Bird Watching - Return to Parc Montsouris

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Lake at Parc Montsouris

Paris had no summer according to our family here.  They have made up for it this last week – has been in the 80s.  We only had rain one night this month.  So much for brining sweaters, raincoats, and warm clothes! 

The 80s may not sound like much but heat in Paris is not the same – buses are not air conditioned – or the Metro – and of course I do NOT like heat.  Looks like it is even hot in Normandy where we are heading next.  But – it is predicted to cool down by early next week. 

This is our transportation to the Park - a minibus through the neighborhood.

Today we did errands getting ready to leave on Saturday.  In the afternoon we went back to Parc Montsouris to read in the shade and watch the parade of humanity around the lake.  It was less crowded than our last visit on a Sunday but it was still “kid city!”  So much fun!  We had a great bench by the lake and although we were going to read, we spent a lot of time bird watching – yes – in the middle of Paris.  Thought I would just post the pictures and end this blog post early! 

Montmartre – Place du Tertre – Sacré Cœur

Is Montmartre crowded, touristy, expensive, and a caricature of itself? Yes.  Is it a fun place to go?  ABSOLUTELY!  We go every time we are in Paris.  The Place du Tertre is part Disneyland part history.  The artists that lived here are mostly gone due to high rents and tourists but the "feel" and appeal are evident.

There are several ways to get to the top of the hill.

By walking…

No thanks!

By riding the Montmartrobus (Mini-bus) – a real "E" ride over the cobblestone streets zigzagging up the hill….

By Funicular – (requires a Metro/Bus ticket)….

We usually take the Mini-bus up the hill from Place Pigalle and descend via the Funicular - (the line for coming up is usually a long wait).  The stairs were eliminated as an option years ago! 

You can escape the crowds by wandering the back streets of Montmartre.  One of the last vineyards in Paris is on the hill.  The Windmill of Gallette is on a backstreet – it was painted by Renoir, Van Gogh, and Pissarro.  

Renoir - Moulin Gallette

Due to its height, the hill was once the site of many windmills.  The patron saint of Paris is St. Denis who was martyred on the hill in 250 A.D. by the Romans.  Therefore, it became known as the “Hill (Mount) of the Martyrs” – Montmartre.

From an architectural basis, Basilica Sacré Coeur is one of the most visible buildings in Paris due to its height and its design that many refer to as “like a wedding cake.”  The combination Neo-Byzantine - Neo-Romanesque architecture is a sharp contrast to other buildings in Paris in my view. It was built between 1875 and 1914 – dedicated after WWI.   According to some, the reason for its construction was to give penance for the excesses of the Second Empire.  It is also seen as a monument to the excesses of the Commune of 1871-72 after the Franco-Prussian War.  The construction caused great debate between secularists/socialists on one side and monarchist/devout Catholics on the other.  It was built entirely with private contributions.

Our day on “the hill” started with a bumpy ride on the Montmartrobus and then a stroll around Place du Tertre with swarms of tourists, painters, roaming silhouette artists, and portrait painters.  We bought our obligatory watercolor of a Paris scene for our hallway collection and we ate a crepe in the outdoor café in the middle of the Square.  After a time in Sacré Coeur, we wound our way through the hordes on the steps of the Basilica to the funicular to end our day on the Mount of Martyrs.  

Jacquemart-André Mansion/Museum

Part of the front of the Mansion

This is one of our favorite places to visit in Paris.  It is not an art museum per se although it has a marvelous collection of Italian art, sculpture, mantelpieces, paneling, furniture, etc.  There are also Tiepolo ceilings and frescoes from a Venetian palace. The mansion is a home - an example of an upper class bourgeois residence in Nineteenth century Paris. 

Tiepolo Fresco 

You enter the home of a couple who were inveterate art collectors. You see their art in the context of where they lived their daily lives and entertained on a grand scale.  The upper floor is their private museum where only their best friends were invited.

The architect was the runner-up in the competition for the Paris Opera House  

There are other pluses to Jacquemart-André.  The admission includes an excellent audio guide.  You can either do a quick tour with only general room explanations or you can listen to more detailed descriptions of the life of the couple, information on paintings and artists, or just walk through the home and enjoy the overall ambiance.  For €3 we added descriptions of the special exhibit – well worth the price!  You could download audio guides to your I-Phone or Android for €1 – this is a trend in France.   

The Mansion is also the site of many special exhibits.  We just missed one on the Caillebotte brothers that we would have loved.  Yes - there were brothers!  The lesser known, Martial, was a photographer – who knew? 

We did get to see the new exhibit on Fra Angelico – the 15^th century Italian artist.  Renaissance Italian religious art is not my usual cup of tea – but this was a fascinating exhibit – the first retrospective in a French museum.  Paintings and illustrated manuscripts came from museums and collections from all over Europe.  Several paintings had been restored for this exhibit.  The colors and the use of light were amazing. 

Edouard André and Nélie Jacquemart left their home to the Institute of France which opened the home to the public in 1913.  Edouard was the heir to a large banking family.  He built the mansion in 1875.  Nélie was a well-known portrait artist who first met Edouard when she painted his portrait.

The Mansion/Museum is open 365 days and stays open late some evenings.  It is a good place to remember if you find yourself in Paris on a Holiday. 

   

Two More Parks – Parc de Bercy and Luxembourg Gardens

Luxembourg Palace in Luxembourg Gardens

Visiting Paris parks is one of our favorite things to do – as you can tell from this blog.  They are very different in size, age, history, and design.  These two parks are examples of these differences.

Parc de Bercy

A quiet spot in Parc de Bercy

The Parc de Bercy was opened in 1994 in the 12^th arrondissement near the Palais Omnisport de Paris  The Park started out as feudal estate in the 12^th century.  In the 1800s the area became a large wine depot for wines arriving from Burgundy via the Seine.  In fact, the rails that helped transport the wine from the river to the warehouses have been left intact in the Park as well as other features of this era.  The guardhouse, storehouse, and cobbled walkways are also preserved – giving us a step back in time.  There is also a vineyard to add to the atmosphere.  The wine storehouses were abandoned in the 1970s and the area unused for many years until the park was established. 

The vineyard in the Park

Pubic Art

Parc de Bercy is a quiet area with paths and lawns in keeping with the original linear design of the wine depot.  There are orchards, vegetable gardens, benches around flower gardens, places to sit on the grass, etc.  The park has a teaching element – school children tend the vegetable gardens.

We found a bench in the shade to read and watch the world go by.  In contrast to other park visits, this was a quiet place – our parade of humanity more sporadic than a steady stream – far different than the Luxembourg Gardens but just as enjoyable.

Luxembourg Gardens

Those fabulous chairs in the Luxembourg Gardens - and in many other Paris parks

Enjoying the Park on a summer-like day

The Luxembourg Gardens are my favorite space in Paris.  There are so many things going on – so many distinct areas and uses – such a mix of locals, tourists, students, children, parents, grandparents, nannies with their charges – a real mix of humanity.  There are people sitting in the sun, reading, gossiping, feeding the ducks, playing pétanque/tennis/basketball, watching a marionette performance, sailing toy boats on the lake, eating at the outdoor café, etc.  The Gardens are the definition of a multi-use park – something for everyone.

The Park started out as the gardens of the Luxembourg Palace which is now the home of the French Senate.  

The site started out as a Roman camp – then a convent in the 13^th century.  After the assassination of Henry IV in the 17^th century, his widow, Marie de Medici, had the palace built.  It later became a prison during the French Revolution.  It was the headquarters of the Luftwaffe during World War II.  

I just learned something new about Thomas Paine.  He was imprisoned In the Luxembourg Palace after he moved to Paris to be part of the French Revolution.  At first he was given the hero’s welcome and made an honorary citizen – but things turned against him and he was charged with treason.  The reasons are interesting.  Paine was opposed to all forms of capital punishment which was contrary to the actions of the revolutionaries who were sending hundreds to the guillotine.  Paine would not be popular with the Tea Party today or with the State of Georgia!  His new book the Age of Reason suggested that God did not influence people’s actions and that science and rationality would win out over religion and superstition.  These writings eventually turned Americans against him – he was called the anti-Christ and died in poverty in New York.  I must read more about him!

Enough of the sidebar….

Our most recent afternoon at the Luxembourg Gardens was one of our best here.  The sun and blue sky were fabulous.  We found two chairs and moved them to the shade of a boxed palm tree. (The gardens have a greenhouse and plants are moved in and out depending on the season.)  The temperature was in the low to mid-70s.  We were near the large pond so we could see kids feeding the ducks.  Unfortunately, the concession that rents sailboats to kids (and adults) only operates on weekends and Wednesday afternoons when schools are closed.  But – there were a few people with their own boats.  There was the usual parade of people and even a class doing timed foot races around the park.  As usual, I only read part of the time since I was so fascinated with the “scenery” passing in front of my chair.  Another perfect day in the Luxembourg Gardens!

Feeding the ducks

One of many sculptures in the Gardens

Fall Comes to the Luxembourg Gardens

A Blog Post - Mostly for St. Paul’s Parishioners – Visiting the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris

Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral - Rue George V Paris

Elisabeth and I went to the Episcopal Church in Paris yesterday – yes there is one here!  The Church of the Holy Trinity is the Pro-Cathedral for the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe which is connected with Region II in New York.

Holy Trinity is on the rue George V in the 8^th arrondissement – just down the street from the Four Seasons George V Hotel – a very nice part of Paris.  We have attended here in the past when staying in Paris.  Since I am missing two Chapter Meetings at St. Paul’s, I definitely needed to do a “make up!”  To redeem myself a little, I was able to collect information on Holy Trinity’s activities at their annual Ministry Fair.

Ministry Fair - There was food at every table to entice you into  volunteering!

Entering Holy Trinity is an interesting experience in itself.  One minute you are walking along a Parisian street and then you step inside Holy Trinity and suddenly you are transported across the Pond!  The church is similar to St. Paul’s in San Diego but smaller with a more embellished Gothic Revival architectural style.  The nave is lined with flags of various American states.  Instead of a kneeling rail there are individual stools embroidered with different patterns and names of states – I had South Dakota yesterday! Even the bulletin looked like St. Paul’s except they actually use the 1982 Hymnal in the service.  Although this will be heresy at St. Paul’s, I prefer using the hymnal itself – never saw myself as such a traditionalist before! 

The Nave

The choir at Holy Trinity is excellent – about 30-40 members. Yesterday’s Offertory Anthem was very different from the norm on our previous visits - a Spiritual – “Ain’t That Good News” – arranged by Moses Hogan.  In the past, music has been traditional in the St. Paul’s style – “lots of Bach!”  After receiving the Eucharist, the choir sings the communion anthem from the back of the nave – this week it was by Francesco Guerrerro – “Simile est regnum.” 

Since the Memorial Organ is a popular current topic at St. Paul’s, the following is information from Holy Trinity’s website on their “Grand Orgue” that you may find interesting. 

The Cathedral's Grand Orgue , built in 1887 by the prestigious French firm Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, was inaugurated on October 5, 1887, by Alexandre Guilmant. It has been suggested that Marcel Dupré is the person most responsible for the evolution of the instrument, which is still one of the largest in Paris: it was Dupré who acted as consultant, first in 1922, again in 1930, then again in the 1950s, with Maurice Duruflé. The latest restoration was completed in 1993 by the organ firm of Bernard Dargassies with the generous support of the Paulé Foundation and other Cathedral members. The organ was re-dedicated on February 21, 1993, and re-inaugurated on May 18, 1993, by Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, and on May 30, 1993, by Marilyn Keiser.

Yes – their organ was built and inaugurated in the same year as St. Paul’s Memorial Organ!

Not only were the origins of the two organs from 1887 but they are also similar in other respects – they seem to be channeling each other’s behavior.  The following described the need for the organ rehabilitation in the Holy Trinity Capital Campaign brochure:

Our historic Cavaille-Coll organ, built in 1887, now consistently malfunctions; indeed it has developed a frustrating “mind of its own.”

On Sunday the organ decided to play notes whenever it wanted – thought I was back at St. Paul’s!

Holy Trinity is about to start on a 5 million Euro construction and rehabilitation project of the Cathedral including the “Grand Orgue.”  The fundraising started in 2008 and then stopped due to the financial crash – sound familiar St. Paul’s?

 

The Sermon on Sunday was by Canon Elizabeth Hendrick with Dean Zachary Fleetwood presiding.  The Dean, a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary,  is retiring and taking on a ministry with the Episcopal Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.  


Excellent sermon – very much “a la Allisyn” in style.  There was even the “Wherever you are on the journey of faith…” introduction with the announcements.  The congregation is very welcoming so everything about Holy Trinity makes you feel right at home – even the organ  plays without an organist!   

The history of Holy Trinity is interesting.  It was established in the 1830s for the American community in Paris.  The first home of the church is now the official residence of the Prime Minister of France.  The rector in the 1870s, a cousin of J.P. Morgan, successfully completed a capital campaign that resulted in the purchase of the current site and the construction of the present church.  It was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day 1886 coinciding with the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York.  The church became the Pro-Cathedral in 1922 – it is the seat of the bishop in charge of the American Episcopal Churches in Europe.  This “Convocation” acts like a Diocese – but isn’t – as I understand it – there is no specific territory.  There are eight parishes and several mission churches.  The Convocation also supports a “house church” for Episcopalians in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  Who knew?

If anyone from St. Paul’s is in Paris, Holy Trinity can be a home away from home!

The beautiful triptych behind the alter is by Arthur E. Street and Edwin A. Abbey.  The latter painted murals for the Boston Public Library along with John Singer Sargent

Chocolate and Architecture

So what do chocolate and architecture have to do with each other? Both are museums we visited in Paris this trip. We decided to try new museums and to visit some we had not been to in several years. Paris has museums on every subject– from stamps to Picasso to crystal to science to Balzac to dolls to eroticism.

The Chocolate Museum –Le Musée Gourmand du Chocolat (Museum of the Chocolate Lovers) is new in Paris. It seems a little odd to go to a museum on chocolate in Paris run by a chocolate maker from Belgium, but when we saw a special exhibit on the health benefits of chocolate listed in Pariscope, we HAD to go! Any excuse for chocolate consumption!

The museum is not for someone who is new to Paris in my view – our visit was more of a lark. It is not cheap - 9€ - plus 3€ for a hot chocolate at the end. Oh well – to justify chocolate as healthy – why not?

The museum is in an out-of-the-way location in the 10^th arrondissement. The three floors contain a history of the cocoa bean, where it grows, how it is processed, its history in the New World, the importance of the bean in Aztec and pre-Columbian America, etc. The introduction of cocoa into Europe is also traced as well as displays of chocolate cups, pots, chocolatiers, porcelain figurines…all things chocolate.

There is also a demonstration area where the process of making chocolate candy is explained – including how filled chocolates are made – yes there were samples!

At the end of the visit, the hot chocolate was supposed to be available. When I saw what looked like an automatic hot chocolate machine I was not happy. As it turned out, this was just for heated milk. We were then given a choice of several flavors – dark chocolate, hazelnut, Aztec, Spanish, etc. We were given a stick with a square of chocolate on the end that we stirred in the warm milk to create our own hot chocolate. Not as good as Angelina’s or Ladurée but good. The Aztec flavor was my choice – it had a slight kick of cayenne and other spices.

Before I forget, yes – there were several displays on the myths about chocolate and the health benefits. No mom – chocolate does not worsen teenage acne – where were the experts when I was 14!

Chocolate has many of the same benefits of red wine.

“Research suggests that red wine and chocolate are good for the mind. It is thought that polyphenols - plant chemicals abundant in dark chocolate and wines - widen blood vessels, speeding the supply of blood to the brain,” according to a study at Northumbria University.

What's even more encouraging is that....

“Researchers at Oxford University reported better cognitive performance and test scores among older people who regularly consumed chocolate, wine, and tea all foods that are high in flavonoids.”

Let’s hear it for flavonoids and us old folks. Red wine and chocolate – I’m convinced!

Cité de l'Architecture et Patrimoine (Heritage) is located in the Palais Chaillot – built for the International Exposition of 1937. It is on a hill across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.This museum was always the first place Elisabeth took her college students during her 10 years of bringing classes to summer school at the Sorbonne. Not the Louvre, not the Musée d’Orsay, not Notre Dame! Why?

The museum gives you the opportunity to see examples of many centuries of French architecture in one place – to identify the differences between Romanesque (Norman, Provence, Auvergne, Burgundy), Early Gothic, High Gothic, Flamboyant Gothic, Renaissance, etc. This gave the students a guide to what they would be seeing in Paris and France.Although it may seem strange to go to a museum with models of important architectural features instead of looking at the real thing in Paris, it is all in one place making it easier to see the differences. Oh - and the view of the Eiffel Tower isn't bad either!

In 1997, I had joined Elisabeth in Paris at the end of her July program. On one of the last nights, we took the students on an evening Seine cruise on a Bateau Mouche. As we approached the Eiffel Tower, we noticed black smoke coming from a building on the right bank – it was the Architecture Museum in the Palais Chaillot! The Museum suffered major damage. After 10 years of work, the museum reopened in 2007. This was our first time back since it reopened.

There are new additions on the second floor (third American) of modern architecture. A temporary exhibit of the construction of the Millau Motorway Bridge over the River Tarn was interesting – a film including time lapse photography was very well done. The design of the bridge was awarded through a competition and won by a British architect and French engineer – it is one of the tallest in the world. One of the reasons this fascinated me was that we used the motorway to the south of France in the 1990s and were stuck in the typical huge traffic jam caused by the gap in the motorway. We wound our way down to the town of Millau in the gorge of the River Tarn and then up the other side of the valley – it took forever. Years later we sped over the new bridge in minutes!

Millau is famous for another reason. In 1999 an anti-globalization activist demolished a McDonald’s just days before it was to open – as a protest against fast food, Americanization, and genetically altered food. The McDonald’s was eventually rebuilt and years later President Chirac pardoned the activist. Ah France – they love their strikes, marches, and protests!

VIVE LA FRANCE!

Parks of Paris - Tuileries and Monceau

Parc Monceau

Paris has so many wonderful parks, squares, gardens, and open spaces. They range in design and size from the classic to the modern – from small areas tucked in out of the way neighborhoods to massive spaces like the Bois de Boulogne or the Bois de Vincennes on the east and west sides of the City. We love them all! Some have playgrounds, carousels, public art, pétanque courts, concession stands, restaurants, ponds, lakes, flowers….you name it – and you’ll probably find it in a Parisian Park.

One of our favorite activities on this or any trip to Paris is to visit our favorite open spaces but we also like to try new ones. We like to explore for a while and then find a bench in the shade. Mostly we read – doze - and people watch. What a parade of humanity of all ages - kids on pony rides – kids on carousels – walkers with several dogs in tow – well dressed matrons on their afternoon stroll - young people walking hand in hand – police patrols on horseback – pick-up soccer games…..

Faire un Promenade avec mes petits amis a quatre pattes!

Parisians have small apartments and few have their own green space except for the occasional balcony or roof garden so open space is especially important - as it is in most large cities. Marie-Elisabeth grew up in an apartment with 4 sisters – six people in about 1,100 square feet AND they had a large apartment by Paris standards. Her twin sisters used to ride tricycles around in circles between two rooms and the central hallway. Getting out of the house and going to an open space is a necessity. In the afternoons, you can always see moms, grandparents, and nannies with kids in the parks. On Wednesday afternoons most schools are not in session so this is a great time to see “kids in action” in the parks, squares, and open spaces.

So far this trip we have gone to the Tuileries, Luxembourg Gardens, Parc Monceau, Parc Montsouris, and today – Parc Bercy. More are on the list – especially one of my favorites – the Place des Vosges.

I’ve already written about Parc Monsouris so today I will add a few comments on some of the others.

The Tuileries are known to most Parisian visitors – the linear space between the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre. Actually it is part of the axis that runs from the Louvre all the way to La Defense in the west of Paris. André Le Nôtre designed the space in the 1660s – he is also the landscape designer of the gardens at Versailles. There are many modern sculptures in the space – some that defy explanation – at a distance we thought that a tree had fallen – we could see the exposed root system on its side – but on closer inspection it was a sculpture!

The art museum Jeu de Paume that houses a collection of Impressionist Art sits at one end of the space. On our first full day in Paris we installed ourselves in chairs to read and relax just above the museum overlooking a pond with fountain. Many Parisian parks have movable chairs for visitors – some with arms, some without, and some that are in a reclining position. I have to avoid the reclining chairs or I would spend the afternoon asleep on our first day in Paris.

Our spot in the Tuileries

BTW - A good trick for curing jet lag is to be sure you are out in the light to get your Cicardian Rhythm in working order. I had almost no jet lag this trip and have not had much of a problem in a few years – of course now it will be bad when I come home for saying this. I also avoided coffee and alcohol on this flight – well one glass of champagne to get in the Paris mood - and I always set my watch ahead to the time of my destination and never think to myself what time it is at home. I have it – Denial as a Jet Lag cure!

The Parc Monceau in the 8^th arrondissement is a medium sized space set in an upper class neighborhood. The park had its beginning in the late 1760s but took its present form after expansion. Actually its earliest design was by an English landscape architect. It was opened to the public after the revolution but it was not until 1860 that it was acquired by the City of Paris. At that time Barron Haussmann and his landscape architect shaped it into the space it is today. Yes – Haussmann is everywhere in today’s Paris – some say for the good – some say he destroyed the “real” Paris. Personally I like the wide boulevards and the Haussmannian buildings but the old Paris of the Left Bank and the Marais have their charms – I guess I’ll take both.

Of course maybe I'm prejudiced with my urban studies background. I did not always embrace the "new" planning of my colleagues - too much sameness in places like Irvine and south Orange County where I first worked in Planning.

We spent a great afternoon in the Parc Monceau – munching a sandwich on a bench while watching the Wednesday afternoon kids on the carousel.

There were many modern sculptures on display – a temporary exhibition of Chinese artists – many very strange – like the one with a tall stack of butcher ready to buy chickens standing on each other’s shoulder – if chicken’s have shoulders? The name of the sculpture is odd – Décrocher la Lune – or Detaching the Moon – of course the whole thing was odd.

Art?

I’ll get to the other parks later – places to go people to see!