Basilica of St Denis, Paris (part 1)

One church I like to visit repeatedly is the former monastic sanctuary now known as the Basilica de St Denis. Flourishing in the 3rd century, St Denis has since become the patron saint for those suffering from headaches, an association which undoubtedly stems from the story of his martyrdom (after being beheaded, he reportedly got up and carried his head to where it/he was eventually buried). He had been instrumental in bringing Christianity to Paris, becomings its first bishop. His importance grew steadily as the centuries progressed, with the church now known as St Denis becoming a major destination for pilgrims. Since the basilica is outside Paris (to the north), few tourists bother with the additional 30-minute ride on the metro, but I prefer this church to any other in Paris.

One of these pictures shows the ribbed vaulting in the ceiling of the northern aisle leading around the apse and to its chapels. This seemingly simple vaulting is something I have admired for decades, for I believe it is a very early example of ribbed vaulting, instrumental in leading into the Gothic style of church architecture which would continue for centuries and is still being imitated today.

The gargoyle within the sanctuary was momentarily lit by strong sunlight streaming through the southern clerestory windows. I have not altered the colours in any way, and as I shot, enjoyed them shifting as clouds drifted by.

I have also been intrigued by the inevitably straight rows of chairs in cathedrals, and cannot leave without taking just a few shots of the sunlight playing on the highly polished wood of the worn chairs.

St Denis has been the burial site for French monarchs ever since King Dagobert (d. 639). On the first anniversary of the beheading of Louis XVI, a mob invaded the basilica and dismantled most of the royal graves, scattering bones at will. Napoleon later had the damage be repaired, but I can still remember standing in the crypt, pondering the stacks of unidentified bones sorted by type. I was therefore disappointed to find that the bones have been removed (for proper burial, for DNA testing to reassemble skeletons?) I include a picture looking up the stone stairway which descends into the large crypt. Millions of pilgrims ascended and descended these steps in order to venerate the saint.

Finally, the structure of St Denis enables one to get very close to the bottoms of some of the stained glass windows in the crypt. I took advantage of this and include several pictures (camera hand-held) of the glass, showing how the ancient painting on the glass is wearing thin but many of the colours remain remarkably true some 800 years later. [Click here for more of my photographs of the Basilica of St Denis.]

Trees along the Avenue des Champs-Elysee in May

The Avenue des Champs-Elysee is perfectly oriented so that one has views of the Place de la Concorde when strolling southeast and the Arc de Triomphe Etoile when heading northwest. Millions of biking fans see this famous avenue at the conclusion of each year's Tour de France, and it is one of the favourite places for tourists year around. Created in 1670, this avenue of nearly 2 kms is considered one of the most beautiful in all of Paris. If you continue going southeast, you enter the Jardin des Tuilieries, which provides increasingly better views of the Louvre, the palace essentially abandoned by Louis XIV.

My interest in enjoying towering enclosed spaces in the city's churches prompted me to spend an afternoon strolling under the avenue's stately trees. They have been planted in perfectly aligned rows, at times three or four rows wide on each side of the avenue, with their lower branches pruned so that people can easily walk underneath and have unobstructed views in all directions. Some trees are allowed to grow naturally, their branches forming partial arches, reminding me of a cathedral's vaulted aisles. Other trees have been pruned so that they form an enormous hedge along the avenue, at times reminding me of cathedral naves. Although the trees look artificial when severely pruned, this was the type of human control over nature that French royalty imposed on their surroundings in the 1600s and 1700s, and one happy consequence is that people have excellent views of important buildings and a sense of open spaces which are grandly displayed.

This Pentecost Monday (a holiday in France) was a bit windy, so the compacted dirt and stones under the trees at times provided clouds of dust which precluded taking pictures. At other times, the weather was ideal and people could sit on the hundreds of green benches and catch their breath or watch the world pass by. I enjoyed observing families relaxing together, individuals contemplating or sunning (the city is populated with sun worshipers), children calling out happily while riding around on their small scooters or bikes, couples paying homage to the springtime rituals of mating season, and people casually strolling and taking in the marvelous views. If only more city streets could have trees like these . . . .

Slavery Workshop held by Christians in Paris

Yesterday I attended part of a colloquium on Slavery ("Christianisme, Esclavage, Liberté, Mémoire") kindly hosted by the American Church in Paris, near Invalides, where Napoleon is buried. This was not unlike academic colloquia at universities, small but populated with people who are keenly interested in the topic and knowledgeable in the field. This was organized by Agape, and in particular by Dr. Jean-Claude Girondin (sociologist and scholar who is also part-time pastor of the Mennonite Church at Villeneuve-le-Compte). The colloquium has become an annual activity held on the international day focusing on slavery, but sadly, the celebrations must be accompanied by constant reminders that slavery still exists in various forms throughout the world.

My friend, Dr. Neal Blough (Director of the Mennonite Centre in Paris and a lecturer on church history at the Protestant seminary, Faculté Libre de Théologie Evangélique, Vaux sur Seine) spoke on the crucial role of the Quakers in raising the consciences of key people in the United States in the 1700s and 1800s. That small group of Christians had an influence far beyond its numbers in the eastern United States, and the beliefs of their members were profoundly affected by two ideas: (1) one should live at peace with everybody, no matter what the cost, and (2) one should 'do to others what you would like them to do to you'.

A trio of musicians presented powerful renditions of various songs in Creole about the the sufferings of slaves and their yearnings for freedom from relentless oppression. As a musician, I particularly appreciated their contributions.

Agape prepared beautiful banners which were displayed on two sides of the large room. Each banner featured either an idea or a person who effectively called attention to the injustices of slavery, and included quotations from writings which proved to be crucial in the debate which lasted for centuries. These attractive banners were informative and kept drawing people's attention throughout the day.

Expressions of Faith at St Germain des Pres, Paris

Yesterday I visited the parish church of Saint Germain des Pres in Paris, a beautiful Gothic style church which is very active in helping the needy (raising a budget for this purpose of 250,000 Euros annually). Originally, this was the site of the oldest church in Paris, part of the abbey founded in 543 by King Childebert. This powerful abbey was independent of the authority of the bishop, and consequently not under the jurisdiction of those controlling the cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris.

I appreciated expressions of faith in this ancient church. The structure itself bespeaks faith and industry--the high enclosed spaces were architectural marvels which draw the eye and mind upwards, for many people, God has best been conceptualized as being located high, above. The spaces were quite dark, in spite of the bright day. This reminded me that the builders had to create relatively small windows, allowing the walls to be substantial, to support the incredible weight of the very high arches and ceilings. I tried to capture this sense of height photographically. It also reminded me of the mystery believers appreciated centuries ago, the willingness to accept and relate to the soft touches of light, seeing them both as physical expressions and as glimmers of hope.

I was also moved by the beauty of the groupings of candles, each paid for and lit by someone wishing to offer a prayer for a deceased loved one, or possibly on behalf of a concern of a friend or some worry they carry personally. One of the photos shows candles close to marble plaques commemorating and listing the names of those in the St Germain des Pres parish who died in the World War II, another shows candles before the statue of the Virgin.

I do not think the windows are truly ancient (12th c.) but I was intrigued by the colours of one widow and show a small pane which is the in lower right-hand corner of a much larger stained glass window.

Although I am uneasy photographing people in church, I used my 70-200 lens to record the pensive mood of a young lady pondering a statue, plaque and flowers by herself. The lighting was intriguing, the moment was very personal and beautiful. I also waited quite a while to get a photo of someone leaving the former abbey church, showing them in profile as they returned to the bright light after spending perhaps 30 minutes or more in the contemplative darkness of the sanctuary.

Antiquites Brocante, Bastille, Paris

I attended the Antiquites Brocante (accents are not permitted by this blog site) at the Bastille area in Paris this afternoon. For 8 EUROS, one could visit nearly 200 stalls, each under a tent (the weather was mercifully kind). It was so utterly crowded that one often had to wait before advancing a few more steps. Taking pictures with my larger 5D seemed out of the question, so I used the small G9 and practiced stealth photography: shooting on automatic from about waist high, and hoping the desired subject was in the picture. I took many pictures without bothering anyone (I think).

The fair was located on both sides of the canal which goes from the river up to and under the Bastille. Some customers were obvious pros, quietly pulling out their special magnifying glasses from leather pouches so they could inspect markings on the silver. Others were equally obviously playing dumb, hoping to get a better price, while some just enjoyed bantering and bargaining to see what would happen. A few people pretended to be looking for something, but even I sensed they were looking for something else, something far more valuable.

Today is VE Day in France, the second holiday of the week, so quite a few shops elsewhere were making a long weekend of it, schools were dismissed, and the tourist areas were crowded, including this fair. I am particularly fond of the hand-pointed pottery and dishes made by Gimper, but judging by the prices, I am not alone in fancying their wares from generations past. These pictures show some things by Gimper, a sign advertising the fair (well-placed so that it can be seen by thousands of drivers daily), a lady brocading while waiting for customers, people intensely examining wares, and stall operators just killing time until someone sufficiently worth (i.e., interested) comes along.

Flowers in Vancouver in early May

People cannot recall such a cool spring in Vancouver as the one we are enjoying. (I say "enjoying" more as someone who adores flowers than as a golfer.) The tulips, which I expected to be shredded from their stems by the recent rains, are still glorious. Both the cultivated and the native bleeding hearts are just coming into bloom, the periwinkle is reminding me why it is a favourite west coast ground cover, and Vancouverites will be enjoying spectacular displays of rhododendrons for at least three more weeks. Slugs, on the other hand, will enjoy cherry blossoms for another 10 days and then feast on our new lettuce, beans and peas for months to come.

These pictures were taken on a misty Saturday morning, under dark skies. Unpredictable breezes forced me to push shutter speeds up to 1/640th of a second (ISO 200). I tried to find exposures which would emphasize the hues of the damp greenery so it could serve as blurry background for the more forward spring colours.