Hi everyone! I’m so sorry for the lapse in posts. I’ve had quite a whirlwind adventure so far, and now I understand why everyone falls in love with Paris. She is the city version of Helen of Troy. I would have posted every night, but I usually collapsed on my cozy bed once I got to my hotel. This post will cover all the fantastic tours I took on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Enjoy!
From 13:30 to 20:00, I toured the Musée du Louvre. I spent the first three hours on a group tour with a fantastic Paris Euroscope guide and the last five going around the museum alone. I know I went into every salon in every wing of that place, but there are pieces of art and historical objects that I know I missed. I could have spent all four days there and still wanted to come back for more.
I took over 2oo photos at the Louvre, so I’m going to let them tell you the story this time…
Unfortunately, I had a mini crisis when I got lost on my way home. In true American fashion, my conceited self thought that I could get around Paris without a map after only being there for one day. I finally made it back to the Hotel Montalembert (Thank God for the Parisian public transportation and its maps all over the city!) and had a glass of pinot noir to calm my nerves and lull me to sleep.
It was wake-y, wake-y eggs and bac-y on Thursday morning (and it actually was because I had a delicious ham & cheese omelette for breakfast). My Paris Euroscope driver arrived at 8:30 AM with five other travelers in tow to begin our all-day tour through Paris. We started by conquering the Eiffel Tower (what a way to start the day!), then made our way down the River Siene on a riverboat tour. For lunch, we visited the commune of the great modern artists, Montmatre, and had time to explore the beautiful Basilica of the Sacré Cœur. After Montmatre, we explored the great Gothic cathedral, Notre Dame de Paris, and its gargoyles that protect the city. Then, we whizzed past the Paris Opera House (a visit to the Phantom of the Opera, perhaps?) to end the day at the Arc de Triomphe on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
After about an hour on the most famous avenue in the world, I decided to take advantage of its late Thursday night hours and make a stop at the Musée d’Orsay. This is an art lover’s paradise. This converted train station boasts one of the largest collections of Impressionist art in the world, including pieces from Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Sisley, Cézanne, Pissarro, Morisot, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Rodin, Cassatt, and the list goes on and on… I finished my tour of the museum in about 90 minutes, but I lingered in the main sculpture hall to rest my feet, read and soak up the ambiance of the great modern masters. Unlike the Louvre, I wasn’t allowed to take any pictures, but I snapped a quick cell phone photo of Monet’s Water Lilies because I needed a little piece of the museum to take home with me 😉
My last full day in Paris was dedicated to the wonderful areas outside the city limits, specifically Giverny and Versailles. Giverny was the home of Monet and his family, and he created many of his most famous works based on the beautiful gardens he kept there. It was so inspiring to be in his home, his studio and his water garden where so many of the greatest impressionist pieces were painted.
After a lovely lunch with my driver, Cecilia, and fellow travelers, Glynis and Lindsey from Melbourne, we made our way to Versailles. I took over 100 pictures there, and I’m not sure if they will convey the opulence and grandeur of this palace that housed the Sun King, Louis XIV, and the tragic monarchs, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI.
Here is a slideshow of a day filled with natural and constructed beauty:
Nicole W.
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