Pompidou Center, yo!!

So, we have found the joy that is the Pompidou Center. Located about 2 minutes from our flat, it houses Frances National collection of Modern and Contemporary Arts.

It also has a free Wi-Fi connection, so me and the hubs can scoot down there and work when we need a breath of fresh air. SCORE! Of course, they only let you connect for an hour 1/2, but ah well, c'est la vie.

Outside there is a multitude of street performers and caricature artists - so if you ever wanted that wacky drawing of you with Brad Pitt done while you watch fire jugglers, you know where to go. Musicians, mimes, and performance artists abound!

There is a cool courtyard featuring a pond filled with the mechanical fountains from artists Jean Tinguely and Niki de StPhalle where you can just sit outside and chill.

Robbie et moi like to hit the café on the 2nd floor, get our espresso on, and get to work.

Also, they have a free Bibliotheque (Library) that is amazing, and their gift shop is awesome as well. Loads of great art books and bargain bin finds.

From the top of the Center is a great view of Paris.

Hooray for Pompidou!

Montmartre

Ah, Montmartre - a must see if you're the artsy-fartsy type like us.

So much to see in this great area, lemmie talk about the history a bit:

Set on a hill, the "village" led a more rural life from that of the city back in the day, and now it is famous for having the only remaining vineyard in Paris. (There is still a yearly wine tasting festival there.)

There are different stories of how the name "Montmartre" came about. Some think it to come from the roman words for hill and martyrs "mons martirium". The reason for this, a burial ground full of Christian martyrs' bones was found up there.

Then supposedly, around the year 250AD St. Denis brought Christianity to Paris and was thanked by being tortured and decapitated on this hill overlooking the city . The story says that the saint picked up his head and walked to the place now known as St. Denis. SKILLZ!!!

Until the 19th century, Montmartre hill was pretty rural and had a number of windmills on it. Some were there for agricultural use (grain mills) and others for crushing flint.

Anywho...By the end of the 19th century it was a mecca for artists, writers, poets, cabarets and revues. Some artists who lived and worked in the studios of Montmartre:

Picasso - Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is perhaps the most well known because of its meaning for cubism. It was painted while he lived here.

Toulouse Lautrec - painted the night life and cabaret. He painted many of the advertising posters for the Moulin Rouge, La Chat Noir, and Cabaret. OOOHH LA LA!!

Here is an amazing website about Montmartre and Lautrec:

>http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2005/toulouse/index.shtm

Amedeo Modigliani - came from Livorno in Italy and was pretty much ignored until recently. He developed his own style and is particularly well known for his geometric stylization.

Degas - Degas is thought of as "one of the founders of impressionism" and inspired and infuenced many artists of the time. He was also known for organizing exhibitions.

Van Gogh - He lived in number 25 Rue Victor Masse and Rue Lepic 54. Shackin' up with his brother Theo.

Whew! That's a lot of info. Anyhooo...Montmartre is absolutely amazing to walk around...too much to list here. But walking on the quaint cobblestone streets where so many amazing artists have lived and worked, seeing the Sacre-Coeur, the Moulin Rouge, the Lapin Agile (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapin_Agile), and the little market where they filmed "Amelie"(picture of red and green shop with "epicerie fine" written on the side) - hah! Was a magical day for me, indeed.

BLOODBATH!!!

So, thought I'd share an interesting tidbit from todays adventures.

Robbie and I stopped in the Pharmacy in search of vitamins. For those reading that don't know (I didn't) - they have Pharmacies all over the place. You'll know them by the flashing green + sign. This is where you go to pick up just about any medicine - prescription or over-the-counter, instead of at, say, rite-aid. You talk with an actual Pharmacist.

Anywhoo...as we were waiting in line, I looked over and saw THIS!!!!!

Just hanging out.

Um..anyone care to clean up the vat of coagulated blood? Not sure what medical procedure was preformed here exactly, but damn. This was literally about 3 feet from where you stand in line to pay.

Cultural differences or horror show?

HAH! :)

Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise

Today we hopped on the Metro and headed out to Pere Lachaise Cemetery for a nice little picnic with the dead folks. I am lucky to have Robbie as a tour guide (my first time in Paris - but his awesome Grandmere et Grandpere took him twice as a child) he takes me to all the coolest spots.

Pere Lachaise will definitely blow you away if you've never been - it's enormous and all the tombs, crypts, whathaveyou are exquisite! It is HUGE - goes on and on, and I think it would take at least a 2-day trip to fully appreciate it all.

Some history:

Pere Lachaise is Paris' most prestigious cemetery, set on a wooded hillside overlooking the city. It was once owned by Misetr Lachaise (Louis XIV's confessor) but in 1803 Napoleon ordered it laid out as a new cemetery. It became so popular with the bourgeoisie that it was expanded 6 times.

Some famous corpses takin' a dirt nap there:
Oscar Wilde
Jim Morrison
Sarah Bernhardt
Marcel Proust
Honore de Balzac
Frederic Chopin
Delacroix
Pissarro
Modigliani
And the tragic lovers Abelard and Heloise, for their story:
>http://historymedren.about.com/library/weekly/aa020500a.htm

Also went by the famous Opera House (ala Phantom of the Opera) C'est tre magnifique! (the first picture listed)

day trois, the adventure continues!

LE MARAIS:

A little history about our 'hood: We're staying in the 3rd district in off of Rue Turbigo and Saint-Martin in zee coeur de Paris (the heart of Paris). It's called the Marais, which literally means "The Marsh" or "swamp." I guess it was all marsh land when first built upon - and that actually caused problems down the way, when the local cemetery (where Les Halles now stands) started gettin' nasty. Disease spread because of the damp graveyard. This is one of the reasons - as well as overcrowding - that the famous "catacombes" were built.

After the bodies were moved "Les Halles" became the main center of meat, vegetable and fruit market for all of paris (YUM!!). Then in the 60's the marketplace was forced to move (too much traffic to be in the middle of the city, with food shipments and deliveries) and it soon became a huge underground mall. You can tell you've made it there when you see a massive crowd of people and the pretty concrete and glass bubble structures poking out of the grass.

We hit the Musee d'Orsay again today, because we just didn't get to see enough of it yesterday. Then we did the touristy thang and hopped on the double decker bus for a tour.

I have already learned that the train is our friend. The metro is awesome, clean, cheap, fast, and easy to navigate. Most entrances still have the art noveau flourishes designed by Hector Guimard.

Also, I have to say, people have been so nice to us, despite our rampant butchering of their language. Most people speak perfect english, which is nice - but doesn't help if you are actually trying to learn french.

We've been watching our french dvd at night - hah! We'll see how much we learn.

Day number deux

I am blown away with how beautiful paris is, now that I have seen her in the light of day.

Robbie and I walked down to the Seine today, towards the louvre and the musee d'orsay. I can't believe how close everything is - and that it is all jam-packed with beautiful architecture - so much to see and do i can't imagine anyone ever being bored here.

Right on the corner of our street is a little boulangerie (cafe/bakery) with the most decadent pastries. I can tell already this will be a favorite spot for us. We indulged in a goodie and a cafe espresso - dang - I know I sound wishy-washy but that coffee was SOME good. They sell fresh baguettes there as well, so we are set in the fresh bread department - yeah!!

We hit the Musee, but only got to stroll around for an hour because they were getting ready to close. Breathtaking. Here's some history:

In 1986 the Musee d'Orsay reopened as a museum, 47 years after it had closed as a mainline railroad station. (when inside, you can definitely envision what it must have looked like as a railway station. It has a HUGE ornamental clock that you can see from both the outside and inside of the structure. Beautiful.) It highlights the arts of the period from 1848 to 1914, pretty great collection if ya ask moi.

At night we headed to the Eiffel Tower and rode all the way to the top. Needles to say, it was HUGE! And jam packed with people. Tre touristie, non? The pic attached is us at the top (can't you tell?) :)

a lil' history:
Originally built to impress visitors to the Universal Exhibition of 1889, le tour Eiffel was meant to only be a temporary addition to the Paris skyline. Designed by Gustave Eiffel, it was the worlds tallest building until New Yorks Empire State Building was erected. Most Parisians hated the Eiffel Tower and called it "the metal asparagus." Almost torn down in 1909, it was spared because it was an ideal platform for the transmitting antennas needed for the newfangled science of radiotelegraphy.

Viola!

J'Adore Paris!

Well, we made it. All that talk about it, and we're finally here!

We arrived at our flat in the afternoon yesterday by taxi from Charles de Gauelle - our taxi driver was a young guy and we listened to a hip-hop station the whole way. A little surreal to be in Paris, with an American soundtrack in the background. Our place is down a "passage" that is basically a door you would assume would lead into a store or something - but you would be wrong! The door actually leads to an open-air walkway filled with stores and entrances to apartments all tucked away from view of the main streets. So after a little hesitation, we finally went for the door, as the directions said, and found ourselves happily on the right path.

To check out what our place looks like and the passageway go to:
http://www.paristay.com/paris-apartment-rental/499

We met Eric, our landlady's husband who showed us our place and was so cool and helpful. Giving us tips about where to shop and showing us a map of the area. I was happy to see that our apartment was decorated with rad graffiti photography - nice shots of Os Gemeos and The Berlin Wall. Turns out - Eric is a Graph Photographer and those are his! hah! To check out his amazing work, go to:

www.urbanhearts.com

After Eric left we fell promptly asleep. We both woke up at around 2am and decided it was the perfect time for a stroll around the 'hood. Happy to say that it is easy to get a hot crepe here at 2 in the morning. I had a weird feeling of being completely safe roaming the streets at night. A feeling I can't say I get too often in the US. Maybe it's me being naive? I dunno. But everyone else seems to be kickin' it that late, and there is a good vibe all around.

We found a vendor and ordered some sandwiches - Robbie got through it okay, but with my mangled French I accidentally order a lamb sandwich - hah! (see attached pic.) Keep in mind that I am a vegetarian. Luckily Monsieur Robbie was nice enough to share. Well, our first night in Paris, and already a funny story of my kindergarden knowledge of the language.