extremities#2

into the west this time, la defense last stop on metro line numero 1, over the seine and into a paris not yet seen, amazing modern architecture like the stunning arche, it being a sunday was very few people around and NO CAFES OPEN, my usual style is to sit and sip un espresso after a bit of a walk around...but still lots to snap like irrepresible bike riders, sculptures, a model photo shoot, fountains, mirrored buildings, and a car made of wood through which is mirrored the Arc de Triomphe, even a small vineyard, and no request to delete! Also a ah... small pause whilst i attend to stab in foot from Sabatier knife falling from impossibly tiny kitchen bench, (yes thats it the entire kitchen) - a necessary purchase i forgot to mention, there being nothing like a decent blade ici.....
Then onto bois de bologne, another extreme another blog

extremities#1

a trip to the end of the line, on the northern most outskirts, porte de clignancourt, is last station on metro 4 then a short walk to marchés aux puces, billed as the largest flea market in the world with hundreds of stalls, selling jewelry, books, furniture old cutlery, in fact anything old, plus all the usual tat a la Paddy's, bought a half full bottle of perfume for the bottle and the scent which reminded me a an old fave i can no longer buy

Then walked back via montmartre, one of the most diverse and dodgier parts of Paris, got into trouble taking pictures, i figure there must be heaps of illegal immigrants, actually had to delete a couple of photos on demand.
I walked away
quickly in a little bit of fear from a butchery cause the guy was soooo angry, and it was just a shot of normal trading. by passed sacre couer, but saw some poor sloggers walking up the hill driven by a total sarge-major. Other things caught my eye....TATI not the lovebale Jacques, but a marriage shop??

a la grand palais

A collection of memorabilia from my time at the antique book fair, such an esoteric bunch of stuff from manuscripts to signed posters to hands and associated implements, like lecture note pointers.....the grand palais quite a space, photo no justice but you get the idea, it was amazing watching it being tansformed from a shell with shelves to a conucopia of delights for the serious collector
The gory russian is a poster from a factory warning, very sensibly, to keep your hands out of the machines! And speaking of russians, we had an artist, Vladimir, on our stand on the last day signing a book of his work (book also contains the work of the dead armenian poet) and now I am doing a few afternoons at a gallery this week promoting said book. The exhibition is collected work of Russian artists now resident in France, will blog later on this, I was walking past dropped in cause it was free, and, yet another piece of serendipity, saw the galerie owner I worked for at the book exhibition (www.galerie-saphir.com) and he thought what a good idea to let me help out ....... so now look forward to juggling anglais, francais et russe

chez rodin

sculpture sculpture sculpture, do you see the eiffel tower in the distance behind the contemplator, to wander in this place is a dreamy experience, and to take in the process for making a bronze just made my head reel.....the pretty girl in pink is an inspiration

headless chickens... the food edition

foie gras, lollies to make a child happy, chickens sans tetes, quails with, chocolate mushrooms and what you can buy at the street marchees, including the basket to put it all in, all meant to make a person drool, tonight am cooking chicken with a dash of calvados- drinking of which makes your lips go numb - and a yummy looking risotto, admit to buying last from a deli. Betterave ( is that not a wonderful word for beetroot, can not beat it) that comes ready to eat, the food in paris is so so good, whether eating out or in, altho i had a very sad square white bread croque monsieur i have had some delicious versions with lots ham, cheese, good bread, mustard, salad - a complete meal but bombed out this time.

And then there's the mushrooms growing between my toes, but that would be another story.....

wandering

A serendipitous week plus in this most beautiful city, wandering in wider circles. Have been wet, hot, cold and hailed on, met my future employer whose gender was not what i thought, found some most wonderful food shops, been shown a kettle (manual or electric madame) when what i NEEDED was a hottie, also been addressed as mademoiselle which is rather good for my ego. The musos were outside George Pompidou centre, the couple in a cafe doing sudoko, and the table tennis - all parks have these permanently in place for public use - awesome.

The bear lives in a museum i thought worth a look - musee de chasse and de la nature - of course 6 euros worth of guns and hunting and dead stuffed animals.........other galleries and museums have been better deals, as mostly free and art worth looking at, have seen at least 10 pieces i want to buy

out my window

looks like a painting already, don't think I will bother trying to capture this on paper, if you like the look you can ask Nathalie about renting via email: ruedepoitou@gmail.com