April in Paris Part I

Good friends who had rented an apartment in Paris for a week were not able to travel at the last minute.  They generously offered us the accommodations as they could not obtain a refund.  How is this view from the balcony during a spring breakfast?

We explored the Jardin des Plantes for the first time.

Bee habitat

One spot we have been meaning to see is the Basilica and Crypt at St. Denis.

IT WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND the year 270 AD when Denis, a Christian missionary and Bishop of Paris, was martyred on the hill we now call Montmartre. Denis was beheaded during the period of Christian persecution under the Roman Emperors Decimus and Valerian. It is said that after his head was chopped off, Denis picked it up and walked six miles or so preaching a sermon as he went. The place where he eventually fell and died was marked by a small shrine which eventually became the Basilique Saint-Denis and the burial place of the Kings of France.

The Basilique Saint-Denis is a medieval abbey church in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris.

In Roman times the site was a Gallo-Roman cemetery but around 475 Saint-Genevieve purchased some of the land and built a church. This became a place of pilgrimage and in the 7th century, Dagobert I had this church replaced with something grander. By the 12th century it had grown to become one of the most powerful Benedictine abbeys in France. The abbot of Saint-Denis, Suger, rebuilt portions of the abbey church using innovative structural and decorative features turning it into a masterpiece of what came to be known as Gothic art. The basilica provided an architectural model for the cathedrals and abbeys of northern France, England and other countries.

Over the years, the Abbey was plunged into decline by wars and the Revolution. During the Revolution the tombs were opened and the bodies were removed and dumped in two large pits nearby and dissolved with lime. In 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte reopened the church and the royal remains were left in their mass graves. Thankfully, most of the tombs survived the Revolution and today they lie resplendently in the much-visited “Royal Necropolis of France”.

Clovis I (465 – 511) and Childebert I (496 – 558)

Henry II and Catherine de Médicis

The fate of King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette of Austria is well known. Both were guillotined in the Place de la Concorde during the Revolution. They were though not initially buried in the Basilique Saint-Denis, but rather in the churchyard of the Madeleine, where they were covered with quicklime. Louis XVIII, the last king of France to be buried in the Basilique Saint-Denis, ordered that the remains of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette be transferred from the Madeleine cemetery and today they lie side by side in the crypt of the Basilique Saint-Denis.

 

The two centre tombs: On the left is Marie-Antoinette and on the right is Louis XVI

In the cache below is the heart of the son of Louis XVI, also believed killed during the revolution.

Spent an evening at the Duc des Lombards jazz club.  Ron felt like he was in 1920's Paris.

A new quest - who has the best profiteroles?

Spent an afternoon with Dan O'Donnell's daughter, Kristine, studying at Sorbonne.

We finally got a table at fabeled Angéline's pastry and ice cream shop on rue de Rivoli.  Every time before, the lines were just too long.

A delectable lemon pastry filled with loads of creme.

French Elvis

We went to our first rock concert in France with our neighbors, Christiane and Monique.  The arena was filled with 8,000 people, many of whom stood in the pit.

Here's a shot of Barbara, Christiane and Monique.

 
The women bought us Johnny Hallyday T-shirts to commemorate the evening.

After a first act, the moment came for the grand entrance of Johnny - inside a huge skull lowered from the ceiling.  It split open and the crowd went ballistic when he emerged.

He is 73 and the French counterpart to Elvis.  He looks fantastic for his age, and he could still rock very well indeed.

The lighting effects were first rate.  Since they were kinetic, you cannot get the full effect from photos.

 

He sang French songs, American oldies in French and even some in English (Summertime Blues and Don't Step on My Blue Suede Shoes).

His anthem "Allumer Le Feu" was crooned by the entire arena. You can see and hear it on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGfohkNkzPE

Here is a shot of him from 50 years ago

1:12:09

The whole evening was a delight for all of us.

Just to show how welcoming the French can be, we were at Christiane's shop to wish her well on her reopening after renovations.  The florist, Martine, arrived with a bouquet for the event.  A few moments after we chatted, she immediately invited us to dinner at her and Jean François' home.

Of course, Christiane and Franco were invited as well.  Martine and Jean François have a warm lovely home.

Martine made everything herself like most French women.  It's a bit intimidating for someone who rarely cooked previously like Barbara.  She started with la soup - creme de courgettes.

Next was veau blanquette.

And finally a homemade tarte tatin.  Upside down apple cake - very traditional for this region.

Good times abound.