Mary Richmond Design

Traveling with Little Kids

On our recent trip I traveled with my daughter, her husband and their two sons, my grandsons, 18 months and 3 years old.

We did a lot of homework about both Paris and Amsterdam and things to do with really little kids there and generally we found the information available less than helpful. The three year old has traveled to Australia and Spain and both children have flown across the country to California more than once to visit relatives so no one was new to the planes, airports, trains or undergrounds.

What we did have trouble with were the activities listed in various guides, magazine and newspaper articles that would be appropriate for these little guys.

One of the reasons I was along was to keep the children entertained at the apartments or on walks while their folks shopped, visited museums, etc. It was a no brainer that they were too young to be patient for most of that. We did hope to use the parks and maybe find a puppet show or two.

They loved the open air markets and the parks but in Paris the parks were not quite what we hoped for. Both the Tuleries Garden and the Luxemberg Gardens are recommended as wonderful places for very young children to play and we visited both with hopes of long runs and some ball chasing to let little legs run and lots of energy play out. Neither place allows you on the grass. There are lovely paths, lots of cement and lots of sculptures, fountains and pools. But no grass to run around on. It's there. It's just off limits.

We did find this area of the Luxemberg Gardens where grass sitting was allowed. It was well patrolled and no running, throwing or kicking of balls was allowed. Dogs were quickly asked to leave and chairs were moved to the sidewalks.

What you see here is pretty much the activity allowed....

We had a great time with the kids in Paris, regardless of the park situation. They ran around on the cement and looked at all the birds and flowers and just generally had fun.

We walked them around the streets, took them on a boat ride on the Seine and let them eat baguettes and chocolate croissants. The three year old had learned some French which he happily shared. His "Bonjour, m'appelle Evan!" warmed many hearts. His younger brother just said "Berrrr" which could have been Bonjour but we think it meant more bread!

Here they are looking down on Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Of course it didn't mean much to them but they liked riding in the elevators and looking out "through the cage." Wherever we went the older one could always find the tower in the landscape and tell us we'd been there so who knows what he'll remember?

Amsterdam was definitely more kid friendly than Paris. First, their parks were big and inviting and you could walk and run around on all the grass.

They even got to chase some baby ducks around. I think that may have actually been one of the favorite parts of their trip. That and the chocoalte croissants....and the cat in the bakery window across the street.

Amsterdam also has a zoo and we spent a long afternoon there.

Kids love zoos, even when we don't. This zoo was an old European zoo with many updates but some very old cages and exhibit areas. It was quite large and the kids just loved it. We will go back next year when we return to Amsterdam for another week.

Traveling with really little kids has its ups and downs and you can probably imagine most of them. I wouldn't trade a minute of this trip. Well, maybe the part where the little one screamed on the airplane for the whole descent......It was a magical time with my family in places so wonderful that it is really difficult to describe in any meaningful way. To see these little boys introduced to so many cool and new things while they are young enough to just accept it is very gratifying. Hopefully they will carry a sense of curiosity and adventure with them for the rest of their lives.

Cafe Life in Paris and Amsterdam

One of the most fun things in Paris is the unabashed people watching that is not only expected but encouraged. All the cafes are arranged with the chairs facing outwards and when full the cafes look like the street audiences they are. I couldn't bring myself to take photos of people in a packed cafe but you can sort of get the idea from this picture I hope.

Each cafe, brasserie and bistro has its theme and colors. Many have waiters assigned to bring in people from the street. They will usher you right into a seat and pop a menu in your hand before you can say "Bonjour!" We saw very few waitresses, by the way, mostly waiters.

There are whole streets and neighborhoods devoted to food. This little stretch had foods from around the world with Greek and Moroccan specialties as well as various Asian and Italian offerings.

Windows are full of temptations, artfully arranged. The lack of refrigeration scares me a little though this window at least had ice. Many do not.

Here's another shot of a cafe showing all those ringside seats just waiting for the show to begin.

More food all dressed up and waiting.....

Amsterdam is also full of cafes and coffeeshops, though coffeeshop there has a slightly different meaning.

I couldn't resist this shot of the Cafe Hans et Gretl.

Many of the cafes in Amsterdam were set up much differently than in Paris. You order your food inside then carry it out to a table.

In both cities the food and coffee were always excellent, the service casual and the people watching beyond compare. Menus varied from simple to exquisite and so did the prices. Paris prices are much higher than Amsterdam. A cup of Cafe au Lait averaged 9 euro (about $16 American!) in Paris. The same in Amsterdam was less than half that. 

Art on the Streets of Amsterdam

I found Amsterdam utterly charming. We stayed in the canal district with all the wonderful brickfront houses with whimsical and grand windows all in the same building. They say that when the houses were built the owners were taxed on how wide they are so they built up instead of out. Most of the houses are three or four stories high but quite narrow. Some have no doubt been divided up into studio or small apartments but many remain as single family homes, such as the one we stayed in.

Everywhere on the streets of Amsterdam you will see paintings and graffiti. In fact graffiti is a revered art form there and there were books and magazines devoted to it in the windows of bookshops throughout the city. Some of the art I photographed was done by some of these well known graffiti artists but I don't know one from the other at this point so please forgive me.

I loved the above painting of Van Gogh at this corner "Coffee Shop." As a pretty heavy duty absinthe drinker himself he probably wouldn't mind people sitting around outside on a sunny day in front of this mural indulging in some, well, weedy recreation. This mural was right around the corner from us and I passed it several times a day.

If you've read my blog for awhile you know I am a tile designer and artist so of course I had to take a picture of these tiles set into a house wall.

  Here someone has decorated an industrial type building where people park their bikes for work.

  I just liked the textures and colors in this one.

Supposedly this one is very famous.....

This kind of graffiti is everywhere and is supposedly done by an English graffit artist who is very well known but has managed to stay anonymous. They just did a big article about him in the New Yorker magazine.

As I post these I notice that my street art pictures from Amsterdam sure look different from those from Paris. Different cities. Paris has its own share of graffiti, especially along the Seine but I didn't photograph it. It wasn't until I was in Amsterdam and saw all the attention given to it there that I really became interested in it.

There were lots of other cool things painted on walls and many tile panels but I didn't photograph too many of those. As you can see, I became more intrigued with the art of the here and now....

It's interesting to me how much a part of European life art and architecture are. Their sense of design is more sophisticated than ours and is evident everywhere. I'll do a post on some of the cool things pertaining to this that I saw in the next few days.

I turned a corner on one of my last days there and saw this little pink chair. Talk about street art! At least for me it was. This isn't the best shot but it was a very busy afternoon and getting a picture without someone jostling me or walking in front of the chair was not easy!

Anyway, thanks for hanging in there with me so far. What else do you want to see?

Art Appreciation in Paris

There is always a long line to get into the art museums in Paris, at least when we were there. You can buy city or museum passes that get you in more quickly but the majority of people seem to stand in long lines for a long time. This is the Musee D'Orsay, one of my faves in Paris.

While in Paris I visited the Pompidou, to see the Louise Bourgeois retrospective and I went to the D'Orsay to visit my old friends such as Bonnard and Vuillard as well as Monet and Degas. I love the Pompidou because it is so edgy and modern and proud of its Frenchness. As large as the MOMA in NYC it seems to me to offer deeper shows. The exhibits are huge and take a long time to work through, compared to exhibits I've been to recently at the MOMA that encompass a few large gallery spaces. One exhibit at the Pompidou took a whole floor and was a very thorough look at the subject through the ages. The Bourgeois exhibit was very cool, even if, like me, you are not a total fan of her work. You got to see the whole process and thought behind her work and the way it developed, including large installation pieces and her working drawings. A very complete presentation.

This time the D'Orsay disappointed me. Throughout the museum people were taking photographs. Hundreds of photographs. They were walking right up to paintings, snapping a photo and going to the next painting. Now folks, this may be a shocker but they actually sell books with these paintings in them. What are people doing with all these photos? Some people were taking pictures of themselves with certain paintings. "Here is me in Paris with a Monet." Ok.......????? I found this distressing and discouraging. When I was out of the more "popular" galleries the photography thing was virtually nil so I was able to hang out with Bonnard and Vuillard mostly undisturbed...but this trend is weird, I think. I noticed it the last time I was in NYC, too. When did this happen?

This sort of thing was also happening all over Paris and I loved it. School children, even really young ones, were everywhere looking at and talking about paintings. Yes, school children here get taken to museums, too, but mostly to see particular exhibits. These kids were being introduced to the whole museum! And, they seemed to enjoy it. One of my favorite things was that they were being shown nudes as well and weren't all giggly and silly as might be expected in one of our museums. I'm sure here some parent would sue the school and the museum for showing their child lewd images or some such thing. In Paris, not so much.

The parks are full of art. Sculptures of all kinds, including this huge spider piece. It's twin is at the Pompidou.

Outside the Luxumberg Gardens is a huge art exhibit of photographs. These are not ads, but really beautiful photographs in an exhibit. You can see people stopping to look at them. Each photo has a description, some have poems and all have info about the artist. It's very cool.

We walked by this tile panel every day going back to our little apartment and on the last day I thought it would be fun to have the picture so here it is. It is not unusual for Parisian businesses to have wonderful signage.

Check out this shop selling umbrellas. I loved this sign and the window--ooh la la! So much fun.

After seeing all that art it is easy to feel inspired so I just had to stop into Sennelier's famous little shop. Yep, all those beautiful pastels and paints can be found right here. The clerks wear white coats and stand behind old wooden counters. Behind them are drawers full of colors and powders, paints and mediums. You can grind and make your own pigments or buy them them ready made in wonderful jars. And of course you can buy the pastels and paints themselves. I bought some new watercolors there. I love their intensity and they are difficult to find here for reasonable cost. Yes, even in Euros they were reasonable there and I felt like I was walking home with treasured jewels in my little bag.

Parisians love their art and their history and of course they have a very rich art history. I studied French art history in college and find I am among old friends when I walk the streets there. I love the blend of old and new, the historic and the trendy. The old is certainly not forgotten but there is plenty of room for the new, too. Just sitting out in front of the Louvre lets you know that. For me, it's a lovely, tantalizing mix.

Ah, Paris. What is there not to love about this city?

Art in the Gardens and On the Street

  The streets and cafes of Paris are full of artists and writers with sketchbooks and notebooks. Moleskines seem to be everywhere and are easy (though very expensive) to buy in many sholps there. People are busily sketching and painting and writing and taking pictures everywhere you turn. Our culture of constant documentation and self expression relating to what is in front of us is sort of interesting, I think.

This woman was painting a view of the Louvre. She attracted a little crowd of admirers that changed as new people arrived to see what she was doing. I liked that she was so formal and all in white. No jeans or t-shirt for her!

  This fellow was plunked down right at a busy pedestrian intersection but he didn't care. People careened around him as he sat concentrating on the scene in front of him. Throughout our stay I saw many artists on street corners painting scenes like this one.

I had my eye out for a small painting or print to bring home and when I saw the sweet little primitives this woman was selling for 20 Euros I decided to buy one. She was all set up with her paints and her little chair and I was actually sort of excited to buy from her. I even got her to pose for this picture.

When I got home I unwrapped my little painting and found out I'd been conned. The so called painting was printed on canvas and was a cheap reproduction. In the next few days I was to see so called artists "working" on all sorts of so called paintings that were really just reproductions. In fact almost all the street art wasn't worth the paper it was printed on. How disappointing is that? In a city full of people painting you just know the real thing has to be out there! Street art has always had a certain sleaziness and informality which is probably part of its appeal. There is no gallery or even a frame to contend with. There's you, the artist and the work. How sad to think that people have found a way to make even art a con game.

Window Shopping in Amsterdam

Windows are different in Amsterdam. Many are filled with beautiful clothes, shoes and leather bags just like any other European city. There is jewlery and food and many other things. It was the other things that fascinated me.

A little warning here if you are easily offended. Not all these windows are g-rated and I didn't even take pictures in the infamous red-light district.

Many windows, like the one displaying ceramics from Delft are commercial but others, like this second one are in someone's home. These little folks caught my eye. Did anyone else use spools with nails to crochet long ropes of yarn that were coiled to make rugs, seat covers, etc.? I did and I recognized this little collection right away as being related. They are much cuter than what I used.

The birds in the window are felted and are amazing to see in person.

Everything is so lovely and orderly....

Dont' look too closely here if you don't want to see certain things....

or here, either....

Here's a few things you won't find in the windows of American stores....I had to take this picture to show my sister. As children of the 60's this would have been a shop we would have wanted to stop in once upon a time....

This window is of a button shop and everything in the window is made with buttons, including the lampshade....

My favorite window was this one, the one my little grandsons are looking out. Across the street was a little bakery and there was a shop cat that entertained them for hours.

I love windows. Both for looking in and looking out, don't you?

Window Shopping in Paris

There are so many wonderful windows to peek in throughout the city of Paris....I found myself taking pictures of the ones that attracted me on some level and the outcome was sort of interesting, to me anyway.

See if you can pick up a theme....

So did you find a theme or two? What is your favorite window display?

Flowers Everywhere, In the streets and in the windows....

Parisians love their flowers and there are flower markets, flower stores and flower stands throughout the city. The last time I was there I fell in love with the window boxes that decorate the city. It seems as if every Parisian considers it their honor and their duty to help keep the city beautiful. It's just delightful.

This time I was there earlier in the summer and people were still buying their flowers and planting their summer displays. Some places were well ahead of the curve but others were still in the preparation stages. 

Flower stands are full of wonderful color and are very lush. The pinks and violets and blues of this beautiful grouping just made me go "oh my!"

One of the most striking things about Parisian flowers is their cost, especially when you realize that everyone has lush flower boxes. A small box of plants (like our six pack of annuals) costs around 5-6 Euros which is about $9 American! The same box here would cost around $2.50!

The larger more elaborate plants cost around $25 Euros and those are the ones seen most often. Obviously it's not just bread, cheese and wine the French love to buy! They will pay for their flowers, too!

This fellow has a whole garden on his balcony.

In Amsterdam you can buy all sorts of bulbs and flowers at the Bloem Market. It is open daily and is bright and colorful even in the rain and drizzle that seems to dominate the weather there at this time of year.

The canal district, where we stayed, is full of beautiful panaramas with flowers and boats, buildings and water everywhere you turn.

These folks kept it simple and just put one color in their window boxes.   Notice how it matches the wooden window above with the carved heart in it.

            This is a classic doorfront in the canal district. Lovely old building, lots of flowers and the ubiquitous bike. A little romance, a little practicality, a whole lot of fun....

Then there was Keflavik where the air is still cold even though the sun shines just about 23 hours a day. The flowers here are much less showy but very hardy as evidenced by these little purple blossoms growing in the rocky cliffs.

There's something in our nature that loves a spot of color and flowers offer that and more. They give us a spot of life, a glimmer of hope and more than anything, a reason to smile.

When I came home the flowers were in bloom here, too and I went right out and filled my window boxes. There is a light mist falling and if I close my eyes I can still feel and smell both Paris and Amsterdam and remember the grace and beauty that is found even on the humblest of city streets there. No matter how old and crumbly, poor and tattered a neighborhood may seem, a few colorful flowers may do more for the soul than just about anything else we can imagine.

Vive le fleurs!

                                                                                                                                             

Where to Begin?

Well, I'm back!

After a week in Paris, a week in Amsterdam and an unexpected but wonderful extra day in Iceland, where do I begin?

Just to give you an idea, this morning I uploaded 441 pictures to my computer....

This first view is the view out my bedroom window in Paris.

This is a view of the street we stayed on in Amsterdam.

And this last one is a photo of the town of Keflavik in Iceland....

I will be writing some posts about my trip but first want to think about it, absorb it a bit more. There are so many things to compare and contrast, so many amazing sights and stories.

And the short version is this. The trip was inspiring and went very smoothly, was full of delights and surprises, old familiar faces (in paintings!) in their historic places and a wonderful opportunity to be with my daughter and her family. It was awesome.

I have come home feeling rejuvenated and refreshed and ready to enjoy my work and my life.