Au Revoir Paris

On Saturday night we spent our final evening in Paris. We sat perched on a park bench close to the Eiffel tower sipping champagne in celebration of a truly remarkable year. Tomorrow we would say goodbye to our cosy little apartment and board the Eurostar for London, so we were feeling quite reflective about the many wonderful people we had met and memorable places we had seen during the course of the year. As usual the place was buzzing with tourist excitement that was further heightened by the added ingredient of the world cup being televised on the big screen across the Seine at Trocadero. As we watched the hourly twinkle of lights on the tower and analysed our mixture of emotions, we would be occasionally distracted by the distant raw of the crowd watching the Spain v Paraguay game. At its conclusion the Spanish supporters emerged singing, dancing and waving their red and yellow flags. Clearly they had won! Their noisy celebrations near to where we were sitting signalled it was now time to shoot the last of our photos and take a final lazy stroll back to Rue de Javel. One chapter had ended, but another was about to begin.

A Room with a View

Last Friday was my last day at school. An emotional day that concluded a fantastic and memorable year! It was a great location to work, not the least because for a year I had one of the best views in Paris. Being perched in the high side of the Seine, I never tired of the outlook from the art room that stretched across the rooftops to take in that iconic monument, the Eiffel Tower. It was one spectacular view and in the daily grind of day to day school life (which in many ways is similar the world over), a quick glimpse would continue to remind me just exactly where I was. Although its image is used to such an extent as to become almost a Paris cliché, Jules and I just love it. Not a day has gone by when we haven’t simply stared up in amazement at its perfectly proportioned ‘meccano-like’ form. It’s subtle changing colours at various times of the day and its spectacular night illuminations have remained spellbinding. We have particularly loved running around it early in the morning before the tourists had arrived, feeling that just for that moment it was all ours. It has been our beacon when we were disorientated walking the streets of Paris and a welcoming signpost that always pointed us back towards our little apartment.

In Search of Vincent

Recently Jules and I completed a fascinating journey that had lasted several months, as we followed in the footsteps of the troubled and somewhat misunderstood artist Vincent Van Gogh. It began at his studio in Montmartre, but eventually saw us making our way to the countryside of Provence to stand in the very locations where many of his most famous works were painted. Journeying to the town of Arles, we saw the spot were he once shared a house with Gauguin, which also coincided with the famous ear cutting incident. We visited the hospital where he convalesced, with its beautiful Spanish style courtyard and drank coffee at the café featured in the painting ‘Café Terrace at Night’, with both remaining quite the same as in his time. We ventured to the nearby town of St. Remy where Van Gogh spent a year in the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole-Asylum. We sat in the walled garden where he had spent many an hour and I pulled out my watercolour box to render a quick homage to the moment. The tranquillity, the iris in bloom and the gentle spring light was almost spiritual! The trail soon continued back to the township of St.Remy, which was dotted with sign posts indicating the location of many of his most famous works. The final stage of the journey was completed quite recently with a short train trip from Paris to the town of Auvers sur Oise where Van Gogh spent his final days under the care of Dr. Gachet. He painted many celebrated works in this lovely town and of course his final work, ‘Wheatfield with Crows', with its three paths going in different directions can still be seen in the fields at the edge of the town. Nearby the graves of Van Gogh and his brother Theo can be found, quite humble but carefully maintained. Our journey is now complete and we both feel that we have learned so much more about the artist than just reading a book or viewing his works in a gallery. We saw these places through his eyes and like him became enthused. The beauty of the landscape and simplicity of a way of life that still remains inspirational.

Pop Art hits Paris!

Over the past few weeks my year 9 art class have been working productively to build a colourful collection of ‘crawling critters’ with the notion of creating a temporary pop art sculpture in Paris. They had been studying 'public art' and were keen to create their own collaborative art work that would create some attention. Today was the day... the sun was shining and the crowds were heading toward Trocadero to watch France play possibly their final world cup game on the big screen. As they walked the Pont d’lena in front of the Eiffel Tower they were confronted with an army of yellow, blue and red crawling creatures arranged in interesting configurations by the young artists. The crowd reaction was very positive as by passers photographed the activity. The students enjoyed the attention and the sculpture temporarily became a colourful addition to one of the great locations of the world.

Les Puses - Paris

Visited Les Puses on the weekend which is something we had promised ourselves we would do on a previous short visit to Paris and it has come down to the last weeks of living here before we have done it. ‘Les Puces’ is probably the biggest flea market in Europe selling everything from cheap brand rip-offs to expensive antiques. You would think that with hundreds of stalls to look at we would find one unique souvenir of Paris but alas no…lots of junk and the few gems that we did see were quite expensive. Of course weight is always an issue for nomadic adventurers such as ourselves, so that was another factor to be considered. It’s certainly a bustly place, but a bit grotty in parts. As you come up above ground from the metro there are many shady characters thrusting fist loads of sunglasses, hats, lighters or cigarettes in your general direction. When you walk further and escape the tatty market and wander into the tiny alleys, it’s more sane and you can meander around some interesting shops without being hassled. It was made even more pleasant on the day we were there as there were a series of impromptu jazz performances dotted throughout the area, which were brilliant!

Turning Back Time in Troyes

As the coldness of the European winter recedes and warmer weather begins to emerge, Jules and I set our sights on visiting some of the picturesque towns that lie outside of Paris. One such town to the southeast is the historical village of Troyes (pronounced ‘Twah’). Located in the heart of the champagne region, it was a relatively short train trip away (approximately 150 km) and ideal for an overnight stay. As it is regarded as one of the better preserved 16th century towns in France, we were keen to make our way there. Upon our arrival we were immediately struck by the traditional architecture, which was very different than what we had imagined; looking much like the Elizabethan Tudor style of England with its use of exposed wooden structural beams. Clearly the channel between the two countries was no barrier to the development of this building style. Amazingly many of these particular structures date back to the 1500’s and over the years whole streets had been beautifully restored and maintained. Walking through the narrow cobblestone streets of the old town was indeed like stepping back in time and we were amazed at the way its authenticity has been maintained over the years. We were particularly fortunate to secure one of these heritage buildings as our accommodation for the night. Positioned close to a tree lined canal where narrow boats were moored as they had been for hundreds of years, it was an idealic picture. As we continued to wander around the centre of town we came across the ornate Troyes Cathedral, which could be viewed at close quarters from the town square. This is the heart of the old town, which is lined with numerous cafes, bars and restaurants and is a haven for tourists. In the increasing heat of the afternoon, we couldn’t resist sitting under the colourful umbrellas to quench our thirst with a nice cold beer, while taking in this uniquely French outlook. In fact, it was so good that in the evening we returned once again to eat outdoors and enjoy the ambience of the balmy night. Unlike Paris there was a relaxed atmosphere here that appeared to be less rushed by the modern pace of life. The locals were genuinely welcoming and happy to share the unique qualities of their town and countryside. Certainly, with the champagne region at their doorstep they had much to smile about, although for us the town itself was simply enough.

Remembering the Diggers at Villers Bretonneax

One of our goals while in France was to visit the historic region of the Somme to pay our respects to the fallen Australian diggers who lost their lives during World War One. It was a long weekend, so we left Paris by train on Friday to stay at Amiens. After only a few short hours we arrive at this very pleasant city. Everything was very clean and tidy and there was clearly plenty of civic pride evident. In the centre of the city is Notre Dame Cathedral, which is not quite as famous as it’s namesake in Paris, but is statistically larger and in our opinion more impressive. From here we hop into a taxi for the short trip out of town to Villers Bretonneax and dropped off at the Australian War Memorial that sits on the crest of the rolling hills outside the tiny town. On this site many of our young lads lost their lives as they halted the German advance on Amiens. It remains a pilgrimage destination for many Australians, so not surprisingly we start to hear some Australian accents from those wandering through the rows of headstones. We talked to a lovely couple, who had travelled from Queensland and were moved to tears with discovery of the resting place of a great uncle. The memorial is beautifully maintained and despite the ravages of the Second World War (evident by the bullet holes that still remain on the central tower) it stands proudly as a testament to the enduring bond between Australia and France forged through battle. Similarly this is evident in the township itself with several streets named after Australian cities. We even have coffee at Le Cafe Melbourne before visiting the Franco-Australian museum, which is set above the local schoolhouse built from the donations of Australian school children in the post war period. Looking at the old photos of the area after the devastation of war is quite a sobering experience, but the efforts of our soldiers to rebuild this tiny town makes us proud to be Australian. Amongst the many exhibits was a small bible that had been borrowed (possibly for spiritual comfort) from the local church in 1918 and taken back to Australia by a young surviving soldier. In an accompanying letter written many years later the soldier had felt so badly about taking it that he organised to have it sent back. Such is the respect for a town that it is increasingly being recognised for being as historically significant as Gallipoli.

Time in Toulouse

The airlines are grounded due to the huge volcanic eruption in Iceland, but that won’t affect us, as we are off to Toulouse by train. Toulouse, or to be more specific the nearby town of Albi, is the birth place of the artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec who has been the topic of many a history lesson in my art classes. Leaving Montparnasse station it only takes us a few hours to arrive at the ‘pink city’ as Toulouse is often referred, due to the frequent use of pale red terracotta brickwork on most of it’s early buildings. One of the most prominent buildings is La Basilique Saint Sernin, which is conveniently opposite our hotel and provides a spectacular view particularly at night when it is lit up like a Christmas tree, which just happens to be similar to it’s shape. There are many other wonderful buildings here that date back to the eleventh and twelfth century. The city itself is a lovely place to wander the narrow lanes that lead to a wide flowing river. There you can see structures such as Pont Neuf and Dome De La Grave, which are very reminiscent of Italy…great for drawing. There is also Foundation Bemburg, which is a fabulous private eclectic collection of art, housed in a beautifully restored residence. Our aim is to eventually get to visit the town of Albi but although we have dodged the plane disruptions we can’t avoid a typically French phenomenon…the train strike! This, compounded with me catching a heavy cold, sees us restricted just to Toulouse, but that is fine as it’s a nice place to just sit in the plaza (or place) and watch the world go by.

Stepping into Cezanne’s studio

Arriving in Aix en Provence, Jules and I are immediately struck by the beauty of this southern French township. It has all of the things you imagine a French provincial village might have …classic architecture, stately fountains and quaint cobblestone laneways. In short, it’s a pretty nice place to live! With that in mind, it is not totally surprising that the great Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne (who was born here in 1839) chose to live and work here throughout his life. The building that housed his original studio can be found in the centre of town, although little evidence remains except a small plaque on the wall. However, his final studio still remains and can be viewed pretty much in its original state. The studio was built 1901, once his status as an important Modernist had been established. Cezanne chose a nice patch of land, high on a hillside overlooking the little township, while also catching the distant view of Mont Sainte Victoire (the subject of many his paintings). After a short walk out of town and up the hill, we found it hidden away amongst the suburbs, which have long since engulfed the area. This is so different to the early photos that we later view, when Cezanne’s studio stood very much alone amongst olive fields. As we enter the gates we are suddenly transformed back to Cezanne’s time, stepping into his rambling garden, which was very much loved by the artist. The studio stands as it did in his day and is a relatively modest two storey stone building. Following Cezanne’s death, it was locked away for many years and so today remains very much as it was toward the end of his life. We make our way up the stairs to the studio itself and notice Cezanne’s bowler hat and coat still hanging in the same place the master artist had left them over a hundred years ago. Large north facing studio windows allow natural light to flood into the room, which is filled with familiar objects, so often seen in Cezanne’s later still-life paintings. Today, the masterpieces are gone…tucked away safely in national galleries around the world. While the studio itself, now quite sparse and humble in appearance, still remains a significant place as it was witness to the birth of many great works. It is also a room that attracted many famous visitors. Some of them prominent artists of the day such as Matisse and Picasso, but also in later years less anticipated figures such as the likes of Marilyn Monroe. Even today and despite the many thousands of visitors, the studio has a particularly calm and tranquil feel and on a warm summers day it is not to difficult to imagine how Cezanne became so inspired. The colours and the clear air remain, as does the special charm of southern France and in particular, Aix en Provence.

The Magnificence of Versailles

One of the great things about visiting or indeed living in Paris is the opportunity to access some of the most beautiful public buildings imaginable. Many of which are surrounded with a wealth of historical, architectural and cultural significance. With that in mind, none could be regarded as any more significant in France than Versailles. This was the stunningly opulent palace built by Louis X1V and would eventually become a central location in the story of the French revolution. Sitting just a short train ride outside of Paris, it is easily accessible and well worth the journey. Our first encounter with the grand building was when we trekked to see it with ‘Fat Tire Bike Tours’, who conduct regular trips by rail. After a short train journey, we unload the bikes and then we were off to the local market to pick up the mandatory supplies of cheese, bread and wine before our leisurely ride through the town and onward to the Palace of Versailles. We entered the vast grounds from a rear entrance and were immediately struck by the scale and beauty of the gardens. We then pedalled along the ‘Grand Lake’ to take up a picnic spot at the far end, looking back toward the grand palace. This was apparently a favourite location of Marie Antoinette who would often picnic here. You can certainly see why, with it’s vast view of the magnificently wide canal that was once the setting for numerous nautical spectacles. Along the banks are row upon row of box shaped trees that heighten the perspective and leads the eye toward the palace. This style of tree pruning represented the sixteenth century ideology of the mastery of man over nature, but causes much debate between Jules and myself…I tend to like them and Jules does not, preferring trees to remain in their natural shape! Nonetheless, it is fair to say that Versailles certainly makes a bold statement about ‘the haves and the have nots’ in France, a fact that would eventually spark a sweeping revolution throughout the country. This is further reinforced when walking around the palace itself, with rooms such as the famed ‘Hall of Mirrors’ providing an insight into the sheer wealth and indulgence of the monarchy of the day. Yet despite it’s chequered past, the French remain immensely proud of Versailles and regard it as a high point of their artistic and cultural history. This was particularly evident later in the year when we were invited by some French friends to their home near Versailles for Sunday lunch. At the conclusion of our meal, they kindly offered to take us a short distance to the palace for a late afternoon stroll. We actually entered near ‘The Petit Trianon’, which was Marie Antoinette’s private chateau that sits close to her own little village where she could enjoy simple rural indulgences away from the grandeur and formality of Versailles. By the time we arrived the tourists were beginning to leave and we could enjoy the grounds and the magnificence of her salmon coloured chateaux quite alone. It was very different than other areas within Versailles, with its slightly more modest scale and sense of seclusion. Apparently the Queen spared no cost in designing it to her own distinctive taste that tended to favour a more ‘English’ style of architecture and garden. It is still a very grand affair, but far more appealing than the 'big house'. As the sun began to set on a beautiful clear winters day, the scene was amazingly beautiful. We could sense our friends patriotic pride, but they didn’t say a lot…they didn’t have to! It certainly was a memorable moment for us and as we walked around the grounds, in the footsteps of Marie Antoinette, we both recognised that it is places like Versailles that make France such special place to visit.

Lingering at the Louvre

For an Art teacher, there is simply no other place to experience some of the most wonderful and iconic artworks of the past than in Paris. There are just so many great galleries, but of course one immediately springs to mind … ‘The Louvre’ (or the Musée du Louvre to give its official title). With our friend Daryl in town, it was high on his list of places to visit and although Jules and I had been before, we had truly only begun to scratch the surface of its vast collection of fine art. This former royal palace that hugs the right bank of the Seine is a lavishly ornate 16th century building that houses one of the largest collections of fine art and antiquities in the world.

Walking through Tuileries Garden late in the afternoon, we couldn’t help but be impressed by the grandeur of its architecture that domininates the Parisian streetscape. Yet in more recent times, it is the modern glass pyramid entrance (designed by I.M.Pei in 2002) that has certainly become the most recognizable external feature of the museum. Despite its initial controversy for not being in keeping with the renaissance style of the building, it is now claimed that since its construction, annual attendance to the Louvre has actually doubled. Its notoriety was further enhanced in 2003 when it emerged as a significant element of the ‘Da Vinci Code’ book and subsequent movie. This has further added to the huge number of tours that seem to centre around the Louvre on a daily basis. In fact, if you’re not careful it’s quite easy to be trampled by bikes, Segway vehicles and tourist groups led by flag carrying guides who constantly pass in and out of the area. If all this can be avoided, it’s possible to admire a most impressive view of the city directly through the Place de Concorde, along the Champs-Élysées toward the Arch de Triomphe and beyond…quite something!

Upon entering the Louvre by heading down through the glass pyramid, we were faced with the big decision of what to view. There is just so much to see that an initial plan of attack seemed the best way to make use of our limited time, as you could quite literally spend days in the museum and not see it all. The works on show in the Louvre cover everything from the cultures of Egypt, Greece and Rome through to the great works of pre and post Revolutionary France and beyond. Yet there is one particular piece of Italian renaissance painting that dominates the entire collection of 35,000 works, although in comparison to many pieces on show, it is a relatively diminutive piece of 77 x 53cm. Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ is the one they all come to see and crowds of two or three deep can be seen around the work at any given time. While it’s debatable whether the hype behind the piece matches the reality, it was certainly nice to see it up close, although I was equally impressed with other nearby works by Leonardo that seemed to get very little attention. Another popular piece was Greece’s most famous sculpture, ‘Venus Di Milo’ which is probably more famous for her lack of arms than the artist who created it (believed to be Alexandros of Antioch). It is possibly one of the most parodied artworks ever and as a result, has become a favorite of the general public. We ended up spending much of our time looking at the enormous paintings (both in scale and number) from the 19th century French revolutionary period, which included the ‘Coronation of Napoleon’ (1807) by David, which is a massive 5.2 x9.7 metres in size. However, I particularly enjoyed Delacroix’s smaller but more iconic work of ‘Liberty Leading the People’ (1830), which is believed to have provided the inspiration for Victor Hugo’s classic novel Le Miserables.

While there were some late 19th century works that hinted of the birth of the ‘Belle Epoche’ (the ‘Beautiful Era’ from 1890 -1914), the Louvre essentially continues to display the ‘Royal Collection’ and earlier works. Most of its 20th century pieces moved to Musée d'Orsay in 1986 and such was the vastness of it’s collection that today it still seems endless. It is certainly one of those places that you can explore again and again and never really quite see it all.

' Liberty Leading the People' by David

Chateaux of the Loire Valley

Having settled nicely into Paris, it was now time to venture further afield with my first opportunity coming in the form of a school camp to the Loire Valley in the heart of France. Although I would be sadly traveling without Jules, it would provide me with an opportunity to journey through some of the most picturesque wine growing districts and according to our itinerary, view some of the most elegant chateaux’s in France.

Heading out early, our bus made its way through the outer suburbs of Paris and eventually on to the open highway. While most of the staff and students ignored the passing activity, for me as a new arrival to France, it was all very interesting. The early morning commuters, the regular toll booths, nuclear power stations, various bridges crossing gently flowing rivers and the sight of distant towns; nothing escaped my attention. Eventually the major highway gave way to smaller roads that passed through quaint towns and rolling hills lined with endless rows of grapevines. Conversation amongst the staff on board inevitably switched to the serious subject of wine and the reputation of the various varieties that come from this region. The only thing I could contribute at this point was a positive comparative endorsement of Australian wine, something that didn’t particularly carry much weight amongst those who had lived in France for several years. It seemed that on this particular subject, French produced wine was clearly the best in the world and those from other countries should be regarded as being merely one step up from vinegar. As I hastily retreated from the debate, I cast my eyes out of the window to see several hot air balloons effortlessly drifting across the horizon … now that would be a unique way to take this all in!

Our first stop would be Chateaux Chambord, which is the largest chateaux in the Loire Valley. Although it has some 440 rooms, this was a mere hunting lodge for Louis XIV who used it frequently as he particularly enjoyed the pastoral court life it offered. Originally built in the 1500’s, the Chateaux provides a somewhat grandiose vision of French renaissance architecture, with its curved exterior walls and more than 800 sculpted columns upon its elaborately decorated roof. While the chateaux interior has 84 staircases, one in particular attracts most of the attention. It is claimed to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci and consists of two intertwining spiral staircases. Much like a DNA ‘double-helix’, it allows two people to go up or down the stairs without crossing paths with each other … surely only Leonardo could have engineered something like that! With the pillaging of the French Revolution and with long periods in which the chateau was left abandoned, there remains little in the way of furniture. However, the building stands as testament to the flamboyant excesses of the French aristocracy and as a fascinating monument to its architectural extravagance.

Another great Chateaux we visited was at Chenonceau where one of the most photographed buildings in France elegantly straddles the River Cher. We sensed that this was quite a special place by the sheer number of tourists who were single mindedly trekking through the woods with cameras in hand. It is after all, apart from the Palace of Versailles, the most visited Chateaux in France. Although it is always referred to as a Chateaux, Chenoneax is technically a ‘manor house’, being much smaller in size, although it remains no less elegant with a history that goes back to the days of French royalty in the 1500’s. While Chambord might reflect the excesses of the period, Chenoneax is regarded as quite an exceptional, yet more modest example of French rennaisance architecture. The fact that it has survived both revolution and war is quite amazing; something which in no small part was due to a succession of extraordinary women who protected and administered this much loved building during its long history. It is truly a romantic building, with its beautifully balanced asymmetrical design that features arched footings, which seem to lightly touch the river that it spans.

Over two days we spotted many more chateaux in the region (there are actually more than 300). Most sit on vast acres of land as cold and distant monuments to a time long gone. So it was particularly nice to visit a Chateaux that is still inhabited and operational; due to the support of tourism of course. Such is the case with the beautifully preserved Chateaux Beauregarde, which was designed and built in the 1500’s and is indicative of the style of many constructed at that time. As well as being architecturally elegant, the Chateaux is significant for enabling the visitor to put faces to the many aristocrats and royalty who frequented such buildings and the region. This is due to an enormous ‘gallery of portraits’ (the largest in Europe), which displays paintings of 327 dignitaries from the 14th-17th century. With works displayed in a large and beautifully preserved oak paneled room, the gallery provides an insight into the human side of the architectural eccentricities of that period. At one time these people were the most powerful in Europe, with such unimaginable wealth as to indulge themselves with buildings of scale, splendor and opulence. While these Chateaux now remain a much appreciated legacy of those times, there is no doubt their presence must have fuel the discontent of the masses in their day. I guess that in the end, it wasn’t totally surprising that it all culminated in the fervor of violent revolution!

Stepping Back into Wartime Paris

Having watched many a documentary about World War Two over the years, this chapter of Paris history has always held a fascination. Seeing grainy black and white footage of goose-stepping German troops marching past the ‘Arch de Triomphe’ and down the ‘Champs-Elysees’ is an image that is clearly emblazed upon my brain. You can only imagine the emotion that Parisians must have felt on the day of the occupation and the subsequent years of struggle they would have to endure in order to reclaim their city. To learn more about this war time era, I decided to join a walking tour of Paris that focused upon the ‘Resistance’ battles and life under Nazi reign.

I met up with our guide Jean-Paul on Pont Saint-Louis, which was only a matter of metres away from Cathedral Notre Dame and from here we would take a short walk to a very understated yet elegant Memorial (Memorial des Martyrs de la Déportation) that is dedicated to the over 200,000 French citizens who were deported to Nazi concentration camps during the war. Stepping into the dark bunker-like memorial, you physically begin to feel the oppression of those victims and become noticeably conscious of a sense of freedom when you exit into the bright light of day. It is a fitting start to our tour and is a reminder of a significant part of the human toll during the years from 1940 to 1944.

Although Jean-Paul was quite a young man, he clearly had studied his Parisian war history and as we walked, he provided detailed accounts of street battles that occurred during the liberation. He particularly enjoyed pointing out the numerous bullet holes that still remained in buildings that would otherwise be missed by the average tourist. Likewise, he showed us a significant number of small memorials along the way (usually denoted by a plaque and a posy of flowers), often recognising fallen partisans. As we reached elegant Hotel De Ville, we were reminded of the famous speech made by Charles De Gaulle from its front window on the day of Liberation in 1944. By the time we reached The Louvre, Jean-Paul was recounting how authorities, well aware of the impending Nazi invasion in 1940, were able to safely spirit away thousands of priceless artworks (including ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘Venus De Milo’) to safe houses deep in the French country-side. While many works were still plundered by the Nazi’s, it seems that most of the national treasures at the time remained in safe hiding until the end of the war.

Clearly these foreign ‘occupiers’ had a sneaking admiration for the history and elegance of Paris. None more so than German Military Commander Dietrich von Choltitz, who in the final days of the occupation refused Hitler’s command to destroy the city and leave nothing but a ‘baron field of ashes’. Rather than return to Germany, he eventually surrendered at the Hotel Maurice, which had been Nazi headquarters in Paris for most of the war. As we walked through the Tuileries Garden, we could clearly see the building and the upper rooms from which Choltitz had reportedly stood peering out over Paris pondering his fateful decision. Thankfully, this famous city was saved and with the surrender of 17,000 troops, a dark chapter of its history had finally ended.

While today Paris prides itself on it’s style and elegance, the war years could have resulted in a very different contemporary landscape. Fortunately, a walk around inner city Paris can still reveal much about the wartime experience as much of the original settings for these historical events are still there to be appreciated. As I discovered, the streets, the buildings and memorials certainly remain testament to the persecution, struggle and ultimate triumph of the people of Paris during those war time years.

Hotel De Ville

Looking at Le Corbusier

Early into my Design studies back in university we were introduced to the architectural genius of Le Corbusier. We looked at black and white photographs of his flat roofed geometric creations that revealed the birth of modernism through his so called ‘Purist’ style or as it is referred to today, ‘Minimalism’. So some thirty odd years later I was keen to visit some of his classic architectural designs during our time in Paris. Of course the jewel in the crown was ‘Villa Savoy’ (designed in 1928) which has been beautifully restored and is now a must see for anyone at all interested in modern design. After a thirty minute train trip from the centre of Paris we found ourselves in the nearby town of Poissy and after a short walk up a hill, we approached the impressive stark white building standing majestically against the lush greenery of a generous sized garden. Having seen it so many times in books, it was wonderful to be able to walk around it and view the inside of a building that had literally changed the direction of domestic architecture. A few weeks later Jules and I visited Le Corbusier’s apartment studio in Paris, which although comparatively humble, showed some really interesting design features that maximised the space and utilised his roof top views. Close to our apartment in the 16th arrondissement was another notable domestic design that was certainly worth a visit. Villa La Rocca was designed in 1923 for a Swiss art collector and like Villa Savoy, has some distinctive features such as an impressive internal ramp that gradually leads you upward to the first level. Like all of Le Corbusier’s greatest designs, there is a distinctive sense of functionality and modernity that must have been quite confronting at the time. While his high-density designs tend to leave me cold (and were somewhat of a social disaster), there is no denying the quality of his domestic houses. The use of space and light is often quite remarkable and as we walked around, it was like strolling through a familiar work of art with features that continue to be replicated in so much of our architecture today.

Wandering Montmartre

Over the years I have read so many stories about the ‘Belle Epoque’ or ‘the beautiful era’ of Paris that spanned from the late 1800’s through until the first world war. It was an era of enlightenment, optimism, new technologies and exciting revolutions in Art. Significant to what was happening in Paris at the time was the outer area of Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement, which continues to be easily identified by the wonderful white domed Basilica of Sacre Coeur. This is where many of the great artists of the 20th century began their careers and remains an absolute must see for anyone remotely interested in the history of fine art. Jules and I decided to join a walking tour of the area and on a lovely warm day we stood waiting for our tour guide in front of the Moulin Rouge. While the iconic red windmill still remained from the days when the dance hall became the spiritual home of the ‘Can-Can’, it is now a very different establishment. Yet all those years ago it played an important role in the history of art, particularly with the likes of Toulouse Lautrec who often frequented its doors to capture glimpses of the risqué social nightlife of the times.

Eventually our guide arrived and we were soon on our way, but before heading up the hill we made a quick stop at the nearby Montmartre cemetery to pay our respects to some of the areas most prominent citizens, including the renowned painter Edgar Dagas and the singer Dalida, who apparently still receives bucket loads of flowers everyday from admirers some 25 years after her death. To be honest, Jules and I hadn’t actually heard of her prior to the tour, but our guide highlighted her stature by claiming that she had once polled second behind Charles De Gaulle as the person who had the greatest impact on French society.

We eventually began our walk upward; along cobble stoned streets and passed classic shuttered architecture that had not particularly changed over the ensuing years. We walked by the studios of Monet, Lautrec and Van Gogh, each indicated with a small plaque at the entrance. The area is now leafy and quite refined, which is a far cry from how it must have been when it was a haven for impoverished artists. More in keeping with the past era is the Moulin De Gaulette, which still has its old windmill (originally used for grinding local wheat for bread), which became known as the site for a popular open-air dance hall. The surrounding garden, filled with laughter and good cheer, would be depicted in Monet’s masterpiece ‘Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette’ in 1876 and in 1900 would inspire a young 19 year-old Spaniard called Pablo Picasso. Continuing our walk we headed toward Le Bateau-Lavoir, the communal studio that Picasso shared with Amedeo Modigliani. Our guide tells us that at the time, the two were so poor that they had to sleep in a single bed in shifts…how their fortunes would change!

As we headed in the direction of Sacre Coeur, we walked past the lodgings of composer Eric Satie where he composed the hypnotic composition ‘Gymnopaedies’, one of Jules’ favourite classical pieces. The building is near The Montmartre Vineyard, which is surely one of the hidden treasures of Paris, with neat rows of vines sitting on a small sloping block. Being the only remaining Parisian vineyard and producing only a miserly 1000kg of grapes a season, its wine has become some of the most sought after in France. From here we took the final stroll upward into the busy streets surrounding the famed basilica with its many restaurants and wine bars. The focal point is Place du Tertre, where local artists maintain the traditions of the area and continue to remind us of the generations of artists who once lived and worked there. Today it is a haven for tourists, keen to pick up a water colour souvenir or to have their portrait sketched. For us it’s a place to soak up the atmosphere of Montmartre before wandering over to sit on the steps of Sacre Couer and enjoy one of the best views of Paris.