Normandie

We took a jaunt over to lovely Trouville, about a week and a half ago. It was so relaxing and refreshing, though much too cold for the beach. We wandered around, ate delicious food, bought striped Norman-style sweaters, and didn't see a single art museum.


Trouville by day...
...and by night.



Crepes at la Maison, our favorite restaurant in Trouville, absolutely adorable cozy atmosphere and incredible sweet and savory crepes.

I know everyone supposedly goes mad for these bright macaroons, but I have to say, this one was my first, and I didn't like it - too sweet for me.

La plage was a bit gloomy, but I kind of liked the chilly weather, it really fit with the look of the place.

some sketches

by me.

inspiration - Parisiennes of old

Contemporary

Ravinder Reddy, Tara, 2004.

The exhibition Paris-Delhi-Bombay at the Centre Pompidou has by far been my favorite of all the shows that I've seen thus far in Paris. Focusing on Indian contemporary art and contemporary artists who are interested in India, the exhibition is bold, colorful and full of hidden surprises. I was really impressed by how the curators combined a heavy load of didactic material without seeming neither pedantic nor pandering. Indian culture was concisely "introduced" to a French audience, but there was never an ethnographic or voyeuristic feel, nor was there any overblown East-West pontification. It was very fresh, very strong, and I greatly enjoyed the hours I spent going through it.

An example of informational painted scrolls made by women artisans.

The exhibition poster on the outside of the Pompidou.

Riyas Komu, Beyond Gods, 2011. Wooden sculpture of footballers' legs.

Jean-Michel Othoniel, Sans titre, 2010.

Hema Upadhyay, Think Left, Think Right, Think Low, Think Tight, 2010. Vertical reproduction of Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia, located in Bombay.

Subodh Gupta, Ali Baba, 2011. Room-sized installation of tablewear, inspired by Indian commercial spaces as well as the idea of Ali Baba's cave of treasures.

Vive la France

Me doing my best French-person impersonation on Bastille Day...

The music accompanying the fireworks display was entirely Broadway show tunes - just want to note that for posterity.

did a little painting of rooftops...

note

I liked this.

Art Heaven

Yours truly in art historian mode at the Louvre. I'm still processing that I've been there and seen some absolutely amazing things while battling epic crowds. And the best part? I can go back as much as I want!

Chez Moi

My bedroom.
The living room.
We live on the 4th floor of a really old building, with these great spiral staircases.

Big beautiful windows, old wood floors...

The view out my window. We are regulars at that cafe.

Table decorations - I couldn't resist these flower-candles.

Who needs fireworks...

It's my third 4th of July outside of the USA, but our little group of Americans is making sangria tonight to celebrate!

Cimetière du Père-Lachaise

One of the most famous parts of the 20e Arrondissement is the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, a huge and romantic home to the graves of many bygone celebrities, among others, including Oscar Wilde, Chopin, Ingres, Jim Morrison… the list goes on.

It is only about a 20-minute walk from where I'd been staying, so I ventured up and had a wonderful time wandering about.

It was breathtakingly beautiful, like a gothic sort of garden, very tranquil and with incredible views. I’d like to return and explore more; my time was sort of limited. Still, I managed to happen upon Edith Piaf while actually searching for Paul Eluard.

I also visited Max Ernst, one of my absolute favorite artists. It was really special to find him and pay my respects in the Columbarium. For me, it was a really auspicious start to the trip.

The Numbers

I made this tally the other day. What I've learned since? No need to count people carrying baguettes- that's actually a thing here, and I have since carried like 3 myself.

Also, yours truly can apparently blend in quite well. Have lost track of the number of people who have asked me directions - in the last two days, probably upwards of 8. Almost all of them approached me in French, so, I can conclude, that after 2.5 days here, Parisians are asking moi how to get around. More soon!

WiFi est la' ici?

This is a very important phrase for me at the moment.
The apartment is absolutely gorgeous and the neighborhood is fantastic. Once we get our internet up and running, I won't have to cafe- hop and will be able to update the blog more often!

Last night I walked in the Jardin des Tuileries and saw the sunset by the Seine, with a view of the Eiffel tower. It was light until 11pm!