Each summer and fall the parks of the Bay Area are home to outdoor performances of what may be the most unique, and is certainly the most politically progressive, theatrical group in the entire nation. 

The San Francisco Mime Troupe is now in its 51st year of bringing politically left street theater to Bay Area audiences - and they wrap-up this season's round of free outdoor shows next week-end in Walnut Creek.
http://www.sfmt.org/schedule/index.php

Each summer brings a new musical comedy production - and each production is a scintillatingly witty and penetrating look at social and political issues in today's world.

 I first saw the Mime Troupe in 1975 at San Francisco's Dolores Park when they performed Hotel Universe - a show about a popular struggle in The City to maintain affordable housing for the elderly. And since then I've seen more of their performances than I can remember.

The collective of actors and writers who produce the plays receive no corporate funding and pretty much rely on donations to keep going each year. Their performances are free, with the 'hat' passed around after each show. The productions employ a portable stage and set which they haul around the Bay Area each year in their signature truck sporting a big red star.

Over the years the Mime Troupe has satirized everything from the Reagan Revolution, the war in Iraq, the loss of manufacturing in the US, the rise of the religious right - to this year's production of 2012 - The Musical. And don't be thrown by the word Mime. They use the word in its traditional sense meaning to mimic.

Each performance is accompanied by live music with original songs written by Mime Troupe personnel. And the music is always one of the highlights of the show, with jazzy arrangements and spot-on satirical lyrics. It's like attending an outdoor musical cabaret written and produced by Che Guevara. And it's as San Francisco as anything gets.

Their last three performances this year are all this week - so if you're in town and want to see a truly special phenomena that could only exist here - you still have time.

Memory Lane
There's a long walkway at the San Francisco Airport which leads to the United Airlines gates. And it has become a museum of sorts, with fascinating exhibits of varying kinds displayed there throughout the year; an entertaining and educational diversion for travelers passing by. 

Over the years I've seen exhibits of kitchen-ware, computers, furniture, and much more as I passed by on the way to catch a flight. It changes about four times a year - and is always interesting.

As I walked through the current display a few weeks ago, I initially smiled and thought "How cool !" It's a collection of 1950's television and public media memorabilia. There were the faces and programs I had grown-up watching. 

I knew them all quite well, and had specific memories involving each. For anyone over 55 - this was a walk through our own personal history. There was Howdy Doodie, and the Honeymooners. The Lone Ranger, Davy Crockett, and Hop Along Cassidy. 

There were the old TV's from the 50's too. I can still remember when they seemed quite modern to me. Now they looked unbelievably old, and primitive. And over it all hung the air of nostalgia. My initial reaction was one of a sense of fondness; a sense of missing the joys of this simpler, happier time. I think it's a fairly common reaction to seeing images from one's childhood. 

I'd arrived quite early for my flight that day, so I was able to really take my time. I slowly walked from one exhibit case to another - reading the descriptions - lingering over photos I knew well, but hadn't seen in many years.

But as I neared the half-way point, I noticed that I was no longer feeling the warm and soothing glow of sentimentality that I'd experienced when I first approached the exhibit. 

A Detour to Reality
As I got deeper and deeper into the displays, that wistful sense of homesickness that is the core element of nostalgia was suddenly gone. 

I stood staring at photos of the Mickey Mouse Club, Ozzie & Harriet, and Wagon Train - and I gradually became overwhelmed with the inverse of my initial sense of nostalgia. I was becoming depressed and uncomfortable. 

And as I arrived at a photo of one of my all-time favorite childhood movies - Old Yeller - I was completely consumed with a sense of lamentation and annoyance. I caught a reflective glimpse of myself in the glass of the display case - and was shocked to see a look of pure, undiluted disdain on my face. In the space of twenty minutes I had gone from dreamy nostalgia to utter contempt - and sadness. And I knew why.

I suppose popular media is always a reflection not only of who we are - but also of how we want to see ourselves. It is the projection of our values, our interests - our society and culture. And that is why I was suddenly feeling so very un-nostalgic. 

For as I looked at all those happy faces and scenes from the 50's, it was suddenly very clear to me that in none of them did I see a reflection of who I was during that time. Indeed, these images and that culture were a very clear and obvious negation of me - and everyone like me. These images said to me "not only do you not count - we wish you weren't even here." 

You see, in none of those happy faces and scenes of life were there any images of people of color. There were no Asians. There were no Latinos. And there were certainly no black faces - nor black lives - featured in this compendium of American happiness. None. Not one. 

Ashes to Ashes
And as I stood there, I realized that as a child in the 50's I had absorbed thousands of images and messages that said "You don't matter. You don't count."

Yes - we've come a long, long way from that America - though we still have many challenges in front of us - and barriers to overcome. But the America displayed in those exhibits disappeared a long time ago. And as I strolled toward my flight that morning, my overriding feeling was "Thank God those days are gone."  My homesickness had evaporated in the realization that that America had never been my home. I had never been invited in. For me, that walk down memory lane had grabbed nostalgia by the throat - and shoved it into the grave where it so justly belongs.

So RIP 50's nostalgia. I miss you Not.

Probably the best known cultural export of the province of Québec is the Cirque du Soleil. From its origins in the streets of Québec City in the early 1980's, it has grown into a multi-billion dollar mega-force with 22 unique productions currently playing around the world.

Québec Comes First
But the founder of the Cirque - Guy Laliberte - has never forgotten his Québec roots. Many shows are first performed in Montréal before going on tour - and other special  little Cirque treats pop-up on the Québec cultural landscape from time to time. 

I happened to stumble on two such items last weekend; and they were both pretty cool.

The first was in the provincial capital of Québec City - Mr. Laliberte's birthplace. For the last four summers the Cirque du Soleil has presented a free open-air production as a gift of sorts to the people of Québec - and to celebrate the 400th anniversary of le Ville de Québec.

The theater is set-up under a freeway overpass in downtown Québec City, and each night for two months you are invited to come watch an hour long, no-holds barred, Cirque du Soleil production. 

On Saturday I was lucky enough to catch this summer's final performance of Chemins Invisibles. Except for 150 $15 seats, it's all standing room only - first come, first served - and free. And since so much of the action takes place in the air - there's no need to worry if you're standing behind someone tall. Performances begin at sundown and are always packed.

Earth Comes to Montréal
And no sooner had I returned to Montréal than I discovered another little slice of Guy Laliberte's artistic genius. Located in the heart of downtown is the Place des Arts - home to a wide variety of cultural performances year-round. And just adjacent to the main theater is an outdoor display area which is currently featuring 30 giant photographs of Earth taken from outer-space. And can you guess who took these photos?

Yep - they were all taken by Guy Laliberte himself on his recent trip into Earth orbit aboard a Russian spaceship. He paid $25 million dollars for the experience, and to help publicize his charity, The One Drop Foundation.
 
http://www.onedrop.org/en/default.aspxweeblylink_new_window

The outdoor photo exhibit is beautifully arranged, with dreamy musical accompaniment from speakers above the photos - and it too is completely free. Each photo is exquisite and comes with a geographical description and technical details on camera type and film. As I strolled through the exhibition, I couldn't help but reflect on the depth and quality of Québec's artistic contribution to the world. It really is astounding.

It's a province of only 7 million people - but her impact on the artistic world is out of all proportion to her size. And Cirque du Soleil and Guy Laliberte are a big part of that impact. 

As readers of this blog know, I am in Montréal, Québec for several weeks. And as I've made my way around this fascinating city I've been struck by the number of creative wall murals and other street art scattered around town. From back alleys, to apartment walls to building facades, to the very sidewalks under your feet - art is everywhere in Montréal.

So today I've put together a small sampling of the open air gallery encountered daily here. 

Among the most unique architectural characteristics of Montréal are the ubiquitous stairways leading to the upper floors of apartment buildings. You see this feature all over town - but especially on the Plateau Mont Royal, the French-speaking heart of the city and hub to everything that makes Montréal the special place that it is.

Virtually everyone who lives on the Plateau lives in an apartment building. It's a compact area where - if you don't know your neighbors - you definitely hear them. Very few buildings are more than three-stories here, and none (that I've seen) have elevators. Nor do they have internal stairwells.

Rather - access to the upper floors is gained via staircases in-front and behind the building - thus maximizing the available living space within. And a lot of thought has gone into the design of these staircases. 

They often sport elaborate railings, creative paint-jobs, and quite often urban landscaping. The over-all affect is quite aesthetically appealing and gives the city a very unique character.

Most of these external staircases also have small balconies or terraces at each upper level. For many residents of the city this provides their only outdoor space. It is quite common - in the summer - to see people sitting outside on their staircase balconies enjoying the warm weather and sharing late afternoon apéritifs with friends and family.

However, when winter arrives these same staircases are covered in ice and snow. And while still charming and pleasing to the eye - they definitely become a challenge to navigate. I'll show you those when the time comes - but for now, let's enjoy summer; while it lasts.

A Forgotten Gem
 There really is no wrong choice when planning a trip to France. It's a country that seems to have something for everyone within the confines of the Texas sized hexagon; from the sensual allure of Provence, to the gastronomical joys of Burgundy and the dazzle of Paris - France has it all.

Yet in-spite of its world-wide notoriety as the home to possibly the world's best wines - Bordeaux seems to have fallen off the radar screen of many Gallic itineraries. 

The city itself often seems just an afterthought when scouting la carte des vins at a nice restaurant elsewhere in France. And so this world-famous name has oddly become one of France's best kept secrets. But in reality, Bordeaux is a wonder, and a very pleasant surprise for the intrepid traveler.

A City for Walking 
One of the most delightful things about visiting Bordeaux is its pedestrian friendly core. Many of the major streets here are for walking only and completely free of cars.

Yet getting around is a breeze with the city's 'state of the art' tram system. The modern tram is the world's first to incorporate a French developed technology which eliminates overhead wiring. The aesthetic impact of this is a wonderful freeing of the sight-lines throughout the left-bank (the city is built on both sides of the Garonne) core of the city.

Walking through the left bank neighborhoods, one will find old city areas with buildings many hundreds of years old as well as the more modern area from the 18th century with its magnificent Versailles style architecture. Cathedrals, museums, remnants of Roman occupation - it's all here.

And the cherry on top is without doubt the magnificent quai with the Garonne River on one side and the Place de la Borse on the other. Here you can amble for more than a mile amidst the beautifully landscaped gardens - where you're welcome to sit on the grass - and the magnificent white stone buildings which create an unbroken vista of 18th century splendor. And amazingly - you will see none of the graffiti which scars nearly every wall in Paris these days.

The Water Mirror
The crown jewell of a walk along the quai is a fountain unlike any other you have ever seen. Called the Miroir d'Eau (the water mirror), it was placed in front of the square at the Place de la Bourse with the intent of creating two plazas; and so it seems to the eye. It is one of the most spectacular things you will ever see - and it alone is worth a visit to Bordeaux. No photograph can do it justice.

Add to this an atmosphere of truly warm - and proud - hospitality, and you have a destination that will be one of the highlights of any trip to France.

Named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site - the Bordeaux Tourism Office has become a quite active center of efforts to promote visits to their city. They offer tour packages and itineraries that are an absolutely magnificent value.

A City That Makes an Effort
You can arrange a two or three day visit through the Tourism Office which includes hotel, meal discounts, guided walking tours of the city, guided tours of the wine region (both in French and English - and both excellent), free tastings at wine shops around the city, passes to several museums, complimentary tram tickets - and even a gift basket with a bottle of one of Bordeaux's finest. 
And the range of prices available for the different tourist packages offered will accommodate any budget. Unlike the Office of Tourism in most cities, the one in Bordeaux is actually a beehive of activity and a key component to getting the most from a trip to the city. 

So if you're burned-out on the ubiquitous mobs, exorbitant prices, graffiti scarred walls, and less than pleasant odors of Paris, Bordeaux may be the perfect antidote. 

All in all, Bordeaux is just a wonderful place to visit. Sophisticated, beautiful, and inexpensive - it really has it all.

Bon voyage !



http://www.bordeauxtourisme.com/uk/preparer_son_sejour/accueil.htmlweeblylink_new_window

Ahhh - Paris. The most beautiful city on Earth - and the number one tourist destination too. More people visit Paris each year than any other travel destination. How many? Statistics vary (for some unknown reason) from 35 all the way up to 58 million annual visitors. But whatever the actual figure is - it's a lot. I mean, consider that the leading attraction there - Notre Dame Cathedral - in 2008 saw 13 million visitors. That's over a million a month. And every year sees more. Many more.

I love Paris. I could write 15 pages on just the things that are great about the 'city of light'. But every time I visit, the increase in the number of tourists is clearly noticeable. The first time I visited the Musée d'Orsay (mid 90's) there was no line to get in and plenty of elbow room once inside. But on a visit this spring, I waited in a very long line for over an hour, and once inside it seemed more like a packed metro station than a museum. And this is true of all the major venues. There are mobs of tourists all over Paris now.

You Call That Love?
As bothersome as this is, an even more troubling development, which I first noticed 3 years ago, has now developed into a full-blown plague. It's graffiti. And not just your average spray-can variety left by local teens - but tourist-generated graffiti. And the irony is that the tourist graffiti is ostensibly a sign of each tourist's love of the beauty of Paris.

It first started less than 5 years ago. I was walking across the Pont des Artistes - a pedestrian-only bridge on the Seine - when I noticed 3 or 4 padlocks in the bridge's grilled wall. And on each padlock was written the names of two lovers. After inquiring, I was told they'd been locked there as a sign of the lovers' unbreakable bond to each other - and to Paris. "Interesting", I thought. Even a tad romantic. And I forgot all about it.

Then - as I walked across the same bridge a few months ago - I was stunned to see not just 3 or 4 such signs of "love" - but literally hundreds. Padlocks of every imaginable variety and color, each with names written on them - and each permanently sealed in-place. And what had once been a simple, and delightfully artistic grilled-wall, was now a cluttered monstrosity resembling more a junk-yard than anything else. 

Et Tu Bruté?
And like any plague - it is now spreading. Each and every bridge in central Paris with such a wall is now being targeted by these "lovers" of the city. And the cumulative impact of this love-fest is the slow, methodical destruction of one of the great works of art in Paris; the sublime simplicity of her bridges. 

In his book The Revolt of the Masses, Jose Ortega y Gasset asserted that the advent of the consciousness of 'mass man' as a social phenomena is new to the age of industrialism. And further, that this 'mass man' intervenes in everything - and that this intervention is solely by violence. 

When I first read that in college, I didn't understand what he meant. But now, each time I walk across the Pont des Artistes (once upon a time, my favorite), I not only understand, but I also mumble a quiet, "Amen". 
Sadly.

The last stop in our quest to escape the crush of tourists while in Paris takes us to the Museum of Modern Art - Le Musée d'Art Moderne. And interestingly, this escape lies just steps from one of the most crowded places in all of Paris - the Eiffel Tower. 

So you might think that this particular museum would be a quite popular and busy place filled with the very tourists we are trying to avoid - and you would be partly right. A lot of people do come here. But the overwhelming majority of tourists who come here come to see the special - temporary - exhibitions. We, on the other hand, will be visiting the permanent collection downstairs - which also happens to be free. 

http://www.paris.fr/loisirs/musees-expos/musee-d-art-moderne-de-la-ville-de-paris/p6450weeblylink_new_window

As you enter, ignore the line of people waiting to pay for admission to the special exhibits. Go down the stairs just to your left and you will find the free permanent collection. And the very first thing you will come to is the Salle Matisse. This exhibition salon was specifically designed to hold one of Henri Matisse's master works - La Danse de Paris (1931). The work is a giant triptych which fills one entire wall of the salon - and it is simply stunning. It is worth a trip to this museum just to see this work alone.

But you will also find some truly wonderful pieces throughout the rest of the permanent collection. Works by Maurice de Vlaminick and André Derain - and everything from paintings to ceramics to furniture. 

The galleries are beautifully laid out - and just as at Le Musée Cognaq-Jay - you will occasionally find yourself completely alone - and never in a crush of tourists. All in all - a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours; and crowd-free.

Well, there you have it. Five places guaranteed to relieve you of the stress of Parisian crowds - and still keep you active and involved with one the greatest cities on Earth. 

To be sure, the crowded Parisian venues are certainly wonderful and exciting places to visit too. But at least now - when you just can't handle another hour-long wait in line, or another giant mob of visitors - you know you have options. 

Bon voyage!

Our fourth destination (in our 5 part quest for escaping the crush of tourists) is in the heart of one of the most touristy, and crowded, sections of Paris - the Marais. Just one block from the Musée Carnavalet  (the museum of Paris) is located another little gem of peace and calm known as the Musée Cognacq-Jay. It is named after the originators of the collection, Théodore-Ernest Cognacq and his wife Marie-Louise Jay - the founders of the famous La Samaritaine department store.

The museum is located at 8 Rue Elzevir inside the former Hôtel de Donon which dates from the 16th century and is itself a quite interesting architectural site. Cognacq-Jay is home to art from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries and the collection is utterly fascinating. Spread over four floors and twenty rooms, there are works of many genres here. Porcelains from China, ceramics, jewels - and an impressive variety of period furniture.

There is also an impressive selection of paintings ranging from Rembrandt to Cézanne and Degas. I was particularly drawn to the paintings of Jean-Baptiste Greuze whose realist style broke with the bucolic landscapes and portraits favored by the aristocrats of pre-Revolution France. Greuze's work is infused with the gritty realism and honesty that became one of the pillars of the emerging ideological current which spawned the French Revolution. There are several excellent examples of his work on display here.

At one point I was quite surprised to stumble upon several pieces of ceramic from the late 1700's that were early precursors of the Art Deco movement of the 1920's. Apparently there truly is nothing new under the sun. 

And while the museum is in the heart of the tourist-packed confines of the 3rd arrondissement, it has somehow fallen off the circuit of most visited places. You will not have to worry about navigating a crush of fellow travelers here. In-fact, I often found myself completely alone in several salons - almost as though I were on a private self-guided tour. It was great.

Don't miss this under appreciated gem.

http://en.parisinfo.com/museum-monuments/237/musee-cognacq-jayweeblylink_new_window 

Visitors to San Francisco are often struck by the City's European feel because of its cosmopolitan atmosphere of sophisticated refinement and sensibilities - the compactness of its immigrant neighborhoods  - and the richness of the cultural landscape to be found there. 

From the City's Italian quarter of North Beach, to its pedestrian friendly streets filled with boutiques, cafes and coffee houses - to its rich arts scene of theater, museums and architecture - San Francisco certainly exudes a sense of being in a city on the continent rather than in the USA. 

So it should come as no surprise that The City is also home to a museum which is an exact duplicate (well - at 3/4 scale) of a museum found in the heart of Paris; The National Museum of the Legion of Honor - located right next door to the Musée d'Orsay.  San Francisco's version is one of two fine arts museums in The City (the other being the DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park) and is  known as The Palace of the Legion of Honor.

The museum was conceived and built as a gift to the people of San Francisco by Alma de Bretteville Spreckles (of Hawaii sugar plantation fame) and completed in 1924. It is home to an eclectic art collection of items from the Mediterranean Basin - primarily Egypt, Near East, Rome, Greece, and the Agean Islands. 

The collection ranges from the earliest pieces dating from the 4th millennium B.C.E. to works of the 20th century; a span of more than 6000 years. And while the collection is small compared to museums such as The Metropolitan in New York City - it forms the basis of an excellent introduction to the art of the cultures represented.

Within her walls are housed works by the Impressionists and post-Impressionists, Degas, Renoir, Monet, Pissarro, Seurat, Cézanne, and others. Among the 20th century artist you will find pieces by Braque and Picasso. The museum also houses important works by Rembrandt, David, El Greco, and many fascinating works by lesser known artists.

A particular strength of the museum is its collection of Greek vase painting with over 100 examples of work from the prehistoric period up to the end of the classical age. However, it is certainly not limited to this genre as evidenced by its displays of Japanese prints, Indian miniatures, and visiting exhibitions from around the world.

Yet you needn't even go inside to enjoy a visit to this museum. The building itself and its location are worth a visit. Built in a neo-classical style, the museum is located on an elevated site in Lincoln Park  which gives spectacular views of the entrance to the Golden Gate, San Francisco bay and the Marin headlands, as well as of the City itself. And it is surrounded by large grass lawns which - unlike similar venues in Paris - are open to the public.

Also - in the entry courtyard you will find one of the few Rodin signed casts of his sculpture The Thinker. There are just 17 scattered about the planet.

In addition, the museum cafe is excellent with both indoor and courtyard seating, just across from the creative and reasonably priced gift shop.

This is a truly special place - quite unique amongst American museums - and a highlight of any trip to The City.

The museum is located at 100 34th Avenue. 
Don't miss it.

http://legionofhonor.famsf.org/