Emily and Linda’s Travel Blog

i waited to write about this because I found it very disturbing and wanted to think more about it. We visited the exhibit "Black models: from Géricault to Matisse". The stated goal of the exhibit is to explore the "aesthetic, political, social and racial issues as well as the imagery unveiled by the representation of black figures in visual arts, from the abolition of slavery in France (1794) to the modern day."  Good so far as it goes, but there were a number of disturbing elements in my opinion.  There was way too much focus on a narrative about how "things were bad then , though there were some heroic white artist abolitionists who really turned things around" kind of stories  

The exhibit purported to be focused on the models and there was an interesting trend from early to later works where the early ones were arranged by artists whereas the later ones were arranged by the model sitting for them.  However, while they stated that it was hard to get information on the early models' identities, there seemed to me to be a carelessness in treating the early models' images which were often naked, exposed, sometimes shackled or bound with no consideration of how it would feel to sit for such a painting or photo. I also wondered where was the analysis of the sexual politics, the S/M aspect of many of the images and the power dynamics expressed.  There were some devastating mentions of history new to me (and I would imagine to others) without any commentary - e.g. the placement of an item on a time line - "the First Human Zoo 1877 Jardin d'Acclimation" with no other information [for a discussion - see this link which is also weird in its tone, but does give some data https://frenchmoments.eu/when-the-jardin-dacclimatation-was-a-human-zoo/].  At another point there is a very early film of people from the African Village in Paris swimming - again no info. What African Village? How did it get there?  Were the people free to leave?

I took very few photos because it felt like I would be further exposing exploited people. But here are a few. One of my favorite writers growing up was Alexandre Dumas. However I was in my 40s before I learned he was black. There was an interesting display of portraits of him - which varied hugely regarding his features depending on the artist's attitude about him and their ability/willingness to see beyond stereotypic features  

Aicha Goblet was a performer and model for several artists in Montparnasse in the early Twentieth century. I took a photo of this one by Vallotton because it seemed to me to be one she might value herself.  Some of the others were more abstract, but they made me wonder where does the line between stylized features and stereotypical ones lie?  In order to paint an abstract, some seemed just to add bigger lips and kinky hair.

 In a photo of an art class in the early 1900s, there was a black model posed with the entire art class  she is the only naked person  she is not posing for the students  she is hanging out with them - naked, while they are all fully clothed.  It made me feel for her vulnerability and angry that no one thought to give her a wrap of some kind for the group photo. 

Upstairs there was an exhibit with young artists' reacting to some of the images from a more current point of view. I particularly liked this one which, in my mind, corrected what was wrong with the original while calling attention to its flaws  

Then there was this one flipping the races of the two women in the original 

Or this one

Lots to think about and a lot more to learn.  

Tuesday we began at the Musée D'Orsay, which is always enjoyable for the building itself, a converted railway station, as well as for the exhibits. 

In the 1990s, the Impressionists collection formerly housed in the Jeu de Paume was moved to the D'Orsay  Some of the most famous works by Renoir, Monet, Gaughin, and others are included  Here are a few favorites not quite so well known (by Signac, Luce, and Sisley)

I also loved this one by Rosa Bonheur

We took a break for lunch in the Café Campana where the food is only so-so, but you get to eat "inside" the old clock.  Linda had a great time playing with the reflected light and shiny surfaces.  The red wire stuff makes it look like you’re penned in, but it feels different when you're inside it  

Afterward, we wandered around the Latin Quarter a bit and stopped for some café sitting time near the Cluny Museum 

Other interesting sights were the cleaners with a bas relief of a woman doing laundry and this street near the medical school named for the French physician DuPuytren,

We finished our day at a Sardinian restaurant suggested by our friend John.  Delicious seafood.  Linda had a spectacular pasta and shrimp dish with saffron, coriander, and ginger while I had one of my favorites- grilled sardines 

The last time we were in Paris, we happened to hear of a relatively new park placed on top of an old elevated railway line (sound familiar?). It actually preceded the Highline and was the source of the idea for the one we love so much in Manhattan. Like the Highline, it’s since been extended and now even "includes" some buildings built around it. The first time we walked it, the trees and bushes were much lower so you saw more frequent vistas out along the roofs and boulevards. There are still areas where you see across, but it has a more secluded feeling in general. 

People jog on it and there’s a later part with a bike path. The sign says "This is a space for walking. Jogging is tolerated to the extent that it doesn’t bother the walkers". Unclear whether that’s enforced in any way or just an aspiration. There’s also a parcours spot just below  

Under the park there are shops, workspaces, and a couple of restaurants. When we were here last, the emphasis was on artisans workshops and stores that sold artisanal goods. Now there seem to be far more high end interior design stores and similar, though we still saw people making shoes, working wood, blowing glass, a piano repair shop and a luthier (where they make stringed instruments)  

Monday we intended to start by visiting the Le Village Saint-Paul, a little mews sort of community in the 3rd arrondissement with quiet courtyards, shops, and cafes. It was supposed to look like this

But instead this is what we found

However, as is so often the case when traveling, we found ourselves somewhere unplanned, but fascinating . We realized we were right near the Old Jewish quarter of the Marais. We spent the next few hours meandering around. I found this trio of shops particularly interesting - from the venerable traditional bakery to the more modern idea of a Diasporama (carrying a variety of Judaica from many areas). 

You can also get souvenir yamulkes here - something I've never seen before. 

On a more serious note, there is a memorial garden, Les Jardins des Rosiers - the top of the plaque reads “Arrested by the police of the Vichy government, accomplice of the Nazi occupation forces, more than 11,000 children were deported from France and murdered  in Auschwitz because they were born Jewish. More than 500 of these children used to live in the fourth arrondissement. Among them, 101 were so young that they didn’t have a chance to go to school.” there is a list of names and the admonition, "Passerby, read their names. Your memory is their only tombstone. We must never forget them."

Continuing on our way, we were enticed by a free sample into Sum Sum, a store where they sell artisanal fruit teas and halvah of an amazing variety of types. My two favorites were zaatar and black sesame. We chatted with the very friendly and charming proprietor, Yair who has lived in Paris, Crown Heights, and Amarillo - yes the one in Texas. He said that in Amarillo "they don’t like a lot of people, but they love Jews".  We were skeptical, but he told us that every Passover for the 4 years he lived there, he would organize a huge seder and get 300-400 people to attend, many not Jewish.  He's a delightful guy We could imagine him being able to get people to move past prejudices.  

The Marais is also known as a quirky area. Here are a few more shots from our walk. The sign in the bottom panel of the bookstore front says something like, "open to the extent possible " (it wasn’t when we passed by)

Sunday we took the light rail RER train out to see my old college friend John Schweizer. He and his partner Julien live out in Luzarches, a small town north of Paris. 

The Gare  du Nord was a mix of old and new with the imposing edifice on the street, but much more modern inside. The trains seemed very new. 

On French trains you have to push a button to open the doors. So this sign seemed a bit concerning 

It says "Don’t let our children play with the doors. It’s dangerous for them”. We hope it’s not possible to open the doors when the train's moving (but didn’t test the question). 

John picked us up at the station and suggested a stop at the local mushroom cave on the way home. He had just had a sinus surgery so I ended up driving - an adventure in a big car on narrow roads, but easier than UK or Ireland driving. 

The mushroom cave was fascinating. The mushroom farmer put on a head lamp and guided us to see the mushrooms growing in the dark cave (he also grows potatoes and endive in there). He sold us a kilo for 5 euros (about $5.50). Doesn’t get any fresher than that. 

We also made a stop at Chantilly, famous for its château and its stables which raise and train horses  

Final stop was John and Julien's beautiful new home, comprised of an old tower and attached house with a lovely garden  

 Here’s the chef (with a bandage from his surgery) and his kitchen

John made us what he called a simple lunch of fresh mushroom salad (from the just harvested mushrooms), fresh tomatoes, roasted white asparagus, brandade (a mixture of (salt cod blended with potatoes, garlic, and olive oil and baked). And then a cheese plate. A feast - delicious and fresh  

We had a really lovely day. So grateful to have the opportunity to catch up and share a meal so lovingly prepared 

It used to be that many of the Parisian churches had free concerts given by local or visiting groups - you could find them in weekly listings in the paper or tacked up outside the church. I was looking for some of those, but like so many things, many of the larger churches now cater to the performances that get the biggest draw and they charge a hefty sum for the concerts. But really, how many times do you need to hear Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Pachelbel's Canon? I know amateur groups still sing & play in Parisian churches, but how to find them?

I looked for a while and finally found a concert this evening of the Chorale Inter-Scouts at Saint Sulpice. They seem to be Parisian Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and the choir draws from multiple troops. They also seemed very Catholic, so different from most of our Scout troops. I listened to a few youtube clips and decided they were worth a try.

Here’s the church (known, among other things, as the setting for some of the drama in The DaVinci Code) and the fountain outside

So of course first we went in search of dinner. We found a sweet little Greek place around the corner from the church called Evi Evane where they told us they could seat us without a reservation if we would finish by 8:00. We said we were game if they could feed us fast enough. Turned out to be a fabulous meal. I had lamb meatballs with polenta and goat cheese. Linda also had a lamb dish that didn’t photograph so well. But the most interesting thing I saw was their version of moussaka which comes wrapped in eggplant slices. Definitely on the list if we go back. 

The concert turned out to be great. They sang music perfectly suited to the church with it huge vaulted ceiling. The large choir was good, but the chamber group was amazing.  See for yourself:

One oddness was a song where apparently they were singing a scout pledge

The Georges restaurant on the roof of the Pompidou Center seemed a little more upscale than we usually choose - especially for lunch, but the sky was so amazing we decided to go for it. Such spectacular views, made more so by low clouds. 

Here’s a video sweeping the panorama (with bird sounds!)

I had asparagus soup with creme frâiche and a bib lettuce and avocado salad. Linda had curry chicken

Saturday Linda left first to visit an Urban Photography exhibit - "Street Sans Frontières" which I'll let her tell about. Then we met up at the Centre Pompidou. I had an adventure taking the bus with the other gray heads. My route from the bus stop took me down this street - take a a right at the mural and there was the Beaubourg plaza, Stravinsky fountain, and Centre Pompidou with all its innards on the outside. 

As you go up the outside escalators, the view changes until you're at Paris roof level and then above. 

The views of Sacré Coeur and Nôtre Dame were remarkable- you can see that Nôtre Dame has covered the roof. 

We wandered some of the galleries, but the building is a lot of the fun.  Here are a few of the pieces I spent time with and the sculpture garden on the 5th floor.  The first painting is a Kandinsky  the second is by a Russian woman named Natalia Gontcharova whom I'd never encountered before.  I'm ashamed to say I forgot to note the sculptor's names  

Of course, Linda spent a lot of time playing with the light and distortions of the building

Friday evening we headed over to the Marais for dinner. The bar/resto was cute, but the food was unremarkable. So we passed on dessert there and instead picked up some intensely chocolate gelato which was the perfect thing to eat while enjoying the Place des Vosges as the sun set. 

We set off Friday AM with the plan to walk around the 7th Arrondissement and end up at a gluten free bakery (there are quite a few in Paris - GF has definitely arrived here). 

First a stop at the local Feminist book store 2 blocks from our flat and some window browsing

Then on to our first Metro ride. More bad French and a kind ticket agent who saved me from buying the wrong transit passes and we were off

Arrived right by the Tour Eiffel where a charity walk/run was ending up

Sadly, I had miscalculated the distance so what was intended as a pleasant walk turned into more of a slog, but we fortified ourselves with a bit of lunch at a sidewalk cafe (Linda had a Croques Monsieur - the fancier French cousin of a grilled ham. and cheese sandwich)

We did finally make it to No Glu which had, as promised, fabulous pastries and bread- I had Madeleines for the first time in years (and of course thought of Proust)

After all that walking, I was glad to find frozen peas at the store across the street for a quick ice pack alternative