Developed between 2000 and 2002, Parc de la Seille, on avenue de l'Amphithéâtre, was one of the first projects built in Metz's new Amphitheatre district, just south of the train station and the new Centre Pompidou. The paths meandering through the park pass along the Seille, through flower beds, and by the athletics facilities, where I shot baskets at the end of May with an after-school director and a local teen. This gold-toned giant needle is at the top of a hill in the Park. I took a bunch of photos, then walked all around it, looking for some kind of information on it, but got nothin' ... and I was starting to creep the sunbathers and couples out with my camera ... so, I can't tell you anything about it!
Parc de la Seille was developed not only as a pleasant spot for people to enjoy, but also as a preserve, and on the walks I have taken there, I have seen several species of birds flitting about ... alas, I know nothing about birds, so I can only say with a relative amount of certainty that I have seen crows (or is it ravens?) hopping about and a group of ducks making their way along the Seille. No photos of them, though. They moved too quickly!
The park has both raised beds with each species of flower in its own section, as well as wetlands bordering the river. This little blue flower at left was in the latter, and is about 2 cm (1 inch) in diameter, if that. In my Lorraine Flora album, there is also a vibrant orange flower of about the same size.
My first day in my little Metz studio, I grasped the plastic handle on my kitchen sink cabinet ... and it came off in two pieces! Arrgh! I was still unpacking, so I set the pieces on the sink, picked up my shoes, turned to the small wardrobe, and placed my shoes on the shelf ... which promptly tilted downward, due to a missing support peg. I couldn't believe it, my first day, and already two problems, albeit small, with the apartment! This was not a good sign.
Across the street from the square, in a corner space about two or three times the size of my studio, I saw cookware crowded into a tiny window, and QUINCAILLERIE INTER MENAGER in large red letters above. I walked through the door, and was hit with aisles of merchandise overflowing the shelves, more merchandise propped up on the floors and hanging from the ceiling. The proprietress was with another customer, so I wandered up and and down the three aisles, each of which had maybe two feet of walking space down the middle (okay, maybe one foot in places).I was leaving town for a month on the 9th, so by the evening of the 8th, I had already eaten or given away all of my perishables (I hope), and didn't have the ingredients or desire to cook. I headed out the door into the chill, damp night in search of dinner.
Down rue Pasteur, a few short blocks from the apartment, a lone restaurant in the middle of the block was open, Atelier Cuisine. The menu looked promising, it seemed pleasant, and I was cold and starting to get a little wet from the rain. But I didn't want to give up so soon, just because it was the first place I saw. I continued down the street, passing fast food, Moroccan, Chat Noir (closed Mondays). Around the corner, heading back up rue Lafayette past a few bars, a couple of chain/franchise places, a few brasseries, Mexican, hotel restaurants.
Nothing else really caught my eye, and the walk wasn't warming me up as I had expected, so rather than head up toward centre ville, headed back to Atelier Cuisine. I pondered the menu, thinking the terrine de lapin en croûte de lard et buisson de salade (terrine of rabbit with bacon crust and salad) sounded good. But I ordered the magret de canard sauce acidulée aux mûres sauvages (duck breast with a sour dewberry sauce), because bacon can be a bit too rich for me, the berry sauce sounded interesting, and I really love duck when it is cooked correctly... and it was cooked perfectly! Presented on a bed of mirepoix, it was juicy, flavorful, and the tart sauce complemented it nicely.
I was stuffed by the time I finished, but the dessert menu was placed in front of me, and well, I have a raging sweet tooth. Everything sounded delicious, but the riz au lait sur lit de caramel à la fleur de sel (rice pudding on a bed of salted caramel) intrigued me. I have often been pleasantly surprised by sweet/savory combinations, and this was no exception. Even though I was already uncomfortably full, I ate every last bit.
Heading out of the restaurant, I walked around the neighborhood a bit before heading back to the apartment to ease some of the discomfort of having eaten too much. I will definitely return to Atelier Cuisine if I have the chance.
Restaurant Atelier Cuisine
26 rue Pasteur
57000 Metz
+33 3 87 16 35 10
In the last two weeks, I have been to Nancy and wandered about Metz more. I am still slogging through photos to find ones to post, and gathering my thoughts to relate something that would be either informational or somewhat interesting. That could take awhile.
I finally visited the interior of the St Étienne Cathedral today. Unfortunately, the photos I took were a bust. It is tall, and has an incredible collection of stained glass windows. I sat on the floor at the back of the cathedral, behind the organ pipes, trying to take a photo, and noticed the echoes of all the sounds -- babies crying, murmurs, even the wind -- all at the other end! Everything can be heard, and yet, nothing seemed to overpower, although perhaps the latter is because people tend to be a little quieter in churches. It is an incredible space, and although I am not Christian, I was deeply moved by its sheer presence.
This weekend, a series of events were held in honor of the opening of the Centre Pompidou in Metz (which I believe is not fully operational yet. The unaware person I am, I did not know about the festivities until sometime last night, when I happened to see a pamphlet lying under the mailboxes in my apartment building. So today I did a quick tour of a few of the art exhibits, some of which will remain until October, although everything this weekend was free.
There was a giant red half-sphere (dish?) by Anish Kapoor. The plaque on the door describes it as simple yet imposing ... made of a material that both attracts and intimidates. The viewer's image is both reflected and lost... What struck me about this piece, was not the work itself, but the juxtaposition of the symmetric modern piece installed in a symmetric classical room that had been constructed by skilled craftsmen. I do not know if it was meant to be displayed in such a manner, but it stirred, at least in me, both fascination and repulsion.
FRAC (Fonds Regional d'Art Contemporain) Lorraine hosted À Contre-Corps/Countering the Body, a collection of works centered around a devouring theme. There is black string over everything, including the entry courtyard. At first, I hesitated to walk on it, but it was the only way in, and then I saw others tromping all over it and figured that was expected... and it was! The string theme leads through the museum to different exhibits, a collection of photos with blindfolded participants "devouring" food laid out on a man's abdomen, a video of mouths. Again, fascinating but disturbing. The photo shows the end (or is it the beginning) of the strands of string, with lonely (bored?) docent slouching in the corner.
At the Musées de la Cour d'Or, an Alexander Calder retrospective, a timeline of his life and achievements, a series of mobiles, films of him and his works. There was one film in which the expressionless Calder made mechanical toys of circus animals of his making go through a miniature circus act, life-size scaled down to tiny. Again, something a little creepy about it, reminding me of a Stankmeyer film, but interesting. It also reminded me of a project my housemate, Steven, developed with one of his partners. They did the opposite of Calder, scaling up the tiny, by making the game, Mousetrap, life-size. Steven has moved on, but his partner still travels with that manifestation.
Across from FRAC, a sound display. A film of a cellist (whose name slips my mind) playing next to a canyon, the sounds melding, as the echos rebound to join the new sounds emanating from her instrument. When I arrived, Veronique (in the photo), who was greeting people at the door, offered to show me through the display, since she could speak English. Veronique translated what the other docents were saying for me. She has applied for a position at the new Centre Pompidou-Metz, and if anyone there happens to see this, she is a wonderful person and extremely helpful.
From the museums, I headed to Place Saint-Louis, where I was to see the highlight of my day. A band was mechanically playing the standard pop/oldies/dance pieces, like they were reading from sheet music. There were three "cannons" shooting out soap bubble "snow" over the dance area, where adults and children alike were jumping around, having a good time. The band played some Latin beats, but I have to say that no one dances to Latin beats like Latinos -- tall, proud, shoulders level, yet relaxed, smooth, and well, the hip thing! In the words of Liz Guerrini (née Zaragoza), the French (she actually said Europeans, I think) cannot move their hips. The theme of the dance was L'auberge Espagnole (Spanish inn), although I have to say that other than those few songs, I did not notice anything else that was Spanish, and really, those rhythms belong to Latin America and Africa rather than Spain.
And then I saw them. A couple who had certainly danced together for some time, was gliding across the floor. They moved, smoothly, assuredly, using the whole floor, with a grace that far outpaced anything else moving out there. They were relaxed and obviously enjoying themselves, and indeed a joy to watch as well. My camera batteries were running low, plus, my eye is also not quite as good, nor my shutter as quick as it used to be, but I hope I have captured some of their joyfulness.
Et je les ai vu. Un couple ce qui a bien sûr dansé ensemble pour un long temps, ils ont glissé à travers la piste de danse. Ils avancèrent, doucement, sûrement, employèrent toute la piste de danse. Ils ont été relâché et manifestement ils sont s'amusés, et vraiment une joie pour regarder. Les piles pour mon camera ont diminué, mon oeil n'est pas très bien, et mon obturateur n'est pas très vite, mais j'éspère que j'aie saisi leur joie de vivre un peu.
At some point, I remembered how much I actually enjoy photographing people. There is something about the human character that adds life to an image.
Pendant le séance, je me souvins que j'aime prendre les photos des gens. Il y a quelque chose sur le caractère humain ce que faire la vie dans un image.
I did not catch their names, but I did obtain their permission to use their photos in this blog, and left the url for them. I hope they have the chance to visit and download their photos!
Je ne sais pas ses noms, mais ils me permettent d'utiliser leur photos dans cet blog. J'éspère qu'ils puissent visiter et télécharger leur photos.
Photos for this entry are in my Metz Events album (there are other photos there as well).
Les photos pour cette note sont dans mon album Metz Events (il y a les autres photos, aussi).
Sunday, the 10th of May dawned, you guessed it, grey and threatening rain! I think I can count on one hand the number of clear, sunny days since I arrived in early April. I donned my rain jacket, and headed out toward rue La Fayette to make my way to Forte de Bellecroix, the last leg in my exploration of the Circuit des Remparts
From what I can tell, Forte de Bellecroix was conceived by military engineer Vauban in the 17th century, and implemented by his succesor, Louis de Cormontaigne, in the 18th century (and strengthened by Napoleon at the end of the 19th century) to reinforce the East side of Metz. Portions of the barracks were destroyed in 2008, considered to have decayed too much to be safe, and what is left is being renovated for living, retail and office spaces.
Since I actually sort of planned my destination ahead of time, I actually had an idea in mind of where I was going, and noticed little markers that pointed to the path. Still, I managed to miss the boundaries of where the fort began! I just sort of guessed that when I was surrounded by stone walls that I was there.
Not knowing anything about military terminology, I can only say the Fort is a double crown, with an alley down the middle. The foot path takes you down the middle, and there are little side paths to explore as well. I started exploring a couple of side paths, then thought better of it, because they are fairly densely wooded, and I was alone. However, I did see my usual amount of garbage, and this time, something as large as an abandoned motorcycle, which you can see in my Circuit des Remparts photo album.
I have read about underground galleries at the fort, although I did not see any while I was there (maybe they are on the side paths?). I did, however, see a low, covered passage, which you can see in the album. There are plaques along the walls that show you what you are viewing (you can see one in the album, too), but I have to be honest and say I had no idea what some of them meant! I saw quite a few mention gathering places for troops, and wasn't sure whether they meant between the walls, or at the top.
I know I complain about the weather a lot, but I do have to admit that everything is lush and green, right now. This photo is of a flower I took on the grounds, and if you look carefully, you might be able to tell that the dot on it is a bug!
The walk home was relatively uneventful, with a stop at a bakery in centre ville (the only ones open on Sundays) for bread, and another at an ice cream truck by the Moselle. However, not ten minutes after I walked in the door of the aparment, I heard LOUD pattering outside. I looked out the window, and buckets of rain were pouring out of the sky! It went on for a good five or ten minutes, and then stopped just as suddenly as it started. This has happened once or twice a day since then. Strange weather for the gal from California, where rain is more like a light, but steady sprinkle on occasion (we have a lot of droughts).
Side note: underlined blue text and photos on this page are clickable links to other pages and larger versions of the photos. Also, I found on the Merriam-Webster dictionary website, an illustration of different battlements!
Last Sunday was a bit drizzly, but I wanted to get out for my walk, so I headed to the Porte des Allemands, the last of the medieval fortifications, built around 1230. The Porte des Allemands gets its name from a hospital, Notre Dame des Allemands, founded by Teutonic knights, although I have no clue as to WHY they would name a fortification after a hospital. Again, Wikipedia seems to have the most information on it, and it is in French. The photos in this entry are from my Circuit des Remparts album on Picasa, and there are photos there I don't mention or post here, as well. 
I approached the Porte from across the street, and it looked promising, with its four towers. I crossed the street, walked through the arched entrance, turned toward one of the towers to find the entrance into it... and it was blocked! I walked around to see if I had missed it somehow on the street, but no. There was no going up into the tower. Same for the other three. Actually, there was no going into any of the interior spaces other than the courtyard area, because everything had either been walled or gated off. Arrgh! I did notice that the floor tiles were patterned, which had to have been a laborious process when they were made, so I walked up to the gate to take a photo, and saw garbage thrown into the room, just as I had the previous day along the ramparts. And then, it hit me - the scent of urine that pervaded everything! In a town where trash is collected three days a week (four, if you count recycling), I am amazed at how much of it there is strewn about everywhere. Theoretically, you could leave a bag of rubbish in front of someone's house - it would certainly be picked up! As for restrooms, Metz has two McDonald's and several street toilets (which, granted, cost money, but not that much). People can be disgusting. Trying not to get any part of me to touch any part of the building other than the soles of my shoes on the ground, I crouched down to take the photo of the tiles.
On my way home, I passed a sandwich restaurant advertising Américain Frites. As I was taking the photo of the sign, I looked up into the window, and saw the owner staring at me in confusion. I wasn't sure if he was going to laugh or run me out of his town, so I gave him my best cheesy smile and waved. Luckily, he waved back. Feeling very much like a teenager caught thumbing through her parent's porn collection, I ran off down the street!
I spend a lot of free time walking in Metz, partly due to neither having a car nor taking the time to figure out the bus system, and partly due to the fact that there is a lot within walking distance that is interesting. Last Saturday, I trudged along the Moselle again, where it joins the Seille, to explore the Chemin des Corporations, a rampart dating from the Middle Ages, which at its longest in the 15th century, stretched for 7 km. Today, a short stretch of walls and towers remains along the banks of the Seille.
The Chemin des Corporations is so named because corporations (which I think are actually trade associations) maintain them in times of peace (and theoretically, protect them during war). It is part of the Circuit des Remparts, which also includes the Porte des Allemandes and Forte Bellecroix. Everyone else does the circuit in one shot, but I have to be different and cover each on different days and separate entries, because I am slow!
I discovered the ramparts accidentally! I was walking down the Moselle (Northward, but downriver) and saw a huge wall with a drainspout filled with grass and flowers, and thought it was pretty, so I took a photo of it. A sign on the grass below described the walls and towers, so I decided to see what it was about.
I walked through an entry on a path that wound by a series of towers behind a wall overlooking the river. Entrances to the towers themselves were blocked, so passers-by can only look through the windows, which is a disappointing sight, as garbage is strewn about everywhere!
The wall overlooking the river has arrow slits along it. Considering the narrow vantage afforded by the slits, I am amazed that these things were effective for defense, and yet, they were standard in Medieval castles, so they must have been!
Coming out of the walled area, I was on the bank of the Seille, and headed upriver. In my photo of the river in the album, there is a man fishing under the tree on the right, which should give you some perspective as to its size.
I turned back in toward Centre Ville, heading across the narrow streets. I passed a yard with a group of people relaxing at a table, and saw a gawky brown tabby kitten walking across. The cat saw me stop at the fence and pick up my camera, became curious, walked over, and propped itself up on the wall to get a better look. Unfortunately, I had focused the camera before the cat made it into the viewfinder, so kitty is fuzzy and the background is sharp, but you can still see how cute she was! She reminded me of my own group of quadripedal fuzzies back home, and how much I miss them, especially my little Mini cat -- the others will accept food and attention from anyone, but Mini is bonded to me. I feel especially guilty, because I let Piglet sleep with me my last few nights at home. Mini is terrified of Piglet, and would not go near my room. Okay, confession over.
I walked all the way back to the Moselle side (not much of a feat, it's a narrow town), watched some kayakers, took photos of interesting graffiti on some planters, which I'll hopefully have in an album soon, and on one of the bridges, passed a family making their way on little push scooters! I thought they looked cute, and … took a photo!
As an aside, there are now two other people living on my floor (I was the only one at first). I was fawning over my herb plants yesterday, when Dimitry walked up to my window and introduced himself. He is an engineer and lives in the apartment in front of mine. This morning, Farida knocked on my door to introduce herself. She is in the front apartment on the other side, so there is another apartment separating hers from mine. I still see the other three neighbors I met earlier ... and still do not know their names! The one man stops on occasion and attempts conversation. I decided it is better to respond with more than "oui," "non" and "pourriez vous répéter, s'il vous plaît?" (could you repeat, please?), so I have taken to responding to him in Franglish. I admire his patience. Sometimes we chatter for several minutes, and I have no idea what either of us has said!
The photos in this entry are from my Circuit des Remparts album:
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| Circuit des Remparts |
More about The Circuit des Remparts can be found on the Parks and Gardens Promenades du Centre and the Circuit des Remparts pages of the Ville de Metz websites, however, there is not much there, and it's all in French. If anyone finds anything with more detail, in any language, please let me know!
For photos mentioned in this entry, please view my Musées de la Cour d'Or album on Picasa.
Saturday, the 25th of April began the same way most mornings have started since I arrived in Metz, cool, overcast, threatening rain. I decided an indoor activity was the best plan for the day, and headed to Musées de la Cour d'Or (Golden Court museums). There are three main sectors, each a collection of local artifacts: Musée archéologique; Musée d'architecture; and Musée des Beaux-Arts.
The museum's curators created a set path for viewing, so you see everything in the order in which they want you to see them. I appreciate the structure, but I can see how others would prefer a more freeform manner of meandering through (there are a few points where you can hop from one area to another and review or skip portions).
The archaeological collection begins in the Gall-Roman era, and an unearthed section of Roman baths. The collection includes artifacts of worship (see Autel à Bachus photo), objects used in daily life (medical implements photo), and funeraria (photos: cremation urn; reconstructed tomb). The era ends with an Autel à Mithra (pictured here). According to the museum signage, Mithraism is Iranian in origin, although that is debated by David Ulansey. Quite a mystery!
I stopped taking many photos and started rushing through when I reached the Middle Ages and Architecture. I had arrived in the afternoon, after combing the Marché Couvert for housewares and interesting foods, wasn't sure what time the museum closed, and it was getting awfully quiet! I move through museums more slowly than everyone, because I read everything (though I don't necessarily retain all I read). Anyway, I seem to remember more tomb recreations (from a Necropolis south of Metz), examples of coinage, a timeline, and a map depicting who was where and when, which I did try (unsuccessfully) to photograph.
Metz architecture has Roman and Gothic influences, and the civil (as opposed to military) 13th century buildings have an Italian influence: towers that mimic dungeons; low roofs set back from the walls, creased in their upper parts to act as rain gutters.
One of the first paintings I noticed in the art section was St Christopher carrying the infant Jesus, by Peter Huys (pictured). At first glance, I thought it was something by Heironymous Bosch, because of all the weird background activities. It is not something I would want in my house, but it was like a train wreck ... I had to stare!
Leaving the museum, I walked around the building to get a feel for where I had been, and found myself at Place Jeanne d'Arc (she is from Lorraine, a little town called Domremy, and her parents' home is now a museum), in front of Eglise Saint-Ségolène. I am amazed at the number of churches here, given the size of the city! This one dates from the 13th century, and like many Metz buildings, is built from a honey-coloured stone known as Jaumont.
The museums are in old-town Metz, where streets are narrow, and likewise, walking areas are narrow. It can be quite scary when cars zoom by! The photo in the album shows a street with (relatively) wide pavement.
I dragged my tired legs back to the studio, where I sprinkled thyme from a plant I bought at the marché (I have that, rosemary, sage and basil, all perched in a row on my windowsill) onto a chicken breast and cooked it and an eggplant in my single sauté pan (I have two pans, but I use one to boil water for tea) on one of two electric burners, which have all the responsiveness of a snail!
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