by Kirsten Dunst whom I just love.
The only downside to visiting the castle (except for the lines if you haven’t bought a ticket in advance) is that it’s very crowded, so its hard to take great photos inside. But at least you’re actually allowed to do photos and that’s just great! Another thing which is worth paying attention to is that if you exit the castle and the courtyard you cannot re-enter. We exited after visiting the castle to go and have lunch at the café and then we couldn’t re-enter to visit the souvenir shop. We managed however to get into the bookshop from where a friendly member of the staff led is into the castle again. The souvenir shop wasn’t that impressive however, and I’d say that you get more out of spending money in the bookshop, which was really nice and had Antonia Frasers book in stock as well!
Then it was time to visit the grand garden, however as I mentioned earlier the weather turned on us. From being simply very cold to being very cold and very rainy. So our visit to the garden was limited to a short 45 minute walk and the pictures we took there (including the one above) were taken while we alternated holding the umbrella over each others head!
Coming back to Paris we went back to the appartment and went online to search for an interesting place to have dinner. We found the Curieux Spaghetti Bar but once we found it we decided against it because the music was too loud. I’m sure we will go another time because the menu and the interior design is quite interesting, however after freezing most of the day and ending up being quite tired it was just not the evening for a “we’re-eating-in-a-trendy-disco” dinner. Another time. We ended up heading back to our new favorite Le Diable des Lombards and I ate exactly the same wonderful club sandwich once again.
We did however finally make it to the front of the line and decided to have the castle tickets sans Marie Antoinettes estate, which proved to be the right decision because the weather was really against us in the afternoon! The castle is very impressive, but we had both thought that there would be a lot more to see. Maybe I will go back another time to do the 1½ hour guided tour that takes you into rooms that are otherwise not open to the public. It was really interesting to walk around these old rooms and imagine the lives of the people who lived here. I’ve been thinking a lot about a certain concept lately. Actually I think it’s something my brother said that started this line of thinking. He had read Homer’s Odyssey and he was surprised that the story – despite its age – was so sophisticated and portrayed reality with just as much accuracy and insight that we write today. That has made me think about the real people, who only live on in our minds as historical characters in books. They were real people too and had real emotions that were probably not so different from what the rest of us feel, if any different at all. Of course they were surrounded by different circumstances, but I don’t think that the fear Marie Antoinette must have felt is any different than the fear people would experience today if their lives and existence were threathened. It makes for a more intense exploration of the castle, when you keep that in mind. Especially visiting the beedroom from where she fled was a very special experience.
My interest in Marie Antoinette, which has always been there in some way, was sparked further by the book I got from my cousin Michael for Christmas a couple of years ago (Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser). It is very insightful, well written and it’s supposed to be well researched as well. I spend a good part of the end of June 2007 reading this book at my lovely terrace after exams were finally over and I can tell you it was a real treat! Also the film directed by Sophia Coppola is lovely, even more because the role of Marie Antoinette is played by Kirsten Dunst whom I just love.
The only downside to visiting the castle (except for the lines if you haven’t bought a ticket in advance) is that it’s very crowded, so its hard to take great photos inside. But at least you’re actually allowed to do photos and that’s just great! Another thing which is worth paying attention to is that if you exit the castle and the courtyard you cannot re-enter. We exited after visiting the castle to go and have lunch at the café and then we couldn’t re-enter to visit the souvenir shop. We managed however to get into the bookshop from where a friendly member of the staff led is into the castle again. The souvenir shop wasn’t that impressive however, and I’d say that you get more out of spending money in the bookshop, which was really nice and had Antonia Frasers book in stock as well!
Then it was time to visit the grand garden, however as I mentioned earlier the weather turned on us. From being simply very cold to being very cold and very rainy. So our visit to the garden was limited to a short 45 minute walk and the pictures we took there (including the one above) were taken while we alternated holding the umbrella over each others head!
Coming back to Paris we went back to the appartment and went online to search for an interesting place to have dinner. We found the Curieux Spaghetti Bar but once we found it we decided against it because the music was too loud. I’m sure we will go another time because the menu and the interior design is quite interesting, however after freezing most of the day and ending up being quite tired it was just not the evening for a “we’re-eating-in-a-trendy-disco” dinner. Another time. We ended up heading back to our new favorite Le Diable des Lombards and I ate exactly the same wonderful club sandwich once again.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Louvre, Tuilleries, Concorde & Champs Elysees
On this day (Wednesday 29th October) it was very cold in the morning and we did some misty shots of us in front of the Pyramid at the Louvre and, not least, in front of the Chevaux Marly which along with Napoleons appartment (in the picture above) is my favorite places in the Louvre. Besides the Marly horses and Napoleons appartment we also visited the section on Mesopotamic art, a bit of the section on Egypt and large format french paintings and of course Mona Lisa.
I have never experienced the Louvre as crowded at it was this day, but of course it makes a difference that this week was also a school holiday here in France. After the visit we strolled through the Tuilleries and bought sandwiches which we could actually sit outside eating because as the day went by the sun did it’s best to warm up Paris. After that we walked to the Place de Concorde and up the Champs Elysees where we browsed through the Adidas and Nike shops.
Then we went home to change into nicer clothes and left again headed for Champs Elysees for the opening of an exhibition in the Maison du Danemark called Marinus et Marianne. It was satirical pictures made by the arist Marinus for the Magazine Marianne until spring 1940. He manipulated photographies and showed Hitler in very compromising situations, for instance as a ballet dancer. He also made Hitler sit down with Roosevelt to play cards.
After that we went to the area around Les Halles and found Le Diable des Lombards which has the best hot club sandwich I’ve ever had. Okay, maybe second best, I don’t know, there is tough competition from the one at Froggys in Odense, Denmark, but the two are worlds apart and sans comparaison. I recommend them both! Le Diable was decorated for Haloween – it is an American inspired restaurant after all!
I have never experienced the Louvre as crowded at it was this day, but of course it makes a difference that this week was also a school holiday here in France. After the visit we strolled through the Tuilleries and bought sandwiches which we could actually sit outside eating because as the day went by the sun did it’s best to warm up Paris. After that we walked to the Place de Concorde and up the Champs Elysees where we browsed through the Adidas and Nike shops.
Then we went home to change into nicer clothes and left again headed for Champs Elysees for the opening of an exhibition in the Maison du Danemark called Marinus et Marianne. It was satirical pictures made by the arist Marinus for the Magazine Marianne until spring 1940. He manipulated photographies and showed Hitler in very compromising situations, for instance as a ballet dancer. He also made Hitler sit down with Roosevelt to play cards.
After that we went to the area around Les Halles and found Le Diable des Lombards which has the best hot club sandwich I’ve ever had. Okay, maybe second best, I don’t know, there is tough competition from the one at Froggys in Odense, Denmark, but the two are worlds apart and sans comparaison. I recommend them both! Le Diable was decorated for Haloween – it is an American inspired restaurant after all!
Forum des Halles, Printemps, Galleries Lafayette & a funny Cartoon Shop
This day (Tuesday 28th October) was all about shopping, or at least “lêche vitrine” as Printemps and Galleries Lafayette mainly carry extremely expensive items such as Valentino dresses that cost about 4000 Euro and upwards. The day however started with browsing the Les Halles district and watching the odd Pompidou center from the outside. I’ve been inside before and for me the main attraction was the outside escalators. At least on that day but they have lots of temporary exhibitions that changes all the time. So I might give it a try another day again, but I guess a lot of it is just too modern and modern in a way I don’t really like.
Jacob insisted on visiting Forum des Halles which I find a bit boring but of course we went to see it anyway. I think some of the architectural ideas are good but in my opinion they end up not being so well executed as they should have been. Despite their great efforts at getting natural light several floors down it still seems dull and dark inside. The contrast to Printemps and Galleries Lafayette which we visited afterwards is very stark. The two department stores are very grand indeed and it is interesting to browse the clothes there and get some new great ideas for styling. However at some point I got enough of looking at high fashion that I cannot afford to buy anyway and I just wanted to get out!
On the way back we passed by the Opera Garnier which is a very beatiful building and then we took the metro to one of our favorite crêpe makers near Place St. Michel. We walked back home and found a funny store on the way which sold cartoon figures, especially lots of Tintin stuff which Jacob was very excited about!
On the way back we passed by the Opera Garnier which is a very beatiful building and then we took the metro to one of our favorite crêpe makers near Place St. Michel. We walked back home and found a funny store on the way which sold cartoon figures, especially lots of Tintin stuff which Jacob was very excited about!
Rousseau, Foucaults Pendulum and Shakespeare & Co.
On Monday (27th of October) we went to see the Saint-Sulpice where Silas murders the nun in the Da Vinci Code. The Catholic Church however denied Ron Howard permission to shoot inside the church so they recreated the church as a computer-generated virtual set from pictures taken inside the church. I like this church very much. Some people find it to dark and depressing but I like the sweet melancholy of its darkness. Afterwards we went to the Jardin du Luxembourg where d’Artagnan duelled in Alexandre Dumas novel The Three Musketeers. On the picture above is the beautiful Fontaine de Médicis.
From the garden we walked to the Pantheon and this time visited the inside and saw Foucaults pendulum. It was Léon Foucault who made the pendulum in 1851 as an experiment to show that the Earth rotates. It consists of a 28 kilo ball suspended on a 67 meter wire from the ceiling of the Pantheon. At that time it was already well known that the Earth rotates, however Foucaults pendulum was the first dynamic experiment to show it to the skeptics! After admiring the pendulum we climbed the stairs to visit the dome which reveals an incredible view of the city. Upon descending the many stairs we paid our respects at Rousseaus tomb and at other famous people’s tombs: Voltaires, Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugos in the Crypt.
Then it was time for walking in the rain towards one of the main attractions in Paris: Shakespeare and Company, the lovely bookshop owned by George Whitman. I had saved this one for Jacobs visit and of course when you’re booklovers it’s quite romantic to visit a very special bookshop in the rainy afternoon. This visit left me feeling that I could be perfectly happy owning a bookshop like this and doing my own writing on the side. After the bookshopping we walked to Notre Dame which is so incredibly beautiful.
One more word about the bookstore: George Whitman opened the bookstore in 1951 and since then it is said that more than 50.000 people have slept there, as George invites writers to stay with him. All you have to do is work a couple of hours every day in the bookstore and read one book a day. I even read he makes crêpes with homemade syrup for his guests on Sundays. Sounds like an exciting way to spend some time in Paris!
The original Shakespeare and Co. which was situated near the Odeon Theatre was owned by Sylvia Beach who edited and published James Joyce’s Ulysses in 1922. It was frequented by the “lost generation” which counted Ernest Hemmingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald among others. It was closed in 1941 because Beach denied selling her last copy of Ulysses’ Finnegans Wake to a Nazi officer.
From the garden we walked to the Pantheon and this time visited the inside and saw Foucaults pendulum. It was Léon Foucault who made the pendulum in 1851 as an experiment to show that the Earth rotates. It consists of a 28 kilo ball suspended on a 67 meter wire from the ceiling of the Pantheon. At that time it was already well known that the Earth rotates, however Foucaults pendulum was the first dynamic experiment to show it to the skeptics! After admiring the pendulum we climbed the stairs to visit the dome which reveals an incredible view of the city. Upon descending the many stairs we paid our respects at Rousseaus tomb and at other famous people’s tombs: Voltaires, Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugos in the Crypt.
Then it was time for walking in the rain towards one of the main attractions in Paris: Shakespeare and Company, the lovely bookshop owned by George Whitman. I had saved this one for Jacobs visit and of course when you’re booklovers it’s quite romantic to visit a very special bookshop in the rainy afternoon. This visit left me feeling that I could be perfectly happy owning a bookshop like this and doing my own writing on the side. After the bookshopping we walked to Notre Dame which is so incredibly beautiful.
One more word about the bookstore: George Whitman opened the bookstore in 1951 and since then it is said that more than 50.000 people have slept there, as George invites writers to stay with him. All you have to do is work a couple of hours every day in the bookstore and read one book a day. I even read he makes crêpes with homemade syrup for his guests on Sundays. Sounds like an exciting way to spend some time in Paris!
The original Shakespeare and Co. which was situated near the Odeon Theatre was owned by Sylvia Beach who edited and published James Joyce’s Ulysses in 1922. It was frequented by the “lost generation” which counted Ernest Hemmingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald among others. It was closed in 1941 because Beach denied selling her last copy of Ulysses’ Finnegans Wake to a Nazi officer.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Tigers, acrobats, horses and clowns!
Yes, we went to the circus on Sunday in the opening weekend of the Cirque d’Hiver, but before that we took the metro to La Muette and went for a nice Sunday promenade around Lac Inferiuer and in the Jardin Pre-Catalan in the Bois de Bologne. The circus however was the highlight of the day. It was simply magnificent.
They opened with their tiger act: two normal-coloured tigers and one giant white male tiger. The show was amazing and the tigers were extremely beautiful and it just made me cry because I get what it is about - working with animals – it’s about trust, respecting the animal and still being the one in power and it’s a beatiful thing. Even though I have only worked with horses and they are not dangerous per se, such as a tiger, it’s still pretty much the same thing really. And it made me cry because it’s such a terrible thing when your life evolves around one thing, such as working with horses, and you have to give it up to accomplish something else. I gave up my horses to travel abroad and even though I hate not having a horse now going to Switzerland was the best thing I have ever done in my life. Thank you very much to the lovely Schuler family who made it such an incredible experience. I wouldn’t want to change a single thing about our year together.
Back to the circus. Of course there were horses at the circus as well. A very beautiful white horse that was a bit stubborn. I don’t know if the rest of the audience noticed it that much but it did not want to do what she wanted it to. There were also six lovely ones in the same very rare colour and they did great however. Aside from the animal acts there were of course clowns and they were very good. I think it’s good for the soul to be able to have a child-like enthusiasm for clowns. Another thing very different from any circus I have ever seen was a group of rollerscate people, they were really good and their act was extremely nervewracking.
After the circus we walked back to the Place de Bastille and ate at Café Indiana, whose Chicken Curry has become one of my favorites.
They opened with their tiger act: two normal-coloured tigers and one giant white male tiger. The show was amazing and the tigers were extremely beautiful and it just made me cry because I get what it is about - working with animals – it’s about trust, respecting the animal and still being the one in power and it’s a beatiful thing. Even though I have only worked with horses and they are not dangerous per se, such as a tiger, it’s still pretty much the same thing really. And it made me cry because it’s such a terrible thing when your life evolves around one thing, such as working with horses, and you have to give it up to accomplish something else. I gave up my horses to travel abroad and even though I hate not having a horse now going to Switzerland was the best thing I have ever done in my life. Thank you very much to the lovely Schuler family who made it such an incredible experience. I wouldn’t want to change a single thing about our year together.
Back to the circus. Of course there were horses at the circus as well. A very beautiful white horse that was a bit stubborn. I don’t know if the rest of the audience noticed it that much but it did not want to do what she wanted it to. There were also six lovely ones in the same very rare colour and they did great however. Aside from the animal acts there were of course clowns and they were very good. I think it’s good for the soul to be able to have a child-like enthusiasm for clowns. Another thing very different from any circus I have ever seen was a group of rollerscate people, they were really good and their act was extremely nervewracking.
After the circus we walked back to the Place de Bastille and ate at Café Indiana, whose Chicken Curry has become one of my favorites.
Litterary Loop in the Latin Quarter
On Saturday we let ourselves be inspired by Lonely Planets walking tour suggestion in the Latin Quarter, with lots of detours of course. I have always had a biased relationship with guide books. On the one hand I totally love them because I love to dream about other places and on the other hand I loathe them because they remind me of tourism. Just the other day I read an article on souvenir-shopping which argued that there a two ways of shopping for items in another country. One is to buy the obvious tourist crap and the other way is not to. I pride myself with mainly buying items that are “Paris” or “Berlin” or “Barcelona” or whereever to me but don’t scream souvenirs. I don’t want to be a tourist because that’s not the way you really experience anything true or authentic. I guess that’s why I tend to stay longer abroad instead. I am more curious and I am not truly satisfied by the tourist experience. I want to be a traveller, not a tourist.
As you can see I have a biased relationsship to tourism and guide books, however I have improved my relation to the suggested walking trips in some of them and hence we set of to the Latin Quarter inspired by Lonely Planet. What I like about using the guide books this way is that you actually get some useful information on the places you pass by on your walk.
Now I know for example where Hemmingway lived from January 1922 to August 1923 with his wife, where he wrote “Farewell to Arms” and where he hung out. I also know where Sylvia Beach edited and published James Joyce’s Ulysses and later denied selling a copy to a Nazi officer in the original Shakespeare and Co bookstore which was then closed. We missed out on the hotel where Oscar Wilde died of meningitis but we will find that next time. After many hours and half of the walk in the book and a lot of detours we went window licking in Rue Mouffetard (window shopping in French is called leche vitrine and litterally means window licking, cute isn’t it?). Lots of lovely food and clothes shops and nice looking restaurants. Afterwards we went towards Place St. Michel and bought great crêpes on the way and walked home over Ile de la Cité and Ile St. Louis.
In the evening we went walking in the Marais and ate a great Italian Restaurant called Jardin du Marais. Afterwards we went to the Hôtel de Ville and recreated our own version of Robert Doisneau’s famous photograph “The Kiss” and I must say we succeeded pretty well but this blog is only a censured account of life in Paris so I’ll leave it out ;-) Afterwards we walked home along the other bank of the Seine and did some more censured pictures!
As you can see I have a biased relationsship to tourism and guide books, however I have improved my relation to the suggested walking trips in some of them and hence we set of to the Latin Quarter inspired by Lonely Planet. What I like about using the guide books this way is that you actually get some useful information on the places you pass by on your walk.
Now I know for example where Hemmingway lived from January 1922 to August 1923 with his wife, where he wrote “Farewell to Arms” and where he hung out. I also know where Sylvia Beach edited and published James Joyce’s Ulysses and later denied selling a copy to a Nazi officer in the original Shakespeare and Co bookstore which was then closed. We missed out on the hotel where Oscar Wilde died of meningitis but we will find that next time. After many hours and half of the walk in the book and a lot of detours we went window licking in Rue Mouffetard (window shopping in French is called leche vitrine and litterally means window licking, cute isn’t it?). Lots of lovely food and clothes shops and nice looking restaurants. Afterwards we went towards Place St. Michel and bought great crêpes on the way and walked home over Ile de la Cité and Ile St. Louis.
In the evening we went walking in the Marais and ate a great Italian Restaurant called Jardin du Marais. Afterwards we went to the Hôtel de Ville and recreated our own version of Robert Doisneau’s famous photograph “The Kiss” and I must say we succeeded pretty well but this blog is only a censured account of life in Paris so I’ll leave it out ;-) Afterwards we walked home along the other bank of the Seine and did some more censured pictures!
Dinner at Place Vosges
Friday my boyfriend Jacob arrived – a little later than planned because the traffic on the RER B from Charles de Gaulle was ”interrompe”- a word one doesn’t want to hear here. Usually it means that traffic goes on but becomes very delayed. However he finally did arrive and we went out to have dinner at Place Vosges. Lovely location but dreadful main dish and the experience was only saved because of the great company and the crêpes for dessert which were okay. But it is great being able to dine outdoors in the end of October, even though I feel bad about it because of the impact it must have on the environment to keep all these outdoor heaters going!
After dinner we toured the Marais and found a lovely sign outside a maison du thé: le thé des ecrivains – the writer’s tea. I like that name. And until I actually have time to write fiction again I have to hang on to the fact that I believe myself to be a writer, just one who is not working right now. Some people say that the definition of a writer is someone who writes, which I generally believe is true. For now however I have to be satisfied with the fact that I have actually completed an entire novel of 300 pages and that I feel that I go through life perceiving it in the way only a writer or another form of artist could.
Friday, October 24, 2008
And yet another couple of weeks passed in Paris
These last few weeks have been insane. Work, work and more work. And then a little play as well. On the 11th of October I went to the Fêtes des Vendanges de Montmartre which is the celebration of the harvest of the only remaining grape field in Montmartre. I met up with Isabella and Kamuy at the exit of the Anvers metro and we went to this great salon de thé at the bottom of hill. The crêpes were delicious and I will definitely go back to this place. Afterwards we went to find a good place to photograph le gand defilé and decided on staying near the top of Rue Lepic. However hard the conditions for getting great shots were, I actually managed to get some decent ones. After the defilé ended we made our way to Rue d’Orsel were we went to this “depot-vente” shop, which is basically a vintage shop were people get paid for the clothes they have brought when other people buy them. I found a very nice dress, tres sexy. Also in rue d’Orsel we admired the windows of a great art gallery before we made our way to another great shop in the area, where I also found a dress. I don’t remember the name of this shop, but I will have to go out and search for it, since I definetely want to go back there also. They had lots of lovely dresses and tops, some from the spanish brand Lavand which I have just fallen in love with now. After shopping there we returned to rue d’Orsel having discovered a Russian restaurant there which looked very interesting. And it was indeed very interesting. Chez Svetlana gets my best recommendations. It is a very relaxed place with a nice atmosphere which is cotributed to by the kitsch décor with old black and white pictures of famous Russians and red walls. After that we highjacked places outside a café at the bottom of the hill to Sacre Cæur for a perfect view towards it when the great fireworks were on at 11 pm.
On Sunday that weekend I went with Isabelle to watch the French version of the Grease Musical. Quite entertaining, but some things are definitely lost in translation. Especially when you don’t manage to understand all the translation. However it was nice finally to go to the theatre again. And Theatre Comedia is a very nice theatre, apart from the fact that there is not enough room for your legs. If you’re higher than 1.75 or have long legs for your height you will simply not fit in, at least not in the balcony seats.
Since then my existence has pretty much evolved around work, the week after the active weekend in Montmartre and in the theater I worked 48 hours. Most of them in a gigantic three-day meeting which seemed to never end!
This week I had Wednesday off however, so I finally managed to buy some boots. Had to turn to my love for (almost) everything German and buy them at a Gabor shop between the Louvre and the Opera Garnier. And then I could not go home on the Rue de Rivoli without buying just a bit more, so I found three lovely knitted dresses or long shirts, depending on your definition and not least, how good your legs are ;-)
And tonight my lovely boyfriend is just about to arrive and therefore I will end this cursory overview of the last few weeks here!
On Sunday that weekend I went with Isabelle to watch the French version of the Grease Musical. Quite entertaining, but some things are definitely lost in translation. Especially when you don’t manage to understand all the translation. However it was nice finally to go to the theatre again. And Theatre Comedia is a very nice theatre, apart from the fact that there is not enough room for your legs. If you’re higher than 1.75 or have long legs for your height you will simply not fit in, at least not in the balcony seats.
Since then my existence has pretty much evolved around work, the week after the active weekend in Montmartre and in the theater I worked 48 hours. Most of them in a gigantic three-day meeting which seemed to never end!
This week I had Wednesday off however, so I finally managed to buy some boots. Had to turn to my love for (almost) everything German and buy them at a Gabor shop between the Louvre and the Opera Garnier. And then I could not go home on the Rue de Rivoli without buying just a bit more, so I found three lovely knitted dresses or long shirts, depending on your definition and not least, how good your legs are ;-)
And tonight my lovely boyfriend is just about to arrive and therefore I will end this cursory overview of the last few weeks here!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
A very productive day
Yesterday was a very productive day. First I worked forever in the office and then I went to the night opening of Louvre. I visited the section on Italian paintings from the 16th and 17th century. There are really a lot of pictures portraying motherhood in this section. I like the one on the photograph above in particular. I love that it is circular and the way the beatiful blue and red colors stand out. You get the feeling that if you were allowed to touch it then you would actually be able to feel the fabric of her dress, which is exceptionally well painted.
If you want to go for the weekly Friday night opening of the museum and want to visit the sections anywhere near Mona Lisa I would advise against arriving later than 7 p.m. as these sections tend to become really crowded. I escaped the museum just about that time having decided that I really ought to go and get myself a winter coat since it has become very cold here. Only about 12 degress celsius during the day. And I actually managed to find a very pretty one on the Rue de Rivoli on the way back to my appartment. Indeed a very productive day!
If you want to go for the weekly Friday night opening of the museum and want to visit the sections anywhere near Mona Lisa I would advise against arriving later than 7 p.m. as these sections tend to become really crowded. I escaped the museum just about that time having decided that I really ought to go and get myself a winter coat since it has become very cold here. Only about 12 degress celsius during the day. And I actually managed to find a very pretty one on the Rue de Rivoli on the way back to my appartment. Indeed a very productive day!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Madonna Concert at Stade de France
Last Sunday I went to Stade de France to see my first Madonna concert. I had researched thoroughly before I left and found that the stadium had a roof. Hence I made a decision to leave the big sweater at home and wear a summer trench coat. Big mistake. The roof was nowhere to be seen. While most people were very entertained by the opening act, which was Bob Sinclair, I was busy freezing to death! I thought it was an extremely boring DJ set, but apparently it counted for a lot that he is french. He had a huge black guy from New York singing (didn’t catch his name). I spent most of the time wondering why people would get sick if they saw a women that obese bouncing her body up and down on the stage, while it is perfectly alright and cool to be obese when you are a gangster-looking hardass guy from New York. Hypocrisy. When was the last time I heard a guy (my boyfriend) say that women are forcing the beauty ideal on themselves and that that they’re skinny mainly to compete with other women. Not true. Don’t tell me the guys would have thought it was cool if they had placed a giant mama on the stage instead of this guy.
Luckily my misery ended as soon as Madonna began her show. And it really was a show just as much as it was a concert. Though I was prepared for that I was still surprised at how much of a show it was. And the surprise was a pleasant one. Her body and her endurance is unbelivable. I want that kind of physique as well! Though I practice yoga I guess I would have to radically increase the time I spend on it to look like that. As well as doing other sorts of exercise, not to mention never eat potato chips again. Then again it’s not just about looks and I guess I must qualify as a good yogi being allmost-vegan. I just want to be fitter, happier, more productive, like everyone else, especially Radiohead in the nineties ;-) That will do for me. But still it’s hard not to get impressed by her looks, she is afterall almost twice my age!
She began the concert with the track Candy Shop. Also in the beginning part of the show she did a ropeskipping act which was just amazing. I really liked that part. My one objection to the show is the video material she has made where she likens McCain to Hitler and Obama to Martin Luther King, Ghandi and Mother Theresa. A coworker of mine expressed it very well when she said that it is taking the audience hostage; you force your own political persuasion on them. And I was there for the music not participate in a political rally. But I’ll live with it since it was, in my opinion, the only flaw in the show. Apart from the lousy opening act, which I had fortunately forgotten as soon as the real show began. Another very impressive thing were the costume changes and how she managed to do a lot of them while on stage. All in all, she is definetely a VIP – a very impressive person. The show ended with my favorite from the new album: Give it 2 me. I had timed it perfectly, moving towards the exit and being able to see the completion of the show from above the stairs, not missing anything and still able to get ahead of all the other people instead of having to compete to much for a place on the train back to the city.
My conclusion: a great show. I would definetely want to go and see another one as soon as I get the chance!
Luckily my misery ended as soon as Madonna began her show. And it really was a show just as much as it was a concert. Though I was prepared for that I was still surprised at how much of a show it was. And the surprise was a pleasant one. Her body and her endurance is unbelivable. I want that kind of physique as well! Though I practice yoga I guess I would have to radically increase the time I spend on it to look like that. As well as doing other sorts of exercise, not to mention never eat potato chips again. Then again it’s not just about looks and I guess I must qualify as a good yogi being allmost-vegan. I just want to be fitter, happier, more productive, like everyone else, especially Radiohead in the nineties ;-) That will do for me. But still it’s hard not to get impressed by her looks, she is afterall almost twice my age!
She began the concert with the track Candy Shop. Also in the beginning part of the show she did a ropeskipping act which was just amazing. I really liked that part. My one objection to the show is the video material she has made where she likens McCain to Hitler and Obama to Martin Luther King, Ghandi and Mother Theresa. A coworker of mine expressed it very well when she said that it is taking the audience hostage; you force your own political persuasion on them. And I was there for the music not participate in a political rally. But I’ll live with it since it was, in my opinion, the only flaw in the show. Apart from the lousy opening act, which I had fortunately forgotten as soon as the real show began. Another very impressive thing were the costume changes and how she managed to do a lot of them while on stage. All in all, she is definetely a VIP – a very impressive person. The show ended with my favorite from the new album: Give it 2 me. I had timed it perfectly, moving towards the exit and being able to see the completion of the show from above the stairs, not missing anything and still able to get ahead of all the other people instead of having to compete to much for a place on the train back to the city.
My conclusion: a great show. I would definetely want to go and see another one as soon as I get the chance!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Technoparade
This afternoon / evening is an inferno of noise. The technoparade has invaded my once quiet neighbourhood (well, most of the time it is)! The windows are just about to break I think! All the gays of the neighboorhood are having a field day, especially this guy:
Notice the (desired!) size of his private parts. Most of the crowd, however are dressed quite normally, and a bit boring. Unlike in Berlin for the Love Parade where most people show up in some kind crazy costume or at least in clubbing outfit. I fitted in perfectly here with all the people dressed absolutely normal! The police however look like something taken out of the future, totally combat outfit. They look like they are preparing for interstellar war or something!
As I said my neighboorhood has been transformed. Sometimes there is a small crowd of youg people in the street speaking very loudly until three o’clock in the morning. But right now hundreds are hanging out here. I hope they will go home early today or follow the party to where it’s destined to be until 6 o’clock tomorrow morning (which is luckily not here!).
As I said my neighboorhood has been transformed. Sometimes there is a small crowd of youg people in the street speaking very loudly until three o’clock in the morning. But right now hundreds are hanging out here. I hope they will go home early today or follow the party to where it’s destined to be until 6 o’clock tomorrow morning (which is luckily not here!).
Louvre: Objets d'Art Mesopotamia
This morning I visited the Louvre and for the first 30 minutes I had the entire section on objets d’art from Mesopotamia all to myself. Actually the Louvre is usually only crowded if you keep to the most known sections. My impression of this section was very mixed. On the one hand there were amazing objects like the one in the picture above. On the other there is a lot of small objects that I don't find very interesting. At least not in the amount that they're there - such as jewellery, small figures etc. I would recommend going through this section very selectively. But definitely don't skip it if you have time for multiple visits to the Louvre.
Actually the visit made me think about how many things from ancient times are preserved for the future. In our buy-and-discard society I guess not much will be preserved for future generations to appreciate. I think it will be hard in the future to facilitate the same kind of look into the past that we have the opportunity for now.
After todays visit I went shopping. Actually I went to shop for work clothes, but instead I found a nice and comfy green sweater, so I will have to go shopping for work clothes another time. I found it in the ground floor in Bazar Hôtel de Ville (BHV), which is actually not my favorite place for clothes shopping, but still sometimes you stumble upon something great. But the section with women's clothing is not very well ordered, but it’s so easy to pop in there after a visit to the Louvre or after work since it’s just two metro stops before my appartment. I also finally found a nice time planner, which is essential, as I have to write down my meetings for work, since I sometimes have to go directly to a meeting in the OECD instead of going to my office at the Danish Embassy in the morning. One more thing to tick of the list. When you move abroad you find that there are always lots of things you need and that you don’t have, which means you spend a ridiculously large amount of money. In Berlin I had the advantage of everything being much cheaper then in Denmark, but here in Paris it’s about the same price level. Except for the rent which is much more expensive!
In the book section of BHV I found the Petit Prince in french. I have never read it before and I guess my french level will allow me to be able to understand most of it. I also couldn’t resist buying Rosseaus Du Contrat Social. Now that will be a bit more of challenge, but then again I know the book, so I guess it will not be completely impossible. After all I thrive on challenges!
After todays visit I went shopping. Actually I went to shop for work clothes, but instead I found a nice and comfy green sweater, so I will have to go shopping for work clothes another time. I found it in the ground floor in Bazar Hôtel de Ville (BHV), which is actually not my favorite place for clothes shopping, but still sometimes you stumble upon something great. But the section with women's clothing is not very well ordered, but it’s so easy to pop in there after a visit to the Louvre or after work since it’s just two metro stops before my appartment. I also finally found a nice time planner, which is essential, as I have to write down my meetings for work, since I sometimes have to go directly to a meeting in the OECD instead of going to my office at the Danish Embassy in the morning. One more thing to tick of the list. When you move abroad you find that there are always lots of things you need and that you don’t have, which means you spend a ridiculously large amount of money. In Berlin I had the advantage of everything being much cheaper then in Denmark, but here in Paris it’s about the same price level. Except for the rent which is much more expensive!
In the book section of BHV I found the Petit Prince in french. I have never read it before and I guess my french level will allow me to be able to understand most of it. I also couldn’t resist buying Rosseaus Du Contrat Social. Now that will be a bit more of challenge, but then again I know the book, so I guess it will not be completely impossible. After all I thrive on challenges!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Hommage a Pavarotti
Yesterday evening I attended the tribute concert to celebrate Luciano Pavarotti’s amazing career a year after he died. The concert was in the Domaine National St. Cloud, a very nice venue in a Parisian suburb in a small forrest-like enclosure. Hence it was not the setting, which disappointed me. But the concert did. But maybe that's what you can expect when you pay only five euro.
First of all lots of people were only there to see Laura Pausini sing and not to pay tribute to Pavarotti. And second; I think it’s a sad tendency in this society that music has become reduced to Popstars-American Idol-type things. The winner of the newest edition of Nouvelle Star (which is like American Idol, just in France) appeared singing U2’s One. And if you sing One with a 70 men strong orchestra without giving me goosebumbs, then you’re not very good.
There were however great singers present; Florent Pagny did a really good job as did Roberto Alagna and Patrick Bruel. However it never really brought the concert to a higher level, because of the never ending intermissions where two hosts talked endlessly about Pavarotti and his life. I get that this is a hommage, but it never really worked. I guess the problem was, that it was being recorded for broadcasting on TV next Sunday and the production was designed for TV, not for being a good live event. But I wasn’t there to be an extra in their television production.
The duet with Laura Pausini and Garou singing Volare was actually tres sexy, and I totally get that it’s also a celebration, but bringing in the newest reality show winner was just too stupid. If you want to capture my attention for 2 hours and 45 minutes, while I’m standing up (and you’re not Depeche Mode) you really have to deliver, and deliver more than this! I may be elitist but people talking during a (primarily) classical concert just doesn't cut it for me. And what's with the singing along? You're not Pavarotti so just drop it! I would rather have put the five euro towards a ticket for the opera house.
First of all lots of people were only there to see Laura Pausini sing and not to pay tribute to Pavarotti. And second; I think it’s a sad tendency in this society that music has become reduced to Popstars-American Idol-type things. The winner of the newest edition of Nouvelle Star (which is like American Idol, just in France) appeared singing U2’s One. And if you sing One with a 70 men strong orchestra without giving me goosebumbs, then you’re not very good.
There were however great singers present; Florent Pagny did a really good job as did Roberto Alagna and Patrick Bruel. However it never really brought the concert to a higher level, because of the never ending intermissions where two hosts talked endlessly about Pavarotti and his life. I get that this is a hommage, but it never really worked. I guess the problem was, that it was being recorded for broadcasting on TV next Sunday and the production was designed for TV, not for being a good live event. But I wasn’t there to be an extra in their television production.
The duet with Laura Pausini and Garou singing Volare was actually tres sexy, and I totally get that it’s also a celebration, but bringing in the newest reality show winner was just too stupid. If you want to capture my attention for 2 hours and 45 minutes, while I’m standing up (and you’re not Depeche Mode) you really have to deliver, and deliver more than this! I may be elitist but people talking during a (primarily) classical concert just doesn't cut it for me. And what's with the singing along? You're not Pavarotti so just drop it! I would rather have put the five euro towards a ticket for the opera house.
Benedict XVI Mass in Paris
Yesterday morning I experienced my first papal mass, in Paris. Pope Benedict (or in french: Benoit) arrived in Paris on Friday and he is still here in France, today visiting Lourdes – a pilgrimage destination – where he drank the water from a spring that appeared from the ground 150 years ago when a local girl, named Bernadette Soubirous repeatedly had visions of the Virgin Mary. Though a papal mass is a bit beyond my french level it was still very interesting and I did get some of it.
He talked about the modern world and asked if we have not created our own idols in the modern world, which imitates the pagans of antiquity. He asked if money, the thirst for possesions, knowledge and power had not diverted man from his true destiny. This was also a major theme for his predecessor John Paul II, who worried that consumerism was turning into a kind of religion. Religious or not I think it’s important to reflect on the importance of material possessions and if they should be as important as they are to most people. More than 250.000 people attended the mass.
Later on Saturday Benedict XVI travelled to Lourdes as more than five million pilgrims do every year. Many of them hoping that drinking the water of the spring will cure them of their disease. The church has officially recognised 67 miracles linked to Lourdes.
Benedict told the pilgrims that by following in Bernadette’s footsteps they enter into an extraordinary closeness between heaven and earth. He likened the link between the heavenly and the terristial to a luminous path that opens up in human history even in its darkest moments. He referred to violence, war, terrorism and famine among the problems of man. Today, Sunday morning, the papal mass from Lourdes is being televised on France 2.
He talked about the modern world and asked if we have not created our own idols in the modern world, which imitates the pagans of antiquity. He asked if money, the thirst for possesions, knowledge and power had not diverted man from his true destiny. This was also a major theme for his predecessor John Paul II, who worried that consumerism was turning into a kind of religion. Religious or not I think it’s important to reflect on the importance of material possessions and if they should be as important as they are to most people. More than 250.000 people attended the mass.
Later on Saturday Benedict XVI travelled to Lourdes as more than five million pilgrims do every year. Many of them hoping that drinking the water of the spring will cure them of their disease. The church has officially recognised 67 miracles linked to Lourdes.
Benedict told the pilgrims that by following in Bernadette’s footsteps they enter into an extraordinary closeness between heaven and earth. He likened the link between the heavenly and the terristial to a luminous path that opens up in human history even in its darkest moments. He referred to violence, war, terrorism and famine among the problems of man. Today, Sunday morning, the papal mass from Lourdes is being televised on France 2.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Patricia and Pompidou
Today I finally got to met up with my German friend, Patricia. We meet at the Pompidou Center, where a lot of people were suddenly seeking refuge from a really heavy rain. The exhibition areas were however not at all crowded. More the contrary actually. Most of the art works here are very modern and not at all to my taste, but I did like the room that I have photographed and placed here. But that was also because of the music that was played here, which gave a sense of tranquility.
I like the building very much, though I’m not a fan of most of the art works. The building is very original and extraordinary. It’s actually very visible from the Eiffel Tower because it’s so different. And when you get a closer to it it’s even more special with “outside” escalators, which are really fun to ride up and down. Worth a visit even if only for the view from the escalators! We got to see a really beautiful dark sky with lots of rainclouds.
I like the building very much, though I’m not a fan of most of the art works. The building is very original and extraordinary. It’s actually very visible from the Eiffel Tower because it’s so different. And when you get a closer to it it’s even more special with “outside” escalators, which are really fun to ride up and down. Worth a visit even if only for the view from the escalators! We got to see a really beautiful dark sky with lots of rainclouds.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Fête de Pyrotechnique
Today was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the La Defense business area in Paris. This was celebrated with a fireworks show. I meet with Isabelle after work and we went out to dinner with two Japanese girls; Kamuy and Yuko. We had a really lovely dinner at the Indiana Café at the Place de Clichy. I can really recommend the Chicken Curry at this place! Then we went to La Defense with the metro to see the show. It's very difficult to take pictures of this, but it makes you get the idea of how it was. Really impressive and beautiful with the Grande Arc, a modern Arc de Triomphe as the background.
Monday, September 8, 2008
First day at work
Started my internship today at the Danish Delegation to the OECD. I will primarily be working with OECD’s Development Assistance Comitee. The person whom I will be assistant to also had his first working day today, so it was a bit crazy! Plus I don’t have a password yet, so had to work all day without a computer, which really isn’t easy for a computer / internet junkie like myself! I think it will be great though once I settle in a bit! I have a great office mate – the intern, who works with financial issues related to the OECD and I think he will be a great help in the beginning. He has been here a week already and hence is very experienced in comparison with me ;-)
After work we got to the more glamorous part of working right next to the Arc de Triomphe. After dinner drinks in a side street to the Champs Elysees. All of us interns went. Very interesting people all of them.
I look forward to really get started with the work assignments, as well as I look forward to – hopefully – become access to my computer tomorrow!
After work we got to the more glamorous part of working right next to the Arc de Triomphe. After dinner drinks in a side street to the Champs Elysees. All of us interns went. Very interesting people all of them.
I look forward to really get started with the work assignments, as well as I look forward to – hopefully – become access to my computer tomorrow!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Peter Doigt exhibition
Today I enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Le Perroquet, the restaurant of the Casino de Paris, with my new French friend Isabelle. The prix fixe menu is very reasonably priced at 20 euro for three courses. You have two options to choose from for each course. I had the artichoke for starter, fried chicken with polenta and to finish a duo crème brulee; a traditional crème brulee and one with strawberrys mixed in it. This was actually much better than I had thought it would be.
After our lovely lunch we went to the Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris to see a temporary exhibition of the works of the British artist Peter Doigt. Above I have placed a picture of one of his paintings. He uses a lot of nice color combos and I like much of his work, but I found the paintings with a monochromatic color scheme a bit boring. On the other hand, what I especially like is when he paints the sky. He captures lots of different blue colors and the way he paints the stars in the sky is very nice. I would recommend anyone who has an aversion against modern art to review his work, since its very rich with ideas and symbols.
After our lovely lunch we went to the Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris to see a temporary exhibition of the works of the British artist Peter Doigt. Above I have placed a picture of one of his paintings. He uses a lot of nice color combos and I like much of his work, but I found the paintings with a monochromatic color scheme a bit boring. On the other hand, what I especially like is when he paints the sky. He captures lots of different blue colors and the way he paints the stars in the sky is very nice. I would recommend anyone who has an aversion against modern art to review his work, since its very rich with ideas and symbols.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Le triomphe de l'amour
This is the little treasure that I found today in the section with Flemish paintings in the Louvre. Usually I am not a great fan of Flemish painting from this epoche, but this one is an exception. That’s why it pays off to challenge yourself to also visit collections and sections that you think you'll not like. Some times you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
I think this would be the way it looks if small children go to heaven. They are transported to heaven by huge white birds and angels that are protecting them on a path of beauty, only to find an even more wonderful place at the end of the path. The picture is “Le Triomphe de l’Amour by Domenico Zampiera and Daniel Seghers. Believed to have been painted between 1625 – 1632.
I think this would be the way it looks if small children go to heaven. They are transported to heaven by huge white birds and angels that are protecting them on a path of beauty, only to find an even more wonderful place at the end of the path. The picture is “Le Triomphe de l’Amour by Domenico Zampiera and Daniel Seghers. Believed to have been painted between 1625 – 1632.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Doing Paris in a weekend
Okay, doing Paris in one long weekend. That’s from Thursday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. The weekend visit of my brother Johnny was an intensive tour of the highlights of Paris. The things you have to see when you’ve never visited before. Or at least as many of them as we could manage! We started out in the late afternoon on Thursday by climbing the stairs to the top of the Arc de Triomphe to enjoy the view.
On the way to the Arc de Triomphe I pointed towards the Eiffel tower and he didn’t believe I was right. And honestly, it’s not that spectacular until you can see the entire tower. The Arc de Triomphe however was really beautiful and the views were great since the weather was very nice. Afterwards we walked up and down the Champs Elysees, where Johnny managed to buy two pairs of shoes – a task that is usually near-impossible! This happened in the Nike shop, where the sales assistant actually spoke a perfectly good english, so I was happy that I didn’t have to translate! Afterwards we browsed the different sections of the Virgin Mega store, which is open until midnight. There is really nice atmosphere in the store, with lots of people sitting around on the floor and the stairs reading manga. As booklovers we’ve got to love such a place!
On Friday we got immediate access to the Louvre with tickets purchased the day before from the FNAC store. I had actually purchased an annual pass for the Louvre, but it hadn’t arrived, and still hasn’t. Damn the french post service. I got an email the other day that they had received the card back with the message that I don’t live here. But to see the positive in everything it gave me the chance to compose my first email in French. And now I am hoping it will arrive this time!
We spent just under 4½ hours browsing the collections. As everyone else we began our discovery by storming towards Mona Lisa, to get her over with so we could proceed to new and unknown territory. At lunchtime we grabbed lasagne at the terrace in the museum, which had a really nice view of the Pyramid in the courtyard. In fact it is possible to sit on this terrace with one of the most pleasant views in the city (so far, anyway!) and have a nice lunch at about 17 euros per person. Quite reasonably priced I would say. Afterwards we had gotten the strenght to visit Napoleons appartments at the Louvre. Quite different from browsing the artworks, but a nice completion of the visit.
After that it was time to head for the Tuilleries and enjoy a crepe and experience the atmosphere at the Fête du Tuillerie, which is basically a temporary version of an amusement park in the middle of Paris. Then we approached the Place de la Concorde from where we took the metro to Ecole Militaire in order to walk through the Champs de Mars and on to the Eiffel Tower. Johnny insisted that we should walk the stairs and I gave in even though I am not great with heigths. But it is absolutely manageable, since the stairs are wide and you can’t see the ground beneath you through the stairs – something I had feared.
We spent about 3½ hours in the tower. W walked up to the first plateau and enjoyed some pastry there in this really nice outdoor café with great views of the Champs de Mars. I can really recommend making a stop here. And you can allways tell yourself that you really deserve to indulge in the pastry since you’ll need energy anyway to clim the rest of the stairs!
After our lovely break we took the stairs to the second plateau, where you have to stand in line to buy another ticket for going to the third section with the elevator. And you have to stand in line for the elevators also, but with 15 minutes for buying the ticket and 20 minutes in line for the elevators it wasn’t that bad. On the ground waiting was by the way exactly one hour.
Saturday we walked around in Montmartre and visited the Sacre Cæur, which is totally taken over by tourist. It is beautiful though. My advice is to visit the dome and the crypt as well. This way you’ll get a more serene experience. The crypt is almost another church under the real one. Very impressive! It’s a lot of steps to reach the dome and the stairs are narrow, but there is one stair for ascending and one for descending so you wont have to meet anyone on your way and it’s worth the trek up here.
Since Montmarte is located on a hill you have a really great view from the city. Other must visit places in Montmarte include the Place du Tertre, which is where the artists still sit and paint people. Being totally overcrowded it has however lost some of the atmosphere that it’s supposed to have had. In advance we had decided to visit the Espace Dalí Montmartre, which houses 300 of his works. We did not spend more than 45 minutes in here, since the exhibition was, in our opinion, a bit uninspired.
We spent the last part of Saturday afternoon in the Jardin du Luxembourg were we watched people play chess and tennis. Aside from all the activities which take place in the parc (including mule treks for kids!) it’s a really beautiful and tranquil parc perfect for sitting down with a good book (see above picture).
We had decided to devote Sunday morning to the Picasso museum. Partly because it was convenient for us, being in the Marais area, where I live, and partly out of sheer interest. I would however recommend against the Picasso Museum and the Espace Dalí for such a short visit to Paris, unless you have a special interest, which we did. Both artists are better represented in Spain and if you want to watch their work for the first time I recommend visiting the Picasso Museum in Barcelona and the Dalí museum in Figueres, a two hour trainride north of Barcelona. Both museums are indeed much more interesting than those here. In the Picasso museum in Paris I missed his drawings, especially the erotic ones, some of which are really funny. In the Dalí museum I missed the (big) paintings. Chances are you will be a bit disappointed if you have seen their work in Spain, but of course it’s still interesting, since you’ll get a more complete impression of their work!
After this weekend we were exhausted and needed another weekend right away. Johnny had a bit more luck than I in this department, since his vacation is almost never-ending this year. Until the 15th of September when he begins college in the United States. For me it was back to school on Monday morning!
Curious fact: In France you can buy chips with bolognaise flavour and roasted chicken with thyme flavour! I bought the first by mistake one day (not reading the label, assuming the color meant a certain type like at home) and it wasn’t that bad actually!
Monday, August 11, 2008
How to pass time during the long Parisian lunchbreaks
Another busy day at school! Three hours in a group of six, private tuition in the afternoon for two hours and then homework. A lot of work! It pays off however - I never thought it possible to make this much progress this fast! There is still a bit time for exploring though: with a lunchbreak of 1½ hours it is even possible to go exploring in the middle of the day. And what would a woman do in the middle of the day when the shops are open and she has to pass the time? Yes, she would go shopping! The sales are still on, so why not? Like any woman I like shoes and I like them a lot, so I went browsing the shoe shops in the area around Place de Clichy. And I think I made a bargain! I got the shoes in the picture – which were originally priced at 80 Euros – for 45 Euros. And I’ll say the timing is perfect as the much anticipated visit of my brother commences on Thursday afternoon. Hence I need comfortable shoes that will be able to carry me safely through the disastrous sidewalks in Paris for many, many hours each day. And aren’t they just cute with small flowers all over?
Saturday, August 9, 2008
1st impressions
I arrived in Paris at the Aeroport Roissy – Charles de Gaulle to find the ticket machines for the train tickets to Paris to be completely impossible. “Card declined – call your bank.” I had to remind myself that I did not want to behave as another passenger on my plane, who got very angry about having to move seats because the plane type was changed last minute. And the positive attitude worked – after two different machines and five or six trials my card was finally accepted and I could leave the airport. Initially I had thought that it would never happen. Hence I have an advice for people who arrive in CDG: mind every sign that appears on your way, because in order to get on the airport-internal metro system and from there to the real train station you don’t want to miss a single one! I got on the RER B and asked myself if I had really arrived in the supposedly most romantic city in the world. The 36 minute trainride certainly doesn’t make for a good first impression – all you see are ugly grafitti tags and, in the distance, the social housing projects of the suburbs.
Luckily this picture changes once you arrive in the city centre! Changing to the metro at Chatelet -Les Halles and arriving at the Bastille station assures you that Paris might not be as overestimated as you begin to think on the RER B! The Place de la Bastille is beautiful. However, being a history buff and living just behind the Place de la Bastille also makes you think about what actually happened here on the 17th of July 1789. This was were one of the decisive moments that started the French revolution came about; the prison and fortress that used to be here was stormed. The prison only contained seven prisoners at the time, and the major reason it was stormed was because it contained more than 13,000 kilos of gunpowder. Besides, the Bastille was a symbol of royal tyranny.
It is estimated that a crowd of less than 1,000 people were present that day. They came in the morning and demanded the surrender of the prison and the handover of arms and gunpowder. Two of them were admitted into the fortress to negotiate. As the negoations dragged on however, the crowd became impatient and in the early afternoon it accessed the outer courtyard. This was when the actual fighting began. It has never been determined who fired the first shoot. 99 people died in this fight. The commander of the garrison at the Bastille, Bernard René Jourdan, marquis de Launay, was dragged to the Hôtel de Ville (still the town hall of Paris) – which would have been a trip of about 20 minutes on foot. Outside Hôtel de Ville people began to discuss his fate until the badly beaten de Launey said “Enough. Let me die!” He then kicked a pastry chef in the groin and was stabbed until he fell to the street. His head was sawn of, fixed on a pike and carried through the streets. The French national holiday – the Bastille day – commemorates the Fête de la Fédération which was held in 1790 to remember the attack on the Bastille, as this anniversary was seen as a symbol of the uprising of a modern French nation.
The Opéra National de Bastille – the Opera of the people – was opened on the 14th of July 1989, the bicentennial of the attack on the Bastille. This very modern building, whose exterior is made entirely out of glass, was designed by Carlos Ott. He also designed the Torre de las Telecomunicaciones, also known as Torre Antel situated at the Montevideo Bay in Uraguay, as well as the national banks of both Abu Dabi and Dubai and has an altogether really impressive resumé.
Today the area around the Bastille, called le Marais, is fortunately much more peaceful. It is supposedly the neighbourhood of gays and jews. I haven’t seen that much evidence of the first (so far it certainly doesn’t ressemble the gay neighbourhood of Madrid), but there can be no doubt about the second. Just opposite the building there is a large Synagogue and jewish kids are playing in the street wearing their yamulkas.
During this week I have not had time to explore much. On Monday I began my four week language course at the Ecole de Langue Français pour Étrangers in the charming Villa Ballu in the 9th arrondissement. This is a really intensive course. Three hours in the morning in a group of four and two hours in the afternoon with only one other person plus a good deal of homework. If you need to learn French really fast this is the place to be, but at 765 Euro a week it comes with a price tag two-three times as high than most other schools here. My opinion: It is so worth it!
Even though my schedule has been really busy this week, I have however had time to indulge in some of the advantages of living in Paris. I had the pleasure of enjoying a nice lunch in the garden of the Musee de la Vie Romantique (the Museum of Romantic Life); an onion quiche and a very good salad based on carrots and green lentils. Definitely worth the price tag that comes with it (12 euroes excluding beverages). I have also discovered a nice boulangerie in the near vicinity of the school and sampled the quiche lorraine, the croissants, pain au raisins and flan nature. However I try to adhere to the ideas of Mireille Guiliano which only confirms the wisdom of my wise mum. Guiliano wrote the book “Why French Women Don’t Get Fat.” She thinks that Americans (and a lot of other people) overeat and try to compensate by exhausting themselves at the gym. Her idea is pretty simple; indulge in delicious foods of a good quality, but stick to small quantities, since the first bite is always the best anyway! It’s a book that’s worth reading. Her writing style is funny. And her perspective on the problem of people becoming increasingly fat is a very refreshing alternative to the majority of diet books, which do nothing to increase your quality of life.
A few curious facts so far: some police officers ride mountainbikes (this is definetely my style of transportation!) and even more strange, some transport themselves by rollerscates! When paying in some shops don’t be surprised if you first have to go to one corner of a shop and have a bill made for your purchases and then have to go to the other in order to pay for them!
Luckily this picture changes once you arrive in the city centre! Changing to the metro at Chatelet -Les Halles and arriving at the Bastille station assures you that Paris might not be as overestimated as you begin to think on the RER B! The Place de la Bastille is beautiful. However, being a history buff and living just behind the Place de la Bastille also makes you think about what actually happened here on the 17th of July 1789. This was were one of the decisive moments that started the French revolution came about; the prison and fortress that used to be here was stormed. The prison only contained seven prisoners at the time, and the major reason it was stormed was because it contained more than 13,000 kilos of gunpowder. Besides, the Bastille was a symbol of royal tyranny.
It is estimated that a crowd of less than 1,000 people were present that day. They came in the morning and demanded the surrender of the prison and the handover of arms and gunpowder. Two of them were admitted into the fortress to negotiate. As the negoations dragged on however, the crowd became impatient and in the early afternoon it accessed the outer courtyard. This was when the actual fighting began. It has never been determined who fired the first shoot. 99 people died in this fight. The commander of the garrison at the Bastille, Bernard René Jourdan, marquis de Launay, was dragged to the Hôtel de Ville (still the town hall of Paris) – which would have been a trip of about 20 minutes on foot. Outside Hôtel de Ville people began to discuss his fate until the badly beaten de Launey said “Enough. Let me die!” He then kicked a pastry chef in the groin and was stabbed until he fell to the street. His head was sawn of, fixed on a pike and carried through the streets. The French national holiday – the Bastille day – commemorates the Fête de la Fédération which was held in 1790 to remember the attack on the Bastille, as this anniversary was seen as a symbol of the uprising of a modern French nation.
The Opéra National de Bastille – the Opera of the people – was opened on the 14th of July 1989, the bicentennial of the attack on the Bastille. This very modern building, whose exterior is made entirely out of glass, was designed by Carlos Ott. He also designed the Torre de las Telecomunicaciones, also known as Torre Antel situated at the Montevideo Bay in Uraguay, as well as the national banks of both Abu Dabi and Dubai and has an altogether really impressive resumé.
Today the area around the Bastille, called le Marais, is fortunately much more peaceful. It is supposedly the neighbourhood of gays and jews. I haven’t seen that much evidence of the first (so far it certainly doesn’t ressemble the gay neighbourhood of Madrid), but there can be no doubt about the second. Just opposite the building there is a large Synagogue and jewish kids are playing in the street wearing their yamulkas.
During this week I have not had time to explore much. On Monday I began my four week language course at the Ecole de Langue Français pour Étrangers in the charming Villa Ballu in the 9th arrondissement. This is a really intensive course. Three hours in the morning in a group of four and two hours in the afternoon with only one other person plus a good deal of homework. If you need to learn French really fast this is the place to be, but at 765 Euro a week it comes with a price tag two-three times as high than most other schools here. My opinion: It is so worth it!
Even though my schedule has been really busy this week, I have however had time to indulge in some of the advantages of living in Paris. I had the pleasure of enjoying a nice lunch in the garden of the Musee de la Vie Romantique (the Museum of Romantic Life); an onion quiche and a very good salad based on carrots and green lentils. Definitely worth the price tag that comes with it (12 euroes excluding beverages). I have also discovered a nice boulangerie in the near vicinity of the school and sampled the quiche lorraine, the croissants, pain au raisins and flan nature. However I try to adhere to the ideas of Mireille Guiliano which only confirms the wisdom of my wise mum. Guiliano wrote the book “Why French Women Don’t Get Fat.” She thinks that Americans (and a lot of other people) overeat and try to compensate by exhausting themselves at the gym. Her idea is pretty simple; indulge in delicious foods of a good quality, but stick to small quantities, since the first bite is always the best anyway! It’s a book that’s worth reading. Her writing style is funny. And her perspective on the problem of people becoming increasingly fat is a very refreshing alternative to the majority of diet books, which do nothing to increase your quality of life.
A few curious facts so far: some police officers ride mountainbikes (this is definetely my style of transportation!) and even more strange, some transport themselves by rollerscates! When paying in some shops don’t be surprised if you first have to go to one corner of a shop and have a bill made for your purchases and then have to go to the other in order to pay for them!
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