HAERR TRIPPIN'

The Louvre & The Eiffel Tower...

When Bob and Annie met us in 2000, they had just come for the day from London so an explore of Le musée du Louvre wasn't possible. Today, we made up for it by getting lost for hours.

The Louvre, once a royal palace, bears witness to eight centuries of French history. From the time of its founding in 1793, the museum was intended to be universal. Its collections, among the finest in the world, span several thousand years and an area stretching from America to the confines of Asia.

The Louvre began as a fortress with thick defensive walls, built in 1190 during the reign of Philippe Auguste. It became a royal residence in 1364 and was modified over the centuries according to changing styles and royal preferences. The Grande Galerie was built between 1595 and 1610, during the reign of Henri IV.

In 1791, during the French Revolution, it was decreed that the Louvre should become a museum of the arts. The Musée Central des Arts was inaugurated in 1793, and thereafter the palace was increasingly given over to the museum collections and their display to the public. So here we were, giddy with the masses.

We arrived with a 'shopping list' of those works we hoped to ogle. We were so surprised to actually see, much less be photographed with Leonardo da Vinci's Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, Wife of Francesco del Giocondo, known as the Mona Lisa.

"Some artworks have survived over the centuries and made such a mark on history that we cannot imagine the world without them. Their influence has spread across borders and cultures, and to this day they continue to be distinguished by experts and admired by all. Where better than the Louvre to get a sense of these great artworks? The palace is home to some of the world’s most iconic pieces – paintings, sculptures, architectural elements and art objects by famous or anonymous artists of many different origins and eras. And no two masterpieces are alike!"

"The Wedding Feast at Cana (Nozze di Cana, 1562–1563), by Paolo Veronese, is a representational painting that depicts the biblical story at which Jesus miraculously converts water into red wine (John 2:1–11). Executed in the Mannerist style (1520–1600) of the late Renaissance, the large-format (22 feet × 33 feet) oil painting comprehends the stylistic ideal of compositional harmony, as practiced by the artists Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo." It is also the largest painting in the Louvre!

Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix was one of the tops on my list. Delacroix is regarded as one of the great Romantic painters. Contrary to popular belief, Liberty Leading the People does not portray the French Revolution of 1789, but the three-day uprising of July 1830 when Parisians took to the streets to defend their freedoms – that of the press in particular – from the tyrannical rule of Charles X.

In this work described by Delacroix as ‘a modern subject, a barricade’, the allegorical figure of Liberty has something of the beauty of a Greek goddess but is personified by a sensual and vibrant woman of the people. This painting, the most famous by Delacroix, has been referenced in all kinds of freedom fights.

This da Vinci, The Virgin of the Rocks, was new to us. How exciting to see more than just Mona.

I remember Ghirlandaio's Portrait of an Old Man and His Grandson (1490) from my art history class in school. One of Ghirlandaio's best-known works, it is considered notable for its emotional poignancy. There is something so sweet in it.

"Standing at the top of the Daru staircase, The Winged Victory of Samothrace is a timeless icon of Western art. The monument was found on the island of Samothrace, in the sanctuary of the ‘Great Gods’ to whom people prayed for protection from the dangers of the sea. The figure, spectacularly placed in a rock niche high above the sanctuary, was designed to be seen in three-quarter view from the left – a view which highlights the billowing cloak and clinging ‘wet drapery’. The wings, the warship, the sanctuary… all point to the goddess Nike, the messenger of victory."

"Perhaps the gentleness of her gaze and the slant of her hips would in any case have distinguished her from other sculpted goddesses… but this particular Venus carved out a reputation for herself as soon as she entered the Louvre. The statue was found on the Greek island of Melos (or Milos, as it is known today) and presented to King Louis XVIII, who gave it to the Louvre in 1821. Six years earlier, following Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, the Treaty of Vienna had stipulated that some 5,000 artworks seized by Napoleon’s troops should be returned to their owners. As a result, the Louvre lost many of the artworks (antiquities in particular) that had contributed to its status as the world’s greatest museum under the First Empire (1804–1815). So the Venus de Milo was welcomed with open arms and hailed as a masterpiece. Her appeal is still as strong as ever and she continues to be widely copied and referenced in art and popular culture."

How gorgeous are these 'ladies' behind Bob and Annie? Under Henri II, the Louvre completed its transition from a medieval fortress into a Renaissance palace. The Salle des Cariatides was originally a splendid ballroom, designed in classical style by the architect Pierre Lescot. It has a musicians’ gallery, supported by four Roman-inspired ‘caryatids’;(by Jean Goujon) these sculpted female figures serving as columns were the architect’s way of elevating King Henri II to the status of the Roman emperor Augustus!

Another on the must see list is Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss by Antonio Canova. First commissioned in 1787, it is regarded as a masterpiece of Neoclassical sculpture, but shows the mythological lovers at a moment of great emotion, characteristic of the emerging movement of Romanticism.

While touring the Louvre, very now and then one should look out the windows to see the art outside. Wow.

Paris has hosted two prior Olympiads: 1900 and 1924. It will be the second city (the other was London), in the Modern Games, to have hosted three Olympiads when it hosts this Summer's Olympics. While the town is alive with preparations, it was interesting to see the history of the two previous hostings here in the Louvre.

King Louis XIV famously identified himself with the sun god Apollo and this splendid gallery was the first tangible representation of that image. To create this masterpiece of architectural decoration, he summoned the greatest painters, gilders and sculptors of the day, who later worked on the Hall of Mirrors at the Château de Versailles. Today, the Galerie d’Apollon is home to the royal collection of hardstone vessels and the French Crown Jewels.

This was a must for Annie.

After our explore of the Louvre, Steve met us at the base of the Eiffel Tower. This is my favorite photo of the day! We finally made it.

A late lunch was savored at the adorable Le Fleur Café for our last meal together in Paris.

We bid adieu to Paris. On to Avignon.

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Friends & The Opera

When we shared plans for this trip to Paris with Annie and Bob they instantly said, "Let's meet in Paris". The last time we shared plans to be in Paris was in 2000 and they said the same thing. Guess who we met up with today in Paris?

Well here it is 24 years later and we're together again in the City of Light!

After taking the Chunnel from London, we met for coffees and then dinner at the trés bonne Entracte Opera (which means intermission). The location, waiter, and food could not have been better.

Our plan for the night was to experience "The Mysteries of the Palais Garnier (after closing): Discover all the secrets of the Paris Opera in this visit outside opening hours to the general public. In a cozy atmosphere, discover or rediscover a timeless place. Length of visit: 1h15 - (after 5pm closing time)."

Almost 150 years old and classified as a historical monument since 1923, discover a dazzling and unrivaled place, in the very center of Paris: the Palais Garnier. The Palais Garnier is most commonly known as the Paris Opera, and is one of the most important buildings in Paris.

This 2,200 seat opera house was the successor to the Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique, which had burned down in 1873. This landmark is a prime example of the Beaux-Arts architecture movement, in part drawing on the 17th century Classical Roman and Baroque style of emphasizing drama and grandeur as well as symmetry.

The Palais Garnier was commissioned during the reconstruction of central Paris by Napoleon III, and the civic planner Baron Haussmann was given the task to clear enough land to build the opera house in 1858. The design, by architect Charles Garnier, was chosen from a competition held in 1861. The building was always designed to be an extravagant experience, with a lush, richly decorated space incorporating excessive elements such as a six-ton central chandelier, bronze busts of composers, and multiple columns, friezes and statues.

Our guide, Thomas, was absolutely incredible. He shared so many facts and stories, I was overwhelmed and wish I had taken notes.

In the tradition of Italian theater, the horseshoe-shaped French auditorium, so-called for the way the seats are arranged according to their category, was designed for the audience to see and to be seen. Its metallic structure, hidden by marble, stucco, velvet and gilding, supports the weight of the 8-ton bronze and crystal chandelier with its 340 lights. The ceiling painted by Marc Chagall in 1964. Thomas told us that a Jewish artist, Chagall, was chosen because of the tragedies of WWII. The ceiling is spectacular.

The large 'box' to the left of the stage was where the king sat for safety reasons. Interestingly, the stage can't even be seen from there! The smaller box, next to it, on the second floor, is where the Phantom of the Opera hid out because no one was allowed to sit next to the king.

Turns out the French don't like the Phantom. As a matter of fact, they don't like musicals. We were surprised, actually, that they prefer MIME. Hysterical. This plaque was placed to appease us non-French.

The Rotunde du Glacier, a fresh and bright rotunda with a ceiling painted by Clairin (1843-1919), features dancing bacchantes and fauna, along with tapestries illustrating different refreshments as well as fishing and hunting. Completed after the opening of the Palais Garnier, this salon evokes the aesthetic of the Belle Époque.

This bust was just sad. Emma Livry (1842-1863) was a French ballerina who was one of the last ballerinas of the Romantic ballet era. She died from complications after burn injuries sustained when her costume caught fire during a rehearsal. Since at that time candlelight was all they had. It changed how the theater functioned after that.