Longpont Abbey

February 23, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

On our last trip to France, Joel and I spent several days exploring the Champagne region of France. On our two hour drive back to Paris we passed through numerous small villages; at one point happening upon a beautiful, though decrepit, church. So, we pulled over to take a closer look.

The actual church was in ruins and seemed to have artillery damage to it, which wouldn’t be uncommon for the area. There was a larger building behind a wall connected to the church but all the doors were locked so we couldn’t get very far.

Even in its disrepair, we marveled at this beautiful sight and exulted in the fact that we had happened upon it. That’s one of many joyful things about spending time in France…there’s so much history around every corner; even in the middle of “nowhere”.

At the time I didn’t keep track of the village the church was in, and I have wondered all year about the history of that church. Finally, I decided to attempt to “Sherlock Holmes it”, piecing together several bits of information until I finally found it online!

I discovered that the church we saw is Abbaye Notre-Dame de Longpont (Longpont Abbey), located at the edge of the Retz Forest in the village of Longpont.

And what an interesting history it has!

Founded in 1131, it was home to the Cistercian order of monks and nuns and was in use until 1793. After the French Revolution it became disused and began to fall into decay, however the real damage came from the German invasion in 1918.

In fact, the fighting was so fierce that the entire village of Longpont was almost totally destroyed!

This photo shows the destruction.

More about the battle that destroyed the city…

“Longpoint was captured on May 28, 1918, by the 28^th Reserve Division of General Von Boehn’s army. But the French fought fiercely and recaptured it two days later. On June 3, the Germans made a determined effort to gain the Villers-Cotterets Forest and succeeded in retaking Longpont and other villages at its edge, but gained no foothold in the forest. They were finally driven from Longpont on July 13^th. Five days afterward, before the great counter-offensive they fell back rapidly from this whole region, the dashing attack of the second American Division being delivered only about a mile north of Longpont. A storm center in such terrible backward and forward fighting, the almost total destruction of the once charming village may be readily understood.”

The village has since been rebuilt and it’s lovely and quaint. The abbey now contains a hotel where they host weddings and other events throughout the year.

What a delight to happen upon this piece of history while rolling through the French countryside.

Photo courtesy of Rêve de Châteaux.

The Scandalous Art of James Ensor

January 3, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

Over the summer I made a trip to the Getty Museum on a sunny afternoon in Los Angeles to take in the stunning architecture, views of LA and an interesting art exhibit by a Belgian artist I’d never heard of before.

The exhibit was entitled The Scandalous Art of James Ensor.

Ensor (1860-1949) was a painter, printmaker and draftsman who lived most of his life in Ostend, Belgium. He began as a portrait painter and created hundreds of realistic portraits, sketches, and landscapes.

Some of his “normal” paintings include Old Lady with Blue Shawl (The Artist’s Grandmother), 1881

and Russian Music, 1881.

The years of 1888-1892 were a turning point in Ensor’s work that earned him the scandalous reputation. During that time, his work began to focus on religious themes, and though he was an atheist he seemed fascinated by the torment of the suffering Christ. Ensor was fascinated with masks and skeletons and enjoyed painting grotesque images in these works, most of which were rich with symbolism and political commentary.

Perhaps his most controversial work was the large painting Christ’s Entry into Brussels, 1889. In it we see a large mob of people walking alongside Jesus as he rides on a donkey (no doubt a play on the Triumphal Entry recorded in the New Testament). Many members of the crowd are wearing grotesque masks. In the crowd there are several historical figures, including Belgian politicians, and even members of Ensor’s family. Ensor felt that he could relate to the mockery Jesus received from others.

Other interesting grotesque paintings by Ensor include The Intrigue

Skeletons Fighting Over a Pickled Herring, 1891

and Skeleton Painter in His Studio.

Ensor had an important influence on expressionism and surrealism. In the early 20th century he finally became respected and acclaimed. He was even knighted and given the title of Baron.

It was quite interesting to see so much of Ensor’s work in person and to learn about this instrumental and “scandalous” artist.

London’s Oldest Wine Bar

June 20, 2017 by admin 1 Comment

Last month when Joel and I were in London, we enjoyed visiting Gordon’s Wine Bar, nestled under the streets of the city. Established in 1890 and located near Victoria Embankment Gardens, it’s thought to be the oldest wine bar in London.

Run by several generations of the same family over the years, it has a lived-in, musty atmosphere and is filled with interesting decor.

If you don’t know what you’re looking for you might miss the entrance as you’re strolling down Villiers street. Through the door we walked gingerly down a steep and narrow staircase.

It’s an enjoyable environment where you can sip and dine by candlelight in their underground vaulted cellars. It brings to mind the French cave, a cellar, vault, or cavern.

While there we drank some lovely Bordeaux, Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc and shared a platter of Parma ham, a mild cheese, pickles and freshly baked French bread.

They have a good selection of meats, cheeses and sundry bites to customize your cheese platter. They also serve lunch and dinner year round in their cellar and on the outdoor terrace.

Peruse the wine list online here.

The staff were warm and welcoming and as they say at Gordon’s, they aim to “bring the French joie de vivre to the atmosphere and ensure our customers are well looked after.”

The bar tender was friendly and interesting to chat to; a young hip Italian with a British accent when he spoke English. At various times there were several people in the parlour speaking melodiously and loudly in Italian.

In the late 1800s Rudyard Kipling was a tenant in the building and both he and G.K. Chesterton wrote some of their works in the wine bar’s parlour.

If you’re in London it’s definitely worth a visit!

Experiencing Historic Canter’s Deli

June 10, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

On Labor Day, Joel and I took a spontaneous trip to the very famous Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles for lunch.

Three things to know about us…

First, we aren’t very spontaneous.

Second, we hate crowds.

Third, we don’t like long drives.

(I promise we are actually fun people!)

So the fact that we drove nearly an hour (on Labor Day, no less!) to get a pastrami sandwich was quite out of character for us.

Strangely enough, the 2 Freeway was nearly empty. Uhhh…when does that ever happen and how is it possible that it happened on a holiday?

I asked Joel if he thought we had entered the Twilight Zone.

But back to Canter’s…

Canter’s is a traditional Jewish deli, open 24 hours a day, in the Fairfax District near West Hollywood. They’ve been operating since 1931 and the deli has been passed down through 4 generations of family.

Many TV shows have filmed scenes inside, including Mad Men and Curb Your Enthusiasm. It was our first time there and it was fun to visit.

I’m the one who initiated this trip and, in all honesty, there are two things that lured me there.

The first and foremost has to do with a band. I’m a huge Wallflowers fan. Over the last 20 years I’ve heard them mention often how they got their start at The Kibitz Room, a bar that is attached to (and owned by) Canter’s. At the start of the Wallflower’s career they were regulars playing at The Kibitz Room, so I wanted to see it in person. (There’s still live music there most nights).

The second thing that lured me in was Canter’s Instagram page.

Well done to their marketing team because once I started see photo after photo of those gorgeous, fat, high-stacked pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, I was ALL IN! I couldn’t get those sandwiches out of my mind!

So…the food.

The had the “Brooklyn Avenue” sandwich which is pastrami and coleslaw on rye bread. It came with sides of potato salad and pickles. It was tasty and had a generous portion of meat. The coleslaw was delicious. I could eat a vat of it.

Joel enjoyed his beef tongue sandwich and we shared a homemade vanilla malt that was fantastic.
Next time I want to try the Reuben sandwich with corned beef and sauerkraut.

Canter’s serves breakfast lunch and dinner, along with many traditional Jewish dishes like matzo ball soup and knish; and they have a large dessert counter.

Inside Canter’s, the interior is old and worn down. It could definitely use freshening up but the food made up for it.

After lunch we walked through The Kibitz Room next door. It was small and felt like a bit of a dive, but I’m sure it’d be a fun place for a drink if there was a band you wanted to see.

So glad we went!

The Ornate Pont Alexandre III

May 10, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Though I’ve traveled to Paris several times, I’ve never visited the Pont Alexandre III until our recent trip.

(“Pont” is the French word for “bridge”)

The famously beautiful and much photographed bridge created in the Beaux-Arts style was named after Tsar Alexander III who cemented a new diplomatic relationship between France and Russia in 1892.

Classified as an historic monument, the bridge was inaugurated at the 1900 World’s Fair. The construction is a feat of engineering with its 20 foot high single span steel arch.

Crossing over the River Seine, the bridge links the famed Champs-Élysées boulevard on the Right Bank with Les Invalides (the site of Napoleon’s tomb) on the Left Bank.

With its Art Nouveau décor you’ll find lions, nymphs, maidens, cherubs, fish, and more on the bridge. It also has a lovely view of the Eiffel Tower in the distance and of course the river with all of its boat traffic gliding underneath.

Take a moment to take it all in if you find yourself in Paris!