Notre Dame Cathedral Paris Notre Dame Cathedral Paris Being one of the oldest and most imposing cathedrals in France, the Notre Dame cathedral Paris's con Read More Notre Dame Cathedral Paris The Notre Dame Cathedral Paris or Notre Dame de Paris (Meaning 'Our Lady of Paris' in French) is a Gothic cathedral located in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France, It has its main entrance to the west. The island is on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité. The Notre Dame Cathedral with its sculptures and stained glass windows show the heavy influence of naturalism, unlike that of earlier Romanesque architecture. It was one of the very first Gothic cathedrals, and its construction took place throughout the Gothic period. Building work began on the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris way back in the 12th century, it was not until some 300 years later construction finally came to an end. It is now one of the most prominent cathedrals in France and one of the oldest ones too. The length of time it took to build is evident through the various styles of architecture that run through the building. Although it is predominantly French Gothic ,there are areas that demonstrate the Renaissance and the Naturalism era of construction.

These varying styles add to the outstanding yet quirky beauty of the building . The Notre Dame Cathedral Paris didn't originally have flying buttresses included in its design. But after the construction of the cathedral began, the thinner walls (popularized in the Gothic style) grew ever higher and stress fractures began to occur as the walls pushed outward. The cathedral's architects, in an effort to fix the problem, built supports around the outside walls, and later additions continued the pattern. The was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports). Over its vast history the Cathedral has suffered considerable damage, not least during the French Revolution in 1786. Fortunately it was sympathetically restored and continued to attract attention from around the world. The Cathedral has played host to many religious ceremonies and historical events and despite their own religious beliefs people of all different faiths and nationalities still marvel at it's unique grandeur. In 1909 Joan of Arc was famously beatified in the Notre Dame Cathedral by Pope Pius X. The brave young girl who told all she had experienced visions from God, went on to assist the French in conflicts with English soldiers. The French trusted her word and ultimately won many battles against England.

As a big fan of the royals she also played a part in the crowning of Charles Vll. However not everyone was convinced by her religious visions and beliefs and she was later killed by Burundians' who accused her of heresy and burned her at the stake. It was not until 1456 that her name was cleared and she became known as an innocent martyr The Notre Dame Cathedral is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world.. The name Notre Dame means "Our Lady" in French, and is frequently used in the names of Catholic church buildings in Francophone countries.The Notre Dame Cathedral is the actual cathedral of the Catholic archdiocese of Paris: which is to say, it is the church which contains the official chair ("cathedra") of the Archbishop of Paris, Andre Cardinal Vingt-Trois. Within the Cathedral of Notre Dame there are vast displays of artwork, furniture and many valuable items that mirror the Nio-Gothic design. Tourists are welcomed into the cathedral to view and enjoy these pieces for a small entrance fee. They are also able to attend Mass, which is held three times a day and a popular attraction for Christian visitors.

Surrounding the Cathedral there are a number of stunning Parisian Hotels which are fortunate enough to enjoy magnificent views of the cathedral in it's entirety. The Cathedral of Notre Dame is probably best known for its relation to the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, made famous by the numerous cartoons and movies inspired by it. But it is the French Gothic Architecture that remains the biggest draw for visitors from around the world, an unrivaled, perfect example to this day. Paris, France | Travel Blog Paris, France The bustling rue Cler Looking down Rue Cler from in front of our hotel: Rue Cler is a cobblestone street right out of a picturebook, located smack in the middle of the proudly bourgeois Rue Cler market, which is in the richest arrondissement in Paris. Here live the bulk of senior civil servants, captains of industry, and many diplomats. It provides an excellent classroom to learn the fine art of living Parisian-style. PARIS, FRANCE August 1-8, 2006 Tuesday, August 1, 2006 After spending the first part of our vacation in Dubai, the hotel’s Lexus cab took us to the Dubai airport for our noon flight to Paris on Air France.

We arrived around 5 p.m. and took a cab to our hotel, the charming Grand Hotel Leveque, in the heart of Rue Cler on the Left Bank. Rue Cler is a pedestrian, cobblestone market-street right out of a picturebook. What a great hotel...superb location, immaculate, friendly, pleasant, on a bustling and colorful pedestrian street. The street is full of bakeries, wine shops, tart shops, colorful outdoor produce stalls, cheeseries, and fish vendors, and it's within easy walking distance of the Eiffel, the Seine, and the Orsay. After checking into our pastel-colored room facing the street, the first thing we did was to walk to the Eiffel Tower and share a picnic dinner under some trees at its base. Next, we ambled over to the Seine River and took a leisurely sunset cruise, enjoying a unique, illuminated view of many of Paris’ world-famous monuments and bridges from a typically Parisian riverboat.

Wednesday, August 2, 2006 Bill waves from the Grand Hotel Leveque breakfast in the hotel’s bistro-style cafe (free with Rick Steves’ book), we took a 3 1/2 hour guided tour of the city in a minibus to get our bearings. During this tour we learned about the history of Paris and admired the major attractions of the Capital City including Les Invalides, Champs-Elysses, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Trocadero, Opera Garnier, Concorde Square, Notre-Dame, Vendome Square, Montmartre, Sacre Coeur, Louvre, and Madeleine Church. We had intended this tour just to be an overview to get our bearings and determine to which sights we wanted to return. However, we made such nice, lengthy stops at Montmartre, Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart), and Notre Dame that we didn’t feel the need to return later, so I’ll mention them here: The Sacré-Coeur Catholic basilica was built at the end of the 19th century at the top of the Montmartre hill, the highest point in Paris.

Its famous white architecture dominates the city, and its location offers a magnificent view. Notre Dame, "Our Lady," was built between 1163 and 1345 by the faithful of the medieval community, whose arduous manual labor created the massive church. The bell towers are 200 feet tall, and the statues lined The Eiffel Tower at dusk horizontally below the central rose window are the 28 kings of Judea. The central portal depicts the Last Judgment. After our morning tour of the city, we took the Metro to the Arc d'Triomphe, the 165-foot high arch that was begun in 1809 to honor Napoleon's soldiers and to celebrate Napoleon as emperor. From there, we began our stroll down the Champs Elysees, Paris' most famous thoroughfare. Les Champs is lined with cafes, shops, and almost every luxury-car dealership imaginable, and the bustle makes for great people-watching. After coffee at a sidewalk cafe, we Metro-ed to the Opera Garnier (Paris' National Opera House), a symbol of the opulence of the nineteenth century. The building is huge but seats only 2,000.

Reason: The stage is large enough to accommodate 450 artists and there had to be enough backstage area to support the massive productions, which often included dozens of live animals. However, the real "show" occurred before and after each performance, as the elite of Paris--out to see and be seen--strutted their elegant stuff in the extravagant lobbies. In fact, the most expensive boxes in the house had obstructed views of the stage but were the ones where the patrons could Sacre Coeur be best seen by others. We then walked across the street to view an entertaining multimedia film called The Paris Story. An overview of the city’s turbulent and brilliant past, covering 2,000 years in 45 minutes, the theater’s wide-screen projection and cushy chairs provided an ideal break and a good introduction to Paris. The photography was spectacular, and the “narration by Victor Hugo” was simultaneously translated into fourteen different languages via headset. After the film, around 6 p.m., we took the Metro back to rue Cler, where we had a delightful dinner at a sidewalk café called Tribeca, located only a few yards from our hotel.

We quickly made friends with our waitress Dede, who recommended a fabulous salad of greens topped with marinated tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. It was scrumptious! Bill had the gazpacho soup, which was also tasty. French wine, of course, completed the meal. Thursday, August 3, 2006 Our day began with the friendly and delightful Stephan, who rolled out his crepe machine every morning across from our hotel and served the most delicious crepes imaginable. We had the Nutella (chocolate) and banana crepe…oooooh, so yummy…to begin our day. With our 3-day museum pass in hand, we Notre Dame The rear view of Notre Dame, with its flying buttresses, each with a span of 50 feet. began at the granddaddy of all museums, the Louvre. Built as a fortress in the 13th century and later used as a royal residence, it is the world’s largest museum. Touring the Louvre is overwhelming, so we were selective and focused on the South Wing, which houses many of the "superstars” of art, including the Big 3: Venus de Milo (c.

2nd century B.C.), Winged Victory of Samothrace (c. 190 B.C.), and Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. One section that we particularly enjoyed was the exhibition of 30 masterworks of American painters who studied at the Louvre at some time in their lives. However, the hoardes of tourists, the areas closed for remodeling, and confusing signs all contributed to our early, jaded departure. We both felt that the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, was the superior art museum in almost all respects. We lunched in a café in the Louvre before exiting through the controversial, futuristic, steel-and-glass Pyramide. We walked past the Arc du Carrousel and through part of the Tuilleries Gardens before crossing the Seine to visit one of our favorite museums, the Orsay. En route, Bill purchased two paintings from a sidewalk artist. The Musee d'Orsay was converted Winged Victory of Samothrace Bill stands in front of one of the "Big Three" of the Louvre, "Winged Victory of Samothrace" (c. 190 B.C.).

This woman with wings, poised on the prow of a ship, once stood on a hilltop to commemorate a naval victory. It was unearthed in 1850 in Turkey. from a train station destined for the wrecking ball when the French realized it would be a great place to house the enormous collections of 19th-century art scattered throughout the city. It picks up in time where the Louvre leaves off, specifically 1848 to 1914, or more meaningful to me, Impressionism. Some of the masters whose works we viewed during our 3 hours there were Cabanel, Millet, Manet, Degas, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, van Gogh, Cezanne, Rousseau, Gaugin, Toulouse-Latrec, and more. Sainte Chapelle, which ranks as one of the finest achievements of French High Gothic with its exquisite interior of almost entirely stained-glass walls, was our next stop. It was built by Louis IX in 1242 to house Christ’s crown of thorns, which he had purchased for several times more than it cost to build the church.

There are 1,113 magnificent stained-glass panels depicting virtually the entire story of the Bible. Near Sainte-Chapelle is the Conciergerie, the gloomy prison famous as the last stop for the 2,780 victims of the guillotine, including Marie-Antoinette. Nearing the end of a very tiring and full day, Bill decided to sit and read while I walked around the prisoners’ gallery, re-created cells, walkway of the The Main Gallery pictured here displays early 19th-century statues. executioner, and the museum. We tunneled by Metro back to rue Cler, enjoyed another fine dinner at Tribeca, and returned to the hotel to get ready for our much-anticipated evening in the “Sin Center of Paris,” the netherworld of Pigalle! A mini-bus picked us up, and we were driven to the base of Montmartre for a fabulous show at one of the world’s most famous cabarets, the sexy Moulin Rouge.

The show was incredible, as we enjoyed a bottle of Champagne while watching their new show “Feerie.” The show used a troupe of 60 Doriss girls (the legendary Moulin Rouge beauties/dancers) and 1,000 costumes of sequins, feathers, rhinestones, leather, and other fabrics. The extensive sets included moving staircases, a gigantic aquarium that rose from under the stage, live pythons and horses, lifts that swung women from the ceiling, acrobats, jugglers, and comedy skits...very, very entertaining! We were back at our hotel around midnight. Friday, August 4, 2006 Another fabulous crepe, this time bacon, egg, and cheese, prepared by Stephan began our day before walking to Les Invalides, a masterpiece of French architecture and one of Paris’ most prominent landmarks. The massive complex includes a remarkable 17th century set of buildings "The Dance Class" by Degas Enter 1870's and the Impressionists, who rejected camera-like detail for a quick style more suited to capturing the passing moment.

This is Edgar Degas' "The Dance Class," in which bored, tired dancers scratch their backs restlessly at the end of a long rehearsal. The bright green bow is a perfect example of the Impressionistic style...Degas slopped green paint onto her dress, and voila, a bow! commissioned by Louis XIV to provide care for wounded soldiers and serve as the royal arsenal. Today, the gilded Dome Church serves as a mausoleum for Napoleon’s monumental tomb, while the Army Museum occupies the remaining buildings. One of the world’s foremost military museums, the Musee de l’Armee has a vast collection of thousands of weapons, armor, uniforms, banners, and military pictures down through the ages. The stories of the two World Wars are brilliantly commemorated with authentic recordings of speeches and archival film footage in room after room. Both of us were mesmerized, and we spent over 4 hours here. After lunch in the Army Museum’s cafeteria (even the cafeterias in Paris have delicious gourmet food!), we walked across the street to the Rodin Museum.

The museum’s setting is elegant, a beautiful 18th-century mansion which the sculptor leased from the State in return for the gift of all his work upon his death. The lush gardens surrounding the mansion contain bronze casts of several of Rodin’s major works, and things get even better inside with The Thinker, The Kiss, The Hand of God, Walking Man, The Bronze Age, The Man with the Broken Nose, and more. Another Metro trip Sainte-Chappelle Inside Sainte-Chappelle: There are 15 separate panels of stained glass, with more than 1,100 different Bible scenes. This altar contained the Crown of Thorns. took us to the charming Marais District and the Picasso Museum, which walks you through the evolution of the 20th century's greatest artist's many styles. The collection was started by works the French State received in payment of death duties after Picasso passed away in 1973, then again in 1990, after the death of his widow. Housed in a grand Marais mansion that once served as an embassy, the collection contains works from all periods of his long and prolific career, including the arresting sculptures he created from recycled household objects.

Continuing our stroll through Marais, we paused at the courtyard of the Carnavalet Museum, which recounts the history of Paris, to admire the beautifully manicured French gardens. Because it was nearly 5 p.m., and we wanted to visit Victor Hugo’s home, which closed at 5, we were unfortunately unable to tour this grand museum of 140 rooms. Next time! As we hurried along the picturesque, narrow streets of Marais, one of Paris’ oldest districts, we admired the restored buildings and the fascinating cafes and shops that now make this a sought-after residential district. We arrived at the beautiful Place des Vosges, the oldest monumental square in Paris, which has Rodin's "The Thinker" Rodin's most celebrated work, "The Thinker" (Le Penseur), was originally conceived by the artist as Dante Alighieri, contemplating his Inferno. kept its Renaissance charm intact. The elegant Place des Vosges is lined with arcaded seventeenth-century brick-and-stone mansions and has an attractive and popular garden in the center. Among the many celebrities and well-heeled Parisians who made their homes in this aristocratic elegance was Victor Hugo.

His home, # 6, is now a museum, which we entered at one minute until five, just in time for a tour. Continuing to browse this fascinating district, we walked about 30 minutes to a Metro stop and rode westward to visit the Modern Art Museum in the Centre Georges Pompidou, which is in the area Parisians call Beauborg. This building is itself an icon of modern Paris and one of its more radical buildings with its snakes-and-ladder appearance. It holds an unrivalled collection covering all of the principal art movements of the 20th century. We were hungry, so we paused in the museum’s café for a quick dinner before our evening in the dense and efficiently-organized exhibits of Fauvism, Cubism, abstract art, Surrealism, and contemporary art. We have now completed our three-museum tour of art through time, beginning in the fourth millennium B.C. in the Louvre through Impressionism in the Orsay and finally, to the present time in the Pompidou.

Saturday, August 5, 2006 Today we visited the Palace of Versailles, France’s symbol of pre-Revolutionary royal decadence and the third most visited monument in the country. We hopped onto an RER suburban train to travel the 15 miles west of Paris, where we had intended to do a self-guided tour of the palace and gardens. When we got off the train, we decided instead to take a tour with a local company, and are we ever glad we did! The lines of people outside the entrance were about 100 yards long, with a wait of hours. With a tour guide, however, we entered at the front of the line; plus, we received valuable insight into the chateau, the gardens, the royal occupants, and French history. First on our itinerary were the chateau’s magnificent gardens and park, which you could spend a whole day exploring. A principal feature in the park is the Grand Canal, an artificial ornamental stretch of water that covers an area of 105 acres (the size of my entire farm!), surrounded by pathways, fountains, and painstakingly sculpted trees and bushes.

We were then escorted into the main palace and toured the The entrance to Versailles two-story Royal Chapel. Every morning at 10 a.m., Louis XIV and his family walked through huge golden doors and entered the chapel to music played by dozens of musicians. While the king sat on the upper level and looked down on the golden altar, the lowly nobles below knelt with their backs to the altar and looked up—worshipping Louis worshipping God. Louis XIV had godlike status, and he built Versailles both as a temple to himself and to represent the power and richness of France, which was at its pinnacle at the time. One of the best representations of this arrogance was the Hall of Mirrors through which the king walked every day on his way to the chapel. No one had ever seen anything like it when it was opened. Mirrors were a great luxury at the time, and the number and size of these monsters were and still are astounding. The hall is 250 feet long with 17 arched mirrors, matched by 17 windows reflecting the breathtaking view of the gardens.

Ceiling decorations chronicling Louis’ military accomplishments, marble busts and statues, and gilded candelabras holding thousands of candles completed the epic scale of this hall. Next were the Versailles Gardens King’s and Queen’s State Apartments, where they were publicly watched by hundreds of doting subjects nearly 24 hours a day. Interestingly, all of the queen’s childbirths had to be observed by the public to verify chain of succession—no privacy whatsoever, which of course led to Bill’s question to the tour guide, “If they were constantly being observed by the public, when and how did they have sex?’ The tour guide blushingly replied that the king only pretended to go to sleep in his chamber, and as soon as the people left, he sneaked out and went to a private area where he met the queen or one of his mistresses. She also said that Louis XVI had trouble conceiving a child, and that probably led to his queen, Marie Antoinette’s reputed infidelities.

Bill asked the guide if Louis had had “E.D.” She seemed puzzled, so he clarified, “erectile dysfunction.” After the entire group finished laughing, she replied that whatever it was had been repaired surgically and he subsequently had four sons with Marie. I kept my hand over Bill’s mouth after that so he couldn’t ask any more questions, but he managed to tell the tour guide as we were The Eiffel Tower at night leaving, “You were a great tour guide…you sure knew a lot about sex.” A complete tour of the chateau would take days, but we had had enough after about 5 hours and walked into the village for a late lunch before returning to the city. We had burgers and real “French” fries at a McDonald’s near the train station. It was late afternoon when we returned to Rue Cler, so we joined the locals to shop for the ultimate French picnic. We assembled it in no fewer than five shops, collecting such treats as fresh fruit and cheeses, French bread, pickled asparagus, sandwiches, chocolate mousse, and wine. Shopping for groceries is an integral part of daily life here.

Parisians shop almost daily for three good reasons: refrigerators & kitchens are small, produce must be fresh, and it's an important social event. The ritual thrives on Rue Cler, which is in the heart of one of Paris’ wealthiest districts. Our picnic dinner was magical as we sat on the grassy field of Champ de Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower waiting for dark and the awesome lights that engorge the tower. The sight becomes even more spectacular at each hour, when the lights twinkle brilliantly for ten minutes. It was a perfect evening with temps around 72-75 degrees F. A leisurely stroll brought us back to the hotel around 11 p.m. Sunday, August 6, 2006 Attending 10:30 a.m. Sunday mass at St. Sulpice Church (of DaVinci Code fame) was our first agenda item today. When we arrived at Place St. Sulpice via Metro with an hour to spare, we decided to enjoy breakfast at the square’s trendy outdoor Café de la Mairie, where Catherine Deneuve and Albert Camus, among other celebrities, have been spotted.

After leisurely coffee and people-watching in the absolutely-perfect weather, we crossed the street to the “Cathedral of the Left Bank,” the enormous 17th-century St. Sulpice, which is only slightly smaller than Notre Dame. Most of the participants in the mass were tourists with sadly only a dozen or so locals in attendance. Although DaVinci Code has made this grand church a trendy stop, the real reason to visit is to see and hear its intimately accessible organ. One of Europe’s great musical treats, the Grand Orgue has a rich history going back 300 years. After the 10:30 service, the loft was opened The nave of St. Sulpice After the 10:30 Mass, the loft is opened so visitors can observe the five keyboards and 7,000 pipes. The Grand Organ at St. Sulpice has had a succession of 12 world-class organists over the past 300 years. to visitors, and we got a chance to see the amazing 6,588-pipe organ with five keyboards.

We circled the church’s interior to admire the amazing Delacroix murals, the Mary and Child Chapel, and of course the Egyptian-style obelisk used as a gnomon, or sundial, as depicted in DaVinci Code. Turning left out of the church, we continued south on rue Ferou to Paris’ most beautiful, interesting, and enjoyable garden/park. The 60-acre private Luxembourg Garden, with its immaculate lawns dotted with fountains and statues, was a great place to watch Parisians at rest and play on a Sunday afternoon. The brilliant flower beds are changed three times a year and are absolutely gorgeous. The Luxembourg Palace on the north side of the Garden is where the French Senate meets. After spending some time in the Luxembourg Garden, we set out walking toward the Pantheon. We stopped at an outdoor café near the Sorbonne called Le Soufflot for a light lunch. In full view of the café was the imposing dome of the Pantheon, originally built as a church but now a mausoleum for the tombs of France’s great historical figures, such as Voltaire, Rousseau, Marie Curie, and Victor Hugo.

Luxembourg Gardens It is also home to Foucault’s Pendulum, which demonstrates the rotation of the earth. The interior was well worth a visit for its oddly secular frescoes and sculptures and its monumental design. From the main portico of the Pantheon, we headed north toward the Seine. In the Heart of the Latin Quarter was a quite enjoyable museum, formerly known at the Cluny Museum (after the original owner, the Abbot of Cluny of 1330), now known as the Museum of the Middle Ages. Aside from the solemn religious art, there is some lively stuff here. This two-level museum is a treasure house of medieval art and tapestries. Too numerous to mention them all, I’ll just talk about my favorite, the 21 thirteenth-century heads of the Biblical Kings of Judea, decapitated from the front of Notre Dame during the Revolution because the revolutionaries mistook them for the kings of France. They were gathered up, buried, and only recently discovered, in 1977, during an excavation near the Opera Garnier. Today’s heads on the Notre Dame statues are reconstructions.

The Metro once again carried us across the city to the Montparnasse neighborhood, where once there was a warren of artist studios but Inside the Museum of Medieval Art In 1793, an angry mob of Revolutionaries mistook the 21 Biblical kings of Judea that decorated the front of Notre Dame for the kings of France and decapitated them. now there are modern glass-fronted buildings and shopping areas, including the tallest building in continental Europe, the Montparnasse Tower. The 680-foot, 50-story glassy commercial complex offers a stupendous view of Paris…much better than the view from the Eiffel Tower because it has the Eiffel Tower in it! The fastest elevator in Europe took us to the top in 38 seconds, where we did a 360-degree scan of the city, looking for all the landmarks we had visited during the past week. I’m glad we did this at the end of our trip when we had a “feel for the city” and could identify all of the sights. People-watching and dinner at our favorite sidewalk café, Tribeca, with our favorite waitress Dede leisurely ended the evening.

Monday, August 7, 2006 On our last full day in Paris, we enjoyed our final crepe of the trip (strawberry) with Stephan. Then we grabbed a window seat and settled in for a two-hour ride through some of Paris’ most interesting neighborhoods on city bus # 69, as recommended by Rick Steves, who said, “Why pay $30 to a tour company when city bus # 69 can do it for $1.50?” We boarded at the Eiffel Tower on the eastbound route and passed these great monuments and neighborhoods: • Ecole Militaire - Paris’ military school, with Napoleon as its most famous graduate • rue Cler - “our” traditional Parisian neighborhood • Les Invalides - home of Napoleon’s Tomb, Dome Church, and the Army Museums • Alexander Bridge across the Seine with its golden statues and lamps, built to celebrate a treaty with Russia • The Louvre with its 12 miles of galleries • Ile de La Cite - This is where Paris began over 2,000 years ago; site of Notre Dame • Ile St.

Louis - sister island to Cite with its high-rent apartments and boutiques • Marais - This colorful neighborhood contains more pre-Revolutionary buildings and lanes than anywhere in town. • Bastille - The actual prison is long-gone, but the monument on the square, with its gilded statue of liberty, symbolizes France’s long struggle for democracy • Pere Lachaise cemetery - graves of Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, and Jim Morrison Then we rode the bus all the way back with a slightly different route, including the Church of St. Paul and St. Louis (the only Jesuit church in Paris and the Bill and crepe-master Stephan neighborhood church of Victor Hugo) and the Pompidou Center. The remainder of the day was spent packing and doing last-minute shopping. Some friends had asked us to bring back a particular analgesic they had discovered in France last year, so we visited some pharmacies. In the evening we took our final stroll around the rue Cler area, heading in a direction we had not yet explored. We stopped at a small sidewalk café on a corner and had delicious “French” onion soup with French bread and wine, while watching the locals returning home from work.

On our walk back to the hotel, we stopped at a pastry shop and indulged in some sinful sweets…after all, it’s our last day here! Tuesday, August 8, 2006 Sadly, we must leave this beautiful and romantic city. Bill and I just can’t get over the fact that everyone here has been so nice and friendly and helpful. Not only were the people in the tourism industry friendly (they’re expected to be), but the locals on the streets seemed to go out of their way to make us feel comfortable. I don’t know how many times we would be standing on the street, map in one hand, camera in the other, with a “lost” look on our faces, only to have a local come up to us and offer to help. Sometimes they could speak English, and mostly not, but with sign language and pointing, we always managed to communicate. We were surprised by this because both of us have recollections of just the opposite being true when we were here 25 years ago. We had unpleasant remembrances of speaking German so we would get better service in restaurants and wearing Canadian-flag pins to avoid being treated rudely.

I am very happy to say that we were received warmly by everyone we encountered on this trip. The airport shuttle picked us up at 9:30 a.m., and we spent the time before our 1 p.m. flight in the Air France lounge. We very much enjoyed the luxury of Business/First Class on Continental and arrived in Houston around 5 p.m. Paris – Travels with Tricia Tricia A. Mitchell 53 Comments Shimmering like a radiant jewel box, Sainte-Chapelle is often overlooked by visitors to Paris, who instead opt to tour Notre Dame Cathedral . I’d long read how Sainte-Chapelle is a must-see and favorite among shutterbugs, yet it took me several visits to the City of Light to see this Gothic masterpiece. Incredibly, the chapel’s 13th-century stained glass has largely survived, despite extensive damage inflicted during the French Revolution. The chapel was commissioned by King Louis IX of France, who also is the namesake for St. Louis, Missouri . Our summer visit coincided with an extensive restoration project, which concealed some of the stunning panels, nevertheless we savored the chance to take in the opulent details. Where in the World?

Planning Pointers: Sainte-Chapelle is located next to the Justice Department, so expect longer lines and a more extensive security check. We didn’t know this latter detail in advance, so in order to pass security we had to hand over a pocketknife that we’ve been picnicking with since our travels in Vietnam . Consult the official website for opening hours . Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell . All Rights Reserved. Tricia A. Mitchell 36 Comments Venice 1956, © Maurice Sapiro I recently happened upon the beautiful, timeless work of Maurice Sapiro , an accomplished photographer, painter and sculptor who calls Connecticut home. The images from his Europe gallery, circa 1956 , are what captivated me: honey-toned scenes of Venetian gondoliers gracefully powering delicate boats across a lagoon; black and white images of Bavarians in frenzied celebration; silhouetted-figures spying London’s Tower Bridge under a veil of fog; and tiny figures standing among the lacy rivets of the Eiffel Tower. When I look at the photographs, they make me yearn to travel back in time.

Perhaps that is why I enjoy Maurice’s gallery so much, for seeing its classic imagery makes me feel as though I have. Tower Bridge – London, © Maurice Sapiro Paris © Maurice Sapiro Impressed by Maurice’s work, I explored his site further, interested to learn that he is a modern-day Renaissance man that not only paints, photographs and sculpts, but is also a musician who even crafted his own harpsichord. Play it Again, Sam © Maurice Sapiro Homage to Mondrian © Maurice Sapiro Maurice graciously answered my questions and agreed to participate in an interview. I wish I was just a bit closer to Connecticut, for I would love to meet him in person to talk about what was on his mind as he snapped each image, and learn about his transition from the darkroom to the digital age. Sunset – Venice © Maurice Sapiro Florence Bridges © Maurice Sapiro Could you tell us a bit more about your background, Maurice? In 1957, I graduated from the Eastman School of Music, with a BM and MM in music Education. Then I was drafted, serving two years with the 279th Army Band in France.

These two years turned out to be “the golden years.” I realized that painting and photography would be central to my life. Well, life has a way of intruding on art—I spent the next 40 years teaching instrumental music in elementary school, and raising a family. I painted and did darkroom work in the summers, and it wasn’t till ’96, when I retired, that I was able to get to my art work full time. My son John is doing the web posting. My computer abilities are rather primitive. It took months to get Photoshop to work. Bavaria © Maurice Sapiro Parade – Bavaria © Maurice Sapiro Box Seats for the Parade © Maurice Sapiro In ’77, I was doing pottery, and thought I could do a book. Davis Publications accepted the book proposal, sent me an advance, and royalties are still coming in. I’m trying to get the photo book published the same way, but so far no luck. If it doesn’t fly, as they say in the movies, “we’ll always have Paris”. Paris © Maurice Sapiro Eiffel Tower © Maurice Sapiro You are an accomplished photographer, painter and sculptor. Do you have a favorite medium with which to express yourself?

The medium I am working on at the moment is always my favorite. The various activities seem to have a life of their own. I go along for the ride. There does seem to be a pattern to the changing, but I think it’s best not to overanalyze it. The Critic © Maurice Sapiro At what age did you begin painting and photographing? How did you learn the art of photography and painting? My painting and photography go back to my teen years, and even earlier. In fourth grade, my art teacher hung my painting in the neighborhood butcher shop window. From then on, I was hooked. I had a very supportive father, who encouraged and financed each activity. Café de la Flamme – Paris © Maurice Sapiro You described your years spent in Europe in the 1950s as your “golden years.” What made that time so special for you? Before being drafted I felt a heavy responsibility to be a good son, and a good student. After the Army, I knew there would be responsibilities as a teacher, a husband and father—for these two years, I was free to be me. I could totally immerse myself in photography and painting.

Morning Commute – London © Maurice Sapiro How would you define your style? As to style, I try not to label what I do. I am influenced by every painting and photo I have seen. John, my son, in setting up the blog, needed a stylistic title, so we went with “Tonalism”–(in the tradition of Whistler, Iness). Louvre © Maurice Sapiro What words of wisdom can you share with individuals who are passionate about becoming better photographers? Keep shooting, never be satisfied, the best photo will be the next one. Parisian Auto © Maurice Sapiro Thank you, Maurice, for taking the time to share your artistic words of wisdom and allowing me to showcase a bit of your gorgeous gallery here. I wish you and your family all the best in 2013. Readers, please spread the word about Maurice and his work. I would love for him to get his fantastic mid-century photos from Europe published! View the gallery in its entirety here and to see Maurice’s paintings, visit his painting site . Finally, please contact Maurice directly should you wish to use any of the images featured in this post. Tricia A.

Mitchell 36 Comments I’ve long been a francophile, Paris devotee and Tour Eiffel fan. When I first visited Paris at the age of 16, my father snapped an image of me aiming to hold up the legendary structure. Thereafter, miniature versions of engineer Gustave Eiffel’s masterpiece cropped up in my home – from an Eiffel Tower retro lamp base, to a miniature paper weight, to a silver pendant on my vintage charm bracelet. Even today, I emit a girlish squeal of delight whenever I reunite with the Eiffel Tower following a long time away from La Ville-Lumière. Whether it’s spotting her from the Autoroute while en route to Versailles or Normandy, or seeing her soar over the ‘City of Lights’ from a street kilometers away, j’adore la Tour Eiffel. Today, it’s hard to believe that the iconic image and architectural darling of France was not always so beloved. In fact, when the Eiffel Tower was erected for the 1889 World’s Fair, Parisians detested it and dubbed it the ‘ metal asparagus ‘.

The French author Guy de Maupassant supposedly had such a dislike for Eiffel’s creation that he deliberately dined there not because he favored the restaurant’s cuisine, but because it was the only locale in Paris where he didn’t have to see it. The loathing didn’t stop there, because just after the turn of the century, the structure was on the brink of becoming a giant pile of scrap material. The tower was eventually spared, because of its useful role as a giant radio antenna. To celebrate the new millennium, the Eiffel girders were temporarily dressed in thousands of lights that sparkled every hour on the hour. The light show became so popular that it was reinstated and maintained permanently three years later. While I can attest that daytime views from the Eiffel Tower are magnifique, I must confess that I now prefer to visit the tower by night, to see the girders when they are illuminated. During our most recent visit, Shawn and I found it magical to see the tower after sundown – first, from our Montmartre perch, paired with a half moon; and secondly, as we reflected on the view from Trocadéro’s stairs.

The latter moment was made ever the more exceptional because of the performing street artists. We still have yet to ascend during the evening hours when the city is aglow in twinkly lights. It’s an experience to check off our list during our next rendezvous with La Tour Eiffel. What’s your favorite vantage point from which to admire la Tour Eiffel? Planning Pointers: We enjoyed visiting after nightfall, when la tour‘s girders were aglow. We packed a small bottle of bubbly and toasted to the effervescent tower on the hour. A scrumptious chocolate Opéra treat from a local pâtisserie was also a splendid addition to our evening picnic. Where in the World? Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell . All Rights Reserved. 48.856614 2.352222 Tricia A. Mitchell 4 Comments This autumn, I found my new favorite niche of Notre Dame Cathedral… During past journeys to Paris, I’ve visited the Gothic masterpiece in varying seasons. I once rang in a new year on the edge of the Seine while the magnificent cathedral towered over revelers with her exquisite and graceful silhouette.

On the chilliest of winter days, I strolled through her drafty interiors to see her chapels dressed up for the holidays. I’ve also meandered past her towers on warm summer afternoons as fluffy clouds glided by. Until recently, my favorite Notre Dame memory was of the sun pouring through the jewel-toned Rose Window just as a musician dramatically tickled the ivories of the thunderous organ. The happenings were perfectly choreographed as we passed through the immense front doors. I now love the views from her platform the best, for it is there that I can commune with Viollet-le-Duc’s gargoyles and grotesques and imagine the history that Notre Dame could share if only she could speak. High above Paris’ rooftops, I think of all the chapters of history the magnificent cathedral has hosted – from the crowning of Napoléon, to numerous royal marriages, to dramatic and damaging attacks during the French Revolution.

As the bells tolled on the hour, I pondered how Paris’ skyline has changed through the centuries, how Sacré Coeur and La Tour Eiffel sprouted from the landscape in the nineteenth-century and how Notre Dame’s platform looked before the extensive restoration, long before the gargoyles took residence in the 1840s. At times, I thought Quasimodo might even emerge from around the bell tower’s corner! Many know Notre Dame largely because of her fictitious tie to Victor Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was published in 1831. It might come as a surprise, though, that the author is actually credited with helping garner support for Notre Dame’s restoration in the 1840s. Thanks to the novel’s popularity, Parisians came to realize that the cathedral was very much in need of some restorative attention, which it eventually received over the course of two decades, starting in 1845. Even today, some wonder if one of the chief architects, Viollet-le-Duc, somehow drew his gargoyle inspiration from Hugo’s Quasimodo.

Regardless of the source of the architect’s motivation, Notre Dame’s restoration eventually motivated the French government to take more interest in its ailing monuments, thus helping to preserve the nation’s rich architectural heritage. “Great buildings, like great mountains, are the work of centuries,” Victor Hugo once said. Indeed, Notre Dame is one great structure. In 1163, Bishop Maurice du Sully laid the first stone for the cathedral’s foundation. The construction would take almost 200 years to complete. Once the 226-foot (69-meter) towers were in place, Notre Dame was crowned the largest religious building in Western Europe. It would hold this title until the mid-thirteenth-century. As I admired Notre Dame’s flying buttresses, imposing towers and beautiful flourishes, I found myself disappointed visualizing the majority of buildings that contemporary architecture. Whereas builders of centuries past created structures that have stood the test of time (using only rudimentary building tools and poor scaffolding), many of today’s builders shoddily construct flimsy and characterless architecture, despite their access to sophisticated equipment. Perhaps the latter could also gain some inspiration from strolling about Notre Dame’s platform. Where in the World? Tricia A.

Mitchell Leave a comment On a day that was bathed in sunshine, we voyaged to Versailles, the decadent Baroque palace of France’s sun king, or le roi soleil. As we strolled through the palace’s 250 gardened acres and peered through the windows into the gilded interiors (just as a subject might have done 300 years ago) the origins of one turbulent chapter of French history became crystal clear: the French Revolution. Wanting to escape the stuffy climate of Paris in the seventeenth-century, Louis XIV summoned architects to spiff up and greatly expand his father’s hunting lodge and grounds, located just 15 miles (24 km.) southwest of Paris. The King’s planners drew up extensive expansion plans that commenced in 1661, resulting in one of the world’s largest palaces. It is estimated that 36,000 laborers participated in the building projects! In 1678, Louis XIV had begun moving his court to Versailles. By 1682, nearly 20,000 noblemen, servants and flatterers had moved into Versailles resulting in the court’s official establishment there.

With the seat of government then outside Paris, and the nobility leading debauched lifestyles at Versailles, so the seeds of the French Revolution were born. Despite the blazing sun, and ornamental gardens that lack shading and protective canopies, we spent several hours promenading through Versailles’ grounds, which actually form one of Europe’s largest parks. Amazingly, forests were once imported to ornament Versailles’ gardens, the focal point of which is the mile-long Grand Canal. The flowerbeds and hedges were coiffed immaculately. Versailles’ chief landscape architect, André Le Nôtre’s quotation about the palace’s view into the delicate gardens seemed timely: “Flowers can only be walked on by the eyes.” In Louis XIV’s time, it was not possible to run all the fountains at once, so when Louis strolled through the grounds, the fountain-tenders turned on the fountains in advance of his footsteps and then turned them off behind him. Even today the fountains are so costly to operate that they only flow on Saturdays and Sundays. Though we were disappointed that they were not running on the Friday that we visited, we were pleased that our entry fee for the gardens was on the house, as a result.

The gardens’ more than 600 fountains and statues were installed between 1661-1668. I most enjoyed the cherub statues as well as the creative manner in which fountainheads were camouflaged as cat-tail plants or as if they were coming out of turtles’ mouths. Our readings about the palace’s posh interiors didn’t persuade us to venture into the treasure box-like rooms. Nevertheless, one guidebook statistic about the over-the-top décor stuck with me: Versailles’ paintings, if laid end to end, would equal more than 7 miles (11 km.) of canvas! A Return to Versailles (Part III). 48.801408 2.130122 Tricia A. Mitchell 4 Comments I had long wanted to visit Paris’ famous Père-Lachaise Cemetery, yet during past jaunts to the ‘City of Lights,’ La Tour Eiffel, the Champs Elysées and Notre Dame had taken center stage on my itinerary. During our recent trip to Paris, our hotel, in Paris’ 11th arrondissement, was just a brief promenade from the cemetery.

With blue skies overhead and the ground just starting to be carpeted with crisp, autumn leaves, we decided to embark on what we thought would just be a 30-minute stroll through the well-known cemetery named after Père-Lachaise, Louis XIV’s confessor. On the way there, we dined outdoors at Mère Lachaise, a bistro-style restaurant that plays off the neighboring cemetery’s name. (In French, père means ‘father’ and mère means ‘mother.’) Not surprisingly, the bistro’s cook whipped up scrumptious fare for breakfast: amazingly-tasty eggs, two café crèmes and crunchy slices of a freshly-baked golden baguette. The French have an amazing way of making the simple taste so fantastique! We then crossed through Père-Lachaise’s handsome gates to enter the cemetery, with its cobbled streets, hunter-green iron street markers and graceful old trees. Père-Lachaise is Paris’ largest cemetery consisting of 118 acres (48 hectares) of headstones and mausoleums that mark the final resting places of numerous prominent writers as well as political heroes and war victims.

We chose to pay tribute to French chanteuse, Edith Piaf; Polish classical composer, Frédéric Chopin; and American Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the Doors. Visitors who came before us had remembered the three musicians in different ways. Piaf’s grave was simply adorned with roses; Chopin’s was garnished with a Polish flag and hand-written messages from music fans. One person had drawn a treble clef on a rock and placed it atop a note so that it would not be carried away by the wind. On Morrison’s headstone was perched a clay lizard. A neighboring tree had a plethora of colorful messages and peace signs for ‘the Lizard’ scribbled on it: “Welcome to the Other Side” and “Can You Show Me the Way to the Next Whiskey Bar?” Dev Wijewardane Photography: Notre Dame de Paris - Exterirors Notre Dame de Paris - Exterirors Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France Notre Dame de Paris, French for Our Lady of Paris, is one of the "must see" cathedrals of Paris and, conveniently for us, was located a few hundred meters from our apartment in Le Marais.

It is the cathedral of the catholic archdiocese of Paris and is located on the eastern part of Ile de la Cite on the Seine. More info and images after the jump. Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France The Notre Dame is famous for its French Gothic architecture and was one of the first buildings to feature flying buttresses, although interestingly, the original design for the building didn't include these. However, once construction began and the walls started growing higher, stress fractures appeared and as a result, the walls pushed outwards. The flying buttresses were then introduced to provide additional support. Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France The Cathedral was commissioned by Bishop Maurice de Sully and construction began in 1163, during the reign of Louis VII. It took nearly 200 years to build and was completed in 1345. Over the construction period, work was overseen by numerous architects and this is evidenced by differing styles which can be seen at various heights. Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France During the reigns of King Louis XIV and Louis XV at the end of the 17th century, major alterations were made to the cathedral in an attempt to modernise it.

Stained glass windows and tombs were destroyed but fortunately, the magnificent north and south facing Rose windows remained intact. The cathedral was once scheduled for demolition but was saved because of the popularity of Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre-Dame and a revival of interest in the Gothic period. Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France The exterior stone walls of the cathedral were not always the creamy white they are now. Over time, dirt and grime had built up on the stone walls and they were black until very recently. A new technique for cleaning stone, employing lasers, was used to clean the entire cathedral except for the spire. It was decided to leave the spire as it is in order to show visitors what the cathedral looked like before it was cleaned. Notre-Dame de Paris - Paris, France As with most photographs on this trip, these were captured with the Canon 7D and 24-105mm combo. I also used a tripod for all the night shots.

Question: Which building on the le de la Cit in Paris took 300 years to build from 1163, and was one of the first to have flying buttresses?
Answer: Notre Dame