Wednesday, 30 January
This month has been really busy - especially at work! Though that doesn't mean that I have been less active outside of work... This month I have been to England twice (being able to go to London in two hours is great)! On the cultural front, there have been numerous events - concerts, readings, art exhibitions... Last night I went to a nice little concert at the Sorbonne. Flora Barrientos, a Mexican pianist played a "tropical" recital with pieces by Mario Ruiz Armengol (1914-2002), including his Cuban dances. Í'm a big fan of latin music, particlatly classical music. I first discovered Latin American classical music during a concert at the London School of Economics a few years ago. The music is easy to listen - certainly more so than European classical music.
Last week the winner of the 2007 Booker Prize read at the Irish Cultural Centre. She read from her winning book, The Gathering, about the ups and downs of an Irish family. The Irish Cultural Centre is a regular favorite of mine, not least because of the free Guinness offered before readings!
The Romanian Cultural Centre hosted a really good performance of Baroque music in the Salon d'Or of the Romanian Embassy. The event was one of the best I have been to in Paris. The music was so good, I even bought the CD.
The Sorbonne also has an excellent calendar of events. The events are made all the more special by the impressive surroundings...
Bastien Lucas played some of his chansons... his music if very French, but very popular - the auditorium was almost full.
Whilst travelling home to England one weekend, this unusual train caught my eye - it turns out that it had just arrived from Russia. Apparently there is a regular train service between Paris and Moscow... it must be a journey of several days! Though it would be great to make such a journey...
The Sorbonne also hosted a Baroque concert. The performance lasted nearly two hours with quite a large orchestra. Usually this auditorium is used for university lectures - it's a superb space with classical paintings and sculptures on the walls...
Whilst out walking one weekend I passed the very photogenic Notre Dame... the sky is so blue - the photo could have been taken in the summer...
Here is a nice view of the Panthéon. The building is well illuminated at night - the grey of the Panthéon contrasts nicely with the amber glow of the other buildings.
Here is one of the finest views of Notre Dame. It is as seen from the library of Shakespeare & Company.
Whenever I walk past St. Sulpice at night, I always notice this strange human-shaped shadow. At first I thought it was a shadow of a real person. It turned out to be the shadow of a statue in the church.
posted by James at Wednesday, January 30, 2008
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