Le Marais – sergededina

Garden of Hope in Paris

After a tour of the Place de Vosges, the historic heart of Le Marais in Paris, my Aunt Liliane guided my wife Emily and I into a doorway that brought us into a stunning Jardins d’Espoir or Garden of Hope in the restored Hotel de Bethune-Sully. According to Sandra (who sent me a comment that is below after a first draft of this post), the curator, “Kaliko is the visual artist who created the two big “hope trees” with the messages sent through the website jardinsdespoir.fr. The photos are from 40 finalists of the Estée Lauder Pink Ribbon Photo Award.”

It was a profoundly moving tribute to the strength and courage of women who have survived breast cancer and one of the most effective public issue campaign displays I have ever seen, in what is arguably one of the most beautiful and idyllic monuments in Paris.

Emily and my Aunt Liliane.

Paris in the Fall

I spent a weekend in Paris with my father in October 2011 after I attended the Global Wave Conference in the Basque County. The short visit including seeing my familys tour of my favorite neighborhoods including the Ile Saint-Louis, Left Bank, Le Marais, Place de Vosges, Montmartre, and then the overwhelming art of the Musee d’Orsay.

I visited the Sunday market in Suresnes with my cousin Jerome, and we had a great time drinking espresso with his friends, Fabien the butcher and Michel the vegetable seller.

I lived in Le Marais in the summer of 1974 and the winter/spring of 1985, so it was nice to return. I love Paris. It is a beautiful city, filled with art, great food and very stylish people. Montmartre is such a cool neighborhood-an incredible mix of tourist kitsch, cool street art, hip boutiqes, and edgy and touristy galleries. My aunt and uncle and cousins live there now.