Bonne Année from Paris

Happy New Year family and friends!  May 2014 be even more wonderful than the last year.

Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine and L'Hôtel national des Invalides

Today was another full day of exploring.  After breakfast, Eric and I took the metro over to the Trocadéro and went to the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, the museum of architecture.  Honestly, I had never heard of it and was a little nervous that I would be totally bored, but ended up really impressed with the works inside.  Basically, architectures have been taking molding of historical buildings so if there is damage they can recreate what is lost.  Cool idea, especially after all the reconstruction that was done after WWII.  The place is huge with rooms off rooms and I am pretty sure I saw everything, but got turned around a couple times and was just thankful I found my way back to the main room.

After, we headed over to L'Hôtel national des Invalides, which is the military museum and site of Napoleon's tomb.  Unfortunately we got there pretty late in the day and only had time to make it through the WWI and WWII rooms before it closed.  A bit of a disappointment, but the war rooms really made me sad that the history taught in schools in the States is not really an accurate account of what the war was really like.  More to read about when I am done with my degree and back to reading for pleasure, which I am sure will be good news for my Grandpa! :-)

Plaster casting from a cathedral wall

Water spout or ... GARGOYLE!

Just one piece of a stained glass that was so large I had to take three photos to get all of it

A larges section of the above... look at that detail

From the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel... a little odd

Demon from a twelfth century painting that has been recreated

So creepy I cannot even describe it... 

Some good propaganda from the war

Totally PC propaganda

Scary kitty... join the Tanks!

Musée d'Orsay and Notre Dame de Paris

For Sunday, 29 December, Eric and I went to Musée d'Orsay to look at the Impressionist wing.  To see some of these paintings up close was amazing; some are much larger than I realized while others were smaller.  I think one of the real highlights was seeing Degas' bronze ballerinas.  Unfortunately, no photos are allowed inside the d'Orsay, so I am adding some images from the web of what we saw.

After the d'Orsay, we walked over and spent time at Notre Dame de Paris.  I really enjoy visiting cathedrals and this is the one to beat.  It is huge, the detail work is stunning, and there are gargoyles!  The cathedral is on an island in the middle of the Seine, Île de la Cité, and a great place to see both sides of the river and get a feel for the city.

Degas - 1

Degas - 2

Monet - 1

Monet - 2

Notre Dame de Paris

Gargoyles!

As you enter the chapel

Joan of Arc

Amazing stained glass

There were several down the middle of the chapel providing low lighting before the service began

Prayer candles

Père Lachaise Cemetery

On Saturday, 29 December, we decided to take the metro out to the Cemetery and wonder around.  This place is like nothing I have seen in the States; 110 acres of cemetery with over one million interments and several cobble-stone paths that allow people to walk the entire area.  The graves range from very basic small headstones all the way to massive monuments.  It is quiet inside the walls, you almost forget you are in a busy city.  It was a long day of walking, and not something every tourist plans to visit, but worth the trip for a quiet day.

Some families have small areas to enter, say a prayer, and leave flowers.  Usually there are entire families buried in this same spot.

Oliver Wilde's grave is a little over the top and was covered in lipstick kisses. Many have been sandblasted off and glass has now been put up, but people leave lipstick on the glass.

I love stained glass

The top of a fun grave

Seems to go on and on...

Grave cat

Chopin

Bats in the graveyard, good luck?

Jim Morrison

The metro stop outside the one entrance

Paris - Deuxième Partie

I am back in Paris until 3 January 2014 with my friend Eric.  We both arrived on 27 December and spent the day getting to the studio we rented, figuring out where in the city we were, and getting food.  This is Eric's first time to Paris, and Europe in general, so we have been packing quite a bit into our days, but it has been a blast.  Here are some photos from around, the others will be posted based on what we did for the day.  I hope you enjoy and get inspired to travel around and see what the world has to offer.

Luxor Obelisk outside the Place de la Concorde

A fun entrance to the Metro

The Opera

Yup, a Scottish pub at the end of our street called the Highlander... it was like it was meant to be

I can pretty much look at the Eiffel all day and be a happy little camper

I love it even more at night when it is all pretty with the lights on

A Highlands Christmas

My first term at St. Andrews is over and the holidays are here!  I made the choice to stay over on this side of the world for the holidays, which was not an easy choice to make at all, but I am making the most of it by traveling.  My first trip was to the Highlands of Scotland for a Christmas tour/party.  I highly recommend Haggis Adventures for anyone wanting a fun, informative, quick trip around one part of Scotland.  Our tour guide/bus driver was Paddy (Patrick), and he was entertaining and knowledgeable.  The trip was a short three days, but we made it to many major locations in the Highlands, had some great meals at the Royal Highland Hotel in Inverness, and even went out clubbing on Christmas Eve (a first for me for sure).  I still am in awe of the history and events that have happened over here and after this trip am looking forward to learning more.

I missed my family like crazy, although I was lucky enough to be able to see most of them via Skype, and this trip just helped me to take my mind off that and meet new people.

First stop was the Wallace Monument in Stirling

It was too early in the morning to go in, but we had a fun hike up to the Monument anyway

A monument to all the Munros in Scotland, there is one stone from each Munro in there

The Royal Highland Hotel main staircase... they claim the Titanic was designed based on this

A festive bus group

Fisherman's wife monument on the North Sea coast with presents from people in town

Santa even managed to get my stocking to me on the bus

A little Christmas whiskey 

Loch Ness was a little cold and windy

I think the Highlands are my favorite part of Scotland so far

Monument for the Battle of Culloden

Highland Cows! They are amazing creatures for sure...