Paris Revisited

I am off again, this year to France, Germany and Austria.

I spent 4 nights in Sydney, fortunately in beautiful weather, a few showers on the way to the airport were the only indication of the deluge to come after I departed.  I again made the obligatory ferry trip to Manly and had a lovely lunch with my sister on the waterfront at Circular Quay following a movie set in France which seemed appropriate.

After a night in Dubai, I reached Paris on April 21 and took possession of the apartment where I have now stayed 12 nights.  While different, it is in the same area in the 13th arrondissement where I have now stayed many times and a Navigo decouverte or weekly ticket on the metro, buses and trams allows me to easily move around inner Paris.  The first week had glorious sunny weather but it changed on Saturday and has been rather cool and showery this week.

I planned my whole trip around attending the Anzac Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Villers Bretonneux. There were a few showers as we left by coach from Gare du Nord  at 1.30am but, soon after arriving at the site just before 4am, the deluge began.
I am told about 6000 were there and was impressed that there were many French people at such an hour in such weather. They still respect the Australians who saved the town on April 25, 1918. While the emphasis was on Gallipoli this year, I guess this will move here in 2018.
I was honoured at the end of the service to be able to place flowers and a card from my sister and me in memory of my uncle who is buried nearby, having been killed at Pozieres in June 1916.

We went for breakfast and to dry out. Fortunately the rain did not return as we were taken to the memorials at Pozieres and Bullecourt then, after lunch, to Fromelles and the Cobbers memorial.

I have toured the Somme before but this trip the emphasis was on Australian Memorials rather than those of all the Commonwealth countries.

The days before Anzac were mainly to overcome jet lag but I did wander in some gardens and visit the Picasso Museum, newly reopened, as well as the Museum of Modern Art.

Last Monday I took a long train ride to visit Mont St Michel.

 The day was sunny but cold. It was French school holidays so very crowded and the place is over commercialised but the Abbey was interesting and picturesque.

Tuesday and Wednesday were in Paris and I went to the Chateau de Malmaison

 where Napoleon and Josephine lived and Josephine remained living after their divorce and finally died. The furniture was impressive as were the gardens.

Thursday, another train trip to Normandy and a tour of the American landing beach of Omaha and the war cemetery. There were not enough numbers for a tour of British/Canadian sites but I guess one beach is like another and it was interesting to compare the American Cemetery

 with the many Commonwealth war cemeteries I have visited.  I was pleased to see in the Museum the flags of all nations involved in the Normandy landings included Australia and New Zealand.

Our forces, of course, were more involved in the Pacific at that time.

I have had some musical experiences in the evenings as well. A string quartet in La Chapelle with works by Mozart, Schumann, Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Dvořák was pleasant as the sun set through the magnificent glass windows.  Dvorak’s opera ‘Rusalka’ at the Opera Bastille on Sunday afternoon was lovely and it was wonderful to hear the Orchestre de Paris play at the Paris Philharmonie. Arcadi Volodos was the soloist for Beethoven’s Piano concerto number 3. By coincidence I have now heard that piece 3 times in one year, in New York and Dunedin as well. Fortunately I think it is great music.

The Paris Philharmonie was only opened a few months ago and is the largest concert hall in Europe.  A New Zealand and a Japanese Company were the sound engineers and the acoustics have received rave reviews.  I had a front row seat and the photo taken with my phone gives some idea of the modern design.

An organ recital at Notre Dame Cathedral was less impressive.  Wonderful setting and I discovered the strange sounds an organ can make but the modern music was not to my taste.

Then last night a chamber orchestra in the Church of St Madeleine with a variety of composers. I particularly enjoyed the soprano who sang “Casta Diva” a favourite of mine.

Rather disappointed the weather has not allowed me to wander the streets and parks of Paris as much as I planned. Some final photos taken in the Luxembourg Gardens.

A very different type of holiday is ahead of me this week on a barge in Burgundy.

Anzac Day in Sydney

I again spent Anzac day in Sydney. This has become a tradition for me. I accompany my sister to the Dawn Service at the Cenotaph in Martin Place. We need to catch one of the special trains that are provided. It means leaving her home about 3am. As usual the service was packed. I am always proud of the uniting of my country of birth and my country of choice and am proud to sing both anthems.

I have found this excerpt on Youtube. About 6 mins 35 secs the camera pans across the crowd with a clear view of my sister in red top.  I am only slightly in view behind her.
It begins just after the Governor has laid the first wreath. People are looking back at the large screen behind us. Only the very fortunate are able to sit.
This is followed by the most important part of the service - the reciting of the Ode, the sounding of the Last Post, a minute silence and the sounding of Reveille.


This year I was very pleased to discover the Sydney Maori Choir had been invited to sing as well as the Sydney Male Choir who have sung continuously at this service since 1930.
The Maori Choir sang Tama Ngakau Marie

Tama ngākau mārie Tama a te Atua Tēnei tonu mātou Arohaina mai Murua rā ngā hara Wetekina mai Ēnei here kino Wakararu nei. Takahia ki raro Tau e kino ai Kei pā kaha tonu Ko nga mahi hē. Hōmai he aroha Mōu i mate nei Tēnei ra e Ihu Tākina e koe Tēnei arahina A tutuki noa Puta i te pōuri Whiwhi hari nui.

Son of peace Son of God here we are always. Show us compassion. Wipe away our sins, and unshackle these evil ties that are so troublesome. Trample down things evil to you lest they gather strength, all evil deeds. Grant that we may have love for You who died May this be so Jesus, that you lead us. This is where we wish to be led to a good end, overcoming darkness and attaining paradise.

This was the last time we will see the Hon Professor Marie Bashir as Governor of NSW at the Dawn service and later leading the march through the city streets.

She has been a marvellous Governor since 2001. The first woman in that role and I note she is patron of the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service.

As in the past we returned home to watch on TV the March through the city streets which takes about 3 hours. This was followed by the Dawn Service at Gallipoli which I attended in 2002. And following that, the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Villers Bretonneux, France.  I have already booked to be at that service in 2015.  I have visited the Memorial twice in 2002 and 2007 and my uncle who died on the Somme in 2016 is buried about 25 km away.

ANZAC day in Dunedin

I suppose nothing illustrates more the fact that I have not made such a huge move from Australia to New Zealand than the ability to attend an Anzac Dawn Service. It was great to see the New Zealand, Australian and British flags flying side by side.

The speaker at the service in Dunedin,  Air Commodore Baillie seemed to stress the partnership that developed between the two countries on that first Anzac Day and, when he said not only did the New Zealanders  and Australians become comrades in arms on the first Anzac day they also became mates,  I felt tears  running down my cheeks.

I have had nothing but welcome since my arrival (with occasional friendly ribbing).
Apparently I do not have a strong Aussie accent and many people mistakenly think I am returning home.  Of course I am bucking the usual trend of Kiwis to move to Australia.  I was amused when the removalists said my sister sounded far more Australian than me.

The dawn service in Sydney commences at  4.30am while most suburban ones start at 5.30 or 6.00.  The service at Gallipoli starts at 5.30.  In Dunedin the actual service started at 6.30am but dawn is much later down here.  I was able to get up at 5am and leave home just after 5.30 and still have a good position whereas last year I caught a train about 1.30am.

There were a number of differences. The Last Post and Reveille did not immediately follow  the Ode which is the norm in Australia.  There were less hymns. The catafalque party added a Maori warrior as well as representatives of the three services.  I do not know how he stood still all that time in just a grass skirt and loose cloak. I was glad to see, although barefoot,  he was standing on a mat over the marble surface. It was warmer than yesterday but the wind was brisk.

I was disappointed we did not sing the Australian national anthem.  In Sydney they do sing the New Zealand anthem but then it is not included in the services in suburbs and country towns. I guess there would be many more New Zealanders in Sydney than Aussies in Dunedin.  I was surprised that very few around me were singing and regretted that while I know the English I have not persevered in learning the Maori words. A phot of the cenotaph in Dunedin is on the right.

I attended the Dawn Service at Gallipoli in 2002 and here is a brief clip from the service there last year.

Anzac Day

In Australia it is ANZAC (Australia & New Zealand Army Corps) Day.
I will set this post to go online at 4.15am Sydney time. Hopefully I will then be at the Dawn Service in Martin Place.
This tradition began in Sydney which still holds it at the time the soldiers actually landed at Gallipoli in 1915. To my knowledge all other towns and cities throughout Australia and New Zealand hold it at the more civilised hours of 5.30 or 6am.

I began attending in 1996 although I have not been every year. I always stayed with my mother and left about 3am to get to the city. Special trains and buses are provided.

In 2002 I was at the service at Gallipoli. I wrote about my visit to Anzac Cove in 2002 on my webpage which I maintained at the time. Photo (before I had a digital camera) shows me on the beach.

After visiting my Uncle's grave on the Somme and other battlefields and cemeteries in that area and around Ypres. I flew to Istanbul and travelled by bus to Eceabat where I stayed for 2 nights. On the 24th I went on a tour of the battlefield and cemeteries then on the 25th I left the hotel shortly after midnight and went by bus to Anzac Cove where I joined thousands waiting for the Dawn Service at 4.15. This service is for all countries involved - Turkey, Australia and New Zealand but also the UK. The participation by Turkey, our enemy at the time, is moving and shows the stupidity of war. Considering we were the invaders, they are very gracious.

We then travelled by bus to the Australian cemetery at Lone Pine for the Australian service (2nd photo) and I walked (ran) up the hill to Chunuk Bair for the New Zealand service. Third photo shows the Sphinx (named by the soldiers who had prepared in Egypt) which towers over Anzac Cove.

Later I returned to Eceabat for dinner before catching the coach back to Istanbul arriving at my hotel at 1am. A long, emotional day.

My sister began joining me for the Dawn Services in 2003. We argued that first time as she wanted me to wear green & gold ribbons for our troops in Iraq and I would not even wear an Australian flag at that time, just rosemary for remembrance.

In 2007 we were both in New York on Anzac Day but I did take her to the Somme and Ypres later and we attended the 9pm service at the Menin Gate.

Last year I was in Austria and hopefully next year I will be in New Zealand where the service in Dunedin is at 5.30am.

I do not want my sister to attend this year as she now suffers from TIA and often is forced to sit down during our long church services, I think hot, crowded conditions bring it on. At the Dawn service in the city there will be thousands and there are almost no seats.
Thankfully she has agreed and will attend the 5.30am service in the park a block from her home.

I have decided to go to the city but from home so will catch the special train leaving at 1.25am. I hope I do not chicken out when the alarm goes. I will read my novel (see last post) each way. It will be a doddle compared to what I did in 2002.

I have found the speech by Winston Peters at the Gallipoli Dawn Service in 2008. At the time he was New Zealand's Foreign Minister. He is a controversial figure but this speech is excellent. I note, in his list of wars in which Australia and New Zealand fought together, Iraq is missing. This is one of the many reasons for my move even though Australia has now also withdrawn under our new government.



And a Hymn for Anzac Day posted by Fr Bosco Peters.