A Paris Year by Janice MacLeod

 

After the first 10 pages or so of A Paris Year I pretty much decided that I wasn't going to post about this book.  The book at that point felt a bit kitsch.  But as I went on the book drew me in.

The author is also the illustrator and photographer – the book is very pretty indeed. But it also ends up catching the essence of Paris without being too cliché'd.

The book has a lot of sly wit – the pages on Versailles had me in stitches.

There has been some criticism of some typo's and grammatical errors but that didn't worry me – the typeface and approach is meant to be like a personal journal – and whose personal journal is perfect?

I have also posted about the author's book - Paris Letters

Paris, France – A City beyond Compare

When thinking about big cities in the world, it is hard to go past Paris as my favourite.  The way that the character of the old centre of the city has been preserved, plus the French flair, means that any visit to Paris is going to be a highlight.

My favourite parts include:

Hotel du Jeu de Paume, Ile St Louis

Hidden residential areas like the Ile St Louis (an island in the middle of the river) with small eccentric hotels

Tourist traps like the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysee – they might be so well known and visited but there is a reason for that

Sunbathers on the banks of the Seine

The Musee d'Orsay – which I have blogged about before here 

Shopping at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette – Gallic equivalents of Harvey Nicks and Harrods.

Going on the metro – so smooth and well-engineered

And I love the bicycle hire scheme (you'll note they don't require you to don a helmet) and all the tiny Smart cars parked in the teensiest spaces!

I have heard people complain that the French are rude to visitors.  I have only experienced this once – at the Opera Building ticket desk.  But if you try to speak a little French I have found nothing but kindness – including from a ticket seller on the Metro who firmly warned me to tuck my handbag under my arm since I was going to Pigalle (which is the stop for Montmartre – somewhat of a haven for pickpockets).

If you are ever lucky enough to be in Paris, don't forget to visit the Musée D'Orsay

Of all the art galleries I have been to, my favourite is the Musée D’Orsay in Paris.  It is on the left bank of the Seine.  It has artworks from 1848 to 1914.

The first time I was there, I was a bit overwhelmed.  The next time I was much more focused.  In the interim I had bought a big lovely but expensive book called “ Paintings in the Musee D’Orsay” by Robert Rosenblum.  This meant that I knew what in particular I wanted to look at.  It meant that I didn’t skip over the 19th century academic art just to look at the more famous impressionist and modernist works.

The architecture of the gallery is also interesting.  It is a converted railway station.  The conversion dates back to only the late 1970’s.

My favourite works in the collection include:

The Gleaners – Millet

The Fifer – Manet

The Regatta at Argenteuil, Monet

A Dance in the Country – Renoir

The Red Buoy – Signac

Motherhood - Melchers

Eurostar – the way to go

I am a complete convert as to the Eurostar being the best way to get between London and Paris.  It is cheaper (though still not dirt cheap) and more importantly quicker because it leaves and arrives in the centre of the cities.  And you have your luggage with you – so no wait by a carousel anxiously wondering if your bag got there.

We don’t bother going first class.  The back of the bus is fine.  Don’t plan on eating on the train though – the selection is dire.  Take your own or don’t eat – it only takes about 2 hours.  You don’t even really notice the about 15 minutes of it where you are under the English Channel.

Top 10 places I have visited – not including in NZ

Oops – there are actually 12.  In alpha order:

Bermuda – pink sand, lots of golf courses, great architecture, great weather and those shorts…

Cruising around French Polynesia – on the MS Paul Gaugin, 6 star, amazing, great stops, leisurely and lovely

 

Devon and Cornwall – lovely coastline, ruins, clotted cream, nice seaside towns like Bude and Penzance

French river/canal cruising – on a hotel barge, calm, tranquil, great food and wine, interesting places to visit.  Try to research who the fellow passengers are likely to be – I ended up with mostly Americans which was a mixed blessing.

Las Vegas – completely OTT but see it to believe it, have to do it once.

Loire Valley – chateaux everywhere you look, river views, little villages but too many tourists.

Martha’s Vineyard – a classy part of the US.  Picturesque island reached by ferry from Woods’ Hole. 

 

Monte Carlo – the Casino, grand hotels, grand yachts, conspicuous consumption

New Caledonia – a slice of French culture so close to NZ.  Nice beaches, good food and a wonderful cultural centre Tjibaou

Paris – of course, the Ile St Louis, Musee d’Orsay, Montmartre, Notre Dame, La Defense

Provence – the Pont du Gard, Avignon, Rocamadour, Les Baux and so much else.

Vatulele, Fiji – this was many years ago because I now have political qualms about visiting Fiji post coup/s.  Great all inclusive resort.  You have your own stretch of beach.  If you want something, you put your flag out and a little boat comes to you.  Communal dining optional but a lot of fun.  At night the staff go off duty and you are just left with an open bar which makes for some interesting cocktails.