VOL. 23 NO. 1
| Spring
2019 VOL. 23 NO. 1 |
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| The
Independent Traveler's Newsletter |
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IN
THIS
ISSUE:
Our Tribute to Le
Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris
Twisted Tongues
~ Challenging French phrases Ici et Là
A Visit to Saint James in Normandy ~ From William the Conqueror's 1067 Fortress to Today Repatriation: Sylvaine Lang returns home to France ~ Renovation of Grandmother's country home: the Demolition Cathar Debate: Did they really exist? Hidden Gem in the French Countryside: Toul THE BOOKSHELF: ~ The Little(r) Museums of Paris by Emma Jacobs  American Cemetery, Saint James, France
PHOTO CONTEST ~ Where are your entries?? 2019 - An important year in France: ~ Normandy events for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings ~ Celebrating 500 years of the French Renaissance in the Loire Valley |
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" The Gothic cathedral is a
blossoming in stone subdued by the insatiable demand of harmony in
man." Le Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris  Witnessing the horrific fire consuming le Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris against the black nighttime sky was one of our saddest moments as it was for France, the Church and people around the world. We wouldn't know until daylight what, if anything, had survived. To many it was a personal loss. We
could only think how fortunate we were to have visited it on several
occasions, the last time attending Mass surrounded by interested
tourists
lining the side aisles. The vast interior space achieved what
Gothic
design intended: verticality as if reaching to the Our late good friend, Arthur
Gillette, contributed an article to
this newsletter six years ago about the archeological crypt beneath the
parvis ~ the large
pedestrian space in front of the cathedral. Because of its
location, we believe the crypt is still intact. Over the years we have seen the
cathedral from all angles, one of the most well-known being the back
showing the flying buttresses which are, fortunately, still
standing. The Seine River taxi, Batobus, offers this view
before stopping there to let off passengers. This photo shows the south
façade of the cathedral in 2009 with two of its magnificent rose
windows. (Some restoration was being done on the roof at that
time.) In the days following the fire, people were relieved to
learn that, although the glass is gone, the lattice work of the two
rose windows shown here has not been destroyed. However, workers
have shored up much of the remaining cathedral walls as they are quite
fragile now that the roof has been destroyed. Due to the high amount of lead in
the spire and elsewhere in the 850 year-old cathedral that was reduced
to dust in the fire, the owners and occupants of nearby buildings are
being told to use wet wipes to remove any dust that may have settled
inside. The area is cordoned off to visitors.
Love for this Medieval early Gothic
structure will not fade away. It was and will remain the heart of
Paris. We can only hope that reconstruction will not take
decades, but with the help of 21st century technology and ample funds
it will be completed as President Macron hopes ~ in five years time.
 
The fire
Bell towers of Notre Dame
Cathedral are still standing
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The region of continued on page three
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LOOK INSIDE . . . with a click > and perhaps find an event or activity that interests you in the US or France in our Ici et Là column ~ and be sure to see our newest Ici et Là feature: Did You Know? ~
> to visit
historic Saint
James in Normandy's Manche département, a place
where William the Conqueror built a fortress, the site of the Brittany
American Cemetery and home of the famous Saint James knitwear ~
nautical striped shirts.qq ~
>
and come along with us to our Hidden
Gem in the French Countryside, fourth in our series of places in
France you may want to see for yourself on your next visit. ~
> to visit with Syvaine
Lang (former proprietor of Joie de
Vivre) as she and her husband return to her native France from
decades in California to restore and occupy her great-grandmother's
country
home. Repatriation - Demolition. This is her
tale of the demolition process, a time when
patience and courage must prevail!
~
>
and don't forget (PLEASE!) to participate in our new PHOTO CONTEST
by sending us your best photo from your last visit to France. The
winner will win something very useful (and time-saving) for their next
stopover in Paris! FRANCE On
Your Own invites articles
from our readers about their time in France. We can't guarantee when we will publish all those we receive, but we will do our best to include them for our other readers to enjoy. [No payments are made for submissions used, but we will promote your France-related book or project.] |
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TWISTED
TONGUES . . . contributed by Arthur Gillette Welcome to Twisted Tongues, a French word game everyone can play. Can you come up with the correct translation of the phrase in question? You'll be surprised by how it differs from what you first thought it meant. Answer
from our Autumn issue: "Profiter" does not mean
"profit from something" but to make the most of a situation. Phrase: "Râler" Does it mean to
whine or complain? Close, but not really its slang
interpretation. Look for the correct translation in our Summer 2019 newsletter. Have fun! We
will continue to include Arthur
Gillette's "Twisted Tongues" in our newsletter
SPONSORING
THIS ISSUE
Château de Prauthoy
located
in the Haute-Marne is in Champagne
country, but offers so much more
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Cold Spring Press All Rights Reserved
than vineyard visits and tastings. The owner, Frédéric Mailfait, is an expert on the region and is happy to take his guests on personalized tours of the area in his classic cars. He will pick you up at the Dijon TGV station in one of his four elegant classic Cadillacs. You can visit Pommard and Mersault vineyards, a hydrotherapy spa, casinos and more in small groups of 4 to 6 people on 3-day/3-night tours. This package is offered at €600-€800 per person. For those who just want a relaxing bed and breakfast experience, you can book an elegant room, enjoy truly fine cuisine at dinner, and escape from all your cares in the sparkling swimming pool. Contact us today for more information or to book your stay. next page  Recommendations are not guarantees of satisfaction and are made only to assist travelers with suggestions and web sites that we have found very useful. |
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