Music

If you are looking for an instrument (or want to have it restored), Rue de Rome is the place to go. There are some tens of instrument makers - instruments of all kinds. You find some of the most remarkable ones, used by leading instrumentalists, but pure amateurs (like me) are of course also welcome. You have also a number of shops where you can e.g. find a piano …

 ... or maybe just some piano scores (like me - I bought some scores on sale).

It’s so nice to see some of the instrument makers working behind the glasses. 

Gare Saint Lazare - again

This is a bit of repetition; I have already posted about the Gare Saint Lazare, here and here. If you are interested in some railway history, you can look back on these old posts. Gare Saint Lazare is the oldest railway station in Paris, with a beginning in 1837…, but I will not repeat it all here again.

The present building was completed in 1889. It was in heavy need of restoration inside… and after ten years of work, the station is now inside like new. New levels have been created; there are some 80 shops, bars and restaurants… to the pleasure of the almost half a million of people passing every day.

Some pictures first from the outside…

… and from the “new” inside…

… including the restored and cleaned large number of glass decorations indicating present (and past) destinations.

I could not help showing some of the paintings Monet made of the station in 1877.

"Les Frigos"

Referring to my recent post about great changes in the occupation of part of the 13^th arrondissement, in the area of the new National Library (Bibliothèque François Mitterrand), I talked about a mixture of new buildings and transformed old industrial buildings. One old industrial building has resisted.

This building dates from 1921 and served until the 1960’s as a refrigerated storage. It was actually a big “fridge” with railway connections. It goes under the name “Les Frigos”. The State Railways (SNCF) took over the premises just after WWII and they now belong to the City of Paris. There were plans of demolition in the 1980’s, but finally the building is still there and it’s since occupied by some 200 artist workshops.

Despite the looks, as well outside….

…. as inside….

…. the premises actually offer a number of good workshops, music studios, architect offices… for all kinds of artistic work; the old thick walls offer a perfect isolation. Originally squatted, the occupants today work with formal contracts, pay a rent…

Once a year, normally end May, there are “open doors”. I just visited like that, without going into the different workshops. 

How to visit Palais Royal in good company

I have posted a number of times, as well on my previous blog as on this one, on Palais Royal, somehow also telling the history about this place, very popular especially during the latter part of the 18^th and the beginning of the 19^th centuries, but still much appreciated (including by some of our blogger friends like Virginia, Genie…) … today a calm and beautiful space in the very heart of Paris.

For those of you who would like to learn more, in an agreeable way, there is a very nice opportunity to do so during the coming months. Rose Bertin, who was Queen Marie-Antoinette’s dressmaker and one of her closest friends will bring you around and tell you about the place, especially related to the exited years 1780-1800.

Well, as Rose Bertin died in 1813, we have since last Saturday the pleasure to see an actress, Cathy Leguidecoq, play her role, based on a manuscript by my friend Rodolphe Trouilleux, author of the best-seller “Paris Secret et insolite” and other books, including on the Palais Royal. Especially if you understand a little bit of French, you can join her around the Buren columns each Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. or at 3 p.m. as from now until September, for about one hour’s walk around the Palais and its park. (You are then expected to pay 12 €.) The whole operation is organized by the “Compagnie Théatrale Clarance”, under the artistic direction of another friend, Jean Grimaud. 

"Paris Rive Gauche"

When you talk about “Paris Rive Gauche” you may more immediately rather think about the Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain-des-Prés… The name is however also linked to a project which was started during the 1990’s concerning an area in the south eastern parts of Paris which used to be mainly industrial. The starting point was the creation of the new National Library (Bibliothèque François Mitterrand) with its four “towers”… and a lot of activity underground. The area concerned is situated between the rail tracks to the Gare d’Austerlitz (see previous post) and the Seine. The rail tracks will obviously one day be more or less covered. Along the rail tracks, there is an old storage space, “Halle de Freysinnet” (named after the inventor of “prestressed concrete”), which was condemned to demolition, but now finally will be preserved as an historical landmark. It’s already today used for expositions, fashion shows… (see previous post).

Since the 1990’s, the renovation of the area is thus ongoing. Architects have had a lot of freedom to create. Today there is a mixture of residence, office and institutional buildings.

Some of the old industrial buildings have survived and have been transformed as e.g. a former flour-mill and store, “Grands Moulins de Paris”, now occupied by different university activities, …

… “Distribution d’Air Comprimé” which manufactured compressed air and now is occupied by a school of architecture.

A more particular old cold storage is also still there, but is today used in a different way. I will revert on that place in a special post.

The construction work is not finished. 

It was a fresh, windy and rainy November April day when I walked around. The café terraces were desperately empty.