In spring 2020, my students and I embarked on an exploration of the City of Lights in our Unlocking Paris class. Each student investigated an aspect of Paris that might not be known to the typical tourist–artistic movements, architecture, and monuments. They then composed blog posts dedicated to their subject, went through peer editing, and finally revisions. Over the next month, I will feature their insightful, lively work on Creative Sanctuary. Our hope is to share beautiful Paris with our readers. I launch the series with my post on Paris’ Covered Passages.
Airy, glass-ceilinged passages make for some of the most charming and pleasant Paris strolls. Although the first passages were wooden and appeared at the end of the 18th century, most of them were constructed in the first half of the 19th century. At the time, the layout of Paris remained essentially medieval—streets were narrow and somewhat difficult to navigate. The construction of covered passages, connecting two streets and reserved for pedestrians, allowed for easier circulation and provided shelter from inclement weather. Aesthetically pleasing, the privately owned passages boasted mosaics, murals, spiral staircases, and filtered light. Covered passages became the height of fashion and of commerce, housing boutiques, restaurants, and even hotels!
Before the 1860s and Haussmann’s urbanization of Paris, there were 55 covered passages. With the arrival of train stations, department stores and the widening of city streets, they fell out of favor and many were victim to destruction. Today, 17 covered passages and “galleries” remain. Especially elegant is the Galerie Vero-Dodat (1826), built in the neoclassic style by a family of successful butchers. Today this gallery is home to Christian Louboutin’s workshop as well as a Lute-maker. Another of the most stunning is the Galerie Vivienne (1823), where the bookstore Librarie Jousseaume has operated since 1826. The Hôtel Chopin is found in The Passage Jouffroy (1847). Formerly the Hôtel des Familles, Frédéric Chopin and his mistress George Sand used to rendezvous here.
Other passages are less elegant and more economical for Paris wanderers and residents. The Passage du Caire (1798) is the longest in Paris and until recently was heavily populated with fashion wholesalers. The Passage Brady (1828) is known as a center for Indian and Pakistani food in Paris.
References
Boyer, Paula. « Dans les passages couverts de Paris. » La Croix 20 January 2019 : n. pag. Web. 9 February 2020. https://www.la-croix.com/Culture/Art-de-vivre/passages-couverts-Paris-2019-01-20-1200996629
Canac, Sybil and Bruno Cabanis. Passages couverts de Paris. Issy-les-Moulineaux: Massin, 2011.
Galerie Vivienne. By David Pendery – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43508185
« Passages & Galeries. » Web. 9 February 2020. http://passagesetgaleries.fr/
The joy of the creative process, minute by minute, hour after hour, day by day, is the sublime path to true happiness. –George Lois
Like many of you, I am beginning my sixth week of extreme social distancing. My work life, social life, and family life have all moved online. I am very happy to maintain my connections with students, friends and family. My advanced literature course has turned into a fabulous Zoom book club discussing Zola’s Le Ventre de Paris (The Belly of Paris). And raucous family happy hours (“cocktail hour” as Mom calls it) launch me into each weekend.
Language is evolving as we grasp for ways to express pandemic life. People are not only staying in, but hunkering down and practicing self-isolation. We’re actively engaged in social distancing so we can flatten the curve. Some are suggesting we crush the curve…
The depth of nothingness is directly related to the experience of everythingness. —Matthew Fox
I’ve spent years combing the internet for tips on preparing my own meals for airplane travel. Especially on long haul flights, I like to bring my own food along for the ride—it is healthy and economical. Some food bloggers prepare fairly intricate, time-intensive recipes for their trips, but with the last-minute chaos I inevitably encounter before I take off, I must keep things simple. In this post I share my strategy for putting together meals for travel and give you a few examples of recent meals I’ve packed.
I am just back from a brief business trip to France and basking in the glory of home. My days in Nantes passed in a flash—meetings, a bit of research, a few get-togethers with friends, and inordinate amounts of bread, cheese, and Muscadet. Then… poof! The week was over and I was headed home.
Every so often I take a day or two to engage in extreme rest. I have created a structured life for myself, so it is never convenient, never easy to drop everything in favor of rest. But I’ve found that stillness staves off burnout. Letting my thoughts fall away energizes me. And successive naps in the span of a few days reengage my creativity, helping me to maintain levity and optimism.
