Banana tree (follow up)

Since now four months I have reported on the banana tree in “my” park. It’s nicely growing, But still no bananas !

Cité de Trévise

The day before yesterday, I had the intention to take some pictures, but when I went out, I met this, so I decided to postpone.

Yesterday I met another problem; my camera protested. I bought a new one, supposed to be better (Canon Powershot G7, 10,0 Mega Pixels, 6X zoom, 35-210mm F 2,8-4,8…), nothing to be compared with Abraham Lincoln’s equipment, but anyhow…So now you can tell me what I rather should have bought.). The battery was not really charged, but on my way home I managed to take a few photos and that’s all I will show you today.

This is a little square, well hidden, but I happened to know about it as for some years I used to have my office quite close to here. It’s called “Cité de Trévise”. It’s very calm; a small green place in the middle, with a nice fountain (bad luck – no water), surrounded by some very nice buildings. It all dates from about 1840.

You can reach the square from two long narrow stone paved streets. Alexandre Dumas lived on this one (first building to the right).

Unfortunately there is nothing to do, no café, even no place to sit down…but some park benches seem to be planned.

It’s certainly a place where at least I would be happy to have a flat! (I’m OK where I am now also.)

You can find the original pictures on my photo blog.

Doorways

The houses in the area I live, “les Batignolles” Paris 17th arrondissement, were to large extent built during the latter part of the 19th century. Few houses are older or younger.

I have in earlier posts talked about some famous painters, poets, composers who used to live here, but most of the original inhabitants belonged probably to those days’ ordinary middle-class.

Built more or less during the same period, the buildings are often very similar in style, but there are some minor decoration differences, including the doors and the doorways. I have already made a post on “doors” and here is one on “doorways”, or rather what you can find just on top of the actual doorways; a bit more of fantasy than today.

I found the “hands” that you can see on the top picture slightly outside my area (but still close) and this is what gave me the idea to more closely look for other decorations.

This is not a collection of the nicest ones in Paris; it’s just pictured as I walked along the streets close to where I live (and my house is included.) I would certainly find something much more decorative if I went to the most fashionable areas.

That flats were equipped with gas and electricity was something new and sometimes you can see small plates indicating that those commodities are available, like some of the older cafés advise that they have the telephone.

Children of the World

Referring to my yesterday’s post, there was one thing which I did not mention and which I think needs a special post.

If you climb the stairs around the “waterfall”, you will find a number of about 2 meter (6 or 7 ft) high statues, aligned more or less as the “moai” of the Easter Island. To gain space, I put them closer together in the below patchworks.

These bronze statues are by an artist called Rachid Khimoune. There are 21 of them, and they were symbolically put here at the start of the 21st century. They represent children from all continents, “Les Enfants du Monde”. I guess you can easily recognise who is Chinese, Swiss, Italian, Indian…

The artist spent years travelling around the world moulding different pieces of ground or buildings, often street manhole covers (what you can see on the top picture), but sometimes other significant local details. He then integrated these in the sculptures.

If you have some time over, I could suggest that you have a more detailed look on my photo blog.

Bercy

I have rather lived in the western part of Paris and have not so regularly and closely visited the more eastern parts. I have recently taken the time to stroll around a bit behind the Place de la Bastille with three different posts (1, 2, 3) and here is a fourth one, more or less touching the same area.

If from the Bastille you walk eastwards along the Seine (here open for walking, biking and roller skating), you will reach the Bercy area. Once you have passed

- the very modern Ministry of Finance with its “feet” in the water,
- the Bercy Bridge - with two double lanes for traffic, a viaduct in the middle for the metro and biking lanes under the viaduct - and
- the relatively new grass covered Palais d’Omnisport – the biggest indoor arena in Paris with a capacity of some 18.000 –

you will again find a quite new park, Parc de Bercy. Paris is getting greener and greener.

This was still in the 70’s a large area of wineries with paved lanes and rails connecting with the riverside. I remember having then made a few more or less professional visits here. During the 90’s the whole area has been transformed into a large park. Some old trees, paved lanes and buildings have been preserved.

You can today find a lot space for picnics, some nice basins and a “waterfall”, one of Paris’ vine yards, different garden types….and also the Cinémathèque Française in a modern building which used to be the American Center (closed for lack of funds). I will revert later this week to one particular thing which you find on the top of the “waterfall”.

By a large new wooden pedestrian bridge, you can reach the other Seine riverside, where for the moment a second Paris Beach (Paris Plages) is installed and a large swimming pool is floating in the river. It also offers an easy access to the new National Library, to a huge cinema centre… In the extreme east of the garden there is a “village”, where some of the wine merchant buildings have been saved and transformed into shops, cafés and restaurants. You have here again direct access to a large cinema centre and to Paris’ most recent metro line (station Cour St.Emilion). Around the park there are some newly built apartment houses with a nice view.

You can find the original photos from this post on my other blog, "Peter - photos".

Let's be a little bit romantic

If you deviate a little from the normal tourist promenade of Montmartre, slightly downhill, you can find the small “Museum of the Romantics”. You have more or less to know the address (16 rue Chaptal), because it’s just an ordinary street, with some typical 19th century houses and then there is a small opening between two houses. If you walk up the little alley, you will suddenly come to a paved courtyard and you will see something which looks like a small manor house, more typical for the country side than for the centre of Paris.

This house used to belong to a painter called Ary Scheffer (1795-1858). His reputation as a painter is today perhaps not on the highest level, but you can find his works in some prestigious museums like Louvre, National Gallery… He was clearly a romantic painter and was well appreciated and well introduced in the high society during the first half of the 19th century. He made a lot of portraits including of Chopin and Liszt, who were also among his friends, as were Delacroix, George Sand, Rossini, Tourgueniev, Dickens… all frequent guests here.

The house was occupied by Scheffer’s heirs for a long time, but was then left to the City of Paris and is a museum since 1987.

Especially George Sand and Chopin who were close neighbours spent a lot of time here and part of George Sand’s belongings – furniture, paintings, jewellery, by her made drawings and a manuscript… are now exposed at the museum. You can also find a plaster cast of Chopin’s left hand. … and of course a number of paintings by Scheffer and some others.

After the visit, you can have something to drink in the very nice garden café.

100 years ago

For (at least my own) fun, I have again made a comparison between what the streets in my quarter looked like some 100 years ago and today. A few weeks ago I already compared a view from my street; this time I have found some postcards from the two closest crossing streets. The first view has actually been taken on the same street corner as the one I previously presented; only the direction is different.

I guess we can all agree that not very much has changed except that the streets today are fuller with parked cars and that shops, restaurants, cafés have changed activities and owners. Actually, most of these buildings were probably already some fifty years old when the postcards were made.

From the third view we can see that the blind wall has been cleaned and repainted, but perhaps also lost some charm. Anyhow, the brand DUFAYEL (a department store) which you can see on the postcard has disappeared since.

On the first comparative “slide”, please note on my photo (you need good eyes) the shoes hanging in the air. This now wide spread fashion had its Paris start here. On the accompanying postcard, a certain Georgette has written “Mille gros baisers” and I transmit this message to you, wishing you all a nice weekend!

(Time for a short break again; visitors around. See you on Monday!)

Opéra Garnier

In my previous posts about « Around Place de la Bastille » you could see the new Paris opera house, Opéra Bastille, which was opened in 1989. The “real” opera house, the one we know since some 130 years, is now called “Opéra Garnier” and today mostly used for ballets. Both belong to Opéra National de Paris.

Most Parisians and tourists have never seen the inside of this building. I thought I should “offer” you some pictures from both outside and inside.

Already from outside I had a problem; there is some reconstruction work ongoing and it’s today impossible to get a total “clean” front view. I had to “steal” this one from Wikipedia. My second amateur problem was to get some reasonably good quality pictures from inside (obscurity, bright lamps…), but I did my best.

The construction took place between 1862 and 1875. It took a long time, because of unexpected ground problems, lack of money, the Franco-Prussian war, again a revolution (the Paris Commune), the fall of the Second French Empire… The opera was ordered by an emperor, Napoleon III, and inaugurated by a President of the Republic, Mac-Mahon.

A major reason to build this opera house was that the Emperor and his wife had been attacked on their way to the previous opera house (burnt down since) and wanted a more secure access with wide streets (the large Avenue d’Opéra had also to be built). For the first time in France, there was an official architect competition and a then young and unknown Charles Garnier was chosen.

Not everybody was happy with the result, the new Republic found it somehow to be too rich in decoration, but with the time I believe that most people would admit that the building is beautiful and Charles Garnier has now got the recognition of having his name linked to the house. (Please note that he later e.g. designed also the Casino and the Grand Hotel de Paris in Monaco.)

I show you some details from the outside, from the very golden Grand Foyer, from the entrance and the different corridors and salons and of course from the Grande Salle, built more for to be seen (extremely important those days) than to see; the most exclusive and expensive places were in the front of the sides. Further about the Grande Salle: There is an enormous six ton heavy lamp, originally with gas light. After a few years, the original ceiling painting was completely black. It was replaced by a painting by Marc Chagall in 1964, of course controversial (I like it).

You can find original photos concerning this post on my other blog "Peter - photos".

Inspirational Bloggers Award

Some of you may have noticed in the comments to my yesterday’s post that Mona has conferred on me an “Inspirational Bloggers Award”. Especially coming from mona, I take this as a great honour!

There is no obligation to pass this award to others, but I would have liked to make a long list and especially thank you all for your encouraging and inspirational comments! In the meantime, I will make a very short list, with just two names, hoping that these two ladies will accept to be nominated by me: hpy (who made me start blogging) and cergie for their always inspired posts and to my attention encouraging comments.

Around Place de la Bastille - ter

I’m once more coming back to what you find around Place de la Bastille.

There is also a small port, called Port de l’Arsenal. Here was for some centuries the city limit, with fortifications and also an arsenal, where all kinds of weapons and ammunition were kept. This was then more or less a place for fishing, but it was slowly modified to become some kind of temporary port (when there was enough water) until Napoleon (again him) decided to make a real small port here (1806).

It was more particularly intended to be part of a canal system, making the connection between the Seine (there is a lock) and Canal Saint Martin, ready in 1825, partly rebuilt and covered between 1860 and 1906 and again recently modified (I may revert to this canal with another post – one day). Today the canal is covered about half way (dotted line); it's a tunnel, but the rest of it is very nice to visit - or travel on.

On the top photo, you can see the beginning of the tunnel, just below the “July Column” on Place de la Bastille. Via Canal Saint Martin you can reach other canals, but today this Paris part of the canal system is purely for pleasure; you can make a tourist boat tour on Canal Saint Martin leaving from here.

Some twenty years ago, the port was transformed to receive yachts. It’s possible to hire a place, but I guess that the waiting list may be long.

One side of the port has also been transformed into a park with a small restaurant or café. Paris is getting better every day!

The originals of some of these photos can be found on my other blog "Peter - photos".

Around Place de la Bastille - bis

Referring to “Around Place de la Bastille”, I actually went back to la Bastille end last week for a rather surprising walk together with my son, his wife and my two grandchildren.

Where you today can find the new Paris opera house, Opéra Bastille, used to be a railway station, Gare de la Bastille, for trains heading east, the Strasbourg line. The last – steam engined - train left the station in 1969 and it was demolished in 1984.






Where there used to be rails, there is now a green, park like, promenade, some 4,5 km (3 miles) eastwards. At the end you reach the green area Bois de Vincennes. This creation has clearly created added value to the surrounding quarters (including the price for a flat).

To start with you walk on a viaduct; the underneath 72 arcades are today used for some quite fashionable shops, restaurants and cafés.My granddaughter Paloma took the lead and the rest of the family had to follow.She got fascinated by all the flowers and decided to have a closer look at most of them and of course ask for their names. (She did not learn very much due to lack of knowledge of her promenade partners.) Anyhow, we had a nice walk. To go back home, I took a municipal bike.