Montmarte

My son Jude was studying in London this past January, so we came up with the idea of meeting in Paris for a week, at the end. We stayed in Montmarte, a district famous for many things, ranging from the Moulin Rouge to the movie Amelie. Scores of artists worked and/or lived there over the years – Toulouse LaTrec, Edith Piaf, Dali, Van Gogh, Picasso, and others. Visited the Montmarte Museum, which was Renoir’s house and later the home of Maximilien Luce, Raoul Dufy, Othon Friesz, Charles Camoin, Emile Bernard, Francisque Poulbot, Demetrius Galanis, and the trinity of Suzanne Valadon, Andre Utter, and Maurice Utrillo. It’s also one of the oldest buildings in Montmarte, I believe. Besides all of these artists there was a special exhibit on Steinlen, a painter who began with Noir Chat graphics and moved through various phases in his long career, striving for “serious” recognition, even though his early graphic work was probably the best thing he did.

The neighborhood at large is still a bit of an artist community and it’s located at the highest spot of Paris, so you get nice views and lots of leg work – they even point it out in the subway (see attached). We stayed in an artist’s loft, equipped with a key to a rehearsal and recording studio, I unfortunately never had the time to use. Every day we frequented the Atelier P1 bakery for breakfast, for coffee and croissants (or some version thereof). A man and woman ran the counter, probably partners, reminding me a bit of Sweet 16 here in Nashville. He spoke English, she “a little bit”. But we were able to get by, talking to each other each morning, and ordering something from the shop. People from the area would stop by, walking their dogs, picking up fresh goods for the day. The couple were extremely nice and the woman always slipped me a madeline for free, say it was her “presente.” A moment in time, but I miss that place already.