Sculptor of the Wallace Fountains

A supplement to last post on the repositioning of the Wallace Fountain in Lisburn, to acknowledge the handiwork of Charles-Auguste Lebourg, a sculptor from Nantes, commissioned by Richard Wallace to design the famous water fountains.
Read more at Wikipedia here.

Wallace Fountain, Wallace Park, Lisburn

The Wallace Fountain that previously stood outside the Linen Museum in Market Square, Lisburn has been moved to a new position in Wallace Park.

Refurbished Wallace Fountain now standing in Wallace Park, Lisburn

The colour is not the dark green as I remembered it before but is very close to the colour of the one standing at Hertford House, London.  The colour of Les Wallace was the subject of a previous post that included a link to comments on a story in Le Parisien. Most people there liked the traditional livery.

It's great to see that the tap has also been restored although sadly, given the origins of the fountains, it doesn't appear to be plumbed to supply water. Wonder why?
Wikipedia has an interesting article on the history of the fountains along with a listing of where to find them in Paris, other cities in France and world-wide.  The article points out that many of the Parisian fountains deliver eau potable and is often the only source of clean drinking water for the sans abri, homeless people.


Check out the article on Wikipedia here.

CFB opening night

Enjoyed last night's Cercle Francais launch of the new season.  Plenty to keep us going until May 2014. And already some suggestions for the following year's programme.
Technology worked okay and as ever The Dark Horse in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter contributed its own unique ambiance. French talks just work in this grand cafe styled coffee house.
The programme available at www.cerclefrancaisdebelfast.org promises a treat for the senses and the sense of smell was activated last night as participants were scented with a tiny blast of  Chanel No:5 and that's because Coco features in this season's programme.
It was nice to greet a strong contingent of French nationals who for the time being are making their home in Belfast. Long may that continue!

Napoleon's last strand at Mount Saint Michael

Our touring holiday in Cornwall brought us to Mount Saint Michael at Marazion, near Penzance. Like its more famous relative Le Mont Saint-Michel it sits offshore and is reached by a rock causeway when the tide is out. We made the steep ascent to the castle home of the St Aubyn family who still live there today. It's open for tours and there is plenty to see.

If you do visit and make the short tour of the castle then look out for the framed relics of Napoleon which include a lock of his hair and a remnant of coat sleeve.

You can check out things to see and do at Marazion here.

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Paris Tales

Paris Tales, translated by Helen Constantine, Oxford

A friend suggested I read this book of short stories. And I am enjoying doing just that. The collection comprises 22 stories by writers that include Maupassant and Colette and take the reader from mid-19th century to a future undated time - I particularly liked that one, Manuscript Found at Saint-Germain-des-Pres by Frederic Beigbeder.
The works have been translated by Helen Constantine who also provides a personal introduction and notes that she has "not chosen these texts for their social or historical interest, but because they evoke particular places."  She has helpfully included a map of the Paris Arrondissements annotated with a numbered reference to each of the stories.  That makes the collection perfect for taking along on that next trip; stopping at a cafe and reading.  Short stories for a short break?
Like books about Paris?  Check out this post from a while back.

On a roll: Souvenir

 A carefully stored bread roll from a get together at Le Grand Villalin, Quincy, Cher. A few years old now, preserve dried with the memory of friends, music, food and wine.

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Hertford House: The Wallace Collection

Hertford House, Manchester Square, London

A light rain made us hurry our steps up Bond Street, past the tempting array of small restaurants and into Manchester Square to Hertford House, home of the Wallace Collection.
We had learned much about Sir Richard, son of the fourth Marquess of Hertford at various events organised by the Richard Wallace Trust (Lisburn) and this was our first time at his London home. We recognised the building immediately as it bears very close resemblance to his home, Castle House in Lisburn, now occupied by the South Eastern Regional College.

Another clear sign was the presence of a Wallace Fountain to the right of the entrance. We had arrived. Inside, what struck most was the sumptuous elegance of the place. A gorgeous red carpeted staircase with marble columns on each side. We went upstairs leaving the armoury collection for another time. There were several galleries. Art everywhere. And left to us as a philanthropic legacy. Wow!

Boucher's The Rising of the Sun (1753) caught my attention and kept it! Then I discovered the treasure of Ruben's Rainbow Landscape (1635). The Laughing Cavalier (1624) by Franz Hals had been the subject of a hugely expensive bidding war between Sir Richard and the Rothchilds. We won!

The Wallace Collection is a very visit-able gallery. Compact enough for a short tour but large enough for sustained and lengthy inspection. We only had a couple of hours and had promised ourselves a visit to the courtyard restaurant and cafe for a pot of tea. It was an elegant and leisurely affair. Indulgent? Sure, but not extravagant. We had refreshed our imagination in the galleries and now it was time to satisfy the sense of taste. We left reluctantly. It was a long overdue first visit.We will go again soon and stay longer next time.

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