Weekly Photo Challenge – Fleeting

Although it has been more than six months since I returned from Paris to San Diego, on lazy Sunday afternoons my mind turns to long, winding, warm Parisian evenings with friends – enjoying aperitifs on terraces and picnics in parks. For much of my time there, my camera was my constant companion – to ensure that I would capturing everything that I could miss from the other side of the world. In an odd twist of fate, so much of my time was spent behind that lens that, often, I don’t have actual memories – only a series of mental snapshots that recall particular occasions. Bastille Day 2011 was one of those. I vividly recall laughing with friends while sprawled on the Champs de Mars, dancing the can-can at sunset and the “superheroes” that joined us. The fireworks, however? Luckily I have the photos, which captured each fleeting, vibrant burst of color as the explosion lit up the Eiffel Tower and the night sky in front of me.

This week’s photo challenge, “Fleeting” was prompted by The Daily Post. 

French Friday – Bateaux Mouches

Clichés do not become such without reflecting some truth, right? This is certainly the case when it comes to seeing the sights in Paris. It may be exhausting to wait in line and wade through crowds, but can you really say you have ‘done’ Paris if you skip out on the Louvre, Notre Dame or the Eiffel Tower? There are just some places and views that need to be seen for oneself. (Grand Palais and Pont Alexandre III)

I had always taken the “eh, it’s for tourists” attitude when it came to the Seine river cruises. These barges boats, filled with hundreds of tourists, zoom up and down the river day and night, dodging bridges, commercial vessels and lighting up the city with megawatt spotlights after the sun goes down (never stare directly into the light – trust me). Several of the companies even offered multi-course dinner cruises for (what I considered) extortionate prices – not only had I heard that the food was utterly mediocre, but I also couldn’t fathom sitting inside a boat, facing a table full of food when the perfectly lit skyline of Paris zoomed by alongside you. (Pont Alexandre III, from below)

However, as my time in Paris was growing short this summer and I was deciding what things I could not miss before leaving, several friends reassured me that taking one of these rides – either at dusk or after the sun went down – was a must-do. It is such a different perspective, they told me, to see the city from the river – to view it as a bustling port of sorts – and realize how central the Seine is to the identity and function of the city itself. (Houseboats moored on the Seine)

I had my chance when family came to visit in late July. After (too) many hours standing in line for the Eiffel Tower (something else left for those last days), it was wonderful to get on our barge-like motorboat, soak in the last rays of late-afternoon sun and see the city as I never had before. We chose to stay away from any variety of dinner cruise (because of the aforementioned price and distraction) and decided on the Bateaux Mouches based on personal recommendations. We were not disappointed – it truly was a different, even more beautiful city when seen from the Seine. Especially as the sun dipped deeper into the sky and the clouds spread out around us. (Assemblee Nationale)

For a fun Friday frolic, I’m including an armchair tour here. Enjoy! (Musée d’Orsay)

(Louvre spotting)

(Waving from the tip of Ile de la Cité)

(Pont Neuf, from below)

(Notre Dame, from the front…)

(…and from the rear)

(Paris quai-front housing)

(Dancers practicing river-side)

(Hôtel de Ville)

(Late afternoon Paris Plages – the summertime ‘beach’ next to the Seine)

(We are not alone – a passing Bateaux Mouches in front of Pont des Arts)

(Sun setting as Les Invalides peeks over the railing)

(And, of course, we end with the monument to rule them all – the Eiffel Tower)

Weekly Travel Theme – Dance

Besides dancing it out in my own living room after an exceptionally good day, there is not much dance in my everyday life. So, when Ailsa challenged her readers with this week’s travel theme of “Dance”, I was genuinely stuck for a moment. My first reaction was to lament that I’d not reviewed the theme over the weekend, so I could have gone out and found dancers (taking new photos based on these weekly themes, rather than digging through the archives is the next step in this process of bettering my photography). My second impulse was to wish my nieces and nephews were just a bit older, because there is nothing more fun than crazy toddler dancing. Then I started digging – turns out the archives are not as dry as once thought… Let’s Dance:

My time in Nepal was full of dancing – from this father-daughter dance at the reception of the wedding I was attending (isn’t the bride’s sari amazing?!), to these children dancing in the streets to the sounds of another wedding party walking to the bride’s home in the traditional ceremony of Janti.

Weddings are great venues to catch dancing, in general. These are photos of the first dance from two friends’ weddings I attended recently – the first in Dade City, Florida; the other in Washington, D.C (look at her shoes! I’m still in awe).

There is nothing more French than doing the Can-Can under the Eiffel Tower on Bastille Day – right? 

And no one, given the chance, would turn down the opportunity to dance with Dropkick Murphys on stage at L’Olympia in Paris…

Lastly, there’s this guy. Dancing solo while a clarinet busker tries to make the most of his day in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris. He doesn’t appear to care about anyone else (especially the stranger with a camera) – he just needs to dance. 

French Friday – Musée Carnavalet

Not typically on many first round of picks for Paris sightseeing, the Musée Carnavalet, tucked into a ‘modest’ hôtel in the Marais and around the corner from the popular Place des Vosges, is a haphazard mix of obscure relics, revolutionary portraits, Roman ruins and well-manicured gardens that, together, bring the history of Paris alive.

Even though it was a relatively small museum, each room was stuffed, choc-a-block with knick-knacks, portraits, sculptures, books and other relics of several bygone eras. Clearly too much to fully recap here; rather, I just have a few favorites I pulled from the numerous photos to share here, in hopes of piquing the curiosity for those who maybe visiting soon (Mere!)

Some of my favorite displays were those that showed Paris as a medieval city, prior to limestone facades and clean air (ick). The painting above shows houses on the Pont Notre Dame being destroyed after unsanitary conditions, overcrowding and unsafe building practices threatened the safety of the bridge itself, providing a glimpse into the chaos of that time.

Interestingly, it was due to the overcrowding of Pont Notre Dame that the order to build Pont Neuf was given by Henry II. Now the oldest intact bridge in the city, this “New Bridge” is decorated on both sides with grotesque gargoyle masks. The museum featured several of the original heads on display. The Pont Neuf is one of my favorite landmarks in the city and it is especially beautiful at night when lit with a soft yellow glow that accentuates the exaggerated, unique features of each mask. In person, the faces were gigantic – at least 3-4 feet in length and 2-3 feet across – really driving home the extreme difficulty it must have been to mount all 385 of them during construction.

The Carnavalet is particularly known for its collection of French Revolution memorabilia. Prior to making our way to that display, I took the time to really study these models of Paris neighborhoods prior to the uprising. Intercity guerilla warfare was used by the French people against the army, which often ended up trapped in narrow alleys and winding streets while in civil combat, leaving them completely exposed for attack. This inability to control the populace would later lead to the complete revamping of the city into one of long, straight, wide boulevards (by Haussmann) that could easily be used for maneuvering large forces, if necessary.

The collections of French revolutionary documents, portraits, paintings – even war drums – were truly stunning. After reading about the storming of the Bastille for years in history class, it was incredibly satisfying to see a model of the infamous prison in person. It appears that it was as impenetrable as the tales told. Even the keys for the cells were on display!

Two of the most striking paintings were those below depicting the executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. I was caught off-guard to see how Louis XVI is still waiting for the blade, but the artist seemingly had no compunction about showing the blood spurting from Marie Antoinette’s neck.

The collection of royal pieces was extensive and there was even a replica of their prison room set up for viewing (very posh, for a prison cell).

After several rooms of that took us quickly through the Revoluton, Reign of Terror and the beginning of Napoleon’s Empire, it was definitely time for a bit of fresh air. One of the most stunning aspects of the museum were the gorgeously manicured gardens, invisible to the outside and there for the enjoyment (and picnic needs) of visitors. Fleur-de-lis were cut into the low-lying shrubs, and fresh flowers were blooming all around.

Benches were provided for guests to sit a while, perhaps enjoy a sandwich and take some time to process everything that had been seen. Ivy crawled over castle walls and other museum goers glanced out at the gardens from windows high above.

Even on a humid, hot, overcast day, it was a peaceful place to enjoy a bit of quiet, review the guidebook and reenergize for the last push through the museum, one that took us back farther than any exhibit yet.

Strangely out of chronological order (although wonderfully cool after transversing the somewhat stuffy museum), the Musee Carnvalet houses an impressive collection from ancient Lutetia, the Roman’s name for village that was to become Paris, when it was founded in 52 AD. These included partial statuary, a dugout canoe (apparently older even than the Roman settlement), sarcophagi and human remains.

It seemed fitting to end the tour in Lutèce as a reminder that a city has been in this place for millennia, called different names and lead by a wide variety of kings, emperors and, now, presidents. The overwhelming message was one of timelessness – in the face of revolution, terror, squalor or splendor, Paris lives on.

(Last) Weekly Photo Challenge – Change

A week (or two) ago, the theme of the Weekly Photo Challenge at The Daily Post was “Change”. I read about it late on that Sunday night and was excited about the possibilities of my submission, which I began crafting as I drifted off to sleep that night. The next day, Boston happened. I allowed myself be catapulted into a 24-hour-news-hungry, astonished, angry, obsessive place for the entirety of the week. Then another work trip, followed by a brief, rejuvinating drive down the California coast and now here we are.

Putting together a post on the theme of change has continued to dominate my blog-oriented thoughts. Everything about my life has changed in the past six months and I am only now starting to feel settled, comfortable and truly happy with it all. Summing this up seemed like a fitting way to (yet again) re-establish my normal routine (blogging and otherwise).

So, what does change look like for me? The pictures speak for themselves; much more than 5700 miles separates my life(s) in Paris (then) and San Diego (now).

Home(then)

The intersection of Rue Chappe and Rue des Trois Freres, just down from my apartment in the 18th arrondissement in Paris, France

 (now)

My own personal palm tree in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego, CA.

The View

(then)

Basilica Sacre Coeur, in the summer, around sunset (featuring a spectacular view over the city)

(now)

The view of the Channel Islands speeding by while traveling south by train from the Central Coast of CA to San Diego.

Dinner

(then)

Spring lamb and fava beans at Cheri Bibi.

(now)

Playboy Roll at RK Sushi.

Touristing

(then)

The Eiffel Tower as seen from the Bir-Hakeim bridge.

(now)

Big Sur coastline, as seen from the southbound lanes of CA Highway 1

CSA shares(then)

Late February 2012 in Paris: Russet potatoes, celery root, green leaf lettuce, brown lentils and apples.

 (now)

Late February 2013, in San Diego: Blood oranges, lemons, mandarins, green leaf lettuce, chard, kale, spring mix, carrots, caulflower, romanesco, bok choy and strawberries.

Family (then)

  (now)

I am lucky enough to have found a family of friends wherever I have landed thus far – and my ‘family’ in Paris was comprised of the best kinds of people. Yet, when I learned that my siblings were going to make me an aunt (multiple times over) in the last year, I knew it was time to come home, for good. The change I can see, on a weekly basis, as my niece and nephew grow brings an unspeakable joy to my heart. I can tell that they now recognize my voice, they always laugh at my silly faces and are just starting to learn how to put their pudgy arms around me for baby’s first hugs. There are so many reasons I am happy to be home, but being an active participant in my family, watching these children grown and change are the best reasons of all.

P.S. At the top of the list of “things that never change” is my predilection to let this blog be the first thing to drop when times get tough. I am very thankful for my new ‘interfriend’ Mere – whom I had the great pleasure of meeting in person last week – for her kind and inspiring words to jumpstart my posting again. It seems I am slowly creating a California family of friends, and I am so excited to discover what unfolds next.