I was determined to get the whole family to Christmas Eve Mass here in Ratingen, but it didn't quite work out the way I planned.
First, I did my research and found out online that the big church in our town, St. Peter and Paul, was having two Masses on Christmas Eve; 6pm and midnight Mass with caroling and organ music 30 min before. We all left at 5:15 since it's only a one minute walk from us. We entered the church from the back only to discover people standing about and every seat was taken, EVERY ONE. And even the extra uncomfortable seats that looked like they were made for very short children were set up too and those were taken too.
Steven grumbled that he wasn't standing for two hours and wouldn't stay without a seat. This started a mutiny and Elowyn declared that she too wasn't staying. I glared at both of them and discussed the situation with my sister who agreed that we could come back for the midnight Mass. Steven said he wasn't coming back as he had made the effort and I decided that if the atheist didn't want to return, so be it and we all left.
Back home, we made our seafood dinner with two courses and a break in between while we watched Christmas movies like, 'A Christmas Carol' and my favourite, 'It's a wonderful Life'. We left our place at 10:30 giving A LOT of time to get there, secure seats and admire the nativity crib. Walking quickly we arrived to a darkened church and tried all the doors, but they were locked! WHAT?!? Could I have possibly have made a mistake with the time? We started walking back, but I had a feeling there had to be a Mass, so I said that I'd walk back and wait outside for a half hour since it was mild out anyway. Elowyn declared she was not waiting, so off I went on my own and waited. Other people were trying the doors of the church and started walking away in the same direction as the Protestant Church around the corner whose bells were ringing and bonging, calling people to church.
I decided to go too since I'd never seen the inside of that old church. I walked in and was given a Christmas booklet and entered the inner doors to discover the church lit with candles and with small lantern candles at the end of each pew. It was full of people, but there were still some seats, so I sat near the back in the middle after asking one man in German if the pew was free. I settled in and took in my surroundings.
The church was very plain and looked modern inside. The walls had been stuccoed in white. There were no familiar statues, no stations of the cross, no statue of Mary, the holy water receptacle was dry, no stained glass, and no pews for kneeling. There was no altar either, just stands for people to give a lecture. A big evergreen tree with lights stood in the corner, so that was encouraging, but the rest was very unfamiliar.
As I was looking around, I heard someone hissing, 'Kat, Kat!' I turned around and was glad to see Elowyn and Krista in a side pew to my right. I went to join them. The service began with a song, familiar in music, but not in words. The rest of the hour was spent with people from the congregation getting up and saying a reading. There were no responses from the people and everyone remained seated on the uncomfortable benches. There was a sermon
that went on for a very very long time and I picked out words such as internet and facebook and a lot about sleeping. The minister must have mentioned it at least 10 times!
I started to hear the bonging of the Catholic Church and knew that there was a Mass after all! At that moment I wanted to leave, but it would have been very rude to leave before the service was over.
Finally, the long sermon ended and Stille Nacht was sung and a Fröhe Weihnachten from the priest and out we went.
We hurried to the Catholic Church and found that there were still some seats left, so we sat down and allowed ourselves to gaze around us. It was magical. Strange yet familiar with an enormous Advent wreath crowning the altar high in the air with the strong scent of evergreens from the forest of trees gracing the back of the altar. There was a lifesize scene of the Nativity as well and red ribbons and candles cast a warm glow on the grey stone walls of this 13th century church.
The Mass was in German, but the traditions were the same and we could follow along and knew where we were in the proceedings. Then the singing from the choir began and I felt goosebumps run across my shoulders as their lovely voices soared into the highest reaches of the vaulted ceilings in tune to the cellos, violins and trumpets who accompanied them. We sang along too. It was such a beautiful Mass.
We left after it was all over with a warm glow in our hearts. Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
Sunday 25 December 2016
Sunday 11 December 2016
What Every Good Christmas Market Should Have
Think of Germany during the Advent season and their famous Christmas Markets come to mind. People actually come here at this time of year ONLY for a Christmas market tour! There are actual tour buses full of American, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Chinese tourists to name a few that travel around the biggest cities for Christmas Markets! One city a day! Boggles the mind, doesn't it, but then you go to one yourself and get all caught up in the jovial excitement of the people and lights and scents of the market and feel like you're part of it all...until some old German guy with a waxed mustache tries to pommel you for deigning to cut the steady human traffic flow to get to the other side...but that's another story.
I think I'm a bit of an authority on Christmas Markets by now having been to about 15 of them in 7 cities, (so far), and by and large, there are some things that are essential to their success.
1) Glühwein - Pronounced Gloo-wine and otherwise known as mulled wine. This is the time when each market gets to present their own wine and spice mixture. These spices include cinnamon, clove, star anise, orange and/or lemon peel and their heavenly aroma will guide you to the market. The most popular glühwein is red, but at some of the bigger markets, white or rosé wine has popped up as an alternative, as well as a warm yellow drink topped with whipped cream called Eierlikör made from a Dutch liquor called Advocaat. This is a creamy drink that contains dry white wine, dark rum, ground cloves, bourbon vanilla, honey, and a pinch of brown rock sugar and gingerbread spices on top. It is particularly potent, so don't be fooled by that not so innocent whipped cream on top. It comes with a straw to avoid a frothy moustache as you drink that creamy goodness. Some regional markets also have hot ciders or hot apple wine. And for a real pick me up, there is Feuerzangebowle, (fire tongs bowl). Above a vat of glühwein is a metal trough filled with a cone of sugar; rum is poured over the sugar and lit on fire. The fire carmelizes the sugar which drains into the wine below. It's a really cool thing to see being made. And let's not forget that for the kinder (children), there is a kinderpunsch (punch) which looks like and tastes surprisingly like glüwein, but without the alcohol. Finally, there is hot chocolate usually topped with whipped cream when you are all glüweined out or want something sweeter to warm you up.
Each market has their own unique mug with the city name, but also the market area on it. Some are beautifully coloured mugs with lively coloured pictures of the market, while others are shaped like a small boot or a snowman, and then there are the tall, narrow frosted glass mugs with huge handles to hold while wearing a mitten. They are inscribed with gold writing and include golden silhouettes of the city cathedral or Rathaus (city hall). These elegant glasses are my favourite!
Prices of the drinks vary. You'll usually pay about €3 for the drink itself if it's alcoholic with the pfand, (deposit) for the mug on top. The pfand can vary. I've seen it for as little as €1 in our little town of Ratingen, and as much as €3 for the pfand in the bigger cities where the tourists visit, knowing that many of them will take the mug home as a souvenir. The non-alcoholic drinks usually range from €1 to as much as €2.50 depending on the market. Most people drink up and go back for their deposit so they can buy another drink!
2) Regional Food - Ahhhhh! It's all about the food isn't it?!? At the markets, you can smell the roasted chestnuts or marrons before you can see them. They are very popular here in Europe and taste great. Also, the bratwurst in a crispy bun is a staple. In Aachen there were half metre sized bratwurst! Also, there are huge pots of soup, soft pretzels and Gebrannt Mandeln (burnt sugared almonds) whose cinnamon scent wafts over the market. Every market has regional favourites as well. For instance, in Paris, crêpes and raclette is very popular. In Germany, a big favourite for everyone is chocolate covered fruit on a stick and those delicious potato pancakes that are crispy on the outside and steamy hot and soft on the inside. In the Netherlands, smoked or raw herring fish is huge while in Belgium, everyone loves the waffles and the frites. There is always something for everyone.
3) Christmas Lights - What would a Christmas Market be without lights? Lots of them, thousands; the more the better. And a central focus is needed to bind them together in a glorious display. This could be a giant Christmas tree, or a May Pole topped with a golden star with lights cascading down from the centre like flowing ribbons and radiating outward. Or it could be an enormous Printen cookie like Aachen is famous for, studded with head sized almonds. These are not coloured lights either; they are always a warm white to better illuminate the market and to also resemble stars.
4) Music - Not all Christmas Markets have music, but the best ones do. If it's not piped music, it's live music with carolers or brass bands or string instruments. In Essen, a whole troupe was playing Pachebel's Canon and people stopped to listen and stood quietly, lost in the poignant notes with smiles on their faces. Music is also played at all the carousels as children go round and round on brighly coloured horses or magical beasts.
5) Market Stalls - These market stalls come in many designs and usually resemble small huts. The most festive and traditional ones are made of dark wood resembling tiny Black Forest chalets and are decorated with real pine bows, twinkling lights, red ribbons and gleaming gold balls (much like the one in our town). What is sold? Anything and everything from beautifully carved nativity sets and cribs, unique hats, famous blown glass balls and figurines, wooden nutcrackers, lead soldiers and fairy tale ornaments painted with enamel, exquisite paper geometric paper stars with cut outs for lights, tin cookie cutters, beeswax candles, wooden toys, and ceramic domed tealight holders carved with the city's famous buildings and high lights and so much more. The stalls are lit inside and out with fairy lights and decorated with fresh evergreen bows and whatever they're selling. The stalls that sell food have electrical outlets too for ovens, grills and stoves to make food on the spot.
6) Location and Backdrop - All European towns and cities have a big market square, no matter how small they are where people can gather. The squares could have a focal point like an elaborate fountain, or a statue of a prominent local person. In spring, summer and fall, they have tables and chairs and canopies set up by the local restaurants surrounding them and the squares are primarily meeting places for friends and friends to gather. On certain days of the week, they are transformed into fresh food markets, or are places for a concert or to celebrate a festival such as Oktoberfest, Schützenfest, St. Martinsfest, Carneval, the first of May, or Easter...the list goes on and on! But from Advent on, it's solely for the Christmas market. In some cities like Köln, Rothenburg, Aachen or Dresden, the magnificent cathedrals and churches are the background with the elaborate stone or half timbered Rathaus included. The guildhall of the masters could also be located on the square and it's always beautiful to see centuries old buildings decorated with garland, wreaths and lights creating a magical backdrop. Ruhr Cities like Essen whose old churches and buildings were utterly obliterated during the allied bombing raids of WWII have no older beautiful buildings and instead try extra hard to be special by having more lights, lots of music, beautifully decorated stalls and medieval artisan areas to generate interest from locals and visitors alike.
7) Carousels - These are very popular in Europe and you will always find at least one in even the smallest market, while the bigger ones in the cities have several. When the markets get crowded at night time and kids start to get cranky, savvy parents head for the carousel and let their little ones ride around and around while they stand, sip their Glüwein and listen to the carousel music and watch the frowns on their kids transform into smiles.
8) Ferris Wheels - Only the bigger cities have one of these, and they are fantastic for getting an overall view of all the lights of the Christmas Market. Bring your camera. Click!
Some of the markets are only open for the four weeks before Christmas, yet others close after the twelve days of Christmas which end on Jan. 5th. Either way, it has been a great experience and something that brightens the dark days before the winter solstice.
I think I'm a bit of an authority on Christmas Markets by now having been to about 15 of them in 7 cities, (so far), and by and large, there are some things that are essential to their success.
1) Glühwein - Pronounced Gloo-wine and otherwise known as mulled wine. This is the time when each market gets to present their own wine and spice mixture. These spices include cinnamon, clove, star anise, orange and/or lemon peel and their heavenly aroma will guide you to the market. The most popular glühwein is red, but at some of the bigger markets, white or rosé wine has popped up as an alternative, as well as a warm yellow drink topped with whipped cream called Eierlikör made from a Dutch liquor called Advocaat. This is a creamy drink that contains dry white wine, dark rum, ground cloves, bourbon vanilla, honey, and a pinch of brown rock sugar and gingerbread spices on top. It is particularly potent, so don't be fooled by that not so innocent whipped cream on top. It comes with a straw to avoid a frothy moustache as you drink that creamy goodness. Some regional markets also have hot ciders or hot apple wine. And for a real pick me up, there is Feuerzangebowle, (fire tongs bowl). Above a vat of glühwein is a metal trough filled with a cone of sugar; rum is poured over the sugar and lit on fire. The fire carmelizes the sugar which drains into the wine below. It's a really cool thing to see being made. And let's not forget that for the kinder (children), there is a kinderpunsch (punch) which looks like and tastes surprisingly like glüwein, but without the alcohol. Finally, there is hot chocolate usually topped with whipped cream when you are all glüweined out or want something sweeter to warm you up.
Each market has their own unique mug with the city name, but also the market area on it. Some are beautifully coloured mugs with lively coloured pictures of the market, while others are shaped like a small boot or a snowman, and then there are the tall, narrow frosted glass mugs with huge handles to hold while wearing a mitten. They are inscribed with gold writing and include golden silhouettes of the city cathedral or Rathaus (city hall). These elegant glasses are my favourite!
Prices of the drinks vary. You'll usually pay about €3 for the drink itself if it's alcoholic with the pfand, (deposit) for the mug on top. The pfand can vary. I've seen it for as little as €1 in our little town of Ratingen, and as much as €3 for the pfand in the bigger cities where the tourists visit, knowing that many of them will take the mug home as a souvenir. The non-alcoholic drinks usually range from €1 to as much as €2.50 depending on the market. Most people drink up and go back for their deposit so they can buy another drink!
2) Regional Food - Ahhhhh! It's all about the food isn't it?!? At the markets, you can smell the roasted chestnuts or marrons before you can see them. They are very popular here in Europe and taste great. Also, the bratwurst in a crispy bun is a staple. In Aachen there were half metre sized bratwurst! Also, there are huge pots of soup, soft pretzels and Gebrannt Mandeln (burnt sugared almonds) whose cinnamon scent wafts over the market. Every market has regional favourites as well. For instance, in Paris, crêpes and raclette is very popular. In Germany, a big favourite for everyone is chocolate covered fruit on a stick and those delicious potato pancakes that are crispy on the outside and steamy hot and soft on the inside. In the Netherlands, smoked or raw herring fish is huge while in Belgium, everyone loves the waffles and the frites. There is always something for everyone.
3) Christmas Lights - What would a Christmas Market be without lights? Lots of them, thousands; the more the better. And a central focus is needed to bind them together in a glorious display. This could be a giant Christmas tree, or a May Pole topped with a golden star with lights cascading down from the centre like flowing ribbons and radiating outward. Or it could be an enormous Printen cookie like Aachen is famous for, studded with head sized almonds. These are not coloured lights either; they are always a warm white to better illuminate the market and to also resemble stars.
4) Music - Not all Christmas Markets have music, but the best ones do. If it's not piped music, it's live music with carolers or brass bands or string instruments. In Essen, a whole troupe was playing Pachebel's Canon and people stopped to listen and stood quietly, lost in the poignant notes with smiles on their faces. Music is also played at all the carousels as children go round and round on brighly coloured horses or magical beasts.
5) Market Stalls - These market stalls come in many designs and usually resemble small huts. The most festive and traditional ones are made of dark wood resembling tiny Black Forest chalets and are decorated with real pine bows, twinkling lights, red ribbons and gleaming gold balls (much like the one in our town). What is sold? Anything and everything from beautifully carved nativity sets and cribs, unique hats, famous blown glass balls and figurines, wooden nutcrackers, lead soldiers and fairy tale ornaments painted with enamel, exquisite paper geometric paper stars with cut outs for lights, tin cookie cutters, beeswax candles, wooden toys, and ceramic domed tealight holders carved with the city's famous buildings and high lights and so much more. The stalls are lit inside and out with fairy lights and decorated with fresh evergreen bows and whatever they're selling. The stalls that sell food have electrical outlets too for ovens, grills and stoves to make food on the spot.
6) Location and Backdrop - All European towns and cities have a big market square, no matter how small they are where people can gather. The squares could have a focal point like an elaborate fountain, or a statue of a prominent local person. In spring, summer and fall, they have tables and chairs and canopies set up by the local restaurants surrounding them and the squares are primarily meeting places for friends and friends to gather. On certain days of the week, they are transformed into fresh food markets, or are places for a concert or to celebrate a festival such as Oktoberfest, Schützenfest, St. Martinsfest, Carneval, the first of May, or Easter...the list goes on and on! But from Advent on, it's solely for the Christmas market. In some cities like Köln, Rothenburg, Aachen or Dresden, the magnificent cathedrals and churches are the background with the elaborate stone or half timbered Rathaus included. The guildhall of the masters could also be located on the square and it's always beautiful to see centuries old buildings decorated with garland, wreaths and lights creating a magical backdrop. Ruhr Cities like Essen whose old churches and buildings were utterly obliterated during the allied bombing raids of WWII have no older beautiful buildings and instead try extra hard to be special by having more lights, lots of music, beautifully decorated stalls and medieval artisan areas to generate interest from locals and visitors alike.
7) Carousels - These are very popular in Europe and you will always find at least one in even the smallest market, while the bigger ones in the cities have several. When the markets get crowded at night time and kids start to get cranky, savvy parents head for the carousel and let their little ones ride around and around while they stand, sip their Glüwein and listen to the carousel music and watch the frowns on their kids transform into smiles.
8) Ferris Wheels - Only the bigger cities have one of these, and they are fantastic for getting an overall view of all the lights of the Christmas Market. Bring your camera. Click!
Some of the markets are only open for the four weeks before Christmas, yet others close after the twelve days of Christmas which end on Jan. 5th. Either way, it has been a great experience and something that brightens the dark days before the winter solstice.
Wednesday 7 December 2016
Paris: The City of Light
The City of Light and even more so now that it's The Christmas season of Advent in Paris. Here it is the end of November and we've been blessed with the most extraordinary weather. Mild temperatures, dry and even sunny at times.
There were going to be four of us so we opted to rent a beautiful old apartment called appropriately, 'Perfectly Paris' for the space and convenience and chose the area of village-like Montmartre in the 18th Arrondissement (or district) which is the highest geographical area of Paris. It is home to many artists and students and small shop owners. The people here are friendly and jovial and welcome you to Paris with open arms.
We took the train to Paris from Düsseldorf. Why? Because it costs about the same, but there are no annoying security checks, luggage inspections or restrictions on liquids or food that you can bring with you. There's free wifi on the train too and a food/bar car if you want to buy lunch.
We arrived at Gare du Nord train station and took a 10 minute taxi ride to our late 19th century apartment just steps away from the iconic Abbesses Métro Station with its scrolling Art Nouveau ironwork frame. Our apartment was amazing! Up one floor along a wide circular wooden staircase to our French blue door. We were welcomed by our apartment assistant Georgina from the Perfectly Paris organization. And it WAS perfect! Two bedrooms, two bathrooms with tub and shower, a full kitchen, full dining room and full living room all tastefully decorated with beautiful cranberry quilts and tapestries, as well as Old Parisian maps, and stylish, but comfortable furniture with Cluny tapestry pillows throughout. It was fully stocked with travel and photo books on France, Paris and other European countries, as well as a good array of other books, DVDs and games.
We settled in and then left to explore the city. Here are some of the many highlights:
1) Le Metro - this is the densest subway system in the world with 16 lines and currently 303 stations and counting. It is also one of the oldest and as such it is unfortunately not accessible for people with a disability as there are A LOT of stairs up and down. There are some escalators too, but most of them go up, not down, and there is the occasional elevator...but don't count on it. If we ever wondered why the Parisians are so slim, one of the reasons is because they do a helluva lot of walking. We clocked way more steps here in this city than in London.
Each Metro line is colour coded like Toronto and has many transfer points and zones. The farther you travel, the more you pay. Toronto is trying to do this as well, making it more expensive for people outside Toronto to come in to work, but making it cheaper for people who live in the city to get to work. This is fair, as people outside of Toronto do not pay taxes to supplement the subway upkeep and improvement costs even though they use it. The Paris Métro is also integrated with the RER lines, like our GO trains except you can use the Métro tickets on the RER.
The stations themselves are sometimes very similar on the same line except for the colour of the tiles, or sometimes, very different with artwork. Like Toronto, the Louvre Museum stop has statues representing what's in their museum like The Venus de Milo.
Some lines like line 1 have solid glass partitions along the entire platform. The train must stop in an exact spot that lines up with the
2) Surviving the Louvre - Lord, this thing is HUGE! You can't see everything in one or two or even three visits, so don't even try to. Why? You'll be too tired, that's why. Just to get into the place is a challenge. We entered through the Métro where you arrive at a department store complex underground, much like the Eaton Centre except these are high end stores like Le Printemps or the chocolate store, Maxim's. You keep walking until you hit your first security line. Bag scan, body scan through a machine, then a pat down and wand scan from security. You are free to go until you reach the glass pyramid area where the second scan of your bag and person takes place in case they missed something. Then up the escalator and just before the exhibits, the third bag check and ticket check before you can enter.
This is the time to choose just one area to look at. We chose the Denon wing that held the Mona Lisa and was mostly Italian paintings. Wander around and take photos which are allowed. We smelled the Mona Lisa area before we saw it as dozens of people were in front of the painting holding up their cameras or iPhones high to snap a photo. This being Europe, the smell of ripe underarm pits hung strongly in the air. Get in, look, and get out was our motto. There were other things to see. Besides, she's under glass, creating a glare, and you cannot get within 20 feet of her as there is a metal barrier. So, move on.
3) Napoleon's Tomb (aka Les Invalides) - You have to see this place; it's the biggest, most spectacular mausoleum that I've ever seen. The massive gilded doors at the entrance tell you you're somewhere important. Love him or hate him, Napoleon left his mark, not just in Paris, but France itself and in the constitutions and systems of countries all over the world. One oddity was Napoleon's taxidermied white horse. Bit of a shock since in all the hero paintings of Napoleon, this stallion is on its hind legs, mane flowing, looking pretty majestic with Napoleon on his back. In contrast, the stuffed horse in front of me was beige, skinny and short...I guess to fit its rider. Still, a little disappointing. Not so, all the old cannon lined up in the courtyard, aged to a patina of verdigris and all facing outward. You could just imagine Napoleon lining them all up and shooting a volley of grapeshot down the streets of Paris, or wherever else he was afoot.
There were going to be four of us so we opted to rent a beautiful old apartment called appropriately, 'Perfectly Paris' for the space and convenience and chose the area of village-like Montmartre in the 18th Arrondissement (or district) which is the highest geographical area of Paris. It is home to many artists and students and small shop owners. The people here are friendly and jovial and welcome you to Paris with open arms.
We took the train to Paris from Düsseldorf. Why? Because it costs about the same, but there are no annoying security checks, luggage inspections or restrictions on liquids or food that you can bring with you. There's free wifi on the train too and a food/bar car if you want to buy lunch.
We arrived at Gare du Nord train station and took a 10 minute taxi ride to our late 19th century apartment just steps away from the iconic Abbesses Métro Station with its scrolling Art Nouveau ironwork frame. Our apartment was amazing! Up one floor along a wide circular wooden staircase to our French blue door. We were welcomed by our apartment assistant Georgina from the Perfectly Paris organization. And it WAS perfect! Two bedrooms, two bathrooms with tub and shower, a full kitchen, full dining room and full living room all tastefully decorated with beautiful cranberry quilts and tapestries, as well as Old Parisian maps, and stylish, but comfortable furniture with Cluny tapestry pillows throughout. It was fully stocked with travel and photo books on France, Paris and other European countries, as well as a good array of other books, DVDs and games.
We settled in and then left to explore the city. Here are some of the many highlights:
1) Le Metro - this is the densest subway system in the world with 16 lines and currently 303 stations and counting. It is also one of the oldest and as such it is unfortunately not accessible for people with a disability as there are A LOT of stairs up and down. There are some escalators too, but most of them go up, not down, and there is the occasional elevator...but don't count on it. If we ever wondered why the Parisians are so slim, one of the reasons is because they do a helluva lot of walking. We clocked way more steps here in this city than in London.
Each Metro line is colour coded like Toronto and has many transfer points and zones. The farther you travel, the more you pay. Toronto is trying to do this as well, making it more expensive for people outside Toronto to come in to work, but making it cheaper for people who live in the city to get to work. This is fair, as people outside of Toronto do not pay taxes to supplement the subway upkeep and improvement costs even though they use it. The Paris Métro is also integrated with the RER lines, like our GO trains except you can use the Métro tickets on the RER.
The stations themselves are sometimes very similar on the same line except for the colour of the tiles, or sometimes, very different with artwork. Like Toronto, the Louvre Museum stop has statues representing what's in their museum like The Venus de Milo.
Some lines like line 1 have solid glass partitions along the entire platform. The train must stop in an exact spot that lines up with the
2) Surviving the Louvre - Lord, this thing is HUGE! You can't see everything in one or two or even three visits, so don't even try to. Why? You'll be too tired, that's why. Just to get into the place is a challenge. We entered through the Métro where you arrive at a department store complex underground, much like the Eaton Centre except these are high end stores like Le Printemps or the chocolate store, Maxim's. You keep walking until you hit your first security line. Bag scan, body scan through a machine, then a pat down and wand scan from security. You are free to go until you reach the glass pyramid area where the second scan of your bag and person takes place in case they missed something. Then up the escalator and just before the exhibits, the third bag check and ticket check before you can enter.
This is the time to choose just one area to look at. We chose the Denon wing that held the Mona Lisa and was mostly Italian paintings. Wander around and take photos which are allowed. We smelled the Mona Lisa area before we saw it as dozens of people were in front of the painting holding up their cameras or iPhones high to snap a photo. This being Europe, the smell of ripe underarm pits hung strongly in the air. Get in, look, and get out was our motto. There were other things to see. Besides, she's under glass, creating a glare, and you cannot get within 20 feet of her as there is a metal barrier. So, move on.
3) Napoleon's Tomb (aka Les Invalides) - You have to see this place; it's the biggest, most spectacular mausoleum that I've ever seen. The massive gilded doors at the entrance tell you you're somewhere important. Love him or hate him, Napoleon left his mark, not just in Paris, but France itself and in the constitutions and systems of countries all over the world. One oddity was Napoleon's taxidermied white horse. Bit of a shock since in all the hero paintings of Napoleon, this stallion is on its hind legs, mane flowing, looking pretty majestic with Napoleon on his back. In contrast, the stuffed horse in front of me was beige, skinny and short...I guess to fit its rider. Still, a little disappointing. Not so, all the old cannon lined up in the courtyard, aged to a patina of verdigris and all facing outward. You could just imagine Napoleon lining them all up and shooting a volley of grapeshot down the streets of Paris, or wherever else he was afoot.
4) Cluny Museum -
5) Orsay Museum - This museum is mainly known for their vast collection of Impressionist paintings, including Realism and post-impressionism, and many sculptures as well.. The collection is housed in an old Parisian train station that they were about to tear down back in the day until someone had the bright idea to turn it into a light filled museum. Imagine seeing all your favourite pieces in one place arranged sporadically: Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Sisley, Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet, Cezanne, Manet, Pissarro, Matisse, Bazille, Boudin, Rodin Seurat, Guillaumin. Also, Whistler's Mother was a big draw. The main thing to remember about the impressionists is that their paintings were full of light, they used short brush strokes and pure, unmixed colours. There were many statues too in the main hall to gaze upon. It was awesome!
6) Orangerie Museum - An Orangerie is like a giant greenhouse full of light used to grow oranges, along with lemons and warm, sunloving trees. They grew oranges to mask the stench of the palace close by. We had to line up for this one, but not for very long. The highlight were two huge oval rooms depicting vast canvases in a circular pattern as Monet painted his waterlilies. One room shows them by day, and the other in shadows at dusk. We sat and gazed in wonder at the range of blues, turquoise, lavenders and purples before us. It had a calming effect. I think they could have added some appropriate classical music for a better experience. There were also many Renoir paintings and a whole exhibit on American painters folk art. There was an American Exhibit from the 1930s too with the iconic portrait of American Gothic by Grant Wood.
7) Rodin Museum - Have to say, this gem was my favourite museum because it was so different from the others.
8) Notre Dame Cathedral -
9) Sainte Chapelle - Lovely little chapel that leaves you utterly gobsmacked with its beauty. It is basically a skeleton of stone with walls of medieval stained glass in brilliant colours reaching almost to the ceiling. Look up and the same ceiling is a sea of lapis blue with golden stars painted on its surface. The pillars and walls are also painted in gorgeous reds and blues with golden patterns of fleur de lis or castles or diamond grids with roses. The altar area stretches up in a series if arches with singing angels while painted wooden statues of ancient kings line the walls beneath the windows. Look down to an intricate tiled floor with patterns and designs.
The best part about Sainte Chapelle is that we came at night time as well to hear a classical concert of Pachebel's Canon and Vivaldi's Four Seasons in the darkened chapel with only the golden dome at the front which lit the harpsichord, three violins and one cello to perfection. An emotional highlight was when the lead violinist stepped down to the centre aisle and slowly walked the length of the chapel while playing the most exquisite music from his violin. We all agreed it was like magic.
10) Sacre Coeur Basilica -
11) Galleries Lafayette -
12) Christmas Windows -
13) The Roue of Paris (giant Ferris wheel) - This giant wheel was at la Place de Concorde where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were assassinated by the guillotine along with thousands of the nobility during the Reign of Terror in the late 17th century.We didn't have a long wait and a bonus was that the young pod operator said I spoke French really well, which I don't, but what a flirt! We secured a pod for the three of us and up we went, oohing and ahhing over the view of Paris by night. The highlight came when we were at the top and the Eiffel Tower suddenly started to twinkle and sparke with thousands of lights. It was awesome!
10) Sacre Coeur Basilica -
11) Galleries Lafayette -
12) Christmas Windows -
13) The Roue of Paris (giant Ferris wheel) - This giant wheel was at la Place de Concorde where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were assassinated by the guillotine along with thousands of the nobility during the Reign of Terror in the late 17th century.We didn't have a long wait and a bonus was that the young pod operator said I spoke French really well, which I don't, but what a flirt! We secured a pod for the three of us and up we went, oohing and ahhing over the view of Paris by night. The highlight came when we were at the top and the Eiffel Tower suddenly started to twinkle and sparke with thousands of lights. It was awesome!
14) Café Angelina -
15) Arc de Triomphe -
16) Champs Élyssées -
17) La Défense and le Grand Arche -
18) Gourmet Food -
19) Salvador Dali Museum -
20) Decorative Arts Museum - this museum of art and design is actually part of the west wing of the Louvre, but the entrance is different.
21) The Left Bank - Called the Left Bank because it is the left side of the Seine River that runs through the city. It is also on the side of the Louvre for easy reference. What this area is known for is the long parade of artists selling their artwork. Many decades ago, most of it was probably original, but today, most of it is mass produced
22) The Latin Quarter -
23) Montmartre -
24) Tuileries Garden - We cut through the gardens on our way to somewhere else. It was deserted, but had statues around. I'm guessing it's a really nice place in spring and summer with flowers and fountains.
25) Cemetary of Montmartre - Wow! Eerily creepy with those tall and narrow hut-like stone mausoleums over the dead; all packed closely together with only a narrow footpath between them. Each had an iron door with an ornate metal grid. Many doors were rusted shut from disuse, but if you peeked inside, there was a stone or wooden pulpit to kneel on and say prayers for the dead with a small stained glass window to look at for inspiration. Even more creepy! Most graves dated back to the 1800s, but there were some recent burials too. When a family's rent runs out, bones are dug up, cremated and scattered over a designated area. You can choose 10, 30, 50 years, or in perpetuity. However, the ancestors are expected to maintain the grave because the ground does heave with frost and stone cracks and windows break. One heartrending grave was the statue of a mother in grief over the grave of 20 year old son. Wild cats slink in and out of the mausoleums, making them their home. As the light started to fade, there's a decided chill in the air and my sister and I both agreed it was time to leave the world of the dead and join the world of the living.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)