Finding Caravaggio

It has recently been a thrill for me to discover three Caravaggio paintings in Rome. I have been to Rome many, many times, and I have a person goal to see all the Caravaggios that exist. But for all these years, I had not yet seen three paintings on the life of St. Matthew.

Checking my list I noticed that The Calling of St. Matthew, The Angel and St. Matthew and The Martyrdom of St. Matthew were all located in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi (St. Louis of the French). I made a mental note to look for that church sometime this summer.

After my tours ended, I thought I would wander a little to see what I could see. A friend was visiting and we went to the L'Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. An interesting place all its own (especially the 'mother house' in Florence).

As we were walking away from the Piazza Navona I saw a sign for the Piazza de San Luigi dei Francesi. My brain skipped a few beats as I tried to discern why this seemed significant. I then pulled out my (yes, old-fashioned) note paper and scanned my list of Caravaggios--there it was a listing of three in the church that was located on this piazza.

I walked into the church and as I slowly made my way toward the small side chapel where the painting were located, my excitement grew, anticipating this viewing. Several other great paintings passed, but as soon as I saw the play of light and dark, and the dark punctuated with color, I knew I had reached the spot. I felt myself on the verge of weeping with joy at seeing such beauty. My companion listened patiently as I described each painting and the history behind the paintings.

In a previous post (Caravaggio in a new light), I mentioned the digital Caravaggio exhibit at the Loyola University Museum of Art in Chicago. This is a great way to see the paintings if you cannot get to see the real thing!

National Gallery, London: Cézanne and Velázquez

If your travels this fall take you to London, you will want to visit the National Gallery. And if you have been there before, this is a good time to re-visit the location.

Cézanne (Cézanne in Britain) and Velázquez (first such extensive exhibit in Britain) are special exhibit.

Tom

Celebrating Picasso's 125th Birthday

In honor of Picasso's 125th birthday this year, Museo del Prado in Madrid is showing of the master's work. It is an appropriate place for this exhibit: it not only honors Picasso's work but also his museum directorship, 1936-1939.

The Museo de la Reina Sofía is also the place to see Picasso in Spain.

For general information on Picasso and the exhibits the joint museum site.

Tom

Galleries LaFayette, Paris

So you arrive at your hotel and you see the free map at the front desk. You pick it up and are further enticed by the offer of 10% off shopping at the Galleries LaFayette. You recognize the name and are excited to head off to one of Paris’ most famous department store.

Galleries LaFayette have been a shopping destination it was opened in 1896 by Theophile Bader and Alphonse Kahn in more or less the same location, near the Opera (40, Boulevard Hausmann, 9th Arrondissement). Probably a better description of the extensive shopping opportunities at the galleries should be called a shopping arena--the Opera location has no less than building housing the various offerings.

Do shop there—it is quite an experience.

Only one caution: if you want to do Tax Free shopping, be prepared to take all of your receipts to the main building and wait in line to fill out a piece of paper with your name, address, etc. This at first seems to be a sign-up list for a newsletter (and may still lead to that) but you are meant to give it to the associate who will then enter all your information to print out the tax refund form.

After shopping through the various galleries, it can be a bit daunting to have to face this one last bureaucratic process. Nevertheless, definitely do it if you have tax you claim back.

Tom

Musée de l'Orangerie: Monet, Renoir, Picasso, Cézanne, Gauguin, Modigliani and more!

After six years of redesign and renovation, the Musée de l'Orangerie in the Jardin des Tuileries, Paris, has reopened. It is a stunning location and a mesmerizing presentation of some of the world's greatest artists.

On the museum, read this New York Times article.

The ground level seems very simple and, at first, not worth the wait (better if you have a reservation--see the museum's website--but it's not too long of a wait if you go late in the day) and being troubled by a security screening. Once you enter the first gallery presenting Monet's Water Lilies or "Nymphéas" ('large format'--they take up nearly entire walls) you realize that it is the perfect setting. Despite the buzz of people admiring the scene, you feel almost transported to a pleasant afternoon along the River Giverny.

And as if on that river bank, you could sense people of all sorts taken by the scene: from the grandfather teaching his granddaughter about art to the young man expressing his sheer amazement of the work to his disinterested girlfriend.

Moving to the lower floor, there is no disappointment. Gauguin, Picasso, Cézanne and many more confront you as you leisurely stroll through the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume collections.

Crepes and food in Paris

It seems that the price of food-everything from crepes to prix fixe-has risen as steadily as the temperatures this summer.

Crêpes are disappointing: it is hard to find anyone who is making the crêpe fresh. Watch out for those pre-made ones stored in open stacks. No telling how long they have been there; when re-heated they are less than tasty. Besides, some crêperies are folding the crêpe before filling and that just won't do. Not to mention that in the course of a year, the on-street price has risen from about €2 to as high as €7.

Food prices in restaurants have risen dramatically too. And with the rise in price has come a decrease in quantity and (yes, this is possible) a decrease in service.

However, I must mention two restaurants that rate high on my list for value, quality and service.

The first is Les Trois Marmites. A tiny restaurant of only bout 35 seats, tucked away in the 20th arrondissement. The price has risen, but still below most prix fixe places (it is now €19). The food is outstanding. Everytime I take friends there they are somewhat dubious because it is out-of-the-way, but when they take their first bite, they are completely impressed. The flavors just explode in your mouth.

The menu changes regularly so it is hard to say what to have, but there are ample choices for 1st and 2nd plates as well as desserts. They also have a good wine list. Only caution: very warm inside during the summer and no outside seating. Be sure to make a reservation! No website; address: 8, Rue Julien Lacroix, 75020 Paris (Métro: Ménilmontant). Phone: 01 40 33 05 65. Hours: 8pm-2am; closed Monday. (Map)

The other location is La Maison de Verlaine. Situated in the house where the poet Paul Verlaine died from alcoholism and perhaps toxicity due to absinthe, the place is small and interesting. Food is good quality French, with some of the best Onion Soup I have ever had. It is now owned by a Greek family, so do not be surprised to find taramasalata on the menu! Located near the Sorbonne in the 5th arrondissement, friends don't moan about the distance, and are impressed by the taste. Wine list is good and the house wine is nice.

They offer several prix fixes some without wine and some with (from €12 to €24). Temperatures are warm inside during the summer but tolerable; worth the wait for an outside seat. Ask for Spiros. No website; address: 39, Rue Descartes, 75005 Paris (M&eaute;tro: Cardinal Lemoine). Phone: 01 43 26 39 15. (Map)

Tom

Where to Go for Gelato in Rome?

Wondering around Rome is a sure way to get very hot. And there is nothing more refreshing than a scoop or two of gelato. Like many things, gelato has origins full of romance, legend and downright mythology. And like other things, gelato can be really good or it can be really bad.

In Rome there are so many gelato shops that it can be hard to decide which is best. And it can also be a challenge to get back to the one you already know you like. Do you really want to ride the metro all the way back to Piazza di Spagna when you are at St. Paul's Outside the Wall?

Here are some suggestions for gelato shops near monuments and important sites.

If you find yourself at the Trevi Fountain dying for gelato, do yourself a favor a walk a little away from the fountain. San Crispino has been making a name for itself for some time, and has been ranked best by New York Times. Facing the fountain, turn to your right and head up Via del Lavatore. Just a minute or so up the road you will see Via della Panetteria (map) on your left. Turn left and watch for the shop at number 42 on the right. They are open late to accommodate those who are catching a view of the fountain at night.

Another site that has its fair share of gelato shops and can be very confusing is the Piazza Navona. Probably the best gelato (especially the specialty tartufo, invented here, a chocolate gelato truffle) is to be found at Tre Scalini. Standing at the Fountain of the Four Rivers, stand by the figure that seems to be shrieking in horror, looking at St. Agnes Church. Then look to your right along the buildings and find the first street. Just to the right, look for number 30 (map).

A lesser visited spot, the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II yields a gelato gem. Try the gelateria Il Palazzo del Freddo di Giovanni Fassi. Besides great tasting gelato, you can also see some of the history of gelato making. Standing near the Giardini Piazza Vittorio, look for Via Princepe Eugenio and head to number 65-67 (map).

The Pantheon is a great location for a visit or just to take in the splendor of the sphere inside the church. But one place, the gelateria Giolitti offers more than the usual cup or cone of gelato. Instead you can get their special, 'copa Giolitti' and truly satisfy your gelato craving (you might want to relax a bit afterwards before walking on in the heat!). From in front of the Pantheon facing that great American restaurant with the big gold M, walk to your left down Via della Rosetta; continue on through Piazza Maddelena onto Via Maddelena. At the end of that road make a right and walk straight on until you run into Via degli Uffici del Vicario, just after Via Campo Marzio on your right. Watch for number 40 (map).

Any shopper knows that the Campo de' Fiori offers tons of bargains. But it also can be hot and exhausting. When you have picked through the market's offerings, take a well-deserved rest at Alberto Pica. It is a little bit of a walk, but head back toward the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II along Via dei Giubbonari. When you run into the wide Via Arenula, turn right (toward the river) then watch for Via della Seggiola on your right (about 5 minutes) turn into the street and look for number 12 (map).

Keep an eye out for more suggestions.

Enjoy!

Tom

Espresso redux

In a previous post (Gelato, Espresso and Water) I was bemoaning the rising cost of three staples of an Italian visit (and I dare say, life).

It is always a pleasant surprise when I find a high quality, highly recommended location that contradicts the ordinary.

Such is the case with the Café de Paris on Rome's Via Veneto.

The café found fame with Fellini's La Dolce Vita and has inspired celebrities and ordinary people ever since. Outside its walls you can find stills from the filming of Fellini's look at a young Roman's search for the elusive 'sweet' life that is nothing more than ephemeral. (See a summary of the movie at The Fellini Files.)

But inside the café is where the real suprise awaited me. I was asked by some friends to hunt down the location and to have an espresso. As has become somewhat usual, I was expressing doubt about finding a reasonably priced espresso in Rome, especially at such a place as this.

We arrived and were greeted warmly by the staff. After paying at the typical cash-desk before ordering, I was stunned that a single espresso was only 1 euro 60.

I was actually floored!

This is still not the 1000 lire of the past, but it is a far cry from the 5, 6, 7 euros I have seen elsewhere such as the Piazza Navona in Rome or the Piazza della Repubblica in Florence.

Kudos to you Café de Paris!

If you are in Rome or soon will be, you can taste the joy of the low price and the good espresso (remember this was a bar price) at Via Veneto, 90 (Metro: Barberini).

Tom

Where Do Heroes Go When They Die?

This entry could be an essay on the fading idea of a hero.

It could be a diatribe on the lack of 'true' heroes.

It could even be a discussion of the characteristics of heroes, asking perhaps, "Is a basketball player the same kind of hero as is Achilles?"

But this entry is none of these. Instead what this blog concerns is how we nearly everyday encounter things from the past yet are so completely unaware of them.

In archaic Greece there was no sense of heaven and hell. The gods lived in various locations, most notably, Mt. Olympus; humans lived on earth. Mt. Olympus was not 'heaven' and humans did not go there.

When humans died, regardless of good or bad, they went to Hades or Tartarus. It was the underworld but not 'hell', just a place not on earth where mortals dwelled after death.

But in the human psyche, particularly for ancient Greeks, it seemed self-evident that some humans--heroes--deserve a little more than, let's say, economy class after-life accommodations.

It is with mentioning that heroes were always 'good'. Heracles killed his children, Achilles sulked in his tent and let his beloved Patroclus go to his death. The key element of their being heroes was not always being good or the best. Rather they faced adversity and made choices. Though those choices may not have been the best, and though they may have led to disaster, the hero never shrunk from responsibility. Instead he learned from the adversity and the consequences of his choices. In a way, he 'lived' through the obstacles. That is key: no going around the bumps in the road of life. Instead, an almost single-minded determinism to drive right through the obstacle.

Such people, the Ancient Greeks thought, deserved more. So instead of in Hades with the rest of us, the heroes were afforded a happy after-death in the Elysian Fields.

I wonder what the heroes might think of what has become of their Elysian Fields.
In a complete turn of fate the Elysian fields are immortalized in a very real, but very different, place. And it is a very modern place, filled with high-end shops, trendy fashion designers and the latest in haute couture.

That place is the Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris. The avenue leads from the Arc de Triumph to the of Palace du Louvre.

So next time you are strolling the Elysées, consider what the heroes might be thinking. Or imagine yourself as one, and this is your after-life!

Tom