Last day in Paris: The art market and the flea market in Montparnasse, the Orangerie, Bourgeois hands, the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Forum des Halles

Our last day in Paris.  So depressing!  Just when we have settled into the art of finding a cafe from time to time to rest the feet and soul, have a refreshment or two and people watch.  Just when we have mastered the wonderful Metro and the joys of not having to have a car.  Just when we are feeling confident with French and acknowledging the need for us to get into a conversation class to keep up our skills.  Just when we are realising that August is the worst time to be in Paris because all the most interesting shops are closed, so we need to be here when they reopen.  Just when we are thinking that we need more time to explore outside of Paris.  Plus, we haven't visited all the galleries yet!

We decided to just wander for our last day, so we popped in at the local art market  ( just outside the Edgar Quinet metro exit, on Boulevard Edgar Quinet).  Called the "Marche de la creation Paris -Montparnasse", it is  quite an old market  based on the 1920's  "le marche aux navets" ( the "Turnip Market") where "La Horde de Montparnasse" group of painters, which included people like Modigliani and Chagall, used to exhibit and try to sell their work.   Now, it consists of of a large group of individual artists who exhibit, work and sell under the market awnings in the centre of the  boulevard, in the same location that the local produce market is held at other times.   We debated the wisdom of buying more art. We could have bought paintings, silk scarves, sculptures, etchings, jewellery or ceramics, but in the end,  I decided that much as I liked a few sculptures, my flight weight allowance wouldn't stretch to accomodate the weight.  Bob couldn't decide on which painting he liked best. Now, of course, we are both regretting not buying quite a few pieces.

 We found ourselves next at the Montparnasse flea market on Avenue Denfert-Rochereau, which has the most amazing mixture of things from sale: old books, furniture, African sculptures, stuffed animals, plants,paintings,  jewellery, tablecloths and more.  Again, we looked but did not buy, but it had me wondering how expensive it is to crate things to Australia.  I am quite sure there were the sort of treasures there that you see on the British Antiques Road Show.

We wandered back into the Cimitiere de Montparnasse because Bob wanted to see this grave:

 

I'm not sure whether this is the most romantic grave around, but it certainly is a novel one.

Then, the next stop was the Musee de L'Orangerie, which is next to the Place de la Concorde.  It contains two circular rooms  which have  the 8 massive water-lily paintings of Monet, "Nympheas" encircling the viewers.  They are very impressive and demonstrate just how much Monet's style had become impression meeting abstraction.  However, I am not realy a fan of Monet, so although I found them interesting, I was more taken with some of the other pieces of art which are displayed downstairs.  These included more of Monet's work,

 

("Argenteuil")

 

 but also that of artists.  These included Renoir,

("Fraises")

 

Cezanne,

("La Barque et les Baigneurs")

 

Gauguin,



("Paysage")

 

Picasso,



("Grande Baigneuse")

Matisse,

 

 

 

 

("Odalisque a la Culotte Grise")

Laurencin,

 

("Danseuses Espagnoles")



Derain,

 

 

("La Niece du Peintre Assise") 

Modigliani,

("Antonia")

Rousseau,

(" La Carriole du Pere Juniere")

Utrillo,

("Notre Dame")

 and Soutine,

("Le Garcon d'Etage")

("Les Maisons").

 

Outside the museum, we walked in the shade under the trees in between  the Tuileries gardens and the Place de la Concorde and discovered hands under trees:

 

 

 

 

The six sculptures set on granite  are  by Louise Bourgeois and are a wonderful installation.

We wandered along and discovered the Centre Georges Pompidou.

 I know it is supposed to look inspiring and modern but I just find it messy and unattractive.  Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit the Musee National d"Art Moderne, but we found the adjoining Place Georges Pompidou with its fun pool

 

 

its huge work of street art

 

 

and a pavement artist and a painter selling his work

 

 

 

 Then, it was on to The Forum des Hales - a shopping centre now, unfortunately.  I would have preferred to see the old market.

 

 

On the way to the Metro, we passed the Lego Store and glimpsed some of its sculptures in its windows.

 

 

Sadly, the time had come or us to go back to the hotel, collect our bags, and head for the airport. We definitely need to come back to France soon.

Last day in Paris: The art market and the flea market in Montparnasse, the Orangerie, Bourgeois hands, the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Forum des Halles

Our last day in Paris.  So depressing!  Just when we have settled into the art of finding a cafe from time to time to rest the feet and soul, have a refreshment or two and people watch.  Just when we have mastered the wonderful Metro and the joys of not having to have a car.  Just when we are feeling confident with French and acknowledging the need for us to get into a conversation class to keep up our skills.  Just when we are realising that August is the worst time to be in Paris because all the most interesting shops are closed, so we need to be here when they reopen.  Just when we are thinking that we need more time to explore outside of Paris.  Plus, we haven't visited all the galleries yet!

We decided to just wander for our last day, so we popped in at the local art market  ( just outside the Edgar Quinet metro exit, on Boulevard Edgar Quinet).  Called the "Marche de la creation Paris -Montparnasse", it is  quite an old market  based on the 1920's  "le marche aux navets" ( the "Turnip Market") where "La Horde de Montparnasse" group of painters, which included people like Modigliani and Chagall, used to exhibit and try to sell their work.   Now, it consists of of a large group of individual artists who exhibit, work and sell under the market awnings in the centre of the  boulevard, in the same location that the local produce market is held at other times.   We debated the wisdom of buying more art. We could have bought paintings, silk scarves, sculptures, etchings, jewellery or ceramics, but in the end,  I decided that much as I liked a few sculptures, my flight weight allowance wouldn't stretch to accomodate the weight.  Bob couldn't decide on which painting he liked best. Now, of course, we are both regretting not buying quite a few pieces.

 We found ourselves next at the Montparnasse flea market on Avenue Denfert-Rochereau, which has the most amazing mixture of things from sale: old books, furniture, African sculptures, stuffed animals, plants,paintings,  jewellery, tablecloths and more.  Again, we looked but did not buy, but it had me wondering how expensive it is to crate things to Australia.  I am quite sure there were the sort of treasures there that you see on the British Antiques Road Show.

We wandered back into the Cimitiere de Montparnasse because Bob wanted to see this grave:

 

I'm not sure whether this is the most romantic grave around, but it certainly is a novel one.

Then, the next stop was the Musee de L'Orangerie, which is next to the Place de la Concorde.  It contains two circular rooms  which have  the 8 massive water-lily paintings of Monet, "Nympheas" encircling the viewers.  They are very impressive and demonstrate just how much Monet's style had become impression meeting abstraction.  However, I am not realy a fan of Monet, so although I found them interesting, I was more taken with some of the other pieces of art which are displayed downstairs.  These included more of Monet's work,

 

("Argenteuil")

 

 but also that of artists.  These included Renoir,

("Fraises")

 

Cezanne,

("La Barque et les Baigneurs")

 

Gauguin,



("Paysage")

 

Picasso,



("Grande Baigneuse")

Matisse,

 

 

 

 

("Odalisque a la Culotte Grise")

Laurencin,

 

("Danseuses Espagnoles")



Derain,

 

 

("La Niece du Peintre Assise") 

Modigliani,

("Antonia")

Rousseau,

(" La Carriole du Pere Juniere")

Utrillo,

("Notre Dame")

 and Soutine,

("Le Garcon d'Etage")

("Les Maisons").

 

Outside the museum, we walked in the shade under the trees in between  the Tuileries gardens and the Place de la Concorde and discovered hands under trees:

 

 

 

 

The six sculptures set on granite  are  by Louise Bourgeois and are a wonderful installation.

We wandered along and discovered the Centre Georges Pompidou.

 I know it is supposed to look inspiring and modern but I just find it messy and unattractive.  Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit the Musee National d"Art Moderne, but we found the adjoining Place Georges Pompidou with its fun pool

 

 

its huge work of street art

 

 

and a pavement artist and a painter selling his work

 

 

 

 Then, it was on to The Forum des Hales - a shopping centre now, unfortunately.  I would have preferred to see the old market.

 

 

On the way to the Metro, we passed the Lego Store and glimpsed some of its sculptures in its windows.

 

 

Sadly, the time had come or us to go back to the hotel, collect our bags, and head for the airport. We definitely need to come back to France soon.

Paris: Two markets - one in the Rue Mouffetard, the other in Belleville. Then exploring the area round the opera house.

Today, we decided to go market hunting and set off for the Rue Mouffetard.  Unfortunately, most Parisians with any sense head off for their holidays in August.  This, apparently, was the reason that very few of the shops or stalls were open, though some shops of the cheese specialists, a fish specialist and a vegetable shop, were.  Disappointed, we settled down in the square

facing shops with rather nice facades, one showing sort of medieval looking creatures.

We indulged in a soothing coffee and some fruit rolls, and people watched, before girding our loins to get to the next market on our list via the Metro.

The market in the main street of  Belleville  is a real jump to a different side of Paris - a Paris of immigrants.

Huge trucks parked by the side of the market were unashamedly decorated with graffiti art.

 The stall holders called out with the accents of China and Africa.  The customers came from every corner of the world and were often dressed in the clothes of their native countries.  Very few tourist here! As well as the usual foods of a Parisian market, you could buy yams, cassavas, taro, green bananas, huge bunches of mint, North African breads,

 

 cuts of meat I had never seen before, mangoes, nuts and dried fruit, spices and North African pastries.  Behind the market stalls, where the sellers throw their waste, the poor sifted through the fruit and vegetables, trying to find quality to take home.  There were cheap clothes and shoes, rolls of carpets and bags, furniture and jewellery. On the sidewalk, people crowded around individuals with bags or a piece of the cloth, trying to find a bargain from the jumble.  Were these stolen goods, or just very cheap?

When the street sweepers started moving in, we worked our way up the hill passing West African men roasting corn in old oil drums, a woman carrying her shopping, including a rolled up rug, and groups of bored looking boys.  This is obviously a quite poor area, but there appears to be free wifi for all, and there are a lot of government organised community schemes.  Not a policeman in sight, yet we have seen heavily armed police and soldiers all over the city

We reached the Belleville park where families sat on the grass and children played, and started ascending by the winding wood-like trails, until I felt uncomfortable, when we turned back to the more open and populated main stairs.  Reaching the top, we came to a community garden overlooked by a muralled viewing platform.  We gained the platform and found ourselves at the highest point of Paris, with great views over the cities.  The city had obviously involved the community in the creating the mosaics and the street art  which decorate the lookout.

Nevertheless, there were still a lot of bored looking youth hanging around aimlessly.  My guess is that unemployment is pretty high in this area.  In the street outside the lookout, there was a little square with cafes overlooking one of the traditional nymph-adorned Parisian drinking fountains where locals chatted and walked their little dogs.

 We descended the hill again, passing community vineyards, two young men cuddling and having a picnic amongst the colourful, vegetable dotted flower beds, hand made hives, and more wooded paths.

Pleasant as this park is in the day, I don't think I'd come here in the dark.

We caught the train to the other side of the city and discovered the very grand Eglise Catholique de la Madeleine, absolutely festooned with flowers. 

Then we window-shopped.  One thing I have seen here, which I have never seen in Australia, is shops dedicated to honey.  Yes, they also have mustards and oils in these shops but the reverence is for honey.  I gather that it isn't that adulterated stuff we get in supermarkets.

On our way we came across the magnificent- and yes, it is gilded- Opera House.  What a day of contrasts.