urbansuburban (a Gillefond adventure): les touristes

No, our Parisian vacation was not all espresso, wine and croissants. We did actually do the tourist thing quite well, hitting all of the major (and some minor) spots. We got the 4-day museum pass, which allows fast line-jumping entry to most major museums in the city. We broke even (if not more), but not having to wait in line in the rain and cold made it all worth it- I highly recommend. We also did a lot of things on off hours (like at night) because we were ~~hungover and sleepy~~ wise travellers.

tentative plan. day 1.

Bastille. Stormed.

Do you hear the people sing?

if I had this view, I'd also write a great novel turned musical

Sacre Coeur

view from Montmarte

ah!

Musee Montmarte, former home of, and place of inspiration for , Renoir

Chat Noir. Really? In Montmarte? Must be planted, right?

In Renoir's gardens --

inspiration

art

doing my best muse, didnt stand on it for fear of getting yelled at

Having a toddler who speaks French, I only know French toddler nouns- animals, food, colors, body parts. So I was very excited to see this sign.

obviously

Notre Dame and St Chapelle

Ceiling of St Chapelle. Its a really tiny chapel but definitely our favorite of the trip. And when in Europe, you see a lot of chapels!

door

altar to house the crown of thorns....supposedly

restoration

crown goes here, they bring it out 2x/year

always studying

don't forget to look down

another ceiling

The Ministry of Justice and Conciergerie (prison museum- got to visit Marie Antoinette's cell where she "lived" before she got the axe).

exhibit in the museum, these wax humans were on motorized wheelchairs and it was terrifying.

drugs as art. I dig.

guillotine blade- not sharp at all. eek.

Notre Dame

I'm entertained by the fact that there is an automated teller for confessions, and the confessionals are just chairs behind a clear glass wall.

love these orange blossoms all over the cathedral- similar to Reggie's wedding band

that's a whole lotta intentions

again, really into the ceilings. These fabrics are actually marble

Musee D'Orsay is everything someone with absolutely no art history/appreciation knowledge can enjoy- it is a collection of beautiful, famous, accessible pieces housed in a gorgeous old train station.

Musee Rodin was one of my favorites. Housed in Rodin's former mansion (palace?), it is surrounded by gardens containing his bronze sculpture. Even on a rainy grey day it was beautiful.

raindrops on a rose- could not have set it up better myself if I'd tried!

The Thinker -- Le Penseur

and scene

Then we marched over to Les Invalides, a huge military museum and defense department

love that sky

These conical conifers are so French!

Napoleon's tomb. Big box for such a little guy

all for Napoleon and his entourage

Place de la Concorde- former site of executions during the Revolution, now it's a central point between many tourist attractions (Champs Elysses, Tour Eiffel, etc)

walking up the champs elysses

Arc d' triomphe

Surrounding gardens and parks

Tour Eiffel! We went at night, and though Im afraid of heights and really didnt want to go up, I was the nice travel partner and waited in the 45 min line to go up. The views were decent, despite the fact it was rainy (and cold!). We made up for it with a great meal and beaucoup de vin after.

arc de triomphe in the center

Sacre Coeur in center background

view up from the 2nd level

Of course we had to go to the Opera Garnier- the Paris Opera House. The Phantom of the Opera took place here, and that's my favorite musical so I am a HUGE geek when it comes to this piece of history.

Masquerade! Paper faces on parade...

To see inside the house itself, and not just the foyer and lobbies, you have to book a reservation for a guided tour. We didn't know this, but lucky for us found an open door in the mezzanine and peaked inside!