Saturday, January 30, 2010

Sunny, Cold, Castle, Conflict


First of all, to give some context to the Paris Lamborghini dealer's location, from yesterday: high rent!



This is kind of a long post, for a long day.



I woke up at 4 a.m. and gave Charlie a call about a message on my voice mail. Looking outside, I thought perhaps dawn was near, but I should have realized, being winter, it was skyglow from Paris itself. I took a couple pictures to show how everyone really does either turn out their lights, or at least close their shutter-blinds (operated with a crank from the inside, but on the outside of the windows).



At 9 a.m. I felt a bit more like getting up. After breakfast, I headed out to go for a walk, as it seemed like it was actually going to be sunny in spots outside. I didn't bring my camera, which was nice for me, but that means you must use your imaginations. I ended up wandering aimlessly, finally going to place de la Bastille and taking the metro out to the Chateau de Vincennes.

On the ride, I noticed glass barriers and automatic doors on the platform of one of the stations. I later read a sign that this is the initial work to convert Metro line 1 to fully automated operation, like line 14 was built to be from the start. (Line 14, first opened in 1998, is also the only metro line that is completely accessible, with elevators and escalators and stairs down to all stations.) Line 1's vehicles can be converted to driverless operation, but I didn't realize that was seriously being pursued. The stated deadline is 2012.

Exiting the Chateau de Vincennes station, I thought that some prankster was sprinkling styrofoam bits over the stairs--littering, or some scheme to generate merriment or donations, but in fact, it was snow (or perhaps sleet? the pieces were very round) from some passing clouds. The lawn around the castle rampart was covered in white, too! In Paris, there hadn't been any noticeable snow.

I did not go on the tour but I walked around the castle grounds. You get to walk across a wide drawbridge, then shift to the left to a little pedestrian drawbridge, complete with chains and balance to lift it to keep out invaders, and with a moat 3 stories deep below.

Reading some signage, I learned that: The Sainte Chapelle of Vincennes, heavily inspired by the Sainte Chapelle in Paris, was seriously damaged in a storm in 1999, and had been closed until 2009 for repair work to stained glass windows, stone work, and vaulting. Also, they are adding (in 2009, the sign said) access for individuals with limited mobility, to conform with the 2005 law for equal opportunities. Behind the Chapelle I saw a ramp up to the level of of the entrance.

The donjon (keep) looked great as did the Porte de la Village, both large massive stone towers, and the sun suddenly came out in full force, lighting the stone, and backlighting the Sainte Chapelle through the stained glass on both walls.

I also learned from a sign that the keep at the Chateau de Vincennes is the only residence of a sovereign still in existence from the Middle Ages.

On the way back, there was some unpleasantness in the metro. I didn't see or hear what happened initially, as it took place on the platform of a station along the route, but from the verbal argument on the train (in French), I gleaned that: a woman wearing a burqa (black, and covering her whole body, but her eyes) and her young daughter (not wearing a burqa) were told something insulting or disrespectful by a man in his 60s; all three of them boarded the train.

He said something about her disguising herself and she told him he was in disguise as well, that he was mean, and that you don't treat a child that way (he must have said something about her daughter on the platform). He then accused her of attacking him (verbally--the French are so metaphorical) and she said the same of him. Then she said that she was a French citizen, that she worked, she paid taxes, and she deserved to be treated with respect. She also said she wasn't moving to another part of the train just because of his disrespect.

Everyone else on the train (many of whom had boarded at a station after where our debaters had entered) was very quiet. I was seated facing away from the woman and man, but people had facial expressions that seemed to indicate some degree of embarrassment, although no one intervened. (No one at that point was making threats or using foul language.)

If there had been any threat of physical violence, I would have done something (what, I'm not sure). But I was not going to get into an argument in French; and the woman, seemed perfectly capable of defending herself. Although I could see nothing of her but her eyes, she appeared to be French-born from her facility at debate and perfect pronunciation.

I recalled as I sat on the train, that in the last couple months, there was news that France was moving to ban the wearing of the burqa in public. The conflict, the self-assuredness of the woman, and the silence of those surrounding, made this sort of a living illustration of the larger debate. I see many headscarves and hijab, but I had not seen a burqa before.

On the walk through the Bastille station, there was a string ensemble (3 violins, 3 cellos, double bass) playing in one of the transfer passageways, and it echoed well throughout the tunnels. The bass really added to the sound, too.

Then, down rue de la Roquette to my apartment, I stopped to look at the menu of the Indian restaurant (the one with the 'beginets' the other day). It was closed, but I could smell something familiar. There is a Subway sandwich shop on the street, and its door was open, and it smelled just like a Subway in the U.S. Quelle horreur!

I stopped at Franprix to get some shaving cream (1,19 EUR for store brand), a container of Soupe au Pistou (French version of minestrone), and another can of saucisses avec lentilles (sausages with lentils).




Dinner was by candlelight on the balcony (brrrrr!). And at 6pm, the church bells near and far rang for several minutes for vespers.

No comments: