I flew into Washington yesterday, after an uneventful flight, and got a little emotional as we descended onto the airport runway. Everything looked the same, but I was returning as a visitor for the first time in 13 years, and it felt different. I am staying with friends here in Washington for the weekend, and will see my church family and sing with my home choir on Sunday at Western Presbyterian Church and attend a concert of the Washington Bach Consort on Sunday afternoon.
Then I will take a bus to New York City and stay there for a few days to visit with my friends Vi and Joanne, and to do some Christmas shopping! On Christmas Eve I will take the bus to Springfield, where I hope Kenny and Chris will pick me up for the trek to Amherst and the Christmas eve service at First Congregational Church in Amherst.
I'll be with my family in Amherst and Boylston for the rest of my stay in the States, until I take off from Boston on January 2nd - arriving back in Nice on the 3rd.
I wish all my friends and readers an illuminating Winter Solstice, a festive Hannukah, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! See you in 2009!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Paris in Three Days
I just returned from three wonderful days in Paris. The ostensible reason for the trip was to attend a Barnard Club of Paris event on Thursday evening. But it was also an excellent excuse to visit Paris again (after my brief two days in September), and to spend a little more time with my Paris friends, Olivier and Jean Yves.
Day One: Eiffel Tower and Barnard Club
I flew up on EasyJet into Orly airport on Thursday morning, and took the train into Gare Montparnasse, which was in the same neighborhood as the evening's event. I checked my luggage into a consigne (luggage locker), and took off for the Eiffel Tower on the Métro. I had wanted to see the Tower on my last visit, but hadn't had enough time. So it was the first thing I wanted to do on this trip. It was a sunny and clear day, perfect to see the city. I chose to walk up the first two étages (floors), and then take the elevator to the top. The walk was pretty easy for me, and it was fun to gradually rise up over the city as I ascended the stairs. There were definitely tourists, but there were lots of open spaces to wander around on the platform and see the city. I spent almost two hours in the Tower; I bought a café crème to enjoy and warm up on the second floor – despite the sun, it was very cold!
After descending the stairs, I walked from the Tower east along the Seine, heading back in the direction of the Barnard Club event off of Boulevard Montparnasse. Along the way, I found the American Church in Paris (a nondenominational church), and lots of lovely views, including the rising full moon. I had lots of time before the 6:30 p.m. event, so I stopped along the rue de Rennes near the train station for tea and a citron tarte - and to warm up. It was still freezing!
The Club event was in Reid Hall, a university location for several American schools, including Barnard and Columbia, with undergraduates and graduate programs in Paris. The evening featured a Barnard professor, José Moya, who spoke on Immigration and its Discontents in the U.S. and Europe. The audience included Barnard graduates living in Paris, as well as a professor at Reid Hall, and the husband of a professor, and Professor Moya's wife and daughter. I had the fun experience of seeing, for the first time in 24 years, one of my former track mates, Ginny Power. She's been living in Paris for 19 years, and has a daughter currently applying to colleges. Her daughter loved Barnard, and will be applying, but Ginny is anxious, of course. I know the feeling! Professor Moya's talk was very interesting, and there were a good amount of questions and discussion with the professor afterward. Barnard women never disappoint!
I headed up to my hosts' home in the 20th arrondisement via the Métro after the club meeting ended, where Olivier was waiting to greet me. Jean Yves was working in Grenoble for the week; he would return the next evening. Olivier fed me, happily, and we caught up before he headed off to bed. The next day he would be working, leaving me to explore Paris on my own.
Day Two: Champs-Elysée and the Louvre
I slept in on Friday, worried about the extreme change in temperatures, and my body's acclimation thereto - and seriously worried about getting sick before the holidays and my trip back to the States. I got up around 10, went for a run in the nearby park (Parc de Buttes Chaumont), and once I'd had a shower and something to eat, it was after noon. I headed out to take the Métro to the Champs-Elysée, my plan was to walk down the avenue and end up at the Louvre, another place I hadn’t been inside for at least twenty years.
I got off the train at the Champs-Elysée-Clemenceau stop, and emerged from underground to see white tents/kiosks lining the avenue, part of the Marché de Noel downtown. These Christmas villages/shops are traditional in across Europe, but I remember particularly the Christmas markt I visited in Stuttgart last year. Hot red wine (vin chaud in France, gluwein in Germany) is a traditional drink for sale at these markets. There were plenty of artsy things to buy, but I headed up to see the President’s home, the Palais de L’Elysée, first. I am quite taken with government and politics, and I thought it would be fun to see one of the places I see on TV all the time here. There were plenty of guards around the Palais; and a large group of Asians taking pictures on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré at the entrance.
I headed back to the Grand Palais, which turned out to be a museum (this I did not know), and there was at least one exhibition I thought of visiting, but the line for the Pablo Picasso exhibit was long, and I decided that the Louvre would still be my destination for museum-ing. As I circled back to the Champs-Elysée, I passed the statue of Georges Clemenceau. It hadn’t occurred to me until then, but I live just off the avenue Georges Clemenceau here in Nice. From Wikipedia: “Clemenceau was a French statesman, physician and journalist. He served as the prime minister of France from 1906-1909 and 1917-1920. For nearly the final year of World War I he led France, and was one of the major voices behind the Treaty of Versailles. He is commonly nicknamed le Tigre (the Tiger) and le Père-la-Victoire (Father Victory) for his determination as a wartime leader.” I just learned something. ;-)
Back on the Champs-Elysée, I headed east toward the Place de la Concorde, with its large obelisk in the center of the roundabout. I took a picture of the obelisk against the Ferris Wheel that stands at the west end of the Tuilerie Gardens (Jardins des Tuileries). The sun was still out, and as I walked down the garden toward the Louvre, there were people sitting on chairs around a fountain, trying to get the most from the remaining sunshine in the freezing temperatures.
The Louvre was not very busy at 2:30 in the afternoon, happily for me. When I was in Rome, the tour guide told me that the tourists come back in mid-December; they clearly had not come back to Paris yet. It took seconds to go through security and then a moment to buy a ticket to the galleries. I chose to head for an exhibit of French sculptures. It was quite extensive, and filled some indoor gardens and several galleries. As it would happen, the famous Venus de Milo statue was in one of the grand staircases I went down; and I found Da Vinci's Mona Lisa on display along my travels as well. Again, some tourists, but not huge crowds by any means. A very pleasant visit!
I left the Louvre around 4:30, and headed out to find the magasin (shop) where Olivier had recommended I buy my paté. At Christmas time in France, champagne, foie gras and caviar are the traditional gifts for the Christmas dinner. I decided I would bring some paté back to my French-loving sister-in-law who will be making Christmas dinner for our family (and I’ll probably bring some champagne too). I found the small shop fairly easily, and with some pictures, and some basic understanding of the differences in patés (entier, morceaux, bloc), I bought a few for my trip home.
It was now close to 5, and the crowds were out shopping in the Paris streets. Many shops close between 2 and 4 and reopen until 7 or so. And of course, folks were heading out of work on their way home. I found a pedestrian way, the rue de Montorgueil, and wandered in and out of shops filled with chocolates, cheese, olive oil, wine and pastries. I decided to buy some petite buchettes (small bouche de noel pastries, chocolate, coffee and praline) for dinner (dessert) that evening with Jean Yves and Olivier. By then, I was exhausted from walking and being cold, so I got back on the Métro to the Jourdain stop and was able to take a nap before Olivier arrived home to make dinner.
Olivier made a lovely traditional dinner of vegetable soup, followed by pasta with tomato sauce, and of course, baguette and cheese, and then the buchettes I had brought for dessert. Jean Yves returned home around 9:30 p.m. from his business trip, so our dinner lasted until midnight. We decided we would sleep in in the morning!
Day Three: Musée Jacquemart-André
We did not get up until around 10:30 the next morning; we had coffee and breakfast, and then prepared for the arrival of another guest, Marie-Joseph, expected around noon. Olivier went off to do some shopping; Marie-Joseph arrived around 12:30. Jean Yves had suggested we head for a museum he liked very much, the Musée Jacquemart-André on boulevard Haussman. I needed to leave for the airport and my flight home around 4, we decided, which meant that we would head directly for the museum (bypassing lunch). And we did. And the museum was lovely, a mansion in the heart of Paris, built by a wealthy banker, and filled with art that he and his artist wife found around Europe and beyond. Take a look.
We had time for tea and pastries at the museum café before we left, which was a great idea – but then we had to scamper a little to make sure I got on a train to Orly…but it all worked out, and I made it back to Nice with no problems. And lots of pictures with which to remember my trip. I’ll be back!
Day One: Eiffel Tower and Barnard Club
I flew up on EasyJet into Orly airport on Thursday morning, and took the train into Gare Montparnasse, which was in the same neighborhood as the evening's event. I checked my luggage into a consigne (luggage locker), and took off for the Eiffel Tower on the Métro. I had wanted to see the Tower on my last visit, but hadn't had enough time. So it was the first thing I wanted to do on this trip. It was a sunny and clear day, perfect to see the city. I chose to walk up the first two étages (floors), and then take the elevator to the top. The walk was pretty easy for me, and it was fun to gradually rise up over the city as I ascended the stairs. There were definitely tourists, but there were lots of open spaces to wander around on the platform and see the city. I spent almost two hours in the Tower; I bought a café crème to enjoy and warm up on the second floor – despite the sun, it was very cold!
After descending the stairs, I walked from the Tower east along the Seine, heading back in the direction of the Barnard Club event off of Boulevard Montparnasse. Along the way, I found the American Church in Paris (a nondenominational church), and lots of lovely views, including the rising full moon. I had lots of time before the 6:30 p.m. event, so I stopped along the rue de Rennes near the train station for tea and a citron tarte - and to warm up. It was still freezing!
The Club event was in Reid Hall, a university location for several American schools, including Barnard and Columbia, with undergraduates and graduate programs in Paris. The evening featured a Barnard professor, José Moya, who spoke on Immigration and its Discontents in the U.S. and Europe. The audience included Barnard graduates living in Paris, as well as a professor at Reid Hall, and the husband of a professor, and Professor Moya's wife and daughter. I had the fun experience of seeing, for the first time in 24 years, one of my former track mates, Ginny Power. She's been living in Paris for 19 years, and has a daughter currently applying to colleges. Her daughter loved Barnard, and will be applying, but Ginny is anxious, of course. I know the feeling! Professor Moya's talk was very interesting, and there were a good amount of questions and discussion with the professor afterward. Barnard women never disappoint!
I headed up to my hosts' home in the 20th arrondisement via the Métro after the club meeting ended, where Olivier was waiting to greet me. Jean Yves was working in Grenoble for the week; he would return the next evening. Olivier fed me, happily, and we caught up before he headed off to bed. The next day he would be working, leaving me to explore Paris on my own.
Day Two: Champs-Elysée and the Louvre
I slept in on Friday, worried about the extreme change in temperatures, and my body's acclimation thereto - and seriously worried about getting sick before the holidays and my trip back to the States. I got up around 10, went for a run in the nearby park (Parc de Buttes Chaumont), and once I'd had a shower and something to eat, it was after noon. I headed out to take the Métro to the Champs-Elysée, my plan was to walk down the avenue and end up at the Louvre, another place I hadn’t been inside for at least twenty years.
I got off the train at the Champs-Elysée-Clemenceau stop, and emerged from underground to see white tents/kiosks lining the avenue, part of the Marché de Noel downtown. These Christmas villages/shops are traditional in across Europe, but I remember particularly the Christmas markt I visited in Stuttgart last year. Hot red wine (vin chaud in France, gluwein in Germany) is a traditional drink for sale at these markets. There were plenty of artsy things to buy, but I headed up to see the President’s home, the Palais de L’Elysée, first. I am quite taken with government and politics, and I thought it would be fun to see one of the places I see on TV all the time here. There were plenty of guards around the Palais; and a large group of Asians taking pictures on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré at the entrance.
I headed back to the Grand Palais, which turned out to be a museum (this I did not know), and there was at least one exhibition I thought of visiting, but the line for the Pablo Picasso exhibit was long, and I decided that the Louvre would still be my destination for museum-ing. As I circled back to the Champs-Elysée, I passed the statue of Georges Clemenceau. It hadn’t occurred to me until then, but I live just off the avenue Georges Clemenceau here in Nice. From Wikipedia: “Clemenceau was a French statesman, physician and journalist. He served as the prime minister of France from 1906-1909 and 1917-1920. For nearly the final year of World War I he led France, and was one of the major voices behind the Treaty of Versailles. He is commonly nicknamed le Tigre (the Tiger) and le Père-la-Victoire (Father Victory) for his determination as a wartime leader.” I just learned something. ;-)
Back on the Champs-Elysée, I headed east toward the Place de la Concorde, with its large obelisk in the center of the roundabout. I took a picture of the obelisk against the Ferris Wheel that stands at the west end of the Tuilerie Gardens (Jardins des Tuileries). The sun was still out, and as I walked down the garden toward the Louvre, there were people sitting on chairs around a fountain, trying to get the most from the remaining sunshine in the freezing temperatures.
The Louvre was not very busy at 2:30 in the afternoon, happily for me. When I was in Rome, the tour guide told me that the tourists come back in mid-December; they clearly had not come back to Paris yet. It took seconds to go through security and then a moment to buy a ticket to the galleries. I chose to head for an exhibit of French sculptures. It was quite extensive, and filled some indoor gardens and several galleries. As it would happen, the famous Venus de Milo statue was in one of the grand staircases I went down; and I found Da Vinci's Mona Lisa on display along my travels as well. Again, some tourists, but not huge crowds by any means. A very pleasant visit!
I left the Louvre around 4:30, and headed out to find the magasin (shop) where Olivier had recommended I buy my paté. At Christmas time in France, champagne, foie gras and caviar are the traditional gifts for the Christmas dinner. I decided I would bring some paté back to my French-loving sister-in-law who will be making Christmas dinner for our family (and I’ll probably bring some champagne too). I found the small shop fairly easily, and with some pictures, and some basic understanding of the differences in patés (entier, morceaux, bloc), I bought a few for my trip home.
It was now close to 5, and the crowds were out shopping in the Paris streets. Many shops close between 2 and 4 and reopen until 7 or so. And of course, folks were heading out of work on their way home. I found a pedestrian way, the rue de Montorgueil, and wandered in and out of shops filled with chocolates, cheese, olive oil, wine and pastries. I decided to buy some petite buchettes (small bouche de noel pastries, chocolate, coffee and praline) for dinner (dessert) that evening with Jean Yves and Olivier. By then, I was exhausted from walking and being cold, so I got back on the Métro to the Jourdain stop and was able to take a nap before Olivier arrived home to make dinner.
Olivier made a lovely traditional dinner of vegetable soup, followed by pasta with tomato sauce, and of course, baguette and cheese, and then the buchettes I had brought for dessert. Jean Yves returned home around 9:30 p.m. from his business trip, so our dinner lasted until midnight. We decided we would sleep in in the morning!
Day Three: Musée Jacquemart-André
We did not get up until around 10:30 the next morning; we had coffee and breakfast, and then prepared for the arrival of another guest, Marie-Joseph, expected around noon. Olivier went off to do some shopping; Marie-Joseph arrived around 12:30. Jean Yves had suggested we head for a museum he liked very much, the Musée Jacquemart-André on boulevard Haussman. I needed to leave for the airport and my flight home around 4, we decided, which meant that we would head directly for the museum (bypassing lunch). And we did. And the museum was lovely, a mansion in the heart of Paris, built by a wealthy banker, and filled with art that he and his artist wife found around Europe and beyond. Take a look.
We had time for tea and pastries at the museum café before we left, which was a great idea – but then we had to scamper a little to make sure I got on a train to Orly…but it all worked out, and I made it back to Nice with no problems. And lots of pictures with which to remember my trip. I’ll be back!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Christmas in Nice
Tonight was the opening of the Village de Noel in downtown Nice. Priscilla and I reached the festivities at dusk, and rather than wait to hear the politicians talk (they are pushing the candidacy of Nice for the 2018 Winter Olympics), we headed for the Ferris Wheel. We had a great view of the setting sun over the sea and the horizon. Then we checked out the vendor stalls (been there, done that), bought and ate freshly cooked gingerbread, bought and ate freshly roasted chestnuts (Pris), and bought and drank hot wine (Ari). We watched a "spectacle" as they call them in French, or an ice show, as we would call it, performed by local skaters. We wandered through the children's village and saw performers and face painters. And then we went back to the Ferris Wheel, for one more ride in the darkness. All of the holiday street decorations were lit for the first time tonight; the city sparkled. It's Christmas time!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Thanksgiving in Italy
Hey there, Readers. I'm back (well, it's been a few days) from my Thanksgiving Trip to Tuscany and Rome. It was fabulous: celebrating the holiday with a group of ex-pats in a small Etruscan town, exploring the Tuscan town of Montepulciano in the mist, attending an Advent service in St. Peter's Basilica presided over by the Pope, an excellent tour of The Forum and Colosseum, and a warm Roman afternoon for my wandering through the city. Even the long trip home on Monday on the train up the Italian coast was enjoyable. I'll write up more, but for now, enjoy the pictures! (you can see more on my Flickr site - see link at right).
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
+of+IMG_0522.JPG)
+of+IMG_0505.JPG)
+of+IMG_0495.JPG)
