Since his ''A moveable feast'' memoirs were published 50 years ago, Ernest Hemingway has epitomized the very symbol of Parisian appeal to educated Americans. Yet, it has been 90 years since he spent the better years of his youth in the French capital and though the Paris he knew hasn't changed much since then, many, many monuments, museums, bridges, parcs and views have been added to the Parisian skyline.
Here are the most important of them:
The Louvre pyramide of course, built by an American architect (1985).
Centre Georges Pompidou (1977).
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Musée d'Orsay (1986).
Picasso Museum (1985).
Arab World Institute (1987)
Parc de Bercy (1993).
Musée du Quai Branly (2006).
Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir (2006).
Cinémathèque française (1998).
Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor (1999).
Louis Vuitton Foundation (2014).
Parc de la Villette (1979).
Hemingway indeed has missed quite a lot in Paris but he couldn't know of course since all these buildings, parcs, bridges and monuments have been created long after his death.
Philharmonie de Paris (2015).
There are always new projects in the making in Paris and 2015 will see the opening of the Philharmonie de Paris. Curiously enough, the French capital never had a philharmonie before.
Am I happy to live in Paris? Yes
Am I happy to pay taxes so that part of my money is used to create architectural masterpieces? Yes, yes and yes!
12 commentaires:
Incroyable mon cher Flocon. Je croyais que je connaissais Paris assez bien, mais apparemment, non..
Merci pour ces belles images de Paris.
Aussi, cela me fait un grand plaisir de savoir que tu es toujours là
Hi luv'
I'm so happy to see you...
Hu-ho, je remarque que tu écris en français donc je réponds en français...
Tu as peut-être remarqué que mon blog est à présent dans une phase de profond sommeil.
J'espère que tout va bien pour toi health-wise and al.
Je suis toujours actif sur Wikipédia mais un peu moins enthousiaste qu'au début. Mon article d'aujourd'hui (traduit de l'anglais bien sûr).
Je travaille toujours sur le Japon mais ça ne me rend pas ce pays plus sympathique pour autant. Bien sûr les Japonais à titre individuel ne sont pas responsables de l'histoire de leur pays, pas plus que les citoyens américains ne le sont de... well, you know what I refer to (CIA etc.).
C'est curieux que tu te montres aujourd'hui parce que j'avais l'intention d'écrire un billet (juste pour moi en fait) sur un roman que j'ai lu cet été, Pride and Prejudice de Jane Austen.
Si tu l'as lu et que tu l'as aimé, il vaut mieux que je n'écrive pas le billet parce que moi je n'ai pas aimé (to say the least).
Mais je me suis posé une autre question justement à propos de ce livre : Peut-on encore, après 60 ans, être émerveillé par un roman, une création de l'esprit, un tableau, une musique whatever?
Puis-je encore être ému comme je l'ai été (et le suis toujours) par cette interprétation d'un morceau de M. Ravel par ce compositeur américain que tu connais bien?
Other than that, I keep on commenting on the NYT every now and then.
Porte-toi bien Anijo ;-)
Happy New Year Flocon,
I delayed responding because I wanted to respond in perfect French. I've been studying French, Spanish and Portuguese a lot lately.
So to end the delay, I will respond in English.
First of all, Bonne Année.
Yes, I have noticed your beautiful blog is in a state of rest.
Health-wise all is quite well with me. Thank you for asking. And you?
It's interesting how you are so into Japanese culture, and yet you are not super into them. I'm still, and always will be, curious about what it is about that culture that so inspires you.
As concerns "Pride and Prejudice" I read that many many years ago when I was but a wee lass, and I don't remember much about it, so whatever you write about it won't offend me. ;)
Oh yes, I'm still blown away by many novels, paintings music, and other works of art. But it's true that the older we get, the harder we are to please.
As for this last comment "Puis-je encore être ému comme je l'ai été (et le suis toujours) par cette interprétation d'un morceau de M. Ravel par ce compositeur américain que tu connais bien?", that is too well-thought-out a comment for a quick reply.
By the way. This comment = "Am I happy to pay taxes so that part of my money is used to create architectural masterpieces? Yes, yes and yes!"
I understand that all too well. I have a little book entitled "Le Petit Musée" which is a book for little tiny children which teaches them things such as "the nose/le nez" or "an apple/une pomme", but each word is accompanied by an image from a work of art. Very impressive. No wonder the French are so appreciative of art. They begin from a very young age to begin to understand culture and the arts.
Interesting that the first comment on Youtube re the piece by Ravel is in Portuguese. It seems that since I've been studying it, it shows up all over the place now.. And yes, we can still be in awe. In fact, the older we get, the more in awe we can be as perhaps we have a better appreciation for the beauty.
Hey, since that blog has lost the habit of receiving comments, it's through the spam filter that I'm aware there are.
I've just discovered that Blossom Deerie girl I had never heard of before. Is she still popular in the US or has she fallen into oblivion?
It says on Wiki that she spent some years in Paris at the beginning of the 50s'.
Lullaby of Birdland. Hmmm... Methink they should have stuck to the English lyrics. And the sound is just atrocious.
This one is slightly better in my opinion but nothing beats the original in French.
--
"It seems that since I've been studying it, it shows up all over the place now". Everytime it happens we wonder how is it that we missed these things before now that they seem to be so obvious and pervasive...
Oh! Did I miss the opportunity to wish you the best for 2015 Anijo? What a rude peasant this Parisian is!
re. Spanish and Portuguese, I was recently mulling over the idea of spending some time and energy in learning Spanish that I can't speak one word of.
Just, deep in my heart, I'm neither fond nor interested in things Spanish and you know how essential it is to be emotionally involved to learn foreign languages. I would much rather learn Portuguese or Italian (which I studied a bit some years ago).
But since I started learning English more than half a century ago and German two years later plus Swedish in the 80s' and then Italian around 2005 say, the mystery and attraction of foreign languages are now a little lost on me.
Yet, this article in the NYT should raise some interest with you.
Learning at least one foreign language is essential indeed;
Also, I realize I haven't answered all the questions you asked so here it is:
Health-wise I feel like I'm in my late 30s' (or 30's, I'll never remember that one). OK, 40!
As pertains Japanese culture, you may remember that I started working on Wikipedia more on less by fluke and out of curiosity in order to learn how the whole thing was running.
After a while when I didn't really know what specific topic I could immerse into, I came across an article in German (I started translating articles from German) dedicated to a Japanese Buddhist temple and then I was on a firm track.
Needless to emphasize how important are the history and culture of Japan (but China definitively rules both history and culture in this part of the world).
Japan is an object of knowledge I was an absolute ignoramus about three years ago. That is no longer the case although the little I know isn't much really.
I could have worked on many other topics or countries, it just happened that I landed on Japanese grounds. And I probably will them leave behind this year since it has been three years now that I'm on daimyo (feudal lords), clans, han (fiefs) and it's time I turn to something else. For example Art history should do me good.
Well,I had never heard of Blossom Deerie, which is unfortunate because I enjoy so much this song of hers which you have presented. Yes, it seems that many American jazz singers spent time in Paris. In fact, nowadays, there are more French people who appreciate jazz than there are Americans who do. My friend from France who passed away some years ago was a huge fan and even treated me to a really cool little presentation of an American jazz saxophonist in the cellar of a library in Paris. I could never imagine a similar event here in the United States.
Re: The Blue Stars of France. I do like the sound. But then, I like just about anything in French. It's true, though, that the instrumentation is lacking.
And, yes, the version by Charles Trenet is much better. But then, poor little Blossom Deerie is no match for the great Trenet.
Everytime it happens we wonder how is it that we missed these things before now that they seem to be so obvious and pervasive...
Yes! And it causes me to wonder how many other things I'm ignoring...
Just, deep in my heart, I'm neither fond nor interested in things Spanish and you know how essential it is to be emotionally involved to learn foreign languages. I would much rather learn Portuguese or Italian (which I studied a bit some years ago).
But since I started learning English more than half a century ago and German two years later plus Swedish in the 80s' and then Italian around 2005 say, the mystery and attraction of foreign languages are now a little lost on me.
Well, as you have stated here and as was intimated in the article that you linked to, adults are generally not that interested in learning new languages. I practice Portuguese on Skype with young people from Brazil, and they are all surprised that someone my age is interested in learning Portuguese. In fact, they're surprised that any American at all is interested in learning Portuguese LOL. But their fondness for Americans and their generous spirit makes it a lot of fun to chat with them and learn their language.
I'm not as inspired by Spanish, either, but I should be as there are so many Spanish speakers where I live. I feel a lot of shame that I speak French and Portuguese better than Spanish. However, I am attempting to improve my Spanish now as I met some Colombians who I practice Spanish with now on Skype. They are wonderful young men.
Problem with Blossom Deerie is her voice which, in my opinion, has no real substance (think of Sarah Vaughan and million other American female singers). The pitch is so high and there's no vibrato or density.
Re jazz in France, I kinda remember you once mentioned Wynton Marsalis [curious name for an Anglophone, reminds me of Marseille ;-)].
Here he is playing in Marciac last summer at the Jazz in Marciac festival.
They so much like him in this tiny city in the south of France that a statue of him has been erected in order to thank him for being such a faithful regular at the event.
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