Beth Arnold

Letter From Paris: Ile Saint-Louis

The tip of the Île Saint-Louis...

A place to sit and reflect...to regard the reflections in the water.  To think about what you see.

 

Photo by Beth Arnold

 

---Beth Arnold in Paris

Jours of Our Lives: 39) MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

by Beth Arnold

An ongoing series about uprooting our lives in America and moving to France. For what's happened before, see previous Jours of Our Lives entries here .

 

CLEAR LIGHT BURST open the sky, illuminating clues of Henri Matisse hidden in the muddle of Tangier. We stood on the periphery of the Grand Socco looking up and down for the way to the Grand Hotel Villa de France, where the Matisses had stayed and Henri had glimpsed scenes that matched his artistic vision. Jim was armed with a book of the paintings, and I carried my Morocco guide and map. We looked every bit the awkward rube tourists, but most Moroccans don’t know much, if anything, about the artist whose lush paintings have etched the colors and forms of their country in the minds of art-lovers throughout the world. A couple of guides, real or faux, approached us, but we convincingly declined. I don’t engage in conversation with hustlers unless it feels safe and right. In any case, we wanted to be on our own.

 

Le Rifain assis by Henri Matisse (1869 - 1954). Oil on canvas, 200 x 160 cm. In the collection of the Barnes Foundation. (via Wikipedia)

Letter From Paris: Summer in The City 2011, No. 7

 

A Parisian mermaid in the sky...

Swimming up to the window and peeping in. 

What did she find?

Letter From Paris: Summer in The City 2011, No. 6

After a great afternoon in L'Orangerie, the Lone Wolf and I stepped outside to a billowy blue sky and day.  It was a moment that made us happy to be alive and to be in Paris.  We strolled along the high side of the garden by the Seine, looking down on the Tuileries and the basin with the rue de Rivoli and its grand buildings on the other side.

A perfect spot to sit and read, to watch the Tuileries garden grow.  To see Paris in all its glory.

 

Photo by Beth Arnold

 

---Beth Arnold in Paris

Letter From Paris: Summer in The City 2011, No. 5

At the Fête des Tuileries ...

From 28 June to 24 August, this popular funfair is open on the Tuileries gardens in Paris for two months of carnival rides, cotton candy, and games. Want to come?  Better hurry.

This Sun King is a ride that swings back and forth like a pendulum before going all the way around.  Losing your stomach is the thrill.  It's called "Over The Rainbow," which is something we all want in one way or another.  We want to find our own pots of gold on the other side, whatever they may be.

You can see the rooftops of the Rue de Rivoli behind it.

 

Photo by Beth Arnold

 

---Beth Arnold in Paris

Letter From Paris: Summer in The City 2011, No. 3

Our summer in Paris has been cool and our August rainy.  So was this day as we were wandering from Paris Plages up to the Pompidou.

So Salvador Dali.

Letter From Paris: Summer in The City 2011, 2

Cruising up the river Seine with gray clouds above... One can see part of Paris Plages to the right and the Île Saint-Louis to the left.  The Seine is the heart and soul of Paris.  And the romantic banks of the Seine (in Paris)--Rive Gauche and Rive Droite—are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in Europe.

There is no greater pleasure than to walk along the Seine--but in summer, being on or by this iconic river is especially sweet.

 

Photo by Beth Arnold.

---Beth Arnold in Paris

Letter From Paris: Azay Le Rideau

Straight from a fairy tale...

When we were in the Touraine a couple of weeks ago (the Loire Valley), the Lone Wolf and I visited Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, which was the creation of a wealthy financier of François I, Gilles de Berthelot.  It is not far from Chinon--an exceptional Renaissance château--and on the Unesco World Heritage list. 

Something else to put on your France list.

 

---Beth Arnold in Paris

Letter From Paris: la collégiale de Candes-Saint-Martin

A photo from the site of our friends' lovely wedding, the historic and beautiful la collégiale de Candes-Saint-Martin.  The architectural detail is stunning.  A feast for one's eyes and soul...

And a toast to the bride and groom, D'Arcy Flueck and Sébastien du Petit Thouars, now Madame and Monsieur together.

 

For information on the wines of Château du Petit Thouars, click here.

 

Photo by Beth Arnold.

---Beth Arnold in Paris

 

Letter From Paris: Bastille Day Sunset

 

 
The sunset last night was breathtaking...The fireworks spectacular.

 

Happy weekend, y'all!

 

Photo by Beth Arnold

---Beth Arnold in Paris