Montmartre and friends this week end

This week end, everyone is preparing for Christmas and I did not see one artificial tree yet; traditions die hard. Here is a bundle of freshly cuts pine trees ready to be taken home by any means, even in a stroller, which forced the toddler to walk along ... my morning sight.

Christmas decorations are not always PC! 

My area is now getting a Christmas Tree! (small budget for Christmas decorations this year)

I loved this statue displayed in the window of a Home Decoration Shop. It reminds me how as a child we sometimes had to fight sleep and ourselves to remain awake throughout Christmas eve dinner in order to wait for Midnight.

Here is another Christmas time delight. These are «marrons chauds» (roasted chestnuts), so nice to hold when you have cold hands in winter. This is one of the tastes I revisited. This week, I also revisited the taste of a French Hot Dog with tons of mustard making their way to ones' nostrils, almost making you cry.

I like the fact that the body of the woman represented should be opening like a door ... not sure at all it was done in purpose but it makes you think.

ah, a philosopher ...

One street to be avoided

 Then, the BIG CLIMB to Butte Montmartre. As its name suggests, Montmartre in on a Mount, and here is the start of the BIG climb, good for your cardio.

First, we went to La Place du Tertre down from the Church parvis, then we had a portrait of each of us done for 35 euros. One artist said jokingly it was the cheapest way to get a lifting! ... then, we meandered around ...

... until we finally took a sunny glimpse of le Sacré Choeur where I did my Communion solennelle when I was 12 years old

Later, I had dinner at some friends' place and they cooked 'fricassé de canard' (duck) with 'pommes sautées' (potatoes on side).

Then, we had 'Magic Potion' - a mixture of Rum, Sugar cane syrup, Vanilla (you can see it sticking out in the jar) and some mysterious flower no one could tell me which one they were; anyway, here it is, and I am still alive

In the early morning, when I opened the shutters, this is what I saw

In the meanwhile, life at home goes on. Josie borrowed a white blouse for her biology class. This week, she saw brain stem cells in a microscope. She is now very happy at school.

One day, after school, she brought me back an 'éclair' (name of this pastry) filled with pistachio cream (below).  I was delighted by this nice attention. Note I only knew éclairs filled with chocolate, this is a novelty to me, like an update! 

And miracle, miracle, she stumbled into an Australian friend this week end (how can that happen!!!). She collected him from his hotel, had moules-frites in Rue Mouffetard with him and endeavoured to go all by herself with him to the Grand Palais to see the buildings (because she liked its architecture). After she came back, she said 'Mum, it was great fun, I was a tourist for a day'

Many Museums Week

Inside Le Louvre Pyramide

Marrons in Le Jardin des plantes near my home

Exposition Nocturne Braque au Grand Palais (Thursday evening)

El Pyramide Del Paris

 I was curious to visit a new addition to the Museum, the new department dedicated to Islamic Arts covering 3000 sq m of new exhibition space (2012) 

Islamic Arts Department

Modern Structure in Mesh holding the Islamic Arts New Section in Le Louvres Museum - Note that it looks like open space structure, rendering nomadism, tent structure.

Mesh

Islamic World Display

Many Scriptures, and when they became too flowery, they were replaced 

Our guide explained that this meant « La magnanimtté est au début d'un goût amer, mais fini par être plus douce que le miel » (819-1005) (Magnanimity may leave a bitter taste at first, but becomes as sweet as honey after a while). Aristotle influence and also mildly inspired by Chinese culture (see Ying Yang sign in the centre of the plate)

Water distributor if I understood well
We were reminded that Islamic arts display do not involve the figuration of people or animals ONLY ON RELIGIOUS ARTEFACTS

La Grande Mosquée de Paris (5th dist) nearby and recommended by a friend living nearby - this is where my decision to go to Le Louvres started

I also visited the Raymond Depardon Coloured Photographies Exhibition recommended by a friend and I re-visited the Renaissance  & Dreams Exhibition in Musée du Luxembourg with my daughter to share it with her.

Second Week in Paris

Week two in Paris, November 2013

The beauty of mobile phones is that it has become so inconspicuous you take more spontaneous pictures 'catching the moment'. So, I caught this man running happily in my street ...

What is it like in the morning when  you go to school or to work at this time of the year (Nov) when 'Paris s'habille' (means 'Paris dresses up') for the End of the year festivities, New Year being the climax? This photo was taken on our way from our studio apartment to the Metro Station 

Going to the Metro Station in the morning to go to school (or work)

7h50 (am)

What I really like in Paris is that you can walk... On Tuesday, a long long long time friend*- the kind of rare friends you find again as if time had never gone by and which bond strength makes you feel like there is some certainty to be found after all even if you don't control it - spontaneously came to visit us in our studio, and brought a rose he picked up on his way (as you do). He said: "even if you lived in a cupboard, I would come and visit you" ... joking about the size of my accommodation! 

As I did not have a vase, I put the flower in an empty Bottle of Beaujolais on the kitchen shelves.
Et voilà!

The following day, another friend of mine, who happens to live 500m away, invited me in promptu at her place, and here is our very Parisian Women evening meal which consists of a very quick take away at the Traiteur (Delicatessen) downstairs, a candle or two on the table, good bread, wine, and cheese platter.

We decided we'd go and see a new movie 'Avant l'Hiver' (Before Winter)  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/before-winter-chill-avant-lhiver-631791 next week!

With another friend, we got involved in School Fundraising activities, selling Fantasy Jewellery made by parents 'inspired by the latest fashion' at a fraction of the price of course, and we sold them like hot breads

Selling Jewellery at the School Christmas Market with a friend

On Friday, I took my aunt to see a guided painting exhibition 'The Renaissance and Dreams' http://www.museeduluxembourg.fr/fr/expositions/p_exposition-20/ in Musée du Luxembourg nearby. According to Shakespeare these figures were 'on vacation' as per 'vacancy of the soul' following a famous Greek philosopher's idea (In Timaeus) that when we dream, inspiration surges in moments of loss of self, that is in moments characterised in loss of reason. Bodies are painted not lying down (which would suggest death) but half laying down, like 'ready to jump' and there is always a little light in the background (could be an oil lamp) to remind the viewer that night is not death, night is alive and night is fecund. I found interesting that during the Renaissance, books were so rare that an artist who owned a book thought it was like a duty to 'paint' in order to transmit ideas and stories (often mythological ones) to the larger numbers who could perhaps afford to hold one or two reproductions they could talk about and debate about with their friends when they came by invited.

I liked it so much and found it so accessible that I plan to take my daughter next Saturday to see it again.

I then took my aunt to this café to have lunch - liver and potato purée with a glass of Rosée. It was an ambiance 'feutrée' (gemûtlich in German, not sure about the word in English, "Cosy' perhaps, not quite though), very condusive to relaxing and enjoying each other company for two hours there.

Café-restaurant Les Éditeurs near Odéon Métro Station

As we walked by, I saw we could now rent cars for a day, just like you can rent a bike in Brisbane CBD. I also noticed there were many scooters, some of them with protective frames on top of the driver's body (Mercedes or BMW).

Auto-Lib in Paris

Scooters in front of La Sorbonne, near Pantheon (background)

Alternatively, you have the metro

NO arms, NO chocolate ....At least, it rimes:) in FR

Week end in family

Having Moules-frites (Musles-French Fries) in one of the many restaurants Rue Mouffetard to my daughter's delight on Saturday morning while enjoying street music.

My parents' house street in Autumn

 Les feuilles d'automne

Concert in Bercy on Saturday night. The dreaded 'first part' was actually a nice surprise: another 'Voice' as Celine Dion is often referred to here, and it was interesting to see that great use was made of the Soviet Army Guards who accompanied him. 

(I only recorded one or two songs for your benefit as not to spoil the atmosphere, you'll understand, and probably as not to push your patience)

First Part - Amino (Red Guards and Vincent Niclo)

Third part (the song I love her to sing) 

Sorry, this was recorded from my mobile as opposed to the two other clips recorded on iPod and the sound is not great. Since it is a great song, if you wish to watch it again on You Tube (better sound) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CttF4YjBraI

The achievement was that this concert managed to make happy three generations (my dad, myself and my daughter) in one go ... what else ?

La Grande Dame on our way back home on Sunday night. I am finally back behind the wheels in Paris,  ... I have to admit I was a bit rusty driving in Paris ! 

I even did the dreaded Rond Point des Champs Élizés at night. I am now a confirmed Parisian Driver.