Instead of walking

 Walking in Paris is both a pleasure and often the fastest way to go from point A to C if you are good on your feet and the weather is pleasant.

Children prefer to use their rollers when going to school with their heavy rucksacks.

For grown ups they are somewhat too small and perhaps a bicycle more appropriate.

"Take a bike and return it where you like" as Velib announces.  Velib, the service in Paris of quickly renting a bike.  Sounds great if you are courageous.  No helmet, unfamiliar bike and lots of cars - 

je ne sais quoi. 

The new idea then is to use an ELECTRIC car for 30 minutes to reach your destination.  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Features/2013/Feb13/02-12autolib.aspx

Changes are necessary to reduce car traffic - not only in Paris but in all large cities.

If you can't walk be open to new ideas even if it takes a while to get used to them. 

The Seed Cathedral

Not only paintings and sculptures are exhibited in the Centre Pompidou, the National Modern Art Museum of France, but models of exceptional modern architecture.  This is an exceptional beautiful model and I first thought that it was just a phantasy model.  

With the help of the label I then found out, that it was the UK pavilion built 2010 for the World Expo in Shanghai.  A storage for seeds to be kept for future generations.  Little scary the thought of this necessity. Who decides what should be saved?  Who counts all the seeds existing?

"We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children" (Indian Proverb)

http://www.heatherwick.com/uk-pavilion/

The Royal Vegetable Garden

Versailles's largest attraction is its castle and park.  The Royal Vegetable garden - Le Potager du Roi - is lesser known but worth a visit especially in Summer and Fall when its fruits and vegetables are being sold.  http://www.potager-du-roi.fr/site/potager/index.htm

Now in the Winter it is closed and we visited the hidden park next to it.

I was curious to see the willow fence because some years ago we saw students of the Horticultural school planting it.  Willow branches just stuck in the earth cross wise and fastened - so uncomplicated  and natural it seemed.

The result now is surprising -

and beautiful in its simplicity.

HAPPY VALENTINE

http://youtu.be/X5R5d36CVQA

New plates for the car

What is so exciting about getting new plates for the car - you think.   For us it is a big step from years with green diplomatic plates to white French plates.  It took us 'only' 10 days plus today one hour waiting in line.  To make a long story short, we are very pleased with the number we got!

The last posts may give you the impression we only visit museums.  Here now the down to earth environment of the Prefecture where everybody has to wait his turn. First for the registration itself and then in another line to pay the cashier.  She happens to take her coffee break and we all wait for her return 15 minutes later.  At last, happily to the mechanic who will print the plates.  "But, Madame, it is 12 and I have my lunch - come back in the afternoon......."

And here the result:  a rested mechanic riveting (not simply screwing) the French plates on our car.

It is an old car but now with shiny new plates.  In Germany, people will think we are French.

New Bells for Notre Dame

Notre Dame de Paris is celebrating its 850th anniversary all year and there are many occasions to mark this event. A tribune was built in front by which one can approach the entrance in a different way and  gives the anticipated pilgrims a closer view of the rich decoration of the portal.

One of the anniversary's many projects is to recapture the original sound of the church bells. Last Saturday nine new bells were brought in to the nave of the cathedral. There they were blessed and can now be admired (and touched) for one month.  

The original bells were melted down 1792 during the French Revolution. Only "Emmanuel" the Grand Bourdon was saved and will now be complemented with "Mary" the small Bourdon which you can see on this photo to the left. The eight other new bells will be installed in the North Tower in time for Easter and will ring the first time March 23.

To see these bells so close I could not avoid thinking of the film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" where Charles Laughton as Quasimodo is ringing the bells. 

For more information about the bells:

http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?article1570