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The journal is posted in reverse chronological order -- the most recent at the top, so if you want to read the journal in order, from start to finish, you have to click on each post individually in the list along the right side of the page. You will see a list of August postings and below that "July (6)". Just click on the July to see the postings that were done in July (which would be the first 6 entries). If you have any comments, please post them.
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ADT JKT in France
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Day 11 Travel Back Home
We met our driver in the lobby of the Hotel at 5:45 a.m. for
a trip to the Rossy-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
We arrived at the airport at about 6:15 a.m. Upon arriving at the airport, we saw one of
the Air France Concordes that was on permanent display at the entrance. We used the automated machines to check in
and print our boarding passes, but we had to stand in line for about an hour to
check our bags. After checking our bags,
we proceeded to our gate. The security
check was at the gate, and we breezed right on through. We were at the gate by 8:15 for our 9:20
flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
Rossy-Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 1 |
Concorde at Paris Airport |
Lufthansa Plane from Paris to Frankfurt |
We landed in Frankfurt at about 10:45 a.m. and proceeded
through the terminal to our next flight gate.
This was some distance away and we had to go through a passport check,
but there was no difficulty. We arrived
at our gate at about 11:15. We got a
passport stamp for Germany, which was a surprise since we were only in the
Frankfurt Airport. Our next flight left
on time at about 1:00 p.m. This was the
long flight to Newark, New Jersey. It
took about 8 hours, but since we gained 6 hours, we arrived at about 3:00 p.m. The flight was uneventful even if uncomfortable. The plane was modern and everything
functioned properly.
We landed in Newark, went through immigration with no
problems (even got a U.S. passport stamp), had a light meal in the airport, and
made our way to the assigned gate. It
was raining and foggy. The airport was
downright cold. Soon we realized that a
good many departing flights were being delayed because the incoming planes were
not arriving. Ours was one of those
delayed. It was scheduled to leave at
7:40 p.m. to arrive home at about 11:00 p.m.
We sat there freezing until the delayed departure time of about 9:00 p.m. At about 8:30 p.m., they announced that our
flight would be departing from another gate in another terminal. We had to scurry to find a shuttle an get to
the new gate, but we made it. The flight
was uneventful, and we stepped out of the airport at about midnight to find 100° F
temperture. We hauled our bags to the
car breaking out into a major sweat before we reached it. We arrived home at about 12:30 a.m., finding
everything as we had left it. Home sure
was comfortable.
Day 10 Paris -- Montmartre District, Pere Lachaise Cemeterie
Montmartre as seen from Central Paris |
After our buffet breakfast at the Hotel, we departed by
Metro to the Montmartre District of Paris.
This district is on a hill in the northern part of Paris and overlooks
all of Paris. When looking at the hill
from anywhere else in Paris, you can plainly see the Sacre-Coeur Basilica
sitting at the top of the hill. This
area is a famous tourist stop because of the Basilica and because of its colorful
history. The community has existed for
almost as long as Paris has, but tourists like us have been most interested in
its more recent past, especially the late 1800's and early 1900's. At that time, it was the home for a
collection of artists and writers who produced art and literature that has been
appreciated and studied throughout the world.
These artists and writers created a bohemian scene when they gathered to
eat, drink, and talk. We found the
district as expected, quaint and crawling with tourists. The basilica was built from 1876 to 1912, so even
though it looks older, it is from this same era.
Montmartre's Sacre-Coeur Basilica |
The name "Hill of Martyrs," as it can be translated,
comes from the fact that St. Denis who had been sent from Rome to convert the
local heathens was beheaded and is buried near Sacre-Coeur. He has become the patron saint of
France. In its past, the area served as
a source of gypsum that has been used in Paris for centuries for coating
buildings. The gypsum was mined from the
hill, leaving it honeycombed with tunnels.
The overlook of the city has made it
desirable from its use as a strategic military site. Then came the
artists and writers. Some of the artists
who lived and worked there were Monet, Van Gogh, Utrillo, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne,
Modigliani, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picaso and much more recently Dali.
Some of the famous writers were Zola, Hemingway, Fitzgerald,
Hughes, and Stein. The composer Satie
lived and worked there also. Several
movies have featured Montmartre: Moulin
Rouge, Amilie, La Vie en Rose. And
Puccini's opera La Boheme was based on a play set in Montmartre.
Montmartre Funicula |
Now for our own visit to Montmartre: We planned our Metro trip carefully because
there were no direct lines from Plaza Republique to Montmartre. We would have to take a train from Republique
and change at Bellville to another train that would take us to Anvers. This caused no problems and we arrived at the
hill by mid-morning. The first choice
was whether to walk the thousands of steps up the hill or take the Funicula
(for the same cost as a subway ride -- even using the same tickets). We rode.
The top landing is near the Basilica, but there were many more steps
before we were at its doors. We mingled
with the several thousand other people who were milling about the Basilica or
touring its cool dark interior. We went
in and were astounded by the massive Roman structure with its domes and arches, its
mosaics of tile, its massive stained glass windows set high near the ceiling, and
its quiet, reverent atmosphere. People
were walking around the edges looking at the building and its artwork, but not
talking. People were sitting in the pews
looking around and some appeared to be praying. No photographs were allowed in Sacre-Coeur. (Photographs of the Basilica, both inside and out are at http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/us/basilique.html
Sacre-Coeur Entry |
We emerged about 30 minutes later into the bright sun of the
steps and gazed over the city from the vantage point. Next we walked up the rue to the adjacent
church, Sainte-Pierre. This was a much
older church and the information on it said it even contains some columns of
Roman age. Its history goes back to the
3rd century; it is thought to be the place of origin for the Jesuit Order; it
was a Benedictine Abbey; it was destroyed during the revolution and rebuilt in
the 19th century. The stained glass windows of both Sacre-Coeur and Sainte-Pierre were destroyed by concussion blasts during World War II and have been replaced with new windows since then.
Sainte-Peirre Church |
Sainte-Pierre Church Nave |
Sainte-Pierre Window |
We left this church to wander through Artist's Square where
many artists were selling their works and others were producing sketches of
people who would pay. By now, we were
hungry again and found the noted Bolulangerie (bakery) With a View. We had chocolate croissants, which were very
tasty, and sat and visited with another couple from our tour that we
encountered. Ignoring all of the tourist
trinkets and artwork that was for sale all along the streets, we went to the
Dali Espace, paid our admission of 11€, even though it seemed high, and went in to
view the collection of Dali's work. Here
we saw the strangest collection of paintings, water colors, and sculptures that
may exist anywhere. Dali must have had
an obsession with clocks (or distorted time) because there were clock faces
(distorted) on much of his work. It was
interesting, but I didn't know what to think of an elephant with a glass
pyramid on its back and long legs like a flamingo. We left the Dali Espace and walked on down
the hill to look at Picasso's
studio. It wasn't open to the public,
but we saw where he and a number of other artists produced their art. There was much to see such as the Montmartre
Museum and the Montmartre Cemetery, but we needed a rest, especially from
museums. We looked for one last sight,
the Moulin Rouge. We found it down the
hill on a busy boulevard with a variety of shops and a large collection of bars
and night clubs. It had the windmill on
the top and was painted red.
Montmartre Street Scene |
Boulangerie with a View |
Chocolate Croissant |
Dali Elephant |
Dali Clock |
Picasso Studio |
Moulin Rouge |
After sitting on a bench in the boulevard's center island for a
while watching people, we boarded the Metro bound for Pere LaChaise Cemeterie
on the east side of Paris. This is an
old cemetery where many famous people have been buried. It was full of old and new grave markers and
stones, many of which were elaborate structures with statues and carvings. Some of the graves were in extreme disrepair,
while nearby ones were well kept -- we saw one that was being sanded and
refinished. We had a list of famous
graves in this cemetery, and we set out on our treasure hunt to find them.
Pere LaChaise Cemeterie |
We found the grave of Jim Morrison, the rock singer, who died in
1971. His grave was in a crowded section
and had a small marker of granite and was outlined with stone. The grave was covered with wilted
flowers. We were able to find it because here was a crowd of people around it.
Jim Morrison |
Molliere |
We found the grave of Chopin, which was marked with a statue of an
angel (finding this one required the use of the GPS to identify exactly where
we were and how the "chemins" were laid out).
Chopin |
Rossini |
We found the graves of Rossini, Modigliani, Edith Piaf, Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, and others. At Edith Piaf's grave, we saw a woman place flowers on the grave and kneel in meditation. Gertrude Stein's stone was very plain with only her name on it, which made it hard to find. Oscar Wilde's stone was surrounded with glass that was covered with grafiti.
Edith Piaf |
Holocaust Memorial |
We were "touristed out," so we headed back to the Metro for a ride back to Republique Plaza and a rest. We had dinner at a local restaurant, nothing special, and packed for our early morning departure back home. Our exploration of Paris was over.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Day 9 Paris -- Marais, St. Chappelle
We began this day with a buffet breakfast in the hotel. Then we met our guide for a walking tour of
the Bastille/Marais District of Paris.
To get to the Bastille/Marais District, we needed to take the Metro. Again, this was an easy, no transfer ride,
exiting at the Bastille station. Before
we left the Bastille station, the guide pointed out some exposed stones which
had been part of the foundation of the Bastille. The Bastille was originally built in the
1300's as a fort to defend the east wall of Paris. It was converted to a prison in the 1400's
and served as such primarily for those who had angered the King. It was stormed during the French Revolution
on July 14, 1789 (Bastille Day) and demolished.
A good account of the Bastille is rendered in Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities. When we emerged from the station, the guide
pointed out a circle of different stone on the street and sidewalk that marked
the spot of the Bastille tower. A new modern structure housing the Paris Opera sits on most of the Bastille site.
Paris Metro Bastille Station -- note stones that were part of the Bastille foundation |
Bastille tower outline in stone on street and sidewalk |
We proceeded walking along the streets, with our guide
pointing out various spots that were significant in the history of the area and
telling us the reasons that this section of Paris was important and how to read
some of the historical signs.
For example, most of the buildings were, as in most of older Paris, 4 to
5 stories tall and narrow. This was
because taxes were based on the ground area covered by a building, and not on
the total space of the building. Taxes
were also levied on the number of windows, so some buildings had few windows. This area had grown and developed from the 12th
through the 16th centuries. One of the
reasons this area had grown was that King Charles V built a mansion in the area
in 1361 and resided there at least part time.
This sparked growth because all of the nobles who needed or wanted to be near the King also built mansions
there. Thus, this area became the home
of Paris' aristocrats. We walked through
the Place de Vosges, which is a residential community built around an open
plaza. It was built in the 1600's and
remains an exclusive residential spot today.
It is very well maintained and has some shops and even a school. The plaza was filled with people who were out
enjoying themselves. We even saw a couple
of young guys throwing a baseball to each other. One of the notable historical residents was
Victor Hugo. His home is now a museum,
and I could just see him thinking out and writing Les Miserables here. Many of these mansions today are museums,
libraries, art galleries, and other public facilities.
Paris Marais scene -- note width and windows of each building |
Paris Marias Vosges Place |
Paris Marais Vosges Place, Victor Hugo Residence |
Paris Marias Fallafel Store |
Paris Marais Jewish Bakery |
In later centuries, this area became the center for Paris'
Jewish community, and is growing as such even today with synagogues and Jewish
businesses. We also saw a middle eastern
influence in the abundance of shops selling Fallafel. On our walk through the area, we were able to
see local residents going about their business without the crush of tourists
that had plagued us tourists. We
finished our walk at Paris City Hall, an ornate structure originally known as
the Hotel de Ville. It has housed the
city government since 1357. Across the
street, in a building with the Hotel de Ville in stone above the door, we found
a large department store that was busy with shoppers. Out in front of the city hall, the plaza was
teaming with people. Many were standing
around and some were reclining on air mattresses watching a giant screen
displaying the Olympic Games.
Paris City Hall |
Paris City Hall Plaza -- Olyimpics on large screen with Notre Dame in background |
Paris City Hall Plaza, Olympics Watchers |
We had lunch at a small cafe on the plaza with another
couple who had been part of our tour. We
then proceeded across part of the Seine to the Ile de Cite, walking by Notre
Dame Cathedral again on our way to a nearby church, St. Chapelle. It was on our list to see because it is noted
as being the most beautiful of Paris' churches.
We found the church and a line waiting for admission, which cost 6€. The church was hardly visible from the street
because it is in the courtyard of Paris' Hall of Justice. The Hall of Justice was once a royal palace
and St Chapelle was built in the 1200's to house King Louis IX's collection of
religious relics. From the outside, the
church was not as impressive as many others, but once we entered, we found out
why it was noted for beauty. We entered
on the ground floor into the chapel. It
was highly decorated with an elaborate altar and some stained glass windows. The difference from other churches we had
seen was that the walls, ceiling, columns, and arches were painted in bright
blues and golds with the Fleur de Lis pattern painted all over the gothic
ceiling. It was small (in comparison
with the other churches we had seen), but was indeed beautiful. However, we were asking ourselves where are
the noted stained glass windows.
St. Chapelle Chapel |
We were directed toward a small spiral (really helical)
staircase that wound upward for a long climb.
We emerged from the staircase to see what had precipitated the church's
reputation. This was the main part of
the church, and it was spectacular. The
building had been built so as to support the walls and roof without the massive
flying buttresses. This allowed almost
the entire wall space to be used for stained glass windows. The effect was dazzling with all of the
colors and patterns. Each window was
different. We stood around for quite
some time just in awe of the artistry before us. In addition to the windows and painted
ceilings, the floors were covered in colored patterned tiles. We had not seen anything else like this
before. In seeing this, I wondered if
St. Chapelle might have been the inspiration for the recent renovations and
redecorations of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Tulsa with its use of colors and
patterns.
St. Chapelle walls in tile and paint |
St. Chapelle stained glass |
After these tours, it was time to find our way back to the
hotel. This should have been simple, but
a wrong turn took us in a direction away from our "known" metro
station. I turned on the GPS to find out
just where we were and with that and a map, we located the station, the correct
train, and rode back to Republique Plaza.
We had dinner in a small restaurant, walked around the area just a bit,
and retired after a long day.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Day 8 Paris -- D'Orsay Museum
Our boat trip was over.
We were taken by bus to our hotel at Paris' Republique Plaza. This is north and east about 3 km from
central Paris. The hotel is in an old
building, but it has been modernized so that inside, it was about like a hotel
anywhere. However, our room was on the
fourth floor with a small arched window in a dormer (that would open) and a
skylight (that would also open). We had
to stretch to see anything but the sky.
When we looked out, we saw the top floor of the building across the
street. It seemed to be apartments. Soon after we arrived, our guide took us on a
short tour of the surrounding area and showed us several restaurants that he
thought we would enjoy.
Metro Station |
Then we set out for the D'Orsay
Museum. This museum is adjacent to the
Seine in central Paris, so we needed transportation, or we would have a long
walk. We chose to take the Metro, Paris'
subway system. This meant learning how
to buy tickets and finding our way to the appropriate train. We managed with no problems. A metro ticket cost 1.70 € (Euros)
and once we were inside, we could go as far as the system went and transfer to
other lines as much as we wanted with no extra cost. With our guide's help, we determined that we
needed to exit at the Concorde Plaza Station and walk the 2-3 blocks to the
museum. This was a simple ride with no
transfers needed. Concorde Plaza was the
site of the famous guillotine used in the late 1700's to execute thousands of
people. We saw no evidence of what had
happened there. The plaza was adorned
with an Egyptian Obelisk that had been a gift from Egypt and brought to Paris
in 1836. On the way to the museum, we
walked through the Tulliares, the gardens (mostly trees with some grass and a large
octagonal pool and wide graveled walkways) that extend eastward from the Louvre. There were hundreds of people sitting,
running, walking, visiting, and just enjoying themselves. There were a number of musicians playing at
various places in the park providing a variety of interesting music. We also had to cross the Seine River on a
pedestrian bridge. This bridge, the Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor, is famous
for its thousands of locks that have been fastened to the sides. The lore is that if the lock is labeled with
the name of a loved one, fastened to the bridge, and the key thrown into the
river, the love will last.
Concorde Plaza -- Egyptian Obelisk |
Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor |
D'Orsay Museum |
D'Orsay Museum |
Day 7 Versailles - Paris
After breakfast on the boat, we boarded buses for Versailles. It took about an hour to get there. We parked at Versailles Palace, where we had
a guide for a tour. Versailles Palace
was built in the early 1700's and was
the home of the French kings until 1804.
The French Revolution ended the monarchy, and most of the royal family. Many other noble families were beheaded by
the revolutionaries.
Versailles Gate |
We began our tour with some of the more public rooms of the palace. These rooms were decorated with gilded columns and painted (artwork) ceilings. These rooms were showing the effects of time and the wear of thousands of tourists going through them. Eventually, we came to the throne room (which did not have a throne --we were shown the spot where the throne stood. This room was decorated with red silk wall covering and gold trim. The ceiling was painted with hunting scenes. Next we saw the Hall of Mirrors. This was a large room on the west side of the palace. The inner walls were covered with mirrors opposite a wall of windows. This meant the setting sun would reflect off water pools on the west side of the palace into the room and be reflected by the mirrors making this a light-filled room. There were large cut-glass chandeliers. These were not original; the original had been cut clear quartz stone. This hall was the place of many government activities and was the site of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. From the Hall of Mirrors, we entered the King's personal chambers -- his bedroom was highly decorated and had a tall four-postered bed with drapes that could be closed around it. This room had the only original quartz chandelier that remains. Next we saw the Queen's chambers. These were just as large and just as ornate has the King's. We saw the bed where the Queens had their children and where Marie Antoinette had been captured by the revolutionaries to be beheaded. Places were pointed out where revolutionaries had fought with the King's forces, but apparently little damage was done to the palace. The opulence of the palace and the arrogance of the royalty were among the factors that precipitated the revolution.
Versailles Hall of Mirrors |
Versailles King's Bed |
Versailles Chapel (Larger than most churches) |
Next, we saw the outside fountains and gardens. These gardens are immense and elaborate, with
each separate garden covering a different theme. They usually had a central plaza with statues
and arches and were surrouinded by plantings of trees and shrubs. The only flowers surrounded the main
fountain. The fountains were coordinated
with music that was played throughout the gardens. We walked through several of the gardens;
looking at all them would have taken days.
Versailles Gardens and Fouintains |
We returned to our
boat in time for a late lunch and an afternoon of sights along the river as we
progressed toward Paris. On this leg of
the trip, we saw the outskirts of Paris as we moved toward the central city
where we would dock for the night. We
saw some factories along the river; none of them seemed to be spewing smoke or
air pollution. We didn't see evidence of
drainage from these plants causing water pollution. We also saw homes along the river, some of
which were large elaborate chateaus.
Others were very small cabins that might have been vacation homes. We saw skyscrapers at several locations along
the river; places where Paris is growing into the modern world. The central city's historic structures are
protected so that new modern buildings cannot be built there. We saw some familiar names on the buildings,
such as Microsoft and Renault, but most had names that we did not know. My conclusion was that much of French
business was aimed at France rather than a global market. Another interesting observation was that the
many bridges across the Seine River were just utilitarian with no interesting
architectural features. Some of the
bridges in the central city were highly decorated, but not that many.
Seine Waterfront near Paris |
Seine Lock and Dam |
Seine Lock opening |
Seine Water Skier |
Seine River Sail Boats |
Seine River Skyline in West Paris |
Seine River Near West Paris, Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower |
We docked at the same port that we had left a few days
earlier. At this port, we were in view
of the Statue of Liberty, which is a copy of the statue given to the U.S. by
France and sits in New York Harbor. This
one was a gift from the U.S. to France.
We were also in view of the Eiffel Tower, which is lighted at night and
sparkles every hour for about 5 minutes.
It was a fairly grand place to be.
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