Lost in the Louvre

As I suspected Helen was up about 3 am - what a dag!
Rain started to fall last night and is predicted for today so it looks like a very good day to be indoors. It is off to the Louvre we go!

The day starts with more trips on the metro and Helen comments at one point how they must have heard her earlier impressions because someone has come through in the night and cleaned the place up. I suspect that it is more like the first shock has worn off a little - although we were not at the older stations of yesterday! We need to change lines to reach the Louvre and it seems that wherever we want to go entails walking from one extremity of the station on one line to the other extremity to get to the connecting line. Up stairs, down stairs, along tunnels and then up and down again. At one stop this afternoon, we are lucky enough to have a lift - a huge behemoth of a thing that will take most of the people in a carriage - guess that the distance to climb is just too great.

Like the underground systems of many cities, the Paris Metro is amazing. Very regular services and reliable. Today we travel from Bir-Hakeim to Charles De Gaulle Étoile on Line 6 and then change to Line 1 for Palais Royal Musée du Louvre. It is surprisingly smooth trip with only a two minutes wait for the connection (but after walking quite a way).

Arriving at the Palais Royal Musée du Louvre is a bit of a surprise - although I am not sure what we were expecting. From the station, you walk towards the Louvre, following the signage, but actually come to a very nice shopping centre first. A bit cavernous, it is nonetheless clean and very chic. Knowing we were in for a lot of walking today I have taken drugs and now need to put something more than an orange juice and a banana in my stomach. So the first stop is on the 'restaurant' floor. Now, these were not restaurants in the true sense of the word - more like the shopping centre food courts back home, but a little more up-market. We have foccacias, orange juice and coffee. And that foccacia pastry is so light. Mine is ham and cheese and Helen has a mediterranean mix one. They are so scrummy that I forget about a photo! And when you put something in, then the consequence is . . . The toilets were quite amazing and at €1 each to use them, one of the most expensive I have encountered in Europe yet. But they were spotless and beautifully scented with each loo cleaned as soon as you vacated - by the all male staff! They sold lots of bathroom accessories such as coloured and patterned toilet papers that started at €4.95 per roll!

We also find a store called Nature & Découvertes that was kind of like a mix between the Australian Geographic store and Red Earth. Since leaving her kangaroo travel buddy on the plane at Tokyo, Helen has been searching for a replacement and we find a kinda cute lady bug. Celine who we get chatting to at the checkout is asked to name her a typical French name and so we welcome Laura into our travels!

This shopping centre is home to a feature made famous for most of us in the movie 'The DaVinci Code'. The inverted end of the pyramid of the Louvre. Can't resist getting photos here! You have to agree that it makes for one very very cool photo!!!

Since we purchased our tickets, there is no need to join the queues to buy tickets here at the museum - hang on, what queues?? We don't see queues, but do see plenty of ticket selling machines. Oh well, didn't really matter. And while it is cool and windy outside, inside it is the opposite - very warm. So we are grateful for the opportunity to leave our jackets (sorry madame, no scarves - hang on, I'll just put it in the pocket!)

And the huge pyramid that forms part of the main entry into the Louvre is so interesting - especially when you look through it to the older structures of this museum. We collect maps as we go past the information desk and then try to decipher them. They are not at all very clear. From my reading of the Louvre web site over the last couple of days, I know that we want to go to the Denon and Sully wings. So off we set into the Sully wing as there seems to be less people heading in to it at the moment. We pass through an area that has been set up to display the history of the Louvre - could be interesting but we are so limited with time that we give this a miss and head through a display of the Louvre Medieval that includes the footings of the Louvre when it was a palace.

We then spend a bit of time in the Egyptian artefacts area. For most people, the Louvre is associated with paintings and I was not aware of the vast collection of other materials that they have. We have seen plenty of Egyptian artefacts on our trip so far, but these were as good as any. The biggest problem for us was that although we were allowed to take as many photos as we wanted, we could not use flash and the lighting was terrible from a photographic perspective with way too much light from the outside and harsh overhead lighting. It just meant that whatever we took photos of, we also got all the unwanted reflections - ours included at times!

There are a couple of famous Louvre items that we are making our way towards - the statue of Venus de Milo and of course the Mona Lisa. But cleverly, there is a wealth of culture and history that stands between these most famous items and your starting point. As we begin in the Sully wing, we are headed to Venus de Milo first. To get to it, we must pass through a series of galleries that are devoted to some of the finest sculpture of Greek and Roman antiquities - the Caryatids of the Louvre. The detail that has been carved in marble is amazing, and the knowledge of human anatomy is astounding - the sculptors must have sat for hours and hours just watching which muscles moved when an action was being done.

There are lots of other famous examples of early Grecian sculpture and later Roman copies such as Artemis (of the Diana of Versailles) and the Miletus torso. The beauty of this era is breath-taking – oh, if the lighting were just better controlled so we could get some good photos, sigh!

The Venus de Milo or Aphrodite stands at the end of a long gallery and unfortunately we come in from behind - only unfortunate because when later we see it as we walk away from the statue, the view is amazing. She stands on a plinth so that no matter how tall the people are that are around her, she can always be at least partially visible.

We finally get around to an area with paintings! These are huge works of art primarily on a religious theme and not at all what we are seeking. We are still in the Sully Wing and need to get to the Denon wing. The Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) is found on the second floor in the Denon wing and after asking for some help from one of the staff members, I understand why I can’t find it – I thought we were on the second floor, but no, we are still on the first floor – gosh with all the stairs going up and down and the numerous corridors that turn, even the greatest cartographer could easily get lost here. That is one of the downfalls of using a building designed for one purpose in another, different way.

The Mona Lisa as most people know now is not a big painting. In fact it is about the size of an A3 or maybe A2 sheet of paper. There are lots of people heading to it, and when we get into Room 16 where it is housed, I expect to see it all on its own. But no, she hangs on a wall in the centre of the room, facing a mammoth of a painting – The Wedding at Canna and is surrounded on the long walls by numerous other paintings of this time. Trouble is, there are barriers that keep the surging crowd back from the painting. You elbow your way to the front, take your photo and leave. You do not get the time to stand and just look deeply, to let this famous work talk to you, to allow its beauty to sink in. And that is a real pity.

Its time to get away from the maddening crowds. Helen wants to see the French Impressionists of the 19th and 20th centuries – Renoir, Matisse, Cézanne , Degas, Pissaro et al. The modern French paintings are in the second floor of the Richelieu Wing. We make our way there (again having to ask for help) – only to find it closed! Now, there is advice on the Louvre website that says that they do not have enough staff to keep all sections of the museum open every day, but we surely do not expect them to close the French Painters rooms, in France! But no, it is closed on a Thursday. Poor Helen. She is so disappointed. She so much wanted to see these works in a local context. We do, however, chance upon a painting of Tolouse Latrec.

We left the Louvre after about 5 hours and, which to be honest, we felt was a tad over-rated - mainly because of the difficulty in finding things and moving around, but also because they close off the French paintings - in France! for one day a week! They really need to learn to better signpost the corridors so that you can easily find your way around - I mean, I am a pretty decent map reader and kept finding that the only way to get from one point to another was to ask a staff member! Still, it is one of those icons that needs to be visited to be understood! One of the joyous things are the fascinating glimpses of the site and indeed the rest of Paris that can be seen from the large windows in all the areas of the first and second floor. The juxtaposition of old and new works so well and is so easily see from up there.

As we are (trying) to find the exit - follow the Sortie signage - we pass many, many other amazing collections including more classical pieces, Egyptian collects and some amazing early Iranian artworks. We also pay a quick visit to one of the inner courtyards filled with larger than life size marble and bronze sculptures. Standing proudly in a garden setting is the way to show these pieces to their best advantage. The changing light is also very kind to the eyes and it is easy to imagine yourself in some priveleged place long ago, being pampered and surrounded by the best of beauty.

And now it was off to Montmarte and the Sacre Cœur. This is one amazing place. From the moment we get off the metro at the Abbesses stop and head up to the street, you feel a very different kind of energy - an earthy, connected sort of buzz. There are a lot of little bookshops and small small cafes.

The Sacred Heart church (Sacre Cœur) is white against the background from anywhere in Paris. It stands out because it is on the hill of Montmarte surrounded by the flatness of the rest of Paris. A-m-a-z-i-n-g. So, just because it is on the hill, does it have to be a BIG hill? You either catch the funicular railway up the hill, or climb a million steps. Hmm not a really hard choice for me to make! And to make it even better, our rail pass that we bought covers the cost of the funicular trip as well. As Helen says "Cool!"

As the train leaves the floor of the valley and climbs towards the church high above, the air clears and the city falls away below. It is a surreal sensation. The true colour of Paris comes to light - the creams and white and slate blues. The terracotta chimney pots. The deep grey of the steels. THIS is what we will remember as Paris! There is a wind blowing and on top of the hill it is a little chilly. So coffee is the order of the day before we do anything else - sitting in the brisk breeze!!

Then it is over the cobbled road to have a look at the Church. Helen is struck not only by the view that it commands over the city below, but also by the enormity of the basilica in front of her. AND then we go in! Now it hits Helen. What I have been going on about when I refer to the churches and cathedrals. And while it is nice, it is nowhere near as stunning as many we have been in. The space is large and reasonably plain except for the ceiling over the altar - a very large, very elaborate mosaic frescoe. But they do not allow photos and the prices for the candles are that exorbitant that for the first time I light only one candle - the two mums and Mutti will have to share this one!

Back into the wind we go. We take a photo for a couple of young girls who gladly reciprocate and so we have a photo together on the forecourt before we head back down on the funicular (another first for Helen) and sit down for something to eat. We have decided to have an early dinner (like it is after 6:30 pm). The cafe has a wonderful position - overlooking the garden and straight up the hill to the Church. But they do not take the greatest advantage of it - the service is contemptable and the food mediocre. Such a waste. We walk around to the Metro and head back to the Marie Antionette so we can make an attempt at packing before bed tonight. We eat more of the Reblochon and finish the Boursin, washing it down with a lovely Cotes de Blaye red - ahhh the good days we spent at Blaye come flooding back. Time to go and pack!

Paris - ring o ring the (roundabout) rosie

Things that make Hel laugh - sirens and burping irons that sound like growling lions! What a laugh huh! She was ironing her jeans when she came out with that little gem. Not a big brekky today - gosh, we were still full from the cheese last night - no, make that earlier this morning!

Planned for a big day today - over to the Arc de Triomphe travelling by metro and then down the Champs Elysee. Hels is not a fan of the underground rail system - whether it be the RER or the local metro. She finds it grubby and smelly and crowded - not good for someone who can get a little claustrophobic at times. All of a sudden I realise that she has never spent any significant time in anywhere with an undergound rail system - unlike Michael and I who commuted in Sydney for years and years. Now I am thinking that I should plan our trips around the bus network, but she insists she is OK - very brave of her (I am not being condescending).

You emerge from the subway onto the Champs Elysee facing the Arc de Triomphe - and what an awesome sight it is. Helen had no idea how big it was - I think I felt the same the first time I saw it. And the traffic that rushes around it put her hearth in her mouth just like it did mine! You hold your breath thinking there is going to be one huge pile-up, but there isn't. It is just so crazy and frenetic. There are a couple of German girls from near Stuttgart of all places trying to get a photo and I offer to take one for them. And they are more than happy to reciprocate. They are excited - they leave the for the US tomorrow and I can't resist giving them a little advice to make dealing with the entry requirements a little easier.

Last night the American couple we met had given us their tickets for one of the open bus tours - the tickets are valid for 2 days and they were leaving today. As luck would have it, the correct bus was sitting at the bus stop at the Arc. Now, Michael and I have used these buses in many cities - some are great, some are very ordinary. I wasn't sure if Helen would be happy to do a tour - it limits you to the main sights route - according to someone else. But no, she suggested that we use the tickets.

It was the best thing we could have done. With the limited time that we have in the City of Light, this was a great way to see all the major sights - and especially those that we knew we are not going to have time to visit seperately. And it gives you a bigger look - you are off the ground and can get a clearer impression of the siting and impressiveness of a place this way. She moved from awed silence, drinking in the atmosphere and the magic of this place and verbal excited chatting. I am so glad that I have her here in Paris with me. I really don't think that there is another person on this globe who sees so close to what I see (and then some I suspect).

When I was downloading the photos we took today (733 between us - her 440 of them!), we have unknowingly taken so many the same or similar in terms of the style, subject and perspective of a photo. Wow, thats my friend, mon ami!

You know there was so much to take in. Helen more than me was in visual overload and I am so glad that she has so many pics because she won't really be able to process them mentally until she is back at home in Australia and over her trip. Been there, happenend to me too. So, what did we see?

So, we left the Arc de Triompe and headed bravely across the intersection where there are up to five lanes of traffic, no lines and almost no rules. But as I said to Helen, the bus is bigger than the rest of the traffic, so we are pretty safe!

The route we follow is:
- down the Champs Elysee, into Winston Churchill Avenue to the Grand and Petit Palaces
- across the Seine to the back of the Trocadero then crawled slowly past so that we could all get a photo with the Eiffel Tower in the background
- around the front of the Trocadero and across the Pont d’Iéna to outside the Eiffel Tower where today there are thousands of people queueing for tickets
- through the Champ de Mars looking on one side back to the Eiffel Tower and on the other to the Ecole Militaire
- around to the Musée du Louvre where we are going tomorrow, admiring the space and use of architecture
- onto the Ilse de Cité to the Notré Dame
- down the Rue Lille to the Musée d'Orsay where the statues on the outside of the building are amazing
- around pass the stunning Opera House with all its gilded statues atop the corners that gleam in the sun
before we turn back onto the Champs Elysee for the journey back up to the Arc de Triomphe. It was quite a journey and the fact that we took so many photos is testament to the amazing sights that the City of Light provides.

By the time we got off the bus a couple of hours later we needed to make a comfort stop. We are passing McDonalds on the Champs Elysee and off Helen trots to join a pretty long looking queue. I didn't expect her back any time soon. After quite a while, she comes out all flustered - she had been stuck, locked in the toilets in Maccas! Hot ladies room, dark walled loos and my poor claustrophobic friend. Gosh, why did it have to happen to her. Anyway, we leave and get her some air outside and look for a nice open cafe to have a coffee. A little further down the Champs Elysee we find it.

We sit inside at the Cafe George V (little tip guys, terrace or pavement orders cost considerably more and I am sure the waiters knowingly encourage tourists to sit outside!) We even managed to order and repsond to our very obliging and engaging waiter in understandable French (wow, I am impressed with us!). We ordered Cafe au Lait and Crepes - mine with Grand Manier and Helen's with Creme Marron - both with Chantilly cream - yu-um! He very kindly offers to take a photo for us as soon as we have the camera out! But it paid off - he got a nice tip!

Cross the road to get a better photo of the Arc de Triomphe at the top of the road and find the banks are all on this side of the street - hurrah, we can replenish our dwindling cash! Then it is back across the road to go to the Virgin MegaStore so we can pre-buy our tickets for the Louvre tomorrow and so avoid the queues - we pay a tiny bit more, but well worth it. Continue down to get photos of the amazing gardens at Franklin Roosavelt Avenue - even though it is now winter and the blossoms are past their best, but the gardens are still stunning.

Then its on to the Metro to go back and have a look at Notre Dame and get there literally 5 minutes after they have closed. Helen had her first encounter with Gypsies around Paris today. Merv (the travel agent back in Maryborough) had warned her about the Africans selling souvenirs near the Eiffel Tower. But the Gypsies are another thing altogether. They are persistent and niggly - they invade your 'space' and here, the opening line is "Speak English?" so if you look dumb, don't make eye contact and just keep walking, the soon lose interest. I have been told by people in a number of cities as we have been travelling that the clever ones can bank up to €2,000 a week!

Afterwards we had a very ordinary dinner at Quasimodo Notre Dame. Guess that close to the Cathedral they serve a-la-tourist food - quick to cook, quick to serve. Get em in, get em fed, get em out!

So what stood out today? Gosh, what a stupid question - we are in Paris for gods sake! But the monuments and fountains are amazing as is the Paris skyline in general. And the Iron Lace on balconies gives the Parisian buildings a look of not only completedness, but also of eternal elegance. It does not matter that it differs from building to building. Because it all follows the same line, they look seamless. Absolutely fabulous!

We see the tunnel where Princess Diana met her death and remember where we were on that day. We hear the bells of the Cathedral chime out across the City.

The dinner cruise boats on the Seine are unbelievable. I mean there are boats running up and down all day long, but those at night have these incredibly strong lights that are directed to the shore. From the Eiffel Tower the other night they are so strong that when the are passing, you lose all your night vision. And when we are in the apartment, they light up both sides of the riverbank. I am so suprised that the powers that be have not legislated against them. It is the arrogance of the tourist industry and visual pollution at its very worst.

So a huge day and we get home knackered. Helen goes to bed early and will no doubt be up halfway during the night! Another big one tomorrow with the Louvre planned.

Iconic Paris - the ET

Tuesday 1 September 2009

It was a later start this morning. Although Helen would not admit to it, I could see that she needed sleep. We got up to a cool and wet morning. Very Parée! And yet the light is amazing - as Hels puts it beige on beige, oh no, make that champagne on champagne, but oh so elegant. Bum around just talking. I wash some clothes - the first washing I have done since leaving home (ah yes, thats right, Michael is in the Somme).

Skype is amazing tool - just imagine, if you close your eyes, you can really imagine that you are in the room with whoever you are talking with. Helen Skypes in to the family. I think that it will help Soph and Erin just to be able to see their mum each day. We work out that if we are online about 9 am then the girls and Greg are just arriving home from school - a good time to chat, before they get dinner.

OMG do you know what is exciting Helen? The sound of the police sirens! That is one of the dangers of travelling for a long time - you get used to the everyday and so no longer even hear them. But yes, they are different to home and at first they are exciting.

My sister Siobán is having a major operation today - Mum has flown to Brisbane where she has flown to from Port Moresby. I phone in because I have just found out that it is today (thanks Damien for letting me know) to catch Mum as she is waiting for the doctor - Siobán is prepped. So I'll catch up with them later tonight.

Its about 10:30 am and with no food in the unit, we head out to find some breakfast. We walk up the street passed Le Pont du Seine where we ate last night and keep walking in the direction of the Eiffel Tower, but find no other eateries in this direction, so we turn back. Next door to the restaurant is a brasserie/café and in we go and sit at two tables (cos we can, they are not busy) looking out across the street and to the rail bridge. Deux Café American, deux jus d'orange, deux croque monsieur. (Two american coffees, two orange juices and two ham and cheese toasted sandwiches). Ah, gay Parée! I thought that it was interesting that the waiter handed us English menus as soon as we sat - gosh, are we that obvious!

We sit, drinking in the atmosphere. Just sit. And look. And listen. And watch. We see not only the tourists as they push towards the tower, sometimes a little unsure, often a little nervous, but also the everyday around us. We see the local young guy handing out leaflets to passing motorists as they stop at the lights - and I amazed that most of them wind down the windows and take his leaflet - hah! us in Australia would tell them where to get off, or just ignore them. We see a young African (the city of full of them) flogging umbrellas to the unprepared getting off the metro - all with the Effiel Tower silhouette emblazed on it. We see a Parisian mother and daughter, cool, aloof and dressed rather eclectically but assured and looking beautiful not because they know that they are, but because they are just confident in who they are!

Oh my god. These croque monsieur are divine. The cheese has a magical crust and so creamy underneath. Yummo! There is a nice small salad on the side, but I am oh so over salads (cos you get them with every meal!) - just give me some nice v-e-g-e-t-a-b-l-e-s!

And we see two police on bikes pull up a delivery driver who is just about to pull away from his illegal parking spot outsidethe cafe. Ah, but that is not why they are pulling him up! They had ridden between the lanes of traffic and had smelt the joint he was smoking! The world around here just stopped and watched. The poor boy was mortified. He was frisk searched in full view of everyone, his jacket was emptied etc etc etc. Oh it was fun watching.

The rain is really set in. We head off to look for the local supermarket that I know is just down the street. And gee - there it is. Very IGA-ish as Helen described! But with grog!!! We buy staples - a Ficelle - a long thin loaf of bread, pain de choclat, and one with rhubarb (hello darling), a couple of different cheeses - reblochon and boursin, a bottle of rose and one of red, garlic olives, tarama and some fruit - bananas, green grapes and raspberries. Its too wet to go anywhere out in the open, so we opt to go back to the apartment.

My legs are killing me today - stairs yesterday I guess and hauling luggage! Neither of us has had enough sleep either. And so the best way to spend a wet and windy time - ha ha take to bed with a book. Well, maybe not even the book. We both slept despite the noise from the busy street below us. Actually, we slept 6 hours! So we obviously needed it! We woke after 6 pm really refreshed. And the afternoon light is just getting to that really beautiful type.

We set out to go and explore that iconic symbol that is more Parisian than Paris. The ET. The Eiffel Tower. We are staying just less than a kilometre from it. As we come passed the Australian Embassy we begin to see more and more of it towering over the trees. Its not long before I can point out to Helen the base of one of the piers.

At this time of the day, the views of the tower are amazing because the relief of the edges looks so sharp. And the moon is rising (I'm sure there is a song in that somewhere!) and visible between the arches with the backdrop of a Parisian skyscraper - nice! For a while Helen is almost struck dumb - yes! This symbol has meant something special to her for so long. And now, here she is. At it. Under it. In it.

After about half an hour just looking, we make our way over to buy tickets. Ha ha yeah, OK we make our way over to join the queue snaking its way through the grids that herd us like good little sheep - two by two, towards our goal. First we have to go through a security check and of course I set the beeper off as I walk through the detector. Back I go and the young man, proabable very bored with the repetitiveness of his long day, says "Ah madame, no smiling" with a twinkle in his eye. We exchange a few words and you can see that not enough people see these workers as other people rather than just a process. We decide that we will buy tickets to go ALLLL the way to the top (last time I was here we coud only go as far as the second level). Legs aches from shuffling a step or two at a time, but eventually we are at the lift. "Bonsoir madam" I say as we enter and again, we are rewarded with a smile and a "Bonsoir". Their days must be so monotonous!

We are airborne! Well, not quite, but we are moving upwards to the sky - packed like sardines into the lift. With an American couple that have latched on to us. Well, she did. Sheep like, he resignedly followed. She seems to want to stay with us, but thankfully, they do not have the luxury of time and so push on quite quickly once we are out.

Now, that first walk to the edge of the platform and the first look out over Paris is amazing. Helen vassilates between ahs and "Oh my gods" and total awestruck silence. Yep, no matter what you think of it, Paris has it. An absolute beauty as a space. And because the city is flat with a few minor hills, you can see for miles and miles. And in a surreal way, the major monuments (and there are heaps) rise out and stand in relief out of the all the other buildings that surrond them - it is truly amazing. There is no way I can adequately use words to describe it, you have to come and see what I mean for yourself!

We walk all around at this level gazing out through the cage and then go up one flight (blasted spiral stairs) to get a view without the cage, but set back about 4 metres. Photos, more photos, lots more photos. We both mourn the cameras lost - our good ones. But I truly wonder whether any camera we would have could ever be good enough to capture what we will forever carry in our hearts and our minds.

Finally, we get on to the next elevator and head for the top. Of course, after we join the queues and crawl along for about 20 minutes that is. The ride to the top is very different. Very fast, straight up and you watch the city fall away under your feet. and we get to the top and it is grossly overcrowded. You inch forward. There is no such thing as personal space up here. Everyone is in everyone's face and elbow ad back. We jostle to get the viewing spots we want, knowing that someone else is just beind you, wanting to have the same look, so you keep moving.

We see so much farther - right across the huge metropolis that is Paris, but we have lost the detail that is so obvious from the second level - the rooftops and the cars and the people like ants.
For the first ten minutes of each hour from sunset to 1 am, globes twinkle up and down the Eiffel Tower and there are two laser probes that chase each other across the horizon from the top. This means that for a while it positively sparkles and the energy that it throws out in terms of excitment is just amazing. So at midnight we are down at the foot of the tower looking to the heavens and taking photos of the spectacle along with a few others.

Once we had done this, we needed some sustenance. There is not much open at this time of the night so we cross the road on to the edge of the Pont d'Iéna, the bride that connects the Eiffel Tower with the Trocadero on the other side of the River Seine. Ah, here we buy exorbitantly priced hot chocolate with cream - but oh so delicious!

Its late. And we are tired. Exhilarated but tired. To end the night we decide to walk back along the right bank of the Seine - back to the Pont de Bir-Hakeim - the beautiful bridge that we can see from our apartment. Its one of those amazing pieces of architecture that is so symmetrical and beautiful for someone like me who just loves symmetry!

Back at the unit we are hungry (having had nothing to eat tonight!) We bring out the cheese and rosé and fruit and have a carpet picnic! Finally hit the bed well after 2 am and Helen at 3'ish.