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A Day at the Races with Gina Rarick – Part II

April 29th, 2012

Before we left the grandstand for our tour of the racecourse with Gina, we watched the first race.

There weren’t very many spectators sitting in the grandstand, but just before the first race a group of people filed in and sat down in front of us. They were a well-dressed and lively crowd, and when the race started the kids among them began cheering wildly. After the race, they all got up and left, leaving the grandstand empty except for our group. I imagine that they were a family that had invested in one of the horses, and that they came that day to see how well it would run.

Races were spaced out throughout the day, so there was no incentive to remain in the grandstand until the start of the next race.

The Weighing Room
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Gina took us downstairs and showed us the weighing room, where the jockeys weigh in before hopping on their horses. She explained the importance of monitoring each jockey’s weight and the weight of the jockey’s saddle.

Pound for pound, Gina said, jockeys are the greatest athletes in the world. After a few years, most jockeys get weary of the strict diet that they have to follow. At that point, they have to decide whether they want to continue in that career.

Gina and Ultralight Saddle
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Gina showed us an ultralight saddle that some jockeys like to use. It doesn’t provide any comfort during the high speed, bumpy horseback ride. Ow!

Out of the Stable
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Walking the Horses
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Before a jockey gets on a horse, the animal is brought out of its stable and walked. Gina took us into a restricted area where we saw horse trainers and their assistants walking the horses around in circles.

On the Way to the Track
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The jockey in this picture has been weighed and his horse is ready. On to the racetrack!

Coming up: A stageside view of the starting gate.

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Tags: Gina Rarick, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Longchamp Racecourse, thoroughbread racing
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A Day at the Races with Gina Rarick – Part I

April 28th, 2012

Out of the Gate!
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

On Sunday, April 15, Monique and I went to the Longchamp racetrack for a guided tour of the hippodrome with Gina Rarick, the only American professional racehorse trainer in France and the first American woman granted a license here. The event was organized by Mark Tronco for the members of the Paris Alumnae/i Network. We met Mark at the entrance to the racecourse and he escorted us into the grandstand, where Gina gave an opening presentation.

Gina Rarick, Racehorse Trainer
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Gina was raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. She began a career in journalism at the Milwaukee Journal in 1984. She moved on to the Milwaukee Sentinel and then to Knight-Ridder Financial News in Chicago. Her interest in horses was rekindled in Chicago, where she took riding lessons at a downtown carriage-horse stable. She moved on to the International Herald Tribune in Paris, where she covered major race meetings around the world.

In Paris, her passion for horses continued to grow and she joined riding clubs in the region. She learned to ride racehorses and rode (and won) her first race at the age of 38! She is now a professional thoroughbred racehorse trainer.

Enjoying the Good Life at the Racetrack
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

While listening to Gina’s presentation, the members of the group brought out their picnic lunches. Monique and I had packed two pâtés (duck and pork), Comté cheese, fig bread, and…champagne. In spite of the brisk, overcast weather, the day was starting out well!

Next: Gina takes us on a tour.

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Tags: Gina Rarick, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Longchamp Racecourse, thoroughbread racing
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Wine and Chocolate Pairing at PhiloVino

April 25th, 2012

Porto Quinta do Infanada Ruby and Fabrice Gillotte Equateur 72%

Porto Quinta do Infanada Ruby
Fabrice Gillotte Equateur Chocolat 72%
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

On Thursday, March 29, I attended a wine and chocolate pairing organized by Bruno Quenioux of PhiloVino and Marie Gantois of Mococha.

At the PhiloVino wine shop, a group of about twenty persons gathered to taste three wines that Bruno had paired with three pure chocolates of origin that Marie brought from her shop. (See Marie’s YouTube video of the event here.)

Marie Gantois of Mococha
Bruno Quenioux of PhiloVino
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Apart from enjoying from enjoying the wine, the chocolate, and the company the people who gathered at PhiloVino, the purpose of the tasting was to see what kind of harmony or complementarities we could detect when a certain wine was paired with a certain chocolate. During the event, I was balancing a glass of wine in one hand and a camera, pen, and notebook in the other, so was rather distracted. At the first opportunity, I decided to repeat the tasting exercise at home with the first wine/chocolate pair that was presented that evening.

Yesterday, I purchased a bottle of Porto Quinta do Infantado Ruby from PhiloVino and a tablet of Fabrice Gillotte Equateur Chocolat 72% from Mococha. At home, Monique and I each poured a small glass of port and broke off two squares of the chocolate. We then sipped the wine and noted our impressions.

While Monique found the port soft with a long dry finish, I found it dry, not soft, on the tongue with a peppery finish. Both of us agreed that the wine had a fruity bouquet and was not overly sweet.

We then nibbled the chocolate and noted our impressions. The chocolate was quite bittersweet. Monique declared that it had earthy qualities with a hint of fruit. The best I could perceive was that the chocolate was intense (and at 72%, it should be!).

Finally, we nibbled the chocolate and sipped the wine at the same time.

When I tasted them together, I thought that the chocolate smoothed out the dryness of the wine. Monique said the opposite—that the wine smoothed out the taste of the chocolate. This, for her, was a complementary effect. I thought that the flavors of the wine and chocolate were fighting for dominance, which, for me, meant that the two together were not a harmonious pair.

Regardless of the conflicting opinion, we’ll enjoy this bottle of port over the next several days (without the chocolate, which has already been eaten). It will make a great after-dinner drink!

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Tags: Fabrice Gillotte Equateur Chocolat 72%, Mococha, Philovino, Porto Quinto do Infantado Ruby
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A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part IX

April 21st, 2012

Entrance to the House of Doctor Gachet
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

We left the Absinthe Museum and trekked across town to see the house of Doctor Gachet. I have always wondered what significance this mysterious doctor had in the story of Van Gogh. I wasn’t quite satisfied with what I learned during the trip, so after I got back to Paris, I did some research on the Internet. Here are the details as I understand them:

Van Gogh had always been a somewhat irascible man, but his emotional state deteriorated dramatically when he was in the town of Arles with painter Paul Gauguin. In a fit of anger following a dispute with Gauguin, Van Gogh cut off his own ear and presented it to a prostitute. He almost bled to death. (A fascinating account of Van Gogh’s ear can be found here.)

Following this incident, Van Gogh was committed to a mental institution in the town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. During his stay, he experienced hallucinations and seizures. (An excellent paper on the probable causes of the affliction that tormented Van Gogh can be found here. The paper also refutes the notion that the artist only sold one of his works during his lifetime.)

Van Gogh stayed in Saint-Rémy for about a year, until his brother Theo helped him moved to Auvers-sur-Oise. In Auvers, he would live independently but be under the discreet care of a medical doctor who treated nervous disorders. That doctor was Doctor Gachet.

Portrait of Dr Gachet by Vincent Van Gogh

Docteur Gachet was not only a physician, but also an art collector and amateur artist. He felt affinity for Van Gogh and tried to help him. Van Gogh, however, had doubts about Gachet’s ability to help and he wrote to his brother Théo to say that the doctor was “sicker than I am, I think, or shall we say just as much . . . .”

The famous portrait that Van Gogh painted of Gachet attests to the good doctor’s melancholic state of mind, as Van Gogh perceived it.

Today, the house of Doctor Gachet is owned by the Conseil Général du Val-d’Oise, a governmental agency. In the spirit of Doctor Gachet’s passion for art, the house is used to exhibit paintings of young artists.

Entrance Hallway of the House of Doctor Gachet
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Following our tour of the house and gardens, we returned to Paris. It had been a wonderful day walking in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh!

Coming next week: A day at the races!

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Tags: Auvers-sur-Oise, Doctor Gachet, La Maison du Docteur Gachet, Vincent Van Gogh
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A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part VIII

April 20th, 2012

Musée de l'Absinthe
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Following our guided walking tour of the village with Anne-Claire, we headed off to see the Absinthe Museum. The museum was founded and is directed by Marie-Claude Delahaye, a woman who is passionate about the subject of absinthe.

Marie-Caude Delahaye (left) and Patricia Ravenscroft (right)

Marie-Caude Delahaye (center)
Patricia Ravenscroft (right)
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Patricia Ravenscroft, the PAN member who organized the day trip to Auvers-sur-Oise, introduced us to Madame Delahaye, who proceeded to give us a private tour of the museum. I learned later that Madame Delahaye has published at least a dozen books on absinthe and is lecturer on the subject of cellular biology at the Pierre et Marie Curie University in Paris.

The ground floor of the museum displays paraphernalia that is associated with the beverage, including trowel-shaped, slotted spoons through which water is dribbled over sugar lumps to sweeten the drink.

On the ground and upper floors are posters and works of art depicting people in various states of inebriation, as well as people praising the consumption of absinthe as a lofty virtue or condemning it as an absolute evil.

During the 19th century, the beverage became associated with artistic and literary creativity. The consumption of absinthe purportedly gave drinkers a heightened state of perception.

However, its high alcohol content (up to 70%) quickly led to drunkenness. By the end of the 19th century there were public campaigns to ban the beverage. It was banned in France in 1915.

Since last year, the production of absinthe has again been permitted, and it can now be ordered at bars and restaurants throughout France.

My overview of the history of the beverage has necessarily been sketchy. In reality, the subject is vast and complex! Madame Delahaye has been studying it since 1981, when she first started collecting absinthe spoons. The Web site of her museum can be found here.

Tomorrow: The house of Doctor Gachet.

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Tags: absinthe, Absinthe Museum, Auvers-sur-Oise
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A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part VII

April 19th, 2012

After lunch at Auberge Ravaux, we assembled for a tour of the village. This was led by Anne-Claire, a Dutch woman, who took us from point to point to show us where Van Gogh had painted many of his pictures of the town. During the tour, she taught us the Dutch pronunciation of Van Gogh’s name.

To pronounce “Gogh” correctly, one makes a sound similar to the clearing of the throat. Say “Gaugh,” where the “augh” is pronounced deep in the throat. “Gaugh” rhymes with “cough,” except that it does not finish with the “f” sound. If you can say “cough” without the “f,” and you will be able to say “Gaugh.” A little practice and you will get it!

Anne-Claire in front of Statue of Van Gogh by Ossip Zadkine
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Anne-Claire stopped in a park in front of a statue of Van Gogh by Ossip Zadkine. After a brief presentation she asked the men to break off from the group while she took the women behind the statue. There, they performed some kind of ritual known only to women and came back smiling. We, the men, were perplexed, but said nothing.

During the tour, Anne-Claire recounted the tormented life of Van Gogh. He was difficult to get along with; he failed at many things that he tried; he suffered severe mental and health problems; he lived in extreme poverty; he sold only one of his paintings and couldn’t give the others away; he finally shot himself out of despair. He couldn’t even commit suicide properly and took two agonizing days to die. But out of this torment came the stunning works of art that the world admires today.

Behind the Village Church
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The Church at Auvers-sur-Oise
Musée d'Orsay in Paris

We went behind the village church, the subject of one of the most famous of Van Gogh’s paintings. Van Gogh incongruously included the figure of a woman wearing a Dutch bonnet in the painting.

Vincent and Théodore's Graves
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Anne-Claire took us along a muddy path to the village cemetery to view the graves of Van Gogh and his brother Théodore. The two were very close, and the younger Théodore supported the older Vincent, sending him a check for 150 francs every month. The voluminous written correspondence between the brothers has been preserved, giving art historians a look at the intimate details of Van Gogh’s life.

Tomorrow: a visit to the Absinthe Museum

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Tags: Auvers-sur-Oise, Vincent Van Gogh
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A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part VI

April 18th, 2012

Table outside of Auberge Raboux
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

When our group of thirteen intrepid explorers from the Paris Alumnae/i Network arrived in Auvers-sur-Oise for a tour of the village and lunch at Auberge Ravoux, we initially thought that, on account of our size, we would be relegated to the annex, behind the restaurant. We were delighted to learn at the last minute that there were three tables together in the restaurant where we would be seated.

To read my review of our fabulous lunch there, as well as to gain access to ninety-nine other restaurant reviews, all you need to do is to sign up at the following link: http://www.parisinsights.com/restaurants.php.

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Tags: Auberge Ravoux, Auvers-sur-Oise
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A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part V

April 17th, 2012

Chambre Van Gogh - Photo Courtesy of Maison de Van Gogh

Van Gogh's Room
Photo courtesy of Maison de Van Gogh

We made our way from the tourist office to Auberge Ravoux, the inn where Vincent Van Gogh stayed from May 20, 1890 to July 29 of the same year. Every morning he would arise and go out to paint some aspect of the town. This simple room was classified an historical monument in 1985.

From Van Gogh’s room, we walked into a screening room where we watched an excellent documentary about Van Gogh and his life in Auvers-sur-Oise in those few days that he lived there.

View of Auberge Ravaux Restaurant from Back Door

View of Auberge Ravaux Restaurant from the Back Door
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

After the short presentation we proceeded to the courtyard of the auberge to wait to be called for lunch. On our way out we passed by the back door of the utterly charming restaurant. We had been told that due to the size of our group we wouldn’t eat there, but rather in the adjoining annex. A big disappointment!

Tesselated Pattern of Floor Tiles
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Stopping in the hallway on our way out to the courtyard, we admired the superb tessellated pattern of the floor tiles.

Tomorrow: The joy of dining in the Auberge Ravaux restaurant.

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Tags: Auberge Ravoux, Auvers-sur-Oise, Vincent Van Gogh
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Paris Insights - The Blog

A Day at the Races with Gina Rarick – Part II

A Day at the Races with Gina Rarick – Part I

Wine and Chocolate Pairing at PhiloVino

A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part IX

A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part VIII

A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part VII

A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part VI

A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part V

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