We came home to such a hoolie last night, lashing rain and howling winds. Today is calm and we have spent a rare afternoon in front of the fire and I finished off the once hot chestnuts that I bought in Paris!
We also came home to one glorious flower on our Christmas cactus.
On our last but one Metro journey, a man with a saxophone joined the carriage. We could hardly believe when he started to play Take Five by Dave Brubeck as this was a piece introduced to me by the lovely Mr S very soon after we met and one we played incessantly. Since we were in Paris to celebrate our meeting 50 years ago, it seemed just right to hear it on our last day in the city. It’s a strange video as I didn’t want passengers to feel that I was filming them but I hope it gives you a flavour of the moment.[wpvideoAMJKWYOo]
Monthly Archives: November 2016
Cosy Afternoon, Cactus Flower and Metro Music
A Good Read, French Countryside and A Sculpture
We have been on trains for over seven hours today and with occasional glances at the countryside, I have been buried in the best book I have read in a long time which I started in Paris and finished as we went through Truro, just ten minutes from home. It is ‘A Year of Marvellous Ways’ by Sarah Winman, a beautifully written and most evocative story that had me completely engrossed. It is set in Cornwall and is poignant, moving and utterly enchanting. Thank you to G for the recommendation.
The French countryside is scattered with churches, rather hard to catch on camera when travelling so fast but this gives a flavour.
The wonderful sculpture, Meeting Place by Paul Day, greets all those arriving at St Pancras from Paris. I love how the fabrics flow and the expressions on the faces of the two.
Tour Eiffel, Yarn Bombing and Le Shopping
The sun came out for our last day in Paris and we returned to the Eiffel Tower with warmth on our backs and a beautiful blue sky, wandered through the park under the tower and through the nearby streets, found some yarn bombed bollards and ended the day shopping! Sadly, the gloves you see below were 220 euros so they stayed in Galleries Lafayette but I have their photo! I did buy some little wooden owls for our Christmas tree. I was looking for Angels, of course, but there were none but owls do have wings, are little feathered Angels of the natural world and are the Wiseman family emblem so I am very happy with my small purchase.
Ancient Angels, Tapestries and A Gargoyle
Within walking distance of our hotel are some Angels dating from 1407 on the auberge of Nicolas Flamel, a philanthropist who provided lodging for the peasants who came from the countryside to plough the fields nearby. 
Thence to La Musee de Moyen Ages where the six most beautiful tapestries in the world are to be found telling the story of The Lady and the Unicorn. I can spend hours here! I am so moved by the work, the colours, the detail – if you ever get the chance to see them, please grab it! These date from about 1450 and although said to be faded are still glorious. The lighting does not lend itself to good photos. I love the expression on the face of this lion!
We made a delicious new discovery while in the Cluny, a tiny Chapel which wasn’t open when we first visited about 15 years ago. The stone work was incredible, the paintings delightful, the doorway to a spiral staircase quite enchanting and the Angels full of mischief!
After this most pleasing visit we went hunting Angels again. We found the Macaron Angels on a patisserie, mosaic Angels on a Church and a ceramic and stoneware Angel left over from the Exposition Universelle of 1889.
And perhaps the best saved until last – a wonderful gargoyle on the top of the Cluny Museum. Don’t you just love this monster? I do!
Musee D’Orsay, Berthe Morrisot and Cake16/11/16
We had a day off Angel hunting today though we found a couple not in the book just by chance. We went to our all-time favourite museum of art, the Musee D’Orsay and today share with you some of the treasures within.
Parisian Angels, The Eiffel Tower and Metro Stations
All the way over to the 17th Arondissement today to find the church of St Odile. Rosemary Flannery describes the facade of the church as having ‘an orchestra of Angels’ and so they were. What an absolute delight, so many twelve year old Angels with instruments, all as in an Egyptian mural and all with the most beautiful feathered wings. The church was beautiful inside too with glorious stained glass. Building was begun in 1935 but for various reasons was not completed until 1946. Anne-Marie Roux-Colas designed this beautiful facade.
There was lots of colour too in the garden next to the Church.
Next we headed to a view of the Eiffel Tower next door to the Palais de Chaillot where we wanted to find a quirky horizontal Angel. First the tower with the top lost in mist and reflected in the water below and a rain-dropped rose petal caught in the corner of one of the steps.
Can you see him, flying in from the left? This one by Jean Rennee Debarre dates from 1937.
We are enjoying travelling on the Metro, fast, quiet (rubber wheels unlike in London) and with some very lovely stations. This first is our local when we travel on line 11, the next when we travel on line 3.
Angels, Macarons and Shops
Today we have continued our architectural tour of Paris in the 3rd and 4th arondissements. We have found Angels in stone and in wrought iron, Angels with lions and Angels with lyres, on walls and porticoes and on Notre Dame, feeding squirrels and holding shields. We have walked streets and lanes and discovered byways and parks we would never have found but for our angel hunt. Join us on our adventure. We have walked miles!
Notre Dame Cathedral from the rose bed.
These and another pair can be found on the pediment of the Hotel Soubrise. The little pile of wood that one Angel sits on, a fascine, is for making parapets. They date from 1708.
These two from 1914 are raising the coat of arms of Saintonge. The pair across the arch represent Bretagne. They are each a boy and girl pair which seems quite unusual.
These two lovely little boy Angels date from 1660 and were sculpted by Thomas Regnaudin, whose work can also be found in the fountains of Versailles.
Here is a sweet little figure feeding a squirrel and next a chubby little chap with curly hair representing Love.
On the way around we passed a spectacular macaron shop and, truly, we did pass and didn’t go in!
Going through such little streets we came across lots of artisan shops – among them a music shop, a repairs shop and a prestidigitation store.
Lastly, near our hotel we found a basement allotment!
The following, while not conventionally beautiful, touched us both with the terrible story it tells and the appositeness in the political wind blowing through some parts of Western democracy.
Family Fun and Angels in Paris
A few hours of fun with our Live Wires and we were off to catch the Eurostar to Paris!
J is here showing his little cousin how to slide down the banisters!
We have come to Paris on an Angel hunt. We were introduced to this idea by two people we met earlier this year who had just returned from the city having scoured the streets and buildings looking for Angels and had loved their discovery of streets and lanes where the traveller rarely goes. To help us in our quest we have Rosemary Flannery’s little book, ‘Angels of Paris’.
Can you just imagine our delight when we emerged from the Metro, having walked maybe 50 yards when we came across our first Angel serendipitously on our way to our hotel . Our first so typical view as we came out of the Metro……
….was followed closely by The Lighthouse Angel, a huge and beautiful creature, smiling graciously over the street below. To quote from Rosemary Flannery’s charming book, “Its tassel earrings, beaded necklace, ribbon sash and embroidered bag make him a beacon for the passemonterie, or trimmings trade, for which the neighbourhood was known.” Watch this space for more Angels of Paris over the next few days.
We are also here to mark our 50th Anniversary of first falling in love in October 1966.
Journey, Origami and Off to the Park
Here is a view from the train in the early morning as we left Cornwall for London for a brief visit with two of our daughters, the London Live Wires and their little cousin, Littlest Live Wire. Their Dads have been at Twickenham this afternoon and we hear, England beat South Africa for the first time in many years!
Live Wire J showed me his origami skills as he made a spinning top – brilliant!
The rain showed no sign of letting up so we went out anyway and had a delightful time with all three.
Soup, Lampshade and Fish
Delicious Sweet Potato soup for lunch:
Perthi Kov, our group working on Until the Day Break, met today in The Melting Pot Cafe at Krowji. This is the most delightful environment full of quirky beauty. Here is one of the lampshades which I love, based as it is on all things haberdashery!
The new owners have recently introduced a fish tank with some beautiful, rather fast moving, goldfish.
