An American (+4) in Paris...(A Must See Gene Kelly Movie)

     The Louvre is Europe’s oldest, BIGGEST, and greatest museum.  Housed in a U-shaped, 16^th century palace (accentuated by the 20^th century glass pyramid), it is Paris’ top museum and one of its key landmarks.  

     It’s home to the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and hall after hall of Greek and Roman masterpieces, medieval jewels, Michelangelo statues, and paintings from the greatest artists.  It is almost too big and overwhelming!

Walking from the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe, is a feast for the eyes.  There is eye candy in every direction!  Many statues and fountains adorn the gardens.  Beautiful old buildings are spied in every direction.  The tree lined Champs-Élysées is just ahead, as is the Arc, they seem much closer than they appear (it really is quite a little walk, just ask my kids!).  As you walk past the center of Place de la Concorde, a 3,300-year-old Egyptian Obelisk that was gifted to France in 1829 by Muhammad Ali Pasha is on display.  

The view atop the Arc de Triompe of the Champs-Elysees.

     Napoleon commissioned the Arc de Triomphe to be built to commemorate his victory at the battle of Austerlitz. 

     There’s no triumphal arch bigger, at 160 feet high and 130 feet wide.  With 12 converging boulevards at the base of the arc, there’s no traffic circle that compares.  Look at the size of my children compared to the base.  It really is that big!

Can you spy the famous tower?

Climbing the 284 steps to the top of the arc.  We are great stair climbers!

Leah:        "Our apartment in Paris was nice.  I enjoyed visiting the cathedrals.  Saint Chapelle had the most beautiful stained glass, while Notre Dame had a lovely exterior and altar.

My favorite foods were cheese crepes and chocolate croissants.  I ate them every day! 

I thought the Lourve was gigantic and was expecting it to be really pretty inside, but it was quite plain and I was bored at times.  My favorite pieces of art were Venus De Milo and Napoleon’s Coronation.  I loved the Eiffel tower even though we only went to the second platform instead of all the way to the top.  Versailles was so pretty and now I want to live there, despite all the tourists.  I loved the gardens but was sad we did not have more time to enjoy them. 

The Seine river cruise was kind of boring because we had seen many of the sights, plus the seats were uncomfortable.  L’Orangerie was really pretty, and I loved Monet’s paintings, but I thought they would be smaller.  I also discovered I enjoy Renoir’s paintings. 

Arc de Triomphe was so pretty and I loved climbing to the top!  I also enjoyed the Egyptian Obelisk." 

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, the revolutionary and current motto of France.

     Last but certainly not least, L’Orangerie Museum beautifully displays Monet’s water lilies.  These eight mammoth-scale paintings are displayed exactly as Monet intended them-surrounding you in oval-shaped rooms-so you fell as though you’re immersed in his garden at Giverny.  Additionally, artists such as Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso and Matisse, that bridge the Impressionist and Modernist worlds together, are displayed here.

No pictures can be taken inside.  This is the best we could do for Monet's water lilies.