We came over to Paris to watch Wales take on France in the 6 nations, whilst the result didnt go in our favour we were blessed with some excellent weather, quiet tourist spots and some excellent food. This city is well worth a look.. hope you enjoy the pics..
New Orient
THis is where we were based for the Weekend. A great little hotel well priced and well run. Staff almost un-noticable, and rooms spacious for Paris (so I am told ) I recommend this place utterly.
These roads near the heart of Paris are clean and wide with some lovely avenues of trees mixed up with architecture from way back. Add some early spring sunshine and the effect is pleasant.
At the centres of the arches, Nymphs of the Seine with the arms of France correspond with Nymphs of the Neva with the arms of Imperial Russia on the other face; both are executed in hammered copper over forms by Georges Récipon.
Pont Alexandre III is an arch bridge that spans the Seine, connecting the Champs-Élysées quarter and the Invalides and Eiffel Tower quarter,
The bridge, with its exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs and winged horses at either end, was built between 1896 and 1900. It is named after Tsar Alexander III, who had concluded the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892. His son Nicholas II laid the foundation stone in October 1896. The style of the bridge reflects that of the Grand Palais, to which it leads on the right bank.
This is a very over rated bulding. Pretty tediuos decor and ornamentation - no wonder they keep it so dark inside. The RC church are onto a winner by charging 2 Euros for a t light and a whopping 10 for a candle there were thousands alight when we went.
Laure infront of Sacre Coeur- imitating a cockatoo
With its many artists setting up their easels each day for the tourists, the Place du Tertre is a reminder of the time when Montmartre was the mecca of modern art. At the beginning of the 20th century, many penniless painters including Picasso and Utrillo were living there. If you have a good sense of humour and deep pockets then have your portrait done ..you can barely move for artists.. on the good side the food is way cheaper up here!
mmmmmmmm, very skilful and beautifully arranged confection was the norm for this deli. We got this pic before being chased away for loitering and drooling on the window..(only joking) 3.9 euros well not cheap but rather magnificent!
The sign says it all... Laure likes this name..??!
We had a pleasant stop here just before going to the Louvre, there was an entire string section from a decent orchestra playing some of Tchaikovskys stuff (nutcracker ..?) in the squre close by. Nearly made me forget that i had drunk a cofee that cost 4.5 euros..!
The Palais du Louvre was originally constructed as a fortress, built in the 12th century by King Philippe Auguste along with the City's first enclosure wall to defend the banks of the Seine river against invaders from the north. Under Louis IX in the mid-1200s, the Louvre became the home of the royal treasury. The castle soon gained a dual function: in addition to its protective role, it became one of the residences of the king and the court, along with the chateau de Vincennes, the Hotel Saint-Pol in the Marais and the palace of the Île de la Cité.
The fortress was enlarged and beautified in the 14th century by Charles V, making it the most celebrated royal residence in Europe of its time. Charles V began the enlargement of the Louvre in 1358, but his work was ruined in the course of the Hundred Years War and demolished in the 1500s by François I, to make room for a new structure built in the Renaissance style.
In 1564 Catherine de' Medici directed the building of a château to the
The Louvre are rather fond of Fountains - well the square is rather huge..Henry IV began his "Grand Design" to remove remnants of the medieval fortress, to increase the Cour Carrée's area, and to create a link between the Palais des Tuileries and the Louvre. The link was completed via the Grande Galerie by architects Jacques Androuet de Cerceau and Louis Métezeau.[8]
More than a quarter of a mile long and one hundred feet wide, this huge addition was built along the bank of the Seine; at the time of its completion it was the longest building of its kind in the world. Henry IV, a promoter of the arts, invited hundreds of artists and craftsmen to live and work on the building's lower floors.
The Richelieu Wing was also built by Louis XIII, the building first being opened to the public as a museum on November 8, 1793 during the French Revolution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_du_Louvre
We came here to see Wales take on France in the 6 Nations- alas Wales lost 21-16 but we sat surrounded by frenchmen and they were very generous in victory despite thier penchant for mexican waves..!! The North stand is not a good place to sit if you want to know what is going on or have bad eyesight..
One of the many.. this is the South side by the river and the road ids the Carousel- i took this just before heading down on to the riverside for a walk to the Place de la Concorde.
It became the Place de la Révolution and held in its center the guillotine that executed in particular Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, Danton, Robespierre, and 2800 others between 1793 and 1795. It is said that the smell of blood was so strong that a herd of cattle refused to cross the place. After the Revolution it suffered a series of transformations et several changes of name: place de la Concorde, place Louis XV again, place Louis XVI, place de la Chartre, and once again place de la Concorde to symbolize the end of a troubled era and the hope of a better future. The statue of Louis XV, removed during the Revolution, was replaced by the Obelisk of Luxor given by the viceroy of Egypt, Mohamed Ali, to Louis Phillipe. The obelisk, 22.83 meters high and weighing 230 tons, which marked the entrance to the Amon temple at Luxor, was installed in 1836.
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