Here Comes the Sun

The ever present gray skies of winter have quickly been replaced by temperatures reaching 60 degrees and sunshine (a sight rare to behold throughout the winter months). Paris isn't far from London after all, so rain is common. If there is sun, everyone in the city is out taking advantage of it, and we have eagerly joined the masses. Walks along the Left Bank of the Seine (from Notre Dame up the Champs Elysees), picnics at Fontainbleau and Jardin de Tuileries, a renewed commitment to walk everywhere we go, (hopefully finding one of Paris' little-known treasures along the way), and daily visits to open-air markets for fresh produce, seafood, meat and cheeses.

Open-air markets are a delightful benefit of Parisian living, especially for someone who loathes the grocery store. Thanks to Rick Steve's most tourists are familiar with Paris' oldest market still operational today, rue de Cler. Tourists will go out of their way to visist this market while they are in the city, insistent this must be the best available. Thankfully, Steve's didn't make them aware of two others which are much more well known and frequented by locals: rue de Poncelet, and rue de Levi. If you enjoy food, enjoy making food, and enjoy shopping for your food at a farmers market, a visit to these areas would be your own personal mecca. Hopefully more of our guests will look forward to sharing at least one meal with us purchased and prepared from items we find at the local market. (Perhaps following a cooking class at the Cordon Bleu cooking school) It is truly the height of Parisian living.

Housemum 101

I have received a lot of questions lately as to what I have been up to, how I keep myself busy, what I occupy myself with about the home and with Ruby, etc...The best answer can only be given by one of my favorite characters of the modern cinema, Will from About a Boy:

"I find the key is to think of a day as units of time, each unit consisting of no more than thirty minutes. Full hours can be a little bit intimidating and most activities take about half an hour. Taking a bath: one unit, watching countdown: one unit, web-based research: two units, exercising: three units, having my hair carefully disheveled: four units. It's amazing how the day fills up, and I often wonder, to be absolutely honest, if I'd ever have time for a job; how do people cram them in?"

My life and that of an unemployed bachelor living off his father's royalties are shockingly similar. Today:
Shower: one unit of time
Breakfast with Ruby: two units of time
Cleaning: (my form of aerobic activity) one unit of time
Web-based research: two units of time
Finding a new tv addiction thanks to iTunes: two units of time
Doctors office (scheduled visit): FOUR units of time

Appreciating the Moments

I hate my wardrobe. French people have small feet and bums. I am homesick and want to go to Target. My house is never as clean as I would like it and it seems every other mother I know manages it better than me. Inspite of my gripes and numerous imperfections, these were some great things that happened this week:

1. Ruby began to role-play. She would pick up her favorite dolly, given to her by her great-Aunt Jan, grab a little blanket and lie down pretending to be asleep.
2. She let go of her Papa's hand and walked five steps toward me this afternoon.
3. Her hair finally made it into a pony-tail holder and although the look is somewhat whale-spoutish, it is adorable with all her curls.
4. While I was holding her hand and walking into the kitchen, she slapped her other hand against her leg several times motioning for Barkley to follow.
5. While listening to my iPod and walking across Place de la Concorde I felt like I was in my own personal music video, and although I would like to fire whomever is in charge of wardrobe, my step was just a bit lighter and the smile on my face was uncontollable. I am still in love with this city.
6. I was introduced to my first vampire novel, a teeny-bopper/chick-lit book called "Twilight" and I loved it.

Piercings

I admit, I have spent far too many hours watching, and re-watching episodes of Friends. I think I spent my entire pregnancy on the basement couch watching TBS marathons, six hours was the max. There is an episode where Kristina Applegate stars as Rachel Greene's sister. She watches the baby, Emma for the afternoon and returns her to her parents with her ears pierced. My sisters are all too practical to do something like that, so that is not my question. But,

Do you think piercing a baby's ears is:
a: Adorable, I would do it in a heartbeat
b: Cute, but I wouldn't do it to my kid
c. Ridiculous, why accesorize a baby
d: Next to child abuse
e: Adult or child, no one should do it!

Please vote by leaving your comment. Who knows, Ruby's fate may rest in your hands.

Parlez vous francais?

The Spanish Influenza

On the last day of our vacation, Ruby and I came down with the flu. Last night we both had temperatures of 103 and today we are completely lathargic...in addition to watching gag reels of Friends and Elmo Has Two Ears I have found myself taking several online quizes. Despite my better judgement I took one entitled, "Do you want the terrorists to win?" I should have stopped there, but instead I felt compelled to see the end result. With questions such as, "Did you vote for John Kerry in 2004?" I knew my results would be grim. Here are my results, and to think the first stanza I ever memorized was the Pledge of Allegiance.

Your 'Do You Want the Terrorists to Win' Score: 79%

 

You are a terrorist-loving scoundrel who hates our dear leader and the values he defends. There are few redeeming qualities about you. You most likely celebrated when the evil-doers hit us on 9/11, then opposed the Iraq war when we tried to pay them back. You hurt us at every step and cause troops to die in the field by questioning Bush's decisions. You are most likely a lost cause, doomed to be a brainwashed victim of free thought and liberalism forever. No dose of Ann Coulter's prose can save you now.

Do You Want the Terrorists to Win?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Day Three: Segovia

"What is Segovia?" you might ask. I did. Here is a top ten list of things to do in this little known town, little known unless of course you have ever spent time near Madrid.

1. Roman Aqueduct, estimated to have been built between 1st-2nd century AD

From Wikipedia: According to a popular legend, sloth, rather than Romans, was responsible for the construction of the aqueduct. A woman who worked as a water carrier, fed up with hauling her pitcher through the steep streets of the city, made a pact with the devil: the devil could take her soul if water would arrive at her doorstep before the cock crowed. When night fell, a great storm fell upon the city. None of its citizens except the woman knew that this was no normal storm, but instead was the devil working to keep his part of the bargain. However, she repented and prayed all night to avoid fulfilling the pact. According to the legend, the cock crowed just before the devil could lay the final stone, and thus the woman's soul was saved.
The woman confessed her sin to the citizens who, after spraying the arches with holy water, were happy to accept the new addition to the city. Convinced that a miracle had saved the woman's soul, a statue of the Virgin and Saint Stephen were placed atop the aqueduct in commemoration .

2. Cathedral of Segovia: Last Gothic style cathedral built in Europe (I am becoming a de facto gothic architecture expert)


3. The Alcazar of Segovia (or castle)


4. PORK!! Second ONLY to Corky's in Memphis


5. Playground for Ruby to enjoy a few rides on the slide

Madrid: Day Two

7:00am- Wake up to Ruby screaming, she doesn't know where she is so we let her sleep in our room.

9:30am-While getting ready for the day, overhear Nate explaining to his mom that Ruby woke up "in the middle of the night" and he just wasn't able to get a good rest after she moved into our bed.

(Nate here, and allow me to clarify a bit. True, I had no idea what time she climbed into bed with us. But also true that Sina and I both had to sleep on our sides after that, since Ruby was taking up the lion's share of the bed by sleeping sideways...)

10:30am-There is no temple in France, so we were thrilled for the opportunity to attend while in Madrid and were so grateful to Concha and Dorothy for babysitting Ruby.




2:30pm-Delicious lunch prepared by Concha, with freshly squeezed orange juice for dessert. The best dessert I have had in ages.

4:30pm-Ruby pretends to nap on and off for the next hour

6:00pm-Walk to Plaza de Toro, the bullfighting ring. It isn't bullfighting season, but we might be able to find one before heading back for Paris.





7:30pm-Plaza del Sol, Plaza Mayor. Breathtaking city centers with exiquisite architecture, that even I appreciated. It was too late to take pictures, but I will try to get more tomorrow.

8:00pm- Ruby gets the best seat in the house at a tapas bar just outside the plazas with her new friends, Concha and Ignacio.




8:30pm- And, of course, no trip with Dorothy would be complete without a stop, or two or three, at a local bakery.

Hola from Madrid!

After a two hour flight and no time change we are in Spain. The flight was in the afternoon, and being overly optimistic we thought we could wake up and then pack. All of you who know us, already know the end result. We rushed out of the house, and forgot the digital camera. I have extra batteries and the cord to upload photos to our laptop, but sadly, we will not be documenting this adventure with pictures...maybe we will take pictures with the computer...

Plans for the trip: Prado museum, tapas, paella...

Any suggestions?

The Protestant Ethic

In college I studied Max Weber's seminal discourse on protestantism and capatalism. In short, the theory suggests that the protestant value of constant labor in one's pursuit of salvation led directly to the rise and development of capitalism. I saw this work ethic being passed down from a Dutch Oma to her granddaughter in our home last night.

On the Road Again

I drove by myself on the Paris streets today. Despite the fact that I scraped the passenger side of our car coming out of our garage, was almost hit while turning left, and forgot that incoming traffiic from streets on the right hand side of the road have the right of way, I would say it was successful...in that I made all the possible mistakes one could make, came out of it alive, and didn't have to listen to the gasps of horror from back seat drivers.

I am ready for the Etoile now. If only we had a video camera.

Ugly Naked Lady Update

While sitting on our couch this evening we noticed that across the street the resident nudist's lights flipped. Casually we said, "Oh, Ugly Naked Lady is home" As we said this off came her bra and she flung it across the room.

Chartres

Chartres, pronounced with an American accent as "Sharts," is the largest gothic cathedral in Europe. For any architecht buffs, which I am not, this cathedral is the most pure example of gothic architecture. It is an hour's drive from Paris proper, making it one of the easier day trips in the area (we did it after church this Sunday). The site on which this cathedral was built has ancient roots as a temple to a pagan godess. Later it was replaced by a Christian church which claimed to house the garment worn by Mary when she gave birth to Jesus. In 1190 a fire destroyed most of the church, with the exception of the holy relic (i.e. garment worn by Mary) as well as a cobalt blue stained glass window of the Virgin. In a mere 70 years the local townspeople rebuilt the cathedral (a feat when one considers the hundreds of years it took to build Notre Dame de Paris) and dedicated it to Our Lady. This garment survives still and can be viewed on special Holy Days.

The artwork is primarily focused on the life of Mary. The most impressive of which is (in my opinion) the choir wall. Located in the center of the cathedral, is a large room erected from stone with detailed carvings (more like statues) adorning the sides. Medieval tradition had several beliefs, not traced to scriptural documents, regarding the life of Mary. There are 37 scenes depicted on the wall. The first scene portrayed is of Mary's father as a shepherd in the field being told by an angel that Mary will be born. There is also a scene of Joseph and Mary's wedding, before she is visited by the angel that she will give birth to the Christ. These scenes took longer to create than the cathedral itself, and by the time the nativity scene is shown the wise men are no longer dressed in Romanesque clothing, instead they are dressed in the attire of the Renaissance (as one individual described it, think Three Muskateers).

There are so many lovely parks situated with a spectacular view of this cathedral. I can't wait to take a picnic with us as soon as it is spring and enjoy a nice meal along the river. Hopefully, I will remember to take extra batteries for my camera so I can take pictures of the choir wall I loved so much.

Waterlilies

When I first entered university I was registered as an Art History major (before trying out History, Environmental Science, Plant Genetics, Botany, Political Science and then landing on International Relations). I believe I fell in love with art while wandering the galleries of the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg Russia as a junior in high school. The other students I was with rushed through the halls, irritated that we had to find a way to kill the next three hours. I was simply grateful for the reprieve from the endless tours of churches and set myself apart from the group to wander the galleries at my own leisure. I was as interested in the courtyard views presented from the palace windows, until I entered a room dedicated to Impressionism. Here I made my first contact with Monet.

I have often said that I always feel as if I am going home whenever I enter the foot of a mountain. This for me is where I feel at one with myself and my surroundings. And suddenly, I found myself with those same emotions in 1994-Russia. As I studied the water-color canvas of this Impressionist master, although I had never studied art previously, I understood the impact these pieces were intended to have. I recognized their departure from the previous styles, and I understood why these were considered masterpieces. I felt that despite the focally distorted landscapes, these paintings resonated a truth. Truth is light and these paintings showed truth in all its forms. Truth in the morning, midday, evening. Winter, spring, summer and fall. Sunset and sunrise. I spent three hours lost in these paintings.

The magnitude that first experience held has dwarfed every museum experience since - nothing compares. Just before we moved to Paris I read that after a $36 million-six year renovation, l'Orangerie museum was finally opening again to the public. Housed in l'Orangerie are "les Nympheas" a series of eight paintings of enormous scale: each measures 6.5 feet tall and if lined up side by side would measure 298.5 feet in width.

In 1897 Monet had the idea of creating a vast decorative ensemble into the impressions of which the spectator would be plunged. This idea progressed further and further in the Monet-Giverny-Nympheas epic. In 1918, he made a gift to France of the entire work of the Nympheas in its final form, in gratitude for the sacrifices of the war. The paintings were destined to be placed in a special gallery, the Orangerie, in the beautiful historic centre of Paris. Monet developed cataracts in both eyes. It was with this diminished vision that he reworked, destroyed or finished the huge mural decorations of the " cycle des Nympheas ".

The renovation's intention was to expose les Nympheas to natural light, thus altering the mood of each painting depending on weather conditions and time of day. Les Nympheas are arranged in two oval shaped galleries, one gallery evokes scenes at sunrise, the other at dusk.

When we visited, we were lucky enough to avoid crowds. and seized this opportunity to indulge ourselves in the meditative moments these works naturally yield, a dream-like state which I found myself loathe to abandon.

Beneath the Cathedral de Monet is housed the Walter-Guillame collection, with an additional 144 Impressionist paintings. The combination of all this recaptured my imagination and left me awestruck to be experiencing something again, for the first time.



Monet: “Les Nymphéas”
BY W. D. SNODGRASS (1960 Pulitzer Prize winner)

    The eyelids glowing, some chill morning.
O world half-known through opening, twilit lids
    Before the vague face clenches into light;
O universal waters like a cloud,
    Like those first clouds of half-created matter;
O all things rising, rising like the fumes
    From waters falling, O forever falling;
Infinite, the skeletal shells that fall, relinquished,
    The snowsoft sift of the diatoms, like selves
Downdrifting age upon age through milky oceans;
    O slow downdrifting of the atoms;
O island nebulae and O the nebulous islands
    Wandering these mists like falsefires, which are true,
Bobbing like milkweed, like warm lanterns bobbing
    Through the snowfilled windless air, blinking and passing
As we pass into the memory of women
    Who are passing. Within those depths
What ravening? What devouring rage?
    How shall our living know its ends of yielding?
These things have taken me as the mouth an orange—
    That acrid sweet juice entering every cell;
And I am shared out. I become these things:
    These lilies, if these things are water lilies
Which are dancers growing dim across no floor;
    These mayflies; whirled dust orbiting in the sun;
This blossoming diffused as rushlights; galactic vapors;
    Fluorescence into which we pass and penetrate;
O soft as the thighs of women;
    O radiance, into which I go on dying ...

Dream Girls

I have heard it said that if you think back to when you were a kid and try to remember what you would tell people when they asked "what do you want to be when you grow up", that is where you will find the most pure answer to that question. I have never forgotten my answers. When I would tell people they would always laugh really hard like I was telling a joke and I could never quite understand why. I always wanted to be a Fly Girl. You may remember them, the dancers from the comedic showcase "In Living Color." And of course, that is where I was first introduced to JLo. I guess it was the follow up to that statement that could be seen as humurous: "And also a Supreme Court Justice." Of course my dream of this was quelched years ago when I realized I had never had a real dance lesson ( I took a few classes in college, but had to ditch too often because of a story that Anais would be happy to share, but one I refuse to put on my blog) and didn't attend an Ivy League law school.

But, I just read in the Washington Post today that Beyonce is conducting a nationwide search for backup dancers for her upcoming international tour. If only I could make it back to the States right now (because THAT is what is standing between me and my dreams!)

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

This Christmas salute is a little late in coming, but hopefully you will appreciate it (especially the grandmothers) . We don't have a video camera, but used the record function on the digi cam. The film quality is not too good and I am just learning how to use our movie editing program, but please enjoy the film. Also, it appears the first 30 seconds are dead air...sorry for that.

Christmas Eve at Notre Dame

It seemed obvious that in order to truly celebrate the Christmas season in Paris, attendance at Midnight Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral was a must. Thus, following our traditional Christmas Eve tapas-style dinner we hopped in a taxi and headed for the Ile de la Cite. We arrived two hours early, stood in line, passed through metal detectors, and had my purse searched before finally pushing our way through the sea of believers and tourists. The architecture and history only added to the haunting and inspiring melody of Angels We Have Heard on High, the most beautifully simple arrangement of that song I have heard.


The walk home was breathtaking. All of Paris was lit for Christmas Day and the city streets were virtually empty. Unfortuantely, that also meant locating a taxi to get home in took a bit, but the walk along rue de Rivoli to Place de la Concorde, though tiring at 2am. reminded me that the Ghost of Christmas Present has been very generous this year.

For your viewing pleasure

Without access to tv networks, I find myself redirecting my attention to internet media. Here are some highlights.

This is something that has been popular on YouTube for a while, but I am thinking many of yu may not have seen it. I love it, and believe I will have our family performing this jig where ever we end up travelling.



The cover of December '06 issue of Vanity Fair had a smouldering photo of Brad Pitt, which garnered even more attention when he threatened legal action for the unapproved cover. It was actually a video portrait by the artist Rober Wilson. (Here it is, make sure to let it load all the way before playing)



And finally, a friend made us aware of this new search engine, ever computer geek's latest fantasy: www.msdewey.com

All I Want for Christmas Is...

1. A Gilmore Girls Marathon. Really. I miss this show more than I care to admit!
2. To channel surf and end up watching Anderson Cooper or C-Span
3. My car to arrive so I can drive to IKEA
4. My car to arrive so I can take a road trip
5. The value of the US Dollar to stop declining so rapidly!!
6. Did I already mention the Gilmore Girls?
7. Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Entourage, Sex and the City
8. A few nights at the movies with Nate without having to spend $50 on a babysitter.
9. Gilmore Girls
10. The writers of Lost and Grey's Anatomy to set New Year's Resolutions to return the shows to their former glory.

(Clearly, I really miss TV!)

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

A few weeks ago Nate attended a BBQ where Jimmy Buffett happened to show up for an improptu concert. In addition to a guitar he brought along his friend, and producer, Frank Marshall. Nate and a few of his colleagues spent the afternoon chatting with the two before returning to their offices to IMDB Frank Marshall. As it turns out he is the producer of all the Indiana Jones and Back to the Future triologies, among many other noteworthy box office hits. More recently, he produced the Bourne Identity and Bourne Supremacy flicks, movies that moved Matt Damon into the #7 slot on my Top Ten Hollywood Men list.

On November 22, Nate called me insisting I get myself over to the Tuileries Gardens immediately. You see producer friend had emailed saying his cast and crew would be filming and Nate's office was welcome to come over and watch. Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention, they were filming The Bourne Ultimatum, starring Matt Damon. I was out the door in 15 minutes WITH my digi cam.

We arrived at the gardens which had been closed for the shoot to all but a few extras: a couple sitting on a park bench, a man with a dog, three girlfriends chatting and of course the star himself. I must say that there is a lot of standing around going on on a set. But, we did get to see two takes of one scene filmed. An old man with white hair and gray beard, rumor has it an arms dealer, is meeting with Jason and approaches him, Jason leaves empty handed. It is a 35 second scene. Maybe 2 minutes.





While we were watching the Ministry of Culture and something else had a representative there to present Matt Damon with a book. She and her colleague approached Nate and said, much to his delight, "Excuse me, I am sorry to bother you, but are you Matt's brother?" Nate, grinning and giddy, said "Sorry, no, but can you please repeat that so my wife hears you."

If any of you had the chance to read the Sexiest Man Alive issue of People magazine this last week, George Clooney gives a shout out to Matt Damon and says, "There is something about his eyes, they just sparkle." While Clooney might have been giving Matt a hard time, I have to say...they really do!!!