Last Week (where did the time go?)

If you stand in the middle of the Pont Louis Phillip just across the road from the Cite and look across the ends of both Ils (st Louis and de la Cite) to the left bank the horizon is dominated by the dome of the Pantheon. Earlier this week we set off to walk there and ended up having lunch at the foot of the beautiful church Saint Etienne du Mont while listening to the church's bells.

View from the restaurant

one of the reasons I think this is one of the most beautiful churches in Paris (as well as it's exquisite bells).
It was only after we returned home that we realised that if we had turned left at the Pantheon (it is in such bad repair that they are spending E100 million to restore it and it is currently held together by huge steel braces locked around it just below the dome) we would have been in the area where Hemingway and his first wife lived between 1921 -23.
Naturally we had to make this the object of another exploration. It was as simple as crossing the bridge to the left of the Cite (Pont Marie) and following Rue du Cardinal Lemoine to its end at Place de la Contrescarpe. 

Hemingway, Hadley and their son lived at 74 rue du Cardinal Lemoine and he had his writing studio just around the corner at 24 rue Descartes (where he eventually took up with his mistress who became the second Mrs Hemingway). If you are interested in Papa, his millieu and this period of life in Paris there is an excellent novel, "The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain.

Enjoyed another excellent French meal (Salade Geant) nearby in Rue Moufftard where the waiter insisted in giving us a free Kir to drink (white wine and cassis) as well as olives (how could we refuse?).

Every Sunday at Vanves there is a market called the Marche du Livre ancien et d'occasion which Maria Kunda pointed me to in 2005 so we visited there last Sunday in search of old newspaper/journals. It seemed a little smaller then last time but otherwise nothing had changed (even saw the same dealers sitting around the same small table with cheese and wine as last time). Found what I was looking for and rewarded ourselves with a perfect almond croissant at the Poilane bakery. 

I also managed to collect some interesting images of the ravens which inhabit the adjacent park.

Finally made our way to Montmartre cemetery by way of Clichy metro. It is a very pleasant, un-crowded place set in a former quarry and we enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere as we wandered about looking for people we know from history like Nijinsky, the Goncourt brothers, Gautier, Degas and Zola (it would have been much easier if we had a map but it was fun running backward and forward to the posted directions - it is not nearly as large as Pere Lachaise). 

Amongst the ubiquitous tourist boats that seem to clog the Seine there is a smaller boat called the Batobus
which goes from near the Jardin des Plantes to the Eiffel Tower and back again stopping at six places in between. It really is like a regular bus service where you buy a ticket and then hop on and off as many times as you like between 9.30 am and 9.30 pm. Anyway we finally succumbed and bought a one day ticket so that we could see Paris from a different perspective. Its a two hour round trip and we did a morning and afternoon circuit (different lighting) and I took 170 photos (that's five reels of 36 in old tech) - some of them may even be useful!

The Tuileries gardens are a must see whenever one is in Paris and we spent an enchanted morning there this week inspecting the plants, the statuary, the people (and the ravens) before catching the metro to Sevres-Babylon to get cheese and other goodies from the epicerie at Le Bon Marché. This is a beautiful example of art nouveau architecture designed in part by Gustave Eiffel and the epicerie has an amazing range of foods from all over the world.

On the way home we were stunned to get in to a carriage with 9 gendarmes in it (3 groups of 3 - they always travel in 3s) one of whom looked out along the platform at each stop as though they were searching for someone. When we got off at Pont Marie we discovered that there were another group of 3 in the end carriage (curiouser and curiouser). Actually we have noticed a lot more police and soldiers around since our last visit - there have even been lots of gendarmes in rubberduck inflatable boats on the Seine which we have not seen before.

Many other explorations and discoveries like these street art pieces downriver near Pont de Bercy when we were searching for Les Docks (old warehouses converted into the Cité de la Mode et du Design) which we had read about before leaving home. Les Dock was a non event as almost everything was closed - couldn't even get a coffee!). However we did have a delightful walk back home along the river.
One night as we were going out we ran into Jock Young and discovered that he has also been in the Cite for a month but across Rue Geoffroy L'Asnier in the other section (a small world).

Last night after a very hot day (31) we had a long evening walk to Notre Dame and around the Ile de la Cite to Pont Neuf to watch the sunset - it was perfect and a perfect way to say goodbye to Paris for now.
Marcia is taking down all my prints from the wall as I write this in preparation for the big pre-inspection clean up but it has been very worthwhile and I think that I have enough ideas for work for exhibitions in Hobart and Melbourne later in the year.
Until next time.

Explorations

Lots of exploration this week (both physically and artistically) so feeling quite satisfied with where we are at. The routine is much the same but the outcomes vary dependent on what happens along the way. We set off to explore La Promenade Plantee one sunny morning earlier this week but by the time we got on the bus it had clouded over so we decided to stay on the bus to the end of the line (Gambetta, near the famous Pere Lachaise cemetery) then return to the other end of the line to Parc du Champ de Mars (the Eiffel Tower at one end and Ecole Militaire at the other) an interesting trip through the centre of Paris. 

By the time we had criss crossed Paris the sun had come out and we had a wonderful time wandering around the paths that edge  the Park (avoiding the tourists) across the river and along the banks of the river as far as Pont Alexandre III (Port Debilly, Port de la Conference and Port des Champs Elysees). Along the way we discovered the Modern Art Museum of the City of Paris which we have never visited and added it to our list.
We eventually hopped on a bus back to St Paul where we stopped at the Fromagerie to buy some delicate young, soft Rocamadour goats cheese. 

We had visited Rocamadour when touring by car in 1996 and were struck by it's situation, built into the side of a cliff and the fact that it has been a pilgrimage site on the Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle since the middle ages (a history lesson with a small round of cheese). 
Another exploration took us back to Montmartre to find the cemetery. 67 bus to Pigalle then a short walk up the hill to Abbesses looking for a boulangerie that we had visited in 2011 (it was the winner of the best baguette in Paris for that year). Unfortunately it also was closed for August so we set off along Rue des Abbesses and discovered the 2010 winner (Le Grenier a Pain) who had the most delicious pastries we had seen (we settled for a gorgeous tartetine with red currants and cream custard). We never did get to see the cemetery but did discover the Montmartre Bus which wends its way in and out of all the narrow streets and up and down the hills (a much easier way to tour the area - and move through the hordes of tourists).

Finally got to traverse La Promenade Plantee on Wednesday and found it a very calm and relaxing space within the busy streets of the city (even though they were only ten metres below us. 

We discovered a very unusual design for a police station.
And ended up at the Jardin de Reuilly where there is an old station which was part of the Vincennes railway line which used to run along here.

After a relaxing lunch in deck chairs on the Plage near the Cite one day we decide to explore the rest of the Voie Georges Pompidou and Esplanade de Villes as far as the Canal St Martin. 

To our surprise we discovered that the dock continued alongside the lock and all the way along the canal to Bastille (another very different view of Paris)

We even discovered another Australian a long way from home

In the evening we met up with Lindsay and Jane for a catch up (they were staying in the Baldessin apartment out near Crimee) then afterwards decide to take the night bus to Champ de Mars to see the Tower lit up.

 Better leave off now and do some more exploring next week.
Work is going extremely well - lots of ideas and mock ups and I'm wanting to try them out but no opportunities for etching plates (or even digitally printing them without great cost) so I guess I'll just have to be patient and keep working. The Cite is certainly a great place to work up ideas as there is really nothing here to distract you (except the city itself of course but then it just sparks more ideas).

A week in review

It seems a little strange to be back in Paris - all very familiar but with a lot riding on what happens over the next few weeks. We are only here for 3 1/2 weeks and don't have time to settle in before getting on with the job of finding subjects/making work for exhibitions in November and December.

The flight over on Vietnam Airways took 35 hours and we were exhausted when we arrived and using a transit bus to get from the airport to the Cite was a very welcome extravagance - just the thought of the 10 minute walk through the RER/Metro transit labyrinth at Chatelet is enough to give us the horrors. The shuttle ride was twice as much as we usually pay using train/metro but what bliss to go door to door (with a drive through the city thrown in).

Our studio comes compliments of the Finns (Foundation Finlandaise) and is very well set up. It faces NE and looks toward the garden of the Utas McCulloch studio. It took us about 2 hours to set up to our liking (moving beds, tables etc) battling bad jet lag but in the end we were set and decided we had time to get to the Bastille markets for some supplies. 

Recharged our Navigo passes at the metro station and took our first ride to Bastille station only to discover that the market was not on - we were convinced that it was on on Saturday and didn't bother to check. Oh well, a pleasant walk back to St. Paul to Monoprix for groceries (picking up a millefeuille at La Notre - Fauchons - along the way). 

Then through the back streets to collect a baguette at one of our favourite patisseries and home. It was almost as though we had never been away.

Monday we woke from jet lagged sleep at 5.30 so had an early breakfast and were out and about at 7 to try for some early light shots of Norte Dame etc. 

Enjoyed a coffee overlooking the garden at the southern tip of Ile de la Cite at the rear of the church then ventured south along the banks of the river running past the university down as far as the Jardin des Plantes. This area (Jardin Tino Rossi) has been extensively landscaped with trees, shrubs, lawns and various built features as well as bronze sculptures (an extension of the Gardens?). 

We were stunned to discover that the lawns were covered with the litter of Saturday night's partying. This, despite the multiple placements of garbage bins and small skips (I guess the students here are no different to home and expect that their mothers or someone else will clean up after them). Stopped to buy a a baguette and were tempted by a freshly baked citron tart with meringue topping (tres Bon).

Spent a good part of the rest of the day trying to access the Internet with my laptop and reviewing possible images for exhibitions before a late afternoon stroll along the Plage (beach) which is set up along the banks of the Seine during July/August (it appeared to be much reduced from what we saw in 2011  - perhaps this is a result of the economic situation?)

On Tuesday we were on the 67 bus to Pigalle by 7 - a short walk up the hill to Abbesses for some more pictures then a short stroll to Sacre Coeur (glorious in the early morning light). The atelier where Ray Arnold used to work and which had been operating for over 100 years is now an Irish pub and the famous Place du Tetre (where artists historically work in the open air) has been taken over by the bars and cafes so the artists now have to squeeze into a 60cm space around the edges - c'est tragic.

Down the narrow streets at the rear of the church we came across several places like le Lapin Agile frequented by artists such as Modigliani, Picasso, Utrillo, etc. Also, finally, discovered the last remaining vineyard on the mountain - all very interesting. 

We eventually arrived back in a modern suburb but what we didn't realise was that we were on the opposite side of Montmartre to where we had started out. While enjoying a relaxing coffee at a small cafe (E1.80 as opposed to E2.80 on Ile st louis) we decided that we would visit a fabric shop which is just near the steps up to the Sacre Coeur.
Being the smarty pants that we are we jumped on a bus going to Montmartre assuming that this would take us back to somewhere near the Sacre Coeur. Wrong - we ended up at Porte de Montmartre which is adjacent to St Ouen and equally as poor. People had their belongings spread out on the ground in the street under the Peripherique trying to make a little money to keep them going - it was very troubling. 

We eventually found our way back to bus 67 (minus any fabrics) but on the way home the road passing the old BNP (National Library) was blocked by the pompiers and sapeurs (firemen) who had multiple vehicles attending some emergency. After about ½ an hour the bus managed to squeeze between two vehicles with some direction of the pompiers with about 1cm to spare on each side (these Paris bus drivers never cease to amaze with their skills).

Wednesday was a day of confusion - an early start to catch the light for the Eiffel tower only to discover that the camera's batteries were flat. Later in the day when shopping I discovered that I had lost my credit card (shock, horror and it was only day 3). Fortunately, after back tracking our days activities we discovered that the lady in the supermarket had found it and kept it safely in the office (huge sigh of relief). I did manage to work on some images (including from our early visit to Sacre Coeur the previous day) so the day was not a complete waste.

With a change in the weather we settled into a different rhythm with me working in the early morning then heading out about 9 for a coffee and to see where our feet (and the buses would take us) then back home for lunch and a nana nap followed by more work then another outing. After coffee one morning at the Blue Train cafe at Gare de Lyon (where the Orient Express used to leave from) we were walking back toward Bastille when we finally found the access to the promenade plantee/la coulee vert (a 4.7 km elevated linear park built on top of obsolete railway infrastructure in the 12th arrondissement) something that has eluded us before. We decided we would return one morning when the sun was out in the hope of getting some interesting images.

Another afternoon we went for a stroll along the Plage where they have some Monet images located amongst others telling a story of the history of the river. Then back up to Bde. Henry IV which runs up past the national  guard headquarters to Bastille. Along the way we stumbled across an exhibition about Paris architecture in the old Pavilion de Arsenal -an amazing 6 x 6m interactive google earth map of Paris on the floor plus, amongst other things a video/lecture about the history and restoration of la Samaritane buildings - simply stunning turn of the century architecture and so good to see what it looks like inside even in it's run down state.

Having now been at the Cite for over 4 months in total we finally decided to visit the Cafeotheque next door for a coffee one morning and discovered that, not only do they serve 16 different origin coffees (one each day) but they only charge E1 for Cite residents (as long as you sit on stools at the bar). 

Afterwards we wandered off through the Marais toward the Les Halles redevelopment and stumbled across the old National Archives building (Hotel de Sourbise) where I carried out much of my research in 2005. Very surprised to discover that they have opened up all the gardens to the public - a peaceful oasis in the midst of a very busy area.

Lunch consisted of beautiful slices of quiche (lorraine and tomato and chevre)  sitting on the steps of St Eustache church with it's amazing pipe organ (not playing today but when we heard it last time it was truly astounding - although I must say that I prefer the smaller but more beautiful sounding organ in st Gervaise (our local)

Friday afternoon was mostly sunny so we walked around to the Hotel de Ville to catch the Radio City bus as far as the Pont Alexandre III bridge for some (hopefully) sunny photographs. A good move because the sun came out and we got some really useful images with great lighting

All in all it has been a productive week and I think we are finally catching up to Paris time. In some ways it is good that the Bibleotheque des Arts Decoratifs is closed and I am not able to do any research about the use of Australian Flora in French culture as I just wouldn't have the time to do so and would feel torn in not doing it.