A night at the opera (house)

Last night, we attended a performance of the ballet Sylvia in the Garnier Opera house.  This ballet, music composed by Leo Delibes and choreographed by Manuel Leris, had its premier here at the Palais Garnier in 1876.  The Opera house is a gorgeous building that built from 1861 to 1875 and reflects the ornate tastes of the times.

Much of the exterior of the building is under restoration and shielded by wrap.  What remains exposed is still lovely.

Inside, the auditorium is beautiful and a little over the top at the same time.  The musically themed ceiling is fairly modern. It was painted by Marc Chagall in 1964.

Chagall's ceiling

We were seated under the Magic Flute (La Flute Enchantee)

Ceiling art

Box seats

Photos are not allowed during the performance, but cameras came out for the curtain call.

Place Igor Stravinsky

Today was a cloudy, wet day in Paris, but there are always plenty of things to see and do, even when it is raining.

Including enjoying the animated fountain structures in the Place Igor Stravinsky.  

Notre Dame in Paris

Today we arrived in Paris via TGV train.  Three pleasant hours of travel that would take us about 8 stressful hours by car.  

Although we have taken many cab rides from the Gare de Lyon station to our hotel, today's was exceptional in that we crossed the Seine twice.  Our hotel and Gare de Lyon are both on the right bank of the river, but the taxi driver's GPS took him across the river twice to get here.  We had a good look at Notre Dame along the way.

After lunch, I went walking back to Ile de la Cite, the island on which Notre Dame is located.  I crossed 4 bridges to access the island, cross to the other side of the Seine, and return.  Here is some what I saw.

I didn't go inside Notre Dame today.  There were really long lines streaming in and out of the church (and time admission tickets are required).

Notre Dame from the west

From the SSW

Still under restoration

From the SW

The Seine, just south of Notre Dame

The Conciergerie, a former palace and courthouse, on the north side of Ile de la Cite

Adieu to Arles

Today is our last full day in Arles.  So I'm sharing a couple of photos from today.

Street art, that translates to "Feel the prose"

A door into une petite jardin

A European goldfinch

My last cup of cafe creme in Arles

J'adore Arles.  À l'année prochaine.

Last market of our visit

Market day is always a big event here.  This morning, I went out and bought all the food that I wanted, then later, I walked from one end of the market to the other, which is about a mile.  It's quite amazing what is available at the market.  Today was quite warm, but cooling shade was provided by the huge trees that line the street.

The west end of the market has a lot of lower priced goods, affordable clothing, and all kinds of practical items.  I bought a fly swatter there today.  

The middle of the market is close to the heart of the city and tourist sights.  There vendors sell more high-end and tourist-oriented merchandise.

But it's still amazing see to the diversity of items offered at the market, like mattresses for sale in the middle of the street.  I hope that they would include delivery.

Always a surprise

This afternoon, I went walking.  It was 87 out, but there were plenty of interesting things happening.

At the Place de la Republique, I could hear African drumbeats coming out of the Hotel de Ville.  So, I headed that way to check it out.  A wedding celebration was going on inside, with dancing.  Over the years, I have seen bits and pieces of many weddings happening there.

Then, to escape the heat, I went inside the Eglise St. Trophime.  Inside the old stone church, the temperature dropped by at least 20 degrees.  That was impressive.

Then, a Triumph club of France rally rolled into town.  I must have seen 35 Triumphs.  Nothing cultural, historical, or artistic, but something popular.  

Day and night

We live in an old neighborhood of stone buildings ranging in age from 200 to nearly 2000 years old.  By day there are lots of interesting things to see in the neighborhood.

This is what a nearby Place (Place Geneve) looks like by day.

Last night, from our rooftop terrace, we were watching swifts flying around in the twilight. We could hear music and singing, so we walked towards the Place and were surprised to find a giant neighborhood party going on.  People had hauled tables and chairs to one section to eat dinner, then the entertainment began.  Live music, singing and dancing.  What an interesting event to stumble upon.  Here is a bit of what it looked like.

Today is a national holiday, Ascension Day.  The celebration must have begun on its eve.