Qui devaient déjà rouvrir au printemps 2007…

C’est pour bientôt (sic)

Una coppia di panda rossi

Forse non tutti lo sanno ma il Jardin des Plantes, situato nel quinto arrondissement di Parigi, oltre a essere una rilassante oasi di verde che permette ai parigini piú stressati di staccare la spina con la routine metropolitana, custodisce un coloratissimo zoo.
La ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes (ovvero lo zoo di Parigi), creata nel 1794, saprà catturare l’interesse di adulti e bambini con i suoi numerosissimi animali.

Situato a pochi passi dalla Grande Moschea di Parigi e dal Pantheon, lo zoo accoglie svariate razze di animali: mammiferi, uccelli, rettili, anfibi e invertebrati. Passeggiando  tra scimmie e tigri, coccodrilli e serpenti, scoprirete questo microcosmo animale nel cuore di Parigi.
La politica dello zoo, visto che non ha grandissime dimensioni, è quella di accogliere animali di piccola taglia; non sperate, quindi, di trovarvi giraffe o elefanti.

Uno dei personaggi simbolo del posto è Nenette, un simpatico orangotango che da parecchi anni vive nello zoo con il figlio Tubo e che spesso accetta di sorridere ai visitatori.
Il mio animale preferito dello zoo e il panda rosso…e il vostro?

Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes
57, rue Cuvier
75005 Paris

Tutti i giorni dalle 07:30 alle 17:30 

Parisian and New York parks are glorious oases within these city’s bustling activities.

On a sunny afternoon, what better place to be, than the Jardin de Luxembourg… To be enveloped by a timeless beauty, stroll through its stately manicured grounds, lush flower arrangements, and elegant statues. Two magnificently romantic fountains; the Fountaine de Medicis, and the Fontaine de l’Observatoire are its jewels. Pull up one of the abundant, surprising comfortable metal chairs, relax, read a book, see children launching their boats in the sailing pond or enjoying pony rides. Play tennis, jeux de boules, take in a chess match or just sit and sigh…

Central Park in NY is arguably the finest of all urban parks. It is impossible to overestimate its value and contributions to the quality of life in the city. To simply list some of what it has to offer is exhausting; horseback riding, ice skating, Shakespearean theater, bird watching, biking, concerts, flower gardens… You can rent a boat and row about one of its lakes or have a gondolier take you and your partner for a sunset voyage.  Jog around the reservoir or hire a horse drawn carriage to take you around its vast spaces. Participate in one of the many team sports; softball, ultimate Frisbee, soccer. Visit the zoo or be entertained by colorfully garbed skate dancers. Get revitalized at the Boathouse outdoor bar and restaurant or simply bring your own picnic and spread out on one of its many attractive lawns. The park is surrounded by some of the city’s foremost museums, making all of their attractions that much more appealing.

The Bois de Boulogne would be the Parisian answer to Central Park being over twice its size, however it is outside central Paris at the edge of the city.  Many similar activities can be enjoyed; horseback riding, biking; you can boat to one of its idyllically situated islands where you can stop at a restaurant and café. The grounds include the pretty Bagatelle gardens, noted for its spring tulips and roses. A children’s amusement park with a menagerie is located on its northern end and along the Seine is the Hippodrome de Longchamp a race track for thoroughbreds. A  cautionary note, the park at night, can take on the air of a red light district.

The Jardin des Tuileries located between the Louvre and the Place de Concorde, offers a charming respite, amongst abundant statuary and formal grounds, from the efforts of taking in the world’s largest museum or walking up the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. 

Back in NY, two sea side parks round out my recommendations. On Manhattan’s southern tip by the harbor –  Battery / Rockefeller Park, and on the Hudson River the aptly named – Riverside Park.  

If you can venture further afield into the outer boroughs of the Bronx and Brooklyn, their respective botanical gardens never fail to delight. While in Paris the Jardin des Plantes located on the left bank  is home for a botanical gardens and four natural history galleries.

These park’s pleasures are readily apparent in the spring and summer months, but do not neglect visiting in the autumn or winter, as even in those seasons you will undoubtedly add beauty and serenity to your day.

We recently asked our Twitter followers, blog readers and Paris Hideaways friends their suggestions for Family Friendly Paris suggestions, which resulted in the following top ten suggestions.  Enjoy the read and feel free to make further suggestions in the comment box below!

1. Cite des Sciences et l’Industrie (La Cite des Enfants)

Recommended by the most readers/followers and fans including ParisMB, the Cite des Sciences et l’Industrie is the top favorite of those travelling to Paris with kids. Science lovers young and not-so-young can enjoy the biggest science museum in Europe, which was created particularly with youth in mind. Located in the Parc de la Villette in the 19th, The Cite has a planetarium, a submarine, an IMAX theatre and a departments just for kids and teens (la cite des enfants is one of these).

Cite des Sciences et l’Industrie (La Cite des Enfants)
www.cite-sciences.fr/english/index.php

30 Avenue Corentin Cariou Paris

2. Musee des Artes et Metiers

The second most recommended on the list was yet another science museum, this time the Musée des Arts et Métiers located in the rue Réaumur in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. This somewhat misleadingly-named ‘Museum of Arts and Crafts’ boasts Foucault’s original pendulum, Formula One engines, and exhibits on everything from telecomms to quantum physics with a lot of hands on activities for kids of all ages.

Musee des Artes et Metiers

www.arts-et-metiers.net

60 rue Réaumur
Metro :  Arts et Métiers

3. The Musee National d’Histoire Naturelle / Jardin des Plantes

Also a top recommendation and perhaps the most enthusiastically recommended by one of our readers, The National Museum of Natural History Museum and the Jardin des Plantes garden surrounding the museum together act as a full day out for the whole family. There is an evolution museum  in a great hall filled with skeletons, specimens, organs and even genetic mutations! There is also a small-ish zoo, but beware – hours can be spent in this fun and walkable zoo.

The Musee National d’Histoire Naturelle / Jardin des Plantes

rue Cuvier, rue Buffon, rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire

Metro: Austerlitz

www.mnhn.fr

4. Parc de Belleville

Recommended by INVISIBLEPARIS among others, the Parc de Belleville is located on the hill of Belleville, and at 108 meters high, it is the highest park in Paris. and kids can climb a 30m tall terrace which provides panoramic views of Paris. Kids can let loose in the 1000m2 park, run among its 1200 trees, check out the 100m long waterfall fountain (the longest in Paris). There is also a purpose built wooden playground for kids, ping pong tables for all and an open-air theatre for the family to enjoy in the warmer months.

5. Jardin des Tuileries

This is the most central garden of Paris, and accordingly stunning. The Jardin des Tuileries is very near the Louvre, where you will inevitably visit at some point during your trip to Paris. During the summer the Fete Foraine is a ‘carnival’ of sorts, with a giant ferris wheel-slash-kid-magnet that adults love too, and the gardens and fountains throughout the park allow kids to run freely and safely while parents lounge in the many chairs and benches throughout the park.

1e arrondissement.

Metro:  Tuileries

6. The Musée du Quai Branly

The newest addition to the major museums in Paris is this Ethnology Museum in the 7th. The exhibits are engaging for kids and the design of the building is very entertaining as well. The museum offers not only intelligent exhibits, but scientific events, a cinema, workshops for kids and classes, and both theatre and dance.

7th Arrondissement

Rue de l’Université / Quai Branly

www.quaibranly.fr

7. Paris Metro Line 14 – Front Seat

Kids get a kick out of sitting in the front seat of Metro line 14, an automated (driverless) line which crosses the center of Paris, from Saint Lazare and Olympiades. Line 14 does happen to pass through a few tourist sites such as the Church of the Madeleine, the Ministry of Finance, the Paris-Bercy sports area and gardens, Bercy village and the National Library of France.  This was suggested by a an anonymous blog reader, and what a simple and easy idea to keep in mind to keep the kids entertained!

8. Bois de Boulogne

Slightly bigger than New York’s Central Park and over 3 times the size of Hyde Park in London, Bois de Boulongne is known as the ‘main lung’ of Paris, located on the western border of the city. Inside the park is the Jardin d’ Acclimatation, an amusement park which offers a zoo, rollercoasters, a carousel, swinging chairs, bumper cars, and even a railway, golf and a small waterpark. The lines here are almost non-existent and prices are much more economical than a trip out to one of the bigger amusement parks outside of Paris. Entrance is €2.90 per person (including kids 3 and above) with each ride costing the price of one ticket (around €2.70).

Bois de Boulogne
Western edge of the 16th Arrondissement

http://en.parisinfo.com/museum-monuments/1338/bois-de-boulogne

9. Centre Pompidou

While a modern art museum is not necessarily a place associated with Family-friendly tourism, it is the exterior design of the building that kids particularly love at Centre Pompidou, with its exposed airducts, outdoor staircases and primary-colored exterior paint-job.  Also to note: Pompidou is closed on Tuesdays, while other museums are typically closed Mondays, making this a great place to visit with kids on a Monday, especially a rainy Monday.

Centre Pompidou

4th Arrodissement

19 rue Beaubourg
www.centrepompidou.fr

10. Disneyland Paris / Parc Asterix

It is with some reluctance that we include Disneyland Paris to this list of Top 10 ‘Paris for Kids’ recommendations. Several readers suggested Disneyland including FrenchTwistDC, and the theme park is obviously aimed at children.  It is a perfect day outside of Paris, the kids will most likely love it, and so it is a safe option. Buy why go all the way to Paris and visit Disneyland?  A more original option would be Parc Asterix, an amusement park based on the comic strip stories The Adventures of Asterix located just 20 miles from Disneyland Paris.

www.disneylandparis.co.uk/index.xhtml

www.parcasterix.fr

It’s amazing how much you can fit into a weekend. Granted, my weekends are longer than most, especially this one, since I didn’t have to work on Thursday or Friday…but all the same, I saw quite a bit in four-ish days!

Thursday morning I went to the Gare du Nord to pick up my birthday present, i.e. the Brit, to begin our whirlwind tour of Paris. After dropping his bags off in the apartment, and a quick trip to the grocery store, we headed to the Luxembourg gardens for a post-lunch walk in the park.  Our tour on Thursday included a lot of walking, we made it from the Luxembourg gardens up to Notre Dame, then down along the Seine to La Place des Vosges, then back across the Seine to Ile St. Louis (where we ate the most delicious ice cream in Paris, at the original Berthillon shop, all decked out in purples and gold), then waaaaaaaay down the Seine to the Musée d’Orsay (where we learned that I can use my teaching ID card and he can use his EU passport to get in for free – and where we spent half our time watching Asian men take pictures of their wives/girlfriends posing suggestively with sculptures).  We were really knackered by the time we left the museum, so we grabbed something to eat at a restaurant in the 5e, in a small maze of streets bordered by the Seine, Bld St-Michel and Rue St-Jaques (lots of cheapish places to eat there, in case  you’re planning a visit to the city and looking to eat well on a budget).

The Brit in the Luxembourg Gardens - that's the Luxembourg palace behind him, there. Basically, the gardens were somebody's yard. Awesome, eh?

The best ice cream in Paris. Worth the money, and the wait.

The Gare is beautiful...the 1980s architectural intervention looks like it should be either a fortress or a bank, but certainly not an art museum.

Staying up late on Thursday and the subsequent late start the next morning became somewhat thematic of the Brit’s visit across the Channel. That’s not such a bad thing in Paris, where nothing opens until 10am anyway.  On Friday, as I had another training session out in Créteil, the Brit wandered around town by himself, getting into all kinds of trouble.  When I finally got back, it was almost half past seven and so we scrapped our plans to see the Eiffel tower and went to the Louvre instead (getting caught in a rainstorm along the way, so that by the time we got to the pyramids we were thoroughly soaked and my moisture-wicking socks had nowhere to wick the moisture to).  The museum was all but deserted, which meant we actually got to see the Mona Lisa (or La Joconde as the French call her) instead of a throng of Asian tourists. I must say, though, getting caught in the rain before a night visit to the Louvre is not a bad way to spend your birthday, especially for an art fiend like me!  The Louvre was followed by another late night dining experience in the 5e, this time at a restaurant where I was spoken to in Spanish twice, because I’m brown, and where the kitschy Franco-Greek themed décor was only rivaled by the 70s pop music playing over the speakers.  The food itself was quite tasty, I had escargot, duck and chocolate mousse – all good things in my book.

The pyramids at the Louvre are impressive during the day, but exquisite at night.

Another late start Saturday had us going to the 1pm showing of Funny People at the Pathé in Montmartre.  After two hours of giggling, sniggering and snorting, we wandered past Moulin Rouge (no free show there, but wait till I tell you what we saw on Sunday) and through Montmartre towards Sacré Coeur.  Turns out there was a once-a-year festival at the top of the hill, Les vendange, a celebration of the local Parisian wine grown in that quartier.  If the stalls had been giving away tastings, rather than asking for our limbs in exchange for un goût, I might have something to report with regards to the quality of Parisian wine, though my coworkers tell me it’s nothing to write home about…but we got a good view of the city from the steps leading to Sacré Coeur, and sat for a while to listen to the Afro-French musicians singing American songs: at one point, they even had a guest singer from the audience, a girl from Spain, help them with “Bohemian Rhapsody”.  After that number, we went down to the Jardin des Plantes, got kicked out at closing time by a guard enthusiastically weilding his whistle, and strolled down to Chinatown to grab dinner with some assistants.

On Sunday we thought we’d be French and take our lunch to a park.  A brief detour to the Eiffel Tower, to learn that you cannot, in fact, purchase advance tickets, though you will be able to soon (when is soon in this country, I don’t know…), we walked (a very long walk) down to the Parc André Citroën.  Now, I visited this park when I studied at Fontainebleau in 2007, and it’s one of my favorite parks in Paris. It has beautiful proportions, the side gardens are leafy and inviting, with a balance of views to promenaders and privacy, the latter of which is what probably provoked an incident in French PDA to the extreme.  The Brit and I had slipped into one of the aforementioned small gardens to grab our lunch.  There we sat, having just consumed a sandwich jambon fromage, chatting quietly, when I looked up across the garden to see a curious sight.  It’ll suffice to say that necking in the park is one thing – in fact, an intense make-out session seems to be the default mode for couples in a Parisian park – but addressing romantic issues below the belt (literally speaking) should really be done in the privacy of  your own home.  Needless to say, after a few speechless moments, the Brit and I gathered our belongings and made our exit.  Like two teenagers, we slunk away, giggling, only to happen upon a group of boys leaning over a ledge to observe the sight we had just escaped.  Their surprised yells only made us laugh harder, and by the time we had walked across the park, we were breathless with glee.

One of my favorite mini-gardens at the park. A picture from a few years ago, because I decided it would be more fun to hang out with the Brit than take pictures all day.

As Sunday was our six-month anniversary (now a day to remember, for sure), we went out to Montparnasse, where we soaked in Breton culture and cider, along with some delicious crêpes, at the Crêperie Josselin.  The dessert crêpe was amazing, a combination of chocolate, bananas and coconut ice cream flambeed in rum: mmmmm.  Perfect for the not-so-hidden sweet-tooth in the both of us.

I did have to work on Monday, my first day with students of my own, which was interesting in its own right and will warrant its own post later this week. I managed to wriggle out of work earlier than planned and met up with the Brit to grab dinner and Skype my aunt and uncle in India.

Monday was our last night together in Paris, so we thought we’d splurge by having a glass of champagne while taking in Paris aglow. After only 30 minutes waiting in line to purchase our tickets, we packed ourselves onto the first elevator – I say packed because the close quarters on that journey up the Tower has made quite clear to me the meaning of the phrase “like sardines in a can.” It’s a (mostly) glass elevator, and I was pressed firmly against its clear doors – a great view, to be sure, but for someone with my slight acrophobia, a somewhat terrifying experience.  Nonetheless, we shuffled off the first elevator and onto the second; within minutes we were at the top of the tower with a dazzling view of the City of Lights.  While we were taking in the sights, it seems we were a sight ourselves – a group of children followed us around the second floor and during our descent, whispering amongst themselves and trying not to look as though they were watching us, looking away and giggling when we caught their wide-eyed stares.

Looking East from the Eiffel Tower. My apartment is just beyond the brightly-lit dome, before the not-so-brightly lit dome (the latter being the Pantheon).

One of my professors has made it his mission to take "the right" picture of the Eiffel Tower. This might not be it, but I think the composition is quite interesting...

This morning we woke at the crack of dawn to shuttle the Brit back to Gare du Nord, and poof! at 7:15am he was gone.  It’s a strange thing, a long-distance relationship, where the highs of meeting your loved one are so quickly tugged down by your longing upon their departure.  It won’t be too long until I see him again, though, we’ve already planned a trip to Loughborough and Edinburgh at the end of the month.  Traveling the world is certainly one of the advantages of living in two different cities.

All in all, a very romantic anniversary outing indeed – it’s going to be a hard one to top!

Louis Jean Marie est né le 29 mais 1716 à Montbard,

Mort à Paris le 31 décembre 1799…

Enfin, pas pour tout le monde

Alors, fonctionnaire pressé de rentrer chez lui pour le réveillon ou décès suspect pendant la nuit qu’on a voulu passer sous silence ?

J’ai installé Snow Leopard sur mon MacBook Pro.

Du coup je suis faire un tour au Jardin des Plantes le rencontrer…

Non, là c’est un chat

Par contre, voilà une vraie panthère des neiges (snow leopard en anglais)

Les papillons sont numérotés

The multitude of parks and gardens in Paris are some of my favorite places to visit in the city.  With 35 of these, it may seem odd I would argue they are all distinct and even more so that which park or garden you chose to regular says a lot about your personality or present state of mind.  But yes, I am going to inject a little psychology into the Paris park and garden scene.  Hopefully this assessment will aid visitors to the “City of Lights”, give locals a good laugh, and provide all readers a unique insight into Parisian outdoor spaces. 

Below I discuss 7 parks and gardens: Parc Andre Citroen, Parc des Buttes Chaumont, Parc du Champ du Mars, Jardin des Halles, Jardin du Luxembourg, Parc Monsouris, and Jardin des Plantes.

1. Parc Andre Citroen: aka “The Family Guy/Gal”

This park is located in Paris’s 14eme arrondissement (or neighborhood).  What is likely most striking about this outdoor space is the sleek modernity of the architecture juxtaposed with several children’s play areas, a large greenhouse, and hot air balloon rides.  This park I would say is for the young at heart or simply those with children as it’s playgrounds, open spaces, and plethora of children are best suited for families.  The lack of shady and secluded seating areas combined with a fair amount of noise and action do not make it the ideal spot for one hoping to quietly read a book or take a romantic stroll.  However if you are looking for a modern twist on the traditional Paris park, especially for the children, go for it!

 2. Parc des Buttes Chaumont: aka “The Adventurer”

This expansive space in the 19th is without a doubt for the adventurer, the explorer, or someone looking for an outdoor haven within the city.  Key characteristics of this park are a 100ft waterfall, cliff top folly replicating the Temple de Sibylle near Rome, and suspension bridge allowing passage over the park’s large pond.  Entering the park you will find many forked paths that wind up and down the steep hills (giving the park its name of “butte”).  The hills provide great views of the city, including much of Montmartre, and many visitors choose to lay here tanning, reading, and basking in relaxation.  The varied nooks and crannies of this park make it a true adventure to explore and on sunny afternoons one can observe instructors giving boxing lessons, families picnicking, and artists sketching in these hidden spots.  Who knew that Paris could offer the kind of outdoor adventure that includes hidden grottoes, Roman ruins, 100ft waterfalls, and the seclusion of a hilltop?

3. Parc du Champ du Mars: aka “The Romantic”

 The Champ du Mars, surrounding Paris’s most famous icon: the Eiffel Tower, is truly for the romantic.  As most of us grow up as little girls (or guys) the Eiffel Tower is what is quintessentially Paris, and this doesn’t change in adulthood.  We have kitschy posters, bath towels, stationary, jewelry all dedicated to this most charming of all symbols.  The Champ du Mars, because of its situation around the Eiffel Tower, general ambiance, and many visitors, makes it the home of the Paris romantic.  Now this term doesn’t necessarily apply solely to the picnicking honeymooners, screaming study abroad kids, or the solo American traveler reading on the park bench, the magic of this park envelops the Parisians themselves.  Although I’ve heard many a Parisian describe the Eiffel Tower as gaudy, kitsch, and a horror, some still can’t seem to escape (possibly begrudgingly) the coaxing of the  Champ du Mars.  Though for some it represents all that is wrong with Paris, namely the “ugly American tourists”, many hang around the gardens and always glow with pride as the doting Americans explain how much they admire their city.  So, while some may dismiss this park as touristy and cliché, only worthy of a single obligatory visit, for me the Champ du Mars represents the idealized Paris of my childhood and romances me every time, even when my disdain for the city is almost unbearable.

4. Jardin des Halles: aka “The Chic Bohemian”

 Situated between the Centre Pompidou and the Louvre the Jardin des Halles serves as the blending of both worlds.  The elegant Paris of the 1st and the bohemian culture of the 4th (known as Le Marais).  The interesting thing about the Jardin des Halles is it really isn’t a garden at all.  Instead it consists of latticed arches lining the walkways, the glorious St. Eustache Cathedral, and an underground shopping mall?  What is best about this area isn’t the “garden” but the character of the nearby restos and their patrons.  Closer to the Centre Pompidou are many cheap and quality restaurants and this is also one of the gay centers of the city.  Closer to the Louvre are the more expensive shops of Rue de Rivoli.  Towards the center and nearer to the garden is Rue de Coquilliere, a favorite among locals and tourists alike.  This street contains two of my personal favorites in regards to restaurants/bars Au Pied de Couchon (always a friendly place for tourists) and Num(wonderful Thai food and one of the best happy hours in Paris)!  Chic with a twist.  Enjoy you bohemian you!

5. Jardin du Luxembourg: aka “The Eclectic”

The Jardin du Luxembourg is likely one of the most visited parks in Paris.  It is where Cosette and Marius of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserablesmeet and most all tourists place it on their to-do list.  Likewise, it is extremely popular with Parisians, who bring the children to the garden on the weekends to play with the sailboats in the large fountain which marks the center of the park.  There is something for everyone in this park, and I believe it may be the most versatile park on the list.  Students and those visiting solo read by the Marie de Medici Fountain, Parisian gentleman play boules, couples stroll the gardens, children ride the donkeys up and down the gravel paths, and the athletically inclined play basketball or tennis.  This may seem to be a broad description, but this eclectic park represents the living Paris with all of its families, couples, children, tourists, and even the occasional philosopher lurking in the gardens.

6. Parc Monsouris: aka “The Co-ed”

Located in the 14th near the Cite Internationale Universitaire de Paris, Parc Monsouris, offers a relaxed atmosphere that is perfect for the youthful academic.  The park caters to a wide variety of people, most all inhabitants of the 14thor those somehow associated with the university.  You will find college students having lunch on the benches, professors cutting through the pathways on their way to class, and families feeding the pond’s resident ducks.  This may be one of the most “low-key” parks in Paris.  As opposed to feeling the need to hike up and down the hills of Buttes au Chaumont or play basketball in the Jardin du Luxembourg, most visitors enjoy finding a shaded bench and staying there.  In your new-found lackadaisical state you can lean back and enjoy a book, chat with friends, or simply watch the passersby.  Like a college student you will find this is one of the best parks to just “hang”!

7. Jardin des Plantes: aka “The Kid at Heart”

The Jardin des Plantes is in a quieter part of the 5th and contains so many attractions it could be considered a small amusement park in the United States.  However, the garden is likely most famous for its menagerie, which was built in the late-eighteenth-century to house the exotic animals previously kept at Versailles.  Additionally, there are several natural history museums within the gardens gates including: The Evolution Gallery, Paleontology Museum, Mineralogy Museum, and Entomology Museum.  Extensive botanical gardens stretch throughout the park, and this is also the location of Paris’s Botanical School.  Wonders such as an outdoor labyrinth, Mexican Hothouse, and the new-born animals that lay just off the linear paths of the extensive gardens make this the ideal place for children and adults alike to explore.

C’est décidé, les Carnets de Voyages ne suivront pas d’ordre : ni chronologique, ni géographique, ni même ceux du pouvoir en place.

Je me suis donc assis sur le rebord de ma fenêtre ce matin, une feuille sur le genou, un pinceau dans une main et l’autre cramponnée à la rambarde (lutant contre le vertige), pour vous présenter cette vue de Paris au petit matin.

It is now decided, the Journeys Diaries won’t follow any order: neither chronological, nor geographical, not even those of the government.

So I sit on the edge of my window this morning, a blank sheet on one knee, a brush in one hand and the other one cramped to the rail (fighting against the vertigo dizziness), so I can give to you this sight of Paris in the early morning.

Du Jardin des Plantes est cassée

Sur la planche 3 du plan du Jardin des Plantes l’avant-dernière ligne montre que le passage « Belgique survolée de nuit », finalement intégré à la toute fin de la première partie (70), devait être placé ou a été rédigé au début (8). Deux moments donc: l’écriture et le montage, au cours duquel c’est la logique picturale qui domine, l’harmonie des mots davantage que la chronologie ou la causalité.

On trouve cette page dans le livre publié cette année aux Presses de la Sorbonne nouvelle sous la direction de Mireille Calle-Gruber, Les Triptyques de Claude Simon ou l’art du montage. L’ouvrage est accompagné d’un DVD, mettant à disposition le court-métrage l’Impasse et deux émissions dont un Apostrophe qui le met face à Pierre Boulez. Beau programme pendant lequel Boulez évoque la « périodicité » à l’oeuvre dans le travail de Simon: leitmotivs, réemplois, résonances.

On y trouve aussi ceci, à la page 139, dans la reproduction d’un article de lui paru dans les Lettres françaises de 1958, répondant à la question “Qu’est-ce que l’avant-garde en 1958?” :

« Surtout l’artiste ou l’écrivain se défie des interprétations: il regarde avec soin, dresse patiemment des inventaires (Molloy compte et recompte ses cailloux), limite ses objectifs. Le champ de la vision se rétrécit volontairement, l’attention se fait plus aiguë, se concentre: c’est la fin de l’homme-orchestre, du touche-à-tout. Tintoret, rapporte la tradition, était capable de peindre en quinze jours une immense Crucifixion aux innombrables personnages; Cézanne peinait des mois pour « copier » (mais de quelle façon!), un visage, trois pommes; Van Gogh voit dans un coin de prairie autant de merveilles que Véronèse dans les monumentales « Noces de Cana ». Pareillement, alors que Tolstoï remue les héros à la pelle, Michel Leiris rapportant, ou plutôt « observant », une idylle – à peine formulée – entre lui et une putain de bousbir, a écrit un des plus authentiques et rares chef-d’oeuvres de la littérature française ».

Comme il y a un « oeil du quattrocento », identifié par Michael Baxandall, il y a chez Claude Simon “un oeil du court 20ème siècle”, celui des grandes catastrophes, qui a fait perdre à bon nombre d’artistes l’illusion d’une compréhension totale du monde, expression de la toute puissance du génie créateur. Un “oeil-caméra”. Le cadre est moins large, l’objet d’étude plus limité, mais l’image peut être plus exacte. Un autre réalisme.

Quelques lignes plus haut, après avoir comparé le travail du romancier à celui du scientifique:

“Une seule règle : la précision”.

Le Jardin des Plantes, p.1011 (édition de la Pléiade) :

« Survolées de nuit on ne voit de la Hollande et de la Belgique qu’un vaste réseau de lumières Chapelets égrenés en lignes qui s’entrecroisent divergent courent parfois parallèlement (triangles étoiles carrefours constellations) à perte de vue Mailles d’un filet tendu sur les ténèbres où dorment Densité de population. A peine parfois quelques rares zones noires (ou peut-être un nuage voilant?). »

Les Anneaux de Saturne, p.112-114:

« Le petit avion à hélice qui assure la liaison entre Amsterdam et Norwich commença par grimper à la rencontre du soleil avant de virer vers l’ouest. Au-dessous de nous s’étendaient l’une des régions les plus peuplées d’Europe: rangées interminables d’immeubles identiques, gigantesques cités-dortoirs, business parks et serres étincelantes paraissant dériver tels de gros icebergs sur la terre exploitée jusque dans les moindres recoins. Une activité plusieurs fois séculaire de régulation, de culture et de construction avait transformé toute la superficie du sol en un canevas géométrique. Les routes, les voies navigables et ferrées couraient en lignes droites et en courbes légères entre les parcelles de pâtures ou de bois, des bassins et des réservoirs. Comme sur un abaque conçu pour calculer à l’infini, les véhicules glissaient le long de leur voie étroite, tandis que les bateaux qui remontaient ou descendaient le courant donnaient l’impression d’être à jamais immobiles. Un domaine entouré d’îlots d’arbres était encastré dans cette trame régulière comme un vestige des temps anciens. Je vis l’ombre de notre avion passer rapidement sur des haies et des palissades, des rangées de peupliers et des canaux. Un tracteur rampait, traçant un sillon comme tiré au cordeau dans un champ moissonné, le divisant en deux moitiés, l’une claire, l’autre plus sombre. Cependant, l’on ne voyait nulle part âme qui vive. Que l’on survole Terre-Neuve ou, à la tombée de la nuit, les myriades de lumières qui scintillent entre Boston et Philadelphie, que l’on survole les déserts nacrés d’Arabie, la région de la Ruhr ou celle de Francfort, toujours on dirait qu’il n’y a pas du tout d’hommes, qu’il n’y a que ce qu’ils ont créé et ce dans quoi ils se cachent. On voit leurs habitations et les chemins qui les relient, on voit la fumée qui monte de leurs maisons et de leurs lieux de production, on voit les véhicules dans lesquels ils sont assis, mais les hommes eux-mêmes, on ne les voit pas. Et pourtant, ils sont présents sur toute la surface de la terre, se multiplient d’heure en heure, se meuvent à travers les alvéoles des tours qui se dressent haut dans le ciel et sont pris dans une trame de plus en plus serrée et d’une complexité qui dépasse

l’imagination de chaque individu, que ce soit, comme autrefois, dans les milliers de filins et de câbles des mines de diamants d’Afrique du Sud, ou comme aujourd’hui, dans le réseau des informations circulant inlassablement tout autour de la terre, à travers les quartiers de bureaux et les agences des places boursières. Lorsque nous nous observons de là-haut, il est terrifiant de constater combien peu de choses nous savons sur nous-mêmes, sur notre raison d’être et notre fin, pensai-je tandis que nous laissions la côte derrière nous et volions par-dessus la mer d’un vert gélatineux ».

J’ai cru un moment que Sebald avait souhaité, dans ce passage des Anneaux, rendre un hommage au Jardin des Plantes.  Il existe d’ailleurs des preuves matérielles de l’influence du récit de Simon sur Sebald, mais elles concernent Austerlitz. Il s’agit de l’exemplaire de poche du Jardin des Plantes appartenant à Sebald, qui porte sur la dernière page les premières notes relatives au personnage éponyme du récit, et qui a été présenté lors d’une exposition à Marbach, près de Stuttgart. Dans Austerlitz un passage du Jardin, celui évoquant le destin du peintre italien Gastone Novelli (JdP p.913, 915, 919; Austerlitz p.35-37) est par ailleurs explicitement cité.
Le récit les Anneaux de Saturne a paru en allemand en 1995, tandis que le Jardin des Plantes était publié en 1997. C’est donc Claude Simon qui a pu lire cet extrait de Sebald et s’en inspirer, mais c’est peu probable. La traduction française de Patrick Charbonneau n’a en effet été publiée qu’en 1999.

Reste donc une commune fascination pour les paysages survolés. Visions d’un monde grandiose et inhumain. Point de vue faussement illimité et dominant sur les choses, à la fois choisi par ces deux mélancoliques, et imposé par la vitesse des transports de l’âge industriel (1). Douceur, pureté, beauté des lignes tracées par d’inquiétants réseaux, sont ici captées dans la région matricielle de la modernité.

Plus haut dans le Jardin des Plantes (p.957-958), une même attraction du vide au cœur des espaces, inhabités cette fois-ci, de l’Asie centrale.

« D’avion, le Kazakhstan offre à perte de vue une surface ocre, sans relief apparent, sans une ville, sans un village, sans même une ferme, une route, un sentier. La seule manifestation d’activité humaine c’est, à un moment, une voie de chemin de fer qui s’étire, absolument droite, comme tracée à la règle, sans une courbe, sans même la plus légère inflexion, venant apparemment de nulle part et ne menant nulle part, comme le rêve absurde d’un ingénieur fou . Ici et là apparaissent des étangs (ou peut-être des lacs, comment savoir de si haut?…), la plupart de forme à peu près circulaire. Lorsque les rayons du soleil se reflètent à leur surface elle est semblable à de l’étain, une taie sur un oeil d’aveugle (gelés?).»

Ailleurs chez Sebald l’usage de l’autre transport moderne par excellence, le train, accuse encore la sensation de malaise, surtout quand il traverse le pays natal:

Vertiges, p.225

« Même dans les rues des villes il y avait davantage d’autos que de gens à pied. Il semblait assurément que notre espèce avait fait place à une autre ou du moins que si nous continuions à vivre, c’était dans une sorte de captivité. »

Et quelques lignes plus loin:

« Cet aménagement du sud-ouest de l’Allemagne finit au bout de plusieurs heures de tortures toujours plus intenses par me convaincre que mes synapses étaient désormais soumises à un processus de destruction irréversible » (Traduction de Patrick Charbonneau)

D’autres lieux et objets communs aux deux écrivains: la banlieue, la mine, les monstres aquatiques.

Notes:

1. On peut lire à ce sujet Marc Desportes, Paysages en mouvement, Gallimard, Bibliothèque illustrée des Histoires, 2005

Pour vendre une place pour le concert de Johnny au Jardin des Plantes

En rose

Après 6 mois de fermeture, la galerie de minéralogie et de géologie du Muséum national d’histoire naturelle a réouvert ses portes le 8 avril, au coeur du Jardin des plantes (5e arrondissement). L’occasion d’y découvrir ou redécouvrir non seulement sa collection permanente de météorites, cristaux et minéraux, mais aussi l’exposition “Or des Amériques” : de l’Amérique du sud précolombienne à la ruée vers l’or californienne ou aux orpailleurs de Guyane française, une histoire du plus précieux des métaux à voir jusqu’au 11 janvier 2010.

Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle – Galerie de Minéralogie
36 rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire Paris 5e
Métro 10, 5 ou 7 (Jussieu, Gare d’Austerlitz)

Tous les jours de 10 h à 18 h, sauf le mardi et le 1er mai.
Tarif plein : 8 euros / Tarif réduit : 6 euros

My first full day in Paris was accompanied by glorious sunshine. Everyone was well up for a walk in the park so we caught the RER down to Cité for my first peep at Parc Montsouris in the flesh. (The park along with other 14th arrondissement landmarks feature in possibly my favourite film of all time, Cleo de 5 à 7, which by the looks of things will be on at the BFI next month as part of the Nouvelle Vague season, but I’ll leave it with that recommendation for now and enthuse about Agnès Varda some other time. She’s 80 now by the way, and her latest film should be out here soon. Okay I’ll stop.)

I lived in Paris for three years and never managed to drag my arse past Montparnasse to see Montsouris, but Regents Park it ain’t. Tiddly like most of Paris’s intra muros green spaces, any vista will always feature buildings in the background, unless you stand about a foot away from a tree and stare at it. There’s also a railway line running right through the middle of Montsouris. Still we grabbed a coffee from the Souris Verte café kiosk and spread ourselves out on the grass. It was too nice not to. We met a cat being taken for a walk, petted a train of ponies and resisted the temptation to buy a ticket for the park’s puppet theatre, which looked from the outside like a slightly more upmarket Punch & Judy.

We kept walking. The sun was warm, the air fresh. We headed northeast, the river our vague target until a familiar refrain rang out — “Hang on, I know a bar round here,” said my friend and host, who also happens to be good for a bon adresse for a glass of red in every quartier. I let her lead me to Butte aux Cailles, another part of Paris I’d never seen nor even heard of before. Imagine Montmartre without the tourists, or the Canal St Martin without the water. Somewhere in between is Butte aux Cailles. Unfortunately the bar she knew was closed so we tried out the Salon de Thé L’Oisivethe. The tea was good — I had ‘hammam’ flavoured red bush, which I’m sure featured fig — but I’m not going to recommend the place because it was over-priced (I had a slice of no-frills coconut cake cut from a loaf that cost €5) and the ambience was not so hot (kind of cramped, with slackish service, and despite all the knick knackery more try-hard than cosy).

Butte aux Cailles could be considered advanced level Paris, meaning that you’ll probably need to have developed a sensibility for Paris through visiting other sites before clicking onto why Parisians find the place so charmant. I imagine that the neighbourhood’s allure would be most evident on a sunny evening, but as ours was a sunny afternoon there wasn’t much in the way of pavement café action. We moved on.

Via Place d’Italie (a roundabout dominated by the anomaly of a shopping centre/cinema complex that would be better suited to somewhere more provincial than Paris’s 13th arrondissement) our destination was to be the Jardin des Plantes, which is attached to Paris’s natural history museum. Passing another Cléo landmark, the giant Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital (me: “Shall we go in?” My friend: “Er, no?”), we ended up taking the long way round, skirting past Paris’s only state-funded mosque, the scene of many an extravagantly poured mint tea. A stroll through our third park of the day in the golden evening light was typical of the kind of delights that only Paris can dream up for its visitors. (The omitted second park was a tiny strip of greenery we happened upon near Butte aux Cailles.)

Light is different wherever you go, just like the clouds can be and your view on the stars. But what can be special about park strolls in Paris is the fine white gravel preferred for the paths, that bounces the light around in a similar way to snow.

At this point we metroed it up to Belleville and got down and dirty with some damn fine Vietnamese noodles for dinner. (If I can find the name of the restaurant then I’ll write it up. Otherwise I’ll have to forget that one as I left the guide I had with me behind for my Paris-dwelling friend. That’s two recommendations now — Agnès Varda and the latest Time Out guide to Paris, called maybe Paris 2009, costing £5.99 or £6.99 and looking like a chunky magazine.) We rounded the night off with a stroll along Rue Oberkampf and the bars of Menilmontant. I don’t know why but we didn’t stop. I think that by that point we’d settled into a tourist-like trance, drinking it in with our eyes. The metro saw us home eventually, Line 4 clattering north allowing our feet a well-earned break. The break for mine continued well into the next day — while my friend left for work early on Sunday, I stayed in until after lunch when it was time to take a train from the Gare du Nord, not back to the UK, worse than that — to le Nord.

P.S. The French are a bit odd. I’m not going to not say that for the sake of not being racist. I’d even go so far as to say they can be just plain weird. Outside the Cité RER stop was a man handing out fliers — ‘Missing: Silver Thunder, a beautiful pure-blood bay-coloured horse’. Do people lose horses in parks very often in Paris? Is Silver Thunder in an alley somewhere near Montsouris nosing through rubbish bins and wondering how he’ll get home?

This flier makes an excellent contrast to the images of a dedicated horse butchers (which are not, in fact, rareties) and of a supermarket rack full of sausages all made from horse. I told you they’re odd.

Vous avez toujours rêvé de voir des petits pandas et des orangs-outans? La ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes peut exaucer ce souhait. A partir du 1^er avril, prenez votre petit cousin comme prétexte et venez rencontrer les soigneurs de la Ménagerie du jardin des plantes devant la loge des animaux. Comportement, alimentation, soins: ils vous raconteront tout.

Planning: les orangs-outans à 14h45, les petits pandas à 16h15. Le mercredi 1er avril, puis du 4 avril au 3 mai tous les jours, puis du 6 mai au 28 juin les mercredis, samedis, dimanches et fêtes.

Infos pratiques:

La Ménagerie du Jardin des plantes rue Cuvier, rue Buffon, place Valhubert, 75005 Paris. Métro Gare d’Austerlitz ou Jussieu. Ouvert tous les jours de 9h à 18h. Tarif plein: 7 euros. Réduit (enfant de 4 à 13 ans, famille nombreuse): 5 euros. Gratuit pour les enfants de moins de 4 ans.

HF.

[NB: A word to the wise, read this in chunks.  It's long.]

Défoncé de vie… ou le jazz!  Saturday night was the best night in Paris so far… possibly the best night I’ve had in a very long while.  I mean we’re talking wicked awesome.

I was going to tell the story and insert pictures along the way – but I don’t have the space for that ; ) too many pictures.  So I’ll sum up the day.  I got up at 11ish, even though the little kids I live with woke me up many times before then… Anyway, it was all good.  I took a shower, did some stuff, whatevs, and went out to meet a group of classmates at M° Juisseu (i.e. the metro stop called Juisseu) — (pic 2).  I was early so I sat down to a coffee in the mean time (pic 1).  It’s really hard to not spend money here..!

Anyway, we were meeting because we had this assignment for our French class (starting Monday) to go to this district, follow some specific directions and find some specific things in the district.  It was pretty cool, as you’ll see in the photos below.  Our location was the Jardin des Plantes – literally “Garden of Plants” – which admittedly sounds boring and obvious, but there was a lot more than just plants in this garden.  In fact, we didn’t get to see much or all of it at all, and I plan on going back in the later spring, when all those plants are actually in bloom..! (pics 3-15)

It was mostly fun because of two things: one, we were at the mosque Paris, Je T’aime (pics 5, 15)!  Two, we made a wrong turn and found ourselves in a tiny little neighborhood with lots of neat little shops (pics 16-19).  We found La Maison des Tartes, where they had lots of neat tartes (savory and sweet) and we decided to eat there (pics 20-21).  I got a tarte chevres et pommes for my meal (goat cheese and apple – weird but really good), and then a tarte abricots et pistaches for dessert (apricot and pistachio – weird, and still really good).  It was such a great find, we were all so happy to have gotten lost..!

Next we ran off to a comédie française – but not the Comédie Française.  I don’t know, apparently there’s a difference.  It was a play about a French woman who marries an Arab man – sort of a modern take on Romeo and Juliet, but very French.  The number of arabs is a major political subject in France.  At any rate, I understood probably half of it, and only really laughed maybe five times… it was alright.

After that, Mark Anthony and I went back home, bought a baguette, some cheese, and some wine, and had it as our pseudo-dinner/snack.  But very french (pics 22-23)!  Then we went out to find a JAZZ CLUB!  I was so giddy!  The two of us met Jillian, Samantha, and Gerald, three other people on the trip, at around 8:20pm down in the 6ieme arrondissement to walk around and try and find a jazz club.  We found one – but the woman at the door suggested we come back at 11pm.  Well  great, we had 2.5hrs to kill then.  So we kept walking for nearly an hour until finally while looking at a menu we were practically pulled into a restaurant by the hostess there.  But as it turned out, it didn’t matter – it was a great little place, and though a bit expensive, it was a great way to pass the time (pics 24-30).

A couple of glasses of wine later (for me, and a meal later for everyone else), we were on our way out to our long-awaited jazz club.  We probably got there at 11:15pm, and were showed to a table.  We ordered our wine, and Mark Anthony and I ordered some cheese & bread, and we sat there listening to a jazz trio for hours.  A vocalist/pianist/harmonica-ist was accompanied by a guitarist and a percussionist/trombonist.  It was SO cool.

The first few songs, I was too giddy and happy to be there, I couldn’t have cared less whether the music was even any good – I just loved it!  But, after a while and some light chatting (and some wine), I relaxed a bit, only to discover that I felt there were some … how shall we say … musical shortcomings.  Don’t get me wrong, it was great – but not quite perfect.  I came to the conclusion that while each of the musicians were great, they needed a lot more space (that’s my father talking…)!  The pianist never let up, he just kept hammering away.  It was good hammering, but it was continuous hammering.  I walked out of there Saturday night extremely giddy and excited, yes, but also telling Mark Anthony that I needed a jazz club with a stand up bass, a drum set, and a clarinet.  That’s all.

Cue Sunday at around 11am: I wake up and get ready for the day.  At around noon, Christine (our host mom) was nice enough to make us lunch, and we all ate together as one big happy host/hosted family!  She made pintade (guinea fowl in English..?) and most impressively, une galette des rois (pic 31)!

The French have a tradition of making this cake and eating it on Epiphany (La Fête des Rois) – and inside the cake is a little fèvre – a bean, or in this case a tiny ceramic shepherd-figure.  When the cake is being cut and served, the youngest child goes under the table and dictates who gets each piece, so if the fèvre is accidentally visible no one can control where it ends up.  Well, Stanislas didn’t follow that so well (he dictated every piece to himself) so Elisabeth had to help out.  In the end – Stanislas got the fèvre (which I think is good luck for the year), and chose his sister Elisabeth as sa reine (his queen).  But of course, Mark Anthony and I had to try on the crowns (pic 32)…

After lunch, I went online looking around for more information on jazz clubs.  I just happened to find a George Gershwin homage show (double bass, piano, set) playing in A HOUR OH MY GOSH I MUST RUSH.  I told Jillian and Sam about it quick, and we all got ready quick and headed out.  Luckily we made it to the show at the Sunset Sunside a bit early so we got seats literally right in front of the trio – we could’ve put our feet up on the stage.  And it was great – this pianist was incredibly colorful, and he didn’t have a guitar to battle with, just a bass and a drummer.  And the drummer was also amazing – Aaron, I wish you could have seen him.  Wow.

We wanted to return for the “Jam Session” at 9pm, three hours after the show got out, so we wandered around, had a dinner and a coffee, and then made our way back to Sunset Sunside.  Nothing had changed, they were still amazing, and Mark Anthony met up with us (pic 33).  And, since it was a jam session, people from the audience legit just got up every once in a while with an instrument and asked to play or sing along.  It was incredible – I have every intention of returning every Sunday.  Also, the waitress was cute.  : p

At any rate, this is a 1200-word post.  Apparently a lot can happen in two days in Paris!  But I should have been in bed a half hour ago, so I’ll be doing that now.  Goodnight, world!