Paris 2021 Day Twelve

Lucy Jane joined us for a trip to town to see the Grands Magasins, the large department stores for which Paris is famous. We stopped first to see the newly restored and reopened Samaritaine, a complex of parts from different eras. The Art-Nouveau portion is spectacular, with engineering reminiscent of the Tour Eiffel. Every item in the store is very posh and expensive, but never mind; we were there to see the architecture. We popped up next at Galeries Lafayette. The massive glass dome is always impressive and there is an excellent view east, south, and west across Paris from the La Terrasse on the roof. Lucy and I parted company with Kris and traveled to the Place Bastille where we began our walk along the Coulée Vert, the original park on an abandoned elevated railway, created years before they even thought of it in New York City. We had dinner with Lucy and stopped at the patisserie for dessert

Lucy can do homework standing on the Métro

Part of the original façade, restored

Fantastical Art-Nouveau ironwork

Flourishes in iron

Original glory, maybe even better

Art-Nouveau murals

Iron and mosaic

There were several artists at work

Balconies on each level

Glass dome at Galeries Lafayette

From La Terrasse

Place de la Bastille

Lucy Jane on the Coulée Vert

Coulée Vert

Jardin de Rueilly - Paul Pernin

View into the 12th Arrondissement

Mairie du 12m

Dîner sur la place

That it for today.

OXO 

D.

Paris 2021 Day Eleven

 Rain was forecast for today and when we emerged from the Métro, it was in fact raining. I wanted to explore the NW side of Montmartre and Lucy and Ann joined in. We left Annie on Montemartre, and Lucy indulged my whim to ride clear out to the 20th to see where we lived in 1982 when I co-directed a summer study-abroad program for BYU. The rain had picked up and it was pouring down by the time we arrived on the Boulevard Davout. Le D'Artagnan, now a hostel, was a foyer (long-term hostel) in 1982, but is still there and looking as it did 39 years ago. Dinner at 7:00 at Oh Purée, just one door away from our flat. Delicious!

Place du Terte with Sacré-Cœur

Le Consulat

A sweet Deux-Chevaux on the Rue Norvins

Practicing walking pictures (without moving forward)

with Lucy Jane as my tutor

If there is no picture, it didn't happen, and, oh my, isn't

that a cute little villa?

The frequently Instagrammed Maison Rose

Tiny mums along the fence of the Vigne de Montemarte

La Vigne de Montemarte

Annie and Lucy Jane

Cimetiére de Saint-Vincent

Corner of Boulevard Davout and Rue Vitruve

in the 20th

Le D'Artagnan (that guy is standing under

our window on the first floor up)

80 Rue Vitruve

She wasn't expecting to see me

That was home sweet home during the summer of 1982

Walking the neighborhood until our 7:00 booking

Oh Purée is tucked under scaffolding while they refurbish the 

building next door

My ray with parsnips

Kris's chicken with butternut squash and chestnuts

Stephen's Iberico pork with aubergine

Ann's Wagyu beef with puréed potatoes

Stone walls and timber frame of the very old building

That's it for today.

OXO

D.

Paris 2021 Day Ten

 The rain started just after sunup, but was gone by the time we were ready to go. The day contiued overcast and blustery, but not cold. Annie and Stephen had other things to do, so Kris and I headed across town to the 14th and L'Église de Notre Dame-du-Travail, a 19th-century industrial-style church. Typical of the era, it has some Art-Nouveau undertones. Back across town by Métro to the Grand Mosquée de Paris, near our flat. It is a beautiful building with, as you would expect, strong elements of Islamic design. Islam gave the world geometry, and that is a key feature of the design. We stopped in their charming restaurant for lunch and tea.

Annie's photo of this morning's sunrise

Off to the supermarket early for butter, eggs, and cream

Headed out for the day by way of the Marché Monge

Wherever you pop up in Paris there are charming neighborhoods:

this one is the 14th near the church

Notre Dame-du-Travail

From the new age of industry

The spirit of Art-Nouveau

(we think that is the current Papa)

Like a railway bridge

Notice the Art-Nouveau whiplash curves on the organ

The ironwork suggests vaulting in the aisles

I don't know who Gorges Cuvier is, but he has an impressive 

fountain across from the Jardin des Plantes

With lovely, potable drinking water coming from the

mouths of some sort of beasts

Serpent? Turtle?

Le Grand Mosquée de Paris

Emerald-tiled courtyard

Splendid tile work

Tile detail

Carved geometric panels

Carved stone capitals

Minaret 

Pointed horseshoe arch

Carved stone and tile

Garden fountains

Minaret framed by the arcade

Marble columns

The Tea Shop

A lovely setting for lunch

Lamb tagine and lamb brochette

Tea sevice

Tea and pastries

A sip from "my" Wallace Fountain on

the way to buy dessert pastries

That's all for today. More to come.

OXO

D.