As we are Heading off to Chartes tomorrow we spent a relaxing day hanging out with the sculptures at the Louvre. Made some time to just watching the robot clean the glass on the pyramid ( this was way more interesting than it sounds). The fountains at the Louvre are open for the season now so the square has a whole new feel.
I think we have wifi at Chartes--so, until tomorrow... Living and Loving the City of Lights. You are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom.
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We spent today exploring a few of the double-digit arondissements. They certainly have a different feel than central Paris. For example, unlike the formal gardens in the 1st arondissement, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont (one of the biggest parks in Paris) has cliffs, waterfalls and is built around a rock quarry. As well, a big plus is the abundant street art.
I have a fondness for street art--both commissioned and rogue. Regardless of the city, I enjoy a good street art hunt. Today's finds were exceptional. We discovered gems on cafes, shops, trucks, buildings identified for demolition, public parks, and even a Boules Association. Sometimes creepy, sometimes cute, sometimes political, but always clever. I have to tell you about our new friends at the Boules Association. So, I spotted a mural with tags and possibly a chicken, in a gated off area. I tried the gate--it opened--in we went. Next thing I know a man is shouting to us from a metal shed. In my own semi-French way, I explained that we were visiting and just wanted to take a picture. Next thing I know we are exchanging une bise and he is somehow speaking of vin blanc --we meet with seven more new friends in the shed. Now I don't drink at all, let alone for lunch, but this explanation was wasted on the club members. So, I tried " it is a little to early in the day for Canadians to drink". "Mais il est de 1300 heures", the boules president exclaimed. I managed to use my merger French to temper the amount poured into my glass, your father did not fare quite as well--santé and down the hatch. They directed us to some exceptional street art locations and we had another adventure to remember. On the way back we stopped by Place de la République. The monument in the centre of the square has become a make-shift memorial for both the horrors surrounding Charlie Hebdo and the attacks this fall. The spirit of the square is at the same time sad, angry, and defiant. I hope the picture is clear enough that you can read some of the sentiments expressed. Living and loving the City of Light (in all of its forms). You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom. Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men? It is the music of a people Who will not be slaves again! When the beating of your heart Echoes the beating of the drums There is a life about to start When tomorrow comes! ~les Miserable
The variable weather only added character to our lovely day at Versailles. I had been before, but had never had the opportunity to view the grounds so extensively (over 19 000 steps on the Fitbit). The entire property covers more square kilometres than the town Listowel!
Louis' (the XIV) Galerie des Glaces in the elaborate chateau is always a hit, but my favourite are the gardens. Of course these are French gardens, which concentrate more on sculpted trees and fountains than flowers--a lovely spot to have our picnic lunch. Entirely new to me was Marie Antoinette's village within the grounds. Apparently her highness was a wee bit tired of all the grand palaces so she needed Louis (the XVI--there are a lot of Louis) to build her a little village of her own on the grounds. I feel extravagant when we get the fresh pasta pink labeled at Zehrs so you can imagine how over the top these seems to me😄 Tourist Moment: Felt very Parisian running for the metro.....felt very dumb-tourist jumping back off that same train right before the doors closed as we noted it was heading in the wrong direction. Living and Loving the City of Light. You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom.
I might be wrong, but I think you are never too old to enjoy a good story that features flatulence. I suppose we should have been impressed that Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf performed at The Moulin Rouge, or that Toulouse-Lautrec was a frequent patron--but NO! Our imaginations were captivated by the legend of Le Pétomane (The Fart-Maniac). Joseph Pujol's performances (beginning in 1892) featured the sound effects he could produce by expelling large amount of air out of his butt. Yes, he was a professional farter. Now, is that a story worth a trip to Paris?
A little further up the hill from Moulin Rouge is le mur des je t'aime. This millennial installation features "I Love You" written in 280 different languages. I didn't capture the whole wall, but you should be able to find the phrase in English and French. In the short time we were there we saw numerous people looking for "I Love You" in their own language. The whole experience has a positive vibe. Our language gaff for the day: even if it is in the yogurt aisle it might not be yogurt and beware "fromage blanc" is not "white cheese" Living and Loving the City of Light. You are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom. As we enter the catacombs, far beneath the streets of Paris, we are warned that this city belongs to the dead. Beginning in the 1700's the bones of six million people were re-located to underground quarries to alleviate the overcrowding of Paris cemeteries. Somewhat creepy, yet somehow respectful, the bones are artistically piled. Gravestones indicate each section's cemetery of origin and plaques with some uplifting, and some not so uplifting, quotes are scattered on the walls. It is fair to say we have never experienced anything quite like this before.
In case you are worried we spent our entire day underground, we must confess we had a TO DIE FOR tarte au citron from Angelina's. Living and loving the City of Light. You are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom. The French word for window-shopping (faire du lèche-vitrines) is literally window-licking. Well, that is about all we could do on the Champs-Élysées, as the prices are very up-scale. We did acquire two items:
#1 Dad got a bag from the Louis Vitton flagship store😄 Don't get too excited--he noticed that they had a sales representative standing at the door placing your wet umbrella in a special machine that dried and bagged it. So, Dad being Dad, went in so he could say he "got a bag from Louis Vitton's". #2 We bought four macarons at Ladurée. The licorice was a mistake--the pistachio was yummy. They didn't make it home to the apartment. Along with our magical morning with Monet's murals at the Musée de l'Orangerie, this all added up to another unique (albeit rainy) day in Paris. Living and Loving the City of Light. You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom. P.S. Sad, but true, there is a McDonalds on the Champs-Élysées |
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Ray & Diane
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