Recently I needed to undergo a Barium Swallow test for my gastric reflux and hiatal hernia assessment. It's quite interesting as I hadn't had this test before, so I thought I'd let you all know how it works, in case you too need one.
A barium swallow is an examination of your oesophagus (food pipe). You drink a solution containing barium and an xray plots the progress of what you have swallowed. Barium is used as it coats the lining of your oesophagus and stomach. It takes place within the floroscopy unit at the hospital and takes a maximum of 45 mins.
Preparation
Nothing to eat or drink for at least 3 hours. To be on the safe side I fasted for 4 hours. No smoking or chewing gum for at least 4 hours prior to the exam. You should alert the team in advance if you are pregnant.
The process
Take off all clothes between the chin and navel and put on a hospital gown. You can leave your shoes and socks on.
Staff should explain the process to you.
Each side of your stomach area is xrayed while standing. You swallow the barium each time you are repositioned. I could see my sternal wires and heart valve from previous open heart surgery very cleary on the continuous xrays. It was interesting but I couldn't see that once I was lying down.
Then a gassy liquid must be swallowed to inflate your stomach and you are lowered onto your back. More barium served from a straw follows, each side.
Then you stay put while the radiographer checks that all the photos are useful.
Afterwards
After the test you can drink some water to wash the last traces of barium down. Drink plenty of water throughout the rest of the day to avoid constipation. I was warned my stools might become whiteish. That never happened.
The test confirmed I have a hiatal hernia but didn't see any signs of reflux during the xrays so that was rather frustrating because I know I have it. However, such a result is not uncommon.
My maternal great, great French grandfather was a scoundrel who was briefly infamous throughout nineteeth century New Zealand. A book on him was published just a few months ago and it's a fascinating read. Here's what the publishers have to say, followed by my own comments.
The book summary from the publisher
A soldier and a bigamist, a family man and a fraudster, Etienne Jean Brocher led an extraordinary life in 19-century France, North Africa and New Zealand. Along the way he collected aliases, prison sentences, and enemies as he slipped from town to town, escaping debts and family duties. Ultimately, though, he faced the gallows in a double-murder trial that rocked New Zealand’s ‘dream society’.
Now his astonishing story – untold in book form – is revealed. Drawing on French military archives, family records, and newspaper reports from across colonial New Zealand, as well as Brocher’s own handwritten account, this absorbing biography untangles the complex trails Brocher left behind him in colonial towns and in the public imagination.
While he explores the complexities of Brocher’s character – including his shortcomings – Brian Stoddart lays bare the class prejudice and xenophobia that Brocher faced as an immigrant of ‘the wrong sort’ and raises serious questions over whether he received a fair trial. Dynamic and often surprising in its humour, this stunning biography makes a vital contribution to our understanding of how colonial New Zealand shaped its ideal society and what could happen when ‘outsiders’ didn’t fit the mould.
Available from Nile Publishing https://www.thenile.co.nz/books/brian-stoddart/outcast
I couldn’t resist buying a copy of this very detailed book on the life and times of my great-great grandparents. Once I got started it was hard to put down. It is extremely detailed about the double-murder investigations and trial in Wellington; going into the lives and careers of all relevant witnesses, suspects and each policeman involved. What particularly interested me though, was chapter two which goes into the life of Etienne Jean Brocher from his birth, dishonest dealings, growing infamy, travels around the world, service in the foreign legion, exploits in Akaroa, Timaru and Petone. There’s even a wee link to George Lucas’s Star Wars (I chuckled). Yes, he was a bad egg but at times I felt sorry for him. It’s possible he did not murder the old couple but simply took the blame in the end. Maybe he had just run out of steam trying to survive in a world that didn’t fit him. He was also his own worst enemy.
I often wonder where I get my 'adventurous spirit' and feeling of not fitting in to NZ culture. Could it be coming , in part, from this great, great grandfather? One of his brothers married a political activist in France.
The book does not paint colonial New Zealand in a good light from a social perspective. Narrow-minded, prejudiced, class-driven. Seeds of Tall Poppy and other unsavoury aspects of New Zealand were already flourishing in the 1880s. This was really interesting to me. Colonists came to NZ to escape the class system but brought it here with them into an enclosed environment where it spread everywhere and still operates today.
There are a couple of small errors in the book but I’ve already made these known to Brian who is a history professor living in Australia.
We knew he was a bad sort but Ancestry.com suggests (very recently, based on my DNA and other info) that Etienne fathered both of my great grandmothers, on my mother's side, via half sisters Julia (from Magdelaine) and Josephine (via Mary Ann). He certainly would have had access to Julia at Rue Grehan, Akaroa when he worked there as, although she was two years older than her half-sister Josephine she was rather ‘simple-minded’ and unable to look after herself. Proof? No, not yet but author Brian Stoddard is not surprised. Nor am I. I seem to have even more French DNA in my family than expected. It’s counter-productive to be bothered by skeletons in the closet, I just want the truth. Emily Libeau may have been Emily [Brocher]. And who fathered short-lived John? Etienne again?
Below are photos of his first wife Josephine with their first daughter Emma as a child in Akaroa. There are no photos of older half-sister Julie/Julia.
Here is Emma as an adult. She went on to marry Edward McNabb in Akaroa, NZ
This final photo is of Louisa Victoire, Etienne and Josephine's second daughter who later went on to marry Mr Kingston (pictured with him) and later Mr Bunny.
Ah those skeletons. DNA testing can be very useful as can very large genealogy databases such as Ancestry when trying to get to the bottom of things. I'm not currently a paid-up member so Etienne's proposed double involvement appears fuzzy but clear enough to make out.
Etienne abandoned my great, great grandmothers, had unsavoury adventures as detailed in the book and then created a new family in Wellington before being criminally convicted and hanged.
The world is in a mess. Europe is being threatened by Putin and Trump. It is hard to see how things can get sorted when Europe is just a lumbering thing so I thought I'd write a little about the European Parliament. Keep in mind that there are many entities associated with Europe, the EU, NATO, EU Commission etc. It's complicated.
The European Parliament's headquarters are officially in Strasbourg, France, and has its administrative offices in Luxembourg City. It is open to visitors six days a week throughout the year. Visits are always free of charge. The building is impressive both inside and out though the air conditioning in summer is less than adequate so be prepared to swelter in parts of the building. It was on summer recess when I visited and it was impossible to buy a bottle of water there.
During the visit, you can see the European parliamentary chamber – the Hemicycle, a display on Parliamentarian Simone Veil and several other exhibitions. Audioguides and headphones are provided but I found them clunky to use. A 360 degree slide show had interesting information but I found it difficult to follow, being circular, and trying to swivel my neck. The main theme seemed to be about cultural diversity. And yay! go women. Sometimes technology is just a hindrance to good communication.
Going up to the viewing platform gives you a wonderful view over Strasbourg and the canals and churches.
In Strasbourg, Members of the European Parliament meet twelve times a year during plenary sessions
to debate and vote on European legislation. As a visitor, you can
attend the session to see and listen to representatives speak from the visitor gallery.
Security and safety are priorities for
the European Parliament. For that reason, a number of security measures
are in place in and around the buildings. Compliance is mandatory so if you are an international visitor please read the following...
A valid identity physical document (national ID card or passport) is required to access European Parliament buildings.
If you registered in advance and you provided your ID document details,
you must bring this same document to the Parliament on the day of your
visit.
Photocopies of IDs, ID cards downloaded to mobile phones and driving licenses are not accepted.
Minors under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
All visitors and bags are subject to
airport-style security checks before entry. Firearms, explosive or
inflammable substances, pepper sprays, sharp items and other objects
that could be considered weapons are prohibited. In accordance with
national legislation, certain prohibited items may be handed over to the
police.
No trolleys, suitcases, or other large luggage are allowed into the buildings.
Animals are allowed in the
buildings only as trained
guides for visually impaired persons or to
assist persons with reduced mobility.
If an access pass has been issued, visitors must visibly wear it whilst in the Parliament buildings.
Photography and filming are
permitted inside the visitor area, but are prohibited in the security
area and in the Hemicycle gallery during plenary sessions as well as in
restaurants and bars.
If the fire alarm goes off, leave the
building immediately without running and follow the instructions given
by the security staff and evacuation volunteers.
For any safety emergency, call 33112 from any internal phone.
Some areas are subject to video surveillance.
Believe me. they really enforce all this.
Since 1979, the Parliament has been directly elected every five years by the citizens of the European Union through universal suffrage.
Speakers in the European Parliament are entitled to speak in any of the 24 official languages of the European Union, ranging from French and German to Maltese and Irish. Simultaneous interpreting is offered in all plenary sessions, and all
final texts of legislation are translated. With twenty-four languages,
the European Parliament is the most multilingual parliament in the world and the biggest employer of interpreters in the world (employing 350
full-time and 400 freelancers when there is higher demand). Citizens may also address the Parliament in Basque, Catalan/Valencian and Galican.
The Strasbourg seat is considered a symbol of reconciliation between
France and Germany, two countries that previously fought over the
region. However, the cost and inconvenience of having two seats is
questioned. While Strasbourg is the official seat, and sits alongside
the Council of Europe, Brussels is home to nearly all other major EU institutions,with the majority of Parliament's work being carried out there.
Critics
have described the two-seat arrangement as a "travelling circus", and there is a strong movement to establish Brussels as the sole seat.
This is because the other political institutions (the Commission,
Council and European Council) are located there, and hence Brussels is
treated as the 'capital' of the EU.
It is not a politically comfortable place since it has had a whiff of financial scandal in the past, and over-blown rules and regulations tend to stifle progress as the requirement to have all decisions has to be unanimous, despite very tiny countries having the same voting rights as big ones like France and Germany. Committee after committee. A costly organisation so the EU moves very slowly as seen in the Ukraine/Russia conflict. At least there is no ridiculous veto system like with the United Nations but is it any better?
A few months ago I had the opportunity to visit Strasbourg in Eastern France. It is near the German border and has been fought over between Germany and France for such a long time. Since WW2 and its liberation from the Germans, by General Leclerc and the 2nd French Armoured division, it has been part of France (again). It's the different history, culture and even language that has always interested me in a visit. I was not disappointed.
Strasbourg is a major hub for European institutions, particularly the European Parliament. The centre of the city is a lively and historic place. Take a guided tour - you won't be disappointed. It has many hisyoric links to events and people I had not been aware of, such as Albert Schweitzer, Louis XIV, Mozart.
Strasbourg is located in North Eastern France and is a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its architecture and pretty canals. It's also known as the Capital of Christmas because the festive markets are quite a drawcard, as are the decorations around town. There's a vibrant feel to the place, plenty of commerce, food, culture and I enjoyed wandering around
It became a French city in 1681, after the conquest of Alsace by the armies of Louis XIV. In 2016, Strasbourg was promoted from capital of Alsace to capital of Grand Est.
I really loved everything about this city.
The city has about three hundred thousand inhabitants the eighth-largest metro area in France and is home to 14% of the Grand Est region's inhabitants. Strasbourg is an important centre of manufacturing and engineering, as well as a hub of road, rail, and river transportation.The architecture is special to this area, showing the German influence and the old canals, well maintained, are very picturesque. I tried a local dish, the name of which escapes me but basically it was like a large torilla covered in cream, bacon and onion. There may have been cheese in it but whatever, it was yummy.
Of course there are plenty of important churches and the cathedral to visit. The cathedral is in need of restoration. The outside is very blackened but cannot be cleaned because the staining eminates from the actual stone - some sort of metal leaching through. Strucural repairs will be carried out.
There's also the part-Romanesque, part-Gothic, very large Église Saint-Thomas with its Silbermann organ on which both Wolgang Amadeus Mozart and Albert Schweitzer played .
Strasbourg is considered the legislative and democratic capital of the European Union (more on this in a future bogpost), while Brussels is considered the executive and administrative capital and Luxembourg the judiciary and financial capital.
The University of Strasbourg is currently the second-largest in France. Climate can be hot in summer and nippy in winter. The TGV serves Strasbourg- Paris - Germany and Switzerland. A trip by car from Chartres took a good 6 hours but the traffic jams near Paris accounted for rather too many of those hours.
In chronological order, notable residents of Strasbourg include these famous names:
This is not a cheap city to live in but if you are feeling affluent the shopping is good with quirky places to visit. Take a guided tour of the city. I would have liked more time to explore the brocant market under the trees, alas, not possible when on a walking tour.
This city often gets overlooked by tourists who only know of Paris, Bordeaux, Marseilles or Lyon but its very differences stand out. One day I would like to revisit it for a longer stay.
Built in the 16th century by Catherine de Medici, it became the primary royal residence for three hundred years, housing numerous monarchs and emperors. Over time the building was modernised and reorganised. However, it was burned down by the Paris Commune in 1871 and subsequently demolished in 1883.
I am always saddened when I remember how mobs during one of the revolutions set fire to it and its contents, thus destroying many wonderful works of art, furniture and better gardens.
As late as 2006 there were serious thoughts on reconstructing the palace as some furniture and paintings had been kept safe elsewhere from the Franco-Prussian war 1870 but a key player decided not to go ahead. Remnants exist in gardens in other countries such as Italy and Germany. There are also a couple of remnants in the current garden but I never found them
Originally designed in 1564 as an Italian Renaissance garden by Bernard de Carnesse, the Tuileries Garden was redesigned in 1664 by famous gardener Le Nôtre as a jardin a la française which emphasised symmetry, order, and long perspectives. With all the above in mind I decided to take a more detailed inspection of this former palace site on a stinkingly hot day in Paris.Just along from the Louvre, near the entrance to the Tuileries Garden, I saw a soaring flame, a relic of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. It is not a permanent display; President Macron decreed that it would appear every summer in the skies of Paris until the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The design idea was to make the cauldron ascend into the Parisian skies. This was first achieved in the same location in 1783 when the world's first hydrogen-filled balloon was launched, some time after the first Mongolfier hot air balloon flew over Versailles and host Louis XIV nearly 100 years earlier.
Engineers this time in 2024 wanted a flame without fire or smoke. Suspended from
a giant helium balloon this 60m structure was powered by a single cable
transmitting electricity and water. It is designed to withstand normal
weather conditions but it is too fragile to be left out in winter.
The cauldron's flame is powered by a water mist lit by 40 LED spotlights. A safe way to create the illusion of fire and it is very effective. Three cubic metres of water are used per hour.
I spent the next two hours wandering under the very welcome trees, looking at the statues and rather a lot of hot, empty spaces where gardens and trees once stood for hundreds of years until annihilation in the 19th century. I had also hoped to see Claude Monet's waterlilies paintings on display at the Orangerie, at the far end of the Garden. Alas, although it was the first Sunday of the month and thus entry was free, you have to book a time in advance, so I was turned away.
There are a number of outdoor restaurants, and quite a few seats scattered around to relax and take in the sites. I availed myself of the latter. Statues ancient and modern are scattered about the 55 acres.
Above - the garden today. Below - the disaster of the Paris Communards and their destruction of the Palace. Like the doomed Christchurch Cathedral in New Zealand, a willingness to reconstruct was there but politics (even more than money) always got in the way of history and cultural treasures.
I lived for some years in Rambouillet when I first lived in France and soon learned of the town's connection to Napoleon via the Chateau and the Palais du Roi de Rome.
In Rambouillet, Napoleon Ier, wishing to have a small palace for his son near his occasional residence at the Chateau de Rambouillet, had the former Hotel of the Governor of Rambouillet transformed, built between 1784 and 1785 by order of Louis XVI. This small palace was for the use of the King of Rome (a title afforded to Napoleon's infant son), pending the construction of the immense
and grandiose palace on the hill of Chaillot, Paris. This later palace never evenuated due to Napoleon's fall from grace.
I had known of the sad life and tragic end of Napoleon Bonaparte's son (nicknamed l'Aiglon or little eagle) and had visited the garden of the little palace where the child grew up several times in my life in France. I always found it peaceful and pretty but sad. Recently I revisited it and was horrified to see the state of such an historic monument which is supposed to be looked after by the mayor and councillors of Rambouillet, a town I used to call home. The mayor is (still) the head of the French Senate so looking after this historic property is well within his abilites. He and the local council clearly don't seem to care much for this tourist attraction.
Its state is deplorable, the garden full of weeds, the plaque with a message for l'Aiglon is missing or covered in weeds, the fountain inoperable, garish modern toys for children to play on are set in part of the lawn - so ghastly given the context. The interior of the house is painted in such a way as to not detract from any art exhibitions but it contains no soul and not a trace of its former tragic inhabitant. The house houses a 'museum' of board games most of the time. No real info on l'Aiglon. Sad, sad, shameful. My daughter, who has
spent time in the garden would also be disappointed. You can see two photos of the same location here, just a few years apart to illustrate the sad decline and neglect.
I enjoyed looking at various artworks promoting art of the Chevreuse area but felt there was a lack of history and soul about the place. Parts of the stairs were crumbling. The building opposite, which had once been part of the complex, seems empty and abandoned with broken windows and pigeons flying in and out. Horrifying. Monsieur Larcher should be ashamed. I wrote in the visitors' book of
my disappointment.
Why does this property matter? It's not flashy, it's not furnished but it is a relic from a specific time in history, a rather momentous time and it illustrates a story that most people (including the French) don't seem to know. Doesn't anyone wonder why Napoleon Bonaparte's nephew took the title of Napoleon III? Where was number II? Well here's that sorry story...
On , Napoleon wrote a conditional abdication, reserving the succession rights of his infant son. On ,
Napoleon finally relinquished the crown for him and his descendants, but the Senate refused to keep the imperial regime in favour of a
restoration of the Bourbons (Louis 18th). The young Napoleon II did not become emperor
in , between the conditional abdication of and the unconditional abdication of . Napoleon bid farewell to his troops at Fontainebleau and left for the Island of Elba, off the Italian coast, refusing to allow his wife and son to join him. A convoy taking Empress Marie-Louise and her son to Vienna sailed on . Napoleon never saw his wife and son again.
As we know, Napoleon returned to France after a short time in exile and ex-military rallied to his cause. The Bourbons were unpopular, but the world was tired of all the wars. He was defeated at Waterloo when he and his marshall made tactical errors. This time abdication was permanent and he lived the rest of his life on a stony outcrop island off the coast of Africa: Saint Helena. There were no visits from his wife and son who were now living in Marie-Louise's home country of Austria. The boy was disappearing from history.
I suppose this is one reason why I have written this particular blogpost. You may say "poor little rich boy'' and you would be right. However, I still feel sad about any child who showed promise but whose circumstances wrecked it all. I find this particular aspect of the life of Napoleon sad and disappointing that neither he nor his wife made much effort to truly parent this little boy who was ripped away from his country and made to feel ashamed of his father.
L'Aiglon grew up never really knowing his father. His mother was not a good mother and was absent for most of his life as he reminded her of a past she wanted to forget. Instead he was brought up in the court of Francis I of Austria as a prince of the court, as Duke of Reichstadt.
The name of Bonaparte was hated and feared throughout Europe.
"Little
Napoleon is an object of disorder and fear for most European cabinets.
We must have heard the conversations of recent years, to know to what
extent the name of this child was angering and frightened even the most
skilful ministers and to be aware of everything they invented and
proposed to at least make one forget his existence. "
Like his father he pursued a military career, but it occured in Austria, being estranged from the country of his birth. This handsome young man grew up not knowing his father and hardly seeing his mother, brought up as an Austrian prince "Franz" at court by his grandfather Francis I of Austria, thus hiding his identity but it was probable that he lead a rather lonely life where he didn't quite fit in.
His official army career began at age 12, in 1823, when he was made a cadet in the Austrian Army. Accounts from his tutors describe the son of Napoleon as intelligent, serious, and
focused. Additionally, he was very tall, having grown to nearly 6 feet
(1.8m) by the time he was 17.
Not long after rejoining his army post in 1832 he fell ill.
On , doctors admitted they could do no more, which is why Napoleon II bitterly said, "My birth and my death, that's my whole story. Between my cradle and my grave, there's a big zero." His mother, who was alerted, did not join him in Vienna until Sunday. He died on
The destiny of a young man who was proclaimed King of Rome at birth and whose father was Napoleon I might have included a vaste empire if his name had not become so poisonous. He died a simple Austrian prince, someone mysterious and touching who fascinated poets and whose name has maintained to this day a type of culte which saw in particular the return of his remains (l'Aiglon) to Paris as a Nazi public relations event. He is buried at Les Invalides now just below the sarcophagus of his famous father. His heart and intestines remain in Vienna to this day, which is traditional for members of the Habsburg family.
In an effort to improve his image in the eyes of the French in 1940, Adolf Hitler decided to repatriate the remains of the Aiglon to France. A
funeral and nocturnal ceremony were held in Les Invalides in Paris on the night of
the 14th to , in front of a handpicked audience. It coincided with one hundred years to the day after the return of the body of his father Napoleon I to Paris.
Napoleon II was technically "Emperor of the French"
for two weeks, when he was not in France. It was because of this short
reign of Napoleon II that Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon
I, proclaimed himself emperor of the French under the name of Napoleon
III.
During my most recent visit to this historic site in Rambouillet I enjoyed looking at an art display and also examples of ancient board games (note that New Zealand doesn't feature on the world map). This building is an official museum for old board games. The decor is just bland paint and gives no hint of its colourful past.
This sad story was made into a play: L'Aiglon is a play in six acts by Edmond Rostand
based on the life of Napoleon II, who was the son of Emperor Napoleon I
and his second wife, Empress Marie Louise.
Sources for images:
Heraldry Par Katepanomegas, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10525411
My dream was to become a French citizen and live and work in France for the rest of my life. I am now a French citizen and member of the EU but circumstances made it impossible to stay so I'm back in New Zealand reinventing myself.
%20Brocher%20(2).bmp)
%20Brocher.jpg)
(1).jpg)
.jpg)
2.svg.png)
Posts
