Beautiful Paris Suffered

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After our late night at Montparnasse, we were a bit slow getting started today but managed to get out by 10:00 a.m. or so, and headed to the Musee de la Liberation de Paris.  It covers Paris from its capture by the Nazis in 1940 to its liberation (by the Americans) in 1944, and does a wonderful job of explaining the split between the true patriots led by DeGaulle and the Vichy government (headed by WWI hero Phillipe Petain).  While the story of German General Dietrich von Scholtitz ignoring Hitler's orders to burn Paris to the ground is well known, what was certainly unknown to me was the intervening years in Paris between its capture by the Nazis and their eventual leaving as forced by the American army.

The site of this quiet museum is also the singular remaining bomb shelter and resistance headquarters
left in Paris.  It had been ransacked by looters after the war but painstakingly restored by the French government in 2019 to show what life was like.  

It features more than 300 objects, documents, photographs, and very intriguing archival videos and testimonies that evoke the resistance, the fighting across France and in Paris, the repression of the citizens (including the collaborators), the clandestine lives of Parisians, and their eventual recovered freedom.

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Among the many items displayed that really touched me was one where, after the liberation (with its days of uncertainty and gunfire) individuals were using a message board to search for family members.  It reminded me of the many times we've seen that same scene in other conflicts and natural catastrophic events in the years since.   Primitive by today's standards, it was nonetheless a sad picture of life then.

The bomb shelter and headquarters was 100 stairs down a narrow passageway and consisted of a variety of rooms, including the luxury of having a toilet.  Both the Germans and the Allies bombed Paris during the war.  The Germans bombed it as they were advancing in 1940, and the Allies bombed it in 1944 in an effort to drive the Germans out.  War is indiscriminate in its killing.

I'm grateful that Cheryl is, at the very least, tolerant of my interests in subjects and places like these, if not outright interested herself.  With my father having served as a Medic in Patton's 3rd. Army in WW II, my interest is boundless and she allows me to satisfy that curiosity.  What a good person she is to everyone, especially me. 

After a quick lunch at a cafe nearby, we raced back to the apartment so she could make her afternoon macaron (mak-ron, not macaroon, the desert cookie which is with coconut) baking class with Aaron, Melissa, and Chloe.   It was held at a cooking school on the northwest side of Paris, and the class featured 8 persons paired.  The equipment was some of the finest available, and used induction heating and convection ovens.  They started off making ganache, the filling, choosing from three different flavors: dark chocolate, passion fruit, and black currant.  Cheryl picked black currant which Chef Maria said "Oh, that's the hardest one!".  Off to a great start.

Four different colors were available for the macarons: yellow, green, purple, and orange.  These become the cookie itself after mixing with the dry ingredients, and getting the right consistency was apparently tough.  Piping bags with metal tips were then used to make the cookie.  Getting the air bubbles out consisted of dropping the plates of cookies from shoulder height.  Then, they were baked for about 12 minutes before adding the ganache from the refrigerator.

They returned home about two hours later with 60 macarons, but not before stopping by the hairdresser from yesterday to leave an apparently well earned tip along with more than a few macarons.  Apparently it was a lot of fun because all four of them were laughing when they entered the apartment.

Tomorrow is our day at Versailles which was the seat of French royal power, and a center of art and culture as a symbol of absolute monarchy and French influence.  It is well known for its architectural grandeur, history, and role as a model for other royal residencies in Europe.  Cheryl and I were there in 2009 and very much looking forward to seeing its opulence and grandeur again.  

PS - I wasn't allowed to tell anyone until the news was delivered firsthand by the newsmakers to important others, but while in Paris, my son Jeff got down on one knee and proposed to the lovely Leigh Carville.  Imagine that!

They've been together for awhile but Jeff got the urge to make it official.  We're delighted to have her join the family even though she's been like family for quite awhile now.  Cheers to them!