The removal occurred on Dec. 17, leaving the city’s most emblematic monument both dry and naked.

Chambery’s Fountain of Elephants may not embody the pinnacle of local architecture, the General/Count de Boigne, the mercenary-cum-philanthropist to whom it is dedicated, may not represent the summum bonum of virtue, and it isn’t as though the city has no other attractions. Nevertheless, in the absence of photogenic signs of Chambery’s role as the former seat of power of the House of Savoy, beyond its flag, the Fountain of Elephants is as fine a symbol as any of this most pleasant small city of some 60,000 inhabitants.

Furthermore, the fountain’s got a great and evocative nickname: “Les Quatre sans cul,” meaning the assless four. Only the head and forelegs of the four elephants exist. For now though, through the winter of 2014-15 and well into spring, the four will not only be without derriere but absent altogether. Two of them may need to be completely recast.

Here’s a video showing the dismantling of the elephants.

Who was General de Boigne?

Born in Chambery, Benoit Leborgne (1751-1830), later known as Comte and General de Boigne, had a storybook life of a soldier, traveler and hometown benefactor. As a soldier he worked under various states and organizations, alternately Irish, French, Sardinian, Russian and Indian. In 1796 he left India to live in London before returning to Chambery in 1801.

Having gathered a sizeable fortune along the way, particularly while at the service of the Maratha Empire of India, he donated significant funds to charitable organizations and for projects to embellish the city, including for the construction of homes for the aged and indigent, Chambery’s theater and the arcaded street that now bears his name. It was therefore fitting that Chambery would return the favor with a (not-too-expensive) monument to his memory, created by Pierre-Victor Sappey and inaugurated on Dec. 10, 1838.

American planes bombed Chambery on May 26, 1944 in order to prevent Germans troops from going to/from Italy during the final days of the Allied preparations for the Invasion of Normandy. The railway station and about a third of the town were destroyed, but de Boigne and his Assless Four survived, furthering the fountain’s symbolic value in a wounded city.

This is the first major restoration to the fountain since the early 1980s. The anticipated total cost of the operation is 1.2 million euros, with 40% being paid for by the Regional Department for Cultural Affairs (DRAC), 19% by Savoie/Savoy (the department) and the rest by the city and by private donation.

Already in the fall of 2013 the statue of the philanthropic general atop the column that soars over the fountain was removed for a thorough cleaning. The column and pedestal having been solidified in the meantime, the general soon returned with a golden bronze sheen that was then treated to return him to the patina of old age. It’s likely though that few Chamberians missed de Boigne during his absence since it’s the elephants that are the true stars of the monument.

The elephants will begin their trek back to the fountain in May 2015, when they’ll return to their slots surrounded by restored bas reliefs telling about de Boigne’s military exploits and his benevolence toward his hometown. The full project isn’t expected to be completed until June, however. Then the water will again spout from their trunks and the city will once again be whole, if assless.

© 2014, Gary Lee Kraut

Chambery is 2:50 by train from Paris. By car, Chambery is 1 hour from Lyon, 45 minutes from Geneva or Grenoble, 30 minutes from Annecy. For official tourist information see www.chambery-tourisme.com.

Also see this article about Chambery on France Revisited.

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The two bridges in the heart of Paris that have been most defaced decorated with love locks are the Pont des Arts, the footbridge and fine-weather picnicking bridge that goes between the Louvre and the French Institute, and the Pont de l’Archevêché, the short bridge behind Notre-Dame that connects the City Island with the Left Bank.

They are presented here in a beautiful audio-slideshow featuring photographs by Joe Wilkins and music and text written, played and read by LaRae Raine Garretson. A France Revisited Production.

(c) 2011, All rights reserved.

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UNESCO’s official acknowledgement of inscription to the list in November 2011 describes equitation in the French tradition as:

“… a school of horseback riding that emphasizes harmonious relations between humans and horses. The fundamental horse-training principles and processes are guided by non-violence and lack of constraint, blending human demands with respect for the horse’s body and mood. Knowledge of the animal itself (physiology, psychology, anatomy) and human nature (emotions and the body), are complemented by a horseman’s state of mind that combines skill and respect for the horse. Fluidity of movements and flexibility of joints ensure that the horse participates in the exercises without coercion. Although practised throughout France and elsewhere, the most widely known community is the Cadre Noir of Saumur, based at the National School of Equitation…”

“… The common denominator among riders is the desire to establish close relations with the horse, build mutual respect and work towards achieving ‘lightness’. Cooperation between generations is strong, with respect for the experience of older riders, galvanized by the enthusiasm of younger riders. The Saumur region is also home to instructors, horse breeders, craftspeople (saddlers, boot-makers), veterinary services and blacksmiths. Frequent public displays and galas hosted by the Cadre Noir of Saumur help to sustain the visibility of equitation in the French tradition.”

Here is a video in French showing the Cadre Noir and explaining the development of horseback riding traditions in France:

The official website of the Cadre Noir and the National School of Equitation in Saumur provides information on shows and sporting competitions held at the school that are open to visitors.
Tourist information for the town of Saumur, in the Loire Valley, can be found here.

Other elements of French heritage that have been added to the list in previous years are:
2010
– The gastronomic meal of the French,
– Compagnonnage, network for on-the-job transmission of knowledge and identities,
– The craftsmanship of Alençon (Normandy) needle lace-making,
– Falconry, a living human heritage (France is one of 11 countries designated as sharing this heritage).

2009
– Aubusson tapestry
– Maloya, a form of music, song and dance native to Réunion Island,
– The scribing tradition in French timber framing,
– That year “The Cantu in paghjella: a secular and liturgical oral tradition of Corsica” was also added to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

2008
– Processional Giants and Dragons in Belgium and France.

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That may have been intended as a sound bite since Monet did in fact work in a studio as well as outside. Two studio spaces that he used subsequent to that interview can still be seen at his home in Giverny. He also installed something of a studio on a boat while there. Nevertheless, the point was well taken: nature and the outdoors were where Monet lived as an artist.

And the Seine was not Monet’s studio alone. It also served at times as the studio for many of his fellow Impressionists—e.g. Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro, Caillebotte—as well as for those who preceded and came after the heydays of Impressionism of the 1870s and 1880s, such as Courbet, Corot, Turner, Jongkind, Saurat and Signac.

A new book, La Seine Impressionniste, at once guidebook and small encyclopedia, revisits those “studios” along the Seine and its surroundings. In it authors Monique and Georges Lucenet present a step-by-step view of the 471 miles (776 km) of the river and the sights along the way, from its source in Burgundy to its estuary in Normandy.

This handsomely illustrated 464-page paperback reveals the artistic and general history of the sights and space that inspired or attracted (or were merely easily accessible to) the Impressionists and others as they developed what I think of not so much as an art of nature but an art of place. The text, in French, is accompanied by 160 reproductions of works coming from more than 40 museums. The book also tells of the literary figures of the time who were also attracted to these riverbanks.

La Seine Impressionniste by Monique and Georges Lucenet, 24.90€.

* * *

But you don’t read French, you say? Or you’re tired of the Impressionists?

Here then is another way of regarding the banks of the Seine as it passes through Paris.

The video below, entitled Notre Train Quotidien (Our Daily Train), examines the contemporary relationship between the left and right banks of the Seine.

Our Daily Train was filmed between the metro stations Gare d’Austerlitz and Quai de la Rapée. That’s where metro line 5 crosses over the Seine, mid-way between the zone of the historical Left Bank/Right Bank at the center of the city (arrondissements 1 through 7) and the Left Bank/Right Bank developments of the past 25 years on the eastern edge of the city (arrondissements 12 and 13).

The video was filmed by Gonzague Petit Trabal, with music by Rémy Klis. It is posted on France Revisited with permission from the authors.

Grab a glass of wine or your relaxation drug of choice, place the video on full screen mode, and let yourself get transported back and forth between the left and right banks of the River Seine.

© 2011, Gary Lee Kraut

See also on France Revisited: “The Art of Punching, Kissing and Lunching: Monet, Renoir and the Impressionist Island at Chatou” and “Paris Rive Gauche: a 21st Century Left Bank.”

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Brandon Eckhoff has captured that atmosphere though a series of photographs focusing on the variety of chairs and benches found in the green spaces of the city—before the greenery appears.

Without lamenting the arrival of spring, France Revisited is pleased to presents Brandon Eckhoff’s slide-show entitled Winter Benches, Paris, with text by Gary Lee Kraut.

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It was a Monday, the day the palace is closed to the public, so relatively few people visit the gardens that day, even though they remain open. Even fewer visit on a cold misty Monday in February.

The alleys were empty. The fountains were silent. There trees were reflected in the still algal water in the basins.

That and more can be seen in the audio slide-show below.

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Since then Jordan has been playing this song along with other of his own works and covers in concerts in Jerusalem accompanied by talented guitarist and assistant arranger Yuri Stolov.

One of these days he or we will get around to making a real video for “On a Train,” but in the meantime you can watch and listen to a recent practice performance of the song at the Putin Bar in Jerusalem.

I’m actually not a big fan of this version since I find its ending is a bit of a downer (Jordan disagrees), Yuri’s fingering sometimes makes it sound as though the train is headed to Spain (Yuri disagrees), and the sound quality, though decent for a bar, isn’t great for the video, especially regarding my lyrics. Also, you can’t see Jordan’s face from behind his shadow-mask.

Nevertheless, I’m proud to introduce Jordan Zell and Yuri Stolov playing “On a Train from Paris to Rome,” a travel song by Jordan Zell (music) and yours truly (lyrics), take 1.

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But for five days in mid-August, Saint-Agrève welcomes the thump of the mechanical bull, the cry of the rodeo caller, country musicians, line-dancers, and cowboy hats, and even allows burgers and fries to be sold in dollars (of a sort), as 25,000 visitors come from far and wide to attend Equiblues, Europe’s largest American-style rodeo.

Equiblues was launched in 1996, the brainchild of Philippe Lafont, a local resident in the masonry business, who dates his passion for rodeo to a childhood love for westerns, an adolescent affection for horses, and an adult awe of wide open space. What began as a more or less large-scale village festival was such an immediate hit that by 1998 Equiblues had developed into a full-scale rodeo. Mr. Lafont still leads the charge.

Here in the rural and generally bypassed upper plateau of Ardèche, the rodeo competition now draws 200 competitors, but it’s the atmosphere and entertainment of Equiblues that draw the crowds, with four evenings of country music (mostly American bands but with a few French as well), line-dancing, line-dancing lessons, a mechanical bull, Texas barbecue, bull-riding lessons, a Texas barbecue where “Equiblues dollars” are currency, and a “village” of stands in which manufacturers and craftsmen display their wares relative to horse and cowboy.

While vacation on the opposite side of the Rhone this summer Brandon Eckhoff drove over to Saint-Agrève to check out the scene at Equiblues, inspiring him to create this audio slide-show. (Article continues below)

In summer, foreign visitors may occasionally wander into the southern portion of Ardèche, across the Rhone River from northern Provence, but the northern portion of Ardèche where Saint-Agrève is situated remains very much unexplored. Soon after the rodeo ends at Saint-Agrève, it goes back to being a well-off-the-beaten track dot on the map of deep France.

That mean that there’s little in the way of accommodations in the area of Saint-Agrève. Most of those attending Equiblues either stop by on a daytrip or camp out or come by RV.

But don’t let that off-the-beaten-trackness fool you. As with other typically bypassed areas of rural France, you shouldn’t be surprised to find a fine chef in town. The culinary hotspot of Saint-Agrève is Philippe Bouissou’s table at his Hôtel Faurie.

With seating for just eight in the restaurant and only three rooms at the inn, Hôtel Fleurie is like a 3-star guest house where your host is an excellent chef—excellent enough to sport a Michelin star within a year of its opening in 2007. Mr. Bouissou offers a delicious and convivial bite of contemporary French gastronomy, a far cry from the rodeo fields of Texas, but within spittin’ distance of Equiblues.

Hôtel Faurie, 36 avenue des Cévennes, 07320 Saint-Agrève. Tel. 04 75 36 11 45. www.hotelfaurie.fr. The website is intentionally inexplicit about the restaurant, says Mr. Bouissou, so that visitors can better discover it on their own.

Equiblues: For more information about this summer’s rodeo festival see www.equiblues.com.

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Okay, it may be a stretch to say that you “loved” the song. Rather, there were three general categories of comment.

1. The “I didn’t know you sing” comment. My response: Neither did I.

2. The “You and Jordan [Zell] should write more songs together” comment. My response: We are. We’ve written five already. You an hear other along with Jordon solo works and his version of covers by doing a Jordan Zell search on Youtube.

3. The “I liked the song until the f-word at the end” comment. My response: I sometimes feel a little bad about the use of the f-word, but in writing the song it felt like a natural ending to the story told in the song, so there you have it. (My deepest thanks to the ambitous reader who told me I could never get the song on the radio with the f- bomb in it. And my deepest sympathy to the high school teacher who told me that she can no longer recommend France Revisited to her students.)

Some of the above categories of comment came through the post office accompanied by a t-shirt, so I want to especially thank those dedicated readers by the following photos of their generous gift.

With thanks to the reader who went to London, here I am in your t-shirt in front of the statue of Henri IV on Ile de la Cité:

With thanks to the reader who had a t-shirt specially printed in honor of the fact that “The T-Shirt Song” was recorded in Israel, here I am in your t-shirt below the Pont Neuf:

With thanks to the reader in Paris whose apparent cynicism and humor matches that of  “The T-Shirt Song,” I pose here wearing your gift in front the Paris Police Headquarters.

With further thanks to another fan with a similar a sense of cynicism and humor, here I am sitting by the river in a second “I love rien” t-shirt:

I now wonder what gifts Jordan and I might receive when we make a video for our song about prostitution.

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What had previously been isolated Seine-side clusters devoted more to afternoon sunbathing than to evening picnicking, has now developed into a popular ritual whereby, picnickers both French and foreign congregate at various choice setting in the capital.

From May through August, in tune with late sunset and lengthy twilight, the most popular of these settings are:
– on the Champs de Mars by the Eiffel Tower,
– along the right bank of the Seine,
– on the western tip of Ile de la Cité,
– on the eastern tip of Ile Saint Louis,
– Pont des Arts, the pedestrian bridge,
– on the eastern side of Bassin de la Villette (19th arr.),
– in Parc de la Villette (19th arr.), and
– along Canal Saint Martin (10th arr.).
Click on the “View Map” tab to see the location of these various picknicking hotspots.

Peak picnic time at all of these locations is between the hour before and after sunset. Some arrive 6-8 p.m. for the aperitif then move on. After nightfall the average age drops as the emphasis is less on picnicking and more on hanging out.

The most photogenic of the major Paris picnicking sites is the pedestrian bridge called the Pont des Arts, between the French Institute and the Louvre. You have only to look at the surroundings to understand why: the side of the Louvre, the dome of the Institute, the riverbanks and bridges, the Eiffel Tower peeking out beyond the Orsay Museum, the towers and spires on Ile de la Cité, and of course the river itself, Paris’s raison d’être, with its parade of barges and tour boats.

The atmosphere on the Pont des Arts is at its best in June and early July, before vacations reduce the number of locals on the bridge, but it remains a choice picnic spot whenever the weather allows.

Brandon Echkoff and I went to the Pont des Arts one evening in June to catch the pulse of the bridge, as you’ll see in the accompanying audio slide-show. Watch it by clicking on either the “View Video” tab above (video may take 10 seconds to load) or on the Youtube screen below. Enjoy the view.

© 2009, Gary Lee Kraut

Picnicking on the Pont des Arts, audio slide-show
Interviews, text, some photos: Gary Lee Kraut
Audio and most photos: Brandon Eckhoff
Several photos: Jackson Shaw

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