From Vichy to Paris

On Sunday we set off for Paris with visiting American relatives. On the way we spent the night at Vichy, linking these two seats of French government. Whilst everyone knows that the President of France resides in, and governs from, the Elysée Palace in Paris, fewer realise that Vichy also once housed the French government. During the time that much of France, including Paris, was occupied by the Germans, the government under Marshall Pétain was relocated to Vichy. Sadly, this period was not a glorious one. Pétain collaborated with the Nazis. He was later tried for treason after the they were defeated, and sentenced to death, although his sentence was commuted. It marked a time of terrible anti-Semitism, when many many French Jewish people were deported to Auschwitz.

Vichy was chosen at the time as it has traditionally been a spa town. The famous waters have been known since Roman times. There was much spare hotel accommodation in which to house government members. Now, Vichy can breathe again, and shake off this inglorious moment in its history. Indeed, for us it proved to be a most beautiful place to stay .

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It was during the Nineteenth century that Vichy really developed its character as a spa town. Napoleon III loved to stay here. He encouraged the development of beautiful parks and wide promenades. These extend alongside the banks of the wide , calm River Allier. Many people come here to dine alongside the river, or to use the wide paths that run between the trees, walking dogs, riding on horseback or bicycle, and pushing prams. It is a beautiful, convivial space.

Napoleon III actually had his own chalet constructed on the edge of this park, and it now forms one of many similar buildings that run alongside the river.

The next morning, we left Vichy behind for the busy streets of Paris. We are staying in a hotel near the bustling heart , close to the Champs Elysee. which runs from the Arc de Triomphe. We have exchanged the bucolic beauty of Vichy for noise and bustle. French locals strolling leisurely through the parks have been exchanged for foreign tourists, speaking mainly with an American drawl. Fairly empty streets have been exchanged for endless traffic, as vans and taxi cabs, cars and motor bikes, all speed by. It is bedlam. However, if I lift my eyes I see the beauty that is still Paris. There it is in the Lutetian limestone facades , the symmetry of aligned balconies and tall windows, and the decorative cornices. Baron Haussmann was commissioned by Napoleon III, not only to design these elegant seven storey buildings, but the entire infrastructure of Paris . His influence was revolutionary. And so, it is Napoleon III who completes the link between Vichy and Paris. Here are some photographic impressions from our stay in Paris.

Bistros

Expensive Shops

Famous Landmarks

So, where would you rather pass your time? In the elegant parks of Vichy where you can stroll through the parks or along the river banks , or the busy streets and bistros of bustling Paris? I wonder what Napoleon III would think of it all now.