Place : Paris - Back to the Montmartre
Date: - Tuesday Oct. 29th /2019
50 minute ride from the Left Bank, by 2 public buses, landed us back at the steep footsteps, leading up to top of the Montmartre hill, where the imposing Basilique du Sacre- Coeur about which I wrote on Oct 12th looms over the skyline.
Although the weather was far from being glorious, like it was on our first unsuccessful trial visit, during the Wine Fest weekend, the week-day and the cold gloomy sky had their advantages. It substantially decreased the number of visitors, thus the narrow widening cobbled alleys of the hill were much less congested. A thorough observation instead of a glimpse, of the quirky sights, architecture,and gardens which for decades were a muse for artists, poets and writers alike, was much more possible,
Montmartre View
Most of the tourist stilled flocked into the Basilica premises, and that of the historical "Place du Tartre" very near by it
This square was once the heart of the prestigious Benedictine Montmartre Abbey, established in 1133 by King Louis VI. Since it opened to the public in 1635 as the village central square, it has attracted as of the 18th c the Bohemia - painters, songwriters and poets, and now a days, is surrounded by artists easels, in between the many restaurants' Bar's and Cafes terraces which caterers the daily
I was more kin on visiting "Place Dalida"
This small quint square, few streets below Tartre Square, and relatively calm off tourists, where the outdoor's Dalida statue greets the visitors, is on a display, is right on the square named in homage to this famous French singer and actress. She resided in an alley next to the square.
David and I have always loved listening to her deep voice singing,
and she was very known and admired both in France and in Israel.
Italian and Egyptian by birth, (1933-1977) and originally named Yolanda Cristina Gigliotti, she moved to France in 1954 and finally acquired French citizenship upon her marriage to Lucien Morisse (radio Station Europe 1) She performed in countries all over the world and was known for her talent and likable personality. Sadly, her personal life was filled with tragedy, ending in suicide.
Just off the Dalida square there are signs marking this mansion;
"La Château des Brouillards" 13 rue Girardon
This I8th-c stone house, a longtime Parisian home of Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. was also the childhood home of famed filmmaker Jean Renoir, the painter's second son
The mansion park has become square Suzanne-Buisson homage to a famous Resistance activist, during World War II. She died in deportation.
And there was no way I could miss the fantastic private collection
at Dali museum (off Tratre square at 11 Rue Poulbot) highly recommended
Over 300 artworks - the largest collection in France, by the Spanish born Salvador Dalí, from a private collection donated by Roberta and Beniamino Levi . Mr. Levi is a collector-connoisseur-dealer and expert on Dali's work, whose interest in fine and decorative art was encouraged from an early age, his grandfather was an antiques dealer from San Remo.
The collection exhibit is part of the Dali Universe collection, curated by Mr. Levi, and includes extravaganza of surrealistic theatrical sculptures, many erotic, dreamlike or irresistibly funny painting, etchings,drawings, poetic objects and furniture, reflecting the phantasmagorical universe of the inventor of soft watches.
Dali's Tree of Time
And as the cycle of reading the Torah has just begun again after this latest Sukkot Holiday, how befitting it is to display this:
Dali's sculpture of Adam Eve and the Snake
Walking down the hill from the Dali's museum through few flights of steps lended us at the lively
At heart of the village of Montmartre, across from where the lovely brick and ceramic tile-faced Art Nouveau designed church of Saint Jean de Montmartre (built from 1894 through 1904) is situated , (19 Rue des Abbesses)
the "I love You" Lava Wall, can also be found.
Square Jehan-Rictus park - 14 place des Abbesses
Frédéric Baron - an author and composer - collaborated with Claire Kito, an artist who practises oriental calligraphy, to assemble a script and engrave it on a mural wall. From their collaboration was born the image of a wall onto which the main languages and dialects of the planet are carved with the "I love You" text.
Daniel Boulogne who specializes in murals, also fell in love with the project and successfully brought to completion the construction of this work..
The "Wall of Love" is made of 612 tiles of enamelled lava and is a place of reconciliation, a mirror which reflects an image of love and peace, and indeed it attracts many lovers.
Further down on abbesses street, behind iron doors, hidden is
a red painted structure
Le théâtre des Abbesses Theater in the heart of Montmarte
7 rue Véron
Opened in 2006 , this is a modern theater, behind a red facade dedicated to contemporary writers
And another surrise site was
La Moulin de la Galette - Galette Windmill
Once upon a time, the hill of Montmartre and its surrounding countryside was a landscape to a whole multitude of windmills. Though this is no longer the case, a few still survive to this day.
Moulin de la Galette is a testament to the history of Montmartre, as well as its enduring culture.
The windmill stood here, in this spot, since at least the 17th-century and is the last survivor of 30 mills which once decorated the hill. It is also the only mill in perfect working condition.
Built in 1622 and also known as Blute-fin, and under the name of the Moulin du Palais (Palais Mill) it became the possession of the Debray family in 1809 and was used to produce flour. The Debray owners and millers made a brown bread, galette, which became popular and thus the name of the windmill and its businesses.
In 1870 it was transformed into an outdoor dance hall like the neighbouring Radet mill. The Debray family therefore decided just to keep one single mill: their choice fell on the 'butte-à-fin' that shortly after took the name of the Moulin de la Galette.
Much frequented by artists, such as Renoir, van Gogh, and Pissarro Le Moulin de la Galette was immortalized by them. Renoir, painted 'Le Bal du Moulin de la Galette' and the mill was also an inspiration for Toulouse-Lautrec and Picasso.
Today, the Moulin (windmill) operates as a restaurant and is open on a daily basis for lunch and dinner.
Berlioz grave Stone
At the bottom of the Montmarte's hill, not that far from the hill- top where the Sacré-Coeur. Bazilica is, the historic Cimetriere de Monmart du Nord, (which opened in 1825 on a large Quarrie site), calmly nests under the Pont de Caulaincourt, - a metal bridge built in 1888.
This open air funeral park, the third largest necropolis in Paris, (after the Père Lachaise cemetery and the Montparnasse cemetery) is very dense (20,000 plots) with a mix of Christian and Jewish tombstones and fancy burial monuments side by side. It's landscape is filled with many trees -maple, chestnut, lime trees and thuj, as well as, green shrubs and sculptures. This is the final resting place of many famous artists who lived and worked in Montmartre , including: Émile Zola, the Dryfus family, Gustave Moreau, Berlioz, even Dalida, whose grave is the most visited and has the most flowers.
Zola's Grave Stone
Dryfus Family
Good food is very consoling and bounces one , right back, to the delights of life after such a visit...
Food Bites
"La Mascotte" - a seafood historic place with beautiful decor -nice for lunch
52 rue des Abbesses 01 46 06 28 15
"Auberge Etchegory" 41 rue Croulebarte, across from the Rene Gaal park
Basque specialized restaurant - nice for dinner
To be continued...