2 Exhausted 2 Write Newsletter Archive

 

This writing business. Pencils and whatnot. Overrated, if you ask me. "This writing business. Pencils and whatnot.

Overrated, if you ask me."

Eeyore from " ? "

Tuesday 26 October, 1999

 

We have searched in vain for catacomb postcards. We will find none.

Today we paused in the St-Denis Cemetery to take a photo of me with a gorgeous purple-flowering bush – the cemetery gatekeeper about came unglued. No photos in/of the cemetery. Non non non! Strange – we got no such reaction in the catacombs... Perhaps Parisians are picqued that every bit of their history is made into a tourist attraction. The catacombs have been made into a trap for tourists; Pere Lachaise cemetery was been horrifically vandalized by tourists seeking Jim Morrison's grave. Perhaps if they have one last piece of their history that is not a tourist trap they are determined to keep it that way. If this is so, I understand.

At the cemetery there were people everywhere weeding around and cleaning their loved ones' tombstones. I wish they had known the same kinship for me (someone who tends a cemetery) that I felt for them.

A raggedly adorable clock repair shop that had keys of all sizes and pendulum nuts for those missing on our Grenelle brocante anniversary clock and Big Ben, respectively. Photo taken the day it was OPEN.We returned to the Clignancourt clock shop with our incomplete pieces: closed.
We went back to a corner Clignancourt luggage shop and bought Big Ben a wheelie "pram".

Aerial postcard of St-Denis. The upper right corner is the St-Denis cemetery. Our Formule 1 is off camera to the right St-Denis

At the end of this row of apartments along Avenue Lenine is our motel. The hood of this car was decorated in honor of its owner's marriage the day before.

We had considered moving to the Porte de Saint Ouen Formule 1, (Rue Dr. Babinski, near the Porte Clignancourt métro) because it was five métro stops closer to the heart of Paris than St-Denis -- which is like moving to Redbird instead of Duncanville when touring Dallas. But it was 189F instead of 149F/night.

At St-Denis Formule 1, we had a quiet street on one side; and neighbors as silent as the grave on the other. This was our view from Room 131 over the wall into the cemetery. One of the many apartment buildings in suburban St-Denis can be seen beyond the far trees.

And although Rue Dr. Babinski would certainly be closer to the Tourist's Paris, Paris is a town so noisy tourists are advised to bring earplugs to sleep.
Avenue Lenine, on the other hand, is in the suburbs.
So at St-Denis Formule 1, we had a quiet street on one side; and a cemetery on the other – the Parisians there aren't making any noise!
Discovered one could ride the bus from Porte Clignancourt to the St-Denis tram, so that's how we returned, rubbernecking it all the way.

A building along Rue Strasbourg en route to our tram stop View along neighborhood walk to the métro.

 

This was the coolest afternoon within memory! Perhaps ever for this devoted Gargoyle Gal and Chimièra Chick!

Take a caveman + Epok magazine + a comb and it = one cool long-haired musician, who looks like Daniel Sheppeard, doing a guitar riff -- click on the bus to see a closer view of Daniel I found two same-size pink-ballet-slippers Paris Opéra T-shirts for the girls!

We ate a quick lunch of Mimolette cheese, bread, milk and raisins d'Italia then took off for Notre-Dame de Paris where Alan and I both succeeded in photographing the "Daniel Sheppeard as a caveman" bus ad (Take a caveman + Epok magazine + a comb and it = one cool long-haired musician, who looks like Daniel Sheppeard, doing a guitar riff -- click on the bus to see a closer view of Daniel. Too bad the face is out of focus. *sigh*) – something I've wanted to do since dinner at Le Latin St. Jacques on October 20th. Then, within view of Notre-Dame de Paris I found two same-size pink-ballet-slippers Paris Opéra T-shirts for the girls! I was dying to get them!! Weeeeee! This and the caveman ad!

View from the parvis and Charlemagne statueWe went inside Notre-Dame de Paris long enough to find out how to get to the towers. Outside there was a guy playing a pear-shaped flute -- similar to an Ocarina – which sounded like a fife. I immediately thought of Donald Hines. I told Alan to videotape the guy. The guy told Alan to tape and me to dance. We did. I bought one. Don't know if I'm keeping it or giving it to Donald who is teaching himself to play the fife. Hmmmmmm. Decisions decisions.

Another white moving statue entertained while we stood in a long line for the 228-ft towers and the Galérie des Chimières. He had a white top hat. Another white moving statue entertained while we stood in a long line for the 228-ft towers and the Galérie des Chimières. He had a white top hat. What he needed was bubbles.

View of Notre Dame and the Seine from one of the 387 steps to the top of Notre DameTour St. Jacques and Basilique du Sacré-Coeur from one of the 387 steps to the top of Notre DameNotre-Dame de Paris lets somewhere around 12 people go up the spiral staircases (all 387 steps) at a time. Woe to one whom wants to take photographs out the window slits when they've got roughly eight people behind who want to race up the steps on their way to an early heart attack.
Notre-Dame de ParisI've seen a hundred photos of the chimièra chomping on a rabbit/dog creature, but I never knew that the rabbit/dog creature was chomping the chimièra right back!Fortunately a third of the way up there was a room where one could exit the staircase and buy souvenirs (we bought a Notre Dame CD-Rom), but more to the point, where we allowed the rest of our group to stampede to the top and/or the Mother of All Faints.

I've seen a hundred photos of the chimièra chomping on a rabbit/dog creature, but I never knew that the rabbit/dog creature was chomping the chimièra right back!I've never seen photos of the elephant and pelican chimières.No wonder Quasimodo was Quasimodo-esque; if anyone had to go up and down 300-some spiral steps several times a day one couldn't help but look like that. *Dizzy gasp* *Dizzy wheeze* I felt rather google-eyed and apraxic myself.

I've never seen photos of the elephant and pelican chimières.Gargoyles are rain gutters with faces...gutters which gurgle, hence the name. A sample is seen in the lower left corner.Up top, I was in gargoyle/chimièra heaven! I've seen a hundred photos of the chimièra chomping on a rabbit/dog creature, but I never knew that the rabbit/dog creature was chomping the chimièra right back! I've never seen photos of the elephant and pelican chimières. Cool! There were far more eagle chimières than I'd imagined.

 

Gargoyles are rain gutters with faces...gutters which gurgle, hence the name.And now a Miniature-Tutorial in Catherdral Guardians terminology: Chimièra are merely decorative and are OFTEN mistaken for gargoyles. Notre Dame's chimièra include a pelican and an elephant. Gargoyles are rain gutters with faces...gutters which gurgle, hence the name.

 

You can't convince me that the chimièra on the far right wasn't the model for Victor Chimièra in Disney's 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'[You can't convince me that the chimièra on the far right wasn't the model for Victor Chimièra in Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." This dude is Victor if I ever saw him. He even looks like "Murphy Brown"'s Charles Kimbrough (Jim Dial) who did Victor's voice! My wind-up Victor toy is big-time GRUMPY.

Laverne, Hugo, Quasimodo, and Victor. My wind-up Victor toy is big-time GRUMPY. This particular image doesn't resemble the real Notre Dame chimièra so much.This particular image with Laverne, Hugo, and Quasimodo doesn't resemble the real Notre Dame chimièra so much. His view IN Life is certainly better than his apparent view OF Life.

Victor's view IN Life is certainly better than his apparent view OF Life. He gags at the horn-blowing angel and the verdigris saints stair stepped down the roof below.Victor's view IN Life is certainly better than his apparent view OF Life...The gorgeous spire with the verdigris saints stair stepped down the roof below. The Seine winding through Paris beyond.He sure has an attitude problem for someone with such a gorgeous vista!

  • Victor's view IN Life is certainly better than his apparent view OF Life. I'd show more respect to a trumpeting angel...maybe that's how Victor got here! The whole Galerie des Chimières before him.

  • The gorgeous 295-ft Viollet-le-Duc spire with the verdigris saints stair stepped down the roof below.

  • The Seine winding through Paris beyond. Maybe the Emmanuel Bell gives him a headache.]

    Chimièra are merely decorative and are OFTEN mistaken for gargoyles. Below in the Parvis is the verdigris statue of Charlemagne.A small reproduction of this irreverent Chimièra now sits atop my computer monitor telling me what he thinks of meThe bell tower guide was enamoured of my roses and exclaimed how beautiful they were every single time he walked past me.


    Chimièra are merely decorative and are OFTEN mistaken for gargoylesHe successfully insisted I take the tour of the Emmanuel Bell tower.

    Here one must stand on an ancient wood platform which jostles underfoot whilst one's husband cracks jokes about termites.

    Chimièra are merely decorative and are OFTEN mistaken for gargoylesThen one must climb flight after rickety flight of wooden stairs with said husband.
    I told Alan I was having a Jimmy Stewart/Kim Novak moment.
    He didn't acknowledge the "Vertigo" bell tower reference and neither did any of the other English-speaking tourists.
    I could've used a laugh at that acrophobic moment.

    god bless the rain, and the stormclouds that bring it. god bless the music, and the voices that sing it. god bless the ones who sing everything wrong. god bless the creatures who do not belong.It was a blue sky day.
    The only clouds were far away, and added interest to the view. The only way the afternoon could have been more perfect would have been if the far clouds had rained...

    "god bless the rain, and the stormclouds that bring it.
    god bless the music, and the voices that sing it.
    god bless the ones who sing everything wrong.
    god bless the creatures who do not belong."
    -- dav pilkey from god bless the gargoyles

    Chimièra are merely decorative and are OFTEN mistaken for gargoylesChimièra are merely decorative and are OFTEN mistaken for gargoylesIt also would have been more perfect to have been allowed to stay through sunset and into Paris putting on her nighttime sparkling jewels and pearls.

    But as it was, I sat cross-ankled, wrists on knees under the arch on first the South Tower then the North Tower looking at the city from the Dôme church to the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart).

    A man from New York saw me just sitting and gazing and asked if I needed help.

    Perfection would have been to have been allowed to stay through sunset and into Paris putting on her nighttime sparkling jewels and pearlsHow long did we stay? Attendants ushered us to the very top of the South Tower, ushered us off as quickly as they could, then locked up behind usOne of LuAnn's favorite quotes is indeed "People in ecstasy look stupid", but he was sincere so I didn't laugh.

    [People in ecstasy look like they need help?]

    He also wanted to make sure my husband had taken a picture of me with the city as a background. I took such a picture for him of him and his companion.

    Alan at twilightWe walked along the Seine in the twilight enjoying the lamps and the willowsHow long did we stay? Attendants ushered us to the very top of the South Tower, ushered us off as quickly as they could, then locked up behind us.

    We walked along the Seine in the twilight enjoying the lamps, the willows and the swans.We walked along the Seine in the twilight as far as Le TournelleWe walked along the Seine in the twilight enjoying the lamps, the willows and the swans.
    Wandered as far as Le Tournelle then back to the Greek Quarter.

    I loved this top-shelf hunchbacked grotesque who held a white taper in his right paw while blowing a razzberry at everyone who passed by[Indulged in frites along "our rue" in the Greek Quarter.
    Along the way I noticed the greatest gargoyle/chimièra candleholder in a mystic shop window. He was a hunchbacked grotesque who held a white taper in his right paw while blowing a razzberry at everyone who passed by. He was a riot, but a tad too expensive. Now I regret not having gotten him. Alan took a picture of me with him, but it's out of focus and barely shows the rude dude on the top shelf.]

    Bought Islamic cold cuts and dynamite disguised as Dijon mustard at Carrefour. Made sinus-melting sandwiches while watching French-dubbed "Jumanji".
    I love that movie. There were posters for Robin Williams's "Jakob the Liar" all over Paris. I know it's a good film, but I wouldn't survive watching it anymore than I could've "Schindler's List" or "Life is Beautiful." There are three Robin Williams movies I think every parent of an infant to college-age child should watch: "Dead Poet's Society"; "Hook"; and "Jumanji."

      October 27, 1999

    This writing business. Pencils and whatnot. Overrated, if you ask me. Back to Paris Diary index

     

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