JOURNAL ENTRY 25--Place des Vosges, Centre Pompidou, Palais Garnier area, Our Night at the Opera--Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014--Paris Day Five--Transitional
Hey, Laron, we're not in Texas anymore.
Before we went to our rooms last night, the Robinsons and I discussed plans for today and set a time to meet for breakfast. I suggested we walk through the Marais west to the Pompidou Art Center and spend the morning there. Then we would eat lunch and catch the Metro for the Palais Garnier, look that over, and return to the hotel via the underground. That way, we'd be familiar with the route, could rest a few hours in the afternoon, and would return to the opera house on the same Metro line.
They agreed, and so this morning I was studying Rick Steves' recommended walk through the Marais. I thought we could see some important sights on our way to the Pompidou. The plan Howard left me would not work for the walk we needed to do, but I kept it for future reference.
The Pompidou Art Center is the most visited museum in France. It was built in the 70's on the insistence of French President Georges Pompidou who saw the need for a place to display modern art and for urban renewal in the area.
The Center had long interested me, because I'd shown films about it in class, and because Renzo Piano had helped design it as one of his first commissions. It was a revolutionary new building that featured structural elements like elevators, pipes, and superstructure ON THE OUTSIDE. That way, the interior could be arranged with maximum flexibility.
Piano had designed the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas and the new Piano Pavilion at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, and I was really curious about this early design of his. Truly, I was every bit as interested in the the building as in the art work it contained.
About fifteen minutes early, I went down the elevator to the basement level and started to gather my own breakfast. The Robinsons soon appeared and joined me at the table. I told them about the delicious crêpes, and the waiter brought each of us coffee. As we ate, we talked about last night, the Picasso Museum, and the plans for this morning. Soon we finished, and headed back up to our rooms to refresh ourselves and gather our things.
As usual, I brought up fruit, cheese, and bread "du jour." I planned to snack in the room later in the afternoon before we went to the opera. After a short time upstairs, I brought camera, cell phone, and daypack with me and went down to meet Laron and Jana in the lobby.
Soon, we were on our way. We went back to Turenne, made a left at Eglise St. Denys on the corner, and headed south a few blocks. I had been walking past the Place des Vosges ever since I arrived, and now I was determined to go inside the historic square and locate Victor Hugo's apartment.
The Place des Vosges faced inward and outside walls gave no hint of the open space within. The exterior was nondescript, and without signs on the walls to identify it, we would never have suspected it was just on the other side.
Henry IV built this lovely residential plaza in 1605 and called it the "Place Royal." His chief minister, Sully, built a house nearby. After Henry was assassinated, the splendor of the area passed, and it continued to decline after Versailles became the seat of government.
When he came to power, Napoleon refurbished the square and promised to name it for the province that paid its taxes first. The Vosges region, in the mountains we'd been through on the way to Alsace, won the contest, and the square has borne its name ever since.
In the 19th century, the Marais had become the Jewish Quarter, and despite the deportation and execution of numerous residents in WW II, it remains a Jewish section, while more recently the area has become upscale and trendy.
This morning was, as usual, cool and overcast, so the pictures of the Place des Vosges seem somewhat gloomy, but we did find Victor Hugo's residence, where he lived when he wrote
Les Miserables.
La Place des Vosges
Built in 1605, these residences are among the most sought-after in Paris.
In front of Victor Hugo's apartment in the Place des Vosges
(We would return.)
Next, I directed us over to the Rue des Francs Bourgeois, and following Rick Steves' map, walked west past the Carnavelet Museum. We were supposed to go three blocks, turn left, and then come back a block to go past Jim Morrison's apartment, but we jogged right instead and missed it.
One reason we went off course was the complexity of the streets and intersections. Paris simply does not have four-way, ninety-degree corners. Often five, six, or even more streets come together, and few of them are straight. Baron von Haussman never got around to redoing the Marais. So following Rick's map was more difficult than I imagined.
Three more blocks and over on Rue Rambuteau, I began to wonder because I should have been seeing the Pompidou Center ahead. I stopped a man walking by us and asked, "Pardon, monsieur, mais où se trouve le Centre Pompidou, s'il vous plaît." He motioned just ahead and pointed to the left, to indicate we were almost there. We hadn't seen the museum in front of us because we were on the street that ran
beside it.
LE CENTRE POMPIDOU (with its back to the Marais) looks out across the surrounding area.
Suddenly, we looked to our left, and we were there!
The center stretched across an entire block, and the color-coded tubes, pipes, and supporting structure shone clearly. The exoskeletal building has framework, pipes, and escalators on the exterior coded as follows: red for elevators, blue for air ducts, green for plumbing, yellow for things electrical, and white for the structure's bones. We soon discovered that we had arrived too early and that it would not open for another half hour. So we walked around to the other side which had the escalator and faced a large, open space that was walkable, but which contained air conditioning systems and support underneath.
Courtyard of the Pompidou with Place Stravinsky across the street at the far end
This was the side of the Center I had seen on film and which afforded a splendid view of the surrounding, "older" Paris in whose midst it had been built and which stretched out far below its hulking height. The Pompidou was fascinating TO LOOK AT, but it appeared to be just as interesting TO LOOK FROM.
As of yet, we still had not found the Stravinsky Fountain, but as it turned out, it was not in front of the Center but next to it on the south end in its own small plaza. We came upon the delightfully playful, colored, mechanized sculptures in the center of the Fountain. Here were the moving lips, snake, heart, elephant, and mermaid.
The weather was too cool and the hour too early for street performers, so the Robinsons and I had the Fountain and its surroundings to ourselves. We were happy to discover that the huge, stainless steel rectangle which contained the water was molded into a bench surrounding it. So we parked ourselves on the seat and waited for the museum to open. I shot several pictures, and Jana was kind enough to shoot some of Laron and me sitting there.
This picture traveled fast.
Dame Tartine with the awning was where we'd have lunch later.
Dali couldn't hush us up.
The Mermaid
I loved looking at the traditional Parisian buildings with mansard roofs and bull's-eye windows. Framed by the Pompidou Center and the Stravinsky Fountain, this was juxtaposition sure enough!
I love French architecture! The limited, almost uniform height of the buildings, the mellow limestone of the exteriors, the chimney pots on the roof are so pleasing to the eye. As I've said before, "French ordinary is my extraordinary."
The Stravinsky Fountain was wonderful. One picture that Jana took of Laron and me as we talked was done using my cell phone. So in a little while I shared the "ocular proof" of our reunion on Facebook, and that photo went viral before the day was over. As Ruth Adams wrote, "Who'd a thunk it?"
While we sat there and stared at signs, Jana noticed one that read "Dragées" and asked me what it meant. The best I could do on the spur of the moment was to remember an old student newspaper that said they were an almond treat, so I said, "Some kind of almonds." They were in fact sugar-coated almonds which the French enjoy.
Now, we walked around the corner and took our place in line. Soon we entered the enormous, two+-story Pompidou Lobby, bought our tickets, and visited the facilities before going up on the escalator.
Next, we went up to start our self-guided museum tour. When we ascended in that exterior escalator, I savored the view of the surrounding area; it was terrific! When we reached the exhibits area, Laron and Jana went their way, and I went mine. We agreed to meet where we started--around noon.
At this point, let me summarize by saying I went from one exhibit room to another taking in all the drawings, paintings, sculptures, delicate hanging phenomena, etc., that a small-town guy from Texas could possibly absorb. Photographs were not allowed in the galleries, so I'll use some Google Images. Basically, it was very interesting to see the latest in the world of art, but I was not as impressed by it all as I expected to be.
Lobby of the Pompidou Center
Georges et Gordon
Now we headed up the escalators to the exhibits. (Pourquoi Pas Toi?--Why Not You?)
Random pics that can speak for themselves
Chagall
Dali would be proud of me for finding "un rhinocéros"!
These views of Paris from the Pompidou Center are reason enough for it.
When meeting time came, there were Jana and Laron coming down from the Permanent Collection. I never made it up there, but it was time to go somewhere for lunch, and I was ready to leave. So we exited the Pompidou and walked back to the Stravinsky Fountain where we'd seen an eaterie that Rick Steves recommended--Dame Tartine.
When we got there, the restaurant was really hopping. Dame Tartine (Toast Lady) turned out to be a place that specialized in serving all kinds of food spread over large pieces of toasted bread, which displayed grill marks.
We went inside and were seated at a table on the back wall of the restaurant. After a while, the area where we were seemed warm; we were dressed for the cold. We decided we'd have been better off eating outside. I do not remember what I ate, but the service was good, and toast was prominent. We emerged well fed and rested.
Now, we walked west a few blocks to the Les Halles area and the enormous Châtelet Metro station. As we approached, I noticed the restaurant where Ben and I had eaten in 2012. Au Chien Qui Fume was across the street from Châtelet.
Au Chien Qui Fume (At the Dog That Smokes)
Châtelet Station entrance
Going down into Châtelet, we each bought "un ticket mobilis" which we could use for the rest of the day. Then we determined which line would take us to the station in front of the Garnier opera house. We proceeded to walk, and walk, and walk to find the right subway line, which we finally managed to do.
Châtelet is a huge, confusing station which has metro lines coming in ON THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS. The walking required is unbelievable. Even as I write, a more efficient station is being built nearby to replace it. Nevertheless, our train came, and soon we were headed to the Palais Garnier.
In what seemed like no time at all, we arrived at the Metro Opera Station, went up, and voilà, we were right in front of the Palais Garnier. All we had to do was cross the busy street, and we'd be on its front steps! As explained earlier, the Robinsons and I had obtained tickets to the Mozart's
Abduction from the Seraglio online, and tonight we were going to see it.
My idea was to come here on the Metro during the day and become familiar with the area, so returning here via subway in the evening would be less hassle. I also had hopes of walking around and finding the famous department stores, the Galerie Lafayette and Printemps. They were so well known, it would be nice just to see them.
Opera Station
Amazingly, the Palais Garnier was directly across the street!
On a daytime reconnaissance mission
We were delighted to emerge up to street level and be so close to the Garnier. Soon we were across the street, and I shot a pic of the Robinsons on the front steps.
Laron and Jana at the Palais Garnier
When we'd seen the outside of the opera house, we started walking to find the department stores. As it turned out, we did find the Galeries Lafayette, and later I think we spotted Printemps way in the distance. We actually went into the Galeries Lafayette and photographed the enormous inverted Christmas tree, which every French person from far and wide had come to see. The store was so crowded, I had trouble even positioning myself to take a picture!
Shot by Miriam Stauff in early October
Galeries Lafayette with Christmas decorations--shot by me on Nov. 8
Now with time getting short, we headed back to the Metro to return to the hotel. This area was extremely busy with early Christmas shopping, and the crowds were almost too much for us. Anyway,we needed to see how long the trip would take, and to become familiar with the station near the Villa Beaumarchais.
Having studied the Metro map, I realized that Line 8 curved around perfectly to take us directly from the opera house back to a station close to the hotel. Louis and our group had used that station our first night in Paris; it's called Saint-Sébastien-Froissart.
We found the Line 8 train headed in our direction, and when it stopped, we entered cars that were very crowded, so we stood and grabbed straps or bars to steady ourselves. Soon we were off, and I noticed two couples next to us, one with a handsome baby boy about Ted's age.
I don't know what possessed me, but I was facing the dad, and I blurted out,"Pardon,monsieur, mais moi, j'ai un petit-fils du même age" (Excuse me, sir, but I have a grandson the same age). Suddenly, they all lit up and started talking to me like it was old home week. The mother and their friends joined in, and we had a wonderfully pleasant conversation right there on the Paris Metro!
I introduced the Robinsons and told them, "Nous tous venons du Texas." (We all come from Texas). When they realized we were "Américains," some of them broke into English just to practice. In French, the father asked me what we were doing today, and I said, "Nous chercherions Le Palais Garnier"; we were looking for the opera house because we were going there tonight. He asked which opera we would be going to, and I answered "L'Enlèvement du Serail par Mozart."
Froissart Station on Beaumarchais was closest to our hotel.
In what seemed like a very short trip, we came to Froissart Station, said our good-byes, and exited the train. Soon we were up on Boulevard Beaumarchais and heading for the hotel, which was across the street and a short walk from there. I will never forget how friendly those Parisians were to us and how the visit lightened our mood.
Then we were back in the lobby, retrieved our clunky keys from the front desk, and headed up to our rooms to rest during the remainder of the afternoon and to dress for the BIG NIGHT AHEAD.
Two of the events I had bought tickets for back in the States had already come off perfectly. It had been wonderful going to the ballet at the Bordeaux opera house that was the inspiration for the Garnier. The concert at the Ste. Chapelle had gone great. Would my luck still hold? Well, I certainly hoped so for all our sakes. So far, this day of ad-hoc planning and execution had gone well.
When I flew to France, I had not brought a suit. We were supposed to pack light, and Ann Murphy had told me when her family went to a ballet at the Garnier, many men did not wear coats and ties and that casual dress was perfectly acceptable. She added that the Palais Garnier, "Is the most beautiful building I have ever seen!"
I did bring a "dress shirt" and tie, and that plus my brown jacket would just have to do. Now I did some serious packing for tomorrow when we would change hotels. Then I ate, showered, spruced up, and headed down to meet the Robinsons.
Our tickets said to be there thirty minutes before curtain time, and for that we may have been cutting it close already. Laron and Jana were in the lobby when I got there, so we handed over our keys to the clerk and headed out. Shortly, we crossed Beaumarchais, turned left and in a few blocks were at the Froissart Station.
We descended the stairs and found Line 8 headed toward the opera house. Soon, the train arrived; we boarded and easily found seats since it was not crowded. In what seemed like very little time, ten or fifteen minutes at most, we were at the Opera Station. When we reached street level, we waited for the lights to change and walked over to the Garnier--a little ahead of time.
Nous sommes arrivés!
When we entered the opera house lobby, attendants checked our tickets, and sent us inside. It was almost empty, and that concerned us. Apparently, most of the patrons were already seated. Nevertheless, we took some pictures of the lobby and went up the stairway to take some more. I think I got a good one of the Robinsons.
Nice floor
Nice stairs
Nice hall
Laron and Jana Robinson at the Palais Garnier
Nice couple
Laron looked at his watch and said, "The show starts in fifteen minutes, so we'd better go on in." As we entered the auditorium, ushers looked at our seat numbers and pointed us in the right direction. Our seats were on the ground floor in the left section. Soon we found them, and I sat on the aisle with the Robinsons to my left.
From the stage, we were on the aisle, right-hand side.
Nice auditorium
So we had walked in and found our seats. The glitterati of Paris were abuzz all over the place, along with us three Texans! I could hardly believe we were finally here--in THE MOST FAMOUS THEATER ON THE PLANET! The phantom might be lurking in the shadows.
Our eyes went everywhere as we took in the stage, four levels of balconies, and the unbelievable ceiling painted by Marc Chagall! Next, in a move that surprised us, the staff put down the "jump seats" in the aisle, and more people entered and filled them. That made getting up the aisle during a performance next to impossible. I wonder if they checked with OSHA.
I had brought my mother's mother-of-pearl opera glasses (She bought them in Birmingham, Alabama when I was 9.) just for the occasion. I focused the mini-binoculars on different parts of the auditorium and marveled at what Charles Garnier designed for Napoleon III in the 1870's.
I expressed this aloud, and the woman seated right in front of us turned and said in American-accented English, "Well, what else would you expect? It was built by Napoleon III." I think she approved of him and his opera house.
Then the lights dimmed, the curtains rose, and we all faced forward to see very impressive sets for The Abduction from the Seraglio. Summaries of the opera made it sound tense and serious, but it did not turn out that way at all. A character named Belmonte is upset because girlfriend Kostanze was kidnapped at sea by pirates and sold to a Turkish Pasha who wanted her in his harem, but so far the Turk had failed to win her affection.
Belmonte journeys to the Pasha's palace and gets word to Kostanze that he is there. He hatches a plot to take her away, and in the last act, he puts a ladder up to her balcony and attempts to bring her home with him. The Pasha's steward catches them, stops the escape, and reports all this to his boss.
More on the plot later, but as everything unfolded before us, we were awed by the quality of the acting and the singing! The actors, especially the male and female leads, were young, talented, and superb in their roles. The music and the setting were so beautiful we could hardly believe what we were experiencing. Dreams can come true, and plans can work!
Something I particularly enjoyed was the light, good humor of this production. This basically turned out to be a comedy with no tragic overtones whatever. This was only my third opera, the others were tragedies, so I was ready for it.
When the Pasha learns of the attempted abduction of Kostanze, he questions Belmonte. Impressed by his story, the Turk finally decides to forgive his young captive and sets him and Kostanze free. At the very end, there is much rejoicing and good feeling all around.
The opera was written in the 1780's by Mozart, who served as conductor when it was first performed in Vienna. The dialogue is in German, but at the Garnier, the lines were projected in French above the stage. The projections were short and simple, so I could read most of them.
Truly, we could understand what was going on simply by watching and paying close attention to the sets, the actors and their expressions and movements, and what was happening before us.
When I looked up at this, I pinched myself! I could barely hold the camera steady!
With lights on before intermission, I shot a picture of the stage.
(Notice the projection screen.)
When intermission approached, the auditorium was lighted, even as the play wound down, so I took some pictures. Then we went to the lobby. After visiting the facilities, I went out front and looked at the displays. There were glass cases with costumes that particular singers had worn for performances of operas--with the names and dates of the performances, going back over the past three centuries. That looked interesting, but soon it was time to go back inside. These lobby displays may be a regular thing at the Garnier, because the French National Opera Library is located right there in the same building.
When we returned to our seats, the people who sat in front of us were standing and looking around, and the woman turned, clutched her ear lobe, and said she had lost a diamond earring. We briefly helped her look for it, but soon the music picked up, and the lights went low. It was time for more of the play.
Lights dimmed, and so did my pictures.
When the third act started, the ladder had been placed on the balcony. Soon, Belmonte attempts the abduction, and the Pasha's head servant thwarts it. As stated earlier, the Pasha pardons everyone and sets them free. Singing ensues, and the play ends with the whole cast rejoicing in song.
Then the lights went up, and actors took turns taking bows. Eventually, the whole cast stretched across the stage as the audience stood, clapped, and roared their approval. We gave them a LONG, LOUD, HEARTFELT STANDING OVATION. Laron, Jana, and I signaled our approval as loudly as we could.
Then the lady who'd lost the earring stood up and told us she had found it. We congratulated her and visited briefly, and realizing the couple were Americans, I said, "We are all from Texas. Where are you from?"
She answered, "We live here." So I was meeting residents who lived abroad. I told them I thought that was wonderful, and we soon went our separate ways.
The Robinsons and I were ecstatic over the opera. Even they, who had seen many performances of every kind in Houston, were very impressed. Suffice it to say, we were not disappointed.
Out in the lobby, the "beautiful people," as Erma Bombeck might have called them, streamed down the staircase and out into the foyer.
Ann was right. Coats and ties were not de rigeur.
Et maintenant nous disons AU REVOIR AU PALAIS GARNIER!
The Robinsons and I, along with many others, walked to the metro station to catch a train. Line 8 soon arrived, and in an uncrowded car, we sat and ooohed and aaahed all the way back to Froissart Station.
Soon, we were up to street level and again crossed Boulevard Beaumarchais. Then we walked to the hotel that had served us well. This was our last evening to return there, because tomorrow was moving day.
We walked into the lobby and agreed on a meeting time for breakfast. Tomorrow was Sunday; the plan was to go to high, Gregorian mass at Notre Dame in the morning and then to return and check out. Since we had two sets of luggage to move, we would call for a cab to take us over to the Patio St. Antoine. It was late, and we were tired but exhilarated. This was the end of a wonderful day!
Fin
Hors d'Oeuvres:
1. A French novelist, Gaston Leroux, wrote a book called Le Fantôme de l'Opéra in 1909. That was the source for the Lon Chaney film and later the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical.
2. Some things that inspired the novel were real or really did happen. The chandelier actually did fall in 1896 and killed a man in the audience.
The chandelier that fell in 1896
3. The circular ceiling around the replacement chandelier was painted by Marc Chagall in 1964.
4. The underground lake on which the Phantom traveled around Paris is fact; there really is a waterway under the opera house!
Lake under the theater
4. One can take a tour of the theater, but we never did. Our night at the opera had to suffice, but I would have liked to go all over the building.
Moi, je préfère l'originale!
5. Nowadays, very few operas are performed at the Garnier. Most of them are at the newer Bastille Opera house built across from the Place de la Bastille under President Mitterand. The Garnier is now used mainly for ballets. The fact that there was an opera here on a Saturday when we were in Paris was just too tempting to pass up.
6. Unfortunately, Laron and I both had to battle cancer in our early sixties. Both of us had major surgeries from which we emerged altered but alive and cured. I don't think we talked about that once on this trip, but anything I have experienced since that battle has meant more to me than it might have. I know he would say the same.
