Dateline France 4 May 1990 Report 18 It's suddenly summer here. No rain in days, and 75-80 degrees each day. Combined with thundershowers ten days ago, and a four-day weekend, have turned the lawns into meadows around Le Vesinet. With another 4-day weekend ahead, we will be carrying scythes when venturing into the parks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before I report on new doings, some additions and corrections. Something I forgot to mention about Malta was all the "cribs" around. These are creches or manger scenes of all sizes. Many windows had a baby Jesus in the manger looking out, usually with accompanying pots of newly grown plants, sometimes adorned with tinsel and Christmas lights. Businesses and some homes had more elaborate scenes with 20-100 figures in them. There was one down the street from our hotel (we followed the signs leading the way) that seemed to be a permanent installation in someones garage. It had running water, illuminated campfires and lighting that faded to night and then came back up to day, with suitable music playing in the background. Kaye pointed out that I left out one of the most important rules of French boules: each player must spit at least once per round. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luke's school (Lycee International in St. Germain) has afforded him some opportunities beyond what the rest of us have had. Last month he got to sing with a group of primary students for the American ambassador to France, who was visiting the school. In March his class and another got to see part of a rehearsal of "Les Troyens" at the Opera Bastille before the building or the production was open to the public. One of his classmates, Song Chung, is the son of the music director there. (Comment to Luke by his friend Jimmy: You could have worn something fancier to the opera than overalls--those are for farmers.) Hayseeds in Paris. Kaye and I have gone to a couple of dance concerts in Le Vesinet, which has a new and modern theatre. One was an American troupe, Pilobolus, and the French crowd was quite impressed with their acrobatic/gymnastic style. The other was the Dance Theatre of Spain, whose numbers revolved around the flamenco. I kept thinking about what it would be like to get them together with some American tap dancers. We were also given tickets to hear hear the Orchestra of Paris. On our way in, we realized it was our first time riding the train to Paris with neither luggage nor children. We've made a list of Paris museums we want to see and are working our way through it. The Carnavalet is in an ancient mansion in the Marais district. It focuses on the history of Paris. There was a painting that showed jousting matches that used to take place in the river. Twenty or so small boats, each with a couple of rowers and someone with a long padded pike attempting to topple competitors. It was a coed sport. I finally visited the Louvre, although Kaye has been several times. We went with Jim Clifford to see the David exhibit, part of which we had already seen at Versailles. We are baffled how they got some of the large paintings into the galleries (unless it happens to be where they are permanently hung). We also looked at Egyptian antiquities, but the rooms with armor were closed. We decided to become "Friends of the Louvre" which entitles us to unlimited admission for a year. Most importantly, we go in by a special door, and hence need not "faire la queue". The cards have paid for themselves already in 50% reductions at other public museums. We finally got over to see the cathedral of Notre Dame, on an island in the middle of the Seine. We plan to return sometime to visit the crypt, which has some recent archaeological excavations. The square in front of Notre Dame is where all distances from Paris are taken. The most impressive parts for me were the main facade with all its carving and the flying buttresses around the sides and apse. Walking to the left bank from Notre Dame, we came across the Hotel Esmerelda, which is featured in the book "Linnea in Monet's Garden." Across the street in a park is the oldest tree in Paris. It wasn't in leaf yet, so it was hard to tell how much of it is still alive. One of our favorite museums is the Cluny. This is a (small) Renaissance palace built on the site of Roman baths. Part of the baths are still standing, and have the standard layout: pools with different temperatures of water (frigidarium, tepidarium, caldarium) and a steam room. These particular baths belonged to the guild of boatbuilders, and there is a slightly nautical style visible in places. Some of the walls and roofs are still standing, and you can still see the heating tunnels in places. The palace part is a museum of decorative arts from the Middle Ages. My favorite room contained religious treasures, including a reliquary for the holy umbilicus, with a tiny window over baby Jesus's belly. One room housed household and kitchen utensils. I liked the plier-like irons for making decorated waffles and others for making communion host. The Cluny also houses the Unicorn Tapestries (not to be confused with the ones in the Cloisters in New York City). There are six of these. Each pictures the same young maiden. Five illustrate the five senses: maiden eating sweets for taste, maiden listening to an organ for hearing, and so forth. The sixth has been a bit of a mystery up until now: maiden staring blissfully ahead while a courtier holds out a small chest with necklaces and rings. However, Kaye pegged it right off: sense of jewelry. The basilica of St. Denis is just north of Paris, reachable by Metro. While the nave proper is still serves an active parish, the aisles, crypt and apse are a national museum devoted to tombs of French monarchs and aristocrats. For the most part, the remains are no longer in the tombs, having been removed and interred in a mass grave during the revolution. Admission includes headsets that guide you through the various tombs. The headsets seem to be fed by line-of-sight infrared broadcasts, so you have to be careful where you stand to not lose the signal. St. Denis was an early missionary to Lutetia (Paris) who legend has it was beheaded near Paris and carried his head all the way to the spot of the basilica before collapsing. More likely he was martyred on this spot, along with two colleauges. Three graves, likely to be theirs, were excavated in the crypt. A chapel was soon erected on the site, and eventually an abbey. The current structure was begun in the 11th century by the abbot of the time, St. Suger. (Well, he wasn't a saint yet at the time.) The part he had built (the lower part of the choir, if I remember) was one of the first appearances of the gothic style in France. Over the years, the abbey sought to affiliate itself with the French royal family, and thereby became rich and politically influential. The coronation regalia were kept there (although most coronations took place in Reims), as was the oriflamme, the banner that the French army carried into battle. Kings, queens and other relatives were often buried there. [One thing I learned was that monarchs were often buried in parts, with body, entrails and heart going to different churches.] After the revolution, in addition to the remains being disinterred, the basilica fell into disrepair, with grass growing on the altar. A Frenchman, Lenoir (Le Noir?) prevailed on the government to restore the church and turn it into a museum of funerary sculpture. Thus, tombs and urns (for hearts and guts) have been brought there from elsewhere in France, in addition to those already there. The most impressive are those for Louis XII & Anne of Brittany and Francois I and Claude of France. Both are miniature buildings, with supine statues of the king and queen in the building and kneeling statues of them atop. Not far from Le Vesinet (45 minutes' drive) is the chateau of Thoirry, whose grounds have been turned into an animal reserve. Part of it you drive through, and the kids got very excited at having ostriches and zebras look in the car windows. There is also a part you walk through, with a play-yard with climbing toys shared by kids (human), kids (goat) and a monkey. We also visited the chateau, because it housed the Museum of Gastronomy. This was disappointing, being just a couple room with antique cake molds and some modern models of creations of Careme, a famous chef of the last century. Reading between the lines, and under the crossed out parts of signs, it seems a famous living French patissier (pastry chef) was once associated with the chateau, where he made the models, curated the museum and ran a cooking school and bakery. Alas, he has moved on. The other rest of the chateau is still occupied by the Viscount and Viscountess, who we caught a glimpse of as we walked through. (You can even buy a postcard of them in the gift shop.) The house isn't in great shape, especially the roof after the recent windstorms. Also, some of the family treasures have been stolen, as witnessed by placards through-out the chateau offering rewards for information on particular items. There is a reptile and bat exhibit in the basement, which smells pretty foul. One interesting part is a display of the family archives, which contains some messages from Lous XIV in secret code. [It seems like the Viscount and -countess are out to make money however they can from the property and their titles. They will rent out just about anything for a private function, even the lion house. Kaye read an article recently where the Viscountess was quoted as saying "People can even arrange a candlelight dinner with Paul and me, and we will be perfectly charming--for an outrageous price." She is American born--could you guess?] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Little bits: Evidence of the expressiveness of French with respect to English. The world tennis federation recently issued a list of 209 words in 9 languages that are not allowed in sanctioned tennis matches. There were 34 French words, as compared to only 30 English ones. French farmers recently staged "Operation Escargot" to protest low prices. They drove their tractors around the airport at Lyon to slow down traffic. Most of the turnstiles on the RER can be reversed, to match numbers in each direction with inbound and outbound traffic. Last week we arrived at Le Vesinet from Paris during evening rushhour to find all four turnstiles set the other way. Minitel service of the week: 3615 code: VRAIFAUX. With this service, you can type in the serial number of a French bill and determine if it is a legal one or not. I guess this is to help counterfeiters.