paris - monuments

La Cathedrale de Notre Dame stands proudly on the larger of the two islands splitting the Seine in the middle of Paris, Ile de la Cite. It is not difficult to recognize immediately why this cathedral is "le plus connu de Paris." It has been characterized in countless films and other media, but
nothing parallels seeing it in person.

The biggest mistake a tourist can make, however, is walking in the church before contemplating the incredible gothic architecture. The North Tower houses some of the most ferocious-looking gargoyles, invoking thought back to the years from 1163 to 1345 when the structure was being built. What were the artists thinking and feeling when they formed these wretched yet intriguing creatures? Some sit with pursed brow as if deep in thought, some crouch with claws perched at
their sides if ready to fly off to attack prey, and still others lean out into space, as if to keep watch of the city below them. It is possible that some chunks of stone have fallen from their stern faces over the many years, but this only gives them more credibility.

Considering the many centuries of time the edifice has spanned only adds to the appreciation of the long-lasting structure and its detail. In viewing Notre Dame from the park behind it, the ornate flying buttresses are simply awe-inspiring. They seem to stream off of the church structure in a beautiful current of symmetry and harmony to complete the regal cathedral. There is no architecture of this caliber and age for Americans to appreciate in their country; it is truly a
unique experience. While admiring the church from behind, the natural flowers and trees in the park add tranquility to the majesty, making for a very pleasant experience.

Across the street, tourists and Parisians alike can relax at a small café, sip their tea and coffee, and continue to take in the noble view of the cathedral, for what they can see through the trees.
Even after doing all this during a Tuesday afternoon on April 29, 2003 and having a certainly aesthetically-pleasing experience, I was drawn back to the gothic architecture. The gargoyles and buttresses, all of the intricacies of the artist's hand in the making of this building, were
drawing me back if for no other reason than to simply enjoy and appreciate their beauty.

Thank you , Amanda Heisman

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Whitney Wickham :

At the start of this summer, I had the privilege to visit some of the most famous museums in Paris. For me the most memorable would be Le Louvre. This massive museum is not what it appears to be, unless you think it looks like a palace. If so, this thought is true. Le Louvre was home to some of France’s leaders at one time, however now it holds some of the world’s famous paintings, sculptures, and historical items.

Not only is the Louvre a palace, but it holds a palace in Sully Access. The remains of the Phillippe-Auguste fort, built in 1190, still stand within the walls of the Louvre. Because the Phillippe-Auguste fort was built in the middle ages you are not allowed to go to close or touch the stone, however it is an amazing site to see a thirty or so foot wall from 1190 still standing. The Louvre has even constructed a small model of what they believe the fort looked like in the days before the Louvre.

In the actual Louvre, there are also the remains of Napoleon the III apartments. I did not actually witness all of the rooms because of restoration, but what I did see was amazing. Connecting the starting room to the actual apartments there is a hallway with a grand staircase to the right. There were beautiful red carpets stretching along the corridor. This gave the room the flare of royalty. As well as Henri and Napoleon, there was Louis the XIV. Louis was the last King to live in the Louvre before the Palace at Versailles was built, in which he later moved.

The paintings in the Louvre are something to behold as well. To walk the entire museum and see every painting I was one would need to walk thirty-five miles. I myself did not walk the entire thirty-five, however I did make my way to the Mona Lisa. This painting is probably the most well known throughout the entire museum. Because it is a painting from the renisance and the famous Da Vinci there is no flash photography, and once again, there is an issue of closeness. Moving on down the hall there was The Wedding Feast at Cana by Veronese. This massive painting was astounding to look at. It’s size was enormous and the detail even more so. On the main staircase to the paintings, The Winged Victory of Samothrace stands towering over the onlookers. The Louvre also houses the Venus de Milo.

Not only do the Louvre house paintings and sculptures, but also some artifacts from the orient, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They have their own Mummy. There are halls dedicated to each of these areas. I spent most of my time in Egypt. I walked into an Egyptian tomb and learned about their history. I also saw through diagrams how they made mummies. They even had a section from the book of the dead.
In conclusion the Louvre not only was once a palace, it is now one of the most amazing museums in the world. The Louvre have a history of it’s own, but it also houses history. I recommend everyone to visit at least once in his or her lifetime.

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Barbara Bode :

Hope and the Viaduc

Artisans, craftspeople and other blue-collar workers laboring in workshops and smithies: that describes the neighborhood around the Gare de Lyon in the 12th arr. of Paris ever since the Middle Ages. Today the recently restored Viaduc des Arts reflects that history.

Built in 1859 to support the railway connecting the Bastille to Vincennes, the trackbed has been transformed into a linear park with trellises and an array of botanical beauties. The green walkway stretches on -- commerce-free -- for nearly three miles along but above the Av.Daumesnil.

It offers a steady counterpoint to the creative energy generated by the restorers, designers, jewelry makers and other craftspeople working below. Housed in each of the viaduct's arches is a mélange of ateliers, workshops and design studios. What goes on inside each is constant change.

Every so often something pops up, however, that is totally unpredictable and grabs attention.

Polka-dotted light bulbs with beads and silicon wire horns, for example. They stand out amid the velvet cushions and general opulence of the Viaduc, also known as the "temple of arts and crafts." They are showcased in the atelier of designer Cyrille Varet (67 Ave. Daumesnil, 12 a.). In their glow is a poster promoting condom use.

They signify an extraordinary humanitarian effort. Designer Varet is bringing these lights made by women with HIV and AIDS in South African townships to a network of boutiques and prestigious department stores like Galleries Lafayette in Europe and Africa.

A chance encounter with a South African designer at the World AIDS Conference in Barcelona last year led Varet to this new mission. The South African was working with seropositive women to produce the decorated bulbs. Varet plumbed his network of upscale retailers to promote them. Forty-five agreed.

World AIDS day December 2002 was the launch date. They named their effort " Ithemba," meaning "hope" in Xhasa. Within the first two months some 3500 decorated bulbs sold. Profits from sales return to the women crafters.

Given the initial success, Ithemba is expanding the product line and the number of women involved in production. More retailers also are joining the network.

The spirit of the medieval artisans and craftspeople from this Gare de Lyon neighborhood is alive in the modern light bulb designers of the townships. They have arrived at the right marketplace.

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Nolde Alexius

From the top of the Eiffel Tower, the river Seine looks like a smooth iron beam fixed in place to hold together the textured, livable spaces of Paris. If you regard the Left and Right Banks as two dresses, the Seine is the hem of one for a cocktail party and the collar of another for church. Maybe you're an artist, and see the river's similarity in shape to a wing of one of Van Gogh's crows.

The Seine is the point of reference for everyone in the city, visitor or native. Its banks provide the setting for any activity: kissing, walking, dreaming, eating, whispering, reading, or painting. You can take a boat trip
and admire the diverse architecture of 32 bridges that reach across the river's Parisian stretch. On any of those bridges, you can stop for a quiet moment, eat a crepe, or take a beautiful photograph.

But the Seine is an elusive experience. To treat this river as spectacle, however reverently, will not yield a feeling of connection with it.

You could jump, as some do wildly, into it between boats' passages when the water is most calm. You may conclude after staying in Paris for awhile that that is the only way to satisfy your curiosity.

The Seine is a challenge, so time spent there is more important than any other stop you can make in the City of Lights.

How should people enjoy a river?

For the second summer in a row, there is Paris Plage; which is, if not the ultimate solution, then further evidence that a deeper experience of the river is what everyone in Paris wants.

Opened in 2002 by Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, Paris Plage is an urban beach occupying the bank of the Seine from the Ile St. Louis to the Jardin Tuileries. Blue flags along the river announce its location with ease.
Plenty of chaise lounges and beach umbrellas are provided for public use in the imported sand. There is room for a picnic or building sandcastles. Voie Georges Pompidou is given over to pedestrians.

Just as you do at the ocean, if you become restless at Paris Plage you push yourself upright and walk, unencumbered. You stroll. You look at the water. In this way the feeling of a beach is created successfully at the Seine. But here, stepping from the sand to the road, you must move with the crowd. From the perspective of those still lounging, you are the waves, the seashells, the strange sea creatures, the message in a bottle, the fins of porpoises.

However you can, see the Seine.

Go, because you will never be able to say exactly what draws you there.

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Unknow

Getting to know Queen Marie de Medici in the Luxembourg Gardens is a rewarding experience. Approach from the left bank via the Rue de Tuornon, and enjoy a pleasant stroll. The street is lined with boutiques with wares ranging from baby clothes to incense. The street terminates at the front of the Luxembourg Palace.

After the death of her husband, French King Henry IV, in 1610, Marie de Medici commissioned Salomon de Brosse to design the palace in the familiar style of her family residence in her native Florence. Enter the gardens to the left of the palace building. Proceed toward the back of the palace, and look to your left for the Medici Fountain, a Baroque style fountain. Marie de Medici commissioned the fountain in 1624, architect now unknown.

In the Luxembourg Gardens we can look upon the visage of Marie de Medici, daughter of Francesco de Medici the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Queen of France. Continue from the fountain back to the right of the octagonal pool and ascend the staircase. Her statue is on the left toward the tree line.

The sculpture depicts a woman very much in control. Marie de Medici looks forward with stern gaze and controlled coiffure. In her right hand the Queen holds a scepter, a symbol of power dating back to ancient times. She wears a large ruff with a flowing cape over her formal gown. The bodice of the gown has a lace collar, a beaded geometric decorative panel down the center, and ends in lace trim. The sleeves of her gown are similarly trimmed. Resting on her bosom, a cross signifies her Christianity. A heavy flowing skirt completes the ensemble.

In addition to these trappings of wealth, the sculptor grounds her erect posture by displaying the tip of her right shoe. This small but important feature firmly establishes that the figure has legs and is not simply floating in a skirt. Standing with one foot slightly forward demonstrates the potential for movement and enlivens the figure.

Were the figure truly alive, Marie de Medici might be surprised at the sight before her. She was exiled from France before the completion of the palace in 1631.

The palace was used as a royal residence up until the time of the revolution, when it served as a prison for a short time. The palace took up its final incarnation as home of the French Senate in 1804. The gardens later opened to the public. Today the Queen Mother might see a young French family with a stroller and bicycle walking through the park, or Parisians visiting among the chairs lining the flowerbeds and pools.

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Diane Lawyer

Rue Cler is a charming, pedestrian street located in the 7th arrondissement or Eiffel Tower district, metro Ecole Militaire. Paris is dotted with small street markets or open-air food markets frequented by neighborhood Parisians. Rue Cler boasts one of the most lavish and upscale, permanent street markets in all of Paris.

When exiting the Ecole Militaire metro stop onto rue de la Motte Picquet, walk one block northeast to rue Cler. This bustling spot is nearly center of the triangle formed by Ecole Militaire, the Eiffel Tower, and les Dome Invalides (where Napoleon’s Tomb is located). Rue Cler abuts rue de la Motte Picquet at one end and rue St. Dominique at the other.

Rue Cler’s street is cobbled and a mere three blocks long, but wide by Parisian standards. The open-air food market of rue Cler lines both sides of the street for two blocks. The shops in the market offer delectable fresh vegetables, fragrant flowers, bountiful fruits, aromatic cheeses, elegant chocolates, perfect pastries and breads, wines, all varieties of fresh fish, meat and poultry, a delicatessen, inviting restaurants, busy cafes, several boutique hotels in the vicinity, a drugstore, a bank, a grocery store, a post office and even a corner crêperie.

While visiting rue Cler’s open-air market, one is presented a smorgasbord of shops and gives meaning to Hemingway’s statement, “Paris is a movable feast”. The shops along Rue Cler offer a variety of foods such that any taste or mood can be satisfied, from a quick snack to a gourmet meal. As the Eiffel Tower is nearby, consider purchasing a picnic basket and fill it with wine, bread, and delicacies. For less than the cost of a restaurant meal, you can enjoy lunch with one of the most captivating views in the world.

Rue Cler truly is the quintessential Parisian neighborhood. One could live quite well in these few blocks of Paris with little need for venturing outside and still experience most of what Parisian living has to offer. But it is Paris after all, the City of Light, so rue Cler is the perfect jumping off point for exploring what is arguably the most beautiful city in the world.

Rue Cler is within walking distance of a number of the most famous sites in all of Paris. Consider the following:

Eiffel Tower (4 blocks)
Parc Champ de Mars (3 blocks)
les Invalides, (2 blocks)
du Musée Rodin (3 blocks)
the Seine (5 blocks)

Many feel the best way to experience Paris when visiting is to stay in an area that allows one to see Paris as much from a Parisian’s view as possible. Rue Cler offers just such an opportunity.

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William Cole

Many people insist that Paris is absolutely the most exciting city in the world. Does that make us believe it? Well, just one visit spells “love” at first sight! All of the talking about this fabulous city can never do it justice, for one must experience the thrill first hand in order to really feel the surge of awe.

With a definite sense of humility I make mention that I have been blessed in the good fortune to have visited this spectacular paradise every year since 1983; and, we are still as excited about every nook and hidden treasure in this city as we were twenty years ago. You simply cannot get enough! And, the pleasant surprises just keep coming each and every year!

During these past twenty years we have seen very attractive exchange rates (bargains galore!); but, we have also endured those periods when the US dollar was a sad state of affairs. But, those “unattractive” rates merely opened up opportunities for us to sharpen our pencils and tune up our “shopping tools”. These have been the times we have found ourselves searching, researching, studying, and investigating the real depths of Paris. And, is that ever fun!

That’s when we use our noses to seek out the unique, quaint restaurants in those tucked away neighborhoods. Once your nose tells you that “all is OK”, you take a quick peak at the prices ……. always posted in plain view; and, if it appears to fit your budget, you enter for a superb treat! There are really NO terrible restaurants in all of Paris. Sure, some may be better than others; but, those Parisians are outstanding chefs! So, one doesn’t have to fret much as you become adventurous. In fact, we have discovered that these “sought out” treasures are far better than most restaurants that advertise heavily to attract the valuable tourist. What a joy it is to find these jewels all on your own!

We found one of these special restaurants about four years ago while strolling up Rue Saint-Simon; and, we always eat there as many times as possible each time we visit. We stumbled upon this one while staying in the 7th Arrondissement for a thirty day rental of an apartment near the junction of Rue de Bac and St. Germain and Boulevard Raspail.

Up until then most of our stays had been in the 1st Arrondissement, or nearby on the “right bank” of the Seine. An advertisement in an international newspaper led us to an apartment rental; and, we fell in love with this part of the “left bank”. We discovered that there are perpetual gifts of beautiful sights in the most unusual places all over Paris; and, we were certainly basking in the pleasure of this neighborhood!
Yes, it took us a number of visits to Paris before we found “love at first sight” in this 7th Arrondissement. The shopping is so truly French in this part of the city. From the grandness of the department store (Bon Marche) to the small local shops, one really feels the splendid culture come alive! Just an evening stroll down Boulevard Raspail and taking in the beauty of the lights, public parks, and good old fashioned “people watching” is a bountiful gift for all!

Even though French is the preferred language at most of these special “finds”, a little effort to speak French and respect of the culture reaps huge benefits. My companion speaks French perfectly (having studied and practiced for nine years formally); however, I can only trip and stumble around dangerously as I attempt to communicate with my French friends. But, I find that the true Parisians rush to help me in every way possible at every opportunity; and, I often end up being hosted more graciously than my companion. A friendly smile; a warm greeting of “bon jour”; a simple “merci”; politeness (as mother taught us); an expression of some etiquette……. these cut right through the barriers and universal love takes over!
There is NO bad time to visit Paris. We have traveled there in each of the twelve months and have always had a wonderful experience! Of course there are better months than some; but, Paris is Paris! Spring, summer, fall, and even wintertime are all spectacular. We hesitated to visit during the winter and then fell in love with Christmastime in Paris. What breathtaking decorations overwhelm the city! The Champs d’Elysee lights up promptly at 5 PM every evening with a rousing cheer from young and old as the crowds stand in awe at the beauty, up and down this gorgeous avenue. It just takes your breath away.

In these twenty years we have spent about 300 days in this city; and, we are still enjoying new things each year. There is no such thing as “too much” of Paris. Even as I write this manuscript I feel the anticipation and thrill of being able to go “one more time”! What’s not to love about Paris?

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