Starting July 21 and running until August 21 the banks of the Seine will become a sandy beach oasis inviting all to soak up some of that elusive summer sun that shines down on Paris. Entering its seventh year, Paris Plage, once again suggests you grab a beach chair and work on that tan, get a beach volley ball team together or take advantage of the entertaining events the city has in store.
Two “beaches” have been set up this year–one at voie Georges Pompidou (in the 4th) and the other from the Bassin de Villette to Salingrad (the 19th). This second venue will feature paddle boats, row boats, canoes and sailing. There’s a floating terrace, children’s garden and misters on days when it gets unbearably warm. Just a word of warning–you CAN’T actually dive into the Seine to swim or cool off. Those crazy enough to do that could easily develop a third arm growing out of their chest at some point in the future. Let’s just say, it isn’t the cleanest body of water.
At voie Georges Pompidou, there’s a fitness area on the sand, mini-golf, beach volley ball set up in front of L’Hôtel de Ville, a merry go round for young children and trial rides on a Segway. You can brush up on your table tennis or fencing skills on the embankments at the Tuileries–seriously, fencing in front of the Louvre? How fun. You have to do that just to say that you did!
Places to enjoy the sun in Paris (when it decides to shine here) are usually limited to the wonderful gardens that can get pretty full during tourist season. Parisians love their sun and if they aren’t off en vacance in August wandering around the south of France, they will certainly be digging their toes in all that hauled in sand on the shores of the Seine.
I’m not sure why, but these last few days I have been drawn to vintage photographs of Paris; Sunday I posted an old photo from the World’s Fair of 1900, capturing the exhibition halls built along the Seine. Yesterday, I found a series of more photos, including the one above that I had to share. This is Rue de Seine in the 6th arrondissement, smack in the middle or thereabouts of the Saint Germain area. Bustling, artsy-fartsy in the best way, it is lined with art galleries, small cafés and shops. Certainly not an end to itself as it is entwined with other remarkable streets all around, it just happens to be the one that I found these photos of. The old photo and the new just reinforce how the charm and beauty of this city remains forever pulling us in with its seductive stare and we follow.
The same street corner, almost 50 years later and while things look a bit cleaner, little has changed. Well, much has changed, good and bad, but certainly, should old friends or lovers make plans to reunite here, their surroundings would still be the same. For me, that is the beauty of Paris.
In my quest to come up with the unusual that will entertain and bring all of us together in weird and wacky ways to Paris, I have found this very interesting connection between what has become an icon in contemporary culture, two architects and a museum in Paris.
Tinker Hatfield (I could not love that name more), a trained architect turned shoe designer, has been working for Nike since the mid-80’s. Originally hired to design arenas and showrooms for the company, he intuitively knew that for him shoe design was where it was at and switched gears. He can be credited with the “Air-Max” shoe–you know, the ones that have little windows in the heels to literally show you what’s inside.
His moment of creative genius was influenced by a trip he took to Paris, which introduced him to the Centre Georges Pompidou , the city’s museum of modern art designed by Renzo Piano in the mid-seventies. Taking all that was understood about a building and turning it inside out, literally, is exactly what Mr. Piano did by exposing the interior elements on the museum’s exterior. Tubes representing the building’s mechanical system are the first thing visitors come in contact with. The design, at the time, revolutionized what architecture could indeed be if someone could dream it.
Mr. Hatfield took that same thought process to the design of his shoe. By exposing the cushion of air which previously was “assumed” to be inside, he revolutionized running shoes that to this day wear their insides outside.
I found this wonderful video which inspired this whole post. It’s about 8 minutes long, so try and stick with it as it is really interesting both from a shoe design aspect and how one can be so influenced by the world around him if one goes through life with eyes wide open. And, then there’s the fabulous link between what we Americans put on our feet each and every day and Paris. Hah!
Do not pass Go, do not collect $100, but immediately take yourself to the following link and be treated to a remarkable visual tour of the beautifully refurbished Grand Palais. It is an amazing 2 minutes of time well spent! The new website is fantastic.
No, this isn’t some gruesome tale about an ancient axe murder having taken place in the streets of Paris. Actually, it is a bit of history and I know it’s summer vacation and brains have been turned off but I think you are going to like this. When you are in Paris, you can amaze those in your traveling party with this bit of information.
The Axe Historique is a line of monuments that slices through the center of Paris, east to west. It had its beginnings with the Champs Elysée, created in the 17th century. It extended the the central axis of the Tuileries, enhancing the vista one comes upon as they walk through this beautiful garden. At the western most point of the gardens is a magnificent gate and beyond that, lined up perfectly is Place de la Concorde, with the Obélisque taking your eye forward.
Looking east, the Tuileries faced a large square, the Place de Carrousel, which stands in front of the inner courtyard of the Louvre. It is here that Napoleon ordered the Arc de Triomphe de Carrousel be built in honor of his military triumphs of 1805. Although built before the Arc de Triomphe, it was his original hope to create a monument as large as the latter, but thankfully, wiser minds surrounding him were able to keep his ego in check. The result is a beautifully done arc, patterned after the Arch of Septius Severus in Rome. This is the farthest eastern point of the axe.
Facing west again, strolling along the Champs Elysée, you will come upon the Arc de Triomphe, completed in 1836 in the Place de L’Etoile, honoring all those who fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic wars. It is home to France’s Unknown Soldier and it is here that former First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, saw the eternal flame during a trip to Paris with her husband, President Kennedy. After his assassination, this memory was the inspiration for the eternal flame next to her husband’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery. We are linked to France in more ways than we realize!!
Finally, the farthest point west on the Axe Historique, beyond the Avenue de la Grande Armée and outside Paris proper, is the contemporary cousin to the Arc de Triomphe, La Grande Arche. François Mitterand was responsible for this stylized arch, a monument to humanity and humanitarian ideals as opposed to military victories. You have to love that!
OK, people. That was a lot of information. We covered a lot of history and geography and now its time to go forth and see it for yourself. You can easily walk most of it. Starting at the Arc de la Carrousel, you can spend a leisurely afternoon strolling towards the Arc de Triomphe. From there you can hop on the metro, taking the 1 line to La Defense. Or you can just sit in the Tuileries, order a glass of wine, gaze westward and say you did all that. To each his own.
Sadly, I have just finished reading the latest adventures of David Sedaris, author of When You Are Engulfed In Flames. I say sadly because I laugh harder than I usually do when I read about the misadventures of he and his partner, Hugh, as they traverse the world. Actually, Hugh has few misadventures. It is Mr. Sedaris that finds himself doing banal, daily things like smoking cigarettes or visiting a doctor’s office, as we all must once in awhile, however, all hell breaks loose for this author and the mundane becomes hilarious.
These events would not be half as funny if it weren’t for the author’s quirky, twisted, sometimes dark sense of humor. A few years ago, I attended a “reading” that he was doing at the American Library in Paris, and his ability to humble himself and expose his humanness, warts and all, makes him so endearing. We all have moments similar to what he experiences—well, maybe not exactly like he has—so the beauty in his essays lets us know that at our weirdest, most embarrassing or uncomfortable moments, it’s nothing compared to what would happen to Mr. Sedaris and we can take comfort in that.
Paris is home base for him so much of what happens to him are cultural mishaps or language faux pas–he stubbornly refuses to become fluent in French. You will find yourself among the French as he goes through his daily life, stumbling on verbal land mines where the only thing that saves him is his sense of humor.
If you are in need of a pick me up, while at Mr. Sedaris’ expense, this is it!!
As I go along my merry way through the land of the Internet, I come across all sorts of crazy and/or unnecessary things that would be fun to have or just fun to know that they exist.
I am fairly certain that no one would actually use this anymore, but it would be so fun to have–a little treasure that I would put on a fancy little dish on my desk and just look at and think how cute is that. A pen nib in the shape of the Eiffel Tower! Something for the Francophile that has everything.
We are all chocoholics in my house and have to hide the well chosen bars we bring home from one another as we have no boundaries where the taking of artisanal chocolate is concerned. What’s yours is mine kind of thing. Is there therapy for that? Anyway, a delicious example of sweet and salty coming together to make ones mouth dance in gratitude.
These are my personal favorites!! An 18th century signal, if you will, between wearer and viewer, these mouches, or beauty marks, are self-adhesive velvet sticky things in the shape of hearts, clovers, diamonds, spades and circles. In today’s world, wearing one of these might just send the message that you are the slightest bit goofy. But in my books, goofy is great!
Try to imagine if you can, getting all jazzed up in your “I am so going out on the town and am going to look amazing” outfit, only to find yourself donning a hard hat, goggles and white painters uniform while being handed a sledge hammer in order to smash walls, closets and bathrooms at one of the finest hotels in Paris.
That’s exactly what several hundred VIP’s were invited to do at Le Royal Monceau, a five star grande dame of a place to stay just off the Champs Elysée. Needing to give the old gal a face lift, the hotel has closed its doors for the next year, hiring designer Philip Stark, to transform its Art Deco inspired decor into something more, well, up to date. Leave it to the French to take such drastic and creative measures in letting the world know what’s happening.
Belgian artist, Arne Quinze, took over Le Royal Monceau and created a futuristic wooden sculpture entitled Rebirth that snaked its way throughout the lobby and upper floors, leaving few stones unturned.
The mind boggling installation required 15 kilometers of plywood and gallons of fluorescent red paint. Well placed lighting, 40 video screens, performance artists and dancing Marie Antoinettes gave party goers something to talk about for awhile!
As much as I think this looks awesome and my research has introduced me to Mr. Quinze, whose work I find fascinating, I’d be lying if I didn’t say the money used on this event could certainly have been put to better use. I’d label this irresponsible indulgence. Gosh, who’s the crabby face today?!?!?
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