Paris: Notre Dame

Our last stop in Paris was a quick visit to Notre Dame.  As it so happened, it was the 850 year anniversary of the cathedral, so it was a bit crowded to say the least.  For this reason, we opted out of touring the inside, but we still took plenty of time wandering around the outside.  The details in the exterior are fascinating, from the flying buttresses added for support after the walls started getting stress fractures, to the famous gargoyles.

Versailles

The one big thing we missed on our first trip to Paris was Versailles.  It's not too far from the city, only about an hour by train, but it is definitely an all day excursion.  We had gorgeous sunny weather the day of our visit, so we were able to see the palace and gardens in all their glory.

The palace and gardens

A small corner of the extensive gardens

More of the grounds

The palace in the distance

The Grand Trianon, Marie Antionette's escape from Versailles

The gardens of the Grand Trianon

Paris: Montmartre and Sacre Coeur

In continuation of our two-week jaunt through Europe, we followed up Barcelona with a week spent in Paris.  This was our second time visiting the city, so we were very excited for the opportunity to see some of the things we missed the first time, plus revisit a few favorites.  One place in particular that was new to us this time around was the charming little neighborhood of Montmartre.  Montmartre is actually the name of a hill, which is topped by the Sacre Coeur basilica.  While the basilica is certainly gorgeous, the area is best known as a gathering place for artists.  Picasso, van Gogh, Renoir, and Degas all congregated here, to name just a few.

Sacre Coeur Basilica

Sacre Coeur Basilica

A narrow street in Montmartre

The last remaining vineyard in Paris

One of two remaining windmills

Le Bateau Lavoir - the studio where Picasso worked

Paris Day 4 - Rodin Museum

For our last full day in Paris, we had one more museum to hit (well, actually we squeezed one in the morning before we flew out, so technically this was second to last).  It seems that Paris has a never-ending supply of museums, so if you're a museum lover like me, it's a happy place to be.  The Rodin Museum was super fun, because really, who doesn't want to see The Thinker in person?

On the way, we walked by Napoleon's Tomb.

And then, there he was...

We walked through the garden area and saw a bunch of works, then came to another masterpiece, The Gates of Hell.

Pretty amazing stuff!  The rest of the day was spent strolling down Champs-Elysees and viewing the Arc du Triomphe, but unfortunately it was raining pretty hard by then so the camera stayed safely under my rain coat.  It was a gorgeous avenue though!

The next morning we swung into the Musee de l'Orangerie to see Monet's Water Lilies (absolutely stunning, by the way), and then treated ourselves to one last delicious French meal.  We went with a classic, boeuf bourguignon.

And yes, it tasted as good as it looked.  Almost made up for the fact that when we were done we had to pack up and head for the airport.   Although before we left, I made Donovan promise that we could come back someday.

Paris Day 3

Hello everyone!  I apologize for the delay in the Paris saga; we took a few days and went to Lake Garda, where we unfortunately didn't have internet.  But we're back now and you don't have to wait any longer for the next set of photos!

Our museum pick for the day was the Picasso Museum.  Picasso was so influential in the art world and helped start some pretty significant movements, so I was particularly excited to see the collection of his work. And so, after walking for about an hour, getting slightly lost, and walking some more, we finally found it.  Only to discover it's closed for renovation.

Sad day.

So, we did the next best thing and spent the rest of the day shopping.  And just as it started to rain, we ducked into a cute little cafe for some omelletes, tea, and a delicious creme caramel.  Hard to complain about that.

Paris Day 2 - The Louvre

Our main mission for the second day of our trip was the Louvre.

Even though we got there early in the morning, the line to get in was a bit ridiculous.  Thankfully, it moved fast.

The Louvre is so massive that it would literally take several days to soak in each and every piece of art, so we resorted to what we termed "drive-bys."  We walked through the majority of the galleries, glancing at everything but only stopping to further inspect certain pieces.  Or in some cases, mimicking funny poses.

For dating back to the 2nd century BC, I'd say the Winged Victory of Samothrace is holding up pretty well.

Oh, hello Mona Lisa.  I shoved my way to the front of the crowd and snapped a photo before moving on.  So many people say the Mona Lisa is a let-down and not as spectacular as it's made out to be, and while I agree to an extent, I also think it's really hard to fully appreciate the painting in its current environment.  A big room with a ginormous crowd all trying to catch a glimpse at the small-ish artwork that's behind a thick pane of glass hardly encourages taking a closer look at one of history's most iconic paintings.  

And after an exhausting day of walking around the museum, we stopped by for a nighttime viewing of one of Paris' other icons.

Paris Day 1 - Musee d'Orsay

Over the last several weeks, whenever we would mention our upcoming trip to Paris, everyone would gush about how gorgeous the city is.  This was always followed by plenty of advice on what to see and do, where to eat, etc.  It seemed that Paris can have quite the lasting effect on people.  Well, after spending five glorious days exploring the city, I wholeheartedly agree.  Paris is a city that draws you in and encourages you to savor every moment.  The architecture is stunning, the food is to die for, and the museum options are endless.

For our first cultural venture, we chose the Musee d'Orsay.  This particular museum is deceptively large and ended up taking all day to see everything, but it has an amazing collection of late-19th century and early- 20th century art.  Most notably, it houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist works in the world.  And since these two are both in my top favorites as far as movements, it was bliss to be surrounded by these incredible artists for a few hours.

The building the museum is located in was previously a train station.  The main portion displays the sculptures, and the smaller wings built off the sides hold all the paintings and decorative arts.  All of the paintings were spectacular, but a few of the highlights for me included Manet's Olympia, Renoir's Bal du moulin de la Galette, Millet's The Gleaner's, and everything by van Gogh and Gauguin.  It's amazing to experience these works in person.

Halfway through our culture overload, we stopped for a quick pick-me-up at the museum cafe, which meant wine, tea, and delicious desserts.  

You can never go wrong with wine and dessert.