So, one of the enduring myths about Paris is that it is a – no, make that the , city of love. I had to take a picture of this piece of graffiti, a declaration of love, a literal writing on the wall. The graffiti basically is from someone too afraid to reveal his/her true…
Month: May 2014
Paris and Reckoning
It’s a moment of reckoning again. Or not. The current furore surrounding the French political ‘earthquake’ – brought about by significant far-right party gains in recently held European elections – seems to be the cusp of one of many moments of ‘reckoning’ that have shaped French political life and Parisian history. Indeed, the theme of…
Imagining Central Paris of the Middle Ages: A comment on bells and the medieval soundscape
If only one could time travel – the sensory experience of Paris of the middle ages would be interesting to have, but as a 21st century being. This little advertisement for a DVD tour through Paris of the middle ages had to serve as the next best thing to a time machine, it offers a…
The Basilica of Sacré Coeur as dialectic
The Basilica of the Sacré Coeur On Montmartre is a Parisian landmark that has long inspired debate and divided opinion – both on superficial grounds (is it hideous or comely?) to more profound discussions about its meaning. The site of the Basilica draws linkages to pre-Christian religious practice, later Christian martyrs and modern France trying to…
Music and (renaissance) History – La Salle de Bal, Château de Fontainebleau
The palace of Fontainebleau is not quite in Paris, but it is a great place to take a quick and dirty lesson in French history. It bears the footprints of epochs from the middle ages to the mid 19th century. A few of the pre-visit readings also seemed to say that the history covers at least…
A History of Paris through Plants
Who needs museums to read history? Just take a walk through a forest. Well, this is a dramatic and silly proposition that does not deserve response and that would lead to a slow spiritual death for this blogger if it were affirmative. Yet, there is something to be said for observing the oldest inhabitants of…
Basilique St. Denis, a ‘visual’ to the past
<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/95643462″>Basilique Saint Denis, Paris</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user4635806″>George</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p> The Basilica of St. Denis fell outside of Paris of its day but was absolutely central to its political and cultural life. Today it is right on the city’s margins. A visit to St. Denis today may entail snaking through a labyrinthine market, stumbling…
Anon's Paris 