Our last full day in Paris (Wednesday 26 March) because tomorrow we’ll spend at least half a day packing. We started at the Grand Palais. Which is indeed grand. Big enough for multiple exhibitions. We were early enough for ours to be second in line! It was a lovely sunny day and we had a nice view of the Petite Palais while we waited and other scenic views.
We were there to see our third photographic show – according to the programme the largest ever retrospective of Robert Mapplethorpe’s work. I was keen to see his early work having read about it in Patti Smith’s memoir Just Kids (a wonderful book). They were there, including a very young Marianne Faithful and David Hockney. There was also a small film of Patti, that really brought her book to mind. They were so young! I tried my hand at an artistic shot coming out.
The whole exhibition was very good. He’s quoted as saying he’s ‘seeking perfection in form’ and being sculptural rather than photographic and some of his pictures really succeed in that. Including his beautiful flowers. There were lots of portraits of the New York art scene – Andy Warhol etc. and some of the Parisian high society set I’ve been reading a bit about in Edmund White – including Yves St Laurent and Edmond himself.
From there we walked past a huge statue of De Gaulle – fittingly mid-stride on his way to liberate the city – and across the Champs Elysee – where we could see the big flag was in place under the arch.
We were keen to see the Elysee Palace. All the way down the avenue towards it French and Chinese flags were flying so we assume a Chinese dignitary was visiting. Sure enough at the entrance there were photographers both outside the gates but mostly inside on a platform specially constructed for them. I managed to get a couple of pictures before we were moved on by police. We also saw a changing of the guard. But we were disappointed not to have seen dignitaries come sweeping out of the gates. I have since discovered that Francoise Hollande was meeting China’s Xi Jinping to talk about trade. It would have been good to see one or both of them.
We were now in a Rue du Faubourg St Honore – full of all the big fashion and other luxury stores. It hadn’t been on our itinerary but I was pleased to see it. I can report there is lots of yellow about. It was a lovely sunny day by this time which was around noon. We saw a Rolls Royce parked in the street obviously awaiting the owner.
On we went and found ourselves next to another Laduree macaroon shop. So I just had to pop in and buy some more – they are so delicious!
We were now making our way to a Bistrot recommended by a friend. However just past the Comedy Francaise we came upon a lovely place that was full of people and looked very inviting. It was called Gavroche. The owner assured us we’d have a table in fifteen minutes, so we had a drink at the bar and some slices of sausage that came from one of the many hanging from the ceiling. A couple came in with a three legged dog that parked itself on the floor adding to the chaotic and friendly atmosphere.
We did get our table despite the place being frantic. And had a delightful meal. Shared escargots for entree and then I had veal brains and Joe had escalopes of veal. Good honest food cooked well. In the meantime we got talking to the occupants of the next table (we were very squashed in). The first was a man taking his grand-daughter to a show at the Comedy Francaise. The waitress asked him to make sure we knew what we were ordering when she gave us the menus – presumably because she knew he spoke English. We needed no help but had a nice chat to him. He told us the place we’d been headed to was good but so was this place. He then took a post-card from his pocket advertising his wife’s Bistrot. His wife cooks everything herself and he recommended we try it! A pity we don’t have time to check it out.
Then he left and was replaced by a man eating alone. Joe had ordered a Shiraz for us to have with our lunch which I thought was inconsistent with JB’s passionate support for the French system of wine appellation. But it turned out our new neighbour was an independent winemaker too – bucking the system. He gave us his card and urged us to check out his website. His name was Jean-Claude Zabalia and his winery is Domaines de la Terre et du Temps of Le Mas Rouch in Cabrieres- France. We had a longer talk to him about the wine industry which we knew a little about thanks to our wine tour. All very interesting. He sells a lot to Japan and some to Australia through an agent in Brisbane. We will have to check it out.
By this time we had to rush to get to our wine tasting which was due to start at 4pm some distance away. We took the Metro and made it. Just us and one other woman from Melbourne and a young couple from Chicago. We were taken by JB and a woman called Blondine from the wine merchant Duval & Blanchet at whose shop we were, down to a ‘cave’ where we sat around a small table and were educated in the proper way to taste and judge the quality of wines. This was their first go at a wine-tasting and they were keen to get feedback.
Blondine explained the wines: Champagne Pierre Moncuit – Hugues de Coumet; Domaine Chanson – Bourgogne Pinot Noir (Bourgogne); Sancerre, Roland Tissier & Son 2012 (Loire); Duval & Blanchet Saint Emilion AOC 2010 (Bordeaux); Telegramme, Chateauneuf du Pape (Rhone Valley); Duval & Blanchet, Golden Notes, AOC, 2010 (Sauternes). It was all very informative and enjoyable. We were full of ideas about how they could improve things a bit but also adamant that they keep doing it. I would really like a map of the wine regions. We bought a bottle from Blondine’s shop. I don’t know whether we will attempt to get it home.
It was about half past six by the time we left. We were near the Luxembourg Gardens so walked down to the Boukevard Saint Michel and went in search of the a Hotel Marignon which is where I had stayed when I was last in Paris all those years ago. It was down by the Sorbonne. And just up from the Musee de Cluny. I have no recollection of visiting or even seeing these places back then.
But once outside the Hotel Marignon – still just a one star affair – I did remember it. Observing us taking pictures a man came outside. The hotel has been in his family for years he said. I described the chap who was in charge thirty years ago and he said “that was my brother”. There you go!
After this trip down memory Lane we hightailed it home. It was freezing – the coldest evening we’ve had here. Maybe it’s time to go home.
Pauline says
Would love to have seen the Mapplethorpe exhibition. The wine tasting sounded good also. Maybe you will bring the cool weather back as it is just starting to cool here now. Looking forward to seeing you both and hearing first hand accounts of your trip