Paris! The Musee Du Louvre, to be exact. This was the first day of our trip to France (Nov. 3rd), and since I'd gotten a grand total of three hours of sleep the night before, I was somewhat in a daze. (Oh, and if it's difficult to tell, that's me in the middle.)
A seriously cool-looking hallway/stairwell in the Louvre--I loved the way it looked from this angle.
Liberty Leading the People! Sorry about the crookedness of this one, but I was thrilled to see this painting. Having "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay stuck in my head made it even better.
This guy (or girl, we couldn't quite tell) resides inside the Arc de Triomphe and has the best facial expression ever. "You ATE my FRIES? Come on!" Yeah, we're dorks even in Paris.
On our first night, we stood on top of the Arc de Triomphe. I will be frank--this day, despite all the incredible things I'd seen, had been a miserable one. Paris was dirty and smelly, and it didn't help that I had a bad cold, next to no sleep, a serious case of homesickness for England, and a desperate desire to be alone. But, when I stood up there in the rain and saw this, my frustrations didn't matter so much anymore.
Versailles--what a ludicrously lavish place. It's no wonder the French Revolution occurred. Still, I couldn't help but respect what a work of architecture it was. Also, these are my friends. They're pretty neat people.
To give you a taste of the interior of Versailles, I present to you the Hall of Mirrors. It looks a lot smaller because of the throng of people, but it is actually quite spacious.
I don't remember the name of this hallway, but it was between the Hall of Mirrors and Queen Marie Antoinette's rooms. If I ever become disgustingly wealthy, I want windows like those in my house; they're gorgeous.
Here's a glimpse of Versailles' grounds. Do you see where that rectangle of water is in the distance? That's still within the property. This place was vast, not to mention beautiful.
Hello again, Eiffel Tower. It looks so much more industrial and modern in person. In all the pictures of it I'd seen, it always looked metallic grey, so I was surprised to find it's brown!
Obligatory Eiffel Tower pic!
This was on our way back from lunch (I had the best salmon I'll probably ever have in my life); we crossed a bridge over the River Seine, and I had to save the moment. Isn't it lovely? I might actually frame this.
The next morning (Wednesday), we got up early to visit Sacre-Coeur basilica. It is a Roman Catholic church, and you can really tell. On the inside, everyone was respectful and quiet, which I greatly appreciated.
Ah, Notre Dame. This was such a fun place to visit. Ever since I was little, if I'd known anything about France, it was that Notre Dame was there. I've been wanting to see it for a long time, and it was not disappointing in the least.
These two were taken on top of Notre Dame. Stunning, isn't it?
On the upper floor of the Musee D'Orsay, we were greeted by this clock. I instantly thought of Harry Potter (wrong country!), but I also loved how magnificent it was.
This is the main hallway of the Orsay; unfortunately, since pictures were prohibited in any of the exhibits, this is the only one I have. Let it be known, the Orsay was essentially my favorite part of Paris. It housed all sorts of beautiful paintings and sculptures, my favorites being the Impressionists. The funny thing is, I didn't know Van Gogh's works would be there until I saw an advert about it in the Metro. Though there were so many wonderful works, I loved his best. I even bought a print of "Starry Night," as many of you saw on Facebook. In the unlikely event I ever return to Paris, it will be to visit the Musee D'Orsay again.
Meet Laduree, the most luxurious patisserie I've ever been in. It offered all sorts of tempting delicacies, but I only had eyes for the macaroons. Seventeen different flavors! In the end, I bought only eight (yes, I say only--all of them looked wonderful!): gingerbread, salted caramel, coffee, chestnut, pistachio, "pure" chocolate, praline, and chocolate coconut creme, all in a pretty box. Wow. They were exactly how my dad and brother described them--and more! Worth every cent.
Before I left for Paris, my dad recommended certain paintings and sculptures I should see. I'd missed them the first time through since we had an assignment, so I came back on Thursday. The size of this museum is astounding.
Yep, this is indeed the famed Mona Lisa. No, my dad didn't recommend it. I'm glad people warned me it wasn't that spectacular; since I didn't have high expectations, I actually really enjoyed it. What my dad did recommend was the other paintings done by Da Vinci. I liked those ones a lot, too.
This is Femme Voilee (Veiled Woman). My parents praised this sculpture to high heaven. I remember when I finally found her--I was expecting a large, prominent piece, but she was small and hidden in plain view. At first I was disappointed. She didn't seem as vividly real as my parents described. However, the longer I looked, the more I grew to love her. She is beauty, strength, and reverence. If I hadn't had a time limit, I would have stood there for hours.
The lock bridge! So many BFFs and lovers leaving their marks--it's quite a spectacle.
We also went to the Musee Rodin--the famous sculptor. Yes, I did see The Thinker (and it was awesome), but this one... This one is special. It's called Cathedral.
Lastly, we visited Les Invalides, where Napoleon is buried. All around his tomb are these sculptures of angels; all of them are women, and each one is distinct--different faces, hairstyles, robes, objects in hand, etc. I loved that. I also loved how strong they looked. Beautiful, yes, but strong--forces to be reckoned with. What a fine note to end my jaunt to Paris on.
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