The past two days have been nuts! We spent the entire day yesterday at the Louvre. I have never seen so many people in my life! It is such an incredible place to be as well. There are hundreds of statues that go from room to room and floor to floor. There are the apartments from previous monarchs still intact and recreated. There are things in that museum that are so ornate and so extravagant that you can't even fathom how it was made and how it was used. My favorite part was the section on Marie Antoinette. I wasn't very big but I will get my fill of the Queen when we go to Versailles on Sunday. We got to see all the famous contributions to the Louvre (yes that means the Mona Lisa) and we saw some not so exciting things like the excessive amounts of the same ancient figurines and tiny statues. After the Louvre (and a nap to recover) we ended up at this bar. It was tiny but that wasn't the amusing part. When you order you get a book of drinks, a dry erase board and a marker. You have to draw the picture associated with your drink to order and then it is given to you in a bottle. Yes a baby bottle that you get to take home with you. They give you board games to play and had fun posters of cartoons all over! It was such a neat and random bar!
Today we visited the Conciergerie where the revolutionary prisoners were held before trial and execution. It housed everyone from nobodies to Robespierre and Marie Antoinette. It was fascinating to see how the conditions were of such a terrifying place. Next we went to Notre-Dame. We bought a candle from there and took it home with us which was cool because it goes towards the upkeep of the cathedral. The stained glass inside is just incredible. The ceilings feel like they could touch heaven and the stained glass tells so many stories in all the different patterns.We also visited the ancient city streets from when the Romans were in Paris and we got to shop at Shakespeare and Company!!! It is a very famous book store here in Paris. Tonight we are going to another café frequented by Hemingway and we are going to ascend the Eiffel Tower! I must go now because the apartment is stifling and Scott is hungry! Love from Paris!
Our baby bottle drinks
Marie Antoinette
Her first cell
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's names on the wall of those killed during the Reign of Terror
Her symbol
Us at Notre-Dame
Shakespeare and Company
Tomorrow I will tell you the story about this ring
14
July 2014
Bastille
Day
Food
was scarce,
People
were angry,
The
monarchy was falling,
Nothing
could be done.
Many
years the kings spent it all,
Extravagant
cathedrals,
Expensive
castles,
And
aide to a war that wasn't their own.
This
help to the Americans,
It
wasn't all bad,
It
gave them an idea,
A
revolution could be theirs too!
They
stormed the Bastille,
They
took up arms,
Blood
was shed and life was lost.
The
monarchy would fall
And
even more blood would spill.
The
king would die followed by his queen,
All
classes became sans title.
The
revolutionary leaders would turn on each other,
Heads
were lost by the thousands.
After
many years a democracy would be set,
The
revolutionaries never lived to see it,
But
the fall of Bastille set it in motion.
Liberté,
égalite, fraternité
Liberty,
equality, brotherhood,
The
motto they lived and died for,
The
motto of freedom,
Vive
la France!
15
July 2014
A
Conversation Between Statues
Closing
time at the Louvre. The people have gone, the staff has departed and
the lights have gone down. All that remains is the little bit of
light left outside and the emergency lights inside. Venus
de
Milo yawns and stretches out her back and neck.
“Okay
can I get all of the Aphrodite and Venus statues to follow me to our
usual gathering spot! Let's make it choppy ladies! We haven't got all
night. I haven't the arms to rush you all so let's get a move on.
Dionysus none of last nights funny business.”
“Look
at those girls go!” whistled Caesar.
“So
typical of you macho ruling men,” huffed Artemis.
“Okay
everyone play nice. It is obviously summertime. My eyes are burning
from all the camera flashes.”
“Yeah
well my ears are going out from all the random languages spoken
around here Poseidon. You would think they would learn to be quiet in
a museum,” replied Hera.
“Ladies!
Let's go before the baby cherubs start to follow or the emperors take
the room!” yelled Venus.
The
Louvre was extremely busy during the day but that was nothing
compared to how busy the artwork was at night. Just before dawn, all
of the paintings and sculptures and everything else began to hush and
go back to their original places, all in wait for the next evening's
fun after the crowds.
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