Sign in with Facebook- Join for free
- Sign In
Sign in with Facebook
Musee Rimbaud : The museum for the poet
kokoryko Says: This beautiful pavilion (picture 1) called the Old Water Mill , built on an arm of the Meuse river, hosts the Rimbaud Museum. If you are interested by the person, the poet, of course, a visit to the museum is compulsory, and ah! Sometimes poesy can be very simple, just...
kokoryko Says: Une saison en Enfer, Les Illuminations, “Poesies”, complete works of Rimbaud can be grouped in one book, and even not a thick one; important is the quality, not the quantity. I am just wondering what he would have written, at 25, 30, 40, 60! Rimbaud wrote between 15 and 21;...
Maison de Rimbaud : Rimbaud’s house
kokoryko Says: If you visit the Rimbaud museum, you will not miss a short visit to his house; about 100 m away from the museum is the house where Rimbaud lived as a kid; this hopuse has nothing special, Rimbaud’s family (mother and sister) lived in one level of the house, but nothing more...
kokoryko Says: Charleville and Sedan are the two big cities of the French Ardennes. Charleville hosts the museum of arts, popular traditions of the Ardennes, “Musée de l’Ardenne”. I was reluctant to visit this “provincial museum”, but my young co-travellers convinced me, and I did not...
The artists show past life of the Ardennes
kokoryko Says: Musée de l’Ardenne has also lots of paintings and a few sculptures; the painting are very interesting in the way they are mostly from local artists who painted the local life at their time; many paints are not great works of art, but invaluable witness, archive in some way...
In the mood for a tour on the wheel?
kokoryko Says: It was festival season in Charleville and some attractions were visible from very far! I liked a lot this giant wheel, way smaller than the one of the Prater, in Wien or the London Eye, but I liked it for its colours and for the beautiful sky it had as background when I...
kokoryko Says: St Remi Church, located just east of the Place Ducale has been erected at the same time as the city with the beautiful blonde limestone (a Jurassic limestone known locally as Bulson Limestone, with Don le Mesnil or St Martin varieties, from the location where it was...
Where was Rimbaud? Where did he walk?
kokoryko Says: I don’t dare call it the Rimbaud trail, it is of course not a trail. The municipality of Charleville, with other organisms, and with the Rimbaud museum has put some signs like the one you see on the picture in several places of Charleville, and in other places of Europe and...
May be you find a souvenir at the flee market?
kokoryko Says: During festivals, the municipalities in many cities like to organise flee markets, special food markets, or whatever event to keep people busy when the festival is not fully active. . . . . Here it was flee market, but I was not in Charleville for some bargain hunting. I...
Kindergarten puppets or puppets kindergarten?
kokoryko Says: You have noticed that the weather was not exactly predictable the day I visited Charleville; by chance I was there during a puppet festival, but had to make choices (I chose museums) for the day; I only can show a few photographs I took on Place Ducale where a part of the...
The giant puppeteer and the puppets institute
kokoryko Says: On the first picture you see a famous giant brass puppeteer, embedded in the building of the Musée de l’Ardenne; you can see his legs from inside the museum; this automat displays every hour an episode of the tale of the four Aymon sons, legendary knights of the Ardennes; at...
Charles de Gonzague and his city. . .
kokoryko Says: The statue of Charles de Gonzague you see on the first picture is located at the southern end of the pedestrian Rue P. Beregovoy since March 1999. It was before, since 1899, above a fountain in the middle of the Place Ducale; when it had been removed, there was a big debate...
kokoryko Says: Charles de Gonzague built his town on the banks of the Meuse river, for its strategic situation and he wanted to use the river for communication and goods transportation.Today, canal barges still navigate on the river, but the banks and the river itself are also places for...
kokoryko Says: It is very pleasant to walk under the arcades, and look at the buildings from the arches, on one side (picture 1), and at the shops and shop goers (pictur 2) on the other side. Some nice cafés (picture 3) are also installing tables under the arcades, and locals enjoy sitting...
Egocentrism can do nice things !
kokoryko Says: The city of Charleville has been created in 1606 by Prince Charles de Gonzague, duke of Rethel, Nevers, Mantova, etc, etc, and he decided this city has his name: Charleville, city of Charles. The city has been built around a central square, which is still the main place of...
7 Opinions
5 Opinions
Helpfulness
I was walking under the arcades just looking when this young person on picture 1 approached me and asked me if I was aware of the AIDS threats and wanted to help her to fight AIDS. Yes! Of course! Well, that young lady was preparing her “bachelor party” and asked for some money in a funny way, asked to wish her happiness by signing on the big kock (pictures 2 and 3 ). I signed, as I think that if I can contribute to happiness, whatever the way, I do it, so I gave a 2 Euros coin and she gave me a big smack on a cheek and a condom! I am not sure I caught all what was happening, I find this a bit a strange idea to link marriage and AIDS, I think it is just a good mean to make a bit money for the bachelor party.
Written Jun 9, 2009
Helpfulness
Not a real danger, just be warned, weather, apparently changes very fast in Summer
You may have noticed from the pictures that the sky was not always blue. . . . . In fact, when I visited last July (2008), the weather was changing all day long, with sometimes thunderstorms and 15 mn later bright sun, and 15 mn later, heavy rain again. . . . So, If you are not equipped for rainy days, your visit in Charleville may not leave you with the best souvenirs.
It is always possible, however to find a shelter under arcades, a café, a shop, why not? and wait the heavy part of the rain goes. . .
Apart of that, I like the july sky, dark blue, black, changing, a special light, and sometimes you can make beautiful photographs. . . .
On picture 1, the bikers apparently do not like a lot the sudden shower. . . . (Rue du Moulin, on the way to the Rimbaud museum)
Pictures 2 and 3 have been taken on Quai Charcot, 10 mn apart. The rains can be heavy, and the museum was not far from disappearing (picture 4).
Finally, as you can see on the last picture people recover very fast from the rain: on Place Ducale, still wet from the last shower, the sun shines again and people come back to the terraces to enjoy the sun. . . till the next shower. . . :)
Written Jun 9, 2009
Sponsored Links
Getting rid of preconceived ideas !
Rimbaud fooled me, but it is my own fault! Charleville Mezières, Ardennes, Northern France, lousy, ugly boring place, only military history, battles, industrial settlements, fog, smog. . . . . That...
Actually, I haven't visited Charleville that much, but I have spent one day there, for the wedding of one of my best friends. Just caught a glimpse of this city, and, except from the nice pic, I'm...
- City Hall constructed: 1933 architect: Marie Eugène Chifflot (1872-1956) location: Place de Hôtel de Ville
Build your own Charleville-Mézières page
Sponsored Links
Comments