Paris Post #2

OO La La!!! Wee, Merci'!!!  

I was a little afraid to go to Paris as I don't speak French, but this was one of the places I enjoyed the most on our trip (Okay, let's face it, there wasn't a place, time or moment I didn't enjoy on this trip!! It was fantastic and exceeded my expectations 150%!) Paris, is beautiful, the people are fun and very helpful if you wish to speak French. We left Germany on Wednesday morning because I got an insiders tip that the Louvre was open until 10 pm on Wednesday and normally closes at 5:30. So we left early took the bullet train to De Gard Nord, which is the north train station in Paris there, so yes there are four. Which made my first arrival in Paris 15 years ago alone, and quite unfamiliar with France difficult to say the least. I was not about to let this happen again. We walked on the street hailed a Taxi' and were at our hotel in less than 20 min. from stepping of the bullet train. Is there anything much funner than going 200 miles per hour through the Germanic and French country side probably the only thing better was the taxi ride through Paris and stepping out to see that all the research I did trying to find us a nice hotel in Paris had not gone to waste. Our hotel was OO La La and there is no way we could have afforded this hotel in the height of summer but as we were there in Feb on a cold and windy week the world was our oyster this week. Let's face it the hotel was wonderful, the concierge incredible and any problem we had was quickly fix personal or otherwise. It was a wonderful hotel less than 500 ft. from the doors of the Louvre, with plenty of bakeries and Bistros to entertain anyone for a week! It was fantastic, but like I side perhaps I am blind and I could have been staying in a barn and had a great time!!

Unfortunately, I lack to words to describe how wonderful the Louvre was; how much I enjoyed it or how fascinated I became with many of the art work on display. We spent a total of six hours in this museum and I could have easily spent an additional two days wondering its' halls and exhibits.

As we walked into the Masters Hall this piece of work, Madonna of the Rocks, I  quickly made a bee line for as I recognized it. This piece of work is the first that Leonard was commissioned to paint and is an important piece in art history as you can stand in front of his artwork and clearly tell his pieces from others because of his use of light and dark. It was a privilege to stand at this wall for over an hour and delight in his art work as it was clearly different from anything else on the wall. Steven and I took turns listening to different pieces and then telling each other about them. Very interesting to say the least!!

 

The Louvre not only has master pieces hanging on the wall, but pretty much anywhere and everywhere you look from the doors, the moldings, the ceiling, the stair cases, there pretty much wasn't anything we walked by that wasn't amazing in some form or another. That being said, I am sure head aches are a common aliment in the Louvre as standing with your head looking up and around for hours would give even the heartiest of art history majors a major a hand over!!!  Needless to say, after our first three hours this is where I found my husband needed a break from the long lectures. We took a break in the museum bakery which by the way was excellent. 

After our break I told Steven if I could just go see the impressionist I could leave happy.  We wondered over to C wing where I was told I could maybe find three or four. I found at least 15 paintings by Monet, Cezanne, Degas, and Renoir many of which were right on the verge of cubism. It was amazing.  This small wing then led into the Dutch and Germanic Masters. AHHH, poor Steven, there went just a short visit to the impressionist. This is now land of my Education as German Literature doesn't allow much literature before the reformation perhaps besides that of a few poems and sonata of "Hohe Frau." So this wing struck an emotion that was beyond description. Vermeer, Ruben, Hast, Hails, it was honestly a walk through the heavens for me. To say I enjoyed it was an understatement. 

And without saying another three hours quickly pasted in C wing of the Louvre and we walked out of the museum promptly at 10 pm. 

Lucky for us those French don't eat until late, so finding a nice restaurant open was hardly a probably at all!! We ate a few crazy things, like snails and south french salad with bacon drippings that was so yummy, which filled us up in preparation for our wandering the streets of Paris until 1:30 am because we got completely lost. Oh, it was a great night in which we climbed in bed at 2 am. 

Day Two in Paris 

I thoroughly enjoyed speaking French and would take my phrase book anywhere and everywhere we went.I ran out to the bakery in the morning. They wrapped it up so cute, I couldn't help but take a picture.  Our next day we set out for Notre Dame and a little sight seeing and shopping. I'm sorry to tell you I shopped more than sight saw much.

The rose windows in the church are amazing and date back to the 12th century. In the transept on opposite sides were stained glass one depicting the New Testament and one the Old Testament. Many people stood around with binoculars so they could get a better view of the work. It was amazing and even more amazing to think this is they way people knew of Christ and became closer to God before Martin Luther translated the bible. This history of the world is an awesome sight!

That night we walked down to the Tower and spent the even down there. We went to dinner and had an amazing view of the river and Bridge. It was a great las night in Paris and happily I spent it with the love of my life.