Une course classique pour les orléanais. Pour ce qui me concerne, elle débute au pied de l’hippodrome et du champ de mars, passe par le pont Georges V ; le vrai départ se situant à l’extrémité ouest du canal, rive droite. Mon parcours est ici : http://www.wanarun.net/carte/20283/orleans-ponts-et-passerelles-orl-s.html (22,4kms).

On m’a affirmé qu’en des temps reculés, à cet endroit se trouvait une piscine, je crois d’ailleurs avoir vu de vieilles cartes postales (années 50 ?) qui attestent de ce fait.

Ambiance :

Ce qui rend le parcours original et agréable tient aux faits :

1. qu’on peut, entre loire et canal d’Orléans, emprunter 3 voies parallèles et mitoyennes : 1 – le chemin de halage, allée de sable bien plane ;  2 – la levée, un peu plus haut avec quelques dénivelés ; 3 – le mur de séparation entre loire et canal qui, sur certains tronçons tient lieu de voie piétonne et qui se transforme en bute puis en langue de terre vers Combleux et Chécy ;
2. que tout en traversant successivement : Orléans, Saint Jean de Braye, Combleux et les jours de grande forme : Chécy ; on pourra apprécier les clochers, les placettes, les écluses les ponts et passerelles fleuries (notament à Combleux), qui permettent de franchir le canal à différents endroits ; 
3. qu’il Il y a toujours une jolie lumière !! de belles résidences aux balcons (et parfois piscines) exposées plein sud, face à la Loire ;
4. qu’on peut se désaltérer : ne pas manquer de faire un stop sur la place de Saint Jean de Braye et sur l’entrée du parking de Combleux (face à la passerelle) : des pompes  d’eau potable vous attendent !! Une pompe a été installée en  face du bateau bar O bato en centre ville !  En cas de soif, vaut mieux calculer !!
5. qu’on visitera, à la vitesse du coureur, quelques bonnes tables et terrasses de l’agglomération orléanaise, successivement : les Terrasses du bord de loire à Orléans, les Toqués à Saint Jean de Braye, la Marine à Combleux, le Weekend, place de l’église à Chécy. Mention spéciale,  au tout nouveau restau “le girouet“sur le quai chatelet, restau classe à tendance rustique et bio exposé plein sud avec terrasse face à la loire ! 

Quoi de neuf ?

1. Le bateau bar l’inexplosible est en cessation de paiement, une victime collatérale de la crise ? J ‘y suis allé l’été dernier et j’avais peu apprécié les 3/4 d’heure d’attente et le prix du coca +café qui devait avoisinner les 7 / 8 €uros. Changement d’enseigne, va pour “ô batô” ! 
2. Les chemins longeant le canal sont peu à peu refaits.
3. Une éolienne fraichement restaurée et classée au niveau de l’arrière des fonderies de cloches Bollée, à la limite entre St jean de Braye et  Orléans.

Attention dangers :

1. Circuit à éviter le dimanche après midi, c’est je pense la balade favorite des orléanais, gare aux poussettes !
2. L’été, non seulement vous vous battrez contre votre chronomètre mais aussi contre des nuées plus ou moins compactes de moucherons et autres objets volants, urticants et stridulents qui iront s’enchasser dans vos oreilles, dans vos poils de jambes blonds et légers, dans vos trous de nez, sur l’émail resplendissant de vos dents.  

Variantes :

On peut faire :

1. une petite boucle dans le parc des longues allées, il jouxte la Clinique des longues allées (fléché de puis le chemin haut = la levée) ; 
2. une grande boucle Combleux -> Checy en longeant la loire et Chécy ->Combleux via le canal.  

Ca vous fait saliver ? Alors, chauffez, chaussez vos baskets et …je vous attends avec un Perrier rondelle à la terrasse de la Marine !! 

C’est sûrement l’un des circuits que je pratique le plus assidûment. A cela, plusieurs raisons :

• j’habite à Orléans, dans le quartier du Champ de Mars, il me suffit de sortir de chez moi et le chemin qui longe la loire, vers l’est, me conduit direct à l’île Charlemagne : pratique, pas de perte de temps !!
• des bornes tous les 100 mètres balisent une bonne partie du parcours, bien utile pour se caler un rythme !!
• si l’on excepte la bosse au kilomètre 1, le parcours est relativement plat.
• la durée de ma course peut aisément être modulée en fonction de mon état de forme ou du temps dont je dispose : grande forme -> grand tour de l’île (grand lac et petits lacs, kilométrage estimé à 4.5 kms) ; petite forme ou pas beaucoup de temps -> petit tour (grand lac seul, kilométrage de 3,2 kms).
• on trouve des robinets et des toilettes, (pas toujours très propres mais, bon parfois ça dépanne) à différents points autour de l’île.

Ambiance : Entre le pont Joffre et le pont Georges V, de nombreux canards et cygnes attendent leur ration quotidienne de pain sec. Sur la droite deux immeubles hlm imposants au pied de la RN20 font face à la loire ; originalité ils sont chauffés au bois !  

Entre le pont Thinat et l’île Charlemagne on aperçoit les logements de la Sonacotra à Saint Jean le Blanc. Au pied, le dimanche matin, un marché très animé, à n’en pas douter l’un des plus méconnus et des moins chers d’Orléans.  Côté loire, les sternes ont élu domicile sur une bande de sable qui tient lieu de parking et de dortoir : ça piaille, ça braille, ça couine, ça grince, …. quel raffut !! 

 Autour de l’île, une belle bosse à escalader au kilomètre 1. Eviter le dimanche, les vacances d’été, c’est Orléans plage, embouteillé de baigneurs dotés de parasols et de glacières, de poussettes, de tracteurs en plastique jaune, de vélos à roulettes, etc…

De nombreuses compétitions et manifestations y sont organisées dont le désormais traditionnel challenge de l’Orléanais, inter entreprises, prochain rendez vous en juin 2010. Depuis peu, vient de s’installer un parcours accrobranches qui ma foi, m’a l’air assez sympa et riche en sensations fortes.

Variantes : les grands jours, on peut aussi décider de pousser vers Saint Denis en Val en empruntant une partie de la piste cyclable ” loire à vélo” et la levée à partir de la base de kayak. On peut faire demi tour plus loin vers l’est, au niveau de la carrière ; là, un chemin longe la loire ( et la plage des nudistes) au plus près.  Les vues de la loire et de ses méandres depuis la levée quasi vierge de circulation automobile valent le détour (comme dirait Michelin !).

On peut également pour faire une boucle rive gauche / rive droite traverser la loire en empruntant la voie piétonne qui longe le pont emprunté par les trains. Si vous croisez un train, (Paris Clermont par exemple) : sensations garanties. Attention quand même aux projections de gravillons !

One night in Paris, I erased all my photographs of the day. I have confessed the reasons of the mortifying deed in an earlier post and do not wish to revisit this traumatic episode of my pathetic life. What bothered me the most was the promise I had made to impromptu street models to mail them prints of the now non-existing photographs. I decided to walk through Paris, find them, apologize and if possible have another shot. Needles in a haystack, I agree, but something I had to attempt to ease my troubled conscience. My first order of business would be to find a young virtuoso rollerblader called Kader and his girlfriend. I had immortalized them (right!) kissing on top of some metro stairs.

I put on my high heels, my 10 pound photo equipment backpack, and proceeded to go to the Trocadero close to the Eiffel Tower where I had heard Rollerbladers sometimes congregated.

Arriving at the tower, I felt surrounded by the popo on bicycle. No doubt the Tower was well-protected considering the great attention paid by the cops to their surroundings as evidenced by the above photograph. A tea party, I tell ya.

The giant edifice was still well in place since the last time but no sign of my little rollerblader.

Forget cops on bicycles! These were much improved models of security. I asked them if they had seen my little friend, and also if I could take their portrait with their BIG guns (I emphasized BIG as if I were truly impressed.) I must have hit the right cord since they happily posed for me.

Under the tower, no sign of Kader BUT nevermind Kader, there was an Italian acrobat and his young son fooling around in the most breathtaking way (by breathtaking I mean scary, irresponsible, and totally awesome for me.) I then continued my quest towards the Champs de Mars.

I like to catch people doing every day stuff such as these grand-parents feeding the pigeons with the little one. At least, I like to imagine they are normal folks getting along with their routine, but frankly, for all I know, they very well could have been highly subversive elements poisoning the poor birds. But hopefully not.

I think I must have waited close to half an hour hoping the precious little girl would jump in the puddle. I know she wanted to. It is a sad thing when good manners take over innocent malfeasance. I’m sure it’s great for the parents, but for me as a photographer, not so much. She never took the plunge.

A little further, a small girl on a wooden horse. By now, you realize I had momentarily abandoned my search for Kader.

Still at the Champs de Mars, I managed to capture this older couple contemplating two young things making out on the grass. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Paris?

I had almost reached l’Ecole Militaire when I turned around in time to catch this happy mom and daughter.

In front of Ecole Militaire, I just had to stop this family. I thought the mom seemed so traditional with the baby on her back compared to the modern looks of her son and daughter. I also loved the Che Guevara tote hanging from the stroller.

With all that, I had arrived to destination without finding Kader, and truthfully, my feet in four inch heels were literally killing me. Why was I wearing four inch heels? I can’t answer that. I’m an idiot that’s why. I took the metro to Palais Royal, my last resort!

And there, an absolute MIRACLE!!!

I could finally repair my wrongdoings.

As for Jair and Marcia de Souza from Sao Paolo, Brazil, the situation is slightly more complex… But I’m very willing to try. Alguem para uma caipirihnia?

200 enfants vont lancer un SOS  le 19 novembre, avec SOS Villages d’Enfants. Ils se donneront la main pour qu’on la tende à d’autres. Un signe fort, pour que frères et sœurs partagent la même enfance.

Le jeudi 19 novembre prochain, à 10h au Champ de Mars, des enfants vont former une chaîne humaine à Paris pour faire taire le silence. A la veille de la Journée Mondiale des Droits de l’Enfant et à l’occasion des 20 ans de la Convention Internationale qui définit leurs droits, 200 écoliers parisiens vont dessiner un message géant.

C’est un appel au secours : aujourd’hui, en France, des frères et des sœurs issus de familles en difficultés risquent d’ajouter une souffrance à leur malheur en étant séparés lors de leur placement.

C’est aussi un message d’espoir : l’association SOS Villages d’Enfants permet à des fratries de retrouver le bonheur de grandir ensemble dans l’amour et la sécurité. Et c’est enfin une belle façon de démontrer que lorsqu’ils sont unis, les plus petits d’entre nous peuvent affronter les difficultés de ce monde.

Un événement de taille pour une prise de conscience nationale du juste combat mené par SOS Villages d’Enfants. Une association qui, depuis plus de 50 ans, accueille des enfants abandonnés, orphelins ou dont la situation familiale grave (actes de maltraitance, incarcération ou toxicomanie des parents, etc) nécessite un placement de longue durée. Les 13 villages français de l’association accueillent, au titre de la Protection de l’Enfance, des frères et sœurs qui pourront grandir dans une maison, auprès d’une mère SOS. Et ce avec le soutien d’une équipe éducative. 

Découvrez le jeu, le site et gagnez des lots en faisant connaitre l’opération

et le combat de SOS Villages d’Enfants. Rendez-vous sur :

http://www.sosve.org/ensemble/

Kom kinderen van het vaderland, de gloriedag is aangebroken! Ruim tweehonderd kilometer naar het Zuiden is het feest. Normaal gesproken zijn wij dan van de partij. Helaas valt onze vakantie dit jaar niet samen met Quatorze Juillet. Dus moeten de Fransen maar zonder ons hun Nationale feestdag vieren. Normaal gesproken gaat dit gepaard met een militair defilé over de Champs-Elysées in Parijs en vuurwerk in elke zichzelf respecterende gemeenschap. De Marseillaise zal vaak schallen, dat is zeker. En de wijn vloeit overvloedig. Gelukkig zijn de Fransen er in geslaagd te voorkomen dat Quatorze Juillet een nationale braderie annex vrijmarkt is geworden. Ze vieren het als een trots en serieus feest. Terecht.

La Bastille voordat het volk zijn woede koelde.

Genadeloze onderdrukking
Op 14 juli herdenken de Fransen eigenlijk twee historische gebeurtenissen. De eerste is natuurlijk de bestorming van staatgevangenis de Bastille en het vrijlaten van de gevangenen uit de Bastille op 14 juli 1789. Deze ‘vesting der verworpenen’ werd gezien als een symbool van de absolute koninklijke macht en als een teken van genadeloze onderdrukking. De opstandelingen streefden er naar dat de gewone burger net zo veel rechten zou moeten hebben als de koning.

Indrukwekkend: het défilé op de Champs-Elysées.

Verzoening en eenheid
De tweede gebeurtenis die vandaag wordt herdacht, is het Fête des Fédérées (vrij vertaald: het feest van de verzoening en de eenheid van Frankrijk). Dit feest werd op 14 juli 1790 gehouden op het marsveld (Champ-de-Mars) in Parijs om de eerste verjaardag van de bestorming van de Bastille te vieren. Het duurde trouwens bijna een eeuw voordat Quatorze Juillet een nationale feestdag werd. Pas in 1880 besloot de Franse staat tot nationale invoering van deze dag.

Here is the story of how the french gouvernement or at least the municipality of Paris planned with meticulous care to suffocate thousands of young people who gathered to see the annual firework.

I was spending my last summer in Paris for an internship and was living with at my cousin’s. We decided to go see the firework since none of us had ever been in Paris during the 14th of July.

We bought an innocent 6-pack of beer and a bottle of wine because we were planning to go there early to have a good spot and to wait there drinking until the beginning of the show.

Unfortunately, the police was blocking the streets around le Champ de Mars which was known to be the best place to see the firework. They made certain that nobody would enter le Champ de Mars with even a 25-cl-3°-panaché. They had been deploying a very efficient filtering system and hundreds of hectoliters of just-bought alcohol were thrown away in huge bottle banks this day.

We managed to conceal the 6-pack from the policeman by hiding it under my sweetshirt in my bag, acting surprise and conceding our bottle of wine with regrets.

We found a good but not so crowded place to stay on le Champ de Mars and started drinking discreetly between two patrols. The municipality had installed a scene and a giant screen on the opposite side of the Eiffel Tower and we’d been told that there would be artists like James Blunt or french superstars like Christophe Maé (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppi5RMpKOOM ) or Pauline ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKG9BvadIQ8 ). If only we had known that this screen was actually a smoke screen purposely installed to attract thousands of people in a machiavelic gigantic trap.

The noose was only revealed at the moment the firework started. To everyone’s surprise, they decided to launch the rockets from THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EIFFEL TOWER ! Leaving all of us frustrated to only see parts of the show when rockets were launched high enough to go over or next the monument.

Then the massive exode started. Everybody decided at the same time to go somewhere they could see the show better. This is where all this booze seizure made instantly sense. We were trapped in the dark  in a storm of dust provoked by all these people walking together in the aisles.

We tried to escape too but traffic jams were already created by the former barricades of the police.

I’ve never been so thirsty in my entire life. My throat was dry of all this dust we were forced to breathe for about an hour. We almost gave up and made a break next to a stall where refreshments could be bought at the ridiculous price (at this moment) of 2.5 € the drink.

Below is the map of their machiavelic plan I stole to a policeman during all this confusion :

I hope you won’t get trapped this year.

De fleste turister tager en tur i Eiffeltårnet. Måske spiser de også en is, mens de venter på at komme op med elevatoren. Og eventuelt snupper de en steak haché med fritter i et eller andet tilfældigt brasseri, når de kommer ud igen. Men ellers haster de fleste hurtigt videre til andre dele af Paris. Som om der ikke var mere at se i kvarteret omkring Eiffeltårnet.

 Jeg indrømmer, at jeg selv var ret længe om at opdage charmen. For det 7. arrondissement er en snyder. På overfladen ser det hele så pænt og velfriseret ud. Masser af ministerier og store ejendomme, fyldt med elegante lejligheder og pæne fruer, der lufter hund. Ikke nødvendigvis lige dét, man kommer til Paris efter.

I årevis kom jeg der faktisk kun, hvis jeg skulle på  Musée d’Orsay og se på impressionistisk kunst. Eller da jeg var dagbladsjournalist og nødvendigvis en gang imellem måtte runde Parlamentet for et interview.

Men ellers holdt jeg mig væk. Indtil jeg pludselig blev opmærksom på en sjov lille tesalon, en fantastisk bistro med havtudsefilet og en masse dejlige småbutikker. Langsomt forstod jeg charmen, akkurat som man pludselig kan forelske sig i en kollega, man i årevis har betragtet som en træmand.

Det 7.arrondissement er hverken højtråbende eller outreret trendy, men det har sin egen appeal, og i dag kommer jeg der gladeligt – og tit.

Bare markedet i rue Cler lørdag morgen er en sanselig oplevelse, når de parisiske husmødre handler ind til ugen og tålmodigt står i kø hos slagteren og fiskemanden. Eller en tur rundt til antikvitetshandlerne omkring rue de Lille, hvor du kan købe alt fra kinesiske vaser til Meissenporcelæn, persiske tæpper, mahognikister, skakspil og kirkestager. Men, symptomatisk for kvarteret, kun ædle varer og ingen marskandiserfund.

Det 7. arrondissement er Paris’ rigeste kvarter og ligner ved første øjekast en ghetto for politikere og diplomater, men der er også et mere folkeligt underlag og masser af meget lokal pariserstemning. Især i gaderne omkring rue Saint-Dominique, hvor bageren af uransaglige grunde sælger mørkt rugbrød. Paris’ bedste i øvrigt.

Eller på gode sommerdage, når der er sort af mennesker, som picnic’er på Champ-de-Mars med en blegnet bomuldsdug og en guitar. Så er der spontan peace-and-love stemning, og frit slag for alle, der har lyst til at flade ud med et brød og en Camembert, slå kraftspring, spille boule eller se solen gå ned.

Kulturelt er der perler i det 7. arrondissement: Rodin-museet med de vidunderlige skulpturer og den skønne have, Branly-museet med urkunsten og den lige så skønne, men hypermoderne, græshave, og så selvfølgelig min yndlings-tesalon, Les Deux Abeilles, i 189, rue de l’Université. Med blomstrede stoftapeter og mønstret porcelæn. Ret tante-agtig, hvis ikke det var for de mange slagfærdige damer, den hjemmelavede pickles, der kan købes take away, og så, naturligvis, verdens måske bedste hindbærcrumble.

På sin vis et koncentrat af kvarteret: Så ærke-borgerligt udenpå og så fuld af liv indeni.

Pour rendre un dernier et très gros hommage au King Of Pop, Michael Jackson, les internautes se réunissent autour d’un événement !

Ce dimanche, à 15h, rendez-vous sous la Tour Eiffel pour le plus grand moonwalk du monde !

Voici l’adresse de l’événement facebook, VENEZ NOMBREUX : http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=95091938716&ref=mf

America is my country and Paris is my hometown. -Gertrude Stein

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a movable feast. – Ernest Hemingway

I am writing from the Czech Republic this evening where it is rainy and I am looking back on five sunny days in Paris (some of my last days in Paris). Victor came to visit so I got to play tour guide but this time I inserted things in the tour that I had yet to do. For example the Tour Montparnasse which is a 56 or so story building with a nice view of all of Paris:

Went to see Sacre Coeur and there were plenty of street musicians and tourists wandering:

We walked Pigalle (aka the seedy street of Paris) and I was offered free entrance into a “club” but I declined.

We also went to the Parc des Buttes Chaumont which was very cool and had a neat cliffs and waterfalls.

We also spotted the ever-amazing phenomenon of night rollerblading in the streets of Paris (the best part is the police drive first to make sure no one is on the streets):

Strolled the Jardin des Plantes and went to the menagerie there:

Champ de Mars view of the tower:

And my stay in Paris was complete because I found the one statue that was still on my list near Les Halles:

Cheers! I am going to have another Pilsner tomorrow and see more of Prague.

Sunday today. We had half a day to sightsee a little more, and we wanted to go to the Eiffel Tower, for I had some secret business there. So now everybody wants to know what the secret is, so I have a question for you: Why should I call it secret if it’s not secret??? In the hotel there was an Apple Mac, which is so much nicer than a jolly TV with limited channels!

Great idea: Apple Mac in hotel rooms

On it you could access all info on sightseeing in Paris, the weather, maps, Google, etc., plus download your mail… Ilse established that it costs 20Eur to go up the Tour Eiffel, and it was misty and rainy, so we decided no, not worth it, we’ll go and be charmed by the construction. We emerged from the metro practically under the Tower, so the full impact of the edifice struck us as we saw it for the first time.

Tour Eiffel

Ilse had never been there, and we both loved the curves and lines, but make no mistake, this is a meccano-like steel structure, and really nothing beautiful! As we used to say, “mooi van ver maar ver van mooi”….

Mooi van ver

I actually love the Eiffel Tower, for we have a unique set of brass candlesticks in the form of the Eiffel Tower which we inherited from Rudolf’s mother. Her parents had bought them at the Universal Exhibition (World Fair) in Paris in 1889, so we have had the Eiffel Tower on our table for 37 years.

Under the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was erected in Paris alongside the Seine in 1888-9 for this very Exposition Universelle, marking the centenary celebration of the French Revolution. There were MANY people in the arts community who were vitriolic in their opposition to the Tower. They slated it in the press. Guy de Maupassant dined in the restaurant on the Tower every day. When asked why, he said it is the only place in Paris from where you cannot see the miserable Tower! It had permission to stay put for 20 years, after which it would become the property of the city council. Council originally intended to dismantle it, but decided to keep it for practical reasons: radio mast in times of war, and certainly now for the annual tourist revenue! It is the most visited paid monument in the world.

Peace memorial

At the end of the Champ de Mars, the long lawn on which the tower stands, we found a peace memorial with poles mirrored in the puddles of rain, and all of a sudden there were about a dozen people riding through the puddles with their strange motorised wheelies called Segways. Quite a novel way of seeing the city, if you ask me. But most of these people looked as if they feared falling off any moment! All they could do is concentrate on staying on board and following the one in front of them…

Eiffel at a distance

The last thing up our sleeve was the Musee de Cluny or the Musee National du Moyen Age, just down the street from our hotel. We took the metro back, and were intrigued by the unusual interior of the underground at Cluny-Sorbonne.

Les Oiseaux

It is called Les Oiseaux, and is an artwork in mosaic, consisting of two or three birds in flight and the signatures of dozens of the famous alumni of the Sorbonne.

Alumnus signatures

But first a bite. We had not had any breakfast, so we stopped at a little side street cafe near the metro and had a croque-monsieur and coffee, something very Parisian. They call it Welsh Rarebit on the menu translation, but I beg to differ. The croque-monsieur is made with a thick bechamel sauce, smoked ham and grated Gruyere or Emmental cheese. A slice of bread is spread with white sauce, topped with ham (don’t be snoep!), grated cheese, then another slice of bread, more white sauce, and cheese on top, then baked for about 15 mins @ 200 degrees – grill it right at the end till golden brown. Granted same ingredients as Welsh Rarebit, but just not the same. It originated in 1910  and is still a firm favourite on cafe menus.

Museum of the Middle Ages

Now time for the Cluny museum. It transported us to a feelgood space of warmth and awe, the space of the middle ages. Wood, stone, mail armour, swords and spears, beautiful interiors, gold and ivory jewellery, and then the amazing French tapestries. Besides the many covering the walls of the rooms, there are the famous tapestries of the Lady and the Unicorn,  a series of 6 large tapestries, wonderful. Here is a sundial which states

Sundial from 1674

Nil sine nobis – Nothing without us, the sun speaking in the royal we. Well, now the time was there for us to get our cases and leave for Gare du Nord. A last entry into Hotel de la Sorbonne to fetch our baggage, and off we were.

Hotel de la Sorbonne foyer

At Gare du Nord we found ourselves very early, so we settled down for a VERY thirst-quenching beer each.

Beer at Gare du Nord

Ilse walked around to take a few shots of this international station – not at all in the same league as King’s Cross St Pancras, but a large station nonetheless.

Gare du Nord, Paris

After customs and waiting a little while in the international hall, we found our seats on the train, this time to my delight facing the way of travel, and soon we were on our way back home after a truly enjoyable weekend in France.

My take on this experience is that it was such a surprise to me! I found the energy in the French capital so relaxed, but alive. To me it was a total surprise that they have connected the dots in the electronic age that there’s no way you are going to stop people taking sneak photos in the large museums with point and shoots or cellphones, so you might as well give up and allow it. So in the Musee d’Orsay everybody is taking memory shots of all the beautiful Renoirs and Manets and Van Goghs and Toulouse-Lautrecs. Openly and with permission. It is, however, not allowed to bring an SLR on tripod and take photos which could be used to make money. Fair enough. But nowhere else have I encountered such a practical stance. Bully for the French! Vive la France!

Mauritius is a wonderful island amidst the Indian Ocean situated near the South of Africa and Madagascar. The history of Mauritius is very interesting. It was  being ruled by the Dutch and French in majority for considerable years leading to the battle for power. In the year 1968, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam became the father of the nation by setting Mauritius free from the rule of the British.Mauritius became free on the 12th of March 1968.

Some beautiful places in Mauritius which are worth-visiting:

1. The Pamplemousses Botanical Garden

This is a wonderful garden situated in the north of Mauritius, in the Pamplemousses village. The great thing is that I live in this village itself and I am yet not bored of visiting this garden. It is set on a very large scale and you will be tired of visiting. This garden cherishes the memories of the early years of colonisation in Mauritius.  Every part of the garden is related to the history of Mauritius. It includes huge trees dated over 100 years. And there are trees known as Tallipot which bloom once every 100 years.The Waterlily

Chateau de Mon Plaisir

The Pamplemousses Botanical Garden is a wonderful place in Mauritius and an ideal destination for tourists. People visiting the island cannot miss this place else it will be a useless visit.

2. Chamarel Waterfalls

There are many waterfalls in Mauritius but this one is superb. The view there is simply wonderful. There are natural beauties all around.

3. The Caudan Waterfront – Port Louis

You just can’t miss this place. It is the Caudan waterfront – an ideal place for entertainment, leisure, lunch and dinner and shopping. This is known as the Caudan Waterfront and is situated in the Capital of Mauritius – the most busiest place in Mauritius because the business in Mauritius is mostly concetrated in the capital. It is the smallest district but busiest. The harbour is next to this place, that is why it is also known as the Harbour Front. You can see so many huge ships coming and going from there. But watch your steps because the deep water is very dangerous in its boundaries. But don’t worry, it is well secured all over.

4. The seven-coloured Earth

Strange but true. There is a place of Mauritius where the Earth is naturally of seven colour and it is situated amidst the nature zone. It has become a wonderful attraction place for tourists and even Mauritians.

5. The Belle-Mare Water park

This is a place for leisure not to be missed.

6. The islands near Mauritius

There are many islands around Mauritius and officialy belonging to Mauritius. It is easy to go there through boats which are available every day. The islands are so peaceful with white beaches. It is worth visiting. I once went to Ile-Aux-Cerfs. It was just superb.  I went on outing with friends. The beaches and the pale blue sea water is worth enjoying.

7. Mountains in Mauritius

There are many mountains in Mauritius which can be climbed. The mountains hide many wonderful places in them like huge rivers, waterfalls, huge rocks, huge trees, etc.

8. A sunset in Mauritius

A sunset is one of the views which many people love to admire. As you can see, the picture below portrays a sunset in Mauritius. In the midst of this little and beautiful island, the sun also sets with its full grace.

9. Beaches of Mauritius

The beaches of Mauritius are simply beautiful with white sands and pale blue water. You can swim without any worries. Mauritius is well known for its beautiful beaches. Tourists often come to Mauritius only for its beaches which is just beautiful.

The more I will have to say, the more it will become vast to explain. To really know Mauritius, just give it a visit. It will be a fruitful, adventurous and enjoyable journey. Mauritius has all the wonders which are eyes are yearning to have a glimpse of.

10. The Dodo

Apart from the natural beauties of Mauritius, the history of this little island is as wonderful as its views. The Dodo was the national bird of Mauritius which dissapeared long ago and became extinct.  While visiting the island, you can find out many facts about the history of Mauritius in historical places like musuems, gardens and monuments. The history of Mauritius is still alive in the country.

The Dodo

11. Horse Racing in Mauritius

One of the most popular sport interest of people here is Horse Racing. This takes place at Champ de Mars where the challenge between horses is worth to be seen. The betting industry in Mauritius enjoys a good business due to horse racing.

12. Resorts in Mauritius

The resorts and hotels here are just beautiful.  Below are some resorts in Mauritius. You don’t have to peek inside to decide about your accommodation. A simple glimpse will confirm the beauty of these resorts.

The Sugar Beach Resorts

The Preskil Beach Resort

I will let you discover the rest of the adventurous and wonderful places in Mauritius. All these places presented here are just a little part of the whole picture of wonders. Mauritius Island is always waiting for you all. Invest your time and money to enjoy the profit of adventure, excitement and discovery.

Torre Eiffel. París primavera.                               © 2009 Maite Díaz

Irène came to Paris on Thursday night and has since been sleeping on my floor.  My host parents are the best.

But let me jump back.  Monday evening, Sarah + Mark Andrew + Pat + Quentin + Jill + Mark Anthony + myself all went to a jazz club called Studio de l’Ermitage.  The Sketches septet was playing: 2 saxes, keys, drums, (electric) bass, guitar, & vocals.  They were very eclectic – Jill and Mark Anthony hated it, and were obvious about it.  I didn’t hate it, but they were definitely not one of the better bands I’ve heard so far… they just didn’t mesh well.  But it was cool, and nice to see Sarah and her friends!

Tuesday was St. Patty’s day – I again tried to meet Sarah and failed.  It was a terrible day.  Wednesday was better: Mark Anthony and I went down to their hostel and luckily caught Sarah & Mark Andrew before they went out, so we joined them at dinner and helped translate for them.  It was fun. : )

Now then, Thursday was good and Irene came.  My host family had made us dinner, and gave Irene dessert when she showed up later that evening.  Later after we’d gone to bed and turned the lights out, apparently Irene was telling me a story… I responded for a while, then suddenly I had passed out.  This was to become a recurring theme of our late night conversations this weekend.

Friday was a good day, in comparison, at my internship.  I had plenty to do throughout the day, and then one of the guys that works in the same office – but a different company – found out he had more money than he thought he had… somehow.  He bought a bottle of champagne and we ended a little early to toast his success.  Tchin!

Friday night, Sarah + Mark Andrew + Jill + Emily + Irene + myself went to Hippocampus for dinner.  It was a HUGE bill, but it was well worth it – the atmosphere there is always incredibly jovial and overwhelmingly friendly.  I’ll be back next week.

Saturday we got up and I for the first time ever went up the Eiffel Tower with Irene and her friends Sofia, Amy and Anna.  It was neat, but I think you get a better view from the second floor rather than all the way at the top.  I’m glad I did it, but I might not ever go so high up again – plus the second floor is free if you walk!  ; )

We picnicked on the Champ de Mars under the sun, and it was quite relaxing.  That’s what weekends are for; I’m convinced.  I then met Jill & Emily at the Jardin du Luxembourg, and wandered down to a café nearby where we sat and talked over a limonade for a couple of hours.  By the end of the two hours, Jill and I were both getting chills – and it turns out we both got sick?  I missed meeting Irene & friends, and Jill & Emily, and Mark Anthony & friends last night because I wasn’t feeling well.

But after 15 hours of sleep, I’m feeling considerably better.  None the less I bought myself a carton of both orange and grapefruit juice.  In the mean time feel better, Jill!  If you want some oj/gj you know where to find them.

Tiffany & Co. Worlds Fair Award 1867

Tiffany & Co. was awarded excellence for their silverware at the Worlds Fair in 1867. The Paris Exposition Universelle was held in the Champ de Mars a green space. Tiffany was the first American firm to win an award for silverware. The award reads, “Libertas et Patria.”

Four years later Tiffany & Company comes out with their best-selling sterling silverware to date in 1871 and is called Audubon. Tiffany & Co. sterling silver flatware was adorned with beautiful birds and was inspired by Japanese nature paintings.

See more posts about Tiffany & Co. a great American jeweler.

Abstract Silver Jewelry

For a truly Parisian experience, I love to explore the area surrounding rue Saint-Dominique. The length of this  shop-lined street running from Saint Germain, past les Invalides to the Champ de Mars, provides plenty of opportunity to fill up a suitcase without the challenge of the Big Avenue crowds and, if one suitcase proves insufficient, there are a couple of wonderful wholesale bag shops where you can pick up another for a fraction of what you’d pay in Galeries Lafayette.

Bags are to me as shoes are to Carrie Bradshaw. Many years ago I sniffed out a shop in the rue Saint-Dominique called Stock-Sacs. There are bags of varied styles and colours hanging off every patch of wall in this Aladdin’s Cave of leather products, which will have bag-lovers salivating over the red calf-leather totes within seconds. There is also every type of accessory one could ever conceive of putting in a handbag: mobile phone holders, passport covers, key rings, driver’s licence wallets, chequebook covers, travel wallets, coin purses and more. If you do splurge on a bag at Stock-Sacs and then run up to the department stores, chances are you’ll find exactly the same bag for a great deal more euros. That sort of smug satisfaction makes a visit to this shop even more worthwhile.

Stock Sacs, 109 bis, rue Saint-Dominique, 75007                          tel 01 45 51 42 12

 Further along the rue towards the Eiffel Tower is a second bag shop where great bargains may be found. Called the Champ de Fleurs, it’s far less organised than Stock-Sacs and has a few manufacturer mistakes such as a lurid fuschia thing I saw in their window recently, but, if you dare to enter, there are some wonderful examples of French-made accessories to be had for a song. Monsieur’s briefcase came from this little shop and I am currently breaking in a third purchase from the Champ de Fleurs. Well worth a visit, even if the uninspired window display and dusty corners are a little off-putting.

Across the street from the Champ de Fleurs is a wonderful restaurant called La Fontaine de Mars. It warrants an entry in its own right, but suffice to say that their confit de canard is the best I’ve ever eaten, the menu is traditional with a few pleasant surprises and the atmosphere is efficient French at its best.

La Fontaine de Mars, 129 rue Saint-Dominique 75007

Tel 01 47 05 46 44       lafontainedemars@orange.fr

At 108, rue Saint-Dominique (or rue Saint-Dom, as my hairdresser called it) you will find l’Esprit du Sud-Ouest,a tiny rugby shop selling all manner of rugby shirts, balls, bandes dessinées, DVDs and All Black teddy bears. It’s a typical example of the myriad specialist boutiques to be found in the area, along with a bespoke printer, antique sport and travel poster gallery, perfumers, confectioners, shoe shops, children’s clothing stores and coffee purveyors. In that inimitable French way, the neighbourhood boulangeries somehow make bread look fashionable, so much so that it’s easy to forget that it’s just bread and, for the fashion-conscious, there are plenty of interesting boutiques with little windows displaying chic tops draped with dramatic scarves and just the right set of beads.

All that shopping will work up an appetite but it’s impossible to go hungry on the rue Saint-Dom. Nearby rue Cler is another great place to grab a bite. It boasts a daily market, delicatessans, a fromagerie, fish shop and greengrocers where the bright colours of the produce make shopping for dinner an altogether uplifting French experience compared with popping along to a sterile urban supermarket. The locals (rumoured to include diplomats, politicians and senior embassy staff) shop here alongside foreigners who’ve recognised the area’s charm and bought into it, and there are some great places to eat. Café du Marché is almost always full, serving traditional French food, and is so popular that you’re likely to be bumping elbows with patrons sitting at adjacent tables. Don’t go there if you like uninterrupted personal space. In its favour, however, is its prime position for people-watching and practically everyone who knows the area will have dined there at least once, if not dozens of times. 

Next door to Café du Marché is an Italian eatery with broad terrace opening onto the pedestrianised street, where insalata Caprese is layered, drizzled with pesto dressing and served chilled in a preserving jar with the lid popped open. The salads here are great, reasonably priced and hearty in size, so if you want to grab a bite but save some room for dinner, this is the place to go. There are fine-looking pizzas and generous plates of pasta to choose from and the efficient service gets 5 stars, too.

 If you feel like something more ethnic, there are Chinese, Japanese and Korean restaurants in the vicinity, or if you fancy a picnic in the Champ de Mars, perhaps you could pop into La Maison du Jambon, where there’s a perennial queue of people waiting to buy gourmet treats. The deli window, filled with freshly-prepared dishes, is art in itself. For picnic accoutrements, there is the Franprix supermarket down on the corner of rue de Grenelle. All that’s left is to select a bottle of wine from Nicolas to wash it all down. Mmm, délicieux!   

There is plenty to do in the area if you’d like to dip into Parisian art and culture: the Eiffel Tower, les Invalides, the Ecole Militaire and the Musée Rodin are all within easy walking distance, as is the Musée du Quai Branly. However, the main reason to visit the rue Saint-Dom and rue Cler is to get a taste of real Paris: part day-to-day life, part chic inspiration, part village in the middle of the City of Light. Besides, who can say no to exploring the rue Saint-Dom when the Eiffel Tower stands beckoning at one end? Not me.

I liked the garden at the Champ-de-Mars station.

Do you ever go there? Did you ever notice homeless bed down next to the fence? Behind the vince and grasses. It’s easy to spot if you look. The photographer hadn’t seen it earlier this week. It was my first time there.

Standing on the old city wall and looking at the buildings can make one small house feel very small.