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[jo-shaneparis18]

Travel to Venice

1/05/2019: We planned for ten o'clock departure to the airport. The plane was to fly out at ten to one and arrive in Venice at two thirty. We flew Air France of course, the second deadliest airline in the world. Earlier on, Shane took a walk a bit up L'Avenue des Champs-Élysées to get some photos with minimal traffic around. It was still a bit nerve racking trying to cross the road around Place de Concord. The cars seemed to come out of nowhere, from around bends and out of lane ways at what seemed excessive speed.

Roofscape from our apartment

Walking back, there was an interesting area to the left with an impressive column at its centre. Place Vendôme was at the end of Rue de Castiglione and the start of a popular shopping street, Rue de la Paix. Originally called Place des Conquêtes, Place Vendôme was set up as a monument to Louis XIV and the glory of his armies. The square today is surrounded entirely by hôtels particuliers and although once tenanted by fashionable and high end hotels as well as numerous famous designers, they are mostly gone with only a few remaining.

Napoleon's Column had a more interesting history. Originally, an oversized equestrian statue of the Sun King was erected in the centre of the square but only lasted until the revolution. During 1806, at the direction of Napoleon to celebrate his victory at Austerlitz, construction of the first column was commenced. Four years later and modelled after Trajan's Column in Rome, it was completed. A statue of Napoleon graced the top. Following the Bourbon Restoration, the statue was removed and melted down to partially contribute the bronze required for the statue of Henry IV on Pont Neuf. A couple more Napoleon statues have been placed at the top of the column over the years but the whole thing was brought down during the Paris Commune and re-erected a few years later after the commune's demise, another copy of Napoleon on top.  

Napoleon finally toppled. 1871 (Wikipedia)

Napoleon's Column today

Although, with most of the packing done last night, there was still a bit to do, particularly with ensuring that all of the suitcases that were packed to spot on twenty three kilos and the rest carry on. We also had one more call to make, to the taxi driver who dropped us off a few days ago. No luck as it turned out. Through his daughter he apologised for not being able to take us. Not enough notice or his day off maybe. It was after all, May Day.

The decline wasn't too much of an issue, we were ahead of schedule and on the footpath well before ten where we immediately encountered a small Peugeot wagon out front. We needed another one that would carry three suitcases. A few minutes later, some sort of Volkswagen van drove passed. We hailed it, filled it with suitcases and women and Tom and sent it off to Charles de Gaul, Terminal 2. Beau and Shane took the other costing fifty-five euro each. The trip was quiet and non-eventful owing to the public holiday.

It was the May Day public holiday which had a tradition of violence in Paris with protest marches being the norm. During our journey Cecilia noticed small groups of individuals walking in the same direction in one of the outlying suburbs, and up to no good. Who knows what could have been brewing. We were in fact lucky as today was Tuesday so it ruled out the sometimes violent yellow vest protests that occurred on Saturdays and we were also lucky that the unions had a programme of industrial action that shut down the airports. They advertised in advance and today wasn’t part of it. The rest was yet to be seen.

Continuing on from the uneventful was the flight and boarding process, once we got past the stickers on bags bit at check-in. Through security, swiftly through duty free looking at the overpriced everything and down to the eating area which would leave Sydney for dead, although the prices reflected this. A point in case was Cecilia's thirty-nine-euro pikelet with salmon and caviar on sour cream. Tasted delicious but was only about four mouths full. There was plenty of ritzy food around but still plenty for the plebs. We were okay.  A couple of hours waiting around, onto the boarding area, and onto the plane. Everything worked like a dream.

Nice looking tucker. If you can afford it

This flight was a budget short haul flight which was excellent. About the same distance from Newcastle to Melbourne yet they provided us with a small ham roll or vegetarian wrap with a drink. The wrap was delicious. Jetstar could learn a thing or two from Air France (except for the crashing bit).

Paris–Le Bourget Airport. Once Paris's No.1

Crossing the mostly obscured Swiss Alps, and probably Austrian and Italian Alps as well, and touching down at Marco Polo was also non eventful. The banking of the plane on approach to the airport showed the surrounding fields, townships and hamlets located on the outskirts of the airport and Venice Mestre on the mainland. Quite picturesque. After landing, the arrival protocol was pretty easy. We headed through the supposed immigration, picked up our bags from the carousel and walked down the long corridor walk to the water taxi station. We showed our tickets to old mate near the desk who promptly pointed us to another and in turn our taxi driver. It was after twenty past three before we got on the boat. It was nothing flash but roomy and comfortable and in no time flat we were cruising through the timber poles that marked the channel across Laguna Veneta toward Venice.

Initially, Cecilia wanted to have the “elite” experience which included being greeted at arrivals by a chauffeur holding a sign with our names. We were then to be transported, luggage and all in a golf buggy through the airport to a jetty with a super schmick timber speedboat alongside. We would then travel “George Clooney style” through the Grand Canal as he did at his wedding. Problem was that this was worth 130 Euro each and although she insisted on paying, we took the Jo Average taxi boat for 50 Euro for all of us.

Marco Polo water taxi rank

All packed and ready to go

The channel wasn't all that wide so a follow the leader approach was required, particularly with oncoming traffic. Although boats could pass if required, it would be squeezy and care required. We firstly passed the small battery island, Isola di Tessera on our left followed by the famous glass producing Murano. Then straight across the lagoon to the northern most,and second largest of the six Venetian  sestieri, Cannaregio. Sacca Misericordia Marina was on our right and a well worn servo to our left as we entered rio di Noale on our way to the Grand Canal.

About to enter rio di Noale

Looking down Rio della Sensa

Edging our way amongst the floating barrage before us, we worked our way beneath the Rialto Bridge, were dropped off next to San Silvestro vaporetto stop, through Campo Silvestro and to our apartment. All an hour after we jumped in the taxi.

Approaching the Rialto Bridge

Congestion on the canal

After finding our building, the next challenge was to work out which door bell to ring on the panel. We worked it out and were buzzed into an impressive foyer, heading up the stairs to meet our hosts. Two youngens greeted us at the door. After a warm greeting they explained that they were brother and sister and were renting the apartment out in an attempt to keep it in their family. A common explanation that people with larger apartments in fantastic locations were telling us. Something sus, though Jo didn’t agree, seemed to be going on though as we surprised them when we knocked on the door and later found a pair of knickers that she may have left behind. It was apparently their grandmothers house but before granny some sort of commercial building in its previous life. Huge rooms and six metre high ceilings, and in a brilliant spot. One hundred metres from the Rialto and an old church, Chiesa San Silvestro, straight across from us.

Bedroom One

While we were all settling in and unpacking, the boys went to look for a shop for milk, juice and some basic supplies, and of course a supply of grog. Cecilia headed out for a walk, firstly to look through the church and secondly to find a nearby watering hole. While inside the church she paid one Euro and lit a candle in memory of her dad. The church was about to close and as Cec was saying a prayer, an old lady sweeping up and finishing off blew the candle out as she was leaving.

Cec didn't take long to look around the campo before stumbling across Vineria all'Amarone, a wine bar that were friendly and had an interesting menu. She returned for a rest before insisting that we all head along there for dinner. Seated by half past six, typical Italian tucker was the order of the day. A couple of pastas, diavola, lasagne and spaghetti al negro (in squids ink) was dished up by a very friendly and welcoming staff. One hundred and ninety one Euro later we were back at the apartment, playing Pass the Pigs and planning the next day.

Vineria all'Amarone 

Two fat ladies

We may have dodged a bullet today with the Paris protests. After we had left the city violent protests resulted in over one hundred arrests.

Tomorrow we travel to Murano for some glass and Burano for a look, and some lace if we can find some non Chinese stuff.

[jo-shaneparis18]

Palais Garnier and Arc de Triomphe

30/04/2019: Last full day today but what to do. The weather was miserable and staying close to home seemed like a good idea. We had planned to visit Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, the famous Parisienne cemetery located in the 20th arrondissement, containing the remains, amongst others of Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Marcel Marceau, Chopin and so on. The heavy showers, wind and cold put paid to that idea. Thomas earlier on had shown an interest in the Opera House only a couple of blocks away so we planned to stay close to home in case the weather turned for the worst.

There was drama early on in the courtyard below when Jo went out to bring back some croissants. There were two tradies that had been working on the shopfronts putting in new doors since we had been here. The handy man was also hanging around and he seemed to do something to a large glass door that had exploded as Jo walked past. There was glass everywhere and she was lucky not to be injured. After getting over the shock, she headed up the lift with our breakfast and told us about her ordeal. There were two older workmen in the courtyard. They had the two large glass doors that formed the inner entrance open wide as well as the heavy wooden doors that were at the front of the building. It was very windy out today, a huge gust came through the doors at the same time Jo walked into the courtyard from the apartment building. One of the glass doors slammed shut and glass exploded everywhere as a result of the force. Big sheets flew into the courtyard hit the ground flew up again and shattered more. The two workmen looked on in horror as they realised someone was in the courtyard. One came running over to Jo and held her hand to help her negotiate the broken glass blocking the exit to the building. Jo went and bought herself a cup of tea and pastries for the others waiting back at the apartment who were oblivious to what just occurred until told all about it. They did hear the loud smash of breaking glass but assumed it was someone emptying bottles into the recycle bin. When Jo returned to the courtyard the workmen were nowhere to be seen but the broken glass was still everywhere. The apartment handyman was in the courtyard and seemed to be a bit miffed about the mess and damage. He started talking very fast in French. Jo shook her head and said " Je ne comprends pas. Je ne parle pas francais" he shook his head and commenced cleaning up the mess. It would appear the workman did a runner!

The cause of the commotion

After breakfast and rugging up we left the unit around ten, heading toward the statue of Jeanne d'Arc and turning left into Rue des Pyramides. Our next turn was into Avenue de l'Opéra and Palais Garnier was five hundred metres straight ahead.

Jeanne d'Arc in Place des Pyramides

The Paris Opéra kicked off during the early sixteen sixties with the founding of Académie royale de Danse by Louis XIV followed by Académie royale de Musique some eight years later. Over the next two hundred years the Académie d'Opéra, or Opéra, changed its venue eleven times, the last being Salle Le Peletier from 1821 until its demise by fire in 1873.

A turning point in the Opéra's history was the attempted assassination of Napoleon III in 1858 whilst arriving in his carriage to a performance at Salle Le Peletier. Eight died and nearly five hundred were injured in the attack but he and his wife survived. The following day he decided that a new opera house was required and during 1860, one hundred and seventy one architects from around the world were invited to compete in the design of the new opera house. The winner was an unknown Charles Garnier of which the new building still bears his name.

The new Opéra Garnier, and setting for "Phantom of the Opera", was completed a couple of years after the fire that destroyed Salle Le Peletier with Salle Ventadour filling the void between.

 Palais Garnier

Initially expecting to enter via the front door, we were soon directed to the visitors' entrance and ticket box down the Rue Auber side where the ramps and new entrance were probably well utilised by Napoleon after his earlier close shave with his Italian attackers. Twenty minutes after buying our tickets we were in the  joint and looking at the most magnificent staircase of several storeys allowing patrons to access their seats. Two sets of stairs led to the next floor, separated by Bassin de la Pythie, a grotto between the two with a statue of Pythia, (Oracle of Delphi?). We were at the bottom of the Grand Escalier. At the first landing there were doors leading to the amphitheatre (stalls), welcomed by a couple of female allegories holding torches to greet opera goers.

Boys with the "Oracle" behind

Grand Escalier

Welcome

The doors were shut but climbing to the next level allowed us to get a look inside, if we pushed enough.

Behind us was the Grand Foyer, before us the dancers practicing for the ballet, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, to be performed in a couple of night's time. As cosy as it was, we could get a very good perspective of the entire auditorium layout. Plenty of gold trim with red fabric. The auditorium was deliberately designed by Garnier in the tradition of an Italian theatre, that is, in the shape of a horseshoe. The stalls were overlooked by the boxes and balconies and gave the patrons the opportunity to be seen as well as see what was going on.

Grand Foyer

Entry to the balconies. 6 Places Rented

Part of the auditorium from the cramped balcony

Rehearsals for Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker

Then to the library, over near where we entered, a narrow place lined with bulging bookshelves that almost reached the ceiling (the lower sections caged). Sheet music and jewellery displays adorned the walls. It contained three hundred years of the opera house's history including a permanent exhibition of paintings, drawings, photographs and set models. Interesting place but cramped.

Before leaving we wandered around the Corridor de la Salle, the corridor surrounding the auditorium. There was an excellent display of current information on upcoming events mixed with some historical stuff, namely costumes and such from prior performances. It was then back to the apartment via the supermarket for some tucker and to see how Cecilia was getting on. The weather was still miserable but the rain had eased.

A tutu or two

She was still pottering around and nowhere near as advanced as she should have been given the time available.

After the dust had settled and we were in the throes of packing for Italy, Shane and Beau decided to head down Champs-Elysées for a look around, particularly the Arc de Triomphe. The rain had subdued and the weather was improving. Once there, a trip to the top was a must as the rain had frightened off most of the tourists and the queue was short.

Beau, front and centre

The climb to the top was uneventful bar possible cardiac issues but to everyone's delight, midway up a memorial and military displays gave a chance for us to catch our breath and to check out some militaria. There were poignant reminders of the past, agonising statues as well as defiant statues and images of Paris of the times.

Memorial within the arch

Part of French military display

Paris skyline 1910 (same year as the flood)

Once on top the view was as expected, fantastic. Luckily there were few up there so we moved around unhindered bar waiting for others to move on. In all directions the Parisienne streetscape was impressive. Boulevard after boulevard, tree lined streets in all directions.

With some time spent above, it was time to return to street level where a heavily guarded procession and memorial of the dead was underway. We didn't know what it was about but the dudes with the axes were pretty impressive.

Commemorating the dead

With the Arc de Triomphe behind us as well as the memorial, it was time to return back to the apartment to finish packing and have a feed. Beau also had university commitments. Our last night in Paris was finished off by final packing, Cecilia's asparagus, blanched with butter and pepper (delicious) and Trivial Pursuit.

Beau and uni work

Looking for another argument

Tomorrow we fly to Venice.

[jo-shaneparis18]

Île de la Cité & Paris Saint Germain

29/04/2018: It all started well though not as planned. The intention was that the boys go alone and queue up at the catacombs an hour before they opened, at ten. Shane ended up joining them but a late start meant that we arrived a half an hour after it opened and the queue was rather long. The catacombs are located within Square de l'Abbé Migne, a oval park surrounded by road and a few kilometres away from the apartment. By the time they got on the end of the queue they were almost back at the front door, so a wait was ahead. Little did they know how long.

As daunting as the queue was, the catacombs weren't that big so they were thinking that it may move quickly. That was not the case. The staff controlled the numbers entering and with skip the line tours at the front door as well, after forty-five minutes and some comment that the internet said queuing was between three and five hours with no guarantee of entry, they pulled the pin. The one hour walk to get there was just exercise.

We waited at the Catacombs for nearly an hour and moved ten metres. A croissant and coffee from Paul's for breakfast

To not make the morning wasted, directions were set on Thomas' phone for Notre Dame. They headed then into Café Oz looking for bacon and eggs but only had a coffee due to $30 burgers being on offer. Upon leaving, the rain had started and walking down Avenue Denfert-Rochereau, it became heavier. They then questioned about how determined those still in the line would be now. Drowned rats. With a few short deviations it was forty minutes of walking straight to get there, jackets zippered to keep out the cold.

Cecilia and Jo had a slower start to the day. There was a restaurant down from our apartment called Angelina Tea House. It had a huge reputation for its hot chocolate which is said to be the best in Paris. Queues form outside the Tea House as customers wait their turn to sit. The Tea House was founded in 1903 by the Austrian confectioner, Antoine Rumpelmayer. He named the Tea House in honour of his daughter-in-law. Angelina Tea Rooms have been a favourite meeting place of Parisian gourmet fans for over a century with many famous people eating there.  The famous include Coco Chanel, Proust and many of Paris's greatest couturiers. The list of famous names will grow today as Cecilia and Jo will add their name to the list. It's two signature dishes are hot chocolate "L'Africain" and their signature pastry, Mont Blanc, the secret recipe is still closely guarded 100 years on. The ladies headed to the Tea House at ten and got straight in. The decor was amazing. It was like stepping back in time to an elite café of the roaring 20’s. There was a great variety to choose from on the menu and they decided to go all out and enjoy the experience to the fullest, so ordered the "Le Brunch" set meal deal for 39.50 Euros plus an extra 12 Euros for a glass of champagne. The menu was as follows;

Tea, Coffee or Angelina's Hot Chocolate. The girls chose the hot chocolate. The next choice on the set menu was freshly pressed fruit juice or healthy pure juice cocktail.  They chose fresh orange juice. Next on the menu was mini viennoiseries, croissant, chocolate filled pastries, raisin pastries, bread roll butter jam honey and chest nut cream. This was followed by Eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce, avocado, smoked salmon or bacon or Crossaint Angelina cheese or ham or smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, the girls chose the Eggs Benedict. This was followed by a choice of fruit salad, crunchy muesli or caramelised brioche. They chose the brioche. Most of the food and drinks came out all at once including the champagne. The verdict: The hot chocolate was to die for. The food abundant and delicious and way too much. The experience and cost absolutely worth it.

Bacon and Eggs

The women were only half way through their gastronomic marathon when Tom phoned to tell of the change of plans, that catacombs were cancelled and that they were heading to Notre Dame if we wanted to meet them. That was the original agreement but not so soon. Tom was instructed to phone again when they were almost at Notre Dame to give the girls fair warning and enough time to walk to the Cathedral to meet them. After joining the queue at the cathedral, Tom rang again and told them what was going on. This did not please as they would have to be late. Anyway, the rain was heavy and the line long. But it was moving so Beau, Tom and Shane joined the end and put up with the Gypsies trying to sell umbrellas to everyone. As Beau commented, they were trying to sell umbrellas to people with umbrellas.

Large crowd waiting to get in

As we approached the front door the bells rang, obviously signifying mass about to start. When inside it was packed as the centre section was full of worshipers and as such the public were confined to the peripherals. Very dark and very loud. The place was still interesting, maybe more so due to the added atmosphere of the mass but shuffling around for half an hour was enough. Tom and Beau were keen to climb the bell tower but they had to book a time, join the queue inside again, pay at the kiosk inside and then join the queue up the side street that would get them to the top. Nah, give it a miss. It was at this time that we found Jo and Cecilia who didn't want to join the queue. (Cecilia didn’t want to go in on her own). So off to Saint-Chappelle we all went.

Queuing to pray

Not wanting to go inside, Cecilia perched herself at Le Soleil D'Or Brasserie nearby and had a coffee with the plan to look around the nearby shops for souvenirs for her grand kids while the rest of us queued. It wasn't too long before we were through the scanners, inside the courthouse precinct, buying tickets and entering Saint-Chappelle.

Saint Chapelle from inside the court precinct

Built in seven years during the twelfth century, the marvel of Gothic architecture was commissioned by religious unrealist, King Saint Louis IX to house his relics of the passion, supposed objects that he was convinced were authentic. Ripped off by Baldwin II of Constantinople and King of the Byzantines, he purchased a large number of alleged relics that had been kept at Constantinople, including Jesus’ crown of thorns and a piece of the cross that Jesus was crucified on. Wonder what condition it was in even when he bought it. A piece of wood twelve hundred years old at the time. Anyway, he built Saint-Chappelle at a bargain price, less than half that spent on the relics. We are however, all wealthier for it with the magnificent cathedral resulting from his actions.

At first, we entered the lower section which was quite claustrophobic. Although ornate, the vaulted, fabric clad ceiling was quite low giving a closed in feeling. Very impressive though. The next and by far the best was yet to come. We climbed an extremely tight spiral staircase to the next level and were amazed by the tall leadlight windows that took up well over half of the building. Videos showed the glass had only recently been refurbished to remove the grime and pollution which coated it from many years of exposure to the elements. The process looked pain staking and must have cost a fortune. After the windows were reinstalled a glass protective layer was put on the outside to provide better protection.

Bottom bit

Top bit

Exiting through a side courtyard that for some reason was full of armed police officers (probably because of being law courts and police headquarters), we moved along the footpath a short distance, entering the second door facing Boulevarde du Palais, to the Conciergerie, the impressive Gothic palace built around the beginning of the fourteenth century only to be converted to a prison many years later. The Conciergerie had a couple of remnants linked to periods of history. The lower section was built around the same time as Saint-Chapelle and consisted of Salle des Gens d'Armes (hall of the soldiers) and Salle des Gardes, built during the reign of Philip the Fair, a kitchen built by John the Good and one other. The upper section or Revolutionary Rooms, was reconstructed much later and utilised as a torture chamber and place of terror during the revolution. The most notable prisoner was Marie-Antoinette who spent her last days there before heading off to the guillotine.

Being deprived of a few Euro each to get in, we were immediately confronted by an artistic trough full of flowing water. The contraption was designed by artist Stéphane Thidet and entered the Salle des Gens d'Armes via a cascade, wound in and out of the Gothic columns before rejoining the Seine between the two towers, Argent and Caesar, a little further down.

The Seine entering Salle des Gens d’Armes again

 Architectural or artistic?

Water level 1910

Climbing a few steps to la Rue de Paris (bearing the executioner's nickname, Monsieur de Paris), we entered the Revolutionary Rooms which once housed the main institution for exceptional justice. The Revolutionary Tribunal. From there the rooms held displays and relics of the period with information boards explaining the First Republic, the period leading up to it and the Conciergerie's role in all of the action. Towards the end of the tour we entered the room that once held Marie-Antoinette, now a chapel.

Off to a bloody end

Where her cell used to be

Upon exiting the building, we sought out Cecilia where we left her, still indulging in a café and some sort of soup or stew (and a bag full of goodies for the kids). By now it was three o'clock and time to head back, for Shane and Thomas had a football game to attend. Taking the opportunity to return via the beautiful Place Dauphine, which unlike last time displayed blossoms on the trees, we strolled back across Pont Neuf, past the Louvre and through Place du Carrousel where we encountered an unusual character who sought attention from both passers-by and the local pigeon population by dropping wheat on the ground from his bulging pockets. One weird one there.  

Pigeon Man

After pigeon man, the Africans and the gypsies were avoided, we wound up back at the apartment to get ready to go out again, where ever that may be.

Not so squeezy. A tight trip in the elevator

Shane and Thomas left for the football a couple of hours before kick-off and arrived fifteen minutes later, greeted by barriers and security that wouldn't let them within cooee of the stadium without their ticket. Once they manoeuvered that hurdle, they walked through heavy rain to the entrance to scan their ticket. Immediately upon entering they were requested to put their arms out so they could be frisked. It was an infringement but okay considering the security issues within Europe recently. All said and done Shane waited patiently at the merchandise tent (with Tom watching), eventually picking up a cap and scarf, before both headed up the stairs to the concourse for a beer, watching the rain fall on all who were yet to gain admission.

Getting ready for the match

After another beer and some indecision about where the access stairs were, they headed up for their first glimpse of Parc des Princes, the home ground of the Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain. They were playing middle of the table side, Guingamp.

They were both seated well and truly up the top, in the nose bleed section only a row or two from the back. Although the grand stand roof was in the way there was still a good view of the video screen on the other side of the stadium and the pitch. With half an hour to go before kick-off the place was buzzing, particularly the home crowd behind the goals, waving flags and making a hell of a racket.

Home crowd

A couple of milestones could have been achieved tonight, PSG were well ahead of their Ligue 1 opponents and already had the title sown up. A win would have given them a season of home victories, not achieved in Ligue 1 since the seventies. Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani also had a chance to better Swede, Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 113 Ligue 1 goals for his club. He was equal before the match.

Guingamp came out strong early with PSG not seeming interested, their attack was ineffective and their defence left wanting. As such the visitors dominated the park and were one up at half time. After the break Guingamp went another up before Cavani broke Ibrahimovic's record with a seventy-fifth-minute dodgy penalty followed by a header to equal it up a few minutes later. Paris ended up getting away with an underwhelming draw.

All square

Whilst they were engrossed in all of the action, Beau, Cecilia and Jo decided to go for a walk to Place De la Concorde to view the Eiffel Tower lit up at night and possibly go on the large enclosed Ferris Wheel for a bird’s eye view of the city. When they got to the area the Eiffel Tower was clouded in fog and rain. This also made the ride in the Ferris Wheel for a view of the city a bit useless so they done an about face with the intention of returning home.

Too wet for the Ferris Wheel

That was until they happened across a bar done up in bright orange red and black looking very 70’s. They called in for a night cap. Service was almost non-existent. With one drink down it was a short stroll to the next bar for another drink, and then another (party animals, one at each venue). They then window shopped all the way back to the apartment, the ritzy upmarket part of Paris, the first arrondissement, Rue Rivoli. Clothing is over the top in price.

Contemplating tomorrow

After the football had finished, we walked out of the stadium and back towards where the taxi had dropped us off before the start, turned left and looked for a taxi. It wasn't long before Tom said we were walking the wrong way as we intended to walk towards the apartment so if there wasn't one within an hour we would be almost home. We turned around and headed back in some general direction. We had earlier walked past a small restaurant but had kept going. This time though the rain was coming down fairly hard so we headed in for a feed and a beer with the theory being that the rain may lighten off and the crowds diminish. Due to the circumstances Shane thought it was the best pizza that he had ever tasted, accompanied by being entertained with a dude on the footpath making money from football fans paying him for valet parking. They would turn up at the restaurant, give him their keys and a few minutes later turn up with their vehicle. He was busy for ages and drenched. By the time that we had finished our feed the crowd had gone, the voiturier was almost finished but the rain was still falling. We hit the footpath looking for a cab. At Tom's mention of the word "taxi", the voiturier had in no time given a whistle and a passing taxi had pulled up across the road. Next thing we knew we were heading back to the apartment and out of the wet.

The trip back

A great day today, tomorrow the opera house and visit Jim Morrison.

[jo-shaneparis18]

The Louvre and Eiffel Tower

28/04/2018: An early rise today for at least one person while the rest took it easy. The purpose was to take a walk through Jardin des Tuileries while the crowds weren't around. It was well worth the effort to be able to move around with plenty of room. After the walk, it was briefly back to the room and out again along Rue Saint-Honoré for croissants and pastries. Returning for breakfast we were then all on the move to Paris City Vision, also known as Get Your Guide to collect the Skip the Line tickets to the Louvre.

Allée Centrale,  Jardin des Tuileries

We were in the queue at around nine fifteen, waiting to go through the Pyramid entrance security and down to Napoléon Hall, directly beneath the large glass pyramid. Today Shane made the choice of sticking with the girls and Tom and Beau heading off on a brother adventure. This was a wise move as the girls were always left behind as Cecilia wasn’t use to keeping up with the pace set by Shane and therefore the girls walked slower than the boys and were always left far behind.  Sadly, we were to discover the reason for Cecilia’s struggle to keep up a few months after returning to Australia. Anyway, this separation between the men and women folk were making the girls feel like it was an “us and them” holiday when out exploring. So good boy Shane for keeping with the women today. We immediately grabbed a few maps and headed to the Sully Wing, via the ticket box and more security, where the some of the original fortress still stands. Last time it was closed for a reno. Also, the last time we were here, we were guided by Violetta, a masters student in French art and since that was what she was familiar with, that’s what we looked at. By the time we were finished the tour and were able to wander around at will, we were knackered. This time we were on a mission to see whatever else was around, but in particular, the Egyptian stuff.

The Foyer under the Glass Pyramid. Leading to all wings

First impressions were great. As we entered the basement of the Sully Wing, we were drawn to the start of the Pavillon de d'Horloge devoted to the history of the museum and its collections including the original fortress of which plenty still remains today.

Relationship of the original fortress within the Louvre

The path led around the base of what remained of the fortress and included a walkway so that we could walk within the original moat.

Prior to his departure on crusade in 1190, Philip II (King Philippe Auguste), son of Louis VII, erected a fortified enclosure to protect Paris against the threat of invaders while he was away. Ordering the construction of a great wall around the city, he reinforced it at the junction with the Seine by building a defensive fortress. Square in plan with corner towers and an imposing central keep. The Seine fed a moat that encompassed the entire structure with another moat surrounding the keep. Two gates, flanked by towers, were built within the wall, one facing south towards the Seine and the other facing east, leading to the city. As Paris spread west, the castle lost its defensive effectiveness and was later transformed into a luxurious royal residence by King Charles V.

The outer wall of the fortress (and probably the outer moat)

The inner moat and the keep

The path skirted the outer moat and to the far side of the ruins, past the Crypt of the Sphinx and to a long staircase that climbed to the floor above. Halfway up we had a choice, left or right. We chose the right and ended up in the Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities Rooms, which were shared by the Sully and Denon Wings and were welcomed by Athena, a three metre high antique replica of the original bronze from around 430BC.

Great Sphinx of Tanis. "Found" a couple of hundred years ago in the ruins of the Temple of Amun at Tanis (the capital of Egypt during the 21st and 22nd dynasties

Hello! (La Pallas de Velletri)

With Athena behind us, we entered a large room which was full of artefacts from the Greek, or Roman copies of long lost Greek bronzes going back several hundred centuries BC. Bigger than life (they're gods so they should be) statues of Ares, Aphrodites, Zeus, Hermes and such were scattered throughout with smaller, mantle size pieces around the peripheral and reliefs and friezes on the walls.

Aphrodite ("Venus Genitrix")

Zeus, dieu des cieux et maître de l’Olympe

The entire display covered the whole Mediterranean basin from the sixth century AD back to Neolithic times. At the end of the Greek section Venus de Milo, demanding her own room ferried us through to the Etruscan and Roman sections.

Doing an about face, we retraced our steps to the central stairs, descended to the landing, back up to the Egyptian Antiquities section and further to the Near Eastern area in the Richelieu Wing, dominated by Iran and Mesopotamia.

Small alcoves were lined with small figurines of Egyptian history. The larger areas were divided by displays of the same, thereby creating more small alcoves. Almost all of the displays were protected in glass. Interesting stuff, jewellery, trinkets, decorative objects, toys and what seemed like kitchen accessories.

Statue du dieu Horus, worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Roman Egypt, he was one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities

Partial sarcophagus lid

The row of sphinxes nearby was interesting, a half a dozen were impressive enough, but apparently several hundred of them lined the processional way to the Serapeum in Saqqara, which has long since gone. An 1850's tomb raider noticed these at various antique shops around town and put two and two together. It was apparent that some of the sphinxes came from the same place so he went out and found the place, thereby finding all of the sphinxes, buried in sand.

Six des sphinx qui bordaient l'allée menant au Sérapéum de Saqqara

We then came across the mummy sarcophagi, quite a few mainly protected by glass cabinets. Amongst them all was an actual mummy, a well preserved specimen of a male that lived during the Ptolemaic Period. After death and during the mummification process, he was covered in strips of linen and after receiving more attention to dry him out a bit, was covered in cartonnage which consisted of a mask covering his head, a wide collar over his chest, an apron across his legs and a casing over the feet.

This was one of the highlights of the day, probably for everyone as it was difficult to get close to him.

Momie recouverte de ses "cartonnages". Mummy covered with its "Cartonnages ". Embalming jars as well

As the Egyptian section finished, the Near Eastern Antiquities started. The Levant was an area located at the western extreme of the Mediterranean but not too far inland. It seemed to encompass modern day Syria, Jordan, down to what is now the Suez Canal and all between. The sarcophagus of Eshmunazar II, King of Sidon was carved around 500BC for a king whose demise was ahead of his time (he died when 14 years old and ruled the kingdom with his mother). Sidon was located in Phoenicia, now Lebanon and later expanded its horizons by being given lands by the Persian "Lord of Kings", Xerxes as reward by providing their naval fleet to the Persian forces.

The epitaph across the chest and around the head describes a king who died young and curses on anyone who should trouble his rest among the Rephaïm, followed by a genealogy of the royal family, concluding with a final curse on those who would "raise my slab" and remove the sarcophagus.

The next section was Iran followed by Mesopotamia. There was some great stuff here, the highlights being some friezes from the Persian King Darius I back around 500BC. The first was of lions made of a glazed brick and came from Mesopotamia. They were displayed in his Susa palace and was a symbol of power, embodying the king of beasts. The next frieze was not so certain as to its origins. They were the Archers on Parade depicting two symmetrical lines of soldiers, bow and quiver around their shoulders, both hands holding their spears. Very impressive and quite colourful.

The Frieze of Lions from the first court of Darius I’s palace at Susa

Archers on Parade

Although there was other great stuff in this area, the other impressive artefact was the temple headstock and column (or the colossal capital), one of thirty six that once held up the roof components of the apadana at Susa. A couple of bulls kneeling back to back atop of Egyptian style palm fronds and double volutes with rosettes taken from the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. There wasn't too much in one piece when excavators excavated during the late nineteenth century which explained the colour difference (veined grey limestone brought to the plain of Susa from the Zagros Mountains) due to the capital being reconstructed from bits and pieces of the thirty six columns that originally existed.

Chapiteau d'une colonne de la salle d'audiences (Apadana) du Palais de Darius Ier

The final part, after a break at the café overlooking Napoléon Hall, was back to the Denon Wing to finish off with a few more statues and some paintings, particularly looking forward to the pushing and shoving in front of the Mona Lisa. After ascending a rather grand staircase we found ourselves on the ground floor amongst the European sculptures before climbing one more floor to the paintings of France, Italy and Spain. One of the final acts of the morning, after wandering through the corridors of religious art was to enter Room 711 where the incredibly underwhelming Mona Lisa proudly hung.

First break for the day.

Andrea di Bartolo dit Solario. La Crucifixion

There she is

That was it. Louvre over and lunch ahead, followed by the tower. Playing it safe, we headed back to where we knew, via the Carrousel du Louvre underground shopping centre, eventually reaching the surface at Arc de Triompe du Carrousel, watched a weirdo pigeon man walking around dropping wheat out of his pockets and braved the irksome Africans and gypsies trying to con us or flog us something. Once through the cordon of conmen we settled in at the Le Carrousel Bar and Brasserie for pizza and snails.

Cordon of conmen

Snails for lunch

After lunch we walked back through the gardens towards Place de la Concorde and further to Avenue Winston Churchill, across the road from the Grand Palais. From there we had a good look at our next destination, the Eiffel Tower. Shane and Jo had seen it before so were doing something different while Cec and the boys went to the top. We proceeded as one to the ticket place where they would meet up with their escort for the trip to the top, then separate for a while.

We Shall Never Surrender

Winston Churchill

Londres le 4 Juin 1940

Leaving Cec, Tom and Beau at the meeting place and agreeing to meet below at the tower ticket collection box later on, Jo and Shane headed along Rue de Grenelle a few streets away to Rue Cler for a Rick Steves audio tour starting with Café Rousillon.

Emmanuel Macron lived in an apartment in Rue Cler before becoming president. Even though he and his wife occasionally shopped in the street, business owners and residents were glad to see the back of them after he was voted in as president. From the vote until the inauguration, the lived in Rue Cler but then moved to Palais de l'élysée, the Presidential residence. During that period the extra security, movement restrictions and extra crowds caused the locals some angst until he left and calm was restored. Shop owners lost business due to street closures. It's okay now and they'll probably be welcomed back when he leaves politics.

Café Rousillon

At the Bar Prices

Taking Rick's advice and saving money by standing for cafés, we then moved across Rue de Grenelle to a neat and village like street, lined with open aired produce stands, made particularly inviting by excluding all but service vehicles beyond the intersection.

Bunches of radishes. The French have a real flair for produce display

Looking down Rue Cler from Café Rousillion

The street had everything. Apparently, many Parisiennes shop for food daily in street markets just like this as not only are they after fresh food, but their apartments are small and so are their fridges. To shop daily may not only be a preference but a necessity.

Immediately on our left was the only supermarket to be seen, albeit typically small. A fruit stall on either side constricted the street but it soon opened up to specialty shops, hotels and banks, hidden behind closed doors and partially obscured by the fishmongers, cheese shops, bakers and butchers who opened their doors wide and spilled their produce onto the street.

Top Halles

La Fromagerie

La Fromagerie has been in Rue Cler for generations, straight across the street was La Sablaise Poissonniere-Traiteur, supplying fresh seafood daily from the English Channel. There were more cafés, where if one desired could have a café and smoke while sitting on the footpath, facing the crowds, Traiteur Jeusselin which served precooked meal portions for people to buy on their way home from work if too busy to cook and Boucherie du Perche. People around the area didn't have a garden per se, but flower boxes hanging from the window sill. They still had an appetite for flowers as the florist was pretty popular.

La Sablaise Poissonniere-Traiteur

Boucherie du Perche

Cler Fleurs

This was an interesting experience but catering more for the top end of town given some of the prices.

Rue Cler came to an abrupt halt at its intersection with Avenue de la Motte-Piquet. Turning right we followed the avenue to the Cavalerie building on Place Joffre, standing at the top of Champ de Mars, a tree lined and grassed park which would lead us to the Eiffel Tower at the other end.

The tower at the end of Champ de Mars

Partially down the Champ de Mars we were lucky enough to experience something that made our day. Amongst the families and couples taking it easy around the place, there was a young couple quickly becoming the centre of attention. The young bloke had a couple of mates with him and duly went down on one knee and opened up a jewellery box with a ring in it. Whilst this was happening one of his mates was playing the violin and the other recording everything. We were a bit far away to hear but she must have said yes as those closer started to applaud. A touching moment to soon be over shadowed by the crowds ahead and the hordes of Africans trying to flog models of the tower.

Romance in Champ de Mars

While this was all happening, Cec, Beau and Thomas were enjoying the city from the top of the tower.

Looking over Paris

As Jo and Shane moved closer to the proposed meeting point below the tower, it was apparent that it would not go to plan. Considerable construction works were underway to construct a "terrorist proof" fence around the tower. The fence will be made of thick glass that will supposedly stop bullets and car bombers and cost several tens of millions of Euro.

Let the fence begin

With no communication and our meeting plan in tatter as there was no ticket box to meet as planned and there were 4 different entry/exit points, we had no idea where the crew would emerge from. Jo and Shane headed to the park besides the north rafter and waited. Jo wandered around panicking, Shane just sat, moving around, trying to find a seat without bird shit on it. There were plenty of vacant benches for a reason. Just as annoying were the Africans, they were everywhere trying to make a buck. There didn't seem to be much competition as they were all standing together in small groups selling the same thing, models of the tower. They did however, move pretty quickly when the gendarmes approached. Within not to long spent waiting, firstly Tom and Beau walked out the gate followed a short time later by Cecilia, bitchin about how the group dropping them off somehow and they had to fend for themselves. Anyway, it didn't matter now as we were all together again. When asked how did they enjoy their experience, Cecilia said she was too terrified, fearing that an attack on the tower was imminent, As like all major tourist spots, the area had armed troops patrolling the area and being a large city, sirens wailing through the streets was commonplace, we were use to this from previous travels but this was a new experience for Cecilia , thus fuelling her fear for expecting a disaster was  pending. Beau has an extreme fear of hieghts but was proud of the fact he did manage to stand at the railings of the top level viewing deck, take in the vista, albeit feeling like he left his fingerprints embedded in the steel hand rail.

Gendarmes causing a stir

The trip back to the apartment was interrupted by a beer at Café Roussillon in the Le Cler district. While here, Beau made a very interesting observation, on visiting the toilet area of the bar. There was only one toilet that had a step up to it, the disabled toilet. What the Heck!! Time to head home. Women taxied; men walked. By then it was after seven, back at the apartment by eight. 

Back at Café Roussillon 

Cosy lift

Twilight view from our apartment

Tomorrow, the Catacombes, for the boys, a special treat, for the girls with breakfast and Café Angilina, and then Notre Dame, Saint-Chappelle and the football.

[jo-shaneparis18]

Versailles

27/04/2018: An interesting start to the day, and a costly one. We were meant to be at Get Your Guide for our escorted trip to Versailles by nine, or so we thought. Shane got mixed up with our meeting point and we all headed to Paris City Vision a few doors up from our apartment which didn't help. It was a small shop front and closed and as a consequence  we were lost for a while. We did some google detective work and discovered the meeting place was a tour office several blocks away. We had to move it as thinking we were only a hop skip and jump from our front door we left our apartment with what we thought was a few minutes to spare for our set meeting time. Yep you guessed it, here comes another event to add to the ever growing list of what Cecilia had termed “Shane’s Cock Ups” To be fair not all events on this list where his fault but hey why ruin her fun. We got to the correct venue only to find  our tour actually left at nine and we should have been there by eight thirty. Good life lesson, thoroughly read the paperwork for a tour the night BEFORE. We were there at ten minutes after nine anyway. The thing was that our group had left as we were a "No Show", had lost our money and were on our own. When asked about the nearest RER we were pointed in the direction of Musée d'Orsay station.

In damage control mode

We had only lost an hour as we managed to catch the ten o'clock train to Versailles Chantiers for thirteen Euro the lot. An uneventful trip was interrupted by a conversation that Thomas was having with Mitchell. Thomas had an email sent to him by the French Authorities with a speeding fine attached. He got caught by a speed camera almost as soon as he had left the airport. It was in French so he was getting Mitch to translate it while we travelled. An hour and twenty minutes after we left Paris, we left the train and commenced the trip to the palace, almost one and a half kilometres up a steady incline.

The Information Centre was the only stop on the way to the palace for the ticket purchase. The queues were shorter there than at the venue. By eleven fifty, three of us tacked onto the end of a very long line while the other two (guess who?) joined a much shorter queue at the Versailles cafeteria for refreshments and a rest, only to join us again when the queue was much shorter. This was actually suggested to the ladies by Shane as the tension and stress needed to be quelled as well as the girls desire for a cuppa, a snack and a toilet stop. Entrance to the palace was imminent and they appeared out of nowhere once receiving a phone call from Tom to rejoin the line. The whole line up experience wasn't too bad as we continually moved and within fifty minutes were inside. It was surprisingly quick.

Posing under the Sun King

A few happy snaps were taken in the Royal Courtyard before heading into the vestibule outside of the Royal Chapel. From there we headed towards the Royal Opera via Galerie de Pierre. This wide hallway was lined with natural stone walls, black and white chequered tiles on the floor and a line of statues to the left. The windows along the right hand side drew in the light from the Cour de la Smalah and Cour du Moroc.

A look into the Royal Chapel

At the end of the corridor was a closed off Opera House. To the left, a staircase took us up a floor to overlook the Parterre du Nord and to an area where videos and electronic representations, paintings, statues and scale models told us the history and how the palace evolved over the centuries.

Early painting of the palace

Machine de Marly, built to supply water to Versailles fountains

Versailles, from Louis XIII to the French Revolution

Versailles after the French Revolution

Excellent representation of a monkey riding a goat

We then moved back towards the Royal Chapel and immediately into the magnificent Hercules Drawing Room.  This was the starting point of the State Apartments which would eventually lead to the Hall of Mirrors. To get there we slowly shuffled through the Drawing Room of Plenty, and Drawing Rooms Venus, Diana, Mars, Mercury, Apollo and finally, the War Drawing Room. This led us into the Hall of Mirrors, which as last time was chockers with people. The last turn before heading towards the exit was the Second Antechamber or Oeil-de-Boeuf, so named due to its bulls eye window.

View of Parterre du Nord

View of the Marble Courtyard from Oeil-de-Boeuf

With the Queens Chambers closed for renovations we found ourselves out in the gardens quite quickly. The men first with Jo and Cec a bit behind. They waited on Parterre du Midi overlooking the Lake of the Swiss Guards and the Orangerie until the call came. It was already planned to hire a golf buggy to get around the gardens but there was a fair line up. Thomas was requested to stand in the queue and mind a spot for his mother. A while after he joined the line up, Jo and Cec arrived to take over. This freed the men up to start looking around on foot for some lunch.

Doing it the easy way

They're first stop on the food trail was a fountain just below Parterre D'eau and to the west. It depicted a bloodhound standing over a deer and what we thought was a tiger killing a bear. It was called Fontaine du Point du Jour (Fountain of the Point of the Day). It wasn't working so we kept moving down through Parterre de Latone until we reached Allée Royale and kept to the right, entering Bosquet du Dauphin, and amongst the maze of tree lined paths found somewhere selling food, La Buvette du Dauphin. There were a few people in front of us and it was late so there wasn't much left. By the time we got there it was evident they were turning people away depending on what they wanted so a survey of what was in the display determined our lunch. Three baguettes and three Heinekens. That just about cleaned the place out. Everyone behind us would have to go hungry if it was lunch that they were after. Moving further through the maze we found a small area with benches at the junction of the tracks where we sat down to eat.

Lucky last at La Buvette du Dauphin

Jo and Cec however, headed north west toward Allée Sombre and Bosquet des Trois Fontaines for a look around. Designed by Louis XIV in 1677 with the help of his gardener, the fountain was destroyed under the rule of Louis XVI. It was rebuilt in 2004 with the assistance of a couple of friendly societies.

A new life afforded to Bosquet des Trois Fontaines

As luck would have it, we all had no real plans but to look around and although separated at the buggy hut, and going different directions, we all ended up at the same place, the Petite Trianon.  The men followed the map along Allée des Prés towards the Petite Trianon but found that many of the paths had locked gates at the end to control traffic. This herded them back towards the Apollo Fountain and out of the main complex at the gateway near the basin of the Grand Canal. After a fair hike along Allée des Matelots they crossed Avenue de Trianon and the entrance to Petite Trianon was immediately on the left, surprisingly at the end of Avenue de Petite Trianon. The women took a shorter route, straight down the buggy paths to end up getting there fifteen minutes before.

Petite Trianon

Looking for a smaller place for his family and a small entourage, the Petite Trianon was completed in 1768 under instruction of Louis XV after ten years of planning and construction. Now having two Trianon's on the estate meant that the Marble Trianon was subsequently called the Grand Trianon. Six years after moving in, it was here that Louis XV experienced the first symptoms of the pox which would lead to his death a few days later. This in turn brought to the throne Louis XVI.

The two storey residence had a rather impressive staircase straight up the guts with rooms around coming off the landing. Several rooms were of a similar ilk to the main palace but one took our eye, the billiard room. 

Going straight to the Pool Room

After a very quick look in the gardens (they were extensive but we got a sniff), Shane and the boys headed along the laneway next to what must have been servants’ quarters or workshops or something. It was parallel to Allée des 2 Trianons and led us straight to the Grand Trianon. It was at this point that everyone's' paths once again crossed. Jo and Cec had just come out and gave Shane and the boys a yell in the buggy park so they checked the joint out before bludging a ride back to the palace.

Beau checking out King Louis-Phillip's family drawing room

On our return up the hill

We were not supposed to be on the buggies, or not all of us. They were for four people only, we were overloaded by one. There were others doing the same so it didn't bother us. Until we got to the gate back into the main garden area where the buggy that passed us overloaded were pulled up and lectured. We picked up on this and headed past the Grand Canal Basin to the other side where they were busy. At first Jo missed the gate and couldn't turn in so we had to drive down a short way to where we could turn about. Shane jumped off and they headed through the gate. Shane headed up the hill while they were mucking about and didn't arrive at the top much after the buggy had been returned.

Trying to get back into the main garden

We were out by five, heading to the much closer Rive Gauchi Versailles Station and looking to eat. This came by the way of crêpes across from the Marie, at Au Duc de Bretagne. With the hunger gone, it was back to the station for the trip back to Musée d'Orsay RER, across Tuileries Gardens and back to our apartment. What a disjointed area we were within. Five star hotels next door and clothes stores selling eight thousand Euro shirts and ten thousand Euro handbags in the window had homeless people sleeping in doorways around the area.

Sac Crocodile 10,000 €

Anyway, nibbles for tea and a game of Trivial Pursuit. Who wants an argument?

Time for an argument

Tomorrow we head to the Louvre and Eiffel Tower.

[jo-shaneparis18]

Musée d'Orsay & Musée de l'Orangerie

26/04/2018: Toast, coffee and tea for breakfast this morning. To avoid the old French woman, who didn't appear again, we quickly and quietly exited the building and headed to the corner. Today we were looking to visiting the Musée d'Orsay, across the Seine and Musée de l'Orangerie, at the end of Jardins Tuileries. The easiest way to get there was to cross the road at Rue de Castiglione, down the stairs protected by the beasts, and across the gardens along Allée de Castiglione. The footbridge, Léopold Sedar Senghor got us just about to the front door. The Orsay didn't open until nine thirty so we didn't leave the apartment until nine and after advice from the security dudes out front, queued towards the back of the forecourt.

Rhinocéros attaqué par un tigre. One of the beasts

Once the site of the Orsay Railway Station, built for the Universal Exposition of 1900, the building was saved from the wrecking ball by a revival of nineteenth century architecture during the seventies. The station and its hotel's usefulness diminished after the Second World War as the platforms became too short as modern trains become longer. Electrification didn't help neither. It subsequently serviced the shorter suburban trains until its final demise.

An itch in its daddy's pants during the early seventies, Direction des Musées de France officially hatched the museum idea and listed the building on the Supplementary Inventory of Historical Monuments not long after.  Musée d'Orsay was officially given the go ahead in 1977 and classified a Historical Monument the following year. The new museum was inaugurated by François Mitterrand at the end of 1986 and is now dedicated to displaying collections of art from the period 1848 to 1914.

Musée d'Orsay

Studying the gallery map from the concierge, we looked for the lifts that would take us straight to the top and the temporary exhibition of the Neo-Impressionists. The boys took the stairs while the girls took the elevator. Since we were not keeping in contact at that point the girls went on their own tour of the gallery. They saw pretty much what the boys saw but in a different order. The following is how the boys tour of the gallery panned out.

Studying the gallery map from the concierge, we looked for the lifts that would take us straight to the top and the temporary exhibition of the Neo-Impressionists. The lift serviced several floors above the entrance which opened up to the intermediate floors along the main concourse's flanks. That’s where we separated. Being at the top gave us a good perspective of what was ahead. Looking through the braced iron frame and down the length of the building where the platforms and railway tracks once stood. Now covered by great works of art from the more recent periods of history.

Looking down the old concourse

Interesting first impressions. We were on Level 5 and the paintings in the first Temporary Exhibition, in Salle 36, were just dots of colour, but very good. The founders of the Neo-Impressionist movement, Georges Seurat and Paul Signac were a part of a new generation of creative artists who, during the eighties, championed the scientific art form born from the triumph of Positivism. Furthermore, they developed a technique of painting in very small dots, not unlike our indigenous Aussies back home. But these guys decomposed the work and managed to make the colours vibrate, by juxtaposing complimentary shades and modulating colours to achieve a particular luminosity.  It's true, it worked. When we stood back to admire the painting, the orientation of the lines and the spatial arrangement of the planes contributed to the overall harmony and we could recompose the picture. Just as the sign said. The Neo-Impressionists were very impressive.

L'Air du soir, 1893 (The evening air). Henri-Edmond Cross

L'homme a la barre, 1892 (Man at the Helm). Théo van Rysselberghe

Moving through the corridors led us to the next section, Salles 35 down to 29 with the first room mostly dedicated to Auguste Renoir and Paul Cézanne, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters respectively. Renoir, apparently from the school of those who painted beauty and feminine sensuality, had plenty on nakedness in his pictures, and few men. Cézanne on the other hand, except for his Bathers series, painted mostly landscapes and clothed people in social gatherings. Salle 34 was full of Monet. Women in boats, plenty of flowers and a few goes at the Cathedral of Rouen filled this room, and of course one of his many paintings of haystacks. We guessed that each haystack gave him a different perspective than the last. Then a small room for Degas. Salle 33 had not much more than a half dozen bronze statues of horses and women. 

Stacks and stacks of Haystacks

The next room was quite large and was shared with some well known artists. Quite a few Pissaro, the odd Sisley and more Renoir and Monet. Degas and Renoir appeared in Salle 31 with plenty of Degas' ballet and dancing pictures and figures. The rest of Level 5 was more of the same, they all shared the remaining rooms but it was mostly the Monet and Manet show.

Petite danseuse de quatorze ans. Edgar Degas

Dropping down three floors to Level 2, Levels 4 and 5 were off limits for some reason, administration maybe, the Salles were in their sixties. A large mezzanine floor overlooking the concourse or le Allée centrale des sculptures was full of sculptures and linked the rooms that held a mixture of vases, goblets and more antique like stuff with the most magnificent collection of Art Nouveau Decorative Arts, or what you and we would call furniture. This area was great. The style of the beds, dressing tables, benches, entrances and so on were out there for the age but soon adopted by the French. Designers of today could take a leaf out of the Art Nouveau movement’s book. Maybe we're too conservative. 

Nénuphars, Louis Majorelle

Banquette de fumoir (Bench for a Smoking Parlour), 1897. Hector Guimard

Le jour et la nuit, ~1900 (Day and Night). Georges Rey (apparently). Also "apparently" owned by Sarah Bernhardt

As we weaved in out of the rooms and Terrasse Seine, we moved from furniture that we would love to have in our house, some Salvador Dali type of stuff and a mixture of statues and sculptures from Rodin and other well known artists as well as plenty of little known ones. 

Vir temporis acti, Adolfo Wildt

We were finally finished on the northern side, moved across the way and immediately walked amongst the statues on the opposite mezzanine, Galerie Françoise Cachin. Entering into Salle seventy something containing the works of Van Gogh (Dutch post-impressionist psychotic from the late 19th century) and Paul Gauguin, who lived to just after the turn of the twentieth century (French post-impressionist spent last few years of his life in French Polynesia with the locals), we encountered a smorgasbord of two of the greats. The precursor to Starry Night, Starry Night on the Rhone, a Van Gogh self portrait and some lovely paintings of Polynesian locals.

Portrait de l'artiste, Vincent Van Gogh 

Femmes de Tahiti ou Sur la plage, Paul Gauguin

To the eastern end of the building was Terrasse Rodin, displaying some of his works, and the stairs down to the ground floor. Terrasse Rodin along with the mezzanines held over sixty of his works, some excellent, some good, some not so good. The stairs to the floor below dropped us straight into a great display of drawings of the opera house and a cut away scale model of the stage and the complicated workings that made the whole operatic experience work.

Torchère au tambourin & Torchère à la couronne. Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse

To finish the morning, we headed towards the exit by way of the Allée centrale des sculptures, straight up the centre towards where we came in earlier. Several statues caught our eye, in particular three statues of African dudes in alabaster (we think). The contrast in colours made the depictions very dramatic and very life like. They were impressive to say the least.

Nègre du Soudan, Charles Henri Joseph Cordier

Upon leaving the Orsay we didn't have to travel far for some tucker. In the laneway next to where we entered, on Rue de Lille, was the Royal Orsay Café. We first had a look at the menu and was going to walk away, probably because of the cost, but quickly about faced and went in for a quick refreshment.  Next, we headed back across the Seine and into Jardin des Tuileries, turned left and headed down to the Musée de l'Orangerie via Allée Centrale, the wide central path through the gardens.

Resting at Bassin Octogonal. Looking towards Jeu de Paume

Built in 1852 to house the orange trees of the Tuileries Palace during winter, the Orangerie, along with Jeu de Paume, was assigned to the Under-Secretariat of State for Fine Arts after World War I, with the intention of housing an exhibition of living artists. It was at this point, although with one foot in the grave that Claud Monet got a guernsey. Offered to the French State at the conclusion of the war as a symbol of peace. His overly large set of Water Lilies has hung there ever since. This artwork is what greeted visitors, laid out in a circular room with bench seats in the middle facing each of the four separate panels. Each panel showed the changing seasons of the water lily pond at the bottom of Monet’s large garden. He sat down by the pond and worked on the pieces. It took 30 years for him to complete and has been on display in this gallery since 1927

Giving the "illusion of an endless whole, of a wave with no horizon and no shore". Monet's words, not ours

Another impressive display in the Orangerie was an exhibition that was acquired by the French State in the late fifties. It was called the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume collection and belonged to their surviving wife, Domenica. Paul was a young and very successful French art dealer who prematurely met his demise, according to some at the hands of his unscrupulous wife, dying of an ulcer in his early forties. Apparently, she was nursing him and done a less than successful job. Her next husband, Jean, was a successful architect, not through being good at his trade but by detecting a lode of lead and zinc in Morocco in 1925. Ten years later he founded Société des mines de Zellidja which made him richer. Domenica married Jean in 1941, and he too died suspiciously after being run down by a car. This, with the fact that she hired a hitman to kill her step son led to the scuttlebutt that the State done a deal with her to bequeath her collection or face gaol. Good story, true or untrue. The collection currently comprises of works from Renoir, Cézanne, Gauguin, Monet and Sisley as well as Picasso and Matisse, amongst others.

Maurice Utrillo, La Maison Bernot. 1924

This was an interesting display but it was time to move on, walking back through the gardens to the apartment for an hour. Once rested, we found ourselves looking to some old territory for dinner. Back across Jardin des Tuileries to Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel where the Africans were at it. Shane and Jo walked past and ignored them but they got Thomas with the string around the finger trick. They tie a colourful piece of string around the finger as a trick and when it cannot be removed, they hassle for money as it is "yours". It didn't work though as Jo intervened and hunted them away. As they retreated they yelled out that they were escaping from the "Australian Mumma". Over Pont des Arts, past Cathare, the Treasury building and up Rue de Seine to Bar du Marché for a beer and a feed. As it was, they had no food so after a couple we went shopping around the corner for some food and Jo and Cec taxied it back to the apartment with the groceries while Shane and the boys returned home the long way.

Enjoying Bar du Marché with its wall clad peeling mirrors

The Treasury Building

Entertainment below Quai de Conti

What a great day, a home cooked meal and tomorrow, Versailles.