ROARING

Yesterday, we went to a show at the Saint Louis Art Museum called Roaring: Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in France, 1918–1939. There was a stunning combination of cars and clothing. This is a 1939 Buggati, a wedding present for the Shah of Iran and his Egyptian bride for their nuptials in Cairo (hence the Arabic numerals). The reflections on the fenders are from the skylights in the ceiling.

And happy birthday to Mrs. C (b. 1944 and going strong).

                     

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - FROM ST. LOUIS TO PARIS

We went to the Pantheon yesterday, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panth%C3%A9on, the temple to the memory of those who France considers its most important citizens, and found the cenotaph of Josephine Baker, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Baker. Born in St. Louis, she was a singer, dancer and actress of extraordinary talent. She left the U.S. for France because of racism and became a huge star and a French citizen. She played a significant role for the resistance in World War II, receiving many civilian and military honors. She has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame but this monument is more moving.

And in case you've been wondering, we have been eating well. 

This afternoon: Louvre Madness.                   

FROM ST. LOUIS TO THE PANTHEON

On Tuesday, St. Louis native Josephine Baker was symbolically interred in the French Pantheon, the final resting place of the nation's most revered dead. She grew up with poverty and discrimination. After some successes in entertainment here and in New York, she traveled to France and a stellar career on the stage and in film. She later became a leader of the Resistance and, it is said, a spy. Charles de Gaulle made her a Chevalier of the Legion d'honneur. After her death, she was interred in Monaco. This week, she was, in a sense, laid to rest in the Pantheon in a symbolic casket containing soil from various locations that Baker had lived, including St. Louis, Paris, the South of France and Monaco. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Baker           

Our loss, France's gain.

FRANCO-AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP

I haven't been online much this week. Too much work and my back has been bothering me more. The nice folks at the Washington University pain management clinic have made some suggestions, including a new way to zap me. I get by but I'm getting less done.

So I have to pull out another image from New Orleans. This is the interior of St. Louis Cathedral (yep, same saint as ours, but this building is not to be confused with the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica here). The US acquired vast territories west of the Mississippi from France in 1803. The proceeds helped finance Napoleon's war machine. We got the better deal.    

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - BUDDHA COMES TO THE CATHEDRAL

And other kinds of people followed. We visited Chartres Cathedral, a little more than an hour by train from Paris. I'm so tired (it's late Monday night as I write this) maybe I'll add some more comment in the morning. But then, since I tend to beat myself up when we travel and never have enough spare time, I'll just refer you here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral .           

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - FILLER - GARE MONTPARNASSE

So many photos, so little edit time. We took a day trip to Chartres Cathedral and I have a lot of pix to clean up. For now a couple of shots in the Montparnasse Station waiting room. Thank heavens for flip-out camera screens.            

STL DPB on the road - TEMPS ET ART

I take a picture like the first one every time I am in Paris. It is the clock tower in the northeast corner of the top floor of the Orsay Museum, obviously set up for visual impact. Can't go wrong.

The big show was about Berthe Morrisot, the only woman who elbowed her way into the Impressionists' circle (except maybe for the American, Mary Cassat). It was stunning. I had heard of her, maybe seen an image or two, but knew nothing about her. Her style is often quite loose, shapes dissolving into colored air with a flick of the brush. Note how two strokes define the crimson lips in the detail below from Girl With A Bowl Of Milk. The subject may be her daughter, Julie. If there were time, this would be worth a second visit.       

Creatives' Pot Luck - Before The Crowd

My friend Lohr Barclay, director of Artica, organized a pot luck dinner and social event at his home Thursday for Artica participants, friends and hangers on. Since I am now the official Visual Archivist, I fell into the latter category.

I don't know all the details but there is a long traditional bar downstairs, which says something about its former use. Lohr and his SO Carrie live upstairs. I got there at opening time to deliver food and bev before the crowd arrived. This man introduced himself as John but, if I understood correctly, his name is Jean. Americans just can't pronounce it correctly. He is from the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe. Heaven knows how he ended up here. I tried out some of my weak French on him. He was very kind about my efforts.

Lots of pix from this event. I'll be working through them more or less chronologically.                 

Friday Morning, Paris

We finally made it. This is the scene outside our apartment on a cool, drizzly morning. I totally stole the composition idea in the top picture from Virginia, but she does it better. The one below is, I think, a shoe store for men with more money than sense. The shutters are still down but note that the tree on the right is smoking a cigarette.

My French cooties are slowly subsiding. Actually ate some dinner last night. The main problem now is the arthritis in my back, which gets much worse with dragging and lifting luggage. Really slowing me down sometimes. But we'll take it easier today and start with the Picasso museum, which is nearby.

And I'm stumbling along okay in French. They appreciate that I try.         

The Third Best Restaurant In The World

There is a web site out of the UK - it's been around for awhile - called The 50 Best Restaurants In The World. Of course it is controversial and subjective but, if they are to be believed, we had lunch yesterday at Number Three, Mirazur here in Menton. Of course it's expensive but not that bad at lunch. Let me put it this way: it's a lot less than tickets to Hamilton on Broadway.

It is on a hillside overlooking the town of Menton and the Mediterranean, right on the Italian border. I can't begin to describe all the things they served us. Let me just note that the picture on top shows two martini glasses containing jellied tomato water (!) topped by tiny flower petals. And I've sure never been given a text by Pablo Neruda with the bread.

This was a chef's choice tasting menu. Impossible to remember all the details but they gave a little card with what we were served (see below). Lastly, a little box with exquisite tiny cakes. We will save then for Ellie.

I felt a bit embarrassed afterward. My palate is simply not this sophisticated. 

Twist And Shout - And A French Blog Fan!

There was a 5 km run before the St. Paddy's parade. At the end, the crowd got together in Kiener Plaza, had a few mid-morning brewskis and milled around. There was a band. Some in attendance decided to show their stuff. I think one of them had actually participated in the race.

Later, I was elbowing my way down Market Street toward the staging area. A woman with a charming French accent stopped me. (All French accents are charming. And Irish, too. But not German. Definitely not.) "Eeks-kyuze me," she said. "Are you Bob Crowe?" Mais oui! It turns out Simone is now living in St. Louis with her husband Jay and their daughter, Lynne. (I hope I got the names right.) She reads STL DPB and enjoyed my photos from France last year. Je ai été enchanté.                        

Proof That The Ancient Romans Played Baseball

This is a city daily photo blog. I have no new stuff for my city so I have to use another one. How about back to Paris? Can't go wrong.

This was taken in a Greco-Roman sculpture hall at the Louvre. The subject is about to throw a mean split-finger fastball. I don't see another possible interpretation.

So okay, I'm desperate, but the Great Forest Park Balloon Race is today. 
          

The Most Beautiful Village In France

Well, it's not like I've seem all of them but Gorbio has to be a serious competitor. Just a few hundred people in the town proper. Everyone knows everyone. The huge old tree in the center has been there for centuries. There is an informal cafe, a fine restaurant, a church and a post office. If there is a food shop I didn't see it. You just have to go 7.4 km / 4.5 miles down the mountain road to Menton but  you try driving that slalom course.

Our colleague Jilly, who does Menton Daily Photo, actually lives just down the mountain from Gorbio. She is the village's de facto photographer. Look over her blog for wonderful examples.

Back to STL posts soon. We may get to the Cardinals game tonight. The Color Run is Sunday morning.  There are many more pictures from France to edit. I'll mention it as they go up on Flickr.

Wouldn't It Be Nice

There's nothing quite like it in the US. I love the French custom of row after row of restaurants with outdoor seating, squeezed into old, narrow streets. It's just ideal for people watching and photo sniping, like here in the Old City of Nice.

Let's Review, Then

Back home, back at work, body clock still not reset. A good night's sleep should do it.

I won't be able to shoot new STL material until the weekend at best. Until then, back through some images of two wonderful weeks in France. These photos are from the Old City of Nice.

Dans La Rue

Home now. We've been up for about 23 hours. Time to let consciousness slide.

This is something I caught on Rue Cler during the market on Sunday.

Au Revoir, Paris

It's Monday afternoon US Central Time as I write this in an American Airlines lounge in Chicago. Long ride home. One more short leg to go.

I'm glad to be back. It was a long trip for us, maybe a little too long. We love France and will return again but age is catching up and it's getting hard to trudge for hour after hour through tourist-choked cities. Maybe it's time for slower paced holidays. Hey, we're going to Tamarindo in February. That ought to work. 

I tried to shoot some non-postcard Eiffel Tower pictures yesterday. You, gentle reader, will decide if they work. Since I won't have any new local material for several days, I will sprinkle these pages with memories of La Belle France for a while longer.     

A Saint Louis Wedding

This is a Saint Louis photo blog, although you wouldn't know it at a glance these last couple of weeks. On Saturday, after a tour of the Palace of Versailles with the rest of the human zoo, our friend and colleague Versailles de Quimper (be sure to check her post today) took us on a tour of parts of the royal city that tourists don't see, followed by a terrific dinner with her and Olivier of Evry Daily Photo. I don't think you can dine poorly in France as long as you stay away from McDonald's. 

But, back to the point. One of the major districts of Versailles is Saint Louis. We visited the cathedral as a wedding party pulled up, with the bride and groom in an ancient Citroën deux chevaux. It was a small group but the bride was lovely and tourists like me hung around taking a few snaps.

Long flight home on Monday. May get more pictures edited, although I actually have a fair bit of work to do. Heavy week ahead.