Episode 181 - Paris Doesn't Have to Break the Bank - Part 2

In Part Two of Paris doesn’t have to break the bank we explore all the great things you can visit for free. Art, museums, live performances, and less expensive ways to dine in Paris. 

As you stroll along the cobblestones of Paris, never miss a chance to take a peek inside the inviting open doors of the many churches.  For it is inside you will find a treasure or two from some of the greatest masters of art, away from the crowds and for free. 

Located in the 7th arrondissement is the Second Empire Neo-Byzantine church, St-François-Xavier. From the outside, it is not the most interesting of facades, but do not let that stop you. Inside you will lay your eyes on one of the greatest pieces by the Italian painter of the Venetian school, Jacopo Tintoretto. The Last Supper by Tintoretto was an image he painted many times, refining it along the way. Unlike the Leonard da Vinci version, Le Tintoret, as he is known in France, decided to gather the Apostles around a square table. It gives you the perspective that you are looking at them gathered from a hidden vantage point. A gift to the church in 1905, it can be seen today hanging in the wedding sacristy. 

Just off Boulevard Saint Germain is the Latin Quarter church of Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet which is a treasure trove of art.  Charles Le Brun’s  1962 The Martyrdom of Saint John the Evangelist is striking and was a departure from the usual way the Saint was depicted.  The painting shows the Saint being lifted by a rope towards the vat of boiling oil while the executioner blows on the fire below. Humanizing the Saint for the first time by showing his full body gave the painting movement and life.  

You certainly cannot talk about the great art in the churches of Paris without talking about one man, Eugène Delacroix. The leader of the Romantic Movement, dedicated the last years of his life to painting large-scale decorations for public places, as a way for him to live on after he was gone.  

Often overlooked in the bustling Le Marais is the Saint-Denys-du-Saint-Sacrement church. This was the first public commission for a religious mural for Delacroix in 1840. The familiar scene of La Pietà depicting the body of Christ in the arms of the Virgin after he is pulled down from the cross, was painted directly onto the wall of the Saint Genevieve chapel. Using bright colors for the figures and placing them in the foreground of the painting gives it even more depth and emotion. 

Follow down Rue de Turenne for a few minutes and you will reach the gem of Rue Saint Antoine. The Italian and French Gothic church with its red doors is not to be overlooked.  The inside is beautiful with its high dome, stonework, statues, and chandeliers. On the left of the transept above the door is Delacroix’s Le Christ au Jardin des Olivers painted in 1824 shows why he is the master of Romanticism. It shows Christ pushing back three angels that are hanging their heads in sadness, which is a slight change from the printed word. It was his liberal use of the biblical text and the changing of the story he would continue in all his religious pieces.  

Last but not least, it is a visit to the largest church on the Left Bank, Saint-Sulpice where we will find his finest of religious paintings that remain today.  Just inside the door to the right in the Chapel of the Holy Angels where Delacroix was given free rein of the paintings, the only stipulation was that they referred to the subject of angels.   For the two walls he chose; Jacob Wrestling the Angel on the left, and on the right Heliodurus Driven from the Temple.  Painted directly onto the walls with a medium mixed with wax and oil, it would take him over three years to complete.  Hanging above is the beautiful Saint Michael Defeats the Devil, painted on a canvas and later secured into place. Each of these three works is filled with symbolism and even some small features that are more reminiscent of modern times than of biblical. A restoration was just completed in 2017 where the layers of the years were removed so they can now be seen in all their glory. 

For the more contemporary art fans, there are a few pockets in Paris where you can find gallery after gallery of art. The Rue de Seine on the left bank just steps from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts is a lovely stroll, especially on a Thursday to Saturday night. Each one opens their door and sometimes there is even champagne. On the right bank, the Marais has many streets of galleries where you may find the next Picasso. 

The lover of Renaissance and antiques the left bank between the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the Musée d’Orsay is also filled with shops filled with objets d’art, paintings, and statues. 

And now for some of my favorite places to spend a day, the museums of Paris. The City of Paris has a collection of museums that are free for visitors that span from the Liberation of Paris to a few well-known French authors, Hugo and Balzac.  Scattered throughout the city, the museums are free to visit but you will need a ticket for any of the special exhibitions, which are normally under 10€. 

A favorite is the Musée Carnavalet which opened in 2021 after what felt like an endless renovation. The collection is dedicated to the City of Paris and begins at the very start when it was the island of Lutetia. Over four floors you will climb to the top which focuses on the Revolution and death of many of its most notable figures and onto the Romantic movement. It’s a fantastic museum and lover of Paris needs to visit. 

Other free museums include the Petit Palais with the collection of art owned by the city. The Musée Victor Hugo in the Place des Vosges and the author’s former home. The Musée Cognac-Jay and the collection of the husband and wife team that opened Samaritaine also include some amazing pieces of the Rococo period.  The Musée Bourdelle and the art of Antoine Bourdelle including his many variations on the head of Beethoven you will also see in the Orsay. 

In Passy past the Eiffel Tower is the Musée Balzac located in the author’s former home where he dodged bill collectors running out his back door. Not far is the Musée d’Art Moderne which is normally very quiet unless there is a special exhibition on display and across the avenue to the Musée Galliera which holds the fashion history of Paris. Special exhibits do need a ticket and the permanent collection isn’t always on display so it’s a little vague on if this one can be considered a free museum, but still not one to miss. 

The Musée Cernuschi located at the edge of the Parc Monceau holds the collection of Henri Cernuschi who died in 1896 and left his home and collection to the city of Paris. Opened as the 2nd largest collection of Asian art in Europe it is a fantastic small museum to visit. Other museums include the Liberation Museum, Museum of the Romantic Life, and Musée Zadkine all great ones to add to your list of places to see.

Episode 180 - Paris Doesn't Have to be Expensive - Part one

Paris can be very expensive. A city filled with amazing restaurants, fancy hotels, 29€ cocktails, and the best fashion in the world comes with a high cost, but you can still have an amazing trip in Paris. In this week’s newest episode of Paris History Avec a Hemingway, we give you a few tips and tricks on the biggest ticket items for your trip.

The first step is getting here. In the last year, airfare prices have gone through the roof. After more than a year of zero revenue, the airlines are making up for lost time and now they are passing those prices on to you.  The good news is that for the winter those prices have come down to a bit closer to the pre-pandemic level. 

Avoid the two weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Eve and you can find flights from the west coast for as low as $500 which is a steal! 

When I was counting each moment to return to Paris and constantly looking for flights my go-to was Skyscanner. They have an app as well as a website where you can “love” specific legs and dates and every time they drop in price they will alert you.  

Since the rise of the internet and the hundreds of options to find flights the old “rules” have all gone out the window. There is no longer a perfect day or time to look for tickets.  One thing that still holds is the difference in price on the days you fly. Avoid a Friday to Monday and stick with mid-week and the prices can be a lot less expensive. 

Now that you have your dates on the calendar and can start the countdown it now time to find your Parisian home, even if for just a few days. On all my trips to Paris, I always stayed in an Airbnb and had very good luck, well except the one that began to leak water in the middle of the night from the ceiling.  

An apartment can be a lot more cost-effective if you are staying for a week or longer, lucky you! Depending on the neighborhood and the time of the year an Airbnb can be as low as 60€ a night, just think of all the extra money for croissants.  Extend your trip to at least 28 days and a whole new world on Airbnb opens and you can find some great places for even less. That is how I found my first Parisian apartment and still love it. 

My advice for Airbnb is to drill down on all the comments left by past guests. Never go with one that has zero or just a few comments. This is where you find the real details like if 8 years ago there was a family of mice. Non, merci pour moi! Also, be sure to check on the floor the apartment is on and if it has an elevator or not. Not many do and not all renters are good about listing it but someone always mentions it in the comments. 

Hotel Littré where my grandparents stayed in 1972

There are more than 1500 hotels within Paris and one for every level of budget. Prices are also skyrocketing and will continue to do so as we get closer to next summer and the event that is talked about every single day, the Olympics.   If you are just coming for a long weekend a hotel is great.  You should be out exploring Paris all day, so save on the hotel and book the shoebox size room for a lower cost. 

Paris is one of the easiest cities in the world to explore on foot and also a great and free way to discover the city. Your itinerary should be loose enough that you can take your time getting from point A to B and find all the great hidden nuggets along the way.  

Take one of the many podcast episodes we did in the fall of 2022 with you and let us give you a little walking tour. Or better yet book a customized tour of Paris with me. 

The other option that gets a bit overwhelming for some but doesn’t need to be in the Paris Metro. It is very easy to use and even a simple Google search for directions to where you need to go gives you an option for the Metro. Simply follow the color of the line and which direction you need to go to and you are set. 

The paper tickets are going away soon if not already gone in a few stations but you can buy a pass and reload it on your phone. In 2024 they will finally have an App for iphone and it will be even easier. 

Check back next week when we share the tips and tricks for the good stuff, restaurants, museums and what to see in Paris.

Episode 179 - Pere Lachaise

Pere Lachaise isn't any cemetery, it is the final resting place of some of the most notable people in French history. Père-Lachaise gets its name from the confessor of Louis XIV Père François de La Chaise, who lived in a house near the chapel built in this spot in 1682 until his death in 1709.  On May 21, 1804, the land was reopened as a cemetery at the time far outside of Paris and called Cimitiere de l'Est.  Rather unpopular due to the distance, few wanted to hold funerals or burials there. 

The very first burial on June 4 was of 5-year-old girl Adelaide Paillard de Villeneuve.  In 1805 they had an idea to move some famous names to Père-Lachaise. Two of the first of these famous people to find their way there were two of France's masters of words. The playwright Molière and fabulist Jean de La Fontaine. Two large gravesites were erected side by side, although none of their remains are actually here, which is common amongst the more than one million people interred within the walls of Père-Lachaise. It isn't just famous people, anyone can be buried at Père-Lachaise which was also a first when it opened. With Moliere and Fontaine along, people clamored to spend eternity there. Colette, Pissarro, Ingres, Balzac, Delacroix, Géricault, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Victor Noir are just a handful of the names you can visit. I always have an ever-running list of tombs to search out.

You can almost hear the beautiful notes of one of his Nocturnes floating in the air as you get close to his tomb. Frédéric Chopin, the Polish virtuoso made Paris his home and staked his claim to the Romantic Movement of the 19th C. Arriving in September 1831 after his plans to move to Italy were thwarted by the Revolution through the country. Having a hard time getting a visa to France from Poland, he reached out to the French and was able to get a visa that stated he was “passing through on his way to London”. He never arrived in London staying in Paris the rest of his life and became a citizen in 1835. His life was filled with friends like Delacroix and Liszt and lover George Sand, but it was his music that still fills the air today. Between 1830 and 1832 he wrote three of his most famous pieces, Nocturne Op 9. The twinkly and graceful notes were written when he was just 20 years old. No 2 is one of the most recognized pieces of music in the world and is what I play many times in the background as I sit and write.

Like many great artists, Chopin died at a very early age. Rarely performing publicly and falling ill over the last few years of his life at 36 he died of tuberculosis.

Before he died Chopin planned out his funeral down to the last detail. He wanted it to be held in the Eglise de la Madeleine and Mozart's Requiem to be performed and this is where it all came screeching to a halt. At the time women were not allowed to perform in the church and it took almost two weeks for the church to give in and allow Jeanne-Anais Castellan and Pauline Viardot to perform, although they had to hide behind a black curtain.

Delacroix served as a pallbearer for his friend and would remember him in a painting that he had painted of him before he died that is now in the Louvre. Buried in Pere Lachaise in a grand tomb by Jean-Baptiste Clèsinger, son-in-law of his former lover George Sand. A marble Euterpe, the muse of music cries over a broken lyre.  As he was lowered into the ground his very own funeral march, sonata no 2 was played. While his body lies in Père Lachaise in division 11, his wish was to have his heart buried in Poland.

Artist Amedeo Modigliano was born in Italy in 1884 and was rather sick as a child but a gifted artist at an early age. Arriving in Paris in 1906 with a bag full of money he lived fast and fueled with drugs and alcohol. His portraits have a style that is easy to spot and known as Modi. The models with their long faces and sharp edges found little interest in the art-buying elite of Paris. Suffering from mood swings and depression he turned to opium and alcohol which was encouraged with the crowd he kept in Paris at the time. Suffering from tuberculosis on and off throughout his life, it would be what would also take him down. On January 22, 1920, he was taken to the Hôpital de la Charité, suffering from tubercular meningitis and paralyzed he would die on January 24. His longtime love and girlfriend Jeanne Herbuterne, also pregnant with their child, couldn't take the grief and tossed herself from the 5th-floor window of her parent's apartment. At the time he was penniless when he died and was buried at the Bagneux Cemetery, but the two lovers were later moved to Pére Lachaise in division 96. Today his paintings sell for millions of dollars. 

“Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” These words were written by Guillaume Apollinaire, the Polish-Belarusian Italian-born French poet whose short life tells quite a tale. Born in 1880, he moved to Paris before the turn of the century and became friends with the biggest artists and writers of the time. Gertrude Stein, Max Jacob, Chagall, Cocteau, Rousseau, and Picasso as they explored the cafés of Montparnasse and Montmartre from morning to night. These relationships would lead the poet to become a noted art critic and one of the first to coin the term cubism. However, some of the friendships with the artists would land Apollinaire in hot water on September 7, 1911, when he was arrested with Picasso under suspicion of stealing the Mona Lisa. After hearing of the theft of La Joconde, Apollinaire went to the Paris-Journal to report his former assistant Honoré Joseph Géry Pieret had stolen many sculptures from the Louvre in the past and sold them to the poet and Picasso. The police in turn arrested him and held him for a week before being released. At the advent of WWI, Apollinaire decided to become a French citizen and enlisted in the war, which would last until a piece of shrapnel tore through his helmet, almost killing him. The injury would alter his mind forever and he would die on this day two short years later at 38 in 1918 and laid to rest in Père-Lachaise in the 86th division. 

Louis Visconti came from a long line of archaeologists and art lovers and enrolled in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and began to study under Charles Percier, a man who would also leave his mark on one of my favorite buildings in Paris. During his teaching, Percier was also walking over the newly built Pont des Arts to the Louvre where he was working under Napoleon Bonaparte breathing new life into the former palace of the kings. Visconti was taking it all in and when he finished school he began working for the city of Paris as architect of the 3rd and 8th arrondissement and their monuments. While his old teacher worked under Napoleon it was Visconti who was tasked with the job in 1840 to transform the city for the arrival of the former emperor's ashes as they returned to their final resting place.  Visconti was also asked to create the casket that lies under the dome of Les Invalides holding Napoleon. One of my favorites, the Fountain of the Four Bishops in front of Saint-Sulpice with their angry lions guarding the parve was also from the mind of Visconti. 

In 1851 Napoleon III asked Visconti to complete the design of the Palais du Tuileries and join the building to the Louvre. Immortalized in the painting by Jean Baptiste Tissier, Visconti is presenting his design to the Emperor and his wife Eugénie. You can see his plan of joining the two palaces creating a royal residence and offices for the second empire. It was the perfect job of Visconti in a place he loved. As a child, his father was named the curator of antiquities and paintings of the Musée Napoleon, later known as the Louvre. Visconti would grow up inside the Louvre and it would be the final project he never finished. Dying in 1853 of a heart attack he would never see his vision of the Louvre come to life 

His tomb with a marble reclined image of Visconti over a bas-relief of the “New Louvre” was designed by Victor Leharivel who also worked alongside Visconti on the Louvre  and can be found in division 4 

Episode 178 - The Cemeteries of Paris

On a beautiful fall day, it is one of the best strolls in Paris. Baudelaire, Dreyfus, Man Ray, and the man of Statue of Liberty fame, Frédéric Bartholdi are all buried here. But, one tomb stands out over the many, that of Charles Pigeon. The French inventor started out working at the Bon Marché before he opened his own shop on rue du Cherche-Midi selling lamps. During the late 19th century, lamps would easily catch on fire and he set out to fix that. Inventing the gas lamp, that wouldn’t explode in 1884 brought him fame and fortune. In 1909 his wife would die, and six years later in 1915, Charles himself would pass. After purchasing the plot in 1905, they interred together following his death. Before he died he commissioned French sculptor Caveau to create a bronze monument to grace the top. His wife on her deathbed is clutching a flower, while Charles props himself up on the bed with pen and paper in hand. Is he coming up with a new invention, writing her last words, or pledging his love to her one last time, we will never know. Above their head is an angel watching over them holding up one of the famous Pigeon lamps. Their eternal love is rather sweet, captured in bronze, and tells us a story of a man we would most likely never know or even look into if it wasn’t for the monument he left behind. It is located in the Petit cemetery, in division 22. 

Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the man known for creating the Statue of Liberty lays to rest within the walls of Montparnasse. Born in Colmar, France he was inspired to create large statues after a visit to Egypt. He first created a statue of a woman holding a flame for the construction of the Suez Canal, but the commission was turned down. Does it sound familiar? Two years later he redesigned it and proposed that it be a gift from France to America. Today you can find 7 versions of the statue in Paris. His tomb is topped with a bronze flying angel that he created himself. In division 28 of the Petit cemetery. 

Keep your eye out and you may find a small Statue of Liberty on this next tomb. Cèsar Baldaccini was a French sculptor who used leftover and discarded metal to create large-scale pieces. His name was given to the French Oscars, the Cèsar Awards after he created the award itself. Although, you may know his work best at the corner of Rue du Cherche-Mid, steps away from the wonderful Poilâne bakery. Before he died he created a smaller version that can be found on his tomb.  Grand cemetery, division 3. 

Charles Baudelaire, the French author had an opinion on everything and everyone back in his day. Quite the dandy around town, he was known in just about every group of Paris. In 1857 he wrote Les Fleurs de Mal,  a collection of short essays many with racy themes, so of course it became one of his best-known pieces. Baudelaire also lived in just about every neighborhood in Paris, relying at times on the help of friends. He died on August 31. 1867 at 46 years old. He was laid to rest in the tomb of his parents, but one grave wasn’t good enough. Later his fans didn’t think his grave was fit for the great writer and had another monument created. The L-shaped grave is topped with a bust of a thinking man as he looks out and over the mummified body below.  The family grave is in Division 5 and the cenotaph is on the back wall of divisions 26 and 27, both in the Grand cemetery. (the Petit also has divisions 26 & 27 to make it more confusing)

Montmartre 

After the Cimetière des Innocents was closed in 1780 and the remains mostly used to fill the Catacombs, the Parisians were looking for a new place to bury their loved ones. In the next few weeks in honor of spooky Halloween, I will share with you some of my favorites from the big three cemeteries of Paris. A few of the famous residents and a few you may not even know. 

On January 1, 1825, the Cimetière des Grandes Carrières also known as the Cimetière du Nord officially opened. During the Revolution, the old gypsum quarry was a mass grave at the base of Montmartre. Spreading out over 28 acres the Cimetière Montmartre is as much a part of the neighborhood as the historic Moulin Rouge.

One of the biggest names in the cemetery is of course Dalida. The Italian-Egyptian singer moved to Paris and became an international star. Sadly her life was filled with tragedy including her very own ending. On May 2, 1987, she overdosed on barbiturates, washing it down with whiskey and leaving behind a note saying, “Life is unbearable to me, excuse me”. She was just 54 years old.  Her tomb is hard to miss and fitting for the Egyptian beauty. Created by Alain Aslan who also did the bust of her in Montmartre at Place Dalida. The full-size statue stands in front of a marble wall with a golden sun behind her head. For more Dalida check out our podcast episode about her.  You can’t miss her in division 18.

The beautiful Juliette Récamier, whose Salons in Paris were the place to be. Widely recognized for her unfinished portrait by Jacques-Louis David laying on what would later be named a Récamier. Married to what may have been her father, it’s an interesting story coming up in November on the podcast. In Paris, their home, decorated in Etruscan style, was one of the first in Paris. Juliette was a constant trendsetter who caught the attention of everyone including Napoleon. Pushing off his advances, she later left Paris before he could exile her, returning after he was out of power. Dying on May 11, 1849, at 71 years old and forever remembered hanging on the walls of the Louvre. Her rather plain marker for such a beautiful woman is in division 30.

Listen to her story in the episode we did in 2020

Edgar Degas, the great Impressionist painter, who didn’t like to be called one, lay near the eastern wall in Division 4. The first thing you notice is the name. The family plot is marked with his birth name, De Gas. The artist known for his paintings of ballet dancers, lived most of his life in Montmartre taking artists under his wings including Suzanne Valadon and Mary Cassatt.

Jacques Offenbach, a musical theater composer, may be best known for one of his most famous pieces, the Can Can. Coming to Paris at 14 years old from Germany he attended the Paris Conservatoire for a year before he decided he didn’t need it. As a trained cellist he toured Europe but always had his eye on the stage but was constantly denied entry into the Paris stage scene. He built his own company in Les Bouffes-Parisiennes near the Opera and found some of the prettiest ladies in Paris to take his stage. Valtese de la Bigne, long before she became the biggest courtesan in Paris, once graced his stage and also his bedroom. A pretty nasty episode happened when his wife found out. Can’t wait to release our episode about Valtese. Offenbach died in 1880 of heart failure and was laid to rest in this tomb topped with a bust by Jules Franceschi in division 9.

Chef Marie-Antoine Carème, the French father of Haute Cuisine, began as a pastry chef. He opened Pâtisserie de la rue de la Paix after training under Sylvain Bailly and would display pasties that defied gravity and would wow everyone who walked by. Working for Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord he was asked to create menus using only seasonal ingredients for an entire year. His career took him from Paris to London and Russia. Returning to Paris, he died at 48 and entered here at Montmartre. Stop by and leave a pastry for the great chef.

Théodore Chassériau, a French romantic painter heavenly influenced by Eugene Delacroix died far too early at 37 years old. In that short time he created beautiful paintings of his family and Oriental themes hanging in the Musée du Louvre, a room away from his idol Delacroix. 

You will also come across a large tomb dedicated to Émile Zola in division 19. Topped with a bust of the writer with some pretty fantastic hair, he looks over his family that lay at rest in the red marble tomb. Zola himself was moved to the Pantheon in 1908. A friend and supporter of Manet, but best known for his involvement in the Dreyfus affair causing him to flee France for a time. Zola died on September 29, 1902, from carbon monoxide poisoning. Thought to be an accident, later a roofer confessed in the final moments of his life that he shoved linens into his chimney for his political views.

Passy 

Sitting in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower it may be the best view for a final resting place for some of the greats in French history.​ As the smaller of the big cemeteries it’s a bit easier to tackle and two of my favorites can be found here. 

Edouard Manet first exhibited at the Salon of 1859 with the Absinthe Drinker. Died on April 30, 1883, of Syphilis he got at a Rio Carnival as a teenager. Which later caused him to lose part of his leg.  Buried alongside is his wife Suzane Leenhoff, brother Eugene Manet, and artist Berthe Morisot. 

Morisot and Manet met within the walls of the Musée du Louvre as a copyist. With her dark looks that resembled the Spanish models of Goya and Velazagez, he knew he had to paint her immediately. The subject of 10 paintings she also gleaned all she could from Manet and became the most successful of all the female impressionists.

Claude Achille Debussy born August 22, 1862 in Saint Geramin-en-Laye. At 10 years old he was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire after his talents were recognized by Mme Maute. 

The cemetery also holds a few French aviators.  Henry Farman became the first man to fly a heavy than air, aircraft to New York City in 1908. He also designed the first aircraft for passengers before his death on 17 July 1958. 

Maurice Bellone made the first east-west crossing of the North Atlantic in 1930. 

Emanuel de Las Cases born in 1766 was a historian and friend of Napoleon who was with the Emperor during his exile on Saint Helena. He later published Mémorial de Saint-Hélène about his observations of Napoleon. Las Caes died in 1842, 21 years after Napoleon. 

Episode 177 - Hidden Treasures of the Left Bank

Ahhhh the rive gauche, the home of the Latin Quarter, Jardin du Luxembourg and the Eiffel Tower. The ancient, cobbled streets were well-traveled by the Lost Generation of Hemingway and Fitzgerald and the great artists and authors of the 20th century. It was any given day you would see Picasso, Dora Maar, Jean-Paul Sartre, or Simone de Beauvoir on the terrace of Les Deux Magots enjoying their morning coffee or an early evening apéro. You could wander for hours in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, stopping at every plaque along the way and learning about the people who called the Left Bank home. Tourists are numerous in the area, but many may never slow down enough to notice some of the treasures that are hidden in plain sight.

Few details are overlooked in Paris; it is one of the amazing things that the planners going back hundreds of years took into account. From the grates that surround the base of a tree to the green benches in the parks, no detail is too small– but frequently missed by passersby.

Rose Window Grate

The Jardin des Plantes is a beautiful oasis off the banks of the Seine in the 5th arrondissement that includes a zoo and numerous museums. The lush landscape is filled with a peony garden, alpine garden, iris garden, and– in the center leading up to the Grand Galerie de l’Évolution– a vast garden that is filled with pink blossoms in the spring. As you walk around, look down and you may find a little piece of Notre-Dame cathedral. All over the Jardin des Plantes the small, round grates that catch the rain aren’t the standard design. Look closely; they are in the shape of the rose windows of the Notre Dame de Paris. Created by Jacquemin Fonderie, these lovely iron grates are exactly what make Paris so magical. I have spotted them around Paris a few other times– inside inner courtyards behind locked doors– so keep your eyes out for these little beauties.

Philipe Auguste Wall

A short and lovely walk from the Jardin des Plantes is the Rue Mouffetard, one of the best streets in Paris, leading to the Place de la Contrescarpe that Hemingway mentioned in A Moveable Feast and just around the corner from his first apartment. Continue down Rue Descartes and a right on Rue Clovis. The street named for the king of the Franks holds one of the best remnants of the wall of Philippe Auguste. In the past episodes, we have seen the wall in a parking garage and a basketball court. Of the many visible remains in Paris, this one on Rue Clovis gives you an idea of just how wide the wall was.

Saint Etienne de Mont 

A few steps away the Église Saint-Étienne-de Mont rises up in the shadow of the Pantheon. The church is well known for what is outside of it, but don’t skip going inside this gem. The steps on the north side are always filled with fans of the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris, looking to recreate their own Gil moment to travel back in time. Head inside the church for a real treat. In front of you at the altar is the last Jube screen in Paris. Created by artist Biart le père, the single-span screen stretches above the choir and on either side are carved stone stairs that are stunning. Biart carved angels, mascarons, ivy and palm trees into the screen that was once used during sermons. The Jube screens were commonly seen in many of the churches of Paris before removed. Notre Dame de Paris had one as well before they were abolished by the Council of Trent to bring the congregation closer to the choir. Take some time to walk around Saint-Étienne, the relics of Sainte Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris who saved it from the attack of Attila the Hun, are in a side chapel with beautiful stained glass windows telling the story of the life of Geneviève.

Salvador Dali Sundial

Head down Rue Soufflot and take a right onto Rue Saint-Jacques. The Rue Saint-Jacques was once the cardo of Roman Lutetia, long before Paris became Paris. The north-south road led to the Chemin de St-Jacques and the Santiago de Compostela. At 27 Rue Saint-Jacques look up at the corner; one of the 120 sundials that can be found around Paris resides on the corner. This isn’t your normal sundial, it is by artist Salvador Dali. Placed on 15 November 1966, Dali had created it for a friend who owned the shop beneath it. The sundial is a woman’s face on a scallop shell, a nod to the Saint-Jacques de Compostelle. Her blue eyes shine beneath her eyebrows set aflame like the sun. Her hair cascades down forming the recognizable mustache of her creator. Dali’s signature can be seen in the lower right-hand corner, but don’t set your watch to it, the surrealist artist never designed it to work.

Luxembourg Statue- Marchand de Masques 

The Jardin du Luxembourg is filled with over 100 statues that line the terrace, hide beneath the tree-lined paths, and sit majestically in the middle of the perfectly trimmed grass. On the eastern side of the park a few steps from the terrace with the statues of the Queens of France, down a path is the statue with the faces of the great artists. Le Marchand de Masques by Zacharie Astruc is a statue of a young boy selling masks. In his hand, he holds the mask of the French novelist, Victor Hugo. At his feet are the faces of eight of the greatest French artists, authors and musicians. You can come face to face with landscape artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, novelist Alexandre Dumas, composer Hector Berlioz, sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, operatic baritone Jean-Baptiste Faure, novelist Honoré de Balzac, novelist Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly and, a personal favorite, Eugène Delacroix. The entire Jardin du Luxembourg is worth an entire day exploring, sitting in the sun reading, and do not forget a picnic to set up on one of the iconic Luxembourg green chairs.

Rue Saint Sulpice 

Walking along the Rue Saint-Sulpice on your right is the largest church on the left bank– only a tad bit smaller than Notre Dame de Paris. While you walk in the shadows of the church look to the left to find a remnant of a seedier time in Paris. At no. 36 Rue Saint-Sulpice, above the door is the address, but just a bit fancier than any other numbers on the street. Why such a lovely number on what appears to be a regular Paris façade? During the Belle Epoque, Paris was celebrating the good life and that even went for a man looking for, how shall we say, companionship. The fancy and normally larger numbers signified this address was a Maison close, a really French way of saying brothel. Miss Betty ran this brothel in the very narrow six-floor building that specialized in a rather authoritative type of companionship. The remains of these Maison close can be found all over Paris, keep an eye out for the larger numbers.

Speaking of ladies of the night, our next hidden treasure belonged to the man who was said to of given up his virginity to one at the Palais Royal. Napoleon Bonaparte made his mark on Paris in many ways, but this treasure is one of the most personal. Le Procope in Saint Germain claims to be the oldest restaurant in Paris and dates back to 1686. Over the centuries, you would see Benjamin Franklin working on the Constitution. Voltaire drank coffee, Diderot came up with the Encyclopédie, and Thomas Jefferson, George Sand, Robespierre, and Marat all frequented the café. However, back to Napoleon. In 1795, General Napoleon was in Paris and dined at Le Procope. At the end of the meal he didn’t have enough money to cover his bill so he left his hat as collateral in good faith that he would return. He clearly didn’t keep his word as today you can still see his hat on display in the restaurant. While other hats he’s worn can be seen at the Musée de l’Armee, the one in the display case at Le Procope seems a bit more special. Once located in the doorway, the restaurant moved it upstairs due to the high traffic that stopped at the door to catch a peek. Le Procope holds a smorgasbord of history and is well worth a lunch or an apéro and a chance to wander within these historic walls. Come with money; they don’t take hats anymore as payment.

Marat Bell

Just behind Le Procope, the short, uneven Cour du Commerce Saint-André connects the Boulevard Saint Germain to Rue Saint André des Arts. Although it is short, it holds many historical moments in the history of Paris. Joseph Guillotin would practice his machine on sheep in this street, Georges Danton lived here and Jean-Paul Marat had his printing house here. If you walk down the Cour du Commerce, facing south just before you reach La Procope look up. Outside a window, you will see a bell. This bell dates back to the time when Marat would be working late into the night and would ring a bell when his article was printed and ready to be distributed.

École des Beaux-Arts 

Just off the Seine and in view of the Musée du Louvre is the school where many of its artists began: the École des Beaux-Arts. It dates back to 1648 when Cardinal Mazarin set up the school to educate the cream of the crop of French students in painting, sculpture, and architecture. Louis XIV used the school to hand-pick talent to decorate his ever-growing Versailles. Degas, Ingres, Moreau, Renoir, Géricault, Sissley, and Delacroix all attended the prestigious school. It is still an active school today and holds many special exhibitions. To fully visit the Beaux-Arts you have to wait until the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, the third weekend of September when many French institutes open for just one weekend to visitors. However, you can just stroll right in any day of the week to view a portion of this historic school. Inside you can view a copy of Michelangelo’s Pietà without jetting over to Rome. Copies of famous tombs are seen at the Basilique Saint-Denis and the Cour du Mûrier which is filled with statues within the courtyard colonnade. Walk around (where you can) and you will come across sketching students, surrounded by columns from the former Palais des Tuileries in the Cour Chimay, looking out at the Linden trees gently blowing in the summer wind. An open door in Paris is always an invitation to explore.

Episode 176 - Hidden Treasures of Paris - Right Bank part Deux

Once you have visited all the bucket list locations of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Sacré-Cœur, Musée du Louvre— and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, look a little further to a few more hidden treasures. After all, your whole life has been filled with images of these iconic monuments and the chance to see them up close is a dream come true. However, the beauty of Paris comes from the in-between moments. The walk through the Jardin des Tuileries on the way to the Louvre and the leisurely lunch sitting on a terrace watching Paris walk past are some of the very best things to do in the city. Slow down and savor the cobbled streets where famous authors and historical figures lived and keep an eye out for a hidden treasure.

We shall stay on the right bank on this little voyage, uncovering more of the little details with a big story that many will walk right past. We’ll start at the Place de la Concorde, sitting between the Jardin des Tuileries and the Champs Élysées where a large chapter of the bloody history of Paris once took place. It was called the Place de la Revolution when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lost their heads in the guillotine alongside 2,000 other people during the Reign of Terror. Have no fear; a quick name change in 1795 to the Place de la Concorde would hopefully wipe that image from people’s minds.

Obelisk 

In 1833, Muhammad Ali Pasha, the ruler of Ottoman Egypt, gifted France with the 3000-year-old Obelisk that once stood in front of the Luxor Temple. Pasha asked for only one thing in return: a clock. The obelisk itself is not a hidden treasure, but it plays a role in it. If you walk around the Place de la Concorde, as far as to the statues of the great cities of France, and look down, you may notice some Roman numerals on the ground. In 1913, the founder of the Société Astronomique de France and astronomer Camille Flammarion wanted to create the largest sundial in the world at this very spot. Plans were put in place using the 108-foot high Obelisk as a gnomon but were postponed twice due to the World Wars. Flammarion would never see his vision come to life. In 1999, at the advent of the millennium, Philippe de la Cotardière and Denis Savoie– members of the Société Astronomique– presented the idea to the city of Paris. Mayor Jean Tiberi enthusiastically agreed and on June 21, 1999, he was present as the finished sundial was inaugurated. It was to remain until 2001, but just like the Eiffel Tower, it has fought past the hands of time. A few of the Roman numerals can still be seen, and on a clear sunny day, the Obelisk will help you find the time.

Walk up to the north corner of the Jardin des Tuileries towards the Jeu du Paume. On the corner of the Terrasse de Jeu de Paume, overlooking the busy traffic of rue de Rivoli, stands a majestic lion. Placed in 1819, the neoclassical lion by Giuseppe Franchi has seen a thing or two in his time. It stands in front of the Jeu du Paume, today a museum but during WWII it was the warehouse for looted art that was sent to Germany. In August 1945 as the Liberation of Paris began, and the fighting intensified in the Place de la Concorde, the lion was struck by a German tank and tumbled down. If you look closely, you can see the cracks on his legs and tale where he was reassembled. At the base of where he stands, you can still see the bullet holes that riddled the Place de la Concorde: tangible history you can touch.

Walking through the Tuileries, imagine the Queen mother Catherine de’ Medici looking out the windows of the Palais des Tuileries at the changing leaves. The palace she had built after the death of her husband King Henri II would open in 1564. The Renaissance palace was covered in regal symbolism on the columns and above the windows. It was Catherine’s way of rewriting the love story with her husband, emphasizing its significance over his true great love, his mistress Diane de Poitiers. Three hundred years of royalty would use the palace including Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette who would spend their final years of semi-freedom before prison. Napoleon Bonaparte would use the Palais des Tuileries as his official residence and would spend each night with a certain lady of the Louvre in his bedroom, the Mona Lisa.

However, the grandness of the palace would end on 23 May 1871. It was the days of the Paris Commune and a dozen men set out, torches and gas in hand and set the Tuileries on fire. The ruins of the palace would stand for over 12 years– finally torn down in 1883. Although, we can still find a bit of the palace sprinkled throughout the city. You may never even know you walked past or sat on a bench on a lovely summer day in front of these historic remnants. On the southern side of the Jardin des Tuileries is a former arch, partially rebuilt that rises over the terrace that few people even notice. Other remains can be found inside the Musée du Louvre in the Cour Marly, in the Square Georges Cain, Académie des Beaux Arts and the Trocadero, far away from the hordes of people.

Henri IV, our next find takes us over to the area once home to Les Halles market, known as “the Belly of Paris.” On Friday, May 14, 1610, Henri IV was traveling by coach from the Louvre, wanting to see the procession of his wife Marie de Medici who was just crowned Queen of France the day before at Saint-Denis. Henri made his way from the Louvre to the very narrow Rue de la Ferronnerie and found it blocked by wagons carrying hay and wine barrels. While his men stepped off the coach to clear the traffic, the king was left unguarded long enough for François Ravaillac to jump onto the coach and stab the Vert Gallant with a stolen knife. As you walk down the street, keep your eyes down. Inlaid into the street at the spot at which he was killed is a stone with the crest of Henri IV, King of France and Navarre, and the date of his death. He would die before he was able to return to the Louvre. Following his death, a wax effigy of the king would sit in the Salle des Caryatids for eleven days in June 1610. Lavish meals were served in front of him and members of his court sat in silence eating.

A short walk from Rue de la Ferronnerie is the Gothic masterpiece Saint Eustache that once overlooked Les Halles, the famed market that dates back to the 11th century when it started as a dry goods market. The food vendors moved in and it would be the central market of Paris until it was torn down in 1971. In 1476, La Corporation des Charcutiers, one of the most important organizations in France, was created blending history and gastronomy. While they may have been popular, they did go through some difficulties when rumors went around on what type of meeting they butchered; I will leave it at that. Therefore, to win back their good name they would give back to the community and to the church of Saint Eustache. The first chapel on your left holds a very special set of stained glass windows donated by the guild in 1945. Look closely at it. The top holds the seal of Paris on the left and the coat of arms of the guild– depicting three sausages and a swine. Below, Saint Antoine, their patron saint, can be seen with a pig near his feet, and to his left, a chef is presenting a tray of pork goodness to a church official. Only Paris would have a chapel dedicated to sausage, and rightfully so.

Medici Column

Just outside the doors of Saint Eustche through the Jardin Nelson-Mandela is a tall column topped with what looks like a cage. It was built by Jean Bullant under the instruction of Catherine de Medici. Catherine was a big believer in astrology and her advisor Como Ruggeri told her she would die near Saint-Germain. In the midst of building the Palais du Tuileries, near the Église St Germain l’Auxerrois, she stopped construction and abruptly moved to the Hôtel de Saissons near Saint-Eustache. The tall column built with a glass roof, which no longer remains, was connected to the Queen’s apartment so she could travel the 147 stairs to the top. The Hôtel de Saissons would be destroyed in 1748 and the Bourse du Commerce would be built in its place. It must have been a little Medici witchcraft that protected the column from being demolished. It remains today alongside the stock exchange, although currently covered and going through a renovation.

Tour de Jean Sans Peur

Tour de Jean Sans Peur in the second arrondissement is one of the few architectural remains of the Middle Ages. Built-in 1409 and finished in 1411, the tower keep of the former Hôtel de Bourgogne is an often overlooked treasure that sits just off the busy Rue Étienne Marcel. After Jean sans peur (Jean the Fearless) had his cousin Louis d’Orleans killed, he would take over the property and have a grand palais built to show his power and great wealth. Over many years, the property passed through the hands of one noble after another and the land was divided. In 1866 on the heels of Haussmann’s rebuilding of Paris and construction of Rue Étienne Marcel, the remaining buildings were destroyed. The tower is all that remains of this once-medieval palace. The good news is that you can visit, climbing each of its historic steps. Each floor has details of the former rooms and those that lived there. Make sure to look up, as you get closer to the final floor. The ceiling at the top of the tower is beautiful and looks like a tree that has grown from the center of the stairs reaching to the sky. It’s open from Wednesday to Sunday in the afternoon only and frequently has special exhibits of life in medieval times.

Auguste Wall 

Long before Jean sans Peur completed his palace and keep, it was once the location of the Hôtel d’Artois, built by Robert II, Count of Artois in 1270– sitting on the edge of the Philippe Auguste wall that encircles Paris. The wall was built between 1190 and 1290 by Philippe Auguste to protect Paris while he was off on crusades. Encircling over 625 acres and running a mile and a half on the right bank alone, the 20 to 25-foot high and three-foot thick limestone walls kept the invaders out. On the right bank just behind the Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis church is the longest stretch of wall that remains today. On the Rue des Jardins-Saint Paul lining the large basketball court is almost 200 feet of ancient wall and a portion of the Tour Montgomery just outside the court. Walking by and seeing all the kids playing basketball, I constantly wonder if they know what that wall means and what it once was. Sitting in the third arrondissement, close to the center of all of Paris, this was once the outside of what we now know as the City of Light.

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Episode 176 - Hidden Treasures of Paris Part One

You plan your trip to Paris and have all the big things on your list to see. The Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, and– if you are brave– maybe even the Catacombs. While Paris is filled with beautiful architecture, monuments, and museums there are also a few treasures that are hidden in plain sight just waiting for you to discover. Let’s take a little stroll through Paris and discover their secrets.

ARAGO MARKERS

Marking the sidewalks of Paris is a set of brass medallions imprinted with the name Arago. The markers that run over 9km through Paris mark the ancient Paris meridian.

In 1994 the Arago Association commissioned artist Jan Dibbets to create a memorial to François Arago, a 19th-century French astronomer and mathematician who mapped out the meridian: I hate to tell you, but he had nothing to do with the Da Vinci Code. You will come across these markers in the Palais Royal, Jardin du Luxembourg, and along the Seine. However, did you know you could find them INSIDE the Musée du Louvre? There are a few outside in the Cour Napoleon but it is the ones inside the Louvre that sent my heart racing as soon as I spotted one. You will find them in the Richelieu and the Denon wings and even people that work there do not know they are walking among them every day.

In the Richelieu wing between the Cour Marly and Cour Puget as you come down the stairs and through the passage between them, look down. Head back into the Cour Puget and walk up the stairs to your right. When you see the Thomas Regnaudin statue of Saturne enlevant Cybèle, look just behind it, et voila. A third in the wing lies just between the escalators. Over in the Denon wing, in the Etruscan and Roman Antiquities rooms, three more can be discovered by the avid hunter; some are hidden due to renovation but if the rooms are open keep your eyes to the ground.

Medieval Louvre

The lower level of the Musée du Louvre holds the remnants of the original medieval fortress. Dating back to the 12th century and the Louvre of Philippe Auguste, the original moat of the Louvre can be found with all its secrets it unleashed in 1984. During the construction of the “Grand Louvre”, an archaeological dig unearthed the moat and over 100,000 objects including pottery, jewelry, and medieval armor. They also found the base of the staircase to the tower that held Charles the V’s library.

As you walk among the ruins you will notice marks on many of the stones– hearts, circles, and slashes– but fear not these are not wayward annoying love lockers looking for a new place to vandalize the city of love. The stone carvers that painstakingly cut each stone in the 12th century made these marks. The way they would receive their wages was by counting the amount of stones they cut. From the looks of it, the guy who had the heart symbol was a pretty hard worker. Many visitors walk right past not noticing, nor knowing what these symbols mean, but it is one of the amazing stories of the Louvre that date back hundreds of years.

Napoleon on the Louvre

Sticking with the Musée du Louvre, this time let’s head outside to the very end known as the Colonnade de Perrault. It’s named for the architect Claude Perrault whom Louis XIV selected to design the eastern end of the Palais du Louvre.

The Sun King wanted to add his own mark onto the Louvre like the kings before him but decided to move his court to Versailles and left the entire wing unfinished without a roof. It would take almost a hundred years for the Colonnade to get its roof and it was Napoleon Bonaparte that would finally make it happen. The Emperor wanted to leave a lasting impression and François-Frédéric Lemont did just that for him. On the outward side, facing Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois at the top of the pavilion, there’s the bust of a man with a long curly wig. Look closely at the face; it is the face of Napoleon with a much different hairstyle. During the Restoration in 1815 Louis XVIII and the Bourbons were back in power and he tried to scrub all traces of Napoleon from the city. He ordered a wig to be carved and placed on the bust and just like that, it is now Louis XIV.

Napoleon & Henri 

The Musée du Louvre and the palace that came before are decorated with the initials of the kings and emperors that each took part in its construction over 500 years. However, this little secret can be found at your feet outside the galleries. Out on the Quai François Mitterrand just as you walk under the Pavillon de Lesdiguières from the Place du Carousel as you wait for the light to change, look down. In the stones are the initials of two of the great builders of the Louvre. On the right is H for Henri IV and on the other side past the lanes of traffic is N for Napoleon III. Hard to spot when filled with people but hold back after the crossing and take a peek.

Episode 174 - Hemingway Books

Hundreds of books have also been written about him, many of which are filled with inaccurate info. As a stickler for details I want to share some of the best books written about him and by him this week on the podcast.
Even if you aren’t a Hemingway disciple, as a lover of Paris most likely have read A Moveable Feast. The book was posthumously published in 1964 under the guidance of his fourth wife Mary Hemingway and Harry Brague at Scribner’s publishing house. In 1956 a manager at the Ritz Hotel contacted Ernest and let him know that they still had a trunk of his in the basement. Some say it was a trunk made by Louis Vuitton himself, which adds to the romantic nature of the story. However, there is also a thought that the story isn’t true at all. It was said to be left by him in March 1928, however at that time he was too poor to frequent the bar stools and certainly the rooms of the Ritz. It makes for a great story though. 

The next summer he started to work on “The Paris Sketches”, his collection of the tales of those days in Paris when he and Hadley arrived as a young married couple poor and happy to the stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald and of course Pauline. Through the pages, Hem is painted as a bully and jerk at times. Many will be surprised to learn that it’s not what he originally wrote. 

In the last few months of his life, he was working on the final chapters of the book. As he was locked into the Mayo Clinic he wanted to write a proper ending dedicated to the Paris years and his marriage to Hadley. Returning to Ketchum, Idaho he was still working on it the night before he would kill himself. Pages were still in the typewriter after he was discovered. 

After his death as Mary went through his papers, he was rather a pack rat and that is something we are thankful for when she contacted A.E. Hotchner in regards to Hem’s Paris Sketches book. Once she reached out to Harry Brague at Scribner’s the butchering began.  Mary and Harry would alter the final words of Hem, removing sections that he wrote and changing some of his words. His relationship with Fitzgerald was edited to look much worse than his original pages. As his fourth wife, she also changed the text to appease her instead of what he originally wrote or wanted. 

If you are to read any edition of A Moveable Feast or if it’s been years be sure to read this version and only this version. A Moveable Feast, the Restored Edition, released in 2011 includes the actual text he wrote and notes on changes. It is a fascinating version and if I had to rate his wives from worst to best, Mary is at the top. 

In 1925, after seeing the Festival of San Fermin in Pamplona for three years, Hemingway took pen to paper and began to write the story based on what he knew, bullfights and his friends in Paris. While Gertrude Stein called them all the Lost Generation, the post-war Americans aimlessly went through life without direction and plenty of alcohol. Hem actually took offense to it and wanted to repaint them as capable and resilient. In fact, it was the second title for the book before it was decided to call it The Sun Also Rises after Hemingway and John Dos Passos sat at the Closerie Des Lilas, which is also featured in the book and found a passage in Ecclesiastes of the Old Testament. “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever. . . The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to the place where he arose.”  

The first draft was finished in September 1925, just as the first steps of his marriage to Hadley marched to the finish. Published on October 22, 1926, after they had separated. It was dedicated to Haldey and their son Jack and in the divorce, he gave her all rights to the book and any future royalties that would include the movie. Six months after the printing she was sent her first check for 18,363 copies sold for $5, 577 today which would be more than $80,000. The Sun Also Rises has gone on to be one of the most translated books in history and has never been out of print. 
The Sun Also Rises, the Hemingway Library edition was released in 2015 with early drafts of his manuscripts and deleted pages, is a great edition to read again. 

At 2 a.m. on March 4, 1928, after a night out drinking with friend Archibald Macleash, Ernest Hemingway returned home and with the turn of a few events came up with his idea that would become A Farewell to Arms. The home was now on Rue Férou between Saint Sulpice and the Musée du Luxembourg. After his divorce from Hadley in April 1927 and his marriage in May to Pauline Pfeiffer, the two would move into the grandest place of his Paris years. On the top floor of the Hotel du Luzy, with the gate guarded by two sphinxes, the newlyweds now lived in the lap of luxury courtesy of her rich uncle Gus. 

On that early morning of March 4, Hemingway went into his bathroom and reached up to grab the lavatory chain and gave it a yank, although it was the chain for the skylight, not the lavatory.  Within seconds the skylight opened and cut a large gash into his forehead. Blood was everywhere and he wrapped his head with thirty layers of toilet paper. Macleash raced back over and with Pauline, they took a taxi to the American Hospital in Neuilly.  The large horseshoe-shaped gash needed 9 stitches. 

While sitting in the hospital, between the pain and the blood, the memories of the war in Italy all came back to him. Biographer Michael Reynolds said ‘When the pain dulled ... he knew exactly what he should be writing ... the story was the war, the wound, the woman.’ He began right away writing. 

On August 20 he had finished his 1st draft of A Farewell to Arms. Set in WWI during the Italian campaign tells the story of the American Lieutenant Frederick Henry who was in the ambulance corps and who falls in love with a nurse, Catering Barkley. Loosely based on his time in the war and falling in love with nurse Agnes von Kurowsky while he was in an Italian hospital. 

A week after the skylight incident he began to write A Farewell to Arms and by August he had his first draft done. Although he had problems with the ending and was said to have written over 39 different endings.  In 2012 the Hemingway Library restored edition was released with 47 of them. Fascinating to see the different endings together. 

A.E. Hotchner was a close friend of Hemingway in the years after the war. The young Hotchner called himself a bit of a bounty hunter, going after big-name authors to write for Cosmopolitan, most of whom were so flattered they did it. Long ago Cosmo magazine was filled with wonderful articles by some of the most celebrated authors.  But one writer was more elusive and he was apprehensive to contact him. In the winter of 1948, Hotchner went to Havana, Cuba to meet Ernest Hemingway and to try to catch the larger-than-life author. “I had been in awe of Hemingway ever since my high school teacher introduced me to Hem’s Nick Adams stories”. With a lot of trepidation, he headed to Cuba to ask Hem to write a story on the “Future of Literature”. Sending him a letter from the hotel, still scared to reach out to the literary giant, Hotchner waited. 

The next day his phone rang and the booming voice said “This Hotchner? Dr Hemingway here”, Hem told him he would be happy to help him and to meet for a drink at El Floridita that night. 

That drink was the start of a friendship that would last the rest of Hem’s life. Hotchner would follow him on his many adventures from Key West to Cuba, Europe, and finally to Idaho. With a small tape recorder, he would record the conversations and moments of Hem’s life that few have ever been able to do. He would oversee the screenwriting of many of Ernest’s stories that made their way onto stage and screen and even write a few books about him. Papa Hemingway and Hemingway in Love are two of the best and give a glimpse into another side of Hem that few get to see. Hotchner was with him at the Mayo Clinic just a few weeks before he took his life in 1961 where he captured Hem wanting to write the last chapter of what would become A Moveable Feast and his final love letter to Hadley. 

Papa Hemingway, by A.E. Hotchner, published it in 1966, five years after Hemingway’s death. Documenting adventures from Cuba to Europe Hem recounts major moments of his past. A close and trusted friendship from 1948 to his death in 1961 allowed Hotchner to document his life like no one else. Struggling with health issues and paranoia he does all he can to recall his life and his many loves. Unlike many biographies, this comes straight from the source. 

Hemingway in Love, His Own Story by A. E. Hotchner waited until 2015 to release this book, long after the death of Mary Hemingway, Ernest’s fourth wife. Hotchner counted Mary as a close friend after Hem’s sudden death and wanted to spare her feelings while recounting the words of Hem on his first three wives. (too bad she didn’t have the same thought about what she did to Hadley, but I digress) This short book is filled with the raw thoughts and words that Hemingway recalled about each of the women in his life. As the book ends with Hotchners’s final visit to the master at the Mayo Clinic, A Moveable Feast takes on a whole new meaning and may leave you in tears. 

Michael Reynolds wrote five volumes of the life of Hemingway broken up by, The Young Hemingway following his adolescence in Oak Park and Michigan to his days in World War I. Hemingway: The Paris Years, from poor and happy to his second wife Pauline. Hemingway: The Homecoming from 1926 to spring of 1929 the last years in Paris to Key West, Hemingway: The 1930’s, the end of their Europe days, Key West and the meeting of Martha Gellhorn. And the last in the series Hemingway: The Final Years.  Reynolds did a fantastic job researching the books with the hundreds and hundreds of dates and moments of his life. If you were to read one complete biography of the man, these are the ones. 

For the true Hemingway scholar, you must have the five-part collection of The Letters of Ernest Hemingway. Published by Cambridge, the current five volumes begin in 1907 and end in 1934. The collection will ultimately consist of 17 volumes! The work that has gone into these is amazing. Each and every letter has been painstakingly researched and added notes are listed at the end of each. It is Hem’s own words that are presented completely as they were intended and in their raw form. A pack rat by nature he kept everything including letters he didn’t send. In the letters, many of the famous legends can even be dispelled or validated. Take for instance the story of Hadley losing his manuscripts in the Gare de Lyon. In Moveable Feast every biographer later states he dropped everything to return to Paris. In fact, in his letter dated January 23, 1923, to Ezra Pound, he says he didn’t return to Paris until mid-January over a month after Hadley arrived in Chambry. The first five volumes are so wonderful, I can’t wait to see the next twelve. 

Episode 173 - Exhibitions in Paris this Autumn

This week as we enjoy the last official days of summer we are tiptoeing to the start of autumn but that also means new fantastic exhibitions in Paris. 

Of course, we start with my beloved Musée du Louvre and the Renaissance collection of Naple á Paris. In collaboration with the Musee de Capodimonte in Naples, it is currently undergoing major renovation. The Louvre is trying something a little different with this exhibit by placing the borrowed pieces within the Grande Galerie alongside the Louvre’s own collection. By mixing the two together a conversation takes place between the Louvre and Capodimonte collections that is fascinating to decipher. 

The exhibition extends to the Pavillon d’Horloage on the 1st and 2nd levels with the 2nd being the one you do not want to miss. In a dimly lit room, the drawings of Michelangelo and Raphael come to life. Standing up close to a drawing by Michelangelo is humbling, to say the least. The showing of the fragile sketches is limited and will close on September 25 while the rest of the exhibition in the Grande Galerie runs until January 8. 

Coming up on October 18 is the exhibit I have been anxiously looking forward to since it was announced in 2021. In what was the Petite Galerie of the Richelieu wing the Treasury of Notre Dame Cathedral from its Origins to Viollet-le-Duc featuring more than 120 pieces once held in the Treasury of Notre Dame. 

On April 16, 2019, the morning after the fire officials of the Louvre assisted in emptying the Treasury which held the reliquaries that once held the Crown of Thorns and pieces of the True Cross as well as the tunic of Saint Louis. It was always a place I loved to pop in and see the golden treasures and thrilled that we were able to see them once again prior to the historic cathedral reopening on December 8, 2024. 

The exhibition space is small and just past the ticket entrance of the Richelieu wing. The exhibition runs until January 29, 2024. 

Coming to Paris and want a guided tour through the Louvre reach out. Recently my wonderful client Dianne remarked, “This was the best money I have ever spent on travel”. Allow me to share my favorite place in the world in a way few other guides can. 

Contact me today to book your tour 

Musée du Louvre

Wednesday to Sunday 9 am - 6 pm. Fridays until 9:45 pm 

The biggest exhibition this season in Paris will undoubtedly be Van Gogh à Auvers-sur-Oise, the Last Months. Opening October 3 at the Musée d’Orsay it will be sure to have very long lines and you must think ahead and plan accordingly. You will want to book your Orsay in advance as well as a timed entry to the exhibition as well. Without a timed ticket for van Gogh itself, you might wait a while to get in. If you are a member, you won’t need a reservation, just glide on in. 

Much of the permanent collection of van Gogh that the Orsay owns is from the last months of his life. Dr Gachet who took care of Vincent at that time was given many pieces by the artist himself that were given to the Louvre in 1946 as a donation from his children after his death. In the last few months of his life, Vincent painted 74 pieces and created 33 drawings. Criticized by Gauguin for painting too fast those last months he worked feverishly utilizing all the amazing colors of his pallet, for which we are very thankful. 

The exhibit opens at 9:30 a.m. on October 3 and runs until February 4. Join the Orsay and become a Carte Blanche member and enter at 9 am before the general public for an up close and personal look at the collection or book a tour with me. 

To learn more about the history of the one-time train station and how it became a museum listen to the episode of Paris History Avec a Hemingway we recorded in 2021. 

Also in the Orsay, this autumn and winter are two small exhibits one after another. 

Gustave Eiffel - Bridge Builder opens October 31 until February 4, 2024. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the architects’ passing the small Espace Paris at the end of the central nave holds a photo exhibit of the great iron bridges of the Eiffel. 

Just a week later on February 10, 2024, until May 12 the same space highlights the art nouveau and metro designer Hector Guimard. 

No need for a special reservation for either exhibit. 

The partner of the Orsay, the Musée de l’Orangerie always does an amazing job when it comes to exhibitions. Opening today! Amedeo Modigliani, A Painter and his Merchant focuses on the relationship between Modigliani and Paul Guillaume. Guillaume’s collection was acquired by the state in 1959 in a long juicy drawn-out drama that we will get into another time. The collection was added to the Orangerie in 1984. 

The Modigliani exhibition focuses on the relationship between the two men that met in 1914. Guillaume rented an apartment and studio for the artist in Montmartre after they met through Max Jacob. Guillaume became his exclusive dealer until his death in 1920. 

Known for his portraits the exhibit will have over 100 paintings and 50 drawings on display. I can’t wait to see it and will report back right away. 

Lines can be long when they have exhibitions so be sure to buy your ticket in advance or better yet, join the Orsay Carte Blanche which also allows free entry to the Orangerie. 

(this is not sponsored in any way by the Orsay, it’s just a fantastic deal! If you are a Louvre member you also get a discount on the Orsay membership) 

Musée d’Orsay is open Tuesday to Sunday 9:30 am to 6 pm, and 9:45 pm on Thursdays 

Musée de l’Orangerie Wednesday to Monday 9 am to 6 pm 

A bit farther out from the center of Paris is the Musée Marmottan Monet. Located just on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne this little treasure of a museum is worth the trek. Thanks to a gift from Michael Monet, the museum holds the largest collection of his father Claude Monet’s work in the world. The property was purchased by Jules Marmottan in 1829 and his son Paul inherited a large inheritance that he would use to collect a stunning assortment of furnishing of the Consulate and Empire period. Without an heir, he donated his estate to the Academy of Beaux-Arts in 1932 at his death.  The families of William Adolphe Bouguereau in 1938, and Henri Duherm in 1985 enhanced the collection of the museum as well as the Rouart family in 1993. 

Julie Manet Rouart was the only child of Berthe Morisot and Eugène Manet. Morisot was the subject of many Édouard Manet paintings including one of my favorites that is now visiting the Met in New York.  Morisot was one of the few women ushered into the group of Impressionists that gave light and feminist touch to the colorful period of art. Before Berthe, there was the 18th century Rococo period in Watteau, Boucher, Fragonard, and Perronneau dominated and inspired Berthe. As a young artist, she spent hours in the Musée du Louvre with her sister Edme copying the master as women were not allowed in an artist atelier.  

Opening October 18 Berthe Morisot & the 18th Century Art of Watteau, Boucher, Fragonard & Perronneau runs until March 3, 2024. The permanent collection also holds two rooms of Morisot you won’t want to miss. 

Paul Girard named Morisot the Modernizer of the 17th & 18th centuries. The exhibition will have amazing examples of the side-to-side pieces of Morisot’s interpretation of Boucher, Watteau, and more.  Listen to the podcast episode we did in 2020, she was a fascinating woman with such a wonderful story. 

Musée Marmottan Monet

2 rue Louis-Boilly 16e

Open Tuesday - Sunday 10 am - 6 pm. Thursdays until 9 pm. 

Keeping with the small museum and the beautiful pastel colors is an exhibit in the wonderful Musée Cognac-Jay.  A museum that is often missed the collection of Ernest Cognac and Marie Louis Jay was collected between 1900 and 1927. You may not know their names but you do know their fantastic department store, Samaritaine on the edge of the Right Bank. 

The two created a collection of 18th pieces that are now beautifully displayed in the 16th-century Hotel Donon steps from the Musée Picasso Paris and the Musée Carnavalet.

Pastels, Between Line and Color opens from October 12 to February 11, 2024. I love pastel pieces and are seldom on view due to their delicate nature. The Louvre no longer displays their collection sadly and so I leap at any chance to see a few of these lovely creations. 

The exhibit includes Boucher, Maurice-Quentin de La Tour, Perronneau, and Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun. Visit the Cognac-Jay after the Berthe Morisot to continue on the dreamy theme. 

Listen to the story of Marie-Louise Jay and the Samaritain on the episode we recorded in July 2021 

Musée Cognac-Jay 

8 rue Elzévir 

Open Tuesday - Sunday 10 am - 6 pm 

The permanent collection is free, and special exhibits a few euros. 

Other exhibits you will want to add to your itinerary: 

Gertrude Stein & Picasso at the Musée du Luxembourg 

September 13 to January 28'

Musée des Arts Decoratifs 

Mode et Sport September 20 to April 7 

Iris van Herpen November 29 to April 28 

Cité de l’Architecture 

The amazing Notre Dame exhibition and display of the 16 statues from the roof will run until June 2, 2024. I’ve been telling everyone for two years not to miss this, it’s a once in a lifetime chance. 

Le Paris de Gustave Eiffel 1832-1923  jusqu’a January 8, 2024

Métro, le Grande Parisian en Mouvement  November 8 to June 1, 2024

Petit Palais 

Trésors en Noir et Blanc, Dürer, Rembrandy, Goya, Toulouse-Lautrec  until January 14, 2024

Le Paris de la Modernité November 14 to April 14, 2024

Musée Carnavalet 

The Régence in Paris 1715 - 1723. Dawn of Enlightenment October 20 - February 25, 2024 

Musée de Montmartre 

Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen (famous for his Chat Noir painting) October 13 to February 11 

Fondation Louis Vuitton 

Rothko October 18 to0 April 2, 2024 

Centre Pompidou 

Chagall at Work, Drawings, Ceramics & Sculpture October 18 to January 15, 2024

Picasso Endlessly Drawings October 4 to February 26, 2024 

Musée Rodin 

Gormley Chez Rodin October 17 to March 3, 2024 

Episode 171 - More Favorite Books - John Baxter

No one has enriched my love or knowledge of Paris more than John Baxter. The Australian who made a few stops around the world before landing in Paris has written over 40 books and he keeps on going. His books on Paris are filled with the stories of the figures that made Paris what it is today. I’m not even sure how I first came across his books, but they led me to one of his tours, and now has become a mentor and a friend. Many books on Paris are filled with half facts or at times even wrong info. John does a lot of exhausting research to make sure he has accurate info and one of the few I trust explicitly. Every single one of his books is wonderful but I will try to limit my gushing to just a handful. 

Chronicles of Old Paris is a fantastic book for those who want to learn more about the historical figures of France. From Saint-Denis to Ernest Hemingway and the Opera Garnier to Notre Dame, this book gives you a short but detailed history of some of the greatest stories of Paris.  Each chapter is complete with sites to search out in Paris tied to the subject and the back includes a few walking tours. 

The Golden Moment of Paris, a guide to the Paris of the 1920s that found the Lost Generation wandering the streets.  Paris was much more than the days described by Fitzgerald, Hem, and Gertrude Stein. Cheap living and even cheaper booze was the ideal place for Americans escaping the Prohibition years. Matisse vs. Picasso, Landru the French Bluebeard, and even the unknown woman of the Seine will become familiar to anyone who has ever taken a CPR class.

Eating Eternity Food, Art and Literature in France Food and wine go with France, well better than anything. A country that has more cheeses than days of the year, amazing wine you can get with pocket change, and let’s not even get started on the bread. One of my favorite chapters is Absinthe, the Green Fairy, the green liquor that drove Oscar Wilde mad and was captured in art over and over again. The love of food transcends far from the plate and this book is for everyone who loves a good slow meal. Read it while eating some French fromage and a glass of Vouvray Sec on a sunny day. 

A Year in Paris, Season by Season in the City of Light. Stories of Paris from each season of the year including the years when the weeks stretched to ten days. Ten-day weeks in Paris sounds great! Even holding the book is a moment to treasure. The French flaps and the deckled pages are so lovely. John’s books are fantastic any way you can get them, but even better when you can hold the pages in your hands. 

We all have our favorite corner of Paris, there is always a conversation between left bankers and the right bankers, clearly the left bank is the best. Then there is the die-hard Saint-Germain-des-Prés fans vs. the Montmartre fans. Monsieur Baxter has you all covered. Three separate books that dive deeper into the Great Parisian Neighborhoods, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Montmartre, and Montparnasse. There is so much more to all of John’s books. These aren’t the Rick Steeves guidebooks that give you a short glance of a neighborhood hitting the highlights and moving you to the next box to check. These books give you an idea of the people that formed them. Drunken nights of the artists in Montparnasse. The Jazz Age of Saint Germain and the romantic, poor artists of Montmartre. Every one of my Baxter books is filled with bookmarks of treasures to track down and to find out even more. 

Hot off the press is John's newest book, Of Love and Paris. Given an early copy, I couldn't wait to dig into this gem. Paris is known for being the city of love because of the many great love stories fueled by ancient cobblestones.  Napoleon & Josephine, Colette & Willy, and Modigliani & Jeanne Hébuterne are just a few of the great stories, and 29 more. You will surely love it. 

He has written many more on Paris and can be found on my La Boutique page and I recommend each one. The Most Beautiful Walk in Paris is just what the grounded Paris lover needs right now. 

Another favorite Paris author is David Downie and two of his books I have read over and over many times. Paris, Paris, Journey Into the City of Light a favorite chapter is devoted to spending an entire day in the Jardin du Luxembourg can send any deprived Paris lover straight to one of the green Luxembourg chairs. 

A Passion for Paris, Romanticism, and Romance in the City of Light. One of my favorite periods in French history is the Romantic Movement. The days of Delacroix, Baudelaire, and the love triangle of Victor Hugo. The City of Love comes alive in this book and is one you will love. 

So many wonderful stories in all these books I have mentioned. As I pull them out to write this newsletter I want to read every single one of them again, gah Give me a few of those ten-day weeks. 

Episode 170 - Must Have Coffee Table Books of Paris

Another great way to help pass the time is to curl up on the couch with a café or glass of wine and jump into one of the many great coffee table books about Paris and the artists that were shaped by its historic cobblestones. Here are just a few of my favorites. 

1For the art lover who misses walking through the Musée du Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, there are many fantastic books you need and can even help you plan a visit to one of these fantastic museums.

Painting Musée d’Orsay, released in honor of their 25th Anniversary in 2011. Filled with over 300 pages of paintings from 1840-1910 many of which moved over from the Musée du Louvre and the Musée du Luxembourg when the Orsay opened in 1986. A few of the most famous pieces also have some more detailed information that will send you straight into the painting. Beautifully laid out you can transport yourself to the 5th floor of the Orsay and straight into an intimate conversation with the Impressionists. 

For the end all be all books on the art of the Musée du Louvre, look no further than The Louvre All the Paintings by Erich Lessing and Vincent Pomarède published by the Louvre in 2011. The 750-page book of 3,022 paintings is broken out by the different schools and is easy to navigate if you are looking for something specific. The Italian, Northern, French, and Spanish Schools fill the pages. It is close to impossible to see all of the Louvre in a short period of time, so this is the perfect book for the art lover. If you are planning on going to Paris and love art but are overwhelmed by the Louvre, pick up this book and note which paintings you are dying to see in Paris. Many of the locations are noted on each painting but these things change, especially in the past ten years. If you get this book and are dying to see something specific, let me know and I can help you find it.  The book also comes with a CD-ROM with many of the paintings and info. 

For more of the French school from the Medieval era all the way to contemporary art, Charles F. Stuckey’s French Painting is a wonderful book that pulls many of the museums of Paris into one. Each chapter is complete with a description of the period and the paintings on the following pages. A great book for anyone looking for a broader description of French paintings. 

There are many artist-specific books and Daniel Wildenstein’s Monet or The Triumph of Impressionism is beautifully put together. A larger and heavy book, it is also filled with the life of Monet told chronologically and filled with photos and his paintings. It’s an incredible reference book for anything you would ever want to know about the great French painter. 

Le Grand Véfour is one of the oldest restaurants in Paris and nestled into the Palais Royal. Chef Guy Martin put together a gorgeous cookbook that is also filled with the history of the restaurant and photos of the historic interior where Napoleon proposed to Josephine and Colette was carried in on a chair. 

If photographs are more your thing, Paris, Portrait of a City by Jean Vlaude Gautrand covers Paris from 1830 to 2011. Photos of famous photographers like Willy Ronis and Robert Doisneau are mixed with candid photos of the people who have called Paris home for almost two hundred years. The cover has changed in the new version, but it is still the same fascinating book. 

If you want to get even deeper into the architecture of Paris, One Thousand Buildings of Paris by Kathy Borrus and photos by Jorg Brockmann and James Driscoll. With photos of 1000 buildings and a short description and history of each, it's a true gem for the architectural fan. 

Check out all of these books and more in my boutique at ClaudineHemingway.com 

Episode 169 - The Liberation of Paris

This week is the 79th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris and the march to the end of World War II.  In 2019 for the 75th it was celebrated with wonderful stories and remembrance, and unless it hits a big milestone year it is all but forgotten.  I’ve never thought it was right that people only focus on the big anniversaries, these events and more importantly the people behind them should be remembered every year and every day. 

If you want to really get an idea of the years of the Occupation, Resistance, and Liberation you must visit the Musée de la Libération de Paris, located in the Place Denfort-Rochereau near Frédéric Bartholdi’s Lion de Belfort and the entrance to the Catacombs. The new location opened on the 75th anniversary of the Liberation, August 25, 2019. The former museum was just past the Gare Montparnasse and somewhat hidden from visitors. 
The original opened on August 24, 1994, for the 50th anniversary and also included the Musée Jean Moulin. In 2015 they decided to move it to a more visible location and their choice was perfect.  The Pavillon Ledoux built in 1787 by architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux was one of the fifty barriers surrounding Paris for the General Farmers to collect taxes on goods arriving in the city. The Neo-Classical building and its twin across the street housing the entrance to the Catacombs are two of the handful that remain. Ledoux also designed the rotunda pavilion at the beautiful Parc Monceau  Today the pavilion is named after its designer but it was known as the barrière d’Enfer, barrier of hell. 

Not only was the location chosen for the wonderful building but it also sits over the underground command base for Colonel Rol-Tanguy and near Jean Moulin’s former hideout on Rue Cassini.  When the museum was moved to its current location it morphed three museums into one. The Musée du Général Leclerc and Musée Jean Moulin became a part of the museum we see today.  Each man was an integral part of the Liberation of Paris and Rol-Tanguy can’t be forgotten either. 

Jean Moulin was born on June 20, 1899, in Béziers in the south of France. Mobilized on April 17, 1918, he served in the Engineer Regiment of WWI. Joining late into the war, he didn’t fight on the front lines but he did see the devastation left behind to the small villages of the Vosges. After the war, he obtained his law degree and then served as chief of staff for the deputy of the Savoie. Until the start of WWII, he was the sub-prefect for towns all over France moving frequently. 

In June 1940, as the Prefect of the Eure-et-Loir in Chartres he was arrested by the Germans for refusing to sign a declaration that a group of Senegalese men killed residents of La Taye. It was actually the Germans who had killed them. Standing by his principals he was beaten and tossed into jail where he tried to cut his own throat with a shard of glass.  A guard intervene and stopped the bleeding, but the act would lead to his signature style being captured in a famous photograph taken of him to cover his scar. Taken after his release the photo of the dashing young man with a scarf around his neck, wool coat, and hat was taken by close friend Marcel Bernard in Montpellier.  

Word of his brave actions reached Charles de Gaulle in London and he requested a meeting with Moulin. The two first met on October 24, 1941, when De Gaulle gave him the assignment in uniting the various groups of the Resistance. 

On May 27, 1943, the first meeting of the Conseil National de la Résistance was held at 48 rue du Four. Less than a month later on June 21 in Caluire-et-Cuire near Lyon, a meeting at the home of Dr Frederic Dogujin was held. Seven leaders of the different factions of resistance groups were in attendance including Jean Moulin as well as René Hardy.  Just as they sat down the Gestapo rushed in and arrested everyone in attendance, although Hardy was the only one not handcuffed and was quickly released. 

Hardy had been arrested on June 10 and taken to Klaus Barbie in Lyon. There isn’t any recorded information on what happened at that meeting. After the war, he was accused and taken to trial twice in 1947 & 1950 and acquitted. At the 1987 trial of Barbie, he admitted his contact with Hardy and the info that led to the arrest of Moulin. 

Upon the arrest of Moulin, he entered the Lyon prison of Montluc until the Nazis took him to Gestapo HQ and Klaus Barbie awaited his arrival and torture. On July 8, 1943, in the midst of a transfer by train to Berlin Moulin died at the Metz train station. There is some doubt about that being the location as it took 6 months to create a death certificate by the Germans.  

He was returned to Paris where his ashes were interred in Père Lachaise until 1964 when he was moved to the Pantheon. In one of the most moving ceremonies in French history, André Malroux gave an unforgettable speech to the hero. Today the two men lay at rest in the same niche of the Pantheon. 

Antoinette Sasse was a close friend of Jean Moulin and also worked with him decoding messages. In 1943 through her vast connections in the art world, she set up a gallery in Nice that would also serve as a front to distribute pamphlets. With Colette Pons,  the Galerie Romanin at 22 Rue de France in Nice held exhibitions that included the art of Picasso, Renoir, Chabaud, Maurice Utrillo, and past podcast lady Suzanne Valadon. Through those years together she amassed many of his personal papers when she emptied his apartment when he needed to flee and with Moulin’s sister Laure she had more than 3,000 pieces that would become the basis of the museum today. 

The museum begins in 1939 with the stories of what led up to the start of the war and the background on the lives of Leclerc and Moulin including personal items. Leclerc had a pension for drawing and his Lefranc pastels he owned in 1920 alongside his skis and boots give you a little glimpse into the man. 

Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque was born November 22, 1902, in Belloy-Saint-Léonard and was destined for the service. In 1922 he enrolled in the Ecole Speciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr and finished 5th in his class in 1924. By 1931 he was an instructor at the same school. During WWII he was stationed in Belgium where he was arrested and later released. With his wife and 6 children, he was able to escape to London on July 24, 1940, where he met with De Gaulle. 

De Gaulle saw an exceptional soldier and leader in Leclerc and in August he promoted him to Colonel and directed him to Cameroon where he served on behalf of the Free French forces.  The Vichy government sentenced him to death for his actions in absentia and an arrest warrant was placed on his head. 

Leclerc continued on through Morocco and returned to Paris in August 1944. It was Leclerc that signed the papers and took in General von Choltitz at the Gare Montparnasse and the next day was walking down the Champs Elysees next to Charles de Gaulle. 

Continuing on after the war he liberated troops in Strasbourg. Led the first troop to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest and onto Algeria. 

On November 28, 1947, the B-25 he was on crashed in a sandstorm, and he and the 14 passengers were never recovered. 

On December 4, 1947, a National Funeral was held in Notre Dame followed by a  procession to the Arc du Triomphe and ending at Les Invalides where the hero is buried today. 

The museum covers both these great men as well as the hundreds of other stories throughout World War II. 

Chronologically charting the march of the war from the start to the Liberation is heartbreaking. Alongside propaganda posters of the Vichy government, photos of how the Germans covered Paris in their Nazi flags, and items left behind by families all give you a very visceral and emotional reaction that is hard to contain. The small shoes that once belonged to a child that was taken with his family to Auschwitz are hard to digest.

In one case a tile that was once in the La Muette housing in Drancy where many Jewish families were taken before being sent to Auschwitz still shows the faint markings of the Sétion family. Ida Sétion and her four daughters Jacqueline, Elie, Eliane, and Monique were arrested on November 4, 1942, deported on November 9, and killed on November 14. Before they left she inscribed on the tile “Famille Sétion du 8/11/42 au 9/11/42….Destination…..” The fear they had to be going through is heartbreaking and doing all she could to keep her four daughters safe and calm must have been horrific. 

The museum brings to light many names you may never have heard about and their stories of bravery few can even imagine today. As you near the end of the museum you start to hear recordings of joyous celebrations, all ending with the Liberation of Paris. Images set to music and the cheers of happy Parisians filling the Champs Elysees and Hotel de Ville in celebration are bound to make you smile. 

One of my favorite things in the museum is a dress made for the Liberation of Paris by Marguerite Sabut and her mother. At the start of August, they began to make the dress hoping she would soon have a reason to wear it.  The dress includes paper cutouts of the Eiffel Tower, Arc du Triomphe, Bastille Column, and other landmarks in Paris. She also had a small purse made with the Cross of Lorraine as a clasp and roosters on it. Seventy-nine years ago on August 26, 1944, she finally had her chance to wear the dress during the parade on the Champs-Elysées as she watched General De Gaulle walk by. A few lucky soldiers signed her bag as the perfect reminder of the day. 

I hope I have convinced you to pay a visit to this lovely museum. Special exhibits are also planned throughout the year and with only a fraction of what they have on display it pays to go a few times to see it. The museum itself is free to the public, but a reservation and a small ticket fee are required to visit Colonel Rol-Tanguy’s former headquarters where he along with his wife Cecile worked to save Paris and France. 

Musée de la Libération 

4 Avenue du Colonel Henri-Roy-Tanguy 14e 

Tuesday-Sunday 10 - 18 

Episode 168 - The Opening of the Louvre

On August 10, 1793, the Musée Central des Arts de la Republique was opened. You may know it as the Musée du Louvre. 
Art was not a stranger to the Palais du Louvre and going back to the 16th century Francois I first held a few of his prized pieces. Under Louis XIV they added the Salle des Rois, today’s Galerie d’Apolon and in 1725 moved the yearly Salon to the Salon Carré along with the Academy of Paintings. 

On May 26, 1791, a year and a half into the French Revolution the National Assembly of France declared a museum would be created “bringing together monuments of all science and arts”. For the next year, things would move slowly although art from the churches and emigrant families that left France were amassed. 

On August 9 the new government of Paris, the Paris Commune moved into the offices of the Hotel de Ville. During the night they met to come up with a plan to “save the state”. Meeting until 3 a.m. one side wanted to attack the king and the other fought against it. Louis XVI wasn’t playing along with the changes in the government and it was all about to end. 

At 8 am on August 10, 1792 thousands of men, women, and even children armed with weapons charged the Tuileries. Louis XVI had the 950 Swiss Guards moved inside the palace to guard the family and left 930 gendarmes and 2000 national guards outside to keep the angry mob at bay. One little issue, they had very little ammunition. The royal family was able to escape and ran through the garden to the Assembly for safety.

Louis XVI was treated to wine and food, while Marie was tossed in a locked room with her children. It was the end of the monarchy as the Legislative Academy ended all rights of the king. On the same day, they voted on the destruction of all items and properties tied to the monarchy. The next day on August 11 a commission was created to halt the process and to search and care for these items of the national heritage. 

It would go back and forth a few more times. On the 14th the cries for destruction outweighed all the others and then on the 22nd, it was declared again that the heritage must be saved. On October 1, 1792, a commission was made up of artists to create the layout of the National Museum that would be based on the collection of the kings. 

The original museum was much smaller and different from the stunning temple of art seen today. The Grande Galerie, Galerie du bord de l'eau was created under Henri IV to link the Palais du Louvre to Catherine de Medici’s Palais des Tuileries. Begun in 1595, the 1500-foot-long corridor was used by the young Louis XIII for fox hunts, maybe they should bring back a fox or two in the high season.

When opened the museum held 538 paintings and 184 objects, 39 busts, and 29 tables of hard stone pieces that were mostly from the former rulers of France that began with Francois I. 

Francois I was raised with an appreciation of art and culture by his mother Louis de Savoie who was obsessed with the Italian Renaissance. It was Francois who decided to remake the Monarchy and bring it out of Medieval times and began to collect paintings from the Italian masters and one of the masters himself. After meeting Leonardo da Vinci, he invited him to move to France where he would put him up in a chateau and take care of everything. Leonardo eventually gave in and made his way to France via a donkey and in tow were a few paintings. 

In the short period of time before his death, Leonardo sold or gave a few of his paintings to Francois I including the Mona Lisa. The Louvre holds six paintings in its collection, more than any museum or country in the world. Italy is still mad about it.  

His son, Henri II came along and didn’t have the collecting bug like his father did but did appreciate what they did have. Eventually, Henri IV & Marie de Medici would add a sizeable amount. 

Louis XIII called on Nicols Poussin, Simon Vouet, Philippe de Champaigne, and Laurent de La Hyre as the painters to the king to add to the collection but it was his son that would amass more than any other king. 

The Sun King, Louis XIV broke the bank by acquiring as much as he could. Italian masters, Northern School, and his own artists including Charles Le Brun, Claude Gellee, and Pierre Puget. 

When Louis XIV decided to flee to Versailles in 1678 he gave up the Palais du Louvre to the artists and academics. Many including Jaques Louis David moved their atelier and homes into the Louvre and the artists were allowed to remain until Napoleon kicked them out. Over time it was the artists that shook up the 19th century that visited the galleries and copied  the masters. Manet, Fantin Latour, Monet, and Berthe Morisot were often found in the Italian section and you can still find artists to this day doing the same thing. 

By the time Louis XVI was in power, he had instructed his Minister of the King’s buildings, Comte d’Angiviller (Gee-Vee- Lear) to purchase paintings to fill a void in the collection. Peter Paul Rubens, Antoine van Dyck, and Le Nain were just a few.  Rooms dedicated to his 

During his fall the decision was made to create a museum three-quarters of the over 720 pieces had been in the hands of the kings of France. The rest were confiscated from churches and the families that chose to flee France. 

The long Grande Galerie saw the paintings hung frame to frame and floor to ceiling. Today the ceiling is open to windows letting in the natural light but in 1793 it was the light from the sides that flooded in. Those windows are still there today, just hidden away behind a wall. It was artist Hubert Robert who painted an imaginary piece of what the Grand Galerie could look like that in fact would be the inspiration of the view we now see. 

Although it was opened as a gift to the citizens of France they were only allowed to visit one to three days a week. These were the Revolutionary years and the ten-day calendar was in place. For 2 days it was closed for cleaning, depending on the year the public only had one to three days a week to visit and the remaining six of the ten days were reserved only for the artists and copies. The first month it was only open for 12 days. 

The Palais du Louvre survived the anger of the Revolution and Terror unscathed. The supreme figure of the royal family of Paris was left without a mark because it was given back to the people of France in the middle of one of its darkest times. 

The museum had to close on April 26, 1796, when the building was falling into disrepair. It was one thing to have a public palace turning into a shrine to art it was another to dip into the purse of the government to keep it going. Over the next five years, it would open and close many times until July 14, 1801, when it was once again fully open for everyone to visit. 

As time went on more and more art was added to the museum. The Chateau de Versailles held all of the art and paintings of the French school while the Louvre focused those first few years on the International school mostly made up of Italian and Northern Europe artists.  

Then came Napoleon. 

Hitler wasn’t the only one that looted art for his own purposes, long before it was Napoleon Bonaparte. In the spring of 1796, General Napoleon during the Italian campaigns took it upon himself to gather the works of the great masters. Arriving in each city he asked for some of the greatest paintings in their collections. Amassing twenty to thirty at a time including works by Rubens, da Vinci, Titian, and Raphael from the collections of the Duke of Parma, Milan, and even the Pope. With each gathered collection he set up treaties with the dukes and Pope giving the rightful ownership to Napoleon and France. 

The Treaty of Tolentino in February 1797 allowed him to enter any museum and private building and take anything they wanted including the Apollo Belvedere and the statues of the Nile and Tiber. Their next stop was Venice where he took the winged lions of St Mark’s Square and the bronze horses of St Mark’s Basilica that he would later place on top of his Arc du Triomphe du Carrousel. It was also in Vence where he would take Veronese’s Wedding Feast of Cana. A visit to the Vatican resulted in hundreds of manuscripts and forced them to pay for their transport to Paris. 

In December 1797, 640 crates were sent to Paris in a mass convoy and arrived in the City of Light on July 27, 1798, and were greeted with a two-day celebration, the Festival of Liberty and the Arts.  For two full days, the convoy drove through the streets of Paris. The Apollo Belvedere stood tall and held a banner that read, “Greece lost them, Rome lost them. Their fate has changed twice; they won’t change again”. However, it would. 

In 1814 after the abdication of Napoleon, the owners of the seized goods wanted them back. Pope Pius VII worked with Louis XVIII who at first seemed happy to give everything back then changed his mind. Representatives from Italy arrived in Paris demanding their art returned. Deals were made and of the 5,200 pieces less than half went back. Many pieces were lost, given away, or destroyed. Today the Louvre has a few that were diplomatically agreed on, including the Wedding Feast of Cana and Tiber, and many paintings.

In November 1800 the Musée des Antiques moved into the summer apartments of Anne of Austria below the Galerie d’Apollon and was inaugurated by Napoleon. He would of course rename it the Musée Napoleon during his rule and even bring the Mona Lisa to his bedroom in the Palais des Tuileries. 

Today when you visit the Louvre, the Grande Galerie is still filled with the paintings that were picked and adored by the kings of France. However, on August 10, 1793, 230 years ago, the birth of my beloved Musée du Louvre came to be and she continues to evolve and grow.

Want to explore the Louvre with me and uncover all its history and art when you are in Paris next? Reach out and schedule a tour with me. I love to share my favorite place and all the stories it holds. 

Episode 167 - Vel d'Hiv

On July 16 & 17, 1942, one of the darkest moments of occupied Paris started early in the morning before anyone opened their eyes. 

One month before on June 16, Frenchman and secretary general of the Vichy government René Bousquet agreed with Nazi officials to round up 40,000 Jews from occupied Paris. This was just a small slice of the 110,000 they wanted from Western Europe.  The “Swan Wind” would take part in Paris, Nancy, and the Marne, the most successful being that of Paris. 

On May 14, 1941, 3700 Jews of mostly Eastern European background living in Paris were gathered. Over 6,600 Jews were sent a “green ticket” summons to their home and told to gather at one of the numerous meeting locations. They were allowed to bring one person with them. Many believed it was just a normal examination and complied. Upon arrival, they were immediately sent off in busses to the Gare de Austerlitz and deported eventually arriving at Auschwitz and their death. 

Fourteen months later it was time to do it again. More people were aware of their tactics but also thought Parisian Jews were to be spared.  At 4:00 am a mass roundup of Jewish families began, led by French soldiers under the order of Vichy officials. On July 16, the “ticket holders” arrived at their meeting points.  A few families heard rumors in advance and were able to flee but 13,152 family members weren’t so lucky. 4,992 men and women without children were immediately taken to the train station and taken to Drancy to await deportation. 

As the buses arrived at the Velodrome as seen in the only photo known to this day the number was staggering. 8,160 people of that 4,115 children, 2,916 women, and 1,129 men. The conditions were horrible. The Germans painted the massive glass ceiling black, the windows were nailed shut and only five restrooms were in use. There wasn’t any food or water, it was a hot muggy summer and the smells were horrible. To make matters worse, as soon as they arrived they were all separated leaving the children alone with each other. 

For five days it was as bad as they thought it could get, until they began to send them to Drancy and other camps that led to the trains to Auschwitz. The women and men went first on August 5, then the children two weeks later.  Children were as young as 4 years old, without their parents alone, hungry and scared. It’s hard to even imagine. 

The Velodrome was a sports arena built near the Eiffel Tower in 1909 by Henri Desgrange, editor of l’Auto and creator of the Tour de France. The arena held 17,000 spectators and weekly cycling races, concerts, roller skating &  boxing matches that Hemingway attended in the 1920s. When the Germans arrived they demanded the keys to the building. 

A fire destroyed it in 1959 and today holds a garden and memorial to those lost. The Jardin Mémorial des Enfants du Vel d’Hiv’, created in 2017 and inaugurated on the 75th anniversary of the tragic event.  The somber garden is located at the former entrance of the Velodrome and is dominated by the marble wall engraved with the names of the 4,115 children. Under the trees are photos and stories of many of the children and families that were killed. White rocks of different sizes dot the garden reminiscent of the pebbles left on Jewish tombs. 

It’s very difficult to see but also very important and the least we can do is to remember those little lives that never had a chance to grow up because of hatred.

Paulette Zajac Born 11 Juillet, 1937, lived at 62 rue des Cascades in the 20e 

Deported 17 August 1942, at 5 years old 

Brucha Gaut born 14 September 1931, 275 due de Bellvielle 19e 

Parents Chaskiel & Malka were deported on caravans 4 & 14 

Brucha was deported alone at 10 years old on 21 August caravan 19 

Renee Goldman-Lewin 

18 rue d’Auberville 19e 

Mother Gilda was deported first on convoy 16

Renee was deported alone on caravan 22, August 21 

Grosbard family, 16 rue de Charonne 11e 

Father Ela - convoy #1 

Mother Pessa- Convoy #16

Older kids Frymeta 16 and Chain 13 on August 5 convoy 15

Sima was deported alone at 5 years old in convoy 23 

Jablonka family of 10 

3 oldest kids were all deported alone and separately

5 younger people were deported together a week later 

Parents went in convoys 1 and 4

Helen & Charles Holstein 7 and 2 ½ 

Parents from Warsaw, lived at 129 Faubourg du Temple 10e 

Father caravan 10

Kids with mother August 21 

Near the former Vel d’Hiv above the Seine is the  Square de la Place des Martyrs Juif de Vélodrome d'Hiver. Renamed and dedicated by Mayor Jacques Chirac in remembrance of those lost to the hatred of the Nazis of WWII. Sculptor Walter Spitzer created the monument Memorial of the Victims of the Winter Velodrome. Spitzer, a Polish-born artist who at 16 years old in 1943 was deported to the Blechhammer, labor camp at Auschwitz. 

After he was released in 1945, he immigrated to France and enrolled in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Spitzer devoted his entire life to creating art dedicated to the remembrance of those lost in WWII at the hands of the Nazis. 

Vichy official René Bousquet was a high-ranking official until the end of the war “pledging” his allegiance to the Resistance to save his own skin. In 1989 a crime against humanity was filed against him. On June 8, 1993, he was killed in the doorway of his 16e home by Christian Didier who wanted to avenge the deaths of so many Jews carried out by Bousquet. 

In 1995, Jacques Chirac at the yearly ceremony, for the first time acknowledged France’s role in this horrible event. On July 16, 2017, President Macron took a more rigid stance saying “It was indeed France that organized this”. 

Each year on the Sunday closest to July 16 a ceremony is held and flowers are left in remembrance. Check out my Live video last Sunday that began at the Statue of Liberty and ended at the two somber yet beautiful memorials. 

Episode 165 - Claudine's Favorite Paris Secrets and Art Books

There is one thing that Paris does very well and it is the many details that you can find around every corner. When asked in interviews what my favorite thing about Paris is, it is always the details.  From the cathedral grates around the bases of trees to the Vert Wagon green that you will find all over Paris from the bouquinistes to the benches, I love them all.  Each and every thing was thought out over the centuries and we are the lucky recipients to see them all.  Between the details on the street and the art in the museums, these are some of my very favorite books on the subject.  

Curiosities of Paris by Dominique Lesbros is a fantastic book for the eagle-eyed traveler. When I am walking down any street in Paris my head is on a constant swivel looking for every plaque, old street sign, and door knocker. The pages of this book are filled with things that even the savviest flaneur may miss. The remains of the ancient walls that once encircled Paris, the more than 120 sundials, and one of my favorites, the ruins and reminders of the grand buildings that have disappeared over time. 

Dominique Lesbros also wrote the Secretes et Curiosités des Monuments de Paris . This one is all in French but it is a treasure trove of the smallest details of some of the iconic locations in Paris including the Louvre and its many markings left behind by the kings that touched the palace and future museum. Lesbros also wrote Paris Bizzare also in French and includes some of the same things in the other two books but still filled with juicy details. 

Unexplored Paris Rodolphe Trouilleux, this goody is filled with things I hadn't seen before. The owl on the building designed by Viollet-le-Duc, the rats on the former home of Sarah Bernhardt and even the original 1806 meridian stone marker where you can start your own Rose Line hunt of the Arago markers. 

The cemeteries of Paris are filled with the stories of Paris from long ago complete with an outdoor free museum. A miniature Winged Victory, check, bronze Raft of the Medusa, check and hundreds upon hundreds of busts, statues, and effigies by some of the biggest sculptors in French history.  I love to spend at least one full day walking the uneven maze of paths that wind through Père-Lachaise armed with my never-ending list of tombs to find. Two fantastic books for the tombstone tourist include all of the large cemeteries of Paris and highlight the notable folks that spend eternity there along with some you may not know. Permanent Parisians by Judi Culbertson & Tom Randall and Stories in Stone by Douglas Keister. 

Another favorite is the small book Angels of Paris by my friend Rosemary Flannery. With beautiful photos and stories she shares more than 70 angels on the facades and in the statues of Paris you may have overlooked. When we met she told me she wrote a book about angels and I said “is it Angels is Paris, I love that book”. It’s a must for any Paris library. 

Speaking of the beautiful things in Paris, these next books are about the art of Paris, the temples of art and the artists that left a mark for the generations to come. If you love the Impressionists then you will want to read The Judgement of Pari: The Revolutionary Decade that Gave the World Impressionism by Ross King. I couldn’t stop reading this book, filled with the stories of Manet and the most popular artists of the time that is now completely forgotten Ernest Meissonier. The tales of the Salon and the exclusion of the yet to be named Impressionists and how they formed their own exhibition is fascinating. And you will become obsessed with Manet after this book. 

We know the names of so many of the artists, but the models are still widely unappreciated. More than just a pretty face these women would have to hold a pose for hours on end in small studios. One woman, Suzanne Valadon, while standing for hours a day for Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and Modigliani also soaked up their techniques and movements and each night would take to her own canvas. Renoir’s Dancer: The Secret Life of Suzanne Valadon by Catherine Hewitt tells the fascinating story of this struggling and at times tragic artist. She is also the subject of the new La Vie Creative podcast I am doing with Krystal Kenny.

Art for Travellers France by Bill & Lorna Hannan is a somewhat unknown book but a real gem. Not only does it have some pretty in depth info on the art in the museums, but it is broken up by time period. Starting with the Middle Ages, the details on Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle and Saint Denis can rival any book I have ever seen. Details on the artists and paintings of the Impressionist and post Impressionist are fantastic. You won’t even find these kinds of details in the info the Musée d’Orsay or the Louvre. 

Episode 164 - The real story behind Bastille Day

This Friday is the French national holiday known as La Fête Nationale du 14 juillet. In America, most people know it as Bastille Day, the day that they swarmed the Bastille prison to release the prisoners and tear it apart, or that is what most people think the holiday stands for. 

Let’s back up a bit, or 400 years first. Much like the original Louvre fortress, the Bastille was created to protect the city. Charles V added an arsenal and bastide to his wall that encircled Paris.  The first stone was laid on April 22, 1370, complete with four tours, the fortress would eventually have eight towers used for the treasury and eventually prisoners. 

In 1580, Henri IV and the Duc du Sully moved the treasury of France to the Bastille, under his widow and regent Marie de Medicis she would later spend all of the money. The function of Bastille as a prison in 1469 under Louis XI but it was Cardinal Richelieu in the 17th century that would really optimize the prison for his many enemies. 

Famous residents of the prison include the man in the Iron Mask who entered on September 18, 1698, into the Bethaudiere tower named for the Maison who jumped to his death during construction. After the arrest of Nicolas Fouquet under the orders of Louis XIV in 1663, he was moved to the Bastille on June 18.  Voltaire passed through the doors and artist Bernard Palissy who created his distinct ceramic dishes died in the prison in 1589. 

 In July 1789, while tensions were high in Paris due to the people being fed up with the crisis hitting their pocketbooks, people began to revolt. They would seek out guns and ammunition that the government strategically hid away. An angry group broke into Hôtel des Invalides to gather all the weapons and gunpowder held inside, they were outsmarted when over 250 barrels of gunpowder were moved the day prior to the Bastille. 

On the morning of July 14, a crowd of over a thousand men took to the Bastille. Demanding the release of the gunpowder and prisoners, the crowd grew angrier as these demands were not met. Gunfire rang out and the fight began. Cutting the drawbridge, killing people beneath it when the Royal Army arrived. Over 100 people died and in the end, the Bastille was emptied of all seven prisoners. Yes, you read that correctly, seven prisoners. 

Discouraged that their symbolic attempt realized 4 counterfeiters, a kidnapper, an accomplice in an attempted killing of Louis XV, and the Count of Whyte whose family locked him up when he began to suffer from dementia.  Leaders were so upset they only released seven prisoners that they made one up. The “Count of Lorges” was an “unfortunate old man who was loaded down with chains, half-naked, covered in hair and a long beard”. 

When word reached Versailles and King Louis XIV, he asked if it had been a revolt, Francois Frederic de la Rochetoucauld responded “No, it was a Revolution”. Less than 4 months later on October 5, Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and family were taken from Versailles to Paris and their slow march to death. 

On July 15, 1889, Pierre Francois Palloy was given the contract to dismantle the prison. The stones were sold and used around France including being carved into replicas of the prison, one can be seen in the Carnavalet museum in Paris.  Today in Paris, if you keep your eyes open you can find a few of these stones.  In 1791, stones would be used to build the Pont de la Concorde. One hundred years later in 1899 while Paris was taken over with the building of the new Metro the base of the Bastille would reappear and be unearthed. 

Just off the banks of the Seine at the Square Henri Galli, the tower base was rebuilt among the foliage. A short walk away, in the Place de la Bastille where the prison once stood is a column in the center, although it commemorates the revolution in 1830. However, look down as you cross the street, the outline of the original prison remains today and is newly traced with brass markers in the recent revamp of the area. As you take the metro below your feet, look around, you may spot a few more stones. 

Although that’s now where the 14 of July holiday got its start. The next year in 1890 a grand feast and event was held on the Champ de Mars. The Fete de la Federation marked the one-year anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille and even the king and queen were in attendance. More than 14,000 soldiers marched from the Bastille to the Champ de Mars  In front of the crowd, the king took an oath to hold up the Constitution to the nation. Marie Antoinette stepped forward and the crowd cheered and cries of Vive le Roi and Vive la reine filled the vast space. Over 400,000 people were in attendance, including La Fayette, captain of the Parisian National Guard. 

On March 21, 1880, Benjamin Raspail proposed July 14 as the date of the national celebration. On July 6, 1880, it was officially adopted and the first military took place at the Longchamp racecourse. It is still done each year on the Champs Élysées, the longest-running military parade in the world. 

The very first celebration was marked by Édouard Manet in a handwritten note to Isabelle Lemonnier complete with watercolor tricolor flags. You can see the note in the Musée d’Orsay at the fantastic Manet/Degas exhibit running until July 23. 

On July 9. I walked my fantastic Patreon supporters around the Place de la Bastille and shared all its history. We will return on July 30 once again to talk about the July Column and why it was created and the Three Glorious Days.  Join my Patreon now so you don’t miss it.

Episode 163 - Favorite Paris History books

I’m often asked where all the information about these wonderful tales I share of Paris comes from. It’s hard to answer because I dig deep for some of the info online, in the libraries of Paris but mostly in the many books that fill my office.  Many people go to Paris to shop the latest trends at the fancy boutiques on Rue Saint Honore, but I am happiest digging through the bouquinistes and the many bookstores in Paris to find the treasured pages of French history.  Many days my walks back to my apartment are weighed down with the books I find in the Louvre bookstore convinced I couldn’t possibly leave without that huge book about the Sacre de Napoleon. Once you master being able to read in French then the whole game takes a giant leap forward. However, inside these treasures is where I find the answers to questions I have been dying to know and what makes me giddy with excitement every single time. 

There are many lists out there of the favorite books about Paris and they all have the same titles on them every time, I may have one or two of those on here but this list is for all you lovers of Paris that want to dig deeper and learn just a little bit more. When I sat down to gather my favorite titles it was almost impossible to stop at only 5 or 6. So, I will break them out for you a bit over time, first up my favorite books I use for research and history of Paris books. 

These first three books, all in French, I grab anytime I need to find out anything about a certain street or address. The first is Jean-Marie Cassagne’s Paris Dictionnaire du Nom des Rues. Every single street, square, and passage is in this book. From Rue de l’Abbaye to Boulevard de la Zone complete with the history of who or what it was named for. It is fascinating and you will never walk down a street in Paris the same again.  Oscar Lambert’s Rue des Salauds is another great book for street hunters. Focusing on a few specific streets like Rue de Richelieu and Rue Mazarine, the pages are filled with the history and stories of some of my favorite streets in Paris. 

Jacques Hillairet’s Connaissance du Vieux Paris, this gem of a book digs even deeper into the streets and addresses of Paris, originally published in 1951. I saw this book in the stores many times and had a small bit of self control and then one day while walking along the Quai de Mégisserie there it was at one of the iconic bouquinistes, all wrapped up and waiting for me. Broken out by areas, this book will go into the smallest detail noting architectural features as well as the history of the address sometimes going as far back as what stood there before. It is a fascinating view of old Paris. 

It is almost impossible for me to narrow down history books focused on Paris, but these are some of the best that stay with you long after you read that final page.  How Paris Became Paris by Joan DeJean. Focusing on a few specific events in the history of Paris that made her what she is today. The very first chapter of this book is about the Pont Neuf, I read this book years ago and I still remember every detail I learned in this chapter alone. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but if you have ever walked across the oldest bridge in Paris and fallen in love with it, this chapter and book is for you. Filled with historical etchings and photos you will learn about everything from the Place des Vosges to Haussmann, I now need to read this goodie again. 

Alistair Horne’s Seven Ages of Paris, much like How Paris Became Paris takes a few specific slices out of the moments in Paris’s history and the men that left their mark on it. Starting with Philippe Auguste and his great wall it also includes the time of Henri IV, Louis XIV, Napoleon, The Commune, Treaty of Versailles, and De Gaulle. Very well done and researched but not overly technical you will learn a lot at the same time as being entertained. 

Susan Cahill wrote three wonderful books for the Paris explorer Hidden Gardens of Paris, The Streets of Paris, and her newest Sacred Paris. I love the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Tuileries but there are countless small green treasures with their vert wagon benches just waiting for you to come sit on a sunny day. Her book highlights a few of the details in the park, what you can find nearby, and even a great place for lunch.  The Streets of Paris take you on a stroll to some beautiful streets in the stories of the people that shaped them. Filled with tips on the best time to visit and the details to look out for. All three books are also filled with gorgeous photos of each street, church, and garden. 

I have added a few more on my website for the Paris history lover as well as a link to all the books in my La Boutique. I do make some (very) small wine money if you buy it through my website. 

Ina Caro’s Paris to the Past, Traveling Through French History By Train, is another one of my favorites I have read it a few times. Ina takes a fascinating trip through French history through its many chateaux and palaces. Beginning with the Basilique Saint-Denis, the birth of French Gothic and chronologically traveling the ages until Napoleon. Her descriptions are mouth-watering for the armchair history and architectural buff. I have even downloaded and listened to this book as I walked through Fontainebleau. Another I want to reread again now. 

Paris the Secret History by Andrew Hussey tells its tale through the people that left their mark on the city from the lowest to the nobility. Palaces, brothels, cemeteries, churches, and the lurid tales that sprang from each of them. From Lutecia to the riots of 1968, this book will give you a taste of the “other” Paris. 

Eric Hazen’s The Invention of Paris takes you on a romp through history by way of its many quarters and villages in the eyes of its many writers and artists. Victor Hugo, Manet, Balzac, Baudelaire and Doisneau. Paris wasn’t much bigger than the Ile de la Cité when it first began, over time it began to swallow up the small areas that sat “outside” each with their own exciting tale to tell. 

Episode 162 - Hemingway and Miro

When Ernest and Hadley Hemingway first arrived in Paris and met Gertrude Stein, she advised the young couple to spend their money on art. Stein and her brother Leo had been collecting art since they arrived in Paris in 1902 and had amassed quite a collection that included Matisse, Picasso, and Cézanne. Hemingway took her advice but didn’t have a lot of money to spend and couldn’t afford any of the masters. Stein advised him to buy art from his contemporaries and suggested he look at Joan Miró. 

Stein took him to the studio of Miró and André Mason on Rue Blomet where he watched the two painters. Mason was known for his landscape paintings and card scenes and Hem took a shine to them right away and purchased four paintings including Le Coup de Dés. Mason would later ask to borrow it back for his one-man show on a snowy night at the Galerie Simon. Hem gladly allowed it and on the night of the show he and Hadley attended to proudly see their piece and also support their friend. The plaque on Le Coup de Dés said “loaned by M Hemmingway”, annoyed that his name was spelled wrong. (It is a long family annoyance for sure) 

In April 1925 on a visit to Miró’s studio, he first saw this painting, The Farm. It spoke to him in a way that a painting had never done before and he constantly thought about it. On June 12, 1925, Hem & Hadley went to Miró’s one-man show at the Galerie Pierre. When he saw the painting again it said it belonged to Evan Shipman, which crushed him. At 3500 francs was far too expensive for the couple living off her inheritance from her uncle but that didn’t stop Ernest. That night he had an advance check in his coat pocket for $200 that was to pay for their summer in Spain. That night a  roll of the dice or a flip of a coin with Shipman giving the winner the chance to buy it, gave Shipman the advantage. He saw how much Hem wanted it and neither man could afford it, but he relented to his friend and let him purchase it.  The next day he visited the gallery and offered him 500 francs to put down on the painting.

Hem would stop by and give the gallery a little bit of money, chipping away at the total owed until September 30, 1925, when he finally paid it off. However, not before visiting his friends and the bars of Montparnasse asking for a few francs from each person to complete the transaction. Hemingway wanted to get it in time for Hadley’s 34th birthday on November 9. And that is the most important part of this entire story.  The painting hung above their bed at 113 Rue Notre-Dame des Champs as a reminder of better times in their lives when they were in Spain. 

Miró’s The Farm was a landscape of his family's home near Barcelona in Mont-roig del Camp painted in 1921. It was his personal love letter to a place he loved carried out in every paint stroke. The painting was 4 x 4 feet and was one of the best pieces he had done to date. When he arrived in Paris he brought it with him and showed it to an art dealer that told him he should cut it up into smaller pieces to sell. There was no way he would do that and held onto it for five more years. 

When Hemingway and Hadley split up the next year in 1926, she told him to keep it but he told her it was a gift to her for her birthday and he wanted her to have it. It would remain with Hadley and her second husband Paul Mowrer and return to Illinois with them in the 1930s.  While still in Paris the Galerie Pierre attempted to purchase it back for a large profit. Although, Hemingway replied to them and said NO and to “shove the $1000 up their ass”.  Hadley and Paul did loan it to the Art Institute of Chicago for many years until Galerie Pierre asked yet again to borrow it on behalf of their art dealer in New York. Asking Hemingway and not Hadley again, but this time he said yes. Hadley had it sent to New York but would have no idea it would be the last time she ever saw it again. 

After the loan, The Farm was returned to Hemingway in Key West and not Hadley. When Hem and Martha Gelhorn set up their home in Cuba, he brought the painting with him, hanging it on the dining room wall. 

In 1958 he agreed once again to loan it out this time to the Museum of Modern Art in New York but getting it out of Cuba was another story. The MoMa planned to send a curator to Cuba on January 4, 1959, but little did they know Cuba was going to collapse and fall into a revolt on the final day of 1958. After a few weeks of negotiation, Hemingway called it off, and he acquiesced and let them try again only if they promised that if it was destroyed they would compensate him for it. On February 1, Curator David Vance arrived in Cuba and located an armored truck that would take them to the Finca Vigia, obtain the painting, and return to the airport. A special crate was created and sent ahead but arrived in Panama instead of Cuba along with the customs paperwork. 

Getting it to the airport through the roads and paths that had been destroyed was a harrowing experience and they thought they were in the clear with the painting in hand sitting on the plane. About to take off, Cuban soldiers sped down the runway and stopped them removing the painting and not allowing them to take off. The museum was able to convince the embassy that the painting was on loan and would return on a specific date, but it never would return to Cuban soil. 

With the painting safely at the MoMa, curators looked at it and saw what a horrible shape it was in. The paint had faded and cracked and mildew from its former tropical home was moving through the canvas. Hemingway’s fourth wife Mary had told them it was in great condition, which would later cost Hemingway over $1500 that he personally had to pay to restore it. She was livid that they were forced to pay for it and said it was their fault. 

The painting was on loan to the MoMa’s permanent collection at the time of Hemingway’s death in July 1961. In December of that year, Hadley & Paul Mowrer sent his widow Mary a letter asking for the painting that belonged to Hadley returned. Mary was outraged and said that the painting belonged to Ernest and in a letter to her lawyer was shocked that the Mowrer’s even had the nerve to ask. 

A year after his death Paul and Hadley decided to sue Mary and the estate for the painting that rightfully belonged to her. Once they contacted the MoMa and let them know, it forced the museum to hold onto the painting until the legal proceedings concluded. Hemingway was a pack rat and saves every single piece of paper he ever touched. Mary had someone go through his papers to see if there was anything that mentioned Miró’s The Farm. Valerie Hemingway had found a letter that Hem had sent to Hadley asking her if he could borrow it for 6 months and he would return it afterward because it belonged to her. Hadley and Hem had a close relationship until the end of his life. He frequently confided in her and asked for her advice and they was always a steady stream of letters between them. 

When Mary found this letter with the proof of ownership of The Farm, she destroyed it. 

Wanting to end the fight and legal battle the Mowrers settled with Mary in 1963 resulting in a payout of $25,000 that Mary begrudgingly paid, which was less than 10% of the current value of the painting. Mary was a constantly angry woman and when she knew how the MoMa responded to the lawsuit and didn’t side with her she threatened to loan the painting to another museum. 

She had no intention to let them keep it and wanted it for her new apartment in New York to once again hang in her dining room. It had been five years since it left Cuba and two years since its biggest fan took his life. The MoMa asked yet again to borrow it for a Miro retrospective, Mary of course said no, she was keeping it. However, she would allow the National Art Gallery to display it in 1976 which I am sure irritated the MoMa. 

She had never gotten past her belief that the MoMa ruined it and in her will she made sure they would never see it again. In 1986, when Mary died she bequeathed it to the National Gallery with one stipulation, it had to name her Mary Hemingway as the donner. It still hangs in the National Gallery of Art with her name, who was never the rightful owner. 

Recorded at the National Gallery of Art

Episode 160 - Solo Travel to Paris

You have dreamed your whole life to go to Paris, so what is holding you back? Maybe your significant other or best friend would rather spend a vacation on a beach or hiking on a mountain, but you want to stroll the cobblestones and start every morning with a warm croissant and café on a terrace. I am here to tell you if you want to go, GO!  

Paris is one of the most accessible cities to visit alone and I have done it more than ten times now. It is easy to navigate, safe and there are plenty of things to do.  When I am in Paris I spend much of my time researching French history, strolling through museums, and spending hours sitting on a terrace enjoying a glass or four of French wine. However, the beauty of Paris is that you can make it all on your own and do anything you want. 

My first trip to Paris, was many years ago when a friend used her air miles to get me a ticket, and months later, I arrived to visit the city I loved so much before I ever set foot in it. It was to be a short six-day trip and then onto Florence where my friend lived. After two days, she said to me one hot and muggy day, “I think you should go back to Paris”.  The thought of turning around by myself and heading back to Paris at first sounded pretty scary, but after a lovely lunch and lots of wine, it sounded better and better. A ticket was purchased, the hotel secured and the next day I was back on a plane, heading straight to Paris.  

Arriving at Orly, luggage in hand, and off to grab a taxi I went. Well, so I thought. Following the taxi signs, I was approached by a man asking if I needed a taxi, well how easy can this be, Oui Oui! As we walked towards the cars, we stopped at a motorcycle.  With my large luggage in tow, wondering how this was going to happen and picturing myself dying on the way into the city of love, I told myself that I could do this. Strapping my suitcase and myself in and gripping for my life it was onto Paris. If you have been in a car on a Paris highway you will recall seeing the motorcycles zipping in-between cars, well this guy wasn’t any different.  Halfway through the trip, my sweaty hands loosened their grip and before I knew it, we were flying by the Jardin du Luxembourg and Place Saint Michel. I wanted to let go and open my arms and embrace being back in Paris, but let’s not get too crazy.  It took under 30 minutes during rush hour to get to my hotel, cost about twice as much as it should have but for the 75 euros I bought a sense of freedom I didn’t even know I had, and that is priceless. I was standing on the Pont des Arts as sunset fell and knew I was exactly where I should be. 

When you travel on your own, the whole day and the city are open to you. If you want to spend four hours in the Cour Puget of the Musée du Louvre, you can. Perhaps walking aimlessly through the streets on an early Sunday morning stopping along the way at a café for that perfect croissant is more on your agenda, you can do that as well. Your time is yours to do with as you would like, so soak it all in. 

There are a few things to keep in mind when you plan that seule voyage. Location and safety are the biggest but don’t let any of that scare you. For myself, I stay fairly central on the left or right bank which is a lovely walk to the museums where I spend a lot of my time. Saint Germain is a bustling area at all hours of the day and late into the evening and walking late into the night is never a problem. As a solo woman traveling, I recommend staying in Saint Germain, the Marais, Opera, and Latin Quarter areas especially if you will be walking at night. I have never had a moment that I did not feel safe walking in Paris, even if it was the wee hours of the morning. Be aware of your surroundings and your belongings at all times and walk with confidence and you won’t have any problems.  

One of the greatest pleasures in Paris is the delicious food, and traveling alone should not stop you from enjoying every single morsel.  One of the advantages of traveling alone is that you are able to meet some wonderful people and a restaurant is the perfect place to make some wonderful connections.  It is not uncommon to see many people eating alone day and night reading a book or channeling their inner Hemingway and writing away.  Lunch is a great way to enjoy some of the best restaurants in Paris and save a little money as well.  Inside the café may be a bit intimidating and if that’s the case, grab one of the iconic Paris café chairs on the terrace and as a bonus, it comes complete with a live show as people pass by you.  The Parisian terrace is the solo traveler’s best friend and the close seats can lead to wonderful conversations. 

There is nothing stopping you as the solo female traveler in Paris, however, if you have a day when you want to meet other people there are some great ways to do it. A walking tour is a fantastic option to connect with fellow travelers. There are many offered all over Paris and can be found online, and simply pick a theme that interests you and join in the fun.  You will spend a few hours with people that share the same curiosities as you and many including my own ends with a drink at a café where you can really connect with others over a glass of Champagne.  Speaking of wine, another great place is at many of the local wine bars. A more relaxed and fun environment than the terrace cafes, the standup wine bars turn into a party later in the night, and its impossible not to have a great time. The Odeon treasure by Yves Camdeborde, L’Avant Comptoir de la Terre where any given night can turn into an Elton John sing a long while you dine on Brochette Foie Gras Piquillos and the Champagne never stops flowing.  You are all friends by the end of that night. 

If you want to go to enjoy all the beauty that is Paris, I hope you take all this as your permission to go do just that. Paris will feed your soul and mine finally came alive that first night I arrived by myself. Nothing should keep you from sitting in one of those green Luxembourg chairs, a great book in your hand as the hours tick away under the shade of the trees around the Fontaine Médicis. After all, we only live once and these moments should not be missed now when I think back to that motorcycle taxi ride from Orly and how scared I was at that moment and where it lead me to today as my arms are wrapped around a Frenchman and on the back of a motorcycle with a bottle of Champagne in my bag as we race to Champs de Mars. Well, I would not change a single thing.  

If you are looking to travel solo to Paris and have any questions, feel free to reach out. Happy to inspire and push you to take the leap, you won’t regret it. 

Listen to the newest episode out now here

Episode 159 - Summer in Paris

Summer 2023 is already in full swing and the streets of Paris are busy. With a few things in mind, you can navigate Paris and your itinerary like a pro.
I love a museum and special exhibits even more and there are some great ones all over Paris from the smallest to the most significant museums. I must first mention the Musée du Louvre and the current exhibit bringing together the largest collection of the Italian Renaissance. Spread throughout the Grande Galerie, the Museo di Capodimonte collection speaks directly alongside the collection gathered by the Kings of France. 

The Grande Galerie dates back to the end of the 16th century and was built by Henri IV as a playground for his son Louis XIII and to connect the Palais du Louvre to the Palais des Tuileries. In 1793, the Grande Galerie served as the original location and room for the Musée du Louvre and today holds the Italian masters including Leonardo da Vinci. 

The exhibit extends from the Grande Galerie into two floors of the Pavillon de l’Horloge in the center of the Sully wing. Don’t miss these rooms, the drawings of Raphael and Michel-Ange are amazing to see in person. 

Other great exhibits running through the summer include: 

Basquiat/Warhol at the Fondation Louis Vuitton until August 28 

The two collaborated on nearly 200 paintings, see many of them up close in the museum that is also a work of art. 

Sarah Bernhardt  at the Petit Palais until August 27

(before you go listen to the episode we did all about the 

great stage actress)

Manet/Degas at the Musée d’Orsay until July 23 

This is an amazing exhibit, be sure to also secure your time slot online for the exhibit when you book your ticket. 

Léon Monet at the Musée du Luxembourg until July 16 

The mostly unknown brother of the Impressionist master Claude Monet had a vast collection of paintings as well as also inspired by color in another way. 

Picasso Celebration at the Musée Picasso Paris until August 27 

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the artist’s death in April, museums around the world are showcasing exhibits dedicated to his vast collection of works. In partnership with designer Paul Smith, the Picasso Museum is transformed into a conversation between the walls and the paintings. 

Des Cheveux et des Poils at the Musée des Arts Decoratifes until September 17. 

It may sound odd that it is an exhibit dedicated to hair but don’t skip this one. The exhibition is a walk through the history of hair and how different styles were influenced by events and even showed how important you were. It’s very well done with many portraits, objects, and even a bit of Magnum PI. 

There is always an endless list of things to do in Paris and the summer has a few great things that take advantage of the great weather. 

The Paris Plage opens on July 8 and runs until August 27 on the banks of the Seine just below the Hotel de Ville. They may not bring the sand in anymore but they do have lawn chairs and palm trees. 

In the Tuileries any day now we will begin to see the building of the Fete des Tuileires from June 25 to August 28. A great place to take kids and maybe avoid if not, but don’t skip out on the Ferris Wheel for an amazing view of Paris. 

14 Juillet is less than a month away and I can’t wait for my first one in Paris. The night before is really what you want to see. On the 13 of July each year, the firehouses open the doors for huge parties with the Pompiers. Live music, drinks, and the Pompiers, what is there not to love? In the weeks leading up to it, you will find the Pompiers in the streets selling tickets for just a euro or two. 

On the hot days in Paris, it is hard to find air conditioning. Many French people believe that is how you get sick. The same goes for ice but on a hot day, you will still find them filling a few key spots. If you are visiting on a hot day pop into a chocolate store or the frozen food chain Picard that is as cold as an igloo. The Pantheon, the Basilique Saint-Denis, and many churches are other good spot to find some relief from the heat. 

Don’t forget to stay hydrated. The lovely Wallace fountains have been providing water to Parisians for more than 150 years now and are safe to drink and delicious. Simply slide your water bottle in between the caryatids and fill er up.