Paris through the river Seine

My final blog entry on Paris is on the Seine. It is almost primal for human being to begin building a village / city along a river. River serves as the source of transport as well as livelihood. Seine River in this case is like the main vein of Paris city. Esthetically, Seine is being described by Mistinguett (a French music hall star) as a "pretty blonde with laughing eyes". In essence, the Seine is very much a part of Paris as much as Eiffel Tower. A trip to Paris is not complete without having a dance with this pretty blonde. This pretty blonde shows you everything beautiful, everything romantic and everything worthy of Paris.

Come, cruise away with me in this romantic city. If you have the La vie en Rose track, play it.

Le Pont Royal

Musee d'Orsay

Assemblee Nationale Palais-Bourbon

Pont Alexandre III

Sunset in Paris

Tour Eiffel

Musee d'Orsay

Les Vendettes du Pont-Neuf
A point where we can see the Island in the City

Notre Dame

Apartments in Ile St-Louis

Bridge,

bridge,

and more bridge. There are apparently a total of 37 bridges running across the Seine

La Conciergerie

Paris ... go and you shall not be disappointed.

Location : Paris, France

Date of travel : February 2012, Winter

The hilltop Montmartre

I know very little of Montmartre but took the Metro here nonetheless to see one of the most beautiful church in Paris.

Turns out this little village that sits on top of the hill is very charming and beautiful.

The village is almost completely covered in cobblestones. The streets are winding and ascending and takes a lot of energy to climb your way up. That though didn't take away the joy and excitement to see this side of Paris that is to me very quintessentially France.

Most surprising is of course the spectacular view that the top of the hill offers - the Paris skyline!

The star attraction of Montmartre in none other than the Sacre Coeur Basilica.

Two catholic businessmen made a private religious vow to build a church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Christ should France be sparred the impending Prussian onslaught. In 1875, Sacre Coeur Basilica begins to be build.

The statue of Joan of Arc.

The Ovoid Dome is the second highest point in Paris after Eiffel Tower.

Visitors are not allow to take picture inside but I still remember how my mouth just went agape when I entered the church. The huge mosaic ceiling of Christ with open arms just engulfed me entirely. I feel like I have come face-to-face with Jesus and he is looking directly at me. Definitely a must visit.

Still looking magnificient and huge from far away.

Mime artist in all white looking almost like a statue

You know in every city, there is a place where all the artists congregate to display their art and crafts and talent. Place du Tertre in Paris is this place as in Convent Garden in London. 

Located right behind the Sacre Coeur Basilica, all visitors that comes to Montmartre will definitely stop by in Place du Tertre. Well if you don't, then they will make sure you do. The moment I walked towards the square, sketch artists run rampant approaching visitors to let them sketch their portrait, of course at a fee.

"Mademoiselle, mademoiselle, your face is so beautiful. Let me sketch you." OK, it was quite good for ego boosting for awhile until they follow you everywhere; it became annoying after awhile. Otherwise, having French artists telling you your face is beautiful is always welcome.

Another mime artist. 

Place du Tertre

Location : Montmartre, Paris, France.

Next, Paris through the river Seine

   

From The Gates of Hell to The Tower of Glory

This blog is gonna make you gag looking at way too many shots of the monument of Paris, the Eiffel Tower. I mean, the Parisians might say it looks, "hideous, hideous", but for foreigners like us who spend half their life looking at the tower from the TV screen, it is simply "glorious, glorious".

Anyway, before I go to Eiffel Tower, let me spend a little bit of time going to a museum that is on my must-go-list in the itinerary after The Louvre.

This museum is one of the smaller museums compared to the giants of the like of Louvre or Orsay. It is actually located in a 18th-century mansion whom the artist used to stay and create his work of art. Yes, it is none other than the Musee Rodin.

Auguste Rodin stayed in this mansion from 1908 until his death in 1917. In return for a state-owned flat and studio, Rodin left his work to the nation and it is now being exhibited right here, the place where he sculpted all his masterpieces. I am a fan of sculptures and to be able to come here to see the masterpiece of Rodin's work is just unbelievable.

La Porte de l'Enfer / The Gates of Hell

Most of Rodin's famous sculptures revolves around Dante's poem, Inferno. The main piece is of course none other than 'The Gates of Hell'.  I have always like Dante's poem and to be able to see with my own eyes a sculpture that is created based on this epic poem is like a dream come true. I sat in front of this sculpture, refused to move to just take in everything ... feel it, listen to it.

Through me you go to the grief wracked city

Through me you go to everlasting pain

Through me you go a pass among lost souls

Justice inspired my exalted Creator

I am a creature of the Holiest Power, of Wisdom in the Highest and of Primal Love

Nothing till I was made, only eternal beings, and I endured eternally,

Abandon all hope - Ye Who Enter Here

From The Gates of Hell, some of the sculpture were enlarged and made an art on its own. Three of the most well known ones are:

Les trois Ombre / The Three Shades

1.The Three Shades (Les trois Ombre) were located on the top of The Gates of Hell pointing to the phrase - Abandon all hopes, you who enter here.

Le Penseur / The Thinker

2. The Thinker sits just on top of the door panels looking down at all the sufferings human is going through because of sin in the nine circles of hell. The Thinker could be Dante or Adam. 

Le Baiser / The Kiss
Note : I found this sculpture in front of Musee de L Orangerie instead of Musee Rodin

3. The forbidden kiss of Paolo and Francesca. Because Francesca is married, their kiss condemned them to wander eternally in hell.

Other Rodin's work of art.

Monument to Balzac

Monument to Victor Hugo

Monument to James McNeill Whistler

I feel that I'm most connected to the work of Auguste Rodin in all the work of arts that I managed to see in my visits to the museums around Paris. To be able to connect an epic poem that I personally like so much to original pieces of art that is sculpted to manifest the meaning of the poem into something we can touch and see is just so amazing to me.

On my way out of Musee Rodin, I passed by some more of beautiful buildings that I did not go in but managed to snap a shot or two.

Dome Church
It took 27 years to build and in the crypt lies Napoleon.

Hotel des Invalides
It is a hospital and home for French war veterans

The facade of Hotel des Invalides
It is 196m long

OMG, OMG, I'm here, I'm here. I'm in Paris! Tour Eiffel ... needs no introduction, needs no explanation. So I'm just gonna feed pictures and pictures of the tower, well 10 of my best various shots.

1. From Champ-de-Mars

2. From Le Mur de la Paix

3. From Champ-de-Mars in black and white

4. From the bottom of Tour Eiffel

5. From across Seine River

6. From Trocadero fountains

7. From Palais de Chaillot

8. From Palais de Chaillot in black and white

9. From Palais de Chaillot in black and white

10. Tour Eiffel in twilight

And the best shot is ....



Location : Invalides, Eiffel Tower Quarter and Chaillot Quarter, Paris, France

Next, The hilltop Montmartre