Happy Sunday

"A Sunday well-spent brings a week of content." – Proverb

On Sunday morning I took the Metro to the 6th arrondissement to hear the world famous organ at St. Sulpice Catholic Church. At the time this organ was built, in 1862, by Aristide Cavaille-Coll, it was one of only three 100-stop organs in Europe. The organ has been maintained very well over the years. It is difficult to play because of the heavy, mechanical action. Daniel Roth is the current organist. Organ recitals are held every Sunday after High Mass from 11:30 to 12:05. The music was beautiful, with such a wide range of tones. Afterwards, I stayed to attend mass. Although I was not able to understand all the words, I am familiar enough with the structure of the mass to understand the basics of what was going on. It was a special feeling to experience a worship service that has been going on here for centuries, in such a beautiful place, the second largest church in Paris.

After mass, I headed over to the 4th arrondissement, to Rue de Rosiers, a street named for the roses that once lined the city wall of the Marais district, the historic Jewish quarter of Paris. France currently has the largest Jewish population in Europe, and the third largest Jewish community in the world, behind Israel and the U.S. The Marais has been home to Paris' Jewish people since the end of the 19th Century. The Rue de Rosiers is at the heart of this community, and the Jewish people refer to this area as the Pletzl (“little place” in Yiddish). This street is lined with kosher restaurants and shops selling falafel, challah, bagels, and pastries. I ordered the 'Yiddish sandwich,' from Sacha Findelsztajn, a Yiddish bakery, and it was the BEST sandwich of my life! This is a lively and fashionable neighborhood on the rise, and a great place to eat out and shop on Sundays, because the shops aren’t closed, like some other places in Paris.

Later that afternoon I was told that it was “Jour du Macaron” (Macaron Day) in Paris! This annual event was created by famous French pastry chef and macaron genius, Pierre Hermé, in 2005. On this day you can get three free macarons at any of the eight Pierre Hermé stores in Paris. Priced at €72 a kilogram, about €1.50 each, this is a great deal. We visited two different locations to get a total of six macarons! Some people actually hit all eight locations to receive the 24 flavors being offered. There were so many choices. I decided on traditional flavors like chocolate, coffee, and caramel. I was surprised by how intense the flavors are, especially the lemon. Yum. Catholic Church antique organ music, Jewish sandwich, and free macarons....a happy Sunday and three more reasons to love Paris.

Tasting the Stars

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.”
 – F. Scott Fitzgerald

What a day! Yesterday I traveled to Champagne, the region in northeast France famous for the production and manufacturing of the sparkling white wine which shares its name. We visited two towns, Reims and Épernay. In Reims we toured the famous caves where Taittinger champagne is produced. These caves were first carved by Romans in the 4th century to mine for chalk. The caves were expanded in 1211, along with the construction of a new basilica on the site of the ancient church of St. Nicaise. They were used to store the wine and champagne that the Benedictine monks were producing.

It wasn't until the late 17th century that the tart wines of Champagne became sparkling wines. This discovery, known as Méthode Champenoise, was supposedly started by Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk in the Champagne district, who realized that it was carbon dioxide that made the bubbles and he could make good use of it by bottling the wine before it had fully fermented. There is a quote that has not really been verified, but is attributed to him that goes, "Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!” It doesn’t matter to me if this is true or not, because no matter who said this, it is an accurate description!

We also had free time to enjoy the town, grab some lunch, and visit Notre-Dame de Reims, the cathedral where all of the kings of France were once crowned. At the back of the church there is a series of beautiful stained glass windows designed by the famous artist, Marc Chagall. After our time in Reims was over, we continued our day in Epernay by visiting the production house of Mercier. During this tour we actually rode on a little motorized train through the caves underground. It was like an adult ride at Disneyland! At the end of our tours at both champagne houses, we got to try some champagne. By law, the Champenois vineyards are planted only with Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay grapes. Of the two champagnes that I tried, I prefer the Brut Réserve champagne from the Taittinger house. This champagne is a blend of Chardonnay wines (40%) and Pinot wines (60%). The high proportion of chardonnay is the reason I prefer it to the other champagne I had at the Mercier house. I admit that I know very little about the different types of wine, but I liked this champagne because it didn’t have a really sweet, really strong alcohol taste. It was simple, light, and delicious.

Contemporary Art

“Our wretched species is so made that those who walk on the well-trodden path

always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.”  - Voltaire

In case anyone was wondering....yes, I am actually attending school here in Paris, not just sightseeing, eating, and having a great time! I have 18 hours of class per week, compared to the 14-15 hours of class time back at Washington State University. Living in Paris, facing the constant distractions of this wonderful city, I have to remind myself that I’m also here for school. I am enrolled in four classes: French language, Contemporary Art, European Union, and Politics, Economy & Society of France. Taking courses about France and Europe while living in Paris is a unique educational experience. Even though I’ve only been here a little over a month, I have learned so much.

I am not an art major at school, but I am really happy that I decided to take my Contemporary Art class. Paris is home to galleries and museums that hold some of the greatest masterpieces in the world. In this very mobile class, we are able to travel to visit museums and see these works of art up close and personal. On our second day of class, we went to the Musée d’Orsay and spent a couple of hours looking at works by impressionists such as Manet, Monet, Renoir, van Gogh, and Cezanne. Seeing these paintings on a slide show or in a book is NOTHING compared to looking at them in person. On another class day we had the chance to explore Paris a little during class time, touring a couple of galleries near our school, viewing more modern art work.

This week we visited Le Centre Pompidou and the Musée National d'Art Moderne, National Museum of Modern Art, the largest museum for modern art in Europe, with the second largest collection of modern and contemporary art in the world. This museum houses a permanent exhibit, and traveling exhibitions are displayed here as well. During our tour we saw two traveling exhibitons. The first was “Réinstallations” by François Morellet, a founding member of the Paris-based, Groupe de Recherche d'Art Visuel (GRAV), part of the emerging optical and kinetic art movement. He has a broad range of talent, from painting to installations. The second was “My Way” by Jean-Michel Othoniel, a French contemporary artist. This exhibit shows a variety of his works, including glass work, sculptures made of sulfur, and metal works. In addition to these exhibits we briefly walked through the museum's permanent exhibit and saw works by famous contemporary artists such as Matisse, Braque, Picasso, and Signac.

When the Pompidou Center opened in 1977, many Parisians were outraged by this modern structure built in the heart of the historic Marais district; however, this is now the third most visited Paris attraction. I'm so happy to have the opportunity to take an art class in a city like Paris.

One Fine Day

“You can’t escape the past in Paris, and yet what’s so wonderful about it is that the past and present intermingle so intangibly that it doesn’t seem to burden.”
– Allen Ginsberg

I have no class on Mondays and love having three day weekends! There is so much to see in Paris and having an extra day gives me the time to do everything that I want. Yesterday I went on a French Revolution walking tour of Paris. Since I am an enthusiastic learner and history nerd, I found this tour very interesting and our young guide, Scott, was very entertaining and made the day really fun for everyone. The tour not only pointed out the sites in Paris that were involved in the revolution, but Scott also taught us about the history of France leading up to the revolution, and its effect on modern-day France.

One common misconception about the French Revolution is where it began. The storming of the Bastille prison is the event that most people associate with the beginning of the revolution, probably because the French call their independence day, Bastille Day, which is celebrated on July 14. However, the Revolution technically began across the river at Les Invalides, a military hospital commissioned by Louis XIV. Not only were wounded soldiers treated here, but their families were invited to come and stay at the hospital as well. An armory was built underneath the hospital, holding weapons and war supplies. The revolutionaries first came to Les Invalides on July 14, 1789, and stormed the hospital to take the weapons from the armory for their uprising. However, they discovered very few weapons and no gunpowder. They took what was left and continued on to storm the Bastille, in search of gunpowder and to release the prisoners.  

After the tour, later in the evening, I made a trip to the independent bookstore, Shakespeare & Company, to attend a book reading by Helen Constantine, featuring her new book, Paris Metro Tales. Shakespeare & Company serves as both a bookstore and a reading library, specializing in English-language literature. Writers and artists of the "Lost Generation," such as Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein spent a great deal of time at Shakespeare & Company. Paris Metro Tales is a collection of twenty-two short stories by famous French writers of the past, and never-before-translated writers of our own time. Some of the stories take place in the metro itself, but most are stories 'above ground.' Coincidentally, one of the stories that Helen read is a favorite of mine from the book, Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre by Julien Green. I had a great time being surrounded by books and passionate readers. I even had the chance to meet Helen and have her sign my book. A day filled with history and books....It was Nerd Heaven!

My Paris Polka Dot

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."

– Coco Chanel

This week I had a very Parisian experience....Fashion Week! After class on Tuesday some of my friends and I went to the Tuileries Garden to take a peek at the famous people arriving to the Valentino show. I felt like I was on the set of the movie, The Devil Wears Prada. The notable people arriving were dressed to the nines in beautiful designer outfits that probably cost more than my college tuition. I’m sure the show inside the tent was amazing, but for me, seeing the outfits worn by the famous people attending the show was just as fun.

While waiting alongside the white carpet, we were shocked at how many famous people walked by, such as Grace Coddington, a former model and the current creative director of American Vogue; Joe Zee, the creative director for ELLE magazine; Diane von Furstenberg, famous fashion designer; Anna Dello Russo, editor at large for Vogue Japan; Natalia Vodianova, famous Russian model; and Kanye West! This was such a surreal experience. Attending Paris Fashion Week as an “after-school activity” is far more chic than what I get to do after classes back in the U.S.

Packing for my semester abroad was an intimidating task, especially knowing that I would be living in the fashion capital of the world, where even the children are more stylish than the average American student. Before leaving for Paris, I read Entre Nous: A Women’s Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl, by Debra Ollivier. From what I gathered by reading this book, and my observations since I have arrived, I’ve come to believe that with one black outfit, boots, and a half-dozen scarves, anyone could survive in Paris. Better to pack light and bring along an empty suitcase; you could easily fill it up with a few shopping trips here.

Before I left home, one of my shopping goals was to find a clothing item in France that reminded me of Audrey Hepburn in the movie Sabrina....something very Paris....maybe in polka dot.While out shopping with a friend this week, I stumbled upon the PERFECT skirt of my dreams, with polka dots!! Who would have thought that I would find my Paris polka dot during Fashion Week!

Royal Sweets

“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.” – Erma Bombeck

On Monday some of my friends and I took a pilgrimage to one of Paris’ most famous pâtisseries, Stohrer, on rue Montorgueil, for le goûter, which is a light meal in the late afternoon. The legendary pâtissier, Nicolas Stohrer, first arrived in France in 1725 with Mary Lesczcynski, the daughter of the King of Poland, when she came to marry King Louis XV. Stohrer served as the head pastry chef for Louis XV and his court at Versailles, and went on to open his bakery in Paris in 1730. At this shop Stohrer invented the baba au rum cake by basting brioche with Malaga wine flavored with saffron and serving it with custard, raisins, and grapes. This recipe has not changed since, and is still served at the shop today.

Stohrer has also received recognition from the French newspaper, Figaro Scope, for having the best chocolate éclairs in Paris. An éclair is a long, thin pastry filled with a flavored pastry cream, custard, or whipped cream and topped with icing. There are many options for filling flavors, but since this was my first éclair, I chose the chocolate one and it was amazing! It’s hard to find words to describe the yumminess. The pastry was light and airy and the cream on the inside was rich and smooth without being too sweet. It was so good that you didn’t want it to end. I will definitely be making a trip back to Stohrer to try another flavor.

It was so fun to discover Stohrer. The shop itself is quite beautiful on the inside. It is decorated with a large chandelier and the walls are painted with designs created by Paul Baudry in 1860. Baudry is best known for designing the decorations in the grand foyer of the Opera Garnier. Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II, visited Stohrer on April 6, 2004 and received an Easter egg from the current head pâtissier, François Duthu. It really is a royal pâtisserie!

 

A Weekend in Provence

“Provence is a country to which I am always returning, next week, next year, any day now, as soon as I can get on a train.” – Elizabeth David

Aix-en-Provence

Southern France was the destination for our group excursion this weekend, with visits to three special cities. Aix-en-Provence is an old city founded by the Romans in 123 B.C. The atmosphere in Aix is very relaxing and a nice change of pace from busy Paris. This city was home to the famous impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne, and the inspiration for many of his greatest works. You can tour the city by following the gold Cezanne emblems embedded into the sidewalks. We wandered up and down many streets; my favorite stop was the Saturday Market, street vendors selling the products of Provence, everything from flowers and produce, to cheese, seafood, clothing, and antiques.

After visiting the Saturday Market in the morning, our next stop was a trip to Cassis, a small port town on the Mediterranean Sea, known for its cliffs and sheltered inlets. We spent the afternoon meandering through the city and soaking up the sun. We stopped at a popular shop, L’Eau de Cassis, and picked up some luxury soaps. This shop has been making soaps and perfumes since 1851, using the motto, “fermez les yeux et sentez,” close your eyes and smell.



Our final day in the south was spent in Marseilles, the third largest city in France and the fifth largest port in Europe. On our guided tour we learned that this city was founded by the Greeks in 600 B.C., but unfortunately, there are no structures or remnants remaining from that time. We saw the oldest section of Marseilles and the waterfront along the old port, which is now filled with pleasure boats. We continued on to Notre-Dame de la Garde, a Catholic church that sits at the highest point of Marseilles. The local residents considered this cathedral to be the guardian and protectoress of the city, thereby earning the nickname of “good mother.” After enjoying the panoramic view, we spent our last couple of hours having a relaxing lunch and a lovely stroll of the beach, before catching a quick, 3-hour ride back to Paris on the TGV, France’s fastest train.