Rue Delambre and the plaques of Gauguin, Breton, and Hemingway. Paul Gauguin, André Breton, and Maurice Le Scouezec are just three famous celebrities who stayed in the Hotel Delambre in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. People know this by the three gold plaques, not on the façade, but in the entranceway hidden from view. Paul GauguinContinue reading “Rue Delambre and the plaques of Gauguin, Breton, and Hemingway”
Category Archives: Opal Hush
The Writing on the Wall – Rimbaud and his Drunken Boat – delicious jam for good poets!
The Writing on the Wall – Rimbaud and his Drunken Boat – delicious jam for good poets! The writing on the wall is impressive, poetic, and emotive – for all to see, to read, and to enjoy. It is a poem bearing ‘delicious jam for good poets.’ Rue Henry-de-Jouvenel is a street in the 6th arrondissementContinue reading “The Writing on the Wall – Rimbaud and his Drunken Boat – delicious jam for good poets!”
Not everyone wants a facelift – especially La Comedie Italienne theatre
Not everyone wants a facelift – especially La Comedie Italienne theatre. The “Comédie Italienne” (Italian Comedy) theatre in Rue de la Gaîté, Paris, in the 14th arrondissement is about to have an unwanted facelift – or, in this case, a façade-lift. The Comédie Italienne is the only Italian theatre in France. It has a distinctive,Continue reading “Not everyone wants a facelift – especially La Comedie Italienne theatre”
Hotel de Sens, Paris – not as it seems
Hotel de Sens, Paris – not as it seems. The Hotel de Sens in the 4th arrondissement of Marais in Paris, France, is not as it seems. It is not a hotel. The Hotel de Sens is a medieval mansion that now holds the Forney Art Library. It was built as a hotel in 1345 forContinue reading “Hotel de Sens, Paris – not as it seems”
La Rotonde renovations, June 2020 – still a sign of the times
La Rotonde renovations, June 2020 – still a sign of the times. There is no direct mention of James Joyce visiting La Rotonde brasserie on the Boulevard du Montparnasse, nor is it mentioned in any of his books. It is on the edge of the 6th arrondissement, where the 14th arrondissement begins. Facing La Rotonde isContinue reading “La Rotonde renovations, June 2020 – still a sign of the times”
Paris Left Breathless – The Beatles and Club Castel in 1965
Paris Left Breathless – The Beatles and Club Castel in 1965. The famous Club Castel on rue Princesse (Princess Street) in Paris continues its nightclub tradition – but nowadays there is more emphasis on the bar and restaurant. Jean Castel established Castel in 1961 as a private nightclub for the rich and famous. It wasContinue reading “Paris Left Breathless – The Beatles and Club Castel in 1965”
Liberty Leading the People – Delacroix’s famous painting
Liberty Leading the People – Delacroix’s famous painting. “Liberty Leading the People” is certainly Eugène Delacroix’s most well-known painting, and perhaps of any French artist. It is housed in The Louvre in Paris. Painted in 1830, it depicts the French people, particularly Parisians, marching under the tricolour French flag, representing liberty, equality, and fraternity. It’sContinue reading “Liberty Leading the People – Delacroix’s famous painting”
2022 Paris Fire Brigade Calendar
2022 Paris Fire Brigade Calendar. The history of the Paris Fire Brigade (Brigade de Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris) begins in 1699 with the introduction of water pumps. The Brigade de Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris is known as BSPP or the Sappers. Sappers stems from “sapeurs” meaning brigade – a sub-division of the French military that dug trenchesContinue reading “2022 Paris Fire Brigade Calendar”
Richard Rogers, Paris Pompidou Centre and his mother’s clay pots
Richard Rogers, Paris Pompidou Centre and his mother’s white pots. Italian-born British architect Richard Rogers, designer of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, died in London at the age of 88 on 18 December 2021. Although he worked on many prominent buildings, such as London’s Millennium Dome and Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, he is best knownContinue reading “Richard Rogers, Paris Pompidou Centre and his mother’s clay pots”
Timeless Paris: Shops and Ateliers of Yesteryear
Timeless Paris: Shops and Ateliers of Yesteryear. Timeless Paris: Shops and Ateliers of Yesteryear (2021) is a coffee table reference book of wonderful photographs of interesting artistic workshops in Paris. The author, Marin Montagut, is an artist with his own atelier on the street where I live in the 6th arrondissement. The workshops he describes areContinue reading “Timeless Paris: Shops and Ateliers of Yesteryear”