Hmmm, so Bordeaux was ok... frustratingly, the main thing I wanted to do in Bordeaux was go to the Musee d'Aquitaine, which traces 2500 years of history in the Aquitaine area. Of course, it was closed; until May 10. Ugh.
Instead I:
- Took a walking tour around the older areas, and learned a lot about the history and the architecture.
- Took a wine tour to a winery. It was ok. Didn't like the wine much, but LOVED my French guide's disparaging comments on France's current anti-alcoholism education. She considers this to be CRAZY, as it is anti wine! Her secret for health and happiness was drinking wine regularly; that is, every day.
- Visited an awesome monolithic (underground, carved into the cliff face) church in the very cool medieval village of St Emillion.
- Bought a skirt. It is very hard to find a coloured skirt in France. I had to settle for brown...
- Ate some very good food, especially confit de canard at Bistro Eduard.
- Took an eight hour train ride to Lyon.
Upon arriving at Lyon, I:
- Got annoyed at the metro ticket machines for only taking coin and microchipped bank cards.
- Waited ages in line to book my train ticket to Strasbourg (mostly so I could get change for the metro machine).
- Was given ticket advice by a beggar after I gave him some change.
- Wandered around at the bottom of a large hill, trying to find the way to my hostel.
- Learned the best way up the big hill, as my hostel was mid way up it.
- Wondered if it was unreasonable to want an escalator to be built into the hill.
- Discovered that the reception to the hostel was closed (dinner break).
- Went back down the hill to eat kebabs with chips in it.
- Marevlled at the truly amazing view from the hotel- it actually makes the climb worth it (just).
- Found that my room was full of English speakers, including a girl from Ferntree Gully, with whom I spent this morning wandering the city.
- Visited the Printing Museum, which was ok; started out with English translation, but they petered out by the second room, so it was just a case of looking, without extra understanding.
- Visited the Lumiere Museum, which was fantastic; it didn't hurt that it was housed in an exquisite Art Nouveau building.
- Ate bread and cheese while checking out the view.
- Wandered at random, taking photos of pretty things and street art, and enjoying the lat sunshine.
- Concluded that I really, really like Lyon. One of my favourite places so far.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Typically French
Warning: French keyboards are set out differently; I am struggling with my typing so pleqse excuse typos.
As anticipated, Saturday involved a visit to the Museum of the Middle Ages (j'adore! So much geeky Naomi stuff!), followed by a trip to a chateau for a picnic. We WERE aiming for Chateau Chantilly, but it was very complicated, so we gave up... Ended up at Chateau Vincennes, not so far away, and probably not so beautiful, but enor,ous. I found it interesting as it gave me an idea of how castles would actually have housed villages. This is how villages originally were in England, and why you occassionally co,e across castles in the middle of towns... sorry, nerding out, I think.
Somehow, the suggestions arose that it was good petanque weather, and so a game was arranged for Sunday... I was now heading to Bordeaux in the afternoon! Apparently petanque is VERY French. I had no idea what it was, but hey, when in Rome... er, Paris... Lise and I went home to make beef bourgignon for pre-petanque feasting, and then had our very yummy crepe dinner. Mmmm
Well, petanque, the game; sort of like lawn bowls, you are aiming to get your ball closest to the cournichon (?). And the verdict; SO MUCH FUN! We played with Jacques' friend Antoine, and Lisa and I sort of got the hang of it... or we fluked our way through.Either possible. Anyway, Jacques and Lisa took the first tournament, and midway through the revenge round we realised I had to run for my train! So Lisa advises that Jacques is very keen for a rematch on my return to Paris! Lisa and I are considering getting a petanque set...
Now I'm in Bordeaux. Spent last night talking to an Aussie girl who insists I am the first person she's met in France who speaks English. Spent today sitting in the public gardens chilling out, mostly; my week in the provences will be much slower paced than Paris, as less sights and demands on my time. Tomorrow I am doing a walking tour and visiting the museum of Aquitaine; the next day a tour to a winery and a medieval village- I just can't seem to get enough of them!
Keep emailing and commenting- it's so good to hear from you all!
As anticipated, Saturday involved a visit to the Museum of the Middle Ages (j'adore! So much geeky Naomi stuff!), followed by a trip to a chateau for a picnic. We WERE aiming for Chateau Chantilly, but it was very complicated, so we gave up... Ended up at Chateau Vincennes, not so far away, and probably not so beautiful, but enor,ous. I found it interesting as it gave me an idea of how castles would actually have housed villages. This is how villages originally were in England, and why you occassionally co,e across castles in the middle of towns... sorry, nerding out, I think.
Somehow, the suggestions arose that it was good petanque weather, and so a game was arranged for Sunday... I was now heading to Bordeaux in the afternoon! Apparently petanque is VERY French. I had no idea what it was, but hey, when in Rome... er, Paris... Lise and I went home to make beef bourgignon for pre-petanque feasting, and then had our very yummy crepe dinner. Mmmm
Well, petanque, the game; sort of like lawn bowls, you are aiming to get your ball closest to the cournichon (?). And the verdict; SO MUCH FUN! We played with Jacques' friend Antoine, and Lisa and I sort of got the hang of it... or we fluked our way through.Either possible. Anyway, Jacques and Lisa took the first tournament, and midway through the revenge round we realised I had to run for my train! So Lisa advises that Jacques is very keen for a rematch on my return to Paris! Lisa and I are considering getting a petanque set...
Now I'm in Bordeaux. Spent last night talking to an Aussie girl who insists I am the first person she's met in France who speaks English. Spent today sitting in the public gardens chilling out, mostly; my week in the provences will be much slower paced than Paris, as less sights and demands on my time. Tomorrow I am doing a walking tour and visiting the museum of Aquitaine; the next day a tour to a winery and a medieval village- I just can't seem to get enough of them!
Keep emailing and commenting- it's so good to hear from you all!
Friday, April 20, 2007
A taste of French indulgence
For chocolate lovers, visiting Paris without a stop at Angelina (226 Rue de Rivoli) may well be a crime. You may have to wait for a table to become available in this busy tea salon, with little French old ladies and groups of tourists enjoying occupying the stately tables which fill every available space. The price list may not suit the budget traveller, but Angelina is the ultimate for a lavish desert. All the deserts looked divine, and I chose a particularly good Tarte Citron (some Melbourne readers may be aware of my Lemon Tart Quest. This is the furthest afield I have ventured, and well worth it!). But the creme de la creme here is the hot chocolate. Chocolat l'Affricain is like molten chocolate- delicious! Served in a jug, with a side dish of chantilly cream, the diner serves the chocolate to their liking. Thanks to Sarah (in Paris) for the tip! And if you feel the need to walk off the calories, you can stroll through the nearby Rivoli Gardens, or, as I did, visit the bookstore next door, which proudly boasts a tradition of stocking English books. I chose a few French books (translated in Anglaise, of course), to keep me entertained on my upcoming trip around France.
Of course, the French have made lavishness an art form. Yesterday I visited Versailles. Now anyone who has studied French History would know this, but I was a little surprised; Chateau Versailles is ENORMOUS! Almost every room is gloriously decorated, sporting painted ceilings and priceless paintings and furniture. As an aside, has anyone else noticed the way, as soon as something has a touch of gold or gilt, tourists feel the need to snap a picture? Amuses me a lot. Anyway, the chateau was impressive. I was particularly interested in Domaine de Marie-Antoinette, a section of the estate given to her by Louis XVI, which she fashioned into a pastoral hideaway from the ritual of court life. She apparently loved to spend time close to nature, such as on the small farm run for her amusement. But my favourite part of Versailles was the gardens. It was a beautiful day, and it was so nice to be able to sit on sections of the grass (a true luxury in Paris). Must admit I fell asleep for a while! Also saw an abundance of wildlife: catfish scrambling for crumbs; a woodpecker; and a French frog!
The visit to Angelina today was actually a side-trip on my excursion to the true symbol of French grandeur; Royal Palais de Musee Louvre. This place is stupidly big, so much so that it really frustrated me. According to Lonely Planet it would take nine months just to glance at all the exhibits. But once I found a sense of direction, I was able to enjoy the spectacular artworks within. I particularly enjoyed the sculpture galleries, and was glad that I finally braved the Da Vinci Code trailblazers and ventured into the Italian painting galleries. I am not joking about the Da Vinci Code, by the way- the Louvre actually offers a Da Vinci Code Audio-tour. I declined. A word of advice- your ticket is an all day pass, so take advantage of this, and take breaks outside the Musee for lunch or coffee. Don't eat inside the centre- it is overpriced and average fare. The all day pass is an especially good option if you visit on one of the days the centre is open late.
One thing that constantly amazes me about Paris is the quality of the buskers. They just don't do anything by halves here. Many buskers are professional musicians eking a living off generous tourists. The first time a I heard a piano accordion strike up while I was on the Metro was a true Amelie moment; it felt like a traditional French soundtrack had been added to my ordinary day. I've also thoroughly enjoyed: the string orchestral arrangement playing at one Metro; the Latin bad playing at another; the jazz trio improvising atop a wall near the steps of the Pompidou centre (below); and the electric harp player at Sacre Cour.
And so my time in Paris is drawing to a close. Tomorrow's plans involve visiting the Museum of Middle Ages (which I am really looking forward to, nerd, nerd), ad a picnic at a chateau, followed by a crepe dinner. Then I strike out on my own while Lisa finishes up at work. I'm visiting Bordeaux, then Lyon and Strasbourg. Paris has been surprisingly good; my cynicism has been erased. I think my low expectations meant I could only be pleasantly surprised, and I have been. Paris is really a beautiful city, and it's so exciting when a waiter smiles at you, or when your hesitant attempts at French are understood. As Lisa insists, the difficulties of Paris make those ordinary moments extraordinary. Paris has that effect, somehow.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Supporting the arts
So yesterday I started the day at Musee d'Orsay, in a ridiculously long line (ask to see the photo when I come back, it looks like a crowd scene). However, I didn't see the Impressionists when they were at NGV because of the line, so there was no way I was leaving. 40 minutes later I got inside, and was happy to find out that my VIT card got me in for free :) Wow, I think that's the first time my VIT card did anything good for me.
I was not disappointed once inside either. Impressionism (which aims to capture a sense of light, and the impression of image) and neo-impressionism (which furthers the idea of creating a sense, rather than an image, by painting in a series of dots, which tricks the eye) are some of my favourite art forms. I wandered happily through a huge collection of Monet (it's so interesting to see more than just Waterlilies, he has a huge range of works), was amazed at Degas' skill with pastel (how do you imply the delicacy of tulle with a crayon???), and was disappointed by the relatively small collection of Renoir (my favourite artist). New favourites included Levy-Dhurmer and Redon, whose semi fantastical works bordered on surreal, and Henri Edmund Cross, who moves from neo-impressionism towards modern art, I think, with his use of blocky brush strokes rather than delicate dots. I also discovered that a lot of furniture design and artwork I like has a title to describe it; I have finally discovered what 'art nouveau' encompasses, and that I like it. It's all that swirly stuff from early 1900's, and it's purty. So I bought a book.
Afterwards met Lisa for a picnic in the park (Luxembourg Gardens), involving wine, baguette saucisson and three types of cheese, all divine. Very nice and cruisy. And cheesy. Then we met up with Lisa's friend Sarah, who was doing a radio interview with her about street art. For this we took a tour around (I think) 5th Arrondisement, and saw all sorts of stuff Lisa has blogged about- Nemo, Jef Aerosol, Mesnager, Miss Tic, the giraffes I like but can never remember who does them. Afterwards we went to an exhibition for Jef Aerosol's book, which was cool, and we met Mesnager and Jef. It was really exciting to see all this art, which has become part of Lisa's experience of Paris. It made my visit here seem more persona than the usual tourist trail.
Today I hit that tourist trail again though, heading for Sacre Cour. In a boulangerie on the way there, a guy said good bye to me in Italian. I guess my accent was terrible, and he was trying to place my nationality. Lisa thinks he thought I was the female version of Pepe le Pew. Sacre Cour was nice, particularly for it's amazing view of the city. It's on top of Montmartre, a raised part of the city, and the view just from the steps out front is lovely. If you shell out to climb the 276 stairs to the top (as I did), it's spectacular. Even more beautiful was the choir singing as I descended the staircase, and the amazing sound streaming out of the upper dome windows toward the sky.
Sarah had mentioned a fantastic hot chocolate pace around Concorde, so I wandered trying to find that (and failing), so instead strolled Champs Elysee, and a few shopping areas around there. Then jumped a train to the Musee Rodin. I had been considering going to see Rodin stuff, as his name nagged in the back of my head as one I knew for some reason. Then I saw a piece at Musee d'Orsay titled The Gates of Hell (e porte l'enfern, I think), which was spectacular, and sealed my decision. I'm sure some of you still can't place his work, though. Perhaps you are sitting with your head in your hands as you ponder? If so, you may resemble his best known work, The Thinker (La Pensive). It's the first work you see as you stroll around the beautiful gardens surrounding the museum. I loved this museum, it's a lot smaller than some of the other museums in Paris, and mostly made up of sculptures. I also got in for free, which made me like it more :)
Then I did as all good tourists do when in Paris: finally, I visited the Eiffel Tower. I didn't go up (long lines, hefty-ish price tag, meant to meet Lisa, plus what would I look at up there? Normally from a Parisian vantage point I try to spot the Eiffel Tower...), but was surprised to discover that the tower is a lot more beautiful, complex and impressive when you're close up. It's easy to become blase, as it's such a cliched image now, but this is a beautiful structure, and caused a huge uproar when first erected. Even the French didn't like it, now it is the most recognised (and prided) symbol of their country.
I'm now back at Lisa's, chilling out. She's gone to a Pinter play translated into French, and I have decided to be lazy and not go. Instead I am blogging, resting, cooking dinner and planning my tomorrow. I might go out for a drink or desert later, too; there are so many bars and restaurants around here. I was amazed, when I went for a walk after dark on Monday night, to find the place still buzzing. Lise says it often is still buzzing at 2am. Ah, gay Paris!
I was not disappointed once inside either. Impressionism (which aims to capture a sense of light, and the impression of image) and neo-impressionism (which furthers the idea of creating a sense, rather than an image, by painting in a series of dots, which tricks the eye) are some of my favourite art forms. I wandered happily through a huge collection of Monet (it's so interesting to see more than just Waterlilies, he has a huge range of works), was amazed at Degas' skill with pastel (how do you imply the delicacy of tulle with a crayon???), and was disappointed by the relatively small collection of Renoir (my favourite artist). New favourites included Levy-Dhurmer and Redon, whose semi fantastical works bordered on surreal, and Henri Edmund Cross, who moves from neo-impressionism towards modern art, I think, with his use of blocky brush strokes rather than delicate dots. I also discovered that a lot of furniture design and artwork I like has a title to describe it; I have finally discovered what 'art nouveau' encompasses, and that I like it. It's all that swirly stuff from early 1900's, and it's purty. So I bought a book.
Afterwards met Lisa for a picnic in the park (Luxembourg Gardens), involving wine, baguette saucisson and three types of cheese, all divine. Very nice and cruisy. And cheesy. Then we met up with Lisa's friend Sarah, who was doing a radio interview with her about street art. For this we took a tour around (I think) 5th Arrondisement, and saw all sorts of stuff Lisa has blogged about- Nemo, Jef Aerosol, Mesnager, Miss Tic, the giraffes I like but can never remember who does them. Afterwards we went to an exhibition for Jef Aerosol's book, which was cool, and we met Mesnager and Jef. It was really exciting to see all this art, which has become part of Lisa's experience of Paris. It made my visit here seem more persona than the usual tourist trail.
Today I hit that tourist trail again though, heading for Sacre Cour. In a boulangerie on the way there, a guy said good bye to me in Italian. I guess my accent was terrible, and he was trying to place my nationality. Lisa thinks he thought I was the female version of Pepe le Pew. Sacre Cour was nice, particularly for it's amazing view of the city. It's on top of Montmartre, a raised part of the city, and the view just from the steps out front is lovely. If you shell out to climb the 276 stairs to the top (as I did), it's spectacular. Even more beautiful was the choir singing as I descended the staircase, and the amazing sound streaming out of the upper dome windows toward the sky.
Sarah had mentioned a fantastic hot chocolate pace around Concorde, so I wandered trying to find that (and failing), so instead strolled Champs Elysee, and a few shopping areas around there. Then jumped a train to the Musee Rodin. I had been considering going to see Rodin stuff, as his name nagged in the back of my head as one I knew for some reason. Then I saw a piece at Musee d'Orsay titled The Gates of Hell (e porte l'enfern, I think), which was spectacular, and sealed my decision. I'm sure some of you still can't place his work, though. Perhaps you are sitting with your head in your hands as you ponder? If so, you may resemble his best known work, The Thinker (La Pensive). It's the first work you see as you stroll around the beautiful gardens surrounding the museum. I loved this museum, it's a lot smaller than some of the other museums in Paris, and mostly made up of sculptures. I also got in for free, which made me like it more :)
Then I did as all good tourists do when in Paris: finally, I visited the Eiffel Tower. I didn't go up (long lines, hefty-ish price tag, meant to meet Lisa, plus what would I look at up there? Normally from a Parisian vantage point I try to spot the Eiffel Tower...), but was surprised to discover that the tower is a lot more beautiful, complex and impressive when you're close up. It's easy to become blase, as it's such a cliched image now, but this is a beautiful structure, and caused a huge uproar when first erected. Even the French didn't like it, now it is the most recognised (and prided) symbol of their country.
I'm now back at Lisa's, chilling out. She's gone to a Pinter play translated into French, and I have decided to be lazy and not go. Instead I am blogging, resting, cooking dinner and planning my tomorrow. I might go out for a drink or desert later, too; there are so many bars and restaurants around here. I was amazed, when I went for a walk after dark on Monday night, to find the place still buzzing. Lise says it often is still buzzing at 2am. Ah, gay Paris!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Spirits of chairs and churches
A friend of mine has some clear plastic chairs, which she loves. They are Phillipe Starck Louis Ghost Chairs, and I had never seen them before until I visited this friend's new unit. Then I read an article about them in my weekend paper. And now I have seen them on display in an art museum.
Even though I find modern art very challenging, and I often don't like it, I keep taking myself to modern art galleries. While in London, Lisa and I visited Tate Modern, and today I checked out the Pompidou Centre in Paris. While I connected with fewer artworks at Pompidou, I think the selection of works was better. It featured a variety of media, ranging from sculpture, to video, to homeware design (hence the Phillipe Starck stuff).
I find that I am less forgiving with modern art. It evokes very strong reactions in me, I either love something, hate it or am completely uninterested. More classical art tends to promote a more reflective viewing style for me, so I am more inclined to develop a considered opinion of the piece. But at the modern galleries I have visited I have liked:
- some Cy Twombly work, particularly the Seasons, on display at Tate
- the New York photography on display at Pompidou. I have forgotten the artists
- Mattisse
- Pollock. Not very original choice, I know!
- Paul Nash
- Kandinsky (part of the Bauhaus movement)
- Dali. Again, not very original choice. Meh.
- Phillipe Starck. His designs are SO artistic, sometimes to the point that they are completely impractical. It's cool, haute merchandise domestique!
Weirdest thing I've seen in these moder galleries: a room entirely devoted to inflatable things. Some of this was inflatable art, but some was actually just inflatable furniture, a la 1960s, or plans for it, or photos of it. C'est bizarre.
I also chose to visit a site from another historical extreme today- Notre Dame. Lisa just smiles and nods when I get excited about churches... I am a little obsessive. I seem to remember similar reactions from Jackie by the end of our New Zealand trip... and the churches in Europe are of course far more numerous and spectacular! So church visits are something for me to indulge in when Lisa and I are solo exploring. I am not at all religious, but am fascinated by expression of faith, a subject I think was awakened when I wrote my thesis. So I just love exploring churches, religious artwork and literature, etc.
Anyway, Notre Dame is gorgeous, and particularly intriguing for its literary connections, as well as the general religious beauty. In fact, it is the literature (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo) which is responsible for the restoration of the Cathedral; prior to the success of Hugo's novel, the site had fallen into disrepair. In fact, the cathedral was ransacked the very day Hunchback was released.
I decided to commit to the wait and the fee involved with visiting the towers, and was glad I did. The steps are a challenge (472, I think), but the view was fantastic; both of Paris, and of the gargoyles and other monsters, each individualised, and the flying buttresses (it's a churchy thing, common on Gothic style churches).
Apart from that, Paris has seen me attempting French, people watching and just wandering alleys. Oh, and eating as much stereotypical food as possible. Lisa brought me croissant and pan au chocolat for breakfast (I can not BELIEVE how good French croissants really are! Wow!); we had wine with dinner (Sancerre, I think. It's a white wine, hints of apple, very crisp and refreshing); crepe fromage for lunch; and tomorrow we will picnic for lunch, with plans of baguette, cheese and saucisson. Mmmmm..... :)
Even though I find modern art very challenging, and I often don't like it, I keep taking myself to modern art galleries. While in London, Lisa and I visited Tate Modern, and today I checked out the Pompidou Centre in Paris. While I connected with fewer artworks at Pompidou, I think the selection of works was better. It featured a variety of media, ranging from sculpture, to video, to homeware design (hence the Phillipe Starck stuff).
I find that I am less forgiving with modern art. It evokes very strong reactions in me, I either love something, hate it or am completely uninterested. More classical art tends to promote a more reflective viewing style for me, so I am more inclined to develop a considered opinion of the piece. But at the modern galleries I have visited I have liked:
- some Cy Twombly work, particularly the Seasons, on display at Tate
- the New York photography on display at Pompidou. I have forgotten the artists
- Mattisse
- Pollock. Not very original choice, I know!
- Paul Nash
- Kandinsky (part of the Bauhaus movement)
- Dali. Again, not very original choice. Meh.
- Phillipe Starck. His designs are SO artistic, sometimes to the point that they are completely impractical. It's cool, haute merchandise domestique!
Weirdest thing I've seen in these moder galleries: a room entirely devoted to inflatable things. Some of this was inflatable art, but some was actually just inflatable furniture, a la 1960s, or plans for it, or photos of it. C'est bizarre.
I also chose to visit a site from another historical extreme today- Notre Dame. Lisa just smiles and nods when I get excited about churches... I am a little obsessive. I seem to remember similar reactions from Jackie by the end of our New Zealand trip... and the churches in Europe are of course far more numerous and spectacular! So church visits are something for me to indulge in when Lisa and I are solo exploring. I am not at all religious, but am fascinated by expression of faith, a subject I think was awakened when I wrote my thesis. So I just love exploring churches, religious artwork and literature, etc.
Anyway, Notre Dame is gorgeous, and particularly intriguing for its literary connections, as well as the general religious beauty. In fact, it is the literature (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo) which is responsible for the restoration of the Cathedral; prior to the success of Hugo's novel, the site had fallen into disrepair. In fact, the cathedral was ransacked the very day Hunchback was released.
I decided to commit to the wait and the fee involved with visiting the towers, and was glad I did. The steps are a challenge (472, I think), but the view was fantastic; both of Paris, and of the gargoyles and other monsters, each individualised, and the flying buttresses (it's a churchy thing, common on Gothic style churches).
Apart from that, Paris has seen me attempting French, people watching and just wandering alleys. Oh, and eating as much stereotypical food as possible. Lisa brought me croissant and pan au chocolat for breakfast (I can not BELIEVE how good French croissants really are! Wow!); we had wine with dinner (Sancerre, I think. It's a white wine, hints of apple, very crisp and refreshing); crepe fromage for lunch; and tomorrow we will picnic for lunch, with plans of baguette, cheese and saucisson. Mmmmm..... :)
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