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Post by sojoh on Aug 17, 2011 9:11:03 GMT
nycgirl, I REALLY love the photo of the Eiffel Tower in the puddle. Now I'm going to be going around Paris with my eyes on the ground to see if I can find any similar reflections! And it will give me a reason to be happy when it rains...as long as the sun comes out afterwards.
And thanks for mentioning your dinner at l'Ami Jean. I'm always looking for new restaurants to try.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 17, 2011 20:26:25 GMT
Thanks, everyone! Sojoh, have a great time. Looking forward to hearing about your trip when you come back, especially the fashion show. Tod, thanks for the historical tidbits. I didn't know about the replicas. Another factoid for me to file away.
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Post by sojoh on Aug 17, 2011 21:56:23 GMT
Sojoh, have a great time. Looking forward to hearing about your trip when you come back, especially the fashion show.) nycgirl, I was a bit confused by your comment at first because I live in Paris...so I guess that I'm already "back". ;-) There's a new post on my blog every day, but I'll be sure to let you know when I post the one about the fashion show. It should be fun - I wish that you were here to walk down the runway in September because I'm still looking for a volunteer model. Maybe Kerouac would agree to do it! outandaboutinparis.blogspot.com/
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2011 1:37:33 GMT
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Post by sojoh on Aug 18, 2011 6:01:44 GMT
Kerouac, What? You don't tango and you don't do fashion shows either! And here I've been looking for interesting ways to get you out of the metro stations for a couple of minutes. Sorry, nycgirl, I don't want to derail your thread but couldn't resist the opportunity to tease Kerouac a bit.
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Post by hwinpp on Aug 18, 2011 7:57:43 GMT
I've seen K2 in a mini skirt. Believe me, it's not something you want a wider audience to see... ;D
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Post by sojoh on Aug 18, 2011 8:19:12 GMT
hwinpp - your comment had me "laughing out loud" ;D And yes, I would like to see K2 in a mini skirt and perhaps high heels...even though I've never had the pleasure of "seeing" him outside of this forum and TA.
OK - K2 and nycgirl, I promise that I'm finished. I'm just feeling a bit silly this morning and couldn't restrain myself.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 19, 2011 17:14:55 GMT
Sojoh, not a problem, this conversation is very entertaining! The next morning, I was really fired up to visit the Notre Dame Towers. I got to there at 10 am and waited about an hour. We climbed nearly 400 steps up the narrow spiral staircase and were rewarded with a killer view. Here a pensive-looking chimera looks out over the city. The tall single Gothic tower is all that remains of the Saint Jacques Church, destroyed in the years after the French Revolution. Sacre Couer looms on the horizon. I know this creature is supposed to be fearsome, but I thought the way his tongue stuck out was hilarious. We explored to our heart's content, then left to have the picnic lunch we brought with us. We settled down in the Parc de Saint Jacques, a small park that surrounds the tower pictured above. After our tasty and satisfying picnic, it was on to the Louvre. It's easy to get overwhelmed at the Louvre, but we grabbed a map, decided what we wanted to see, and planned a route. We saw the Egyptian wing, the remnants of a 13th century moat that used to fortify the city, and, of course, the Big Three. Out of the three famous ladies, Winged Victory was my favorite. She's very dynamic, with her powerful wings thrust back and windswept drapery clinging to her. It was, predictably, a complete madhouse in the Mona Lisa room. I had seen it before and have given up on trying to get a better look. Instead, I took pictures of everyone else taking pictures of her. Cupid and Psyche was a highlight for me. It's a beautifully composed piece, and the light from the windows gives the marble an ethereal glow. I got a kick out of a teenage couple attempting to do a re-enactment of the sculpture for a photo. As the girl leaned back and encircled her arms around her boyfriend's head, he struggled mightily to keep from dropping her. It was cool seeing the Code of Hammurabi, one of the first written sets of law in recorded history. It consists of 282 laws written on a stele in the shape of a huge index finger. It wasn't at all crowded in the Mesopotamian Art section, so we had the freedom to goof off. The apartments of Napoleon III were very impressive, like a mini-Versailles. The lobby of the museum was so pretty, flooded with natural light. I really liked this spiral staircase. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it's got a neat little elevator that goes through the middle of it like a piston. We spent a nicely paced three hours there, then headed out. We passed by striped columns of the Jardin du Palais Royal (I noticed that the fountain with the silver spheres was gone, I guess for renovations). We took a break at an Irish-style pub and tookthe edge off with some drinks. Then sis and I decided we wanted to pay a quick visit to Centre Pompidou. We had the museum pass, so why not? My husband was unwillingly to budge, though, so we made plans to meet up. On the way there, we posed with the sculpture “l’Ecoute” (the Listener), behind the Saint Eustache Cathedral. We continued, then got distracted by a cute clothing store on Rue de Turbigo and ducked in. We grabbed some trendy, affordable items and were on our way again. By this time it was almost 8, so we had to high-tail it to make the last entry at the Pompidou. We made it in the nick of time. Good thing my husband didn’t come, he hates to be rushed! As we rode up the tubular, transparent escalator, we were surrounded by the deep tones of chanting monks. The recording was part of a temporary art installation. I gotta admit, it sounded a little ominous and I didn't quite like it. But I loved the view as we rose over the city. It was an overcast day, but shafts of sunlight managed to pierce the clouds. (I just wish I did a better job of framing the photo.) The Pompidou's collection was interesting and eclectic, featuring artists from Andy Warhol to Picasso to Dali. One of my favorite pieces was this huge hanging sculpture by a contemporary African artist named El Anatsui. He painstakingly weaves together bottle caps and other recyclable materials to make these intricate, wonderfully shimmering creations. I liked this mobile composed of mirrors. It created the surreal effect of separating various body parts. We only had an hour before the museum closed, but it was nice to get a small sampling of modern art. I walked around and checked out the exterior. It's a wacky building and it sticks out like a sore thumb, but I like it. The team behind it had taken the world of architecture by storm with their daring idea of creating an exoskeleton of brightly colored tubes. The pipes are color-coded according to function: green for plumbing, blue for climate control, yellow for electricity, and red for movement (i.e., escalators) and safety (fire extinguishers). I really liked the Stravinsky fountains. They weren't operating and were graffitied over when I saw them, but oh well, they were still cool. Created by husband and wife artists Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint-Phalle, they pay homage to works by composer Igor Stravinsky. Tinguely created the black sculptures, Saint-Phalle created the whimsical, colorful ones. I came across a group of protesters with signs standing in front of one of the Centre Pompidou's buildings, shouting “L’Addition!” repeatedly. Although I had no idea what the issue was, I was a little pleased that for once I understood locals speaking French on the street. Huge accomplishment for me. One of the reasons why the architects of the Centre Pompidou won the design competition, besides their avant garde vision, was their inclusion of a big plaza in front of the museum. Because of it, the Centre Pompidou is an accessible, lively place for socializing. We found my husband and took a short walk down Rue Beaubourg to Happy Nouilles, a Chinese place where I had a bowl of delicious and hearty noodle soup. The noodles are homemade, so I got to see a little window performance of a girl stretching and twirling them in the air and vigorously whacking them on the countertops. It was a nice little restaurant, and one of our cheapest meals in Paris.
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Post by auntieannie on Aug 20, 2011 22:20:54 GMT
thank you, NCYgirl! you seem to have enjoyed a really lovely stay. It is so nice of you to take us on tour with you. Like has been said before, the details you find and picture make it extra special. I like it very much when you and your husband/sister goof around. travelling is about fun!
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Post by hwinpp on Aug 23, 2011 3:17:52 GMT
Good to see the art of 'pulling' noodles is still practiced in Paris! ;D
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Post by sojoh on Aug 23, 2011 8:53:57 GMT
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Post by Jazz on Aug 27, 2011 7:52:22 GMT
Thank you for a fresh and lovely thread, nycgirl. (although I'm 'a day late and a dollar short ') I like your photos...joyous! You mentioned your good experience with Paris Greeters and this interests me very much. I'll be in Paris for 3 weeks in October and, based on your input, I think I'll contact them. Great thread!
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 27, 2011 15:58:05 GMT
Thanks!
Jazz, my greeter's name is Medy, hope you get him. Although I've heard good things about other greeters.
3 weeks in the fall, I'm so jealous! Looking forward to hearing about it.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2011 17:23:43 GMT
Hey, nycgirl, are we going to get a hurricane thread?
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 27, 2011 21:48:33 GMT
Yeah, my husband and I are going to try to take some photos. I wish the thought had occurred to me earlier, I could have taken photos of the madhouse at my grocery store yesterday.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 27, 2011 22:04:03 GMT
After a week in Paris, we had a change of scenery and took a lovely little side trip to Burgundy. Then my sister had to fly back home, while my husband and I returned to Paris for 2 1/2 more days. On our first day back, we visited the wonderful D’Orsay. Not only does it house a first-rate art collection, but the former train station is such a beautiful building. It’s a shame photos aren’t allowed anymore. We whiled away the afternoon with the likes of Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Monet. The rest of the day was spent just eating, drinking, and lazing around. For our last full day in Paris, we were feeling pretty well-rested from taking it easy the day before, so we were up for a whirlwind of activities. We grabbed breakfast (a baguette and a delectable strawberry tart) and took it with us to the Pere Lachaise cemetery. Mmm... We set out to explore and quickly found Oscar Wilde’s grave, which is possibly the most peculiar in the entire cemetery. The huge, flamboyant angel (once anatomically correct, now emasculated) perched on the tomb is bedecked with the lipstick kisses and scrawlings of legions of fans. Oscar Wilde is as famous for his quippy writings as he is for his tragic downfall and death. After being convicted of “indecency” (i.e., homosexuality) and serving two years of hard labor in prison, he became gravely ill and died penniless at the age of 46. While on his deathbed in a rundown hotel in Paris, his last words were reportedly, “Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.” Witty to the end. The memorials to the Holocaust victims were very haunting. Far from bringing the viewer a sense of peace, the statuary evoked images of tortured, emaciated bodies. I had to look this one up. Ravensbruck was the major concentration camp for women. Like other camps, it was a place of deplorable living conditions, slave labor, and executions. On top of that, horrific medical experiments took place there, as well as the murder of babies and children. The cruelty of the Nazis knew no limits. On the way to Gertrude Stein’s grave, my husband, who had the map, challenged me to guess which one it was. I knew it wouldn’t be very ostentatious, but I still got it wrong. The resting place of the legendary writer and patron of the arts was even more humble than I was expecting. The name was barely legible and the plain headstone was adorned only with pebbles. The grave of Victor Noir had a good-sized crowd surrounding it. The 19th century journalist was greatly mourned when he was shot dead at the age of 22, and he continues to enjoy popularity after death. Somehow a myth was circulated that kissing and rubbing the statue brings fertility or romance to women, so certain parts of his likeness have been burnished to a shine. Many of the tombs and monuments have fallen into disrepair, giving the cemetery a moody atmosphere. We saw Edith Piaf’s grave, which was surprisingly plain for such a larger-than-life diva. I didn’t bother taking a photo because it was so swamped with visitors. Fortunately, her fans don’t show their devotion by defacing her tomb. The same cannot be said for Jim Morrison fans, who must be kept at bay behind an iron gate. A commemorative bust once stood on his headstone, but was stolen. His tomb and those nearby have been vandalized, but the cemetery officials have done a good job cleaning it up. Apparently late-night revelers are also a problem. Writing messages on the nearby tree is a more innocuous way of paying homage to the rock star. Although it was sobering to be surrounded by reminders of death, it was still pleasant to stroll along the tree-lined, cobblestoned lanes. We paid a visit to the tomb of the celebrated 12th century couple, Heloise and Abelard. They began a passionate affair when Heloise’s uncle and guardian hired Abelard, a renowned philosopher and theologian, to tutor Heloise. They married in secret and bore a son (though not in that order). Heloise’s enraged uncle enacted revenge by sending thugs to castrate Abelard. Disgraced, Abelard lived out his days as a monk and Heloise as a nun. Although they were never to live together as husband and wife, their remains were reunited here after their deaths. The last grave we visited was Pissarro’s, where someone had sweetly left a tribute of paintbrushes. After a couple of hours of wandering among graves, we were ready to return to the land of the living, so we hopped on the metro and took a short ride to Belleville.
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Post by sojoh on Aug 28, 2011 19:50:51 GMT
nycgirl, Thanks for posting your pics from Pere Lachaise. It's amazing that I spent 3 hours doing a guided tour and didn't see some of the graves that you visited. I was on a French speaking tour so we didn't go to Oscar Wilde's grave but visited lots of other ones. I've always loved Wilde's last words. I took a similar photo of the tree near Jim Morrison's grave and had to laugh that someone corrected the spelling of "whisky". And, mmmm, that strawberry tart looks delicious.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 29, 2011 4:44:18 GMT
After a couple of hours of wandering among graves, we were ready to return to the land of the living. We hopped on the metro to Belleville to check out the graffitti street Rue Denoyez. It was surprisingly lively on this day. There was a little family festival going on, with kids running around playing games and getting their faces painted. The bars were pretty packed and there was art and other things for sale. A local was printing Belleville-themed T-shirts. I bought one for 5 euros. We strolled around and checked out the cool street art... More street art on the wall around the corner. We took a break at a bar, which mercifully had much cheaper prices than central Paris. Then it was on to Parc de Belleville, where we took in a panoramic view of the city. Interestingly, on our Paris Greeter walk the previous week, our greeter told us that although most guidebooks incorrectly name Montmartre as the highest elevation in Paris, that distinction actually belongs to Belleville. I looked it up to learn more and found out that the highest point is 40 Rue du Telegraphe, located at the entrance of the Belleville Cemetery. The street is named after the telegraph, because Claude Chappe used the spot to test his invention. After we left the park, we grabbed lunch nearby, then took the metro to the Latin Quarter. Wandering around, we stumbled upon the impressive fountain of St. Michel. We headed towards Luxembourg Gardens, but rain prompted us to take cover in the nearby patisserie, Dalloyau. This was serendipitous, because I not only had some tasty macarons, but also a delicious cafe religieuse, something that I had not even heard of before. When the rain eased up, we went for a nice walk through Luxembourg Gardens. Very pretty and elegant. It began raining again, but we were content to sit on a bench under a thick canopy of trees for a long time. We had some dinner, then we headed to a jazz club, Caveau des Oubliettes. (The next couple of photos aren’t mine. I couldn’t get any decent shots.) This “Cellar of the Forgotten” is a former prison that dates back to the 12th century. There are still original shackles hanging from the stone walls. We had a drink upstairs, and at 10 the doors opened for the underground lounge. We descended the same narrow staircase that unfortunate prisoners were forced through long ago. Caveau des Oubliettes then... ... and now. The place was small and the seats filled up right away, with a few people even standing in the doorway. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone who’s claustrophobic, but it had a fun atmosphere. The young crowd was unassuming and enthusiastic and the band was really good. After we left, we took a long walk through the city before finally going back to our apartment around 2 am. I was a little sad the trip had come to an end, but it was a nice way to end our last night. Whew, that was a long report! Thanks, everyone, for your indulgence. I really enjoyed reliving the trip. Hope it won’t be long til I can go again.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 29, 2011 5:08:01 GMT
Indulgence? You could go on for that long and longer -- this is such an enjoyable report! Oh, I do hope you won't have to wait very long before your next trip. I'd say Paris is enhanced by your enthusiasm.
Gad, you took some incredible pictures. Love the shots from the Notre Dame Tower, and the light you captured in the museum photos -- super commentary on those, too. The arched window in the cemetery and the patisserie picture are both lovely. But my favorite of all is the one you grumbled about -- that gorgeous view of the city under lowering skies in #37.
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Post by auntieannie on Aug 29, 2011 21:33:37 GMT
I need to check if oubliettes = dungeon.
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