So what else was I going to tell you about on this last trip? Oh yes, my experience of making the book for Aunty Joyce. Well, it wasn’t so much a “book” as maybe a “zine”, or a “visual diary”. I didn’t get the idea to make it until I was in Paris so unfortunately I didn’t have any of my crafting tools with me except a signing pen. I thought BHV would be the place to get everything I needed, including some quick print outs of photos to stick in the book, but unfortunately they didn’t have anything that I needed- the notebooks were all of the ‘back to school’ variety (I wanted something a little french, or at least that had some french words on the cover), and the “instant” photo machine was actually a 3 day turnaround. So Romain and I looked for a copy shop, or a photo lab around the area but each time we found one it was either closed or, as one proprietor used the excuse “we’ve run out of photo paper for the machine”. indeed. So, our final trial was fnac, and low and behold, they had a real instant photo machine! So I put my usb stick in and printed out 10 photos that I randomly chose earlier that morning, all with key elements from Joyce’s time thus far in paris, and some family snaps of us all together etc. That is when we discovered the instant machine had a postcard option which we thought was pretty cool. The notebook I found at Merci, as well as the japanese tape. Oh and the paris stamps I bought at Melodies Graphiques.
So, if you come up with the same spontaneous idea of creating a notebook of your adventures in Paris, then know that you can go to fnac in les halles to fulfill your instant photo needs. You could also stop in one of the metros and take some photo booth photos of yourself for good measure. Romain and I attempted this late one night but he accidentally broke the machine by pressing too often on the buttons. If you happen to be in the pont neuf metro and want to take photo booth photos, I’m here to tell you it is probably still broken. oops.
Here are some photos of the wonderful window display at emmanuelle wittmann’s atelier, how lovely that she put le book in her window among her beautiful creations. Merci Emmanuelle!
And one last thing, I want to tell you about a great cafe Romain and I stopped in for lunch in the Canal St Martin area. It’s called “L’Atmosphere”. It was one of those places again that I’d often walked past but had never been in and it was really good – the service was great, the food delicious, and at the end we ordered a ‘café gourmand’ and a ‘thé gourmand’ for me, and it was lovely- lots of little desserts including a mini creme brulee, along with a pot of tea. miam.
Therefore if you happen to be in the Canal St. Martin area (10th arrondisment) on ‘wander 6’ (pg113) in Paris: Made by Hand, then check out L’Atmosphere. The address is: 49 rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris and they are open every day of the week. Sydney-based photographer Jillian Leiboff just got back from Paris and wrote a great post with beautiful images about her wander of the area, visiting some of the ateliers and shops from the book, check out her post here. Thank you Jillian!
Before we got on the train to head back to Amsterdam, I spotted this piece of advice/street art on the pavement crossing a bridge, heading toward the gare du nord…
In English it is something like “forever cursed is the useless dreamer…”. And I thought how fitting this sentence was for my time in paris on this particular occasion, although I’m not exactly sure how to interpret this sentence, I’d love to know your thoughts on it…
Perhaps a bit of the old may you live in interesting times? It seems to depend on one’s perspective on being a useless dreamer. (Do you mean “in” or “is” by the way?)
And are useless dreamers cursed or will they be? And surely they provide someone to curse, which can’t be all that useless.
I hope I am one.
August 19th, 2010 | #
an useless dreamer… someone who dreams but doesn’t do anything to achieve what she’s dreaming of? just waits – and then becomes unhappy because her dreams aren’t fulfilled…
i’m glad joyce got her dream fulfilled. i’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading about your adventures in paris, and i think the zine was a wonderful gift for her!
August 19th, 2010 | #
Miss Heliotrope, sorry for the typo – I meant “is”, not “in”, thanks for pointing this out – I’ve made the change. And yes I agree, it certainly depends on the perspective of what it is to be a “useless dreamer”. I thought perhaps they mean dreams that one knows can never be fulfilled? But then, who defines what is possible and what is not? Love your thoughts, thank you for sharing!
August 19th, 2010 | #
beauty comma – exactly. I thought the same, because to live a life of dreaming without doing, that could be interpreted as cursed, non? I’m so glad you enjoyed the posts! x
August 19th, 2010 | #
having had some tough jobs in challenging, albeit fascinating places, say Djibouti, as well as Paris, I’m not sure that there is such a thing as useless dreaming. But a useless dreamer, I’ve known a lot. “I’d love to be a Peace Corps volunteer but……….” any number of excuses. ” I’d love to have your job, you are so lucky…but could all my assignments be in Buenos Aires or Rome?
August 19th, 2010 | #
joan, your comment made me laugh, that is so true, I can just imagine you hear that alot! The “I would love to have your job” remark is always an interesting one – for me, when I discuss in great detail some the less appealing parts of the work I do, I observe – right on cue – wrinkled up noses, raised eyebrows and a quick change of subject.
August 19th, 2010 | #
Lovely! One day I will go to Paris again and spend a day on one of your wanders! I don’t know best how to interpret the quote, but what I do know is that time spent dreaming is never wasted.
Gillian
August 19th, 2010 | #
as an artist, im forever day dreaming of all sorts – new ideas, nostalgia, wonderful places, concotions, etc – its great but praps it can be a curse as I find its in my dreaming/escapism that im most at ease.
August 19th, 2010 | #
Is there really such a thing as useless dreaming? I think not. If a person doesn’t have the backbone to chase the dream does it really matter as long as the dream has brought pleasure and, paramount,the person is not a whinger… Dreaming is to be alive; your Aunt is testament to this. Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge Pia and allowing me to dream a little more!
August 19th, 2010 | #
Sounds like you had such a great time. Did you put a little lock on one of the bridges? If you put a lock on one of the bridges that means your love can never be broken. 🙂 Isn’t Paris amazing?
August 19th, 2010 | #
Hi Pia,
I so love the little book you made, it is so inspiring,
The sentence is part of a poem from Charles Baudelaire called “Femmes damnées” from “les Fleurs du Mal”
“Maudit soit à jamais le rêveur inutile
Qui voulut le premier, dans sa stupidité,
S’éprenant d’un problème insoluble et stérile,
Aux choses de l’amour mêler l’honnêteté !”
which will translate according to William Aggeler
May he be cursed forever, that idle dreamer,
The first one who in his stupidity
Entranced by a sterile, insoluble problem,
Wished to mix honesty with what belongs to love!
You can find the whole poem both in French and English here
if you want to listen to it in French you can go to this site
Hope I have not broken the enigma/mystery of this piece of street art.
August 19th, 2010 | #
The quote from the street art is beautiful. Thank you for the post 🙂 I love seeing Paris through your eyes.
August 19th, 2010 | #
Oh I adore everything …. but that part of the poem is just gold … I shall be writing it somewhere to be reminded everyday !!! (that pottery in the window is so amazing too) thanks so much for sharing all your Paris adventures, it has been so wonderful and inspiring. XXX
August 20th, 2010 | #
i’ve been lurkinghere for a while and just wanted to say that i’ve enjoyed reading about your trip. it’s lovely to see paris through your eyes and words.
and i love that last photograph and the translation (even if you’re not sure that it’s entirely correct).
August 21st, 2010 | #
Hi pia –
Beautiful words as always. I have been really touched by your stories of paris and your great aunt. Simply lovely.
Take care,
Claire:)
August 23rd, 2010 | #
thanks for all the fab comments guys – and lemelimelodeval, it’s so great to know this sentence is part of a Charles Baudelaire poem! Mystery solved, thank you thank you. x
August 23rd, 2010 | #
Hi Pia! I really enjoy all your lovely posts and photographs, Auntie’s little memoir was just gorgeous and you SO industrious to make it under somewhat trying circumstances.
How great to see Baudelaire poetry upon the pavement! Ah! C’est Paris!! 😉 I recently saw a documentary where they searched and caught up with the Street Artist who writes these lines all in unexpected places, it was inspiring!
x Jane
September 10th, 2010 | #
Because if you spend all your life dreaming, you sometimes fail to see the reality around you, and step over humanity when it gest in the way. Lack of morality is the curse of humankind. Sean O’Casey’s play, ‘Juno and the Paycock’ is in some part a study in this. Incidentaly I’m a dreamer which is why I love love love your blog.
November 5th, 2010 | #
Hello Pia!
Love this post, especially the chalk quote! I sometimes write things around my city – it is such a wonderfull form of communication/graffiti. A perfect medium for words to make you ponder:)
I hope you don’t mind – I put your picture up on my blog, with a reference, of course:)
http://vintagination.blogspot.com/2010/12/forever-cursed-is-useless-dreamer.html
Best wishes!x
December 22nd, 2010 | #
[…] Art: A piece of boulevard advice Via pia from amsterdam‘s adventures in Paris, which says something like “forever cursed is the useless […]
March 9th, 2011 | #