This post features: Marseille, Bordeaux, Pons, Paris, Metz, Amiens, Strasbourg, Nancy, Colmar & Mulhouse
Marseille
Around the harbour:
Le Vieux PortThe fish market
Views over Marseille from Notre Dame:
Churches:
Saint ElisabethCathedrale de la MajorThe style of the cathedral is neo-Byzantine – built in the 19th century by architect Henri-Jacques Espérandieu – who also designed the Notre Dame de la Garde…Eglise de Saint BarnabéNotre Dame de la Gare
Street scenes:
In the background is the Intercontinental Hotel – built in the 18th century it used to be a hospitalHotel Escale Oceania Vieux Port – where I stayedCastellane Metro station – from here to the Notre Dame is a short walk – albeit quite steep – though the stairs make it easierOld fashioned patisserieThe Queen Victoria getting ready for St Patrick’s DayA Mini – back in the day when they were mini
Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Pons
RIP brother…
Paris
Stations:
The impressive Gare du NordInside the Gare du NordThe Eurostar departure loungeGare de l’Est – the starting point for several adventuresAt Gare de l’Est: these SNCF Class BB 15000 locomotives date from the 1970’s and are still going strong – the one on the right hauled the train from Amiens.Gare St Lazare
Churches:
St LaurentLa Tour de St JacquesBuilding began on the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in the 12th century and it wasn’t until some 300 years later that construction finally came to an end. The length of time it took to build can be seen in the various styles of architecture in the building. Although predominantly French Gothic, there are elements of Renaissance and Naturalism… The Cathedral suffered considerable damage during the French Revolution in 1786 but was sympathetically restored. In April 2019 a catastrophic fire engulfed and almost destroyed the cathedral. It only took about 45 minutes to destroy the roof. An update in 2023 reports that significant progress has been made in the restoration. Almost 1,000 workers are involved in the efforts, both on-site and in workshops across France. Scaffolding is being removed in phases, and the Grand Organ, stained-glass windows, and wrought iron railings have undergone restoration. Key structural elements like vaults and buttress walls have been repaired or replaced. The timber framework for the nave and choir is being prepared in workshops for future installation. The reconstruction of the iconic spire has also commenced. Overall, the progress report indicates steady advancement towards the cathedral’s complete restoration. See: https://www.friendsofnotredamedeparis.org/St GervaisSt GervaisSt PaulThe Temple du MaraisThe history of the Sacré-Cœur seems a bit improbable. Following defeat by Prussia in 1870, France was required to build a church in Paris dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1874 a public competition was held to select the best plan for the construction of the Basilica. The architect Paul Abadie wins the competition and the first stone was laid in 1875. It was finally consecrated in 1919…This neo-Byzantine style Orthodox church, consecrated in 1861 and is dedicated to the Russian saint Alexandre-Nevsky. It has been a listed historical monument since 1983.Eglise De La Sainte Trinité in the Square d’Estienne d’Orves – completed in 1867, under currently undergoing restoration, is in an imposing neo-Renaissance style that is half-Italian, half-French…The church of Saint Vincent de Paul was built between 1824 and 1844Notre Dame de Lorette was built between 1823, during the reign of Louis XVIII, and 1836 during the reign of Louis-Philippe. The Église-Notre-Dame-de-Lorette is the most colourful church in Paris.
Le Grand Siècle:
Hotel de VilleThe Hotel de Sully was built between 1624 and 1630 by Mesme Galle. It was designed by architects Jean 1er Androuet du Cerceau and Yves Boiret in the Renaissance style with Baroque elements. In 1634, Maximilien de Béthune, the first duc de Sully, minister of finance and superintendent of buildings for Henri IV, bought the Hotel thereby giving it the name it has today.Places des VosgesL’hôpital Lariboisière
Around Montmartre (Mount of Martyrs):
The Montmartre cemetery, officially known as the Cimitière du Nord, opened in 1825. It is the third largest necropolis in Paris, after the Père Lachaise cemetery and the Montparnasse cemetery.
Arc De Triomphe and Champs-Élysées:
In the centre of the Place de l’Etoile roundabout, the Arc de Triomphe was designed as a monument to Napoleon’s victorious armies. Building of the arch began in 1806. In 1921 the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was incorporated into the monument, and the tomb’s flame is rekindled every evening at 6.30 p.m. as a symbol of respect to those who died in the name of France. An annual event is held here to remember the 1918 Armistice…It is the world’s largest triumphal arch and was inspired by the Roman version, built by Constantine, but is twice the size. It is 50m (164 feet) high and 45m (148 feet) wide. Bas-reliefs grace each pillar, including the Departure of Volunteers in 1792 and the Resistance of 1814, among others. The names of hundreds of generals and battles also decorate the Arc as a testimony to France’s past military glory…The Champs-Élysées is nearly 2km long and runs from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe.Louis XIV commissioned the acclaimed gardener, André Le Nôtre, to extend and transform the “Grand Cours” as it was known into the “Avenue des Tuilleries”. In 1709 it was given the name “Avenues des Champs-Elysées”…The name comes from Greek mythology in which the Champs-Elysées was the resting place for warriors after their death (Elysian fields). Now it’s an odd mix of elegant Haussmann architecture and gaudy “designer” shops…
Monuments and Memorials:
Louis XIII looking very happyPlace de la Republique: Liberté, Egalité et FraternitéOù est Steve: the big question that everyone in France is asking. The question refers to Steve Maia Caniço, a 24-year-old teaching assistant who disappeared during the Fete de la Musique in Nantes in June. The Place de la Bastille is located in the 11th district of Paris, not very far from Place de la République. Under Louis XI reign, Bastille was a prison. The ancient fortress of the Bastille used to be located on the square. This state prison was invaded on July 14th 1789 and destroyed by the revolutionaries. During the storming of the Bastille in the XVIII century, Parisian people freed prisoners and today this monument is a symbol of Revolution…Bataclan – RIP the victims of the terrorist attack on the night of 13.11.15Porte St MartinPorte St Denis
La Seine:
Street Scenes:
In the 19th Century George-Eugène Haussmann completely redesigned and rebuilt the French capital. A public administrator with no training in architecture or urban planning, Haussmann turned Paris into a titanic building site for 20 years. Even though he was forced to resign in 1870 as the emperor faced growing criticism for excessive expenditure, work on Haussmann’s plan continued until the late 1920s. Along with imperious avenues, Haussmann engineered grand squares, city parks modelled on London’s Hyde Park, a comprehensive sewage system, a new aqueduct giving wide access to fresh water, a network of underground gas pipes for lighting streets and buildings, elaborate fountains, grandiloquent public lavatories and rows of newly planted trees. The urban infrastructure included new railway stations – Gare du Nord and Gare de L’Est – the opulent Paris Opéra, new schools, churches, two dozen city squares, a brace of ambitious theatres at Place du Châtelet, the giant, iron-framed Les Halles food market and the sensational network of a dozen avenues radiating from the Arc de Triomphe at the core of Haussmann’s Place de l’Ètoile…
Metz
The Cathedral of St Stephen:
Metz: in 843 Metz became the capital of Lotharingia – a kingdom that incorporated Benelux, Saarland, parts of Switzerland and the Rhineland. By the 12th century it was part of the Holy Roman Empire; in 1552 it was annexed by France; the Germans took it in 1871; back to France in 1918; back to Germany in 1940 and finally back to France in 1945…One of 3 Marc Chagall windowsThe windows tell the stories of Exodus, Genesis; Jeremiah and Samuel according to the sign boardsThese windows are by Jacques Villon
Other Churches:
Temple de la garnison completed in 1881 and destroyed by fire in 1946 – the tower is all that’s leftAbbey of St VincentThis is now an arts and culture centreSt SegoleneSt SegoleneSt SegoleneSt SegoleneThe little square in front of St SegoleneSt MartinChapel of the Seminary
The Railway Station:
The railway station – built by the Germans – is hugeA memorial to Charles de Gaulle
Street Scenes:
The post office – also constructed during German occupation – is likewise vastMetz is a lovely city to wander around with an interesting mix of architectural styles and a slightly Germanic feel to it…Ray Bradbury got it wrong: it wasn’t the silver locusts we needed to worry about but the purple ones – although looking at the picture again, I think they are meant to be horses…Monument to Marshal Ney (1769-1815) – one of Napoleon’s generalsClever…The museum is very good but confusingly laid outThe old Hospice of St Nicholas
The River Moselle:
The MoselleThe Moselle
Amiens
Cathedral of Notre Dame:
Amiens is the regional capital of the historic region of Picardy, which has 6 medieval cathedrals…Amiens Cathedral of Notre Dame – the other 5 cathedrals are in: Beauvais, Laon, Nayon, Senlis and Soissons
Other Churches:
The abandoned church of St GermainThe Church of St Remi – also closed and abandoned
The Belfry:
The Beffroi (belfry) was built between 1406 and 1410, the square belfry has a mid-18th-century top reaching 52m, which was rebuilt after it was damaged in 1940. It is one of the 56 belfries in the UNESCO World Heritage list
The City:
The Picardy Museum – closed for renovationsThe old library – don’t know if it is also closed for renovations or just closed-closedHotel de Ville Hotel de VilleThe Jules Verne TheatreJules Verne’s houseTwo old bank buildingsThe old theatreThe regional chamber of commerce Gates of DistinctionIt’s hard to tell if this is real Belle Époque or mock-époque…This dreary tower greets you as you emerge from Amiens station…
Strasbourg
Cathedral of Notre Dame:
Cathedral of Notre DameNot especially ornate insideBut it does have lovely stained glass windows
Other Churches:
St Paul’s ChurchSt Peter the YoungerSt Peter the YoungerSt Peter the YoungerSome of the murals in St Peter the YoungerSt Peter the ElderSt Thomas
The River Ill:
The River Ill, and its canalised branch, the Fossé du Faux-Rempart, is a tributary of the Rhine and flows through the city…
The City:
The Palace of RohanThe Palace of RohanHmm…The Stone Roses are playing Strasbourg – I know this is July, 2019 – maybe it’s a come-back tour…A beacon in Strasbourg: La Lanterne microbrew pub: 5 Rue de la LanterneA glass of “Fender” – a very decent pale ale
Nancy
Le Place Stanislas:
The astonishing Place Stanislas – named after the king of Lorraine. Nancy was the capital of Lorraine until 1777 when Lorraine became part of France…The astonishing Place Stanislas – named after the king of Lorraine. Nancy was the capital of Lorraine until 1777 when Lorraine became part of France…The astonishing Place Stanislas – named after the king of Lorraine. Nancy was the capital of Lorraine until 1777 when Lorraine became part of France…King StanislasGates of DistinctionMore Gates of DistinctionSo many Gates of Distinction
Churches:
Nancy doesn’t have a fancy medieval cathedral – La Cathédrale Primatiale Notre Dame de Bonne Nouvelle was built in the early 18th century and created a cathedral in 1777The church of St Leon IXSt SebastianSt SebastianThe church of St Epvre – closed for restorationThe church of St Epvre The church of St Epvre
The Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine:
The Chapel of the Dukes of Lorraine – now an intriguing little museumThe Chapel of the Dukes of Lorraine – now an intriguing little museumThe Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine – under renovation and due to reopen as a museumThe Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine
City Gates:
Nancy has several city gates still standing – though not necessarily in their original positions…No name for this gate and looks rather sad and out of place…La Porte de la CraffeNo name given to this city gate
Street Scenes:
A mural of King StanislasIn the Parc d la PépinièreIn the Parc d la Pépinière – I was hoping for a rainbow effect…
Colmar
The Lauch River:
Colmar: only 25 minutes by TGV from Strasbourg and yet a million miles awayThe Lauch is a tributary of the Ill that flows into the Rhine in Strasbourg
The Church of St Martin:
St Martin dates from 1235 – very attractive outside, very dull inside…
The Town:
Le Musée Unter LindenThe museum is lovely and cool inside – very efficient air conditioning – however the museum does have the dullest collection of paintings in the world (after the Tate Modern, obviously).L’Eglise des Dominicains dates from 1283
The Indoor Market:
Colmar has a nice indoor marketAs so often happens with great beers, great wines, time honoured traditions – they evolve, become diluted and diminished so that what once was remains but as a shadow of its former self, a ghost and a hint of a glorious past…The local beer
Mulhouse
La Cité de l’Automobiles:
The Cité de l’automobiles – it has a huge collection of (mostly) French, German and Italian cars…Lots of Rolls RoycesLots of Bugattis – lots and lots of BugattisA Tatra Type 87Where Lamborghini began…
The City:
The Temple of St Etienne is currently closed for renovationNot much remains of old Mulhouse…
