Tuesday 2 January 2007
Tino ROSSI / Rudy & Tino / 92
By David Pitt, Tuesday 2 January 2007 - 18:03 :: Ugly
Rudolph Valentino and Tino Rossi have much in common beyond the euphony. They were born about a decade apart on neighboring Mediterranean islands (Castellaneta, Sicily, 1895; and Ajaccio, Corsica, 1907, respectively). They were both major early silver screen stars, and the women swooned and swooned and swooned. Rudy however was silent and died young; Tino wasn’t and didn’t. Indeed, the tenor Tino recorded 1,000 songs and sold over 300 million records. A la Bing Crosby and ‘White Christmas’, Tino recorded in 1946 ‘Petit Papa Noel’ – it has been re-released every year since and sold over 30 million copies. In 1982 this ‘Latin Lover’ and romantic idol became a Commander in the Legion of Honor. While relatively obscure on our side of the Atlantic, he ended up, next to Napoleon, as Corsica’s best known son.
Original appearance Oct 2, 2005, © 2005 / Tino ROSSI / 1907-1983 / musician, singer / ugly* / F-* / 92 / CIP 392, OO 05, RD 02, YP 30/2-2 / For more relevant information see* On Recognition and Ranking
Top Ten again, perhaps Top Two. Nothing and nobody can ever adequately describe Notre-Dame. Superlatives are superfluous. Come and see it. Come and feel it. Listen to the echoes and the silence. Touch the stone. Experience it. It, is all about it.
The French know how to set a fine table. Yes, the food is more than delectable, but now I’m concentrating on the plate it is on. Cowboys don’t usually pay attention to such things, but everyone else here does. Passionately. Not only the plate but the saucer, goblet, silverware, platter, demitasse, finger bowl and every other accoutrement known to man, woman and child. They must all match – effortlessly and elegantly. And they do. Superbly. Down to the napkin, its holder and the toothpick. Perhaps I am becoming spoiled but I kind of like it.
Sometimes there seems to be a disconnect between the end product on the fashion conscious French woman and the end product on the fashion ramp. Walk down any chic Parisian street – Avenue Montaigne for example, or stroll across the Place Vendôme and you will see a multitude of examples of elegant dress. Many ages and various styles but having in common an assured beauty and grace that displays everything in the best possible light. Contrast this with the end product on the runways of the latest show – often bizarre, usually wild and strange, seldom lovely and almost never complete. How you get from one to the other is beyond this cowboy’s comprehension.
There is a subtlety to French charm – it’s in the fleeting expression, the gracious manners, the evanescent flicker of the eyebrow, the oh so perfect word. But there is more to it than that – its in the best of the best; the ambiance and the aroma of France; the cafés and the culture; even the parks and the villages, but most of all in the family. To see the family unit venerated so consistently – to see the father walk his toddler to school every single day, to see the grandmother escorted down the boulevard – this is perhaps the most charming aspect of all. Family lives and breathes as one, as a unit, and it is charming.
Be prepared for sticker shock. In the best of times Paris is expensive, in the worst of times it is exorbitant. These are the worst of times. The dollar is down, though not as far down as it was some months ago. Rents, gas and luxury goods are particularly on the high end. Be that as it may Paris is worth it – in fact it is priceless, and there are a myriad of ways to stretch the dollar. For example virtually all restaurants in France are good but there are a wide range of prices. Off the beaten track is usually more interesting and less expensive. Walking is free and a joy.
Corinthian columns encircle this extraordinary example of classical style. The Église de la Madeleine is a church dedicated to Mary Magdalene. It was also, during part of its construction time, designed by Vignon to be Napoleon’s Temple of Glory. Commissioned in 1764 and finished in 1842 it reflected the ever changing political climates of a turbulent time. The result is superb. Inside it is deeply and beautifully religious and outside it is absolutely glorious. In addition, now, the Place de la Madeleine (its surrounding square) is an epicurean’s delight. Such a mixture. Such a balance. Such a history.
Across the Rue de Rivoli from the Louvre (the Cour Carrée to be exact) is a building. It is eight stories high and a full city block – a very large, full city block. This is le Louvre des Antiquaries. Go in if you are feeling rich. It is a city within a city. Each aisle or hall is a tiny street with glass enclosed little stores or galleries. There are hundreds of them – each unique and adorable, and, yes Dear, each extravagantly dear, Dear. Furniture, jewelry, statuary – the gamut. Almost every item is fine, elegant and beautiful. Ooh and ahh…. In the world of antiques in Paris there are a thousand such stories, this has been one of them.
Still to this day open air markets exist and thrive in Paris. More often on weekends but in many places everyday. In the smaller towns they are usually on a particular weekday – the merchants having their own three, four or five day cycle. All kinds of wares are available, but with a strong emphasis on fresh foods. The aroma is magnificent and the freshness palpable. The ambiance is exciting and usually fun though when disputes arise it can be a little loud. The vendors have their own patter and style – some gruff, some honey and some very original. It’s usually crowded and there is some jostling but it is almost always enjoyable. Except very near closing time do not expect bargains unless freshness is an issue.