Wednesday, April 16. Quiet morning. Lyn and Tyler arrive around 12:15. We sit in the sunshine at Place Igor Stravinsky reading the course description and info about the "Meridien" from the architecture course that Alain is teaching at Reid Hall. Decide to see as much of the "Meridien" as we can today since it is the basis for the class, which Tyler will be participating in on Thursday and Friday.
We start off by walking to the Louvre via the Fontaine des Innocents and Place Ste Opportune. Visit St Germaine l'Auxerois. Walk through the Cour Carre of the Louvre to the Pyramid. Over to the quai and down to the Pont des Arts (pedestrian bridge). Down rue Dauphine to rue Buci. Have lunch at ________.
Down rue du Four to major intersection (Sevres-Babylone), which the map says is called Place Le Corbusier. We walk all around the intersection but can't find a sign. Down the Rue d'Assas to Rue Vaugirard and the Jardin du Luxembourg. See dome of l'Observatoire. Walk across park and out the east side. Take RER from Luxembourg to Cite Universitaire.
Le Corbusier. At Cite Universitaire, we see the Swiss Pavillon designed by "Corbu" but unfortunately can't go in as it closed at 5:00 p.m. So we continue on to the Maison du Bresil (Brazil), also designed by him. It is open and we have a guided tour, including the room that was left in its original state following the extensive renovation in 1999-2000. Wonderful guide.
Walk through Parc Montsouris to see the little streets alongside the park. End up on Avenue Reille. Amazing building at corner # 53. (Later find out it was designed by Corbu as well!)Continue on to Porte d'Orleans and metro stop. Ride line 4 almost the entire length, transferring at Barbes Rochechourart for Pigalle.
See fabulous house belonging to Alain and Katia. It's a former bordello! Bathroom completely mosaic and is listed on the French equivalent of the National Register. Books. Mirrors. Books. Records. Books. Alain's office. Skylights. Stained glass window. And more books. This is my kind of house!
Out to dinner at Le Ch'ti Catalana, a little Catalan restaurant nearby that we choose arbitrarily but which turns out to be great. We try a lot of the "entrees." Asperges with pimento sauce. Camembert flambee. Ravioli escargot in cream sauce. Anchovies on slices of pimento with tapenade and pesto. Two bottles of wine (Cote de Languedoc). Two great desserts: Creme catalan (similar to creme brulee) and mousse/cinnamon chocolate.
I take cab home. Completely spent.
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