In my new life as retiree my blog is my biggest entertainement and before anything else, I like to thank everyone of my readers and followers to stay with me over the years since November 26 2010 !!! Thank you !!! I decided to trim some of my older posts in my series Some news from France and condense them as not to lose the most important parts, me think, of them, Therefore, this is my new work, the condense news of my belle France, Hope you enjoy it as I.
Some news from France CLXXIII November 2, 2017
A new French film to watch with history in the making. Jean-François Richet at the Château de Fontainebleau, where most of the scenes of the movie « Vidocq, l’empereur de Paris », with actor Vincent Cassel in the main role. It will come out next year with other wonderful places shown in the film such as the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte and in the department of the Essonne no 91.
Calling all lovers of Versailles, there is risks at the Potager du Roi. The one done by Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie (1626-1688) who created the gardens on orders of king Louis XIV to provide the castle with fruits and vegetables in 9,5 hectares. The annual production today only goes to 4-6 tons of apples and pears when before they were 40 tons. The problem is that on the 4500 trees of 468 varieties about 40% are sick or dying. The further complications is that there are walls in which the trees grow are been deplacer more than 1000 meters when not fallen down. One of the walls have to be rebuilt completely. The friends of the garden or the Les Amis du Potager du Roi created in 2016 have jointly with the ENSP a dossier on the World Monuments Fund (WMF) a powerful American ONG base in New York to help technical and financial to the project as they have done to over 20 in the world that are chosen every two years.
A venerable site in Paris and one who I had the pleasure to visit while working in Paris a couple times is the Institut Suédoise. After seven month of renovations it is now back open again, and better. Behind the blue carriage door you come into a courtyard with the rich culture of the North on display. This is the old Hôtel de Marle dating from the 16C, the pave courtyard distributes the old building around it. The major transformation are the Café on the right of the entrance with 35 seated and a nice wooden furniture where the wonderful brioches à la cannelle 3,50€ are delicious as well as the vegetable soups etc. All is fresh and done on site. The Terrace has an additional 40 seats where you can have the great Swedish coffee. From midday to 20h (to 18h on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays). The Institut Suédois is at 11, rue Payenne (3eme).
See there the exposition of Hubert Robert et la Fabrique des Jardins until November 26 2017 While over west at La Roche Guyon a comedy salon worthy of a fairytail story is done on the rock with a medieval tower done in 1768 The Royal Abbey of Royaumont. Only 30 kms from Paris and a few minutes from Chantilly, this is paradise of blessed places where the lovers of nature, architecture ,heritage and history collides in harmony. It is a solemn place still feels today when we visited not too many people there a while back; the abbey was built in 1228 by king Louis IX (Saint Louis) under the Cistercian order of great renown in the 13C. Today, you see the ghosts of the monks that were once numerous there ,and you have the relics of the films and series filmed there. Near the necropolis of of the family of Saint Louis, in the cloister garden, the imagination takes a new dimension seeing sort of the phantoms of queen Blanche of Castille, the encyclopedic Vincent de Beauvais,or the novice of the Holy Family of Bordeaux.
Something for everyone, how about the seldom seeing cemetery of Saint-Vincent at 6, rue Lucien Gaulard, 18eme Montmartre, get out at metro Lamarck and turn 180-degrees and walk up the stairs above the metro entrance. Cross rue Caulaincourt and you’ll see tiny rue Lucien Gaulard on your left and the entrance to the cemetery a few meters beyond..It has some notables resting there such as singer/poet Emile Goudeau who died in 1906. The painter Maurice Utrillo with a rose marbre tomb and the flowery tomb of the writer Marcel Aymé , and passing by the filmmaker Marcel Carné.
The Basilica of Longpont houses since 1926 many relics that just now came into a museum renovated for the occasion of All Saints Day in France (Nov 1st) These relics are from over 600 Saints and they have on many of them the certificate that attests to their coming from. Some of the precious relics here are those of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII. Also of Mother Theresa, the founders of Opus Dei the philosopher Edith Stein born in a Jewish family converted to Catholicism and died at Auschwitz (Poland). Also, the veil of the Virgin Mary with this relic it was possible to create the museum as according to legend at the beginning of our era when the Druids of the region were converted Saint Denis had given a piece of the veil for giving them recompense their decision. The relic is located in a wing that was finished in 1878, and later raised to Basilica by Pope Pius X in 1913. By 1984, about 1400 relics were inventoried all behind solid locks. It is also amazing to find a tunic of Argenteuil that is said to come from Christ, given later to Charlemagne that then made a donation to the monastery of Argenteuil where his daughter Theodrade was a Abbess
Some news from France CLXXIIII November 8, 2017
This just in ,the Grande Epicerie de Paris has a new outlet in Paris, 80 rue de Passy 16éme , wonderful items in my favorite arrondissement of Paris October 5-7 2018 there will be at historical Senlis the next International Festival of Saint-Fiacre. There will be groups visiting from Ireland, Belgium, Italy, Germany,and Luxembourg. The crucial moment of the 3 days event is the Saturday October 6, the Mass of Saint-Fiacre in the Cathedral. All the Chapels will be decorated by the different visiting délégations and in town there will be religious cérémonies as well as civil with presentation by different European groups, such as solemn Mass, benediction of the flowery chariots on the parvis of the Cathedral, worshipping the patron saint of the gardeners. In the afternoon there will be a vegetables parade with panels, statues, and banners, flower chariots, and musical groups.
The windows of the Au Printemps Haussmann are still blank but from Tuesday November 7 today, at 17h they will have a start done by Nicole Kidman, the cinema star. Eleven portraits on the eleven windows of au Printemps have been thought of and designed with a participation of 150 persons, painters, seamstress, electricians etc like a theater play they will do about 13 km of nylon cords in the windows with 70 little bears and others to accompany Jules with its aviator hat and aviator dress as well as Violette adventurer with the sheets and rose scarfs. On the portrait of Bavaria the little rabbit that is trying to put all the suitcases in the VW beetle, and the head on the vault, the thighs on air, and the skirts offered to spectators should be one of the stars of the season. The van new one of Citroën, will be cut in half showing the length ,and the transatlantic trip or the over flight of Paris in zeppelin will be a great spectacle. It will be shown every day from 19H or 7PM until mid night and until mid January 2018. In the windows of the Galeries Lafayette, it will start on Wednesday at 18h or 6pm with an fairs universe of the Paris of early 20C. You see Pierre ,the pigeon heroe and his sweet lady Coco that will fly over a spectacular decoration of 12 animated windows. All at the tune of an barbarian organ with wild rhythm. Beyond the windows inside the store, a virtual reality that will make you travel along the rollercoasters in Paris to arrive at the grand dome of the store. A free experience shown between December 9 to 31st 2017 in six sofas that moves for 2h30 minutes of crazy moves. Finally, each weekend the animations awaits you with magic and goddess of great adventures
At the turn of the 20C, he show the Orient to the world, painter and photographer, Georges Gasté (1869-1910) is given an exposition entitled « Un Orient sans images » The Orient in images at the museum or musée Lambinet in Versailles. He was a great traveler of Algéria, Égypt , and India, that he shows with photos and portraits. Now from Mondays to Sundays and from 14h to 18h except Fridays and Holidays and until Sunday February 18 2018 at the museum located at 54, boulevard de la Reine, just around the market of Notre Dame , The vegetable garden created in 1678 by Jean-Baptiste de la Quintinie as per request of king Louis XIV. Now officially the Potager du Roi has been retained by the World Monuments Fund (WMF). It is on the list of world sites the American charitable organization is ready to invest and preserve as per the last Fifty years the WMF, base in New York, has help support about 800 sites in 135 countries. Amongst the generous contribution to the Fund we can count on the Prince Aga Khan, the family of perfumer Lauder, the decorator Juan Pablo Molyneux or the American company American Express. This is good news indeed!
The army museum or musée de l’Armée has an event on the experience of a soldier in the front entitled « dans la peau d’un soldat » or The Life of a Soldier with visuals of 337 objects, some unique of the period of antiquity to our days. An exposition showing to what point the military have been on the origin of many current tendances from style to designs : the expo will be until January 28 2018 Something unique in Paris is the old museum of public works or ancienne Musée des Travaux Publics at the Palais d’Iéna. 9 Place d’Iéna. open every day from 12h to 19h. It is no longer a museum but it houses an economic council, however for the architecture is worth a detour. To commemorate the 100 years of the Grand Guerre or WWI the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris will light up the façade and even the interior with an illumination spectacle in 17 portraits for 23 minutes duration in four nights starting tonight and until Saturday night on 19h30 and 21h each night. The event is free but get there early as there will be many for sure. It will have 8 huge projectors, with about 60 source of lights put on the wall of the Cathedral in addition to 80 projectors from inside the Cathedral with 400 candles. TO show the entry of Americans in WWI and it is the Americans by the Knights of Columbus organization founded in 1882 that are financing the event
After 2,5 years of renovations the castle or Château de Rambouillet has reopen its doors. This is the summer residence of the President of France which has seen passed by famous such as king François Ier to Nelson Mandela. A new exposition entitled the Princes of Rambouillet , family portrait or « Les princes de Rambouillet. Portraits de famille », dedicated to the illustrious previous owners as well as entertainment will be on until January 22 2018. The forest is the invited guest to the Château de Maisons at Maisons Laffitte.You will emerge in a mysterious ambiance of a walk across storytelling and legends ; the walks are organize in 7 portraits that inspire each a imaginary representation of the forest. After the forest oexposition, you can visit the forest or forêt de Saint-Germain with ONF on there was once a forest or « Il était une forêt… »,all until March 5 2018
The third biannual of Flamenco art entitled the « Tablao » is on from November 10th a the Théâtre national de la Danse for almost 3 weeks of dances. It will let you see some espectacle of high quality like the dancer José Galvan, on for 3 exceptional dates. During the work at Chatelet, the representations continues in the dome of the Grand Palais. It will show the musical comedy of Singin’ in the Rain, from November 28 to January 11 2018. They have done a cinema studio in the palace and will have before and during the show ; food trucks, studio photo, makeup artist, claquettes courses ,video installations and karaoke.
I have told you previously in my blog about the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, well is now open this museum of sand . It is like an mirror, at the junction of the Arabian Gulf (Persian on the other side coast of Iran), tip of sea and military zone crossing the Emirates mixing urban and architecture as we reach the island of Saadiyat, « the island of happiness », we see like the arm of the sea, the rivers, and the canals; a vast complex very modern.
Some news from France CLXXV November 20, 2017
The Church of La Trinité (9éme) even with a fountain closed to avoid falling stones is open to all and celebrating 150 years as most of the buildings around it. Tomorrow the world is invited to participate on the meals service to the homeless in the Crypt. There will be a guided visit at 18H ; like every evening until Sunday it will be illuminated by 2000 candles and lanterns; then at 20h45 the parrish evening in the Church. At 11H Sunday the Mass for its 150 years will be held in the world day on poverty and at 16h30 a concert in the choir. For more than 25 years the crypt of the Church holds a dinner to the homeless with donations from many every Monday, Tuesday , Thursday and Friday; from mid October to mid June. Each week almost 800 meals are served with donation of as much as 6000 kgs of fruits and vegetables from local merchant of Rungis (the food market of Paris) . By word of mouth from 9h many are in the kitchen preparing to serve the meal by 12h45 . You can see this entering by the rue de La Trinité
Want to see something different in Paris? come to the romantic squares where you can see the evolution of wild ducks, and hear the noice of the swings and admire the flowers that change each season; this is the Square des Batignolles and facing it is the new parc Martin Luther King with wonderful trees and a skatepark that children loves. This is at 144 bis, et 147, rue Cardinet (17éme). Behind the train station Gare Saint Lazare. It is closed until Nov 24th for cleaning , And if you are in Paris and want to know more of Brittany before getting to me, this is their official information bureau. Maison de la Bretagne 8, rue de l’Arrivée – 75015
With a beautiful sun covering their new site in a mansion at the corner of rue Saint-Honoré you can read « Louis Vuitton » now celebrating the opening since October of their new store in the Place Vendome. The store is a complete gamme of all their products The museum of romantic lives or the Musée de la vie Romantique 16 rue Chaptal in the 9éme arrondissement has closed its doors for renovations that will help the persons with mobility impaired to access the museum, an elevator will be installed in the shop on two levels located at the right of the entrance. The museum should open again in June 2018 You can admire the numeric production of “Baiser” of Klimt shown on a wall 10 meters high with an outstanding musical sound that will be possible to see from next April 13 2018 on the opening of the « L’Atelier des Lumières », managed by Culturespaces,
The nice historically famous Tour Jean Sans Peur in Paris organises until December 31 its 15th exposition entitled « Moyen Âge et publicité » or middle ages and publicity. This tower of 27 meters high near the Halles is less frequented than others in Paris but all worth a detour. It houses a ludic museum on daily life in the years 1400-1500. The only civil medieval tower in Paris built between 1409 and 1411 by Jean Sans Peur, Duke of Burgundy. You can see with the family all the costumes of this period and the stories around them. The tour Jean Sans Peur, 20, rue Etienne-Marcel (2éme). Had to tell you about this exposition superb ,”Degas Danse Dessin”, November 28 to February 25 2018 at the museum or musée d’Orsay.
At the Mémorial Charles de Gaulle at Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises (Haute-Marne) there is going on an exposition «À table avec le général de Gaulle» on the memories of dining with the General De Gaulle welcoming his guests. The period covers from 1959 when he became President to 1969 upon his retirement from politics . It shows the famous dinner given on June 1st 1961 to US President John F. Kennedy and wife, Jackie. After this visit the US president encouraged the donations to support the Château de Versailles!!! The complete title of the exposition is «À table avec le général de Gaulle, 10 ans de menus présidentiels (1959-1969)» It will be on until December 30 2017.
Some news from France CLXXVI November 28, 2017
At no 25 rue des francs bourgeois is the seat of the historical library of the city of Paris or bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris since 1969,at the hotel de Lamoignon, also called the Hôtel d’Angoulême, purchased in 1584 by Diane de France, Duchesse of Angouleme. She died here at age 81 in 1619. In 1658, Guillaume de Lamoignon, first President of the Parliament of Paris lived here; and from 1867 to 1874, the writer Alphonse Daudet ,also lived. In 1928, the city of Paris buys the property. It has a wonderful architectural touch in its square arch that extends from the roof at the angle of the rue des Francs-Bourgeois and the rue Pavée, that was used to keep vigil on the street. The type of preservation we owed to André Malraux,creator of the law of August 4 1962 that protects and preserves the old values of France. Marie Curie, une femme au Panthéon this is the showing on the scienfic work of Marie Curie as well as her private life of the first women who won the Nobel prize. In the occasion of her 150th anniversary the museum or Musée Curie and the National center of monuments of France is holding this exposition in her honor in the Panthéon, you should not miss this one going on until March 4 2018 at the Pantheon, Place du Panthéon – (5éme). You have the exposition ,Gaughin, l’alchimiste in the Grand Palais. Come to see the secrets of a painter of the 19C in the process of creation retracing the career of the artist until the island or îles Marquises. Until January 22 2018 3, the Grand Palais is at avenue du Général-Eisenhower -(8éme) You have the Incas of Peru at the museum Quai Branly , one of the first societies dating from at least 1500 years AD, in this exposition at the Quai Branly you will retrace their history, and the traces of the oldest cultures in the north of Peru. The exposition studies the origins and organisation of the old societies in searching in the two celestial gods , the kings the elite and the urban lords, the warriors and the priests who held the most power ? How it manifest itself? All showing until April 1, 2018 at the museum located at 37 quai Branly -(7éme).
The prize French Heritage Society-Dallas et Northern California Chapters 2017 has been attributed to the Château de Versigny for their project of restoration in the courtyard or cour d’honneur , and the park or parc. This prize prime the actions taken in the last 20 years for the maintenance and safekeeping of the Château de Versigny. The French Heritage Society (FHS) is an American association non profit that helps restore the French heritage in France and the USA as well as the cultural exchange between the two countries. As such , the FHS and its American chapters help the work of restorations by way of several French associations. This particular work is also funded by the DRAC, of the departemental council of the region of Oise.
Cambrai is celebrating a famous WWI battle crucial to the allies. The 100th anniversary of the battle of Cambrai that took place between November 20 and December 7 1917. When for the first time tanks were used in war with about 500 of them by the allies. After initially piercing the enemy lines due to the element of surprise the counter offensive was terrible by the Germans. The losses were about 45000 for the British soldiers holding the positions and 55000 by the Germans.
There you go folks, a big task but a work of love to keep the best, me think of these wonderful older posts over the years, These are what I think worth keeping of my older Some news from France series, and I thank you, Again, hope you enjoy this post as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 