Musee Cluny

Family and I went to the Cluny museum which has things from the Middle Ages. This is part of a pillar from Norway, it had stuff to do with the Vikings.

The following books are from the 9th and 10th century. WHEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, monks wrote this stuff out by hand.

I wanted to look at them forever.

How many people have handled these books?

Ugh, so cool.

Un chapiteau from St. Etienne du Mont before it was St. Etienne. Which means it's really really old.

Okay so funny story. During the French Revolution in 1789 people went a bit crazy. Anything that resembled the monarchy went against their ideas, therefore it had to go (this form of thinknig was fueled by Rousseau). Relics from churches were removed, and these were statues that were at Notre Dame.

The statues were beheaded because the revolutionaries thought they were kings. Yes, they were kings, but they were religious kings as well as saints. They were in no way their historical French kings. Umm, oops.

One of the tapestries of the Lady and the Unicorn. There are five other tapestries which represent the five senses.

Ceiling somewhere in the Cluny. Looks like the ceiling at St. Severin!

This was on the wall outside the Cluny. Cool.

Antics

Peter at Notre Dame.

C'est moi!

Hahaha

Mom: Hey look, it's Ratatouille!
Me: That is DISGUSTING. Be right back, need to take a picture of it.

Haggerty's in Paris... awwww.

Thanksgiving

I have a LOT of updating to do. Has it really been a week since I last wrote? Of course it has, my FAMILY WAS HERE!!!

I am so glad they got to be here for Thanksgiving. I love thinking about the good things in life, and the autumn, and being with my family, and the food...

Obviously Thanksgiving is not a Parisian holiday, but the resteraunt I go to which has pancakes and maple syrup did a Thanksgiving meal. Karen, we missed you so much!!!

Behold the dinner... BEHOLD THE MASHED POTATOES. Nom nom nom nom nom.

And the wicked good apple pie, oh my goodness, so delightful.

The mashed potatoes were put on the plate how a cake is normally frosted. It was rather amusing to watch.

Peter making fun of someone looking at mom's driver's license. Hehehehe.

<3

Château de Versailles

Oh, Versailles. Getting there was quite an adventure. We ended up getting charged 25euro because we were out of our zones without a ticket, and the guy that we were dealing with was the typical rude, arrogant French. I had read about this kind, but not yet encountered one like him. Anyway, this is George the banana in Carmen's purse. He went to Versailles with us.







This is the chapel where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were married.













And this is some of the horrific modern art through Versailles. A magenta balloon dog, wonderful. Not what I wanted to see sitting in the middle of the reception room...

Louis XIV was a nut, but I dig his style.

Look who I found in Versailes! Yeah, Michael Jackson. And Bubbles the freaking monkey.

View of Versailles.

Louis XIV wanted a larger than life palace. That is what he got. It is inhumane, just ginormous and totally unnecessary.

He also thought he was hot stuff. His posture shows he thinks he is sexy and a skillful dancer. Surprisingly, he was about 50-something-ish in this portrait.

The famous Hall of Mirrors. Orginially a terrace that looked out over the gardens, it was covered and the mirrors create the illusion that the hall is larger than it really is since it reflects the beautiful outdoor light. The mirrors were imported from Italy.

Chandelierrr.

Carmen and I in the really expensive, old mirrors.

Reflection of the Queen's Room in a mirror. Yes, it was the room of Marie Antoinette but other queens were here too, you know. Don't disrespect. Over 19 babies were born in this room, and it was custom to have about 200 people witness the birth. Talk about awkward.

Blow up toys on a chain link fence? I give up.

Alright, Jeff Koons, this modern art I can appreciate.

This is the original hunting Lodge of Louis III. Louis XIV built the rest of Versailles around his fathers lodge. You can notice the Louis III style because it is tricolore: the roof is blue, white stone and red brick. Also found in structures in Paris such as Place Dauphine and Place des Vosges. Damn I'm good.

Umm, outside Versailles...

... IT WAS WICKED COLD. And we were annoyed that we were charged 25euro. And we were cold. And we were hungry. Did I mention we were cold??

But the sky was gorgeours, simply stunning. And I don't have to give birth in front of 200 people. Hmm. Life's good.

High On A Hill

High on the hill of Paris lies the district of Montmartre. The arrondisment of artists, performers, and cabarets. I live on the opposite bank of Montmartre, so when AIFS offered a tour of the area I went, because I don't get up to the 18th very often.









Here are some of the things we saw. This is one of the original moulins. Moulin in French means windmill. Moulin Rouge, Red Windmill. This shabby windmill is more impressive than the Moulin Rouge, though. Surprised? I was too.

This is a statue of Saint Denis, approximately at the place he was beheaded. Legend has it, after he was beheaded, he picked up his head, rinsed it off in the water, and walked north to a sacred land where he could die. That land is now known as.... Saint Denis. It's in the outskirts of Paris, where the Stade de France is (where the match de foot was).

This is where Rodin, one of theeee best Impressionists lived and worked. Totally up there with Monet and Degas.

There's a whole story with this, which I was going to put into my own words, but it's just too long. Here it is condensed: Man could walk through walls. Now he's stuck. Forever.

I miss painting.

Steps by Sacre-Coeur.

On the right: Jeanne d'Arc. On the left: Louis IX, aka Saint Louis (although he was an intolerant fool.) They hang out on top of Sacre-Coeur.

Eiff, you're so far away from Montmartre!!! But still so pretty.

Paris. <3