Meeting the American writers in Paris with Mary, Susan and Sonia
Mary, Susan, Sonia – “Esplanade des Invalides” Thursday 26 June – 7:00 AM, Saturday 28 June – 7:33 AM – Mary, Susan and Sonia from Denver (USA) chose to discover Paris while running with Paris Running Tour. We ran two mornings mainly on the left bank of the Seine. Left bank! Bank of Paris particularly appreciated by intellectuals and artists, especially in the 1920s, 30 and 50 … Many American writers have lived and wrote there (remember the Woody Allen film “Midnigth in Paris” where the hero played by Owen Wilson returns to the past to find Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and many others). Many places still bear witness to their presence, as this plate reveals that Edith Wharton lived in this building of the rue de Varenne: Susan, Mary and Sonia – “53 rue de Varenne” Edith Wharton was the first writer from the United States to come to live in France as indicated. “My years of Paris life were spent entirely in the rue de Varenne – rich years, crowded and happy years” as she wrote. A little further, continuing our run street of Varenne, it is a French artist that we will meet this time, Auguste Rodin: Susan, Mary, Sonia – Rodin Museum (garden and building) From the street, behind glasses, we found the statue of the Burghers of Calais in the garden of the Rodin Museum. Find the history of “Les Bourgeois de Calais” in this article. Continue our route around the Invalides… Susan, Sonia, Mary – “Hôtel des Invalides” and Eiffel tower in the backgroung …to reach the right bank and enjoy a beautiful view of the “Musée d’Orsay” and the “Hôtel de Salm”, the “Palais de la Légion d’Honneur“: Susan, Mary and Sonia – Orsay Museum and Palace of the Legion of Honor On Saturday, after a run at the foot of the Seine bridges: Susan and Mary – “Petit Pont” and further, the “Pont Saint-Michel” (Pont=Bridge) … we went to see one of the places where Ernest Hemingway lived in Paris: Susan and Mary – “74 rue du Cardinal Lemoine” Read what he wrote in his book “A Moveable Feast“: … “this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy.” A green door for Edith Wharton and a blue door for Ernest Hemingway… ; ) Just around the corner is the pretty little “Place de la Contrescarpe” Hemingway loved: Susan and Mary – “Place de la Contrescarpe” On the way back, we stopped in front of the marble standard meter of the “rue de Vaugirard”: Mary and Susan – Street of Vaugirard Merci Mary ! Merci Susan ! Merci Sonia ! The routes of the tours:
Around the Louvre with Janaina and Gustavo
7:13 AM – Gustavo and Janaina live in Salvador (Brazil). To visit Paris by running, we chose a beautiful stroll around the Louvre. We left the Grands Boulevards and went through the “passage des Panoramas” (see the previous post), the “Palais Royal”, and then we joined the Louvre, by crossing the Street of Rivoli: The Passage Richelieu connects the street of Rivoli with the Louvre Pyramid and allows to see the beautiful sculptures of the Puget and Marly courtyards (remember the article which speaks about the horses of Marly) : After this small break in front of the passage Richelieu windows, we continued our running at the foot of the Pyramid, the magnificent glass pyramid which respects the central space of the Louvre and allows to see the Louvre in its totality: What was there before the Pyramid? A stand of trees where cars could park. At the foot of the trees, impossible to see all the facades: In the same direction, towards the garden of the Tuileries, we had a photo break to take advantage of the view on the Eiffel Tower, the “Musée d’Orsay” and also some statues of Maillol. Look for them in the bushes by enlarging the photo: We then left the garden of the Tuileries by way of the small tunnel which goes out of the garden by going towards the river Seine. We crossed the Seine by the footbridge Léopold Sédar Senghor and going up the staircases of the bridge, where we enjoyed a beautiful point of view on Notre-Dame: On the other side of the bridge, we saw the beautiful Palace of the Legion of Honor, cleaned recently (we had spoken about its replica in San Francisco here): Evoking the various places to run, we spoke about the immense and long beautiful beaches of Brazil. In Paris, we also have the opportunity to have some beaches 😉 At least from mid-July to mid-August, the banks of the “Right bank”, in particular, welcome the operation “Paris-Plages“: A little farther, near the Louvre, is the Louvre Oratory, with the Statue of the “Amiral de Coligny”, whose tragic end reminds us sad moments of the French History: On our road, we passed by the beautiful “Véro Dodat” gallery and we were amazed by the height of a famous Parisian shoemaker’s shoes (see below, near the passage, the Christian Louboutin’s first shop): Merci Janaina, merci Gustavo ! The route of the tour:
Two running tours to discover Paris with Jennifer
Jennifer – Louis-Philippe’s bridge 7:02 AM – Jennifer, of San Francisco, runs very regularly. We were able to discover the center of Paris by making two running tours early in the morning: the right bank, the left bank, the shores of the Seine and of course, the Parisian islands, the Island of “La Cité” and the Saint Louis Island. On the photo above, we can see on the left, in the foreground, the Saint Louis Island then, at the bottom, the Island of “La Cité”. Did you know that Paris counted ten islands at the end of the XVIth century? The river Seine – 1550 During our two races, we were able to… Find the Palace of the Legion of Honor: Jennifer – “Palais de la Légion d’Honneur” Paris | “California Palace of the Legion of Honor” San Francisco The museum “California Palace of the Legion of Honor” in San Francisco is a replica of the “Palais de la Légion d’Honneur” of Paris. The facade of the Palace in San Francisco is very visible and highlighted by the very beautiful “Lincoln Park”. We can admire the original Palace in Paris since a more narrow street, the “rue de Lille”. greet Geneviève, noble Parisian Lady who made Attila and his Huns run away in the 5th century and since became the protector of Paris: Jennifer – Geneviève “Eglise Saint Etienne du Mont”, “Jardin du Luxembourg”, “Pont de la Tournelle” Geneviève is always represented with long plaits. Recent artistic style? No, it seems that effectively, during the Medieval period which begins in 5th century, the fashion was with long hair, frequently braided. If you want to discover Geneviève’s life, go on the “Mountain” of the same name in Paris and visit the “Panthéon”, all her life is painted on walls there. visit the Paris of the Middle Ages by going through the “Marais”: Jennifer – “Rue François Miron” – “Rue des Barres” Merci Jennifer ! The routes of the tours :
Near a man of the “Enlightment” with Elisa
Elisa – Thomas Jefferson – Far off, the “Sacré-Coeur” 9:09 AM – Elisa, from Atlanta (USA), takes back the running having ended the New-York Marathon. On this Sunday of December, we chose a tour along the river Seine. On our road, we crossed Thomas Jefferson, a great friend of France, who liked Paris very much. He was in the same way as his French counterparts, a man of the “Enlightment” and succeeded Benjamin Franklin as Ambassador of United States in France. Thomas Jefferson enjoyed a lot the Architecture. Thomas Jefferson’s statue is, besides, situated just next to a building which he admired very much, the hotel of Salm, otherwise known under the name of the Legion of Honor Palace. This palace was often imitated. You can see, for example, a copy in the Lincoln Park, in San Francisco (USA). If you look closely at the photo with Elisa, quite at the bottom, you will see the “Sacré Coeur”, the very visible church because at the top of Montmartre, in the North of Paris. By running along the river, we may be under the impression to go straight on. By going East by the left bank (for example), at the level of the Bir Hakeim bridge, we can be surprised seeing the “Sacré Coeur” in front of us, while at the another moment, next to Thomas Jefferson for example, we will see it on our left. In Paris, the river Seine is a curve! Join the right bank by the Bir-Hakeim bridge, the “Sacré Coeur” will be on your right. By the footbridge Léopold-Sédar-Senghor, it will be in front of you. At the level of the towers of Notre-Dame, you will see it on your left. In Paris, the Seine is a curve! A little later, we joined the square of Notre-Dame. Have you already noticed on the ground, the point Zero of the roads of France? Elisa next to the point Zero of the roads of France Yes, indeed, Paris is a big city and it is necessary to have a precise point in Paris which serves as reference for the distances with the other cities. What is the distance between Versailles and Paris by road, for example? Not the one who meets a limit of Paris but the one who finishes in the point Zero: Between Versailles (the Castle) and the limit of Paris: approximately 14 km (in red), between Versailles (the Castle) and the zero point: approximately 23 km (in yellow) What about you? Where is the “point zero” of your city? Merci Elisa ! The route of the tour :