Although my confidence in French took a beating during my third week in Paris, I continued to network and make new friends, enjoying some great new experiences in the process. I had dinner with Jennifer and John's friend Sara Wright and with the Perry's, a couple from Kansas City via North Carolina who were both in graduate school at Indiana University when I was there.
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| St. James Club |
On Friday afternoon, I made the pilgrimage to the St. James Club, a reciprocal club of the Women's University Club. It was originally the home of Adolphe Theirs, the first President of France's Third Republic in 1871. It was near the first aerodrome in Paris and it was from there that the Mongolfier brothers sent their first hot air balloons into the skies. The interior of the building and courtyard are decorated with the Montgolfiers in mind and the result is stunning.
On Saturday, a friend and I took the magic train (because free on the weekends if you have a Carte Navigo, a transit pass) to Provins, a village about 90 minutes from Paris that has on its hilltop an intact medieval village complete with most of its wall and moat. It has been a World Heritage Site since 2002.
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| The Wall and Moat of Provins |
Although it was the tag end of the season, it was well worth the visit. The old half-timbered buildings and the church and original defensive tower are a rare find and the countryside around Provins is gorgeous. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Provins was the capital of the Counts of Champagne and each spring it hosted a massive fair in which merchants from all over Europe came to trade their wares. It was to Provins that the Count of Champagne brought the "damascus rose" from the Crusades. The Tithe Barn, the main market building, still exists along with many half-timbered houses, the original market cross and much more.
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| Provins Market Square |
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Half-timbered Buildings
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What really made the trip eye-opening was the exhibition of falconry. Ever since reading Helen MacDonald's wonderful book,
H is for Hawk, I've been fascinated by the whole idea of falconry. In an open-air theater tucked up against a corner of the ramparts, a group of exceptional falconers gave a demonstration of their art with Secretary birds, falcons, buzzards, owls, eagles, caracaras, vultures and kites, probably every kind of bird that has been so tamed. At times, the birds were flying right over our heads and I finally just put my camera away to enjoy the show. Here are a few photos.
On Sunday, after church, I went over to the Fondation Louis Vuitton in the Bois de Boulogne for lunch at the restaurant "Le Frank" and a walk around. The museum is a stunning Geary building, roughly in the profile of a ship under sail. It stands in a pool of water which, in one section, cascades down a flight of steps like waves washing onto shore. The art is both collected and commissioned for the space, very avant-garde and often interpreted with music. And the openings at the top create a series of terraces with great views. The restaurant serves wonderful food and is decorated with lights in the shape of fish hanging from the mostly glass ceiling. All well worth the trip.
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| Fondation Louis Vuitton |
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"Le Frank" Restaurant,
Fondation Louis Vuitton |
