The Montmartre Wine Festival
743
When I woke up last Saturday, feeling tired and
lazy, I was considering giving the Montmartre vendanges a miss. But
when I saw the glorious golden morning that made “my” park look even
more stunning, I brushed away my reluctance to cross the city and climb
those steep flights of steps that take you to le Clos de Montmartre,
the little patch of vineyard bounded by rue des Saules and
Saint-Vincent, opposite the famous Lapin Agile cabaret. By
the time I got there, an equally golden autumnal afternoon was
beginning to set, making everything look exquisitely pretty, and so
“far away” form Paris. I hadn’t been back to the Montmartre vendanges
for several years, and was delighted to see that they had not become
touristy or kitschy. This is still a local, Parisian affair, or even
better, neighbourhood affair, (which should not make you shy away –
quite the contrary – you are more than welcome!). Like in the old days,
when officialdom was present, the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoé,
made an appearance at the vineyard (which, by the way, is the property
of the City of Paris), radiant and shaking everyone’s hands. A
few hours later, whilst he was about to shake other Parisians’ hands at
the Hôtel de Ville, on the occasion of a new nocturnal feast he had
initiated, the creative Mayor of Paris was stabbed in the stomach and
rushed to La Salpêtrière, the very same hospital where Princess Diana
died in 1997. Quite amazing when one remembers that as recently as last
Bastille Day, someone tried to kill President Chirac. From
the outset, Le Clos de Montmartre was set up as a charity, whose
proceeds went to the children of the then destitute village of
Montmartre. The painter Francisque Poulbot, who loved Montmrtre’s
children – nicknamed after him les petits poulbots – backed the
project. Poulbot even set up a playground for them in his garden
(detour past his house, at no. 13 of the neighbouring avenue Junot). He
also set up a dispensary for them in the backyard of the restaurant La
Pomponnette, at no. 42 rue Lepic, where you can have a wonderful,
homely French meal, surrounded by Poulbot’s artwork (tel 01 46 06 08
36, closed Sundays and Monday lunch). From
the outset too, the vineyard was part of the eccentric life of the
hill, which “seceded” from Paris in 1929 and set itself up as a
“Republic” and a free commune, with its own independent Mayor. The idea
was Poulbot’s yet again, who was fighting off property developers and
managed to save the patch of land that was soon to become the famous
vineyard. The president of the otherwise larger French Republic,
actually attended the first vendanges in 1934. At
present, it is still the Republic of Montmartre that presides over the
celebrations with fun songs, colourful costumes and festive brass
bands. All this motley world marches and dances through the streets of
Montmartre in a procession that disbands in front of Le Lapin Agile.
The neighbourhood’s children, les Petits Poulbots, opened the
procession, followed by wine-growers from different parts of France,
and elsewhere, in their traditional, colourful costumes: wooden clogs
from Burgundy, dainty, lacy headdresses from Normandy, kimonos donned
by the staff of the wine museum in Osaka, tartans donned by the order
of the taste de whisky… Above all, some mindboggling dancers, dressed
in striking black and yellow costumes, who glided gracefully on slender
stilts down the steep, cobbled rue des Saules. This
year Toulouse-Lautrec honours the 2001 vintage, on sale throughout the
year at the Mairie of the 18th arrondissement, on place Jules Joffrin –
40 €, if you buy it in its lovely wooden case; and remember all
proceeds go to charity. Meanwhile the Museum of Montmartre, round the
corner (12, rue Cortot), is devoting a temporary exhibition to the
painter. Make sure to visit the museum next time you’re in Paris, even
if Toulouse Lautrec is no longer on display. It’s a heartwarming little
place which brings alive the same spirit of the good old days, which
you can also enjoy nightly at Le Lapin Agile. For more on Thirza Vallois see her biography. Copyright © Thirza Vallois To order one of Thirza’s books, or to correspond with her, please send email to: BonjourParisFr.
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When I woke up last Saturday, feeling tired and
lazy, I was considering giving the Montmartre vendanges a miss. But
when I saw the glorious golden morning that made “my” park look even
more stunning, I brushed away my reluctance to cross the city and climb
those steep flights of steps that take you to le Clos de Montmartre,
the little patch of vineyard bounded by rue des Saules and
Saint-Vincent, opposite the famous Lapin Agile cabaret.
By
the time I got there, an equally golden autumnal afternoon was
beginning to set, making everything look exquisitely pretty, and so
“far away” form Paris. I hadn’t been back to the Montmartre vendanges
for several years, and was delighted to see that they had not become
touristy or kitschy. This is still a local, Parisian affair, or even
better, neighbourhood affair, (which should not make you shy away –
quite the contrary – you are more than welcome!). Like in the old days,
when officialdom was present, the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoé,
made an appearance at the vineyard (which, by the way, is the property
of the City of Paris), radiant and shaking everyone’s hands.
the time I got there, an equally golden autumnal afternoon was
beginning to set, making everything look exquisitely pretty, and so
“far away” form Paris. I hadn’t been back to the Montmartre vendanges
for several years, and was delighted to see that they had not become
touristy or kitschy. This is still a local, Parisian affair, or even
better, neighbourhood affair, (which should not make you shy away –
quite the contrary – you are more than welcome!). Like in the old days,
when officialdom was present, the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoé,
made an appearance at the vineyard (which, by the way, is the property
of the City of Paris), radiant and shaking everyone’s hands.
A
few hours later, whilst he was about to shake other Parisians’ hands at
the Hôtel de Ville, on the occasion of a new nocturnal feast he had
initiated, the creative Mayor of Paris was stabbed in the stomach and
rushed to La Salpêtrière, the very same hospital where Princess Diana
died in 1997. Quite amazing when one remembers that as recently as last
Bastille Day, someone tried to kill President Chirac.
few hours later, whilst he was about to shake other Parisians’ hands at
the Hôtel de Ville, on the occasion of a new nocturnal feast he had
initiated, the creative Mayor of Paris was stabbed in the stomach and
rushed to La Salpêtrière, the very same hospital where Princess Diana
died in 1997. Quite amazing when one remembers that as recently as last
Bastille Day, someone tried to kill President Chirac.
From
the outset, Le Clos de Montmartre was set up as a charity, whose
proceeds went to the children of the then destitute village of
Montmartre. The painter Francisque Poulbot, who loved Montmrtre’s
children – nicknamed after him les petits poulbots – backed the
project. Poulbot even set up a playground for them in his garden
(detour past his house, at no. 13 of the neighbouring avenue Junot). He
also set up a dispensary for them in the backyard of the restaurant La
Pomponnette, at no. 42 rue Lepic, where you can have a wonderful,
homely French meal, surrounded by Poulbot’s artwork (tel 01 46 06 08
36, closed Sundays and Monday lunch).
the outset, Le Clos de Montmartre was set up as a charity, whose
proceeds went to the children of the then destitute village of
Montmartre. The painter Francisque Poulbot, who loved Montmrtre’s
children – nicknamed after him les petits poulbots – backed the
project. Poulbot even set up a playground for them in his garden
(detour past his house, at no. 13 of the neighbouring avenue Junot). He
also set up a dispensary for them in the backyard of the restaurant La
Pomponnette, at no. 42 rue Lepic, where you can have a wonderful,
homely French meal, surrounded by Poulbot’s artwork (tel 01 46 06 08
36, closed Sundays and Monday lunch).
From
the outset too, the vineyard was part of the eccentric life of the
hill, which “seceded” from Paris in 1929 and set itself up as a
“Republic” and a free commune, with its own independent Mayor. The idea
was Poulbot’s yet again, who was fighting off property developers and
managed to save the patch of land that was soon to become the famous
vineyard. The president of the otherwise larger French Republic,
actually attended the first vendanges in 1934.
the outset too, the vineyard was part of the eccentric life of the
hill, which “seceded” from Paris in 1929 and set itself up as a
“Republic” and a free commune, with its own independent Mayor. The idea
was Poulbot’s yet again, who was fighting off property developers and
managed to save the patch of land that was soon to become the famous
vineyard. The president of the otherwise larger French Republic,
actually attended the first vendanges in 1934.
At
present, it is still the Republic of Montmartre that presides over the
celebrations with fun songs, colourful costumes and festive brass
bands. All this motley world marches and dances through the streets of
Montmartre in a procession that disbands in front of Le Lapin Agile.
The neighbourhood’s children, les Petits Poulbots, opened the
procession, followed by wine-growers from different parts of France,
and elsewhere, in their traditional, colourful costumes: wooden clogs
from Burgundy, dainty, lacy headdresses from Normandy, kimonos donned
by the staff of the wine museum in Osaka, tartans donned by the order
of the taste de whisky… Above all, some mindboggling dancers, dressed
in striking black and yellow costumes, who glided gracefully on slender
stilts down the steep, cobbled rue des Saules.
present, it is still the Republic of Montmartre that presides over the
celebrations with fun songs, colourful costumes and festive brass
bands. All this motley world marches and dances through the streets of
Montmartre in a procession that disbands in front of Le Lapin Agile.
The neighbourhood’s children, les Petits Poulbots, opened the
procession, followed by wine-growers from different parts of France,
and elsewhere, in their traditional, colourful costumes: wooden clogs
from Burgundy, dainty, lacy headdresses from Normandy, kimonos donned
by the staff of the wine museum in Osaka, tartans donned by the order
of the taste de whisky… Above all, some mindboggling dancers, dressed
in striking black and yellow costumes, who glided gracefully on slender
stilts down the steep, cobbled rue des Saules.
This
year Toulouse-Lautrec honours the 2001 vintage, on sale throughout the
year at the Mairie of the 18th arrondissement, on place Jules Joffrin –
40 €, if you buy it in its lovely wooden case; and remember all
proceeds go to charity. Meanwhile the Museum of Montmartre, round the
corner (12, rue Cortot), is devoting a temporary exhibition to the
painter. Make sure to visit the museum next time you’re in Paris, even
if Toulouse Lautrec is no longer on display. It’s a heartwarming little
place which brings alive the same spirit of the good old days, which
you can also enjoy nightly at Le Lapin Agile.
year Toulouse-Lautrec honours the 2001 vintage, on sale throughout the
year at the Mairie of the 18th arrondissement, on place Jules Joffrin –
40 €, if you buy it in its lovely wooden case; and remember all
proceeds go to charity. Meanwhile the Museum of Montmartre, round the
corner (12, rue Cortot), is devoting a temporary exhibition to the
painter. Make sure to visit the museum next time you’re in Paris, even
if Toulouse Lautrec is no longer on display. It’s a heartwarming little
place which brings alive the same spirit of the good old days, which
you can also enjoy nightly at Le Lapin Agile.
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