So, my last day in Paris, and what to do with it??

More wandering the streets – my favourite pastime. After getting a single ticket to Cité (I should at this point record that I’ve really quite enjoyed using the Metro, the hotel was directly between two stations; Strasbourg St-Denis and Réaumur Sébastopol, and so getting around has been really easy), I had an enjoyable 45 minutes at Notre Dame.

I didn’t take single picture of the cathedral; instead I concentrated on the tourists! It was really interesting to watch (and photograph) people taking photos of each other! I feel slightly guilty for not visiting the Crypte Archéologique – but what the hell, I’m on holiday.

Determined to walk everywhere today I walked from Ile de la Cité across the bridge to the smaller of the two Seine islands; Ile St-Louis. This, according to the Lonely Planet guide, is the most romantic part of Paris – although today it was too cold for any of that, and since it was early (10.30 am) there weren’t many people around.

Today has been punctuated by ‘tea’ stops due to me being so damn cold! From the islands I walked back to the Marais area where I knew there would be lots of things to take photos of. But first a tea stop – although I chose the wrong place, not that the tea wasn’t okay, but that it was bloody expensive – €4.50.

Of course ten minutes later out in the cold I needed a wee desperately, so gave in to another museum – the Picasso Museum – worth the entrance fee to get warm and use the facilities. The first hurdle though was the cloakroom, as the woman refused to take my camera backpack, claiming it was too big and she had no room. Instead she suggested that I leave it in an unattended box with lots of others. Although I don’t ever put my camera in the cloakroom, I still wasn’t going to leave my bag unattended.

I have to admit that the art did little for me – and I would say that I like Picasso’s art in general. This museum contained a lot of his lesser known works, many of which I can honestly say I didn’t really like!

Lunch was in a fantastic Bagel Deli in the Jewish Quarter – Bagel Store. Although I had a burger! Back out on the street, more wandering!

Back in the area around the Pompidou Centre there was lots to photograph; I had intended to visit the Musée Poopee (Doll Museum), but it was getting late and I’d only have justified it if I’d been able to take photos (which I wasn’t) – a strange choice of visit for me anyway because I absolutely hate dolls!

I don’t know why but the queue for the Pompidou Centre was massive, snaking right round the square; not that you have to pay to go in the building, but that they are insisting on looking inside everyone’s bags. It’s just as crazy as in England, I have 3 large compartments in my rucksack but they are only interested in looking in the top one (perhaps they don’t realise that that there are 2 more) – I could put anything in the bottom of the bag – it seems to me it’s just an exercise to try and ‘reassure’ the public that things are being done to protect our security! What a joke, I have no idea what we are supposed to be protected from – the bogyman?

When it got too dark to take photos I returned back to the hotel for a shower, and to finish packing (I’d done most of it last night). Then it was out for the first time without my rucksack to find a restaurant for dinner. Could I find anything I wanted!?!

I managed to find a whole shopping and public square area near the hotel that I hadn’t been to before, but the only places that I found to eat were cafés which did little in the way of meals. In the end I went for one that looked likely, and ordered kind of blindly from the menu as I didn’t really know what I wanted.

Not sure I wanted what I got – Maison Tartare – eg. pink mush!! Actually it tasted really nice, but looked bloody horrid. Although I wasn’t able to finish the massive plate of it that I was given.

On the way back I took a wrong turn out of the restaurant and ended up in completely the wrong direction!

So to bed, a good holiday over. I’m really glad I came, and being away over Christmas was great. I’d like to come back to Paris when the weather is a little warmer – the problem with that is the huge amount of tourists! Maybe one day I’ll even be able to persuade Colin to visit with me (ha!).

Two worrying occurences

On this trip I’ve done something very unlike me, twice. I’ve managed to lose two items; the first was annoying as in the space of 5 minutes I lost the ticket I’d just purchased to the exhibitions in the Pompidou Centre – that cost be another €10.

The second item was a little more serious, and I still don’t know how it happened – I lost my bank card. Obviously I cancelled it as soon as I released, and the last transaction that the bank had was mine so no-one had tried to use the card (not that they were likely to get far without my pin number).

I guess what’s worrying me is how unlike me that is – I hope it’s not a new trend.

Two amazing places

And there was me thinking that I’d done everything that I wanted to do in Paris (not likely I know, but I’d done the things on my list for this visit).

But today I remembered reading about the Maison Europeenne de la Photographie, so went to find it in the Marais area. I’m glad I did, there was some amazing photography, unfortunately the main exhibition wasn’t really of interest to me as it was a retrospective of a French reportage magazine – although there were some excellent historic shots.

One French photographer has really caught my eye with his mad self portraits – Philippe Ramette, and I brought a book of his photos.

Afterwards I had no real plans so wandered almost aimlessly around the Marais and Bastille areas. The street art in the Bastille area is fantastic, not so much stencil art but loads of paste ups and space invaders. I’m going to have to make a set in my Flickr stream for them all.

I’ll be posting my Flickr photos soon, I’m also probably going to start posting these blog entries too – when I’ve sorted out photos and links for them all.

It’s a wonder that I have any fingers left – oh how I suffer for my art! – in order to keep taking photos (sometimes at a moments notice) I can’t really wear gloves (although I do have some excellent thin ones but couldn’t find them), instead I wisely bought some fingerless gloves. The problem is that my fingers have nearly frozen off – and my skin is really dry.

Lunch had to wait as there was no food available in the Photography gallery cafe (cake and drinks only), so I found a restaurant at 3pm. In the Jewish part of town there were loads of restaurants selling falafel – yummy.

Not much more to report today – probably did the most walking around the streets today, and plan to do some more tomorrow – my last day in Paris.

Legs are aching now – been there done that!

In a way I’m Paris’d out!! I’ve visited the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, the Lourve, the Centre Pompidou, Sacre Coeur, Shakespeare & Co Bookshop, Montmartre, Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise, the catacombes, the sewers, Champs Elysees and generally wandered around.

Today I was unsure where to go, so started at the Musee d’Art Moderne to look at the art; no photos allowed in there but there was some great art and photography (in all the museums and galleries I’ve been in I’ve been making notes so that I can look things up afterwards).

Then after a nice lunch in a cafe (cold ham and french fries) I crossed the river to visit the sewers of Paris! It was a bit disappointing as they are modern (unlike the the London sewer system which dates back to the 19th C – but not open to the public), but still amusing.

Actually the funniest thing was watching four American tourists! They came in at the same time as me but were completely unsure if they wanted to enter; having paid the entrance fee they descended down behind me. As soon as we got below ground the two women started complaining about the smell and covering their faces with scarves or pinching their noses! At one point they refused to continue; so I told them that the smell would not be so bad if they breathed through their mouths – which they ignored! I didn’t see them again as I think they made a dash for the exit!

After a bit more wandering I decided to go back up to Montmatre – the streets up there are really interesting and there are some great shops (not that I’m particularly interested in shops – although I got some great giraffe socks!).

By accident I managed to find Le Mur des Je t’aime (The wall of ‘I love you’) by Frédéric Baron. It’s in the little park behind the amazing entrance to Abbesses Metro station.

Getting tired I wandered around a little and then got the Metro back to the hotel – back in my room by about 6pm. Tonight has been a chance to fiddle with photos (only 828 so far!! and that’s after I’ve deleted the rubbish and out of focus ones!), watch crap news channels, and have a bath.

I’ve spoken to Gee, Dad, Richard and Colin over the time I’ve been here – Dad and Richard seem to call every few hours! Colin is sending emails which is much better as it doesn’t cost me anything.

Christmas Day in Paris

Wonderful. I really think that going away for Christmas is the way to go – it’s fantastic! Especially staying in a hotel where you don’t have to worry about anything.

I have to admit to having a lie-in this morning (I got up from breakfast and then went back to bed!), so didn’t go out until about 11. Having been shown the view towards the Eiffel Tower from the other bank last night I decided to wander over that way today.

It seems that most of Paris were out and about today; walking around and on the Metro. And the queues at the Eiffel Tower were massive; which is strange as the top half was completely shrouded in clouds – there can’t have been any view at all.

Having wander around under the tower for an hour, and having a Christmas lunch of french fries and hot chocolate (yum!), I walked over the bridge to take photos of the tower.

I’d thought that I’d spend the majority of the day there, but despite spending some time photographing a lost glove (and the tower of course!) I decided to go up to Montmatre.

What a wonderful area, of course famous for it’s artists it has now become something of a tourist trap – and boy were there lots of tourists (even on Christmas day – and many of the shops were also open).

I got some great photos of street art, and then happened across the studio of an amazing artist, he was also sitting in the window painting. I really want a piece of his art but it’s over £600 – have a look at his website at Andre Martins de Barros. The one I want is called ‘Checkmate’ and is under the ‘limited edition’ tab.

Unfortunately the wonderful Sacre Coeur was mostly hidden in fog; but the area around it was heaving with people. All the artists were braving the cold in the square and I have to admit it was tempting to get a drawing of myself – but made do with buying a painting instead.

Most of the travelling I did today was by Metro, I really took advantage of the time to continue reading my book – Perfume by Patrick Suskind. I’ve read it before but don’t remember much so wanted to read it again before seeing the film after Christmas.

Since I had remembered to take by monopod out with me I went back to the view from the Place de Varsovie towards the Eiffel Tower and got some great shots. I really like trying to get no flash night-time shots.

I’ve probably racked up a massive mobile bill by phoning and texting various people today, and getting calls from Colin, Gee, Dad and Richard. It’s nice to talk to them (especially Colin), although I can honestly say that I’m enjoying the time on my own.

It’s nice not to have to worry about what anyone else might like to do, or where they might like to visit – I can totally do what I want on a whim.

Oh what a show!

I think I must be getting tired as today I didn’t venture very far from the hotel, that and the fact that I knew that I had to get ready to go out tonight.

The Centre Pompidou is only round the corner so that seemed the obvious choice for a morning visit. Looking like something that has just landed from space amongst all the traditional French apartment buildings it really is odd!

It’s 100 years since the birth of Georges Remi (Herge), and there was a massive Tintin exhibition, with a fantastic brick of a book explaining it all – which I’ve bought and will now have to learn to read French!! They are mad about Herge, which is odd as he’s a Belgian – I share my birthday with him I’ve just discovered!

There is also currently a temporary exhibition of photography; a collection of pieces from all over the world. Some really inspiring stuff (I had to get the exhibition catalogue book), really fires me up about taking photos.

The section of the museum that I would really of liked to visit, the fifth floor museum was closed, this is the one with a lot of the famous art in it – but the fourth floor was also very good with ‘Le Mouvement des Images’ exhibition. The photo below is from a film of a man walking around the outline of a square – fasinating!

Some really interesting work, some by quite well known artists. There was also a temporary exhibition of work by Yves Klein – but more on that in another blog.

This afternoon I had a long bath, I’ve really got into ‘Perfume’ by Patrick Suskind (one of my favourite books which I thought I’d read again before the film comes out after Christmas), so lazed around reading and then got ready for Le Lido.I got a taxi to the Lido on the Champs Elysees, worrying slightly about how I was going to get back after the show. The queue was monstrous and I was bloody freezing in my posh dress and high heels!

I hadn’t expected to be sat on a table with other people but I was with a very nice French couple who spoke very little English. Dinner was amazing, lobster followed by beef (yum!) and then a raspberry mousse thing with walnut ice cream; all washed down with half a bottle of champagne.

The show was out of this world, dancing, singing, trapeze artists, mime (bloody fantastic!), ice skating, fountains, gymnastics, people descending from the ceiling and ascending from the floor – and a horse! The only thing that wasn’t real was an elephant – but I had to look twice to check.

I can’t begin to describe the show (and photos aren’t allowed), but basically it consisted of short ‘pieces’ with dancers (bare breasted but with lots of sparkle and feathers) and sometimes singing, many from different parts of the world or history; ancient Egypt and India were two. The mime piece was the best for me, i don’t think I can describe it though!

At the end the biggest shock was being presented with the bill! There must have been a mix up as they had no record of Dad paying for my meal, and although they checked three times I had to pay. The snag was that my credit card was in the cloakroom (good job I’d brought it with me, I nearly didn’t), the up side was that the waiter took my cloakroom ticket at the end and got my coat without me queuing – so that I could pay of course.

Photography is not allowed in the show but a woman was going round taking photos of people (Dad, Lottie, Robert, Richard and Arlene had theirs taken when they visited), so I got one done for Dad.

About half way through dinner I solved my transport home problem, I adopted the nice French couple and they offered me a lift home – via some of the monuments lit up for Christmas. So sweet of them, of course some would say crazy of me to get into a strangers car but believe me it was preferable to walking back from the Metro station passed all the tramps sleeping in telephone boxes, in shop doorways and in the park outside the hotel.

So, it’s time for bed – it’s Christmas Day, twenty past one actually – definately time for some sleep.

Pyramids, Smiles, the Dead and bookshops – of course!

So, to do the tourist attraction in Paris, Musee du Louvre – including of course La Jaconde and I M Pei’s pyramid.

I’ll admit to not being desperate to join the throngs of people all seemingly going in one direction – towards the smile. So first I visited the 17th-19th c. Italian sculptures, amazing works in marble, the detail is incredible; and also the Northern European sculptures (religious icons mainly); then on with the hordes!

I didn’t need to find the Mona Lisa, I just had to look for the biggest group of people, although I didn’t really stay long and didn’t even get a good look. It seems to me that it’s an image we’ve all seen a million times on a million different pieces of tat.

There weren’t many people at the Venus de Milo – so I managed to get the perfect ‘postcard’ shot of the statue.

After that there was just too much to choose from to see so I had lunch instead!! The cafe was okay (the restaurant looked too expensive).

One thing about the Lourve that I was pleased to see was the fact that they had totally resisted the temptation to put the Mona Lisa on every single piece of saleable rubbish they could get their hands on – they limit themselves to books, pads and pens. Guess they leave the rubbish to others.

The afternoon was another trip to see the Paris dead – but further back in time. I visited a small section of the tunnels underneath the streets of Paris; three former quarries which now house the bone remains of millions of Parisians. In 1785 the cemeteries were overflowing with graves, so were dug up and the bones arranged in 1.6km of the catacombs, stacked floor to ceiling.

It’s difficult to know what to expect when you enter through a small unassuming door at street level, go down 20m below the street and walk along endless tunnels.

It appears that the bones from each of the cemeteries were kept together, and are stacked with long bones on top of each other, with skulls in lines.

There are no small bones or lower jaws visible, but I guess that they are behind the long bones – it’s a quite incredible place. There were a few other people down there, but not so many that the atmosphere was spoilt – it is still quite an eerie place that takes some getting used to.

Although flash photography isn’t allowed and it’s very dark in places, the few lights allowed some photography and I had taken a small tripod which came in very handy.

Bizarrely I finished the day off with a visit to the famous ‘Shakespeare & Co’ English bookshop (famous for printing James Joyce’s Ulysses in 1922, it’s actually a different location and a different owner, the original was closed down by the Nazis) and then dinner in a French restaurant with an Italian waiter, eating fondue!!

One of the things that I’ve rediscovered on this trip is how wonderful the BBC is. In my hotel room I’m supposed to have BBC News24, CNN and Skynews – unfortunately I can’t get BBC. So on the few occasions that I’ve had the television on it’s been one of the other channels. What a pile of crap! Same old rubbish, nothing with any substance (except sensationalism or scaremongering) – I’ve actually been driven to turn it off most evenings.

Graves, Arches and Towers

When I got in last night I was so tired it was all I could do to download my photos and put the batteries on to charge.

As I write this I’m sat under the pyramid of the Lourve with a cup of Lipton’s Yellow Label Tea (I have to admit that I’m not a massive fan, it’s not strong enough). Note the date on this blog will appear that I wrote it yesterday for consistancy!

So, where did I end up yesterday? The morning was spent with the Paris dead, in the Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise.
A wonderful place for photos even if the sun was abit bright really. I wandered for a bit but made a point of visiting Oscar Wilde. His grave is an amazing winged man who once had a large penis but it was thought too obsene and so was broken off! Recently the monument has become covered in ‘kiss’ marks where people (women and men probably) have donned lipstick and kissed it! Unfortunately photography is hampered due to a large tree right in front of it.
It was amusing to watch all the American and Japanese tourists trying to find Jim Morrison’s grave – the clue should have been the barriers!! All in all I was very underwhelmed by his grave but then I’ve never been a massive fan of The Doors.

After a fortifying tea and sandwich I once again ventured into the Metro, this time I intended to get a day ticket but my French, and the ticket sellers English, were not up to it! I ended up with a single ticket – much easier.

Since it’s supposed to be amazing I decided that a walk up the Champs Eylsees would be nice, especially since the sun had risen enough to start giving off some heat. I can’t say it’s really my thing, most of the shops are the same as you would find in any large city, but the christmas decorations were worth seeing. And then of course there’s the Arc de Triomphe at the top.

Very spectacular! But the best was yet to come as I had timed my visit perfectly (more by luck than judgement) – after a short amount of waiting around and taking copious photos I was on the top of the arc when the sun set, worth the wait but off course the photographs could never do it justice.

Fifteen minutes later was an other wonderful sight – the lights came on at the Eiffel Tower, not just the lights on the tower itself, but at 5pm (and every hour afterwards) the whole thing started sparkling.

In the gift shop of the Arc de Triomphe I managed to locate the tackiest gift for Colin – a pink Eiffel Tower on a spinning top – truly hideous – I had to buy it!

Having seen the tower from the arc I decided to rush across the river (in the Metro) to the Eiffel Tower. Since I was there I visit to the top in the dark was called for, although I have to admit that the hour wait in the queue wasn’t welcome (what the hell must it be like in the height of summer!?).

Bloody hell it was cold at the top, but the view was worth it. A really sweet Korean girl and I had a go at taking each others photos, the one I took of her (on her Nikon) came out really well but after half an hour of trying she couldn’t get my camera to work correctly and so ended up taking one of me with her camera (she says she’ll email it to me).

After a dinner of ham and cheese baguette and a cup of tea I made my way home – tired again. I’m not sure how much more of this my legs will take!?

Getting the Metro has turned out to be much easier than I thought – just like the underground in London really. All you have to remember is to make a note of the line number and end station of the direction you wish to travel – just like the tube (except it’s numbered instead of colour coded). Generally the trains and stations are clean and tidy, I’m quite taken with the plastic chairs (don’t ask!), and each station name sign appears to be in a different style. I’m not sure about taking photos down there so have been very restrained.

So, I guess I’d better go and see the Mona Lisa – well, its compulsory isn’t it?

Off to Paris

I have to admit to feeling slightly smug having seen the pictures on television of thousands of people stranded at Heathrow due to heavy fog (which is supposed to be over much of Europe – no sign of it here in Paris). The Eurostar was fast, efficient and comfortable – taking me from central London to central Paris in a couple of hours – fantastic!

Check in was fast and hassle free, the departure lounge was odd as it felt like an airport, but once on the train it was just like any other train journey (I read the paper and snoozed). Not much to see out of the window as England was covered in fog and France was just fields – and besides the sun hadn’t really come up.

I bravely decided to walk from Gare du Nore to the hotel, about 30 minutes and probably not the best idea with my bags and suitcase. However, rewarded with my first photo of the trip – a lost mitten!

The hotel Little Palace is very central and the room, as you can see is lovely – but the hotel does have a couple of draw backs – the restaurant isn’t that good and is closed all weekend and on Christmas day, and I think that the walls are quite thin (but then I don’t plan to spend lots of time in my room anyway).

After a much needed shower I went for a walk, the Centre Pompidou was first on my list for today as it’s not far from the hotel, however I didn’t go in the exhibition – I’ll save that for another (rainy) day.

From there I wandered aimlessly for a bit until I found the Seine – looking much like the Thames but perhaps a bit cleaner (not being tidal (I don’t think) it doesn’t have the mud and rubbish).

Over the river I visited Notre Dame – along with half a million other tourists – mainly English and American – haven’t they got better things to do? Shouldn’t they be with family for Christmas?

I have to admit that I didn’t find the interior that inspiring, I guess that the rose windows are amazing, but maybe I’m cathedraled out?! The exterior however is breathtaking, and even more so the views from the top of one of the towers across the city.

I have brought a book set in France with me to read (Perfume – for the second time before I see the film), but up there in the belfry I felt that I should be reading Victor Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame – I’ve never read it.

After the hundreds of steps up the tower, a good hour talking photos of gargoyles and the cityscape I was hungry and tired. Time for a crepe!! Lemon and sugar, my favourite – but not so good when it drips down your front and all over your camera.

As I was saving my camera from the sticky mess an oriental (he didn’t speak English or French) tourist shoved a camera in my face and took a photo – and then ran off! When I caught up with him to ask him to delete the photo he claimed not to know what I was talking about, showed me that he was shooting film, and then when he got the measure of how angry I was proceeded to slap himself in the face and say ‘sorry’, ‘sorry’.

It’s not that I mind having my photo taken, that would be a bit hypocritical, it’s that he literally shoved it in my face! Oh well, hopefully it didn’t come out.

Dinner this evening was in the hotel restaurant, for the first and probably last time. Actually the food was nice (when I’d got over the shock of being presented with a whole trout – head, with eyes, and all), but the atmosphere was dead and anyway, it’s not open for the next few days.

Tomorrow I’m thinking of tackling the Metro to the cemetery – or I might walk, depending how my legs are after today.

For anyone looking for my photos of Paris – they will appear on Flickr but probably not until near the end of my trip, or upon my return as they will need sorting out!

Two views from the top of the Notre Dame tower, the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre/Sacre Coeur

Yves Klein

Yves Klein
Originally uploaded by Stijn Vanden Brande.

I have to admit to not being very impressed by the art of Yves Klein. I know I should be but it seems to me that a giant blue canvas (not to mention half a dozen identical small ones) is just not interesting, although the colour is nice, but then to repeat it in other colours is just boring.

Oh wait! He did other things, spray painting naked models against a canvas to create a void, sticking sponges to canvases and painting them, painting bodies and making prints – no all in all its not my thing.

This exhibition was just boring, but there were lots of people who were very interested. But perhaps I’m just bitter because the gallery with the Magritte and Duchamp is closed.