A cold and rainy day – indoor activities were called for. After lolling about for much of the morning, Christiane, Betty and I set out for Musée de Cluny, aka Musée National du Moyen Âge, or the National Museum of the Middle Ages. The museum includes Roman-era thermal baths and the 15th century Hôtel de Cluny. In addition to a notable collection of art from the Middle Ages, the museum is home to a series of 15th tapestries known as the Lady and the Unicorn. The museum was highly recommended by my friend David, a former Iowa neighbor and early Roman historian who had visited me in Paris a few years ago. It seemed this miserable weather offered the perfect opportunity to dive back into European history.
The collection is organized chronologically, from antiquity to the Early Middle Ages through to the 15th century and as one wanders from room to room, you are able to appreciate how technological advances contributed to new art forms.
The Heads of the kings of Judah. Twenty-eight large statues of the kings of Judah dating to 1220 originally overlooked the western façade of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris and were destroyed during the French Revolution.
Around 1300, the availability of thinner and more transparent sheets of glass combined with discovery of the silver staining technique allowed stained glass artists to create bight and intricate designs with few colors. This piece from ~1324 is from the Saint-Denis Abbey Church in Paris
The Lady and the Unicorn is a group of six wool and silk tapestries, each of which show a noble woman flanked by a unicorn on her left and a lion on her rights. Five of the six tapestries are considered to represent the five senses, whereas the meaning of the sixth is a bit obscure, though its inscription “À mon seul désir” (To my only desire) may guide the viewer's own interpretation.
Touch - as shown by the Lady touching the Unicorn's horn
Kirsten KaarsooThanks for this information. I have seen these tapestries in a number of books etc but never bothered to find out more. You did my homework for me. :) Reply to this comment 1 month ago
I can always count on Christiane to introduce me to a classic Parisian restaurant. She had booked us an after-museum lunch at Bouillon Racine, a Bouillon Chartier restaurant that opened in 1906 as Art Nouveau architecture swept across France. A complete renovation in 1996 restored the Art Nouveau style, with beveled mirrors, colored stained glass and marble mosaics. Now classified as an Historic Monument, Bouillon Racine is said to evoke the Belle Epoch era and offer one “an immersion in the Paris of yesteryear.”
We arrived about 15 minutes early for the reservation, but were happy to wait at the bar and escape the cold and rain. The atmosphere was warm and convivial, and it was evident that this was a favorite gathering spot for group celebrations and/or special occasion with friends. It didn’t take long before our table was ready and our food was served. Christiane and Betty thoroughly enjoyed their meal, but I found that the food did not live up to the atmosphere. I’d ordered turbot and though quite tasty, it was very difficult to remove the meat from the bone – perhaps a consequence of undercooking. When Christiane spoke to the waiter, he suggested that next time I order the Dorade filet! Despite my troubles with the fish, we took great delight in the atmosphere, in each other’s company, and for the chance to be out of the dreadful Paris weather.
The main event today was lunch at Sonia’s, a friend of Christiane that I had met when I was in Paris last April. Christiane and Betty were in town and they had invited Sonia to dinner at the apartment, an occasion that might bring a little cheer while her husband was gravely ill in the hospital. And cheer was indeed the word of the night – with peals and tears of laughter all around the table. Today, Sonia was reciprocating with lunch at her apartment, one with a reported spectacular view of the Tour Eiffel.
After stopping by the local boulangerie/patisserie for baguettes and desert, we made our way through Place Violet and up to Sonia’s apartment. Magnificent! The view was beyond outstanding and the décor “agréable,” as Sonia would say. We dined on Moroccan carrot salad, boeuf bourguignon, potatoes Lyonnaise, and a wonderful assortment of cheeses – all so very French, and very delicious. Christiane and Betty raved about the wine, noting it’s velvet sensation on the palate. We’d bought an assortment of small cakes, with Sonia and I quickly gravitating to the two chocolate varieties that we shared. It was a very special afternoon for me, embraced by the warmth and generosity these three women whom I’m lucky enough to call my friends.
Sunday morning line at my neighborhood boulangerie/patisserie
Jacquie GaudetExcept for that big building on the left, it looks like you are standing in front of a watercolour painting of Paris! Reply to this comment 2 months ago
Kathleen JonesNah, you’re not happy at all. Suffering terribly.
Kirsten KaarsooTo Jacquie GaudetWas going to say the same thing. It looks magical. We are still in a winter wonderland!! Reply to this comment 1 month ago
Christiane and Betty head back to Bologna tomorrow while I begin two weeks of intensive French classes. I'm sure I'll have a lot to study, but will likely find time for a post or two before Mar 21 - the departure date for Seville and the first of my cycle tours.
