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. 

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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)

Chalons-en-Champagne

The little town of Chalons-en-Champagne

(formerly Chalons-sur-Marne)

was one site of our anniversary celebration 

in the Champagne region. 

We knew our actual anniversary

would be filled with a lovely crowd...

So a few days before that,

 we stole away before family arrived in Paris

and before descending on other family members

for the big holiday. 

Like every city in France,

she dressed up for the holidays. 

Most people don't know this

but I collect sleighs.

The Christmas ornaments on my mantel

are always laced with big and little sleighs

 filled with sparkly presents and glittering fruit. 

My grandmother made all of our stockings growing up. 

We each had one with her own little design on it.

Mine was a sleigh 

and I've loved them ever since. 

Below, the sweet little square where we finally found a hotel.

Forgot just how many hotels are closed during the off season. 

And sadly, I missed getting photos of the Christmas market

which wound it's way along a walking street behind the square.

A freezing cold evening so,

after spending the afternoon hunting closed hotels in icy air,

we didn't spend much time walking the Christmas Fair.

But before dinner at our hotel,

we did walk the full square and had a glass of champagne 

at one modern and one traditional place. 

Fun to have one in each! 

Next time a few photos

of the interior of the oldest church in town. 

Til then,

hope 2017 is treating you with kindness. 

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How about that March this past weekend!! 

What a beautiful, peaceful coming together of women,

all over the WORLD! 

The Divine Feminine Rises. 

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(Photographs copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Trip to Launois in the Champagne region

There's been much said recently about 

champagne helping to deter dementia and Alzheimers. 

A 2013 study found that three glasses a week

can help prevent memory loss. 

So we did our part to save our minds by making a trip to the Champagne region.

One of our main goals was 

to pick up some bubbly for Christmas

at Launois.

So we made a stop at the Launois tasting room and office

in the town of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger,

a village in the Cote des Blancs area

south of Epernay.

A very young pretty woman.

who spoke almost no English, 

served us a tasting of the Blanc de Blanc,

'white of whites' made mostly of Chardonnay grapes,

then took us back to the office.

Though I didn't get many snapshots,

the entire place,

every surface and every space on the walls,

 was filled with lovely things.

And since I collect angel photos,

I had to get this one. 

Since we had family coming in for the holidays

and knew we would be surrounded by loads of people

for our actual anniversary the night before Christmas Eve,

we picked a little town in the region to spend the night,

(which I'll show more next time)

and celebrated just the two of us

with champagne and dinner.

So sweet to steal away and relive some of our travels

during our time of living in France. 

Since champagne was our First Date cocktail together,

it seemed fitting to celebrate with a trip to the region.

And if bubbles will also boost my brain,

then I'm all for that! 

Happy New Year to all!

(photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

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. 

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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)

No UFO's in Chateauneuf-du-Pape

According to both The Local and The Telegraph,

the little Medieval town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the Vaucluse dept of Provence

 is upholding the 62 year ban on flying saucers, and/or flying cigars. 

In 1954, after a man reported having seen two beings 

who looked like deep sea divers embarking from a cigar-shaped space ship,

 then Mayor Lucien Jeune declared the ban,

"Any aircraft known as flying saucer, or flying cigar, 

which should land on the territory of the community

will be immediately held in custody." 

And current Mayor Claude Avril is

"not going to touch the ban."
More known for its wines at the time, 

the ban's publicity brought journalists and the public alike

who probably also enjoyed the wine. 

Having spent a little time in Chateauneuf-du-Pape 

the summer before last while spending two weeks in Provence, 

I can attest to both the fine wine and the charm of the hillside town. 

Aliens need not apply!

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This election season has bowled me over

and I'm still trying to find my equilibrium...

so I'll take whatever I can get. 

Hope you're finding what you need to get through. 

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen) 

Must See French Films of the Millennium~ Part 2

So here is Part 2 of  TheLocal.fr's list of Must See French Films of the Millennium:

* Jeux d'enfants (Love Me If You Dare, 2003)
* Paris Je t'aime (Paris, I Love You, 2006)
* Le Nom des gens (The Names of Love, 2010)
* La Guerre est Déclarée (Declaration of War, 2011)
* Camille Redouble (Camille Rewinds, 2012)
* De Rouille et d'os (Rust and Bone, 2012)
* Mon Roi (My King, 2015)
* Divines (2016)


Sad to say, I've only seen two of these this time. But that will change. And what I LOVE about doing these posts is that I always learn something interesting... LIKE a group called Lost in Frenchlation hosts French films with English subtitles some Friday nights at Cinema Studio 28 in Montmartre.
They'll soon be showing at several more independent cinemas to help give the international community more neighborhood flavors. When they realized that for most Internationals in Paris, it's difficult to watch French films because of the lack of English subtitles so they decided to rectify the problem themselves. For more on how they got started, click on Je t'aime me neither.
And you can find Lost in Frenchlation on Facebook Here.

And since Divines' director Houda Benyamina won the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for this film, might have to start with that one.

Cinema Studio 28
10 rue Tholozé
75018 Paris
33.1.46.06.36.07
Cash Only, No Cards!

List of Must See French Films of the Millennium

TheLocal.fr has published a list of Must See French Films of the Millennium which include:

* Mesrine: Killer Instinct and Public Enemy #1 (2008)
* Entre les Murs (The Class, 2008)
* Etre et Avoir (To Be and To Have, 2002)
* Les Intouchables (The Untouchables, 2011)
* Martyrs (2008)
* Les Choristes (The Chorus, 2004)
* Polisse (2011)
* Bienvenue Chez les Ch-tis (Welcome to the Land of the Ch'tis, 2008)
* Un Prophete (A Prophet, 2009)
* Amour (2012)

I've only seen about a third of these but as we are planning/hoping to be in Paris for the Christmas holidays this year, I may try to get a few more in before then. They've also published a Part 2 which I'll post later. I've included the trailer for one that we were actually told was a Definite Must See by French friends some time ago. It's a bit silly but since I often say the French sense of humor is akin to a 14 year old boy, it fits perfectly. One of the others we were told not to miss was Les Choristes which is a lovely film.

Two that I would add and particularly loved:
Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs, 2010, otherwise known as Le Big Chill by the Sea) and
Haute Cuisine (2013)

Highly recommend both of these!

And since it's been way too long since we've been in France, I finally did something I've been wanting to do: signed myself up for online French classes. I just went to check things out and found a really reasonable monthly price through Babbel. And while other versions just seem to wear me out, I really enjoy working the class programs. It's exactly what I've needed. And it's up to you what you want to learn with plenty of options. Wish I'd gone there sooner! If you're interested in learning a language, check out Babbel.

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Click the link below for trailers and descriptions of above films:

Must See French Films

A bientot!

New Fines on Paris Metro

According to TheLocal.fr, 

fines just went up in the Paris Metro. 

So many people dodge travel costs 

(over 220,000 people/day costing 1 million euros/day),

transport chiefs are going to make it hurt more if caught. 

And the hike in fines not only targets those who don't pay

but also those who make too much noise, talk too loud, play loud music,

don't muzzle their dogs, beg or forget their bag on the metro.

They are so tired of having to issue alerts for suspicious bags

that usually (thankfully) turn out to be nothing, 

they will now fine you if they have to issue an alert due to your forgetfulness. 

Fines for not having your metro ticket 

if stopped by the controls now

is 50 euros. 

Up 50% from when we made the mistake of not keeping our ticket 

in our pocket until we got outside the metro. 

Note to self: 

When traveling the Paris metro,

make sure to keep your used ticket on our person 

until you have exited the station. 

You can use the extra 50 euros on entertainment in Paris! 

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)