"Cours-la-Reine"

In November last year I wrote about the bad shape of the pavements on the lower part of the Champs-Elysées (see here). When I passed by a week or two later, I noticed that some repairs had taken place. Can this experience be renewed? I would like to report to the mayor of Paris that the pavements of “Cours-la-Reine” also are in a very bad shape!!

“Cours-la-Reine” was originally a garden promenade along the Seine River, created by Marie de Medicis during the early 17^th century. Today you can walk between lines of chestnut trees and since some decades also admire a number of statues representing Simon Bolivar, Adam Mickiewicz, Lafayette… and also King Albert I of Belgium, who after WWI gave his name to part of the “Cours-la-Reine”, it became “Cours-Albert-Premier”.

We can compare between 1780 (when one had learnt to distinguish north and south on maps…) and today.

There is a paved lane close to the river. This is where more courageous people would walk if they decided to join “Place de la Concorde” and the “Eiffel Tower” on foot. I would say that this is one of the more prestigious Paris walks you could do… but shame on Paris again – have a look!

… and when were the benches last painted? Slats are even missing!   

I have, March 4, received this message from the Mayor's office:

Monsieur,

Votre message relatif à l'état des cours la Reine et Albert dans le 8ème arrondissement a été transmis à la Direction de la voirie et des déplacements.

Cordialement.

Le Cabinet de la Maire de Paris

My www-blog address is back!!

After having been able to get hold of some helping people on the phone, first in France, then in Arizona… spending a few hours on the phone (and paying some 205 US$, in addition to the phone costs) ... my blog’s www-address is back. Don’t ask me what went wrong, how it was solved - too complicated… but now you can again find my blog under www.peter-pho2.com.  … and the message that “the domain registration expired” should not any more appear, when you hopefully also in the future will look for Peter’s Paris.

Birds need to make a pause...

... so do I. A bit too much to do lately and I have no real post awaiting to be published. Sorry! I hope to be back next Thursday.

Another little night walk

I took a nice little night walk again, maybe less spectacular to the eyes than my recent walk along the Seine River (see here).

I started at Place de la Bastille (see previous posts). The Bastille Opera has since the end of last year an illumination, named “Saturnales”. Why this name? Why not - “Saturnalia” was some kind of Roman winter celebration, in December, a short period of great festivities, when even the slaves had some kind of limited freedom…   

I continued along the rue Saint Antoine, since “forever” the major way to enter Paris from the east.

You pass by the statue of Pierre Beaumarchais (1732-99), a man known for an enormous amount of activities, but today perhaps best known for having created the Figaro plays, later linked to Mozart. The “Temple Sainte Marie” is a former catholic church, given to the Protestants during the 19^th century – and of course, differently from the catholic churches, always closed except for masses. There is also the 17^th century “Hôtel de Mayenne”, today a school. The doors to the “Hôtel de Sully” were closed. During day time, when the doors are open, this is one of the nicest ways to reach the “Place des Vosges” (see here). 

I took a little side street instead to have a short glimpse at the “Place des Vosges”...

... and another one to see the “Place du Marché Sainte Catherine” (see top picture)… and I also looked at some other side streets.

What I appreciate is that the street lamps in this area, and also in many other Paris areas, are maintained in a style which seems to fit the old surrounding buildings, a feeling of gas lanterns.

Most of the bars were closing when I made my walk. Unfortunately I could also see some traces of crushed windows, traces of some recent demonstrations.  

I finished my little walk, after having passed the “Saint Paul Saint Louis Church” (see here). It was not very late, only a quarter to twelve, but I decided to take the metro and go home.

Clemenceau's slippers

I made (again) a visit to the Clemenceau Museum. It’s a small museum in the 16^th arrondissement, actually the rather modest flat that Clemenceau occupied as from 1896 until his death in 1929. You have the feeling that nothing has changed, that everything is exactly as it was when he lived there.

Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929) is one of the most remarkable men in French history. Medical doctor, writer, journalist… but especially politician (Prime Minister during WWI). This is not the place to write his complete biography, you can find it e.g. here.  A lot of positive things can be said about him, but as with all of us, maybe also something negative. The major criticism concerns perhaps his being too uncompromising against Germany during the Peace Conference in 1919, which is often considered by many to be a major reason for what happened in Germany during the 1920’s and 30’s.  But, there are many positive things to be said about him, including on social (8 hours’ working days …), religious (separation state / church…) and cultural (great friend of artists, especially Monet) matters and he was also a great defender of Dreyfus.

I would dream of having a desk, a writing and working table like this.

A little look at the bedroom, the dining room… all quite modest, those days, for such a personality.