Jan

A New Year’s Resolution for Notre Dame

by Meredith Mullins on January 13, 2020

Savoring the moment (two days before the heartbreaking Notre Dame fire).
© Meredith Mullins

Restoration of an Iconic Paris Cultural Symbol

Renew. Restore. Revitalize. Renovate. Refresh. Rejuvenate. Rebuild.

The new year invites certain words into our sphere of action, as we concentrate on new beginnings and life-changing resolutions.

This focus is particularly timely for the monumental restoration project of the fire-damaged Notre Dame Cathedral—a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and a historic cultural symbol for Paris, France, and the world. No matter what religion or spiritual beliefs are personally held, Notre Dame touches people’s souls.

Through rain and snow and gloom of night . . . Notre Dame has survived more than 850 years of challenges. There is hope for the future.
© Meredith Mullins

Living Near An Icon

I live a few minutes from this revered icon and pass it at least once a day. It has never—ever—been just part of the scenery. I always pause—to look. The “Oh, I see” moments are too many to count.

I am inspired by its grandeur—the articulated carvings, the ingenuity of the flying buttresses, and the reflections on the night-time Seine.

Reflections on the Seine
© Meredith Mullins

I marvel at the rose windows, beautiful from inside and out. I pay humble tribute to the wild and weird gargoyles and chimeras, keeping evil at bay. I am in sync with the melodies of the bells.

One of the guardian chimeras, protecting the cathedral against evil
© Meredith Mullins

Sadly, the view and the sounds have now changed dramatically.

This most visited monument in Europe was devoured by fire on April 15, 2019, as Parisians and the world watched in horror.

The devastating fire of April 15, 2019
© Mervyn Rothstein

First, there were plumes of smoke. Then, skyward flames as the medieval dry oak beams, called “the forest,” ignited like kindling. And when the classic spire wobbled and then crashed into the nave below, there was universal heartbreak.

The pompiers (firefighters) were fearless in controlling the spread of the fire, a task that at times seemed hopeless, but in the end saved the rose windows, the grand organ, and the tower bells.

Firefighters battled the blaze through the night.
© Mervyn Rothstein

The first responders and city and church officials were also quick in their rescue of art objects and priceless treasures, such as the Crown of Thorns and the 13^th century tunic worn by St Louis (Louis IX, King of France).

Now, nine months later, a renaissance is in progress. French President Macron vowed immediately after the fire, “We will rebuild.” And, almost as quickly, donations totalling more than $1 billion came pouring in, from more than 350,000 donors—French billionaires as well as people from around the world who made small contributions, just wanting to help.

Progress on the restoration
© Meredith Mullins

Macron committed to a restoration timetable of five years that some believe was too ambitious given Notre Dame’s history.

After all, its initial construction took nearly 200 years, and it has undergone various complex multi-year renovations since its origin, including a massive restoration of the western façade and the addition of the (now toppled) lead and wood spire in the mid-1800s by the 30-something architect Viollet-le-Duc and his work partner Lassus.

The debate continues about how the replacement for Viollet-le-Duc’s 1850s
spire should be designed.
© Meredith Mullins

What Can We See?

As you walk around the cathedral now, you can still feel its mass and magnitude, as well as its fragility. The church is blocked by fences and barricades. Several cranes rise high in the sky.

There is exterior work that shows some of the steps that have been taken. However, most of the activity is hidden from view.

New scaffolding and netting reinforce the structural weaknesses
and prevent damage by falling limestone.
© Meredith Mullins

Inside, robots work tirelessly to clean debris from the center of the cathedral. The structure is too fragile and dangerous for human movement.

The debris is moved to the tents set up in the courtyard in front of Notre Dame where each piece is catalogued by scientists before it is transferred to laboratories for further analysis of the materials.

A break in the barricade allows for photos of the western facade.
© Meredith Mullins

Critical Next Steps

The work to date has been careful and well-researched. Progress has been made in the cleaning process (especially addressing the lead contamination that occurred in and around the cathedral).

The rose windows will be cleaned and restored to their original positions.
© Meredith Mullins

Efforts have also focused on the removal of items for restoration (such as the windows and statues), the cataloguing and analysis of materials, the reinforcement of parts of the exterior structure (such as the flying buttresses), and the preparation for work in the coming months that will analyze the strength of the remaining structure.

The flying buttresses and Apse area of the cathedral have been reinforced.
© Meredith Mullins

The most critical step is the removal of the metal scaffolding that surrounded the spire at the time of the fire. (A spire restoration project was in process.)

This now-tangled, melted mass must be removed piece by piece, without jeopardizing the incredibly fragile underlying structure. This phase will begin early in 2020.

The critical next step is to remove the damaged central scaffolding
that surrounded the now fallen spire.
© Meredith Mullins

Once the scaffolding is removed, workers will be able to access the stone vaulted ceilings to complete the full diagnosis of the structural integrity and plan the next steps of restoration.

Should Notre Dame be rebuilt exactly as it was . . . or should it be “reimagined”
with a more contemporary look?
© Meredith Mullins

Looking To the Future

How will the restored and revitalized Notre Dame look? The debate lingers. Should it be rebuilt just as it was, or should a contemporary innovation be added, using modern materials and building techniques? Should the roof and spire be reconstructed . . . or reimagined?

The politics have yet to be sorted out, with legislation differing between the Senate and the National Assembly.

In the interim, architectural firms and designers are submitting ideas, from a rooftop swimming pool, to a stained glass roof and spire, to a greenhouse sanctuary, to an all-crystal approach.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxfjNfhBEpM/?hl=en

If Instagram does not display, see it here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxfTQrrAjcP/

If Instagram does not display, see it here.

Some architects have proposed a spire that is similar to the Senate’s desire to maintain the look of “its last known visual state” but have been creative in their suggestion of materials (stained glass, recycled ocean plastic, copper, stainless steel, or crystal).

If video does not display, watch it here.

The French Prime Minister proposed an architectural competition shortly after the fire, but this idea may be over-ruled by legislation.

However, one unofficial competition, organized by GoArchitect, has been completed, with an elegant design by two Chinese architects. The design features a mirrored roof and spire that reflect the surroundings in a kaleidoscopic effect.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0r2QZhIwk0/?hl=en

If Instagram does not display, see it here.

Whatever the outcome of the politics and of the project administration by a general, an architect, and an archbishop, who, no doubt, will sometimes have differing views, the restored Notre Dame Cathedral will be a confirmation of history’s will to survive and will be a tribute to the preservation of the past integrated with a vision of the future.

A cultural symbol of the past, present, and future
© Meredith Mullins

Hopefully, this iconic Paris cultural symbol will continue to inspire the admiration of the world and to elicit poetic descriptions like that of Victor Hugo—“Notre Dame—a symphony in stone.”

Tributes to Notre Dame Cathedral in many forms
© Meredith Mullins

Thank you to the city of Paris and Patrick Zachmann of Magnum Photos for the exhibit presented on the north side of the cathedral.

Instagrams courtesy of The Guardian and Go Architect.

Additional resources from Smithsonian Magazine and Global Times.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 2 Comments

Cultural Symbols/France/France (Paris)

Dec

Cultural Encounters on the Banks of the Seine

by Meredith Mullins on December 2, 2019

Les Bouquinistes
© Meredith Mullins

The Bouquinistes: Icons of Paris Culture

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night . . .

From this familiar and inspiring creed, you may think this story is going to be about a diligent U.S. postal carrier. Not so.

For this “Oh, I see” adventure, we travel to the banks of the Seine for cultural encounters with the riverside Paris booksellers—the bouquinistes (pronounced boo-kin-eests).

Through snow and rain . . .
© Meredith Mullins

This iconic community, like postal carriers, are dedicated to their job—in all seasons, in all kinds of weather. The bouquinistes have been officially authorized in Paris for more than 160 years.

This literary tradition is an integral part of Paris culture. A commonly heard description is that the Seine is the only river in the world that flows between bookshelves.

An integral part of Paris culture
© Meredith Mullins

Bouquiniste Life

Most of the personalities that you meet today on the quay have been selling for 10 or 20 or more years. They are the epitome of timeless Paris. And they love their job.

Bouquiniste Michel has enjoyed this relatively stress-free life for 20 years.
© Meredith Mullins

They open the timeworn green boxes lining the upper quays along the Seine, and voilà—an open-air book market spills out onto the sidewalks, revealing the bouquinistes’ allegiance to Paris’ literary heritage, as well as their unconditional appreciation of books.

A miniature bookstore in the open air
© Meredith Mullins

Some displays look exactly like miniature bookstores. Some look more like tiny antique book fairs or mini flea markets.

A trove of tiny treasures
© Meredith Mullins

Some stalls, because of today’s trend away from print materials (thanks to the omnipresent internet), include more than just books as the sellers struggle to earn a living—from postcards to posters to keychains to magnets to coasters to other tiny treasures.

Inventory to appeal to tourists and supplement the sales of used and antique books
© Meredith Mullins

Whatever the range of inventory, each 10-meter space on the quay represents the personality of the sellers.

Some bouquinistes are specialists, like American Sydney, who has read every book in her stall and strives to connect each customer with the right book.

Bouquiniste Sydney believes “Books are cheaper than therapy.”
© Oliver Gee

Some are generalists, like Albert, who collects all kinds of treasures—from pipes to antique cameras to coins— so that his stall can attract a more diverse clientele (or, as he puts it, so his stall comes closer to reflecting the controlled chaos of his home).

Bouquiniste Albert has a wide variety of treasures.
© Meredith Mullins

In any event, the treasures are all tucked in at night, back into the four boxes allocated to each vendor, and are secured by metal bars, padlocks, and blind faith that no one will dare violate the time-honored bookseller legacy by stealing (although, sadly, tagging is common).

All materials are tucked back in at night, with a hope that their security is assured
through respect of the profession.
© Meredith Mullins

A Dream Job?

As difficult as the job might seem because of the challenges of long hours in an outdoor setting (weather, street noise, pollution, and tons of looky loo tourists during high seasons), the bouquinistes tend to relish the freedom that comes with the territory.

A freedom of selection, although most everything
is covered in plastic because of the outdoor elements
© Meredith Mullins

They can work in their own rhythm, as long as they open their stalls an average of four days a week throughout the year. They pay no monthly rent or taxes.

They can sell the things that they know best or the things that they believe fit their loyal clients’ needs. And, for most, sitting by the river, reading, watching the passing parade, or talking with people who love books, is a stress-free way to spend time.

The long waitlist to become a bouquiniste is a testimony to the appeal of such freedom. There are now more than 200 commissioned sellers, reportedly offering more than 300,000 books along the three-kilometer stretch of river.

The wait time is several years, and once you’ve passed your interview and been assigned your four boxes, it often it takes many more years to work your way to your preferred spot (seniority rules).

The bouquiniste stalls are from Quai Voltaire to Pont Sully on the left bank and from Quai du Louvre to Pont Marie on the right bank. It seems to be a matter of personal opinion as to what the best spots are.

Brigitte has loved her spot for ten years at the eastern border near Pont Sully. But, the President of the Cultural Association of Paris Bouquinistes, Jérôme Callais, prefers his stall downriver on the Quai Conti between the Pont des Arts and the Pont Neuf. He has been a bouquiniste for 28 years.

Understanding the Culture

What can we learn from the bouquinistes, besides the fact that their common denominator is a love of books?

By carefully browsing the stalls, we gain an overview of French culture and history. Which authors appear? Voltaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Camus, Colette, Daumier, Hugo, Balzac, Sand, Dumas, Zola, Proust, Sartre, and de Beauvoir. Which authors are most translated? Shakespeare, Beckett, Hesse, Nabokov, Joyce, Cervantes, Hemmingway, and Baldwin.

We find the Marquis de Sade (for the wild in us) next to Saint Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince (for the child in us at all ages).

The books, magazines, newspapers, and posters are an exposition of French culture, from cinema to cultural idols to sports figures to events such as the Tour de France and the World Cup. Also featured are old Playboys (for the articles, of course) and old newspapers for the headlines of history.

Posters of Yoga cats and Yoga dogs (a must buy), the Moulin Rouge, absinthe, musicians well-known to Paris (The Doors, Janis Joplin, The Beatles, Queen, Miles Davis) show us what trends took hold, not to mention what makes the French laugh, such as Asterix, Babar, and Tintin humor.

Snowglobes of monuments (although snow is rare in Paris), magnets, and prints of street scenes are offered primarily for tourists, but we can certainly learn from illustrations of French flora and fauna, maps, and old postcards that show the history of Paris through the last few centuries.

Like so many of the French traditions in a city that welcomes evolution, the bouquinistes are a potentially endangered species. They have applied for UNESCO World Heritage status to remain an integral part of Paris culture. In the meantime, they welcome our support.

So, take a stroll along the Seine and breathe in the essence of Paris—cultural encounters of the literary kind.

Thank you to Oliver Gee’s The Earful Tower and French Moments for inspiration. To hear a podcast from The Earful Tower with the American bouquiniste Sydney, click here.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 6 Comments

Cultural Encounters/France (Paris)

Nov

Cultural Diversity at Ground Control in Paris

by Meredith Mullins on November 18, 2019

Discovering the Flavors of the World

Traveling to Syria, Italy, West Africa, India, Taiwan, Denmark, China, Greece, Mexico, and the U.S. has never been easier. Especially if you’re hungry.

The Paris phenomenon, Ground Control, offers cultural diversity in a one-stop space, with an overarching mission of encouraging a free and curious spirit (libres et curieux) and an innate concern for the planet.

Meredith Mullins 4 Comments

Cultural Diversity/France (Paris)

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Author Archives: Meredith Mullins

A New Year’s Resolution for Notre Dame

Restoration of an Iconic Paris Cultural Symbol

Living Near An Icon

What Can We See?

Critical Next Steps

Looking To the Future

Cultural Encounters on the Banks of the Seine

The Bouquinistes: Icons of Paris Culture

Bouquiniste Life

A Dream Job?

Understanding the Culture

Cultural Diversity at Ground Control in Paris

Discovering the Flavors of the World