selenak

I only just arrived back home, after an absolutely fabulous time in Paris, which means you're in for a second big pic spam. Not necessarily in chronological order, as I have to finish with Versailles, which took place yesterday evening, but being an enterprising traveller, I of course did not remain idly at

shezan's (magnificent) flat until my flight left. Speaking of

shezan, if you're interested in the production we saw at the Opera Garnier on Tuesday, check out her lj. She found fantastic stills. But now, on to more outdoor activities.

I started my Wednesday with a visit to the Musee d'Orsay with its wonderful Impressionist paintings. It also sports a spectacular view over the the Seine to the Montmartre, and to the Louvre, if you use the rooftop, that is. Behold.

After feasting my eyes on impressionists and views, I walked along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower. On the way, I met the first of all in all three con artists who tried the same con on me that day. It involves someone picking up a fat "golden" ring from the ground and yelling after you, "Madame!". No idea what the next part would have involved, other than parting me from my money, but they tried this three times, three different people, and with identical rings, too. I felt like Frodo. Also met en route to the Eiffel Tower: Jefferson. You have to love that the the only accomplishment listed on the inscriptions are, other than "President of the US", is "Ambassador to France".

Now, on to what Gustave Eiffel gave Paris:

While I was there, I saw that the Invalides, which otherwise I'd have given a miss this time around, currently sports an exhibition about the 200th anniversary of publication of the Description sur l'Egypte, aka the result of Napoleon bringing about 200 scientists along when invading Egypt. I have a certain interest in Egypt during this period, and also, I like Denon (who wrote "With Bonaparte in Egypt", the early taste of all those volumes and the first modern thorough description of Egypt), so I went anyway.

Napoleon's tomb inside, for

artaxastra.

And the reason I came: first edition of the Description:

Nearby is the Musee Rodin, where I actually was today, but I'll do the the geographical order for now. The weather has changed, but never mind.

As this pic spam is big enough already, I decided to leave out museum exhibition pieces you can find on the net in better quality anyway, but I have to make one exeption, as I thought the children around The Kiss were adorable:

Back to Wednesday. Continuing the Egyptian theme, I walked to the Concorde next. That obelisk was actually paid for,

shezan insists.

Then I visited the Orangerie (great impressionists as well) and walked towards the Louvre. To prove I made my peace with the glass pyramid:

Walking across Pont Neuf makes for some great views of the Seine:

And now I'll do a time jump again. The very last thing I visited in France today, after the Musee Rodin, was something I hadn't seen on my previous trips to Paris. Saint Denis, with its 40-something tombs of French kings and, more importantly, the building that basically invented the Gothic style.

As for the tombs, have two samples. This is Francois I., aka the one Henry VIII was deeply envious of and couldn't beat in either artist collecting (Leonardo OMG!) or wrestling.

And here we have some Carolingians. Basically in-laws, if you're German. We shared Charlemagne, after all.

But you don't want more tombs, you want more beautiful glass windows. I know I did.

And now we do the time warp again, to Wednesday evening. My main excuse for the trip to Paris, which came up on rather short notice, was that

shezan lured me there by promising a concert titled "Farinelli a Versailles", in which various Handel and Vivaldi arias would be sung in the castrato manner just there. Now how is a woman supposed to say no to this, I ask you? It was glorious.

The concert took place in the Galerie des Glaces, which looks like this:

The view out of the window was thusly:

The Orchestra and gorgeous singer (voice and looks) we had come for, whose efforts

shezan will review properly:

I will say that if

demofoonte, the opera we saw at the Opera Garnier, was pleasant but standard Baroque-in-transition-to-new-style, very by the number but beautifully sung, the Händel and Vivaldi arias here were gorgeous. Arranged as star vehicles, but hey, that was the theme. Farinelli didn't become the most famous castrato singer by unassumingness. Wild applause each time, for the musicians, too.

And then it was time to say au revoir. Oh, it was fantatic, and I loved every minute of my visit!