MUSEYON GUIDES » France

Extended Travel: Lourdes, France

Kellas — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:18:24 +0000

Torchlight Marian Procession to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, photo by Pierre Vincent

Once a sleepy market town on the way to the Pyrenees resorts, since the miraculous vision of a young girl in 1858, Lourdes now attracts 5 million people each year, many of whom have come on a pilgrimage to the site in order to receive the ‘healing’ waters.

Bernadette Soubirous, or Saint Marie-Bernarde Soubirous, was born in 1844, the eldest of five to a miller and laundress, in Lourdes, France. Her family was exceedingly poor but neighbors would often remark how happily they all lived together in their one room home. When Bernadette was 14, her sister and a friend were out gathering firewood at the grotto of Massabielle outside Lourdes when Bernadette saw “a small young lady” in the grotto while her sister and friend saw nothing. On Bernadette’s second visit to the grotto, the vision spoke to her and told her to come every day for the next 15 days.

Each of these visions consisted of a message of penance and prayer but during the thirteenth vision, the “small young lady” told her “Please go to the priests and tell them that a chapel is to be built here. Let processions come hither.” The miracles of her vision were eventually confirmed by the Pope and a church was built at Lourdes. The healing waters of Lourdes are due to the ninth vision, in which the lady told Bernadette to drink from the spring underneath the rock and eat the plants that grow there. No known spring flowed under the rock but after digging, Bernadette found water. Since then, 67 cures have been verified by the Lourdes Medical Bureau as “inexplicable” after people had drank and bathed in the water.

Many movies have been made about Lourdes, filmed on location, including several biopics about the life of Bernadette, which ended in a convent at the age of 35 after she contracted tuberculosis. Two recent films made on site are Lourdes, a 2009 French film about a wheelchair bound girl who makes a pilgrimage to the site and the award winning 2007 film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly directed by artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is the true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body. Only his left eye isn’t paralyzed, which he uses to communicate his autobiography. Bauby has to live much of his life in his memories, one of which is a trip to Lourdes with his girlfriend Inès. During the trip, he and Inès visit the grotto, he buys her a kitschy souvenir and they decide to break-up.

Since 1858, little has changed in regards to the actual town of Lourdes, there is even still a market, but much has to the sites with the building of a multitude of churches, including the fascinating Underground Basilica of St. Pius X. The real draw of Lourdes is the pilgrimage sites, which are interesting to even the least faithful. The sites are easy to find throughout town and include the famous grotto and the home where Bernadette grew-up. With about 270 hotels, Lourdes has the second greatest number of hotels per square kilometre in France after Paris so choices of accommodation are many.

Access: Lourdes is less than a two hour drive from Toulouse and you will be able to find bus tours leaving from this bigger city. Train service is also available with a train from Paris that take 6 hours. All service is usually very well suited for those with special needs owing to the fact that many who travel to Lourdes are infirmed.

Extended Travel: Versailles, France

Kellas — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 21:01:33 +0000

Palace of Versailles, 1860

A visit to Paris is not complete without a day trip to the town of Versailles. Only 10.6 miles outside of Paris, Versailles was once a bustling medieval village, a common stopping place for those on the road into the city. In 1671, the medieval town, with its narrow alleys and winding street pattern was demolished by King Louis XIV who sought to bring a rebirth to a village still not recovered from decades of plague and the effects of the One Hundred Years War in the 14th century. The King’s plan for the village was to give away land for free to those willing to pay a very small amount of taxes and build a home from the plans set out by the royal architect, or Surintendant des Bâtiments du Roi. This brought a resurgence to the village whose population at its lowest point dropped to a mere 100 inhabitants.

Though the small village of Versailles is charming (especially on the weekends when in the summer there is a market), the real reason for the pilgrimage is to see the Palace of Versailles, or Château de Versailles in France. Originally, the palace started off as a smaller hunting lodge built by Louis XIII. His successor Louis XIV built Versailles into the palace we see today with the help of his architect, Louis Le Vau and landscape architect, André Le Nôtre. Subsequent Kings Louis XV and Louis XVI completed the projects associated with the palace left to them by their fathers and making small additions.

One of the more famed stories associated with the Palace is that of Marie Antoinette. The 2006 film, Marie Antoinette directed and written by Sofia Coppola, tells the story of this misunderstood young Austrian queen who is famously misquoted as saying “Let them eat cake.” Coppola’s production was given unprecedented access to the Palace for shooting the movie which was influenced by Wong Kar-wai, Terrence Malick, and Milos Forman. While most of the film focuses on life inside Versailles, the latter part takes place in The Hamlet houses which Marie Antoinette built to live in as a sort of country retreat after the birth of her daughter. The Hamlet also contained a working farm, which had its own farmer and supplied food to the larger palace.

The 2006 Coppola production was not the first to be made about the queen at the Palace. The 1938 movie of the same name was the first ever to be given permission to film at the Palace. With a budget of 2million, it was one of the most expensive films of the 1930s but also one of the most successful, an often forgotten classic.

The Palace is open during the Low Season from November 1 to March 31 everyday, except Mondays, from 9am-5:30pm with the gardens open from 8am – 6pm. During the High Season from April 1 to October 31 everyday except Mondays from 9am-6:30pm with the gardens open everyday from 8am – 6pm. We highly recommend buying tickets online beforehand as the ticket lines can be horrendous during the summer months.

Access: The Palace is most easily access by train from Paris. Take RER C from Paris and arrive at Versailles Rive Gauche station.

Palace of Versailles
Place d’Armes – 78000 Versailles, France

Agrandir le plan

Amélie + Paris

Kellas — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:57:46 +0000

Amélie, the bucolic and whimsical French film by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet was made nine years and yet continues to hold a special place in the heart of romantics and Francophiles alike.

Many of the scenes from the film were shot on the streets of Paris though a fair amount of the interiors are from a studio in Cologne.

The first location that people will recognize in Notre Dame. It is outside this famous cathedral where Amélie’s mother is killed when a tourist falls from the parapet.

Notre Dame
6 Place du Parvis Notre Dame, 75004 Paris, France – 01 42 34 56 10
Google Map

The director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is from the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris and it is here too where he has his heroine reside. Jeunet creates a fantasy Montmartre full of bright colors and characters but in reality, this section can sometimes be on the seedy-side, especially at night. It is here that the film opens when a bluebottle tumbles down the cobbled Rue Saint Vincent. Rue Saint Vincent runs behind the Sacre Coeur, the famed hilltop church with unprecedented views of Paris. Amélie’s apartment is a few blocks away on Rue des Trois Freres.

Amélie’s Apartment
Rue des Trois Frères, 75018 Paris, France
Google Map

Amélie spends much of the film at her green grocer, which can be found around the corner from her apartment. It is here too that the oft-photographed Métro Lamarck-Caulaincourt can be found. This picturesque Metro station has a double staircase, and is the scene of Amélie’s encounter with the blind man where she describes all of the delicious sites of the market on Rue Lamarck

The phone booth that Amélie uses to search for ‘Bretodeau’ is located on Rue Mouffetard in the north at Rue Clovis. It is on the left bank in the Latin Quarter.

Phone booth
La Verre a Pied, Rue Mouffetard, Paris
Google Map

Amélie is filled with an overwhelming feeling of love and desire to help mankind while crossing the wooden Pont des Arts near the Louvre

Pont des Arts
6ème Arrondissement, Paris
Google Map

Amélie’s starcrossed lover Nino posts his Ou et quand?” flyers on at the line 6 station of La Motte-Picqet-Grenelle

La Motte-Picqet-Grenelle
75004 Paris
Google Map

Coming back to Monmartre and Sacre Coeur, here Amélie sets-up clues for Nino in the form of blue arrows.

Sacre Coeur
35 Rue du Chevalier de La Barre, 75018 Paris, France‎ – 01 53 41 89 00‎
Google Map

Amélie works at the charming art deco Café des Deux Moulins which you can witness in its original state and eat “Amélie crème brulée.”

Café des Deux Moulins
15 Rue Lepic at Rue Cauchois, Paris
Google Map

2 Days In: Bruges, Belgium

Kellas — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:09:32 +0000

Last week, we went to the medieval city of Colmar, France in our guide to having a great Weekend Away and this week we take you to another medieval location, Bruges, Belgium, which all you film buffs may remember from the 2008 film In Bruges directed by Martin McDonagh. The lovely Colmar may be the wine capital of Alsace but Bruges is the chocolate capital of Europe. And Bruges’s divine chocolate combined with the famous beers of Belgium makes for one delicious Weekend Away. With the wafting smell of chocolate in the air, it’s cobbled streets, intimate restaurants and horse drawn carriages; it’s easy to fall in love with Bruges.

Ghent gate, Bruges, Belgium. Photo taken between 1890 and 1900

Known for its undisturbed medieval architecture, Bruges is often called “The Venice of the North,” as it is nestled around a series of canals that traverse the city, gliding past churches and under stone bridges. The city’s great beauty and investment in keeping the past intact led UNESCO to name Bruges’s historic city centre a World Heritage Site in 2000.

Bruges first received its city charter in 1128 and up until the 1500s, was one of the main trading ports in Europe with ships regularly docking there from all over the Mediterranean. In 1303, the Flemish natives overthrew the French government and today in Bruges, Flemish and French are both still spoken along with German. Only six years after the French were overthrown, was the first stock exchange set-up in the bustling city. During the 15th and 16th c, Bruges became an artistic center and the Flemish Primitives flourished here, amongst them Hans Memling and Jan van Eyck. It was during this time as well that the first book in English was printed in Bruges.

Like Colmar, all of the main attractions in Bruges are within walking distance of each other and easy to find from the city centre. Make sure as well to stop in the many lace shops Bruges has to offer, the city is famous for it.

old postcard image

Sites:
Groeningemuseum – A small but incredibly important collection of six centuries of Flemish art beginning with Jan van Eyck.

The Basilica of the Holy Blood – A drop of Christ’s blood was brought to Bruges after the second crusade and resides in the altar of this 12th c. church. Each year it is brought out and paraded through the streets. Brendan Gleeson, or Ken, visits the Holy Blood in In Bruges but a private church was used for filming.

St. Salvator’s Cathedral – Part 12th c. century part 19th c. addition, this is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Bruges.

The Beguinage of Bruges – A small collection of white buildings mainly dating from the 17th and 18th centuries that house The Beguinage, or when devoted to God who did not want to retreat entirely from society.

St. John’s Hospital – Dating from the 12th c., this hospital was the oldest hospital in continuous use until 1978 when it was converted to the Hans Memling and Hospital Museum. Four of the paintings here were painted for the sisters of the hospital.

Church of Our Lady – Dating from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, this church’s tower is the second tallest brick tower in the world. Here you will find the only statue by Michelangelo to leave Italy during the master’s lifetime, the Mother and Child.

The Belfry of Bruges – By far, Bruges’s most famous landmark, the belfry is a medieval tower from 1240. The octagonal upper parts of the tower were added in 1483. In the 16th c., the bells received a carillon which allowed them to be played and still today, Bruges employs a carilloneur to play them. It’s from this tower that In Bruges’s Ken falls to his death in the square.

Getting there:

Railway – The station is a quick bus ride into the city-centre and connects to Brussels, Paris, Ostend and Amsterdam among others.

Air – The nearest airport is the Ostend-Bruges International Airport in Ostend but also the Brussels International Airport is an hour away by train or car.

In Theaters Now: Paris

Heather C — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:25:22 +0000

In the latest film from Cedric Klapisch, ‘Paris‘, a young professional dancer (Romain Duris) find himself unexpectedly facing his own mortality. Watching the city through his window, he begins to see the different sides of Paris through the lives of his neighbors — the fruit seller, the woman at the bakery, a social worker, a dancer, an architect, a homeless person, a professor, a model, an illegal immigrant from Cameroon. When his newly-single sister (Juliette Binoche) and her family move in to help care for him, he’s given a new perspective on life, and love, and family.

As much a drama as a love letter to Paris, this film makes us wonder — what’s you’re favorite Parisian film? Answer in the comments, or take the poll in the forum.

Disaster Movie

Heather C — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:39:25 +0000

Yesterday we had a good laugh at the expense of the cast of ‘2012.’ But a look at the film’s official trailer got us thinking … is no landmark safe from Hollywood effects people? Can you spot the ones that get destroyed in ‘2012′? Let’s find them…after the jump.

From the ruins of the Statue of Liberty in ‘Planet of the Apes‘ to spaceships over the White House in ‘Independence Day,’ Hollywood sure loves some good old-fashioned disaster porn. And the latest disaster blockbuster to hit theaters, ‘2012,’ is no exception — it was even made by the people behind ‘Independence Day’.

The end-times smorgasbord of explosions and earthquakes plays off the popular paranoia surrounding the Mayan calendar, which ends on December 21, 2012. So expect this film to be filled with enough death and destruction to make Nostradamus turn in his grave. From Times Square to The Mayan temples themselves, here are some of the landmarks that won’t make it to 2013. Try to see them all, before it’s too late…

Mayan Temples, Chichén-Itzá, Mexico (see photo above)
The trailer opens with — what else? — an eerie glamour of the Mayan temples at Chichén-Itzá, located about 75 miles from Merida on the Yucatán Peninsula. The 1,500-year-old temples are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and a popular tourist destination. To get there travel to Mexico’s Cancun International Airport. The site is near a main highway, but hire a guide for a full immersion into the site and its history. We recommend Chicen Services, a provider of eco-friendly cultural tours. Group rates start at $80 (for four people).

Christ the Redeemer Statue, Rio de Janiero, Brazil

Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janiero, Brazil
Brazil’s second largest city just got the news that it’ll be hosting the Olympics in 2016, but according to this trailer, its most famous landmark won’t be around that long. To visit the 130-foot-tall art deco statute, yet another of the New Seven Wonders of the World, take the Orange subway line to Largo do Machado in the Laranjeiras neighborhood, where you can connect on a bus to Corcovado. The hike up hundreds of steps is worth it — there you’ll not only find the statue, but incredible views of the city.

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Mecca, Saudi Arabia
A crumbling statue of Jesus isn’t the only religious symbol invoked in the trailer. It also features news coverage of people gathered around the Kaaba, the most sacred site in all of Islam, and the final stop on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The site is only open to Muslims, and in fact, every Muslim is required by the Koran to visit the site at least once. The most common way to reach the Sacred Mosque is through Jeddah, either fly in to the Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport, or drive in. To make sure you can get in, obtain special paperwork through the Ministry of Hajj.

St. Peter's Basilica, The Vatican

St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican
In the film, even the Pope isn’t safe from the end of the world. Shortly after shots of a mass at St. Peter’s, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, the basilica’s dome is seen crashing down. Along with it? The Apostolic Palace and Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam,’ the famous painting from the Sistine Chapel. Talk about symbolism… For travel tips, see our guide to Rome and the Vatican.

Washington Monument, Washington D.C.

Washington, D.C.
So if religion can’t save you, can the government? ‘2012′ answers that question with a resounding N-O. The Washington Monument looks like a toothpick as it’s broken in the chaos and a final ironic twist of fate, the White House gets toppled by a massive Navy Vessel — the USS John F. Kennedy. To see these sites head to the National Mall, home to the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial and pretty much every other American symbol associated with D.C. Luckily for travelers, they’re all laid out together and easily accessible by the city’s Metro. Looking for a place to start? Try the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

10 Downing Street, London

Downing Street, London
The UK government doesn’t fare any better. The trailer’s news footage show rioting crowds at 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister. If you decide to say “allo” to the PM on your next visit to London try to avoid the Bobbies.

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

The Eiffel Tower, Paris
It turns out ‘Paris is Burning’ is more than just the quintessential vogueing movie–in this trailer at least. The Eiffel Tower, 19th-century ode to the Industrial Revolution, is the last thing standing in the flaming French city. Until it’s clipped by a plane, that is. See it for yourself on the Champs de Mars in the posh 7th arrondissement.

Times Square, New York City

Times Square, New York
Those who lament the fact that Times Square is all cleaned up can breathe a sigh of relief. The apocalypse is about to make it very dirty again. You’ll find the epicenter of New York’s most popular tourist trap at the intersections of 42nd Street, Broadway and Seventh Avenue. That’s also where you’ll find discounted theater tickets and a brand-new pedestrian plaza. The Times Square experience can be overwhelming, even for veteran New Yorkers, but that’s the best part about it. To get there hop on just about any subway line — the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R and W lines all stop there; and the A, C, E, B, D, F and V lines are are close by.

Add in the generic shots of LA and what appears to be India and Tibet, and you’ve got a whole lotta destruction goin on. Can you see anything we missed?

images: Tarzan!!!/Flickr; Roberto/Flickr; Elias Pirasteh/Flickr; iStock; iStock; iStock, iStock, iStock

Paris a la Amélie

Heather C — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:02:24 +0000

‘Amélie‘ is one of those movies we love here at Museyon — sweet, iconic and visually stunning. We also love the picture it paints of gay ol’ Paris. Of all the Gallic cities, none is more stereotypically French than Paris, writes Julien Sévéon in Film + Travel, which is why it’s long been a favorite of tourists and filmmakers alike. Let’s take a look, shall we…

In the film, pluckish Amélie Poulain lives in Paris’ Montmartre — the neighborhood that was once a bohemian haven for the likes of Dalí, Renoir, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the film’s director. To begin your trip head to the right bank, and the 18th arrondissement. Fans of the film should be forewarned, though, the neighborhood is a little more modern than the ‘Amélie’ suggests.

To get a sense of the city, head to the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur, where you’ll still find sweeping (and stunning) views of Paris. After all, the Roman Catholic basilica is located at the highest point in town.

Sacre Coeur

Paris will always be a city for foodies, and the Montmartre of ‘Amélie’ does not disappoint. In fact, you’ll find the very grocery and cafe from the film. Start the day with an espresso at the Café des 2 Moulins (15 rue Lepic), where the matchmaking Amélie works as a waitress. Or, take a cue from the film’s heroine and crack open a crème brûlée.

Café des 2 Moulins gets its name from two nearby windmills — the Moulin Rouge and the Moulin de la Galette. For fans of film, the Moulin Rouge on Boulevard de Clichy is a must-see, famous from Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film, ‘Moulin Rouge!‘.

While in town, you’ll also want to visit L’épicerie of Monsieur Collignon (Rue des Trois Frères), the grocery owned by Amelie’s ornery neighbor, Collignon. Bon appetit!

Moulin Rouge

Want to discover more about France in film? In ‘Film + Travel’ Julien Sévéon is your guide to Paris — plus the rest of France and Bruges, Belgium, too.

images: Sacré Coeur, iStock; Moulin Rouge, stevehdc/Flickr

On Screen & On Location

Heather C — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:54:52 +0000

At Museyon, we love to go On Location, which is why we’re loving this story in the New York Times. The Grey Lady’s Globespotters Blog reports that through August 23, the Cinema au clair de lune festival will screen 13 Paris films in the location they were filmed. That means you can see classically French films in classically Parisian locales, like Jean-Luc Goddard’s ‘Pierrot le fou’ in the Jardin du Trocadéro, and Billy Wilder’s ‘Ariane’ (’Love in the Afternoon’ en français) in Parc Montsouris. For a local’s eye view of the festival, check out Spotted by Locals.

Want more French film? In Museyon’s guide to Film + Travel Julien Sévéon is your guide to France. Join him as he explores Paris — from the historic Île de la Cité to the Pigalle red-light district — and beyond.

image courtesy of Forum des Images

Cannes Update

Anne — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:13:01 +0000

This year’s lineup for the Cannes Film Festival has been announced, and it’s jam packed with big names. Variety reports:

It’s official: Quentin Tarantino, Ang Lee and Pedro Almodovar will face off with Jane Campion, Ken Loach, Michael Haneke and Park Chan-wook in Cannes’ biggest heavyweight auteur smackdown in recent years.

The 62nd Annual Cannes Film Festival runs from May 13-24.

Beyond Baguettes: France

Heather C — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:36:40 +0000

Explore the diverse cultures of France as writer Julien Sévéon tours the European nation from its western tip of Brittany, to celeb favorite Saint Tropez and through Paris’ picturesque neighborhoods. Then stop by nearby Belgium for a look at the titular star of the film In Bruges.

About Your Guide: Julien Sévéon is a Breton film critic living in Paris and writing about popular cinema from all parts of the world.

photo: iStock