Grace the tired.

It's been two days since I've gotten back from our Paris I and Netherlands Tour and I'm still tired. I have to say...walking around has never been so much work. Mom, I think you doctor would be proud if you came on this trip with me...we walk at least 5 hours a day non-stop. I think I'm well protected from osteoporosis. :-) Not to mention, my calves are even MORE manly than they were before.

This is another really long picture post, so my advice to you...read with patience. I was in Paris for 6 days and in the Netherlands for another 5. I took a total of 888 pictures, but this post is specifically for the Paris tour. Only my best. :-)

While we were in Paris, there was a rugby tournament and there were swarms of Irish men in kilts (more on this later...). For the occasion, the Parisians decided to put up big screens everywhere (on the Eiffel Tower, on monuments...) so that people could congregate and watch together.


It took us three hours by train to get from Saintes to Paris and our instructor didn't even hesitate to start the tour. We dropped off our bags and we set off for the Notre Dame. Quazimodo says, 'Bonjour'.


These pictures don't do justice. There is SO much detail on this building, I wanted to cry when I attempted to sketch it's facade. I resorted to scribbles and lots of shading. LOL. Here's the south facade...aka, the Rose Window.


The interior is beautiful. You can feel God in this place...


Next, was the Pompidou Center by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. You can see all of France from the top. Can you spot Le Tour Eiffel?


At the top of the Pompidou.


We went into the art exhibits at the Pompidou. Awesome stuff...






This guy (forgot the artist's name...I tend to do that...) used short brush strokes of acrylic in different shades of color to create this painting. It's AMAZING.




I like being part of the art. :-)


The sunset was so beautiful at the Pompidou...once again, architecture prevails.


At night, as we were leaving. Ladies and gentlemen, the Pompidou.


I'm leaving out a day of pictures...I'll post them sometime, but day 2, we went to different hotels and sketched some more. BUT THEN, at night, we made a spontaneous trip to Le Tour Eiffel! When we got there, it had just turned dusk and the tower was lit green and yellow for the rugby tournaments. For the amount of steel on it, it looks quite delicate. I couldn't get over how elegant it looked. And suddenly, it began so sparkle! My camera battery died that day, so this picture is courtesy of my friend, Amy, who accidentally left her exposure on too long. Looks like the Eiffel Tower is falling away and leaving a trail of stars! Trés romantique!


So, the Irish men...they were EVERYWHERE. There were a reported 15,000 of them ALL IN KILTS at one point. It was drunken madness. And they're really loud...and proud...they came up to us and wanted a picture, so viola!


On day 3, we went to the Insitute du Monde Arabe by Jean Nouvel. Beautiful...


From the top, you can see the Notre Dame as well as other national monuments. Since I couldn't draw the Notre Dame, I attempted to at least grasp it in my hands...again, unsuccessful.


We also went to Musee Quai Branly, another Jean Nouvel project. It was right by the Eiffel Tower! So here's a day shot!


The museum complex is built behind a glass shield that blocks out all street noise. It's quite amazing how separate yet integrated the whole museum is. In those protruding boxes are galleries. Didn't get to go in, though, because it costs MONEY!


Like I said, the Eiffel Tower was right near the museum, so we couldn't resist, yet again. My instructors...Selwyn and Gerald.


Et moi avec Le Tour Eiffel! Je suis trés petite que le tour!


We were supposed to end the day...and then our professor mentioned an architecture exhibition, so I had to go!!! It was an exhibit of work by Christian de Portzamparc. If you don't know him, look him up. Interesting stuff.


Then there was an exhibit on a Spanish architect...once again, don't remember his name. But, there were hanging panoramas, which we couldn't resist.


After the museum, we stopped by Rugby Town. There were news casters, souvenirs, people cheering and watching the games...not my scene...lol.


Day 4, was La Madeline Cathedral.


As an example of the French boulevards, here's a datum that shoots clear across to the next monument. You can see it from La Madeline.


The inside of La Madeline is just as aged and beautiful. I've decided that age on anything makes it beautiful. :-)


Here's Place de la Victories by...Napoleon Bonaparte...I dunno if he should be given all the credit. The verticality of the place was so boring, I took the risk of getting arrested and took a pose. Ballet in Paris!


We then walked to Palais Royal, where the gardens are so well manicured, that the line of trees are shaped into an arch. If you cross your eyes and stick your tongue out, you can just make out the arch.
-just kidding-

There's an art installation at Palais Royal. They're black and white columns in a grid at different heights. Don't ask me what it's supposed to do, but it's cool. The guy eating the sandwich thought we were all weird when all 14 of us jumped onto the columns and took pictures. Silly man...


I was on a tall one...almost broke my arms hoisting myself up.


After that, we entered the plaza to the Louvre!!! I.M. Pei's glass pyramids are cool!


Especially the inverted one. Do you remember what's hidden here in the Da Vinci Code?


Next stop, Cité de la Musique by Christian de Portzamparc. On our way, we saw Bernard Tschumi's Parc de la Villette. It was aiight.


The park was definitely vast and green...and red. The park was well used. I can't say the same for the follies. LOL. Nice try, Bernie.


I don't have pictures of the Music Hall and I'm gonna skip day 5 because it was relatively uneventful. Day 6 was a free day! While everyone else went to the Catacombs, a couple of my friends and I enjoyed our day of Patrimony and lounged. We went back to the Pantheon, where we climbed 200 odd steps to the top of the dome the previous day and felt the pain as we gazed from afar.


We visited the Bibliotheque Sainte Genviève across the street from the Pantheon. I've never seen so many people in a library studying! They found it amusing that we were taking pictures inside. Gotta love them Parisians!


After that, we walked to the Luxembourg Gardens. Trés beau. Another one of them manicured gardens with miles of trees and flowers.


At the central fountain, we saw hundreds of little French kids playing with toy sail boats. It was quite the French experience.


I'd like to say that's all I did in Paris, but I left out a lot of stuff. So, when I get back, PICTURE GALORE!

Hopefully my next post will be soon so that I don't forget everything in the meanwhile. Horrible memory...right Daniel? Next up...the NETHERLANDS! Now, back to work.

HI DAD! HI MOM! <3