St. Severin church in Paris

Right around the corner from Notre Dame and St. Julien le Pauvre

stands St. Severin church,

actually within view from St. Julien's entry door.

I thought this shot looked perfect for Easter

coming right up. 

While I was there it was dressed up for the Christmas holiday

complete with Nativity scene

(I love the little angel in the alcove overlooking the scene)...

... and surrounded by a paper sea of baby angels 

made by children. 

How much sweeter could it get?

This little angel particularly stood out. 

Such magnificent vaulted Gothic ceilings.

The church of St. Severin sits in the Latin Quarter

not far from the University so is just near streets and streets of 

restaurants and sweet shops and filled with gaggles of young people.

St. Severin was named either after a hermit who lived along the Seine

in the 5th century, replacing the oratory built over his tomb...

or after Saint Severin, a preacher also of the 5th century. 

The first small church over the hermit's tomb

was replaced to accommodate its growing parish

and was rebuilt again in the 14th century.

Damaged by fire during the Hundred Years War,

it was rebuilt again, finished in 1520

but added onto throughout the centuries. 

While there are many, 

one of the unique features of this church

are the fanning columns in the double ambulatory

that appear almost like a forest of trees,

particularly the center one with its beautifully-carved twisted trunk. 

The Black Heart is a remembrance to a mother and daughter,

Catherine de Brinon and Catherine de Canteleu,

whose family contributed to the church since 1491.

They died in 1699. 

The church is also said to house the relics of the patron saint of the Sorbonne University,

St. Ursule (apparently just one of many churches across Europe to house parts of her relics.)

While it is said that the legend of St. Ursule (or Ursula) could fill 100 pages,

there seem to be a thousand versions. 

But the basic idea is that instead or marrying a Pagan prince,

this 3rd century daughter of a Christian king 

(ruler of Cornwall according to Geoffrey of Monmouth)

fled on pilgrimage to Rome instead, her virginal maidens in tow.

Later, enroute to Cologne, they were all captured by Huns and killed. 

It's believed by some that the Church of St. Ursula in Cologne 

is built over the spot where the holy virgins died. 

Now after reading more about it,

 I just want to go back and take more pictures.

So much more to see and learn. 

Next time, we'll have a short tour of the interior

of the lovely and grand Notre Dame

dressed for the holidays. 

Happy March. It's been snowing here.

I hope the Crocosmia spring bulbs I planted a couple of weeks ago

will still come up. 

Spring forward is almost here. 

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Info via Wiki

and TravelFranceOnline

Concert at St. Julien le Pauvre

One of the churches I ventured into this visit to Paris

was St. Julien le Pauvre.

I hadn't remembered on my last trip here

that it's a Greek church! 

(Melkite Greek Catholic)

Some of you know that I collect photos of

the Annunciation.

And I found this little sweet one below

on one of the panels just underneath the large cross in the first photo. 

This church regularly participates in concerts

and we were able to make this piano and accordion concert

on the first day of the new year. 

St. Julien le Pauvre

is one of the oldest churches in Paris,

 built between 1170-1240. 

But before this building,

from about the 6th century on, 

stood a Merovingian hostel for pilgrims.

It is said that it stood on the Roman road to Spain

and thus for medieval pilgrims 

on the road to St. James shrine at Santiago de Compostela

(though it was too small to be listed in the medieval Pilgrim's Guide.)

A site on St. Julien History 

describes how Bishop Gregory of Tours 

was the first to write about the basilica and hostel

in his History of the Franks.

As he considered St. Julien 

to be one of his patron saints,
he lodged at the Basilica of St. Julien the Martyr

and said a midnight mass there.

Archaeological finds determined that the building originally stood 

in the middle of an ancient cemetery

and unearthed Roman and Merovingian sarcophagi and other artifacts.

One of my favorite things in the church was this angel.

The little church looked even sweeter with this lovely piano in its midst. 

And I positioned myself in the audience

to have a perfect view of the angel. 

When we got home that evening after the concert,

we went online and discovered that the angel is Archangel Gabriel,

the very same angel who appears in the Annunciation

and is often associated with  gifts of knowledge and messages to prophets.

Another of my favorites at St. Julien le Pauvre

 shows Jesus revealing himself to Mary Magdalene. 

Next time I'll share a few photos outside the church. 

It's located across the river from Notre Dame 

and just across from the entrance to the Latin Quarter. 

**************

Have been posting a few of my Paris photos

on Instagram as well.

Follow me there for more travel photos. 

(Photos Copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Eglise Saint Alpin

The Church of Saint Alpin,

in the Gothic and Romanesque style,

was built between the 12th and 16th centuries. 

Dedicated to the eighth bishop of Chalons,

it includes his life-sized tomb in the central walkway. 

Just before Christmas, 

one spot in the church housed several nativity scenes

created by different artists. 

Most of the time,

the nativity scenes do not include the baby Jesus

until Christmas Eve.

He is most often conspicuously missing.

But several of these included him. 

Outside, we walked the streets where I

sometimes can't help but take photos of window displays...

such as these Santas and Christmas items made out of chocolate. 

And this chocolate fountain! 

Most cathedrals in any French town or village

include a monument to the dead soldiers 

of WWI.

And below, the French flag 

and names of the "Soldats morts pour la France."

An exceptional building.

The city of Chalons-en-Champagne

is filled with medieval houses

like the one below. 

Next time I'll share some photos of the church in Paris

where we enjoyed a piano and accordion concert.

Thanks for stopping by! 

And unbelievably,

nearly time to say Welcome to February.

(Photographs copyright: Kirsten Steen)

(Info via Wiki)

Our 25th Anniversary at Reims Cathedral

We are in Paris for the holidays 

and this past week the Chef and I celebrated 25 years together

with a trip to the French countryside and Reims (pronounced Rance) Cathedral,

lunch on the square

and a complimentary glass of champagne. 

Our first date 25 years ago

involved Champagne Cocktails. 

And this week, as we stood a couple of blocks from the square in Reims

perusing menus in restaurant windows, wondering where to have lunch

before touring the church on our anniversary,

a man walked up, handed us a brochure and told us

if we took it to a certain restaurant on the square 

and showed them the picture, we would be treated to a glass of champagne. 

Not having found anything else we were interested in,

we wandered over to the restaurant and had the perfect lunch,

at the perfect place, right on the square

... with champagne. 

Angels were smiling on us.

And if you look closely, you'll see that

 the very first figure to the right of these doors 

looks like it could be one of the Smiling Angels of Reims. 

Below is a picture of the famous Smiling Angel

on a votive holder.

The cathedral was built in the 1200's

over the site of an earlier church

where Clovis (the first king of the Franks)

 was baptized in 496 A.D

(the original being built about 400.)

It is the church where the Kings of France were crowned. 

Like Chartres, a labyrinth was built into the floor

but here it was later destroyed. 

In its number of statue-laden portals,

Reims is second only to Chartres.

In 2011, the cathedral celebrated its 800th anniversary

with the installation of 6 new stained glass windows

by German artist Imi Knoebel

and nearly 6 months of celebrations

including light shows, concerts, performances, exhibitions.

Click HERE for a Guardian article

 (his first newspaper interview ever given)

with Imi Knoebel (a man of 700 colors) 

and a photo of the actual windows.

During the first world war, 

it served as a hospital

and many of its stained glass windows 

were sadly damaged or destroyed. 

With help partly from the Rockefellers,

it was restored and reopened in 1938. 

And above, the gorgeous Marc Chagall windows in the very far end of the cathedral. 

**************************************

Tomorrow starts 2017, ready or not. 

In numerology, 2016 equals a 9

which is an ending year. 

And with all of the loss this year, 

it certainly has been that. 

Loss upon loss upon loss...

And with 2017, I'm wishing you a magnificent one!

A new beginning, a cycle of abundance and joy

giving the future now what we want to reap. 

I wish for you all the miraculous beauty you can hold within your heart.

A vous, Bonne Annee!!

Til next year....

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen

Info via Wiki)