Inequality, then and now

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, formerly known and the Ministry of Labor, is located in a former stately home called Hôtel Chatelet on the Rue de Grenelle.  The front doors of the ediface have wonderful, polished brass door knockers that look like lions with their feet lazily crossed in front of them.  In 2011, I photographed the door knockers and included them in my journal.  They were in terrible shape then.

Bust of Antoine de Saint-Exupery in the Square Santiago du Chili

Now they look great, but there is always a security guard standing there so I don't feel comfortable photographing them.  Here's a photo of one of them, from TripAdvisor.com.  Such irony -- having lazy looking lions on the front doors of the labor ministry.

Something significant happened here in 1968.  As part of the Grenelle Agreements (named for the street upon which this ministry resides), the minimum wage in France was increased by a whopping 35%!  This was part of the strategy for trying to end the rioting.

I passed by those doors a couple times on my morning walk.  I thought about the man who had the palatial home built, the Duke of Chatelet. 

Looking toward the Eiffel Tower from Les Invalides.

The home was completed in 1776.  The Duke was sent to the guillotine in 1793, so he had only 17 years to enjoy living there  --  while the vast majority of the French people were suffering miserably.

The income inequality in pre-revolutionary France was staggering.  I was doing some research on that topic today when I came across a shocking piece comparing what was happening in 1789 in France with what is happening in America today.  This commentary from marketwatch.com was published in 2015, before the last presidential election.  Now the economy is shaky.  Look out.

The basic cause of the situation?  The rich not caring about the poor.  If only all rich people would do what Jesus said . . . .

More photos from this morning's walk:

Square Santiago du Chili in the early morning light.  That's Les Invalides in the background.

Flowers from the garden behind the Basilica of St. Clotilde (above and below).

The restaurant Le Basilic in the greenery behind the Basilica (La Basilique) of St. Clotilde.

Place Bourbon, in front of the National Assembly building.

More views of the neo-gothic Basilica of St. Clotilde (above and below).

The sweet 7th

August 14, 2017 – The way to spend a beautiful Sunday in mid-August on the left bank of Paris is to amble along the streets of the 7^th arrondissement.  Frenzied Parisian drivers are away on vacation in the countryside or at the shore; the streets are as calm and quiet as they will ever be.  Mobs of tourists are nowhere to be found except at the Eiffel Tower.  Just avoid that place, and you will have a fine, mellow day fit for the dedicated flaneur.  You can relax, go at your own pace, not be pushed by the flow of people on the sidewalk, allow yourself to be delighted by the wonders – big and small – that you happen to see.

We zig-zagged our way through the 7^th, from rue Cler north to the Seine, from the Champ de Mars to the Esplanade des Invalides. 

An unnamed former church that we saw on our way from the rue Cler to the rue Malar.

An attractive gateway and courtyard on the rue de Grenelle.

Mosaic in the doorway to a day care center.

Entrance to the St. John Lutheran church complex on the rue de Grenelle.

A delightful building designed by Lavirotte (above and below) on the rue de Grenelle.

The Hotel de la Tulipe looks like a country inn.  Rumor is, it was a convent before
it became a hotel.  It is located on the rue Malar in the 7th.

Madame Rhodriguez's jewelry shop window on the rue de Grenelle.
When she returns from vacation, I just might buy the earrings in the middle.
She designs and makes the jewelry herself.

Before our walk, Tom and I had a Sunday afternoon dinner at La Terrasse.  We were delighted to be seated in the spacious upstairs dining room.  For a long time, I've wanted to see that space.  It is uncrowded, and affords a panoramic view of the Place de l'Ecole Militaire.  

Tom enjoyed watching a French family of six enjoying their Sunday dinner together.  The kids were so utterly well behaved.  Like them, we took hours to enjoy our mid-day dinner there -- six escargots, a Thai shrimp salad, chicken supreme with pureed potatoes, apple pie, fresh fruit, espresso and cafe creme.  It was all delightful and delicious.

We ended the day with a walk up to the Champ de Mars, where we just sat on a bench and watched people as the day faded into dusk.  Sweet Paris.