Bohemian Rhapsody

There was a time when a small village on a hilltop in Paris was the center of the universe.  Outside the city limits, it was covered with vineyards and quarries.  It was a working-class neighborhood where the rent was cheap and the wine was tax-free.  For years it was the Bohemian artistic quarter where writers and artists gathered.  With it's narrow and steep cobblestone streets, stairways and Place du Tetre, Montmartre is one of the most poetic spots in Paris.  Montmartre has retained much of its character and small village charm because it is a designated historic area and little development is allowed. And even though it is a little Disneyesque and contrived, it's a fun place to visit and get a sense for yesteryear.  

Montmartre's most recognizable landmark, Sacré-Coeur Basilica sits atop Butte Montmartre:

Sacré-Coeur Basilica, the highest point in Paris

 You can get to Sacré-Coeur by climbing a lot of steps or taking the funicular from the Place Suzanne-Valadon to the Place Willette just below Sacré-Coeur.

The funicular and stairway to the right

  

There are a LOT of steps to the top!

The Steps of Sacré-Coeur are reminiscent of the Spanish Steps in Rome - lots of people hang out here; having a picnic, soaking up the rays, busking, and of course, catching your breath!  The views from here are beautiful, and natch, this is my favorite!

It was a warm spring day when we were here, and the sun was still fairly low in the sky and the light was harsh and contrasty.  Not the best for landscape photography, but way cool for shadows!

Shadow of ornate, wrought iron fence

Moi, Dennis and Beth - guess who's who?

No photos are allowed inside the basilica, so I'll share some interesting facts about it instead:

• Architect Paul Abadie designed the basilica, winning a competition over 77 other architects. 
• The architecture of the basilica is a loose interpretation of the Roman-Byzantine style.
• Sacré-Cœur is built from travertine stone that constantly oozes calcite, keeping the basilica white.
• The mosaic in the apse is one of the largest in the world.
• You can climb the dome for an even more spectacular panoramic view of Paris.

View of the dome and interesting architecture

The Church of St. Pierre-de-Montmartre is one of Paris' oldest and dates back to 1147.  It is just round back of Sacré-Cœur and they do allow photos.

View to the altar

View from the altar

The name Montmartre comes from the Roman "Mount of Mars," and four, ancient gray columns in the church are believed to be from a temple of Mercury or Mars in Roman times.

One of two ancient gray columns at the entrance

Another ancient column bathed in stained-glass light

More stained-glass light on the worn tile floor

Statue of St. Peter on the right - see his foot sticking out just a bit?

The faithful believe that if you rub St. Peter's foot you'll have good luck,  but apparently only his right foot as it is kept bright and shiny from all the rubbing:

Bonne chance!

Outside this little church are the reminders that this was the center of Bohemian life in the late 19th century:

Reminders of a bygone era

Despite modern dress and souvenir shops, this quaint cobblestone street retains old world charm

The ATM and surveillance cams are the only things spoiling the view!

Place du Tetre is lined with cafes...

...and filled with artists

ooops!  No Photos!

We stopped here for lunch

Chez Eugene

After lunch, we continued walking through Montmarte:

On Rue Norvins, looking back at the dome of Sacré-Cœur

Field trip to Montmartre - Lapin Agile Cabaret

The Lapin Agile Cabaret was the village hot spot.  Picasso, Renoir, Utrillo, Paul Verlaine, Modigliani and other artists and writers gathered here for performances of poetry, limericks, sing-alongs and parodies.

The agile rabbit - escaping the stew pot!

 

La Maison Rose - a restaurant made famous by an Utrillo painting, it was frequented by Utrillo, Picasso and Gertrude Stein.

Of course, we had to stroll through the park Place Suzanne Buisson.  In the park is another statue of St. Denis.

St. Denis carrying his head

In the 3rd century, Denis was a Bishop of Paris.  He was sentenced to death by the Romans for spreading Christianity.  He was executed, and martyred by being beheaded with a sword.  Legend says that after his head was chopped off, Denis picked up his head and walked 10 kilometers to the summit of Mont Mars (Montmartre), preaching a sermon the entire way.  For this reason, some say that Montmartre is from Mount of Martyrs instead of Mount of Mars.

The parks in Paris are inviting open spaces for the folks living in cramped apartments:

We chatted with a woman in the park and she recommended we visit a nearby street,Villa Léandre, as it is the only one in Paris that has single-family row houses.  It is a lovely, quiet street:

Villa Léandre - also known as Little London and Parisian Notting Hill

We ended our tour at the Moulin de la Galette:

There are two windmills remaining in Montmartre, here at Moulin de la Galette.  The mills were used for pressing grapes and grain and crushing rocks.  As the gypsum mines and vineyards gave way to apartments, this particular windmill became the centerpiece for a popular outdoor dance hall.  Renoir's painting Bal du Moulin de la Galette (now in the Orsay) shows the outdoor dance hall on a sunny afternoon in the shaded gardens with people dancing.  This painting is considered the quintessential Impressionist work and the painting that best captures the joy of the Bohemian Montmarte lifestyle.

And because, as I said before, there are always interesting sights in Paris, I leave you with this fine view of Montmartre:

Catching the rays, high above the city!

Endings and Beginnings

Waaaaayy back in April, Cristi challenged us to try as many desserts as possible and that's a challenge we were more than happy to accept.  We didn't forget about it - oh no - I'm just way too slow getting to it.  And although Cristi challenged us to try something beyond macarons, but we had to try a few more, just for comparison's sake.  BUT - we did include a scrumptious dessert as well.

We were strolling the street market on a Sunday and popped into a boulangerie for our baguette, and decided to buy two; one for lunch and one for dinner.  Of course, while waiting in line, we were treated to a view of all the sweets in the glass case, and we couldn't resist!  We bought two baguettes, some macarons to round out the challenge and a dessert to start the new one. 

The lunch baguette became a sandwich of mozzarella, tomatoes, sweet basil and a drizzle of olive oil:

An amazing sandwich - tres yummy!

The sandwiches were wonderful and full of good things and made us feel better about  the next phase; moving on to our very important experiments.  Believe it or not, there is a ridiculous spectrum of macarons, from the very expensive macarons from specialty shops to frozen macarons!  Who knew!

On the one hand, the frozen macarons are probably best tried first because it will make all the rest seem incredible in comparison.  On the other hand, if you try the frozen macarons first you might not ever eat another macaron.  I regret that I didn't take a photo of the packaging, but it was standard frozen food packaging; a cardboard box with a cellophane-wrapped tray inside and there were individual slots for the macarons.  For the price, that's what I would expect.  Also, we sampled a few macarons before I remembered to grab my camera.  The only thing I can say in my defense is that I was so intrigued (that's a nice way of saying put off) by frozen and very inexpensive macarons that I wasn't thinking clearly.  At any rate, I managed a snap before I threw these away:

Frozen macarons - not very tasty, texture was kinda yuk and apparently freezing them bleeds them of color

There is also the middle of the spectrum - the local boulangerie/patisserie macarons.  They don't have a famous name attached to them, and the packaging isn't keepsake material and they're also about half the price.

The packaging isn't fancy and I didn't get a fancy bag, but they LOOK good!

We also didn't get to choose the flavors.  These macarons are pre-packaged and you get a variety of flavors.  And there weren't any flavor cards to tell us what the flavors were, but by now, we're pretty good at guessing!

This one is Pisache!  Isn't it pretty?!

I also love the pink one!

Rose flavored!

coconut, cassis, chocolate, caramel, rose, pistachio, raspberry, chocolate, orange-passion fruit

The tasting platter!

Two people taste testing these macarons is also a challenge in taking small enough bites to share!  But share we did and the verdict is in; these macarons were good!  BUT - they were lacking in atmosphere.  So, if it's atmosphere you want, pay the big bucks and go to one of the big names and enjoy your macarons and keep the bag and box.  If it's good macarons you want for a reasonable price - these fill the bill.

So this is the ending part of this post.  I won't be experimenting on any more macarons.  But I'm left with a feeling of unease.  Being a scientist, I know that an experiment isn't complete until all variables are accounted for.  I was having qualms about this experiment and whether or not my protocol was appropriately planned.  I was worried that my statement of purpose was too ambiguous, that my materials list was lacking and that my control groups weren't relevant and were subject to manipulation.  Oh dear.  And...quite obviously, my data interpretation is less than stellar as it is poorly organized, entirely subjective and worse - there are no statistics or graphs!

I had to face it, the data was subjective and this was as loose as experiments get, but the data was analyzable.  And though I'm fearful that my analysis is skewed towards fancy schmancy packaging and "the experience"  (not to be confused with "the situation"),  I have nevertheless, analyzed my undocumented data:

The results are in - there is clearly a winner!

I think I have covered macarons - and ultimately I agree with Cristi - they're good, but I don't really understand the hubbub.  If you get a chance to try them, you should.  I'm glad that I became aware of the phenomenon and got to try some of the world's best.  But,  when dessert is calling my name, it's a melody of sweet tunes coming from all the beautiful French pastries.  I look at them all and am awed by how pretty they are and my mouth waters.  

Thus begins our dessert challenge.  We will try as many as we can, and as long as I can keep my wits about me in the midst of sweet treat nirvana, I will also be taking photographs of the many desserts we try.

Here's the first one:

A fabulously beautiful lemon tart adorned with a slice of lime and red currants

Okay - this was ridiculously delicious!  I love lemon, so partly it's a no-brainer, but the crust and filling were so very good.  The presentation is wonderful and I love love love the translucency of red currants.  They are a perfect contrast to the opaque lemon filling.  However, red currants are tart - more tart than the lemons.  This dessert was full of tart!  Not exactly a sweet treat, but clearly a winner!  I can't wait to get home and make my own (I'd make them here, but you know - not-so-fully-equipped-kitchen and all...)

This was a wonderful start to a new challenge.  I think I'm totally up for this one! :)

Sainte-Chapelle

On the same island and a few minutes walk from Notre Dame Cathedral is the fabulously beautiful gothic church of Sainte-Chapelle.  I love this little church and am awed by it every time I visit it.   

Saint-Chapelle is surrounded by a huge complex of local government buildings and has been since ancient Roman times. It was originally part of the gothic palace of the early French Kings.  The only medieval buildings still standing are Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie prison.  The site is now home to the giant Palais de Justice.  You kind of have to know that Sainte-Chapelle is there to visit it as it is difficult to just happen upon.  You  can't see it from the street, you have to enter through the government complex of buildings, and you have to pay to get in (all of which, I suspect, makes it far less crowded than Notre Dame), but it is well worth seeking it out.

Sainte-Chapelle from in front of the Palais de Justice

Sainte-Chapelle was built in 1248 for King Louis IX and as a showplace for the Crown of Thorns (now at Notre Dame), and it's architectural synchronicity is due to the fact that it was built under one architect and completed in 5 years (unheard of!  Notre Dame took 200 years!).  Notice all those buttresses?  They are there to hold up the walls of a church that was designed with very large and very tall windows.

You enter Sainte-Chapelle on the lower level.  This is the chapel designed for the staff and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  Little light reaches the lower level because the windows here are placed high on the wall and are small.

The lower chapel - the ceiling is painted to resemble a starry sky

The columns are painted red with a golden tower motif and azure with golden fleurs-de-lys

Detail of the lower chapel

To get to the upper chapel, you ascend a spiral staircase and when you reach the top, you are treated to a dazzling display of color and light that is truly awe-inspiring.  The upper chapel is the triumph of Sainte-Chapelle.  There are over 6,400 square feet of stained glass nestled in the walls of the chapel.  Most of the glass in the windows is original dating to the thirteenth century.  Sainte-Chapelle is a stained-glass wonder to behold:

Royal Christians worshiped here

The interior height of the chapel is about twice the width, and coupled with the soaring windows, the chapel has a towering and airy feel.  It is this, along with the buttresses and columns framing each window that makes Sainte-Chapelle difficult to photograph; you can't see the expanse of windows in the above photograph, and because they windows are so high on the walls and the chapel is narrow, you can't get far enough away to capture a whole wall of windows.  Still, you get a sense of what Sainte-Chapelle is; a celebration of light in 15 panels of stained glass, each with more than 1,100 different scenes from the Bible. 

South window depicting Helena in Jerusalem - it tells the story of how Christ's Crown of Thorns found its way from Jerusalem to Sainte-Chapelle

Panel detail - notice the detail in the glass - folds in the robes, and shading

  This Rose window is a later addition from the fifteenth century:

Rose window depicting Judgment Day - there's a tiny Christ in the center

The altar area - these panels depict the Passion of Jesus and was designed to be the backdrop for the Crown of Thorns

Altar area - the Crown of Thorns was displayed here

North wall panels - without sunlight, the windows aren't as dramatic

View from the floor - the massive stained glass panels lead to a beautifully painted ceiling - the columns and ceiling ribs are classic gothic style

The floor - a 760-year old, well-worn mosaic of colorful stone

 After being awe-inspired for about an hour, we descended the spiral staircase

Gack!  More stairs!

 and headed out into the courtyard.

A view of the south side of the church

The east side - view of the altar area and some very cool gargoyles

Love this curved wrought iron fence - and Dennis too!

As you leave the inner courtyard, you have to walk past the Palais de Justice.  It was built in 1776 and is home of the French Supreme Court:

Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood

The steps in front are a perfect spot for a nice portrait!

Dennis and Beth

If you find yourself in Paris, do yourself a favor and visit Sainte-Chapelle.  You will never see anything like it!

Musée de Louvre

The Louvre is, without a doubt, a world-class museum and it's a definite must-see on the itinerary list.  The problem with the Louvre is it's size - it is physically very big and it has over 30,000 works of art.  It is impossible to see it all in one visit, and if your time in Paris is limited, one must be choosy.

Our plan was to visit the Louvre in the morning and squeeze in other very important stuff in the afternoon.  Plans have a way of going awry, and in this case it was because Dennis and Beth found the Louvre to be awesomer than they thought they would!  Our 2-hour tour of the highlights became a 4-hour tour of the highlights.  I'm an art lover and have enjoyed many visits to the Louvre, but I worry that when I tell people they "must see The Louvre!" that I'm pushing my own agenda.  So I was deliriously happy that they loved it too; not just the art housed there, but the palace as well.  It was great fun to see them so awed by the beautiful art and architecture!

I could write volumes about the Louvre, but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words so I'll just share my favorite photos of the day:

Dennis in the Tuileries - before our fabulous art tour

I took the following photo from inside the Louvre, but it fits here.  You can only get this view from inside on one of the upper floors, but here you see Richelieu Wing and the Pyramid main entrance:

Oh poo, I actually do have more to say.  I want to add that on a bright day, the Louvre is fabulously lit.  They knew what they were doing when they positioned the sculptures and added the skylights.  The light inside the Louvre is a photographer's dream and on this day I loved the light about as much as the art itself.  The light is very soft and it plays with each sculpture; I love love love the way it wraps around the smooth stone and adds even more dimension to each piece. 

Venus de Milo - from the window side

Venus from the front - I had to wait a long time to get a clear background!

I think this young woman is a tad miffed that Venus gets all the attention.  She's taking her ball and going home.

Are you kidding me?

Help!  Let me out of here!

Winged Victory of Samothrace - she takes my breath away!

Louis XV Crown

I have no idea what this means, but it's gold, it's pretty and it reminds me of Lily!

A typical gallery - lots of natural light!

The mobs of Mona Lisa - she too is quite popular!

Trying to capture Mona

School children - Field trip to the Louvre!

One of my favs - Cupid and Psyche

Detail of Cupid and Psyche

The view from under the glass pyramid - looking up...

and looking down!

 Even at 4 hours, that's a short visit to the Louvre!  There was so much more to see but visiting museums is hard work - the floors are hard and you stand for long periods.  Even though it's hard to leave, it feels good to start walking and get back out into the fresh air.

À bientôt, Musée de Louvre!