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FRENCH JOURNEY August 9 ~ August 31,2001. By Wen-Chung Chiang. Dear friends, September, 2001
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FRENCH JOURNEYAugust 9 ~ August 31,2001 • By Wen-Chung Chiang
Dear friends, September, 2001 I think the most wonderful thing about travel is that it extends far beyond the actual travel period. By saying that I meant travel begins upon the idea initially appears in mind, and it never really ends because the memory lasts for long. The idea of touring France started about six months before the departure in August. It was quite an experience for me even though I had been an experienced traveler. The planning was complex but it's definitely worthy of the effort. I got to know many things about France — the geography, the history, the people, the art, etc. — that I hadn't known before. The most challenging part was the language. French people are known for their pride of the language and their repelling of speaking other languages. I spent about one month studying French prior to departure — hardly enough for practicing real conversation, but useful during the trip. At least I was not totally blind or deaf when exposed to French.
PARIS (巴黎) The trip began in Paris. Paris is considered by many people the world's most beautiful city. But, perhaps to your surprise, it's dirty on the other hand. Dog shits can be seen almost everywhere. Places like subway station, sidewalks, are often smelly. In recent years, Paris has developed a reputation of active pickpocket. Parisians are rude. You can't expect much of gentleman manner from them. Despite all these, Paris still shines. It's easy getting around Paris by metro or by buses (if you know how to use them); and wherever you go, you see beautiful palaces, churches, monuments, parks, and houses. I like two museums in Paris a lot. The period covered by the Musée d'Orsay is important in the history of contemporary art. The impressionist paintings are probably the greatest draw. The museum itself was originally a train station with luxurious initial deco, and the way the space is organized for exhibition is just marvelous. The Musée National d'Art Moderne in the Pompidou Centre is another favorite. Its collections feature Fauvist works (Matisse, Derain, Bonnard, ...) and modern works (Picasso, Kandinsky, ...). The top floor of the museum has splendid views of the city and the esplanade. The only problem with the museums is that the works are only labeled in French — typical of the French way!
Notre-Dame, ParisAbove: Chia-Wei & Yun-Yi in front of Notre-DameRight: The gargoyles of Notre-Dame
Ste.-Chapelle, ParisThe windows of the upper chapel are a pictorial Bible portraying scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
Église St.-Eustache, ParisSculpture: “L’Écoute” (“Listening”) by Henri de Miller
Above: Centre Georges-PompidouRight: Pont Neuf, one of Paris’s loveliest bridges
Musée d’Orsay, ParisOriginally a train station, Musée d’Orsay houses an exceptional collection of impressionist paintings and sculptures
Above: “Heraklès archer” by Antoine BourdelleRight: “La Danse” by Jean Baptiste CarpeauxMusée d’Orsay, Paris
Left: “Eve apres le péché” by Eugène DelaplancheR: “Église d’Auvers-sur-Oise” by Van Gogh, Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Cimetière Père-Lachaise, ParisRight: The tomb of Oscar WildeAbove: Frédéric Chopin
Versailles Left: Apollo Drawing-Room, Versailles
AUVERS-SUR-OISE During our seven days of stay in Paris, we took an excursion to Auvers-sur-Oise, a small town 35km north of Paris. It's something of a pilgrimage site for people seeking traces of Van Gogh. Van Gogh was only here for 70 days before his death, but produced 70 paintings and many drawings. A series of panels representing famous paintings by Van Gogh are placed all over town, on the exact places where they were painted. A walk around these picturesque sites is very pleasant and educational.
The open field, Auvers-sur-Oise. A series of panels representing famous paintings by Van Gogh are placed all over town, on the exact places where they were painted.
Right: Église d’Auvers-sur-Oise; Above: The tombs of Vincent and Theo Van Gogh,Auvers-sur-Oise
PROVENCE (普羅旺斯) I The excitement of Provence began with the TGV (French high speed railway) from Paris to Avignon. The travel distance was approximately 700 km and the time interval was well within 2 & 1/2 hours. The new TGV we took ran between Paris and Marseilles via Avignon. The train had two levels. Our seats were on the upper level and the movement was extremely smooth at the speed of 300 km/hr. Fantastic! We settled our accommodation in Avignon for four days in a hotel which was reconstructed from a 13th century chapel. During the period we also visited two nearby towns —Arles and Nîmes. These Provencial towns are full of medieval artistic styles; and of course, summer tourists. During the 14th century, with the arrival of the popes from Rome, Avignon became the capital of the Christian world. Nine successive popes built the enormous “Palace of the Popes” which is now the biggest existing Gothic palace in the world. The palace also serves annually as the center stage for the renowned Avignon Art Festival. Arles gained its significance in art history because of Van Gogh. Like Auvers-Sur-Oise, the city of Arles has put markers where Van Gogh painted his famous pictures, such as the “Night Café”.
Right: Arriving in Avignon by TGV; Above: Humorous sculptures near our hotel Avignon
Left: rue de la République; Right: Chia-Wei in a parkAvignon
PROVENCE II Among the major cities in Provence, we visited Marseilles, Aix-En-Provence, Sisteron, and Nice. These are all wonderful places. The city of Marseilles winds along the Mediterranean coast. The Romanesque-Byzantine style Basilique Notre Dame sits on the city's highest point, overlooking the splendid Old Port of Marseilles. The nearby fjord like “Calanques” — white rocky cliffs and inlets – are excellent places for hiking. Under the strong Mediterranean sunshine, the ocean displayed its signature blue. Sisteron is located in upper Provence between the Alpes and the Mediterranean, in the heart of an unspoiled natural setting that includes the Durance River valley and an enormous deeply carved rock mass on which the Citadel was built. The coastal beach of Nice is well suited by its name in French — “Côte d'Azur” (The Blue Coast). We lived two blocks away from the beach where we enjoyed walks during several sunsets. The museums of Nice and surrounding areas are extraordinary. Among them we visited the “Fondation Maeght”, “Musée Matisse”, and the lovely “Chapelle du Rosaire” by Henri Matisse.
Left: Citadel; Right: The deeply carved rock cliff where we were picnicking, Sisteron
Left: Stain glass by Braque; Right: Sculptures by GiacomettiFondation Maeght, St-Paul-de-Vence
The Mediterranean, viewed from Musée Ephrussi de Rothschild, Nice
PROVENCE III It was even more enjoyable traveling in the countryside of Provence. You see endless orchards, vineyards, sunflower and lavender fields along the road. Weather was sunny, traffic was easy, and driving was always pleasant. We spent a day driving through the “Gorges du Verdon”. The drive started from a small village called “Moustiers-Ste-Marie” which is one of the most beautiful places I've been to. The gorge was spectacular and it somewhat reminded me the scenery of Yosemite in California. I have taken about 30 roles, more than 1000 photographs. I wish I could give you some flavor of the area by showing you these pictures.
Abbaye de Sénanque.The lower picture is from a postcard showing the full blossom of lavenders.
