La France Profonde -- An American in Aveyron: June 2018

Monday, June 04, 2018

3 Years Ago on La France Profonde -- Good-bye to a Neighborhood

Le Printemps celebrating "le printemps"

I had hoped to do better blog-wise by my lovely Easter weekend in Paris. It was my first real dose of spring, and there is so much to tell, as usual when one spends a weekend in Paris.

But spring continued to move into full bloom phase here, and time went by without my feeling like spending evening time on the computer.

(This is where I should tell you that I was spending my evenings whipping our yard into shape, but in reality I was lolling on the couch admiring spring blossoms from our sunny living room.)

The light, the light...

For new readers of this blog, our eldest daughter has lived in Paris for nearly three years now, and that has given me -- or us -- the opportunity, or at least the impetus, to head up there much more often.

More impetus for this trip...

I had definitely wanted to get up to Paris for the David Bowie Is exhibit at the newly opened (January 2015) Philharmonie de Paris. I'm quite a Bowie fan, but a bit leery of rock music exhibits and museums. It is such a challenge to translate a musical experience into a musical and visual one without the actual presence of the artist.

But Bowie's work and persona are definitely up to this challenge, and I would call the exhibit an unqualified success. It is on until the end of May, so if you have been wondering about going, get your tickets!

We also went to the recently renovated Musée Picasso. I hadn't visited this museum in decades, and appreciated the airy, uncramped feel of the new version. They are also doing a good job with crowd management; despite a huge line on a day (the first Sunday of the month) when the museum was free, the galleries were not overly crowded.

Of course I took plenty of photos, but will just share a few views from the building:

I often find looking out from museums almost as interesting as looking at the works inside them...

Back in Aveyron -- oops, Paris 12me

This weekend had special meaning as it may well have been the last based in the "quartier des Aveyronnais," or a small portion of the 12me arrondissement near the Cour St. Emilion and Bercy Village.

My daughter has been lucky enough to live the past three years in a special, and very reasonably priced, apartment building for young people from the Aveyron, L'Oustal.

But all good things must come to an end, and in mid-July her lease will be up, and she will be looking for new lodgings.

I will miss many things about this calm and relatively little-known neighborhood of Paris.

I will miss the delicious food from the Auberge Aveyronnaise, pictured above. Of course we can go back there -- and even eat the same type of food here in Aveyron!