Our family enjoyed a lovely vacation in France, starting in Provence, the French Riviera, and then traveling on one of Europe’s fastest trains to Paris, where we spent six days. Currently, the United States and France have a frosty relationship, resulting from different perspectives on the legitimacy of our invading Iraq. Fortunately, our family enjoyed most hospitable treatment by our hosts. Nevertheless, I remain ambivalent about encouraging others to visit France given current tensions, but remain optimistic that our historic alliance will again flourish in the near future.
The name Provence originates from the Roman “Provincia Gallia Narbonensis” which describes an area of ever-changing expanse. Because of its favorable year around climate Provence has historically enjoyed significant tourism, being a favorite spot of the rich and famous.
Rich in cultural traditions, Phoenician, Greek, and Romans occupied Provence. We still see abundance evidence of the Roman conquest—amphitheatres, aqueducts, and arenas. Their settlements were part of their bustling trade routes throughout the Mediterranean. Provence was settled approximately 300,000 BC according to archeologists who have studied the tools and carvings of its earliest nomadic inhabitants. After the Romans, the region was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire of German nations, then the earls of Barcelona were regents and finally the Provence was brought under French royal administration.
Our visit extended to a tiny portion of Provence. We visited several cities by a barge that navigated along the River Rhone. Our primary means of travel to our three main cities of destination—Avignon, Arles, and Aix-en- Provence—was a luxury barge, the MS Cezanne. When I walked through the medieval streets of the cities, I was visibly reminded of their extended history dating back some 2500 years. In recent vacations, we have enjoyed using ships to travel. We find it most convenient to leave our belongings at one spot while we explore different cities.
We spent our first day in Avignon. This was the residence of nine popes for almost one hundred years during the 14th century. Remains from this period are the colossal papal palace and numerous churches and cathedrals. In the early 14th century, a violent quarrel pitted Philip IV the Fair, the King of France, against Pope Boniface VIII. Philip IV engineered the election in 1305 of a French Pope, Clement V (1305-1314)). The civil strife in Italy between bickering leading Italian families led to the transfer of Papal headquarters to Avignon. The residence of the French Popes is the Palais de Papes. Over the next seventy years, the popes resided in France until Pope Gregory XI, 1370-1378, devoted his rule to restoring the Papacy to Rome, which he accomplished in 1376. From 1378-1403, a major schism occurred within the Catholic Church, with two contesting popes—one located in Avignon, and the other in Rome. Following the departure of the Popes, the city-state of Avignon remained the property of the Holy See. These properties became part of France during the French Revolution in 1791. The former Papal residence was then used as an army barracks until 1906. Because the pope’s residence was used for secular purposes, no art adorns the walls. This barren furnishing cast a pall over our visit.
After our lunch we visited the Pont du Guar, one of the Roman Empire’s most incredible engineering feats as it spans the Gardon River. Pundits have commented the Greeks had the brains and the Romans the drains. The city of Nimes was supplied by an immense aqueduct, which collected spring water and delivered water some 50 km. Roman engineers had to construct an aqueduct that overcame natural obstacles, the rise and fall of the ground—ravines, depressions, and streams. The difference in altitude between the collection point and the destination point was some 16m; therefore, the hydraulic engineers needed tremendous technical prowess to calculate the slope. Moreover, their equipment was most rudimentary. The hydraulic achievements of the Romans were not equaled until the XVIIth century.
The next day, July 4th, was particularly exciting. We first visited Arles, immortalized by Vincent Van Gogh who discovered the “perfect soft light” that inspired so many of his paintings. Van Gogh spent his most productive year in Arles, painting almost all of his famous works in a very short time span.
The Greeks brought wine and olives, and the Romans the arenas, temples, and theaters. Arles is at the crossroads between the Rhone Valley and major trading routes to Italy and Spain. Around the 11th century B.C. the Phoenicians established slave-trading counters for their ships. Starting in the 8th century Greeks after founding Marseilles set up a trading center at Arles. Subsequently, the Romans occupied Arles. In the Roman civil war of 47 B.C. Arles sided with Julius Caesar against Pompey who Marseilles supported. It became the second capital of the Roman world. The Romans built monuments, an arena, the theatre, the forum, the aqueduct bringing clear water to the town, the triumphal arches, and the thermal spas and a network of roads. There are still vestiges remaining from the Roman occupation. While Arles suffered during the Barbarian invasion, ultimately out of this Dark Age emerged the Kingdom of Provence in 855, at the time of Charlemagne’s Empire. Subsequently Arles regained new vigor. The Romanesque style became the predominant influence over the architecture of the period. The last sovereign to rule over Provence, the Good King Rene, bequeathed his possessions to Louis XIV. Ultimately Arles lost its political and religious primacy to Aix-en-Provence, which became the provincial capital.
The Arena is probably the most representative monument of Arles. It is well preserved, ellipse shaped, built between the 1st and 2nd century to seat from 20,000 to 30,000 spectators. Even today, the arena houses festivals and bull fights.
The theatre stands at the top of the hill. This semicircle of tiers is the oldest monument in the town, having been started under the reign of Augustus Caesar. Only two very beautiful columns are still standing.
Republic square, created in 1676, is the hub of the city. Saint Anne Church borders it on the north, which has been transformed into a museum and Saint Trophine church on the south. Its doorways date from the second half of the 12th century and are one of the most important examples of Provencal Romanesque art
While in Arles we visited the Museum de l’Arlaten where the whole heritage and culture of Provence are exhibited. Teen-age girls dressed in beautiful native costumes.
After spending time in Arles, we visited Les Baux-de- Provence. When the Lords of Baux who had significant military clout built their citadel here in the 10th century, they claimed one of the three wise men, King Balthazur, as ancestor and took the star of Bethlehem as their emblem. This charming city has some two million visitors. We did not visit several museums here, but did some shopping and had an obligatory cappuccino and croissant at one of the lovely cafes. The town nestled atop a very high cliff failed to prevent invaders, and thus the city suffered from periodic sieges.
Our last stop of the day was St-Remy, the birthplace of the famous astrologer Nostradamus. We spent our time shopping buying some beautiful dolls and maybe the worlds “finest” chocolate at Joel Durand. My favorite sweet is white chocolate, and I would certainly in more ways than one weigh in for Mr. Durand.
The next day, our visit to Aix-En-Provence, was disappointing, given our very high expectations. We had heard that this was one of the most charming cities of France. Somehow, the day failed to live up to expectations. We spent considerable time visiting the home of Cezanne—considered one of the leading figures of the Impressionist school. Unfortunately, his studio accommodates only some twelve people; thus, we spent several hours waiting to see this room. Afterwards we walked through its very crowded cosmopolitan streets filled with “touristy” restaurants. While we anticipated visiting some very nice shops, we failed to discover any and ended up lunching at a very crowded café. In reading a review of the town, the guidebook mentions some four museums and several cathedrals and palaces. In retrospect, I would do some serious investigation of the town’s museums, famous mansions, and obtain the specific addresses of its notable shops. Our disappointment highlights the failure of lack of preparedness. Each day on a trip is precious and I regret not reading more thoroughly my travel guide.
On to Paris via the TGV! We found traveling on this fast train to be a terrific experience. Until World War II, America had the foremost railroad infrastructure. Given the congestion in our urban areas, I fail to understand why we have not spent the appropriate sums to overhaul our passenger rail industry. We must seriously examine our continued failure to employ fully this form of transportation.
In discussing Paris, I will state emphatically my belief that it is the most beautiful large city in the world. For hundreds of years, Paris for reasons some of which are inexplicable has enchanted millions of people. It is appreciated for the opportunities its offers for business and commerce, for study, for culture, for entertainment, its gastronomy, and haute couture. Paris enjoys an enviable reputation as the City of light for its importance as a center for education and intellectual pursuits. The Seine defines the three main parts of historical Paris. Its center is the Ile de la Cite, which is the seat of religious and temporal authority (the word cite connotes the nucleus of the ancient city). The Seine’s left bank has traditionally been the seat of intellectual life; and its right bank is the heart of the city’s economic life. Its broad tree lined boulevards provide a gentility not found in most urban areas. While not knowing French has been a handicap, I have always loved Paris since first visiting the city when I was seventeen. My wife, Eloise, if possible is an even more ardent admirer. She uses her rudimentary French most effectively in navigating the city.
Our first stop appropriately in Paris was Notre Dame, the great Gothic cathedral completed in 1334. Notre Dame is the heart of France, both geographically and spiritually. This cathedral stands on the Ile de la Cite, one of two islands in the River Seine. For close to 170 years an army of craftsmen toiled on this masterpiece. Almost destroyed during the French Revolution, the Gothic masterpiece was restored in 1841-1864 by architect Viollet le Duc. Eloise and I particularly enjoyed the glorious entrance to the cathedral. There are three elaborately covered portals depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament. The cathedral has two twin towers from which one can enjoy a lovely view of the city. I always love watching the graceful flying buttresses. During its long history, Notre Dame has had many famous visitors including Joan of Arc, Mary Stuart, Napoleon, and Henri of Navarre. The later, who was born a Protestant, converted to Catholicism in order to become King Henri IV. He declared, “Paris is well worth a mass.” Victor Hugo who wrote the Hunch Back of Notre Dame was principally responsible for restoring the cathedral from decay. Through his efforts, a major restoration took place for some twenty-five years, starting in 1841.
After leaving Notre Dame we walked to an adjacent area where Jews deported during the Nazi occupation are commemorated. The Germans with total disregard to the sanctity of the cathedral chose this location to round up their numerous Jewish victims. From here, some hundred thousands of Jews were transported to various concentration camps. The number of survivors is pitifully small.
We then checked into the Hotel du Louvre, which was across the street from the museum. This is a wonderful area filled with many restaurants and shops. Moreover, it is most convenient for walking to other attractions or the taking of the subway. We have always found the Paris subway clean, quiet, and efficient mode of transportation.
Our first night we had a special treat. We listened to a string quartet at Sainte-Chapelle, a splendid medieval church built by Louis IX (1214-70) as a shrine for his holy relics. It is considered the most beautiful church in Paris with its 15 stained-glass windows. I remember listening to Ave Marie by Schubert in a transfixed state.
The next morning we made a special effort to visit the Louvre Museum early in order to see a special exhibit of the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. Even in an era of boundless scientific discovery and technological invention, and of artistic achievement, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) stands as a supreme icon in Western consciousness—the very embodiment of the universal Renaissance genius. To witness work in progress as this genius tried to depict motion was most inspirational. One senses his excitement as he conveyed energy and vitality. Leonardo was a restless sole who enjoyed immensely initiating projects, but did not have the patience to complete some of his commissioned projects. Da Vinci studied meticulously the way an object worked so that his illustrations could replicate the movement. He seems to be a man for any age that could excitedly participate in the modern world. We then went to a permanent exhibit of Dutch Paintings where we saw the works of both Rembrandt and Franz Hals.
After leaving the Louvre we walked through the Jardin des Tuiileries, beautiful gardens that are adjacent to the museum. Andre Le Notre, gardener to Louis XIV (the Sun King), redesigned them into formal gardens in 1664 for their opening to the public. At the Louvre end is the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, erected by Napoleon between 1806-1808. Both the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and the Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile, were erected by Napoleon to commemorate his victories, and the grand armies he commanded. These two arches are part of the Grand Axis of Paris. It consists of the Grade Arche de la Defense to the west, the Arc de Triomphe de l ‘Etoile on Charles de Gaulle boulevard, the Obelisque de Luxor at the Place de la Concorde, the Tuilies Gardens, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, and the Palais du Louvre culminating at the eastern end.
A central obelisk, some 75 ft tall and covered in hieroglyphics from a 3300 year-old Luxor temple highlights the Place de la Concorde. The Tuiileries garden is on one side and marks the starting point of the Champs-Elysees on the other. The Place de la Concorde was built between 1755-75. In the spirit of reconciliation, it received its present name despite being the execution spot for some 1000 aristocrats including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
The Champs-Elysees is undoubtedly the most famous street in Paris and the quarter, which had around it, is brimming with wealth and power. It is home to the President of France, great haute couture fashion houses, embassies (including the American) and consulates. This stately stretch is where Parisians celebrate national events with parades or mourn the funeral corteges of the great and good. From the Champs-Elysees one can see the Arc de Triomphe, the world’s most famous triumphal arch. Work began in 1806 but was not completed until 1836. The inspiration for the arch was Napoleon’s great victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805. The long delay to complete the arch was in part due to the fall of Napoleon. In 1840, Napoleon’s funeral possession passed beneath it on the way to his burial in Les Invalides. The arch is a focal point of rallies and public events. In the center of the arch flickers the flame of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Eloise and I found a lovely café right off the Champs-Elysees. We were in Paris during fashion week and happened to stumble on a to this outdoor café where most of the patrons were models, designers, and buyers. We found it exciting overhearing their comments about the shows, and met one lady who regaled us with her rags to riches story. She left a small hamlet in Georgia and now has a major store in Atlanta that carries haute couture primarily from Paris. Frequently she will take at least 10 wardrobe cases on trips to her wealthy clients all over the United States.
Our second evening, we attended a cabaret show at Paris Latin. “Cabaret” is a French word that originally referred to any business serving liquor. Today, the cabaret has the connotation of an intimate nightclub where audiences enjoy drinks while listening to singers, stand up comics, and watch full floorshows of scantily attired attractive women. Paris Latin considers itself the most Parisian of the great cabarets. Gustave Eiffel (The same architect of the Eiffel Tower) built the theatre. The show was most tastefully presented. While its highlights were extremely attractive women attired in shimmering costumes, performing acrobatic dances, we also enjoyed magicians, acrobats and comedians. When I was a teenager, I first saw a similar performance in Paris. In those days, Hollywood had very strict censorship. Thus, seeing almost naked women was a shock to my young system. I recovered then and now.
The next morning we visited the Musee d’Orsay, located on a renovated 1900’s railway station. The museum houses extensive collection of French Impressionist paintings and art objects from 1848 to 1914. I was so enthralled with the room devoted to Van Gogh, I returned the next day with Michele and Eloise. I felt that my daughter was not paying significant homage to this unique collection. In desperation, I estimated that the value of the paintings in the Van Gogh room was $1 billion dollars. My mercantile declaration was effective in increasing her concentration. Both the Impressionists, (Manet, Monet, and Renoir) and the Post-Impressionists (Matisse, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Van Gogh) are well represented.
Since 1940, France has suffered a series of inglorious military debacles. The Church of the Dome and the tomb of Napoleon attest to the great martial tradition of France, when she was the foremost military power on the European continent. The Hotel des Invalides had been founded in1670, to offer care and accommodation to some 4,000 wounded soldiers. King Louis XIV in an act of charity wanted to provide a suitable home for his veteran invalids rather than subjecting them to a life of beggary. Today, about 80 veterans, admitted by ministerial decision, live in the Hotel des Invalides. Subsequently, on these grounds the Church of the Dome was completed in 1706. The Dome is an elegant example of French Jesuitic style. Underneath the golden dome, which is plainly visible from every vantage point in the city, is Napoleon’s tomb. In 1840, the remains of Napoleon were returned to France for a final resting place. Thus, the French nation fulfilled Napoleon’s wish: “I desire that my ashes should rest on the banks of the Seine, amid the French people whom I have so loved.” The dome of his tome is of elaborate style, echoing past glories of Napoleon.
Afterwards, we visited the Army museum. This has an impressive collection of weapons and other paraphernalia from various French campaigns—The two World Wars, the Thirty Years War, and the Napoleonic Wars. There are many very interesting life-size wax figures wearing military uniforms from many different time periods.
We spent considerable time walking through the Latin Quarter, which takes its name from the Latin spoken by students of the Sorbonne until the Revolution. This area of the Left Bank is possibly the most stimulating in Paris. During the first half of the twentieth century many artists, writers, and intellectuals held court here. The area still continues to buzz with student bookshops, cafes and jazz clubs. While we did not hear jazz on this trip, Jazz has been played on the Left Bank since the 1920’s. Numbers of black musicians moved here from the US as they found France less racially prejudiced.
Depending upon the time of day, one can relax at either a café or restaurant. My wife Eloise and my two daughters, Michele and Danielle, were anxious to eat at one of their numerous Greek restaurants. We must have had a choice of fifty within three blocks. Afterwards, we walked back to our hotel, stopping to have desert and coffee in an outdoor café facing the Seine.
We really enjoyed seeing a collection of the works of Augeste Rodin (1840-1917). His works are both in a splendid 18th century mansion where he spent the last nine years of his life, or in the garden which occupied about seven acres. In the garden are some his most famous works, The Thinker, The Burghers of Calais and the Gates of Hell. The Burghers of Calais sacrificed their lives to save their village. Rodin chose the most dramatic moment, when the burghers were walking toward the king in the enemy camp, as each one reflected on his own death.
Next to our hotel we enjoyed watching skate boarders practicing almost all day and night. I was most fascinated to see them jump some five feet on their boards. While mostly men demonstrated their skating prowess, a few hearty women also participated.
Our last night in Paris, attending the ballet Giselle at the National Opera House, fulfilled the ambition of its architect, Charles Garnier—it was an ethereal dream. This theatre, the Palais Garnier, remains one of the most perfect ever constructed for opera or ballet. Constructed by Charles Garnier between 1861 and 1875 in the heart of modern Paris, it was built as a lasting equivalent to the transient splendors of the arts. I believe that the building has completed its promise: “To deliver from the world over what they seek—a dream. Thus, Palais Garnier remains a “fairyland” where our dreams are realized during story-time, so that we can sustain ourselves during the rest of the time. At the inaugural evening of the opera house, a revolution is social customs transpired. Until then, high-society ladies had received visitors in their boxes. However, on this evening the Queen Mother of Spain changed protocol by leading her ladies in waiting around the foyers, circulating among the crowd. I also had ladies in waiting—Michele, Danielle, and Eloise—to join me in mingling during intermission!
Afterwards we ate at the Café de la Paix. This restaurant is associated with the destiny of the city. Many famous people—Zola, Maupassant, King Edward VII, Oscar Wilde, Maurice Chevalier, Churchill, Caruso, etc.—have enjoyed this café. The décor is breathtaking and the ceilings are filled with mythological figures.
Since my birth in 1944, our country in fulfilling its destiny has stridently adopted friendly nations and confronted its enemies. Nevertheless, one needs a kaleidoscope to keep in perspective those alliances, entanglements, and antagonisms for our relationships with other nation-states fluctuate. Thus, while I empathize with the exasperation with France, I also feel that we could benefit from some reconciliation with this former ally given the worldwide threat from individual terrorists and rogue nations.
I look forward to returning to both France and Paris. While next time, and there will be a next time, I will employ a guide so that I can maximize the pleasure of my visit.
