The Last Baguette… Au Revoir Paris
I remember when I planned this trip and lamented that it was 8 months away and now my two month odyssey has come to an end. I have had my last baguette in Paris for now and I am heading back to Santa Fe in the morning. I had my last supper in Paris tonight at the l’Avant Comptoir La Mer and last night it was l’Avant Comptoir. I have really enjoyed having these two great restaurants in my neighborhood. Their great tapas style French...
The Paris Art Fair and the Politics of Art in France
This was my second visit to “Art Paris” which is the fantastic Art Fair held every spring in the Grand Palais on the banks of the Seine. “Art Paris” is the leading fair for modern and contemporary art in Paris and this year it brought together 143 galleries from 22 countries. The venue itself is a work of art. The Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées, commonly known as the Grand Palais was built for the Universal Exposition of 1900. It was...
Ici C’est Paris-Here Is Paris
Whenever I travel anywhere I look for things to do that might be not be obvious additions to any itinerary. You will not find any of these events on the “Top 10 things to do in Paris” lists, but I contend that these kinds of things should be on the list if you really want to experience this wonderful city. I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you about some of those events I have attended that have really added to this...
The Musée d’Orsay
I have had the opportunity to visit many museums in my life, but I believe my favorite will always be the Musée d’Orsay here in Paris. It started life as a train station built on the left bank of the Seine to bring people into the center of Paris for the great Exposition of 1900, but by 1939 its short platforms could no longer handle the longer trains of the day. It has had several uses over time from a mailing center during WW...
A Rainy Day in Paris
I woke up this morning to the sound of rain on the window. Most people, after wasting precious minutes complaining, would immediately think about finding a museum to spend the day in, but there is something about the simple pleasure of walking in the rain with an umbrella that has always transported me to a special place and I could not wait for the chance to do that in Paris. I had already made one foray into Montmartre, but I knew I...
Paris First Impressions
I am so sorry about not doing a better job of keeping up with the blog and after you read this I hope you will understand. I have lots of pictures and good notes and I will catch up. First know that I am having an incredible time in Paris. Every evening I come home and think about how I really have to write a blog or do a Facebook post about my amazing day at the Musee d’Orsay or walking down the Champs-Elysees or wandering...
Memories of Maastricht
The last five days at the European Fine Art Fair were very intense. After two days I could tell you with certainty that I had walked by all 275 stands and circled ones I wanted to return to because I saw a painting or an object that I wanted to spend time looking at or ask about. I know this because I dutifully marked my progress on my map of the site. The interesting thing is that the third day when I started retracing my steps it...
The European Fine Art Fair
It has been a couple of days since I attended the “Vernissage” of the “The European Fine Art Fair” or TEFAF in Maastricht. “Vernissage” is a term used for a preview of an art exhibition before the formal opening. The term is actually French for “varnishing”. Often artists would give the finishing touch to their works by varnishing them the night before the opening of an exhibition and it became a custom for patrons and the élite to...
Leaving Amsterdam
It is sad to leave a place like Amsterdam. The week went by so quickly, but what a week it was. If what follows seem like the ramblings of a boy in fantasyland it is because they are the ramblings of a boy in fantasyland. I saw lots of boats and bicycles and then I almost got run over by a bunch of people riding bicycles that were feverishly ringing little bells that were attached to their handlebars and yelling at me. I don’t...
The Museums of Amsterdam
I am having an incredible time on the first leg of my journey. Amsterdam is a beautiful international city. The Dutch have a deep respect for the United States and most of them speak English, especially those in the public eye like people in restaurants, shops and the Tram operators. A few have asked me about Trump. They seemed puzzled (as most of us are) about how a man like him could actually be considered for President and trust...
The Journey to Amsterdam
I had a great trip from ABQ to ATL to AMS which is Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. I left ABQ at 1:25 pm on March 2nd and after passing through Atlanta I arrived in Amsterdam 12 ½ hours later at a little after 10 am March 3rd. If you ever make this trip it is important to note when making hotel reservations that you will arrive the next day. Guess who made that mistake the last time? Okay it’s time for a geography lesson. The...
The Great Art Adventure
It all started the day I read that article from the February 10, 1958 issue of the Santa Fe New Mexican. It was recounting the memorial service that had been held the day before to remember the artist Alfred Morang. Alfred was the unofficial Mayor of the Santa Fe art community and he had died tragically in a fire a few days earlier. The director of the Art Museum Dr. Reginald Fisher was one of the people who spoke. Dr. Fisher ended...
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