March 20-23, 2022
#1 The Eiffel Tower
The quintessential symbol of Paris, dominating the city’s horizon, is the Eiffel Tower. It was finished in 1889 for the World’s Fair Exposition (Exposition Universelle), having taken 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days to complete. The tower is a technical marvel and a deep study in engineering of wind resistance. It stretches 1,083 feet into the sky and when you look up at it from the base you can feel a sense of awe in it’s balance, symmetry and enormity. It is also a lesson in perseverance since Gustave Eiffel was heavily criticized at the time of the tower’s construction by many preeminent artists of the time. My favorite criticism is this one by Joris-Karl Huysmans who described the tower as “a half-built factory pipe, a carcass waiting to be fleshed out with freestone or brick, a funnel-shaped grill, a hole-riddled suppository”. Ouch!! Fortunately, Gustave Eiffel was not deterred and the Eiffel Tower achieved great popular success nearly immediately after it debuted at the World’s Fair. It is currently one of the most visited monuments in the world receiving 7 million visitors per year.
We visited in the morning right when it opened at 9:30am and there was already a line waiting for the elevator. However, there are several different options for the Tower 1) Take the elevator to the second platform and stop there 2) Take the elevator to the second platform and then take another elevator from the second floor to the top 3) Take the stairs to the second platform and stop there or 4) Take the stairs to the second platform and then take another elevator from there to the top. You cannot take stairs from the second platform to the top because they are closed to the public.
When we went, there was no line at all for the stairs which are much more enjoyable and significantly less challenging than we were expecting. There are 674 stairs to the second platform area and we had read it normally takes about 30 minutes but we timed ourselves and did it in a little over 7 minutes. From the second floor area, we took the elevator all the way to the top which I highly recommend. The trip inside the elevator on the way up and down is fun and exciting and the views at the top are breathtaking.
Click on the photo below to see our video of the experience!
#2 Louvre
The Louvre is the world’s most visited and largest museum with origins back to 1190 as a medieval fortress and later as a Royal Palace to the monarchs of France. The history is clearly visible as you explore the museum with the old castle walls still visible in the crypt and the opulent apartments of Napoleon III on the upper levels. I almost skipped seeing Napoleon III’s apartments but I am glad I didn’t as they are incredible. Every inch of the rooms are drenched in wealth and luxury from crystal chandeliers to gold encrusted paintings and red velvet drapery and upholstery.
The exhibition space stretches over 782,910 square feet and famously includes the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.
However, the breadth of museum is expansive covering Egyptian Antiquities, Near-Eastern Antiquities, Greek & Roman Sculptures, Islamic Art, and thousands of paintings, carvings, and relics. The Egyptian wing includes the Great Sphinx of Tanis which was carved from granite in around 2,600 BC and was discovered in the ruins of the temple of Amun-Ra but dates back much earlier than the temple itself.
Some of the items on display are things I had only ever read about previously like the Code of Hammurabi from 1792-1750 BC which depicts the ancient laws of Babylon. Then there is the sculpture of the Winged Victory from Samothrace from 200-190 BC depicting the Greek goddess of Victory (Nike) alighting from the sky onto the bow of a warship. This is one of my favorite sculptures and it appears confident, strong, inspiring of courage, and stunningly beautiful all at once.
There are also thousands of paintings. The oil painting on canvas pictured below and titled The Intervention of the Sabine Women by the French painter Jacques-Louis David was completed in 1799 and is quite famous. The legend behind the painting is that the followers of Romulus were all men and their nearby rival tribe of the Sabines forbid their women to wed any of the Romans (followers of Romulus). So, the Romans held a festival and invited the Sabines. During the festival, the Romans abducted the Sabine women and took them for their wives. This attack then led to a war with the Sabines in which the Romans gained the upper hand. In the painting, Romulus is poised to throw his spear into Titus Tatius, the leader of the Sabines and the father of his wife Hersilia. At this moment, the women of Sabine threw themselves and their children between the men to stop the battle in an act of courage and love. Hersilia is shown standing arms spread between her Father and her husband, Romulus. According to Jacques-Louis, both like to go to war in heroic nude.
The painting below is less famous and is called the The Entombment of Atala. It was painted by Girodet in 1808 and is based on the novel Atala by Chateaubriand. Atala is in love with the native american Chactas but has made a vow of chastity to the church. Torn between her love and religion, Atala poisons herself rather than give in to her passions and break her vow.
One could easily spend days or weeks in the Louvre especially if one wanted to understand the history and story behind each sculpture, artifact, or painting.
#3 Musée d’Orsay
The Musée d’Orsay is slightly more approachable in size and scope than the Louvre but is still enormous and housed in the former Gare d’Orsay railway station and hotel. It is probably most famous for it’s many impressionist and post-impressionist works of art by Manet, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Pissarro, and Van Gogh.
Monet had a house and garden in Giverny, France which we visited on our way to Paris. Many of his paintings such as the water lilies above feature aspects of his garden and pond which he planted and tended meticulously and even considered his master work.
This painting by Van Gogh was done when he was a self-admitted patient at the Saint Paul Asylum in Saint Remy. This was after Van Gogh’s altercation with his friend and roommate Gauguin after which Van Gogh cut off his own ear (although the accounts are a bit unclear). Initially, Van Gogh was in a hospital in Arles but was released. Several months later, he admitted himself to the Saint Paul Asylum in Saint Remy as he continued to suffer “moods of indescribable anguish, . . . moments when the veil of time and fatality of circumstances seemed to be torn apart for an instant.” – Van Gogh, according to Robert Hughes in “Nothing if Not Critical” (1990).
Of the sculptures, one of my favorites is Jean-Joseph Perraud’s marble Le Désespoir (The Despair). However, to me, the marble sculpture conveys a feeling more of calm and patient thoughtfulness, like an athlete, perhaps accepting his recent failure, but stretching out his forearms and contemplating his next attempt.
Of the paintings, The Riddle by Gustave Dore seemed to me particularly appropriate at this time when the future of the world seems so uncertain. The painting depicts Paris after the 1871 insurrection against the French Government and the subsequent bloodbath in which 20,000 insurrectionists were slain. The nation is embodied in the winged figure which looks to the sphinx for the answer to the riddle of the destiny of France.
#4 Sacré-Cœur
The Sacré-Cœur or Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris is located on a hilltop called the Montmartre (Mount of Martyrs) which has been a place of worship throughout history from the Druids to the Romans. The first Bishop of Paris, Saint Denis, was so effective at converting the pagans to Christianity that the Pagan Priests complained to the Roman Governor. The Governor then had Saint Denis beheaded on the Mount of Martyrs and it is said that Saint Denis promptly picked up his own severed head and walked several miles while preaching a sermon on repentance before he finally dropped dead.
The Sacré-Cœur is a Roman Catholic church but it is also a monument representing a national penance for the defeat of France in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War and for the actions of the Paris Commune of 1871.
The church itself is sparkling white, intricate, and beautiful and you can take the stairs all the way to the dome on top for sweeping views of the city of Paris.
#5 Le Bistro d’Henri
Finally, if you are in Paris, you must try the food! A picnic with French bread, croissants, and pastries in one of the many beautiful parks is the perfect respite after touring the museums. Dinner at a local bistro in the evening is highly recommended and there are so many to choose from but we went to a little place called Le Bistro d’Henri at the recommendation of a friend. We were feeling adventurous so we ordered escargot (snails), foie gras (goose liver), beef bourguignon (beef stew in wine sauce), and slow cooked lamb in a honey/cinnamon sauce. Our waiter was pleasant and friendly and if you go, make sure you talk to them as they do not list the escargot and some other French dishes on the English menu.
I was a little reluctant on the escargot but it was actually delicious and the citrus in the sauce made it taste light and fresh.
Foie gras is on the left, then the slow cooked lamb, and the beef bourguignon on the far right. The foie gras was smooth and mild on toast and a great appetizer. The slow cooked lamb chop was slightly sweet with a gentle taste of honey and cinnamon and I loved the beef bourguignon that had a heavier wine flavor. We had a fantastic time out and very much enjoyed the food and atmosphere.
And those are our Top 5 from our Trip to Paris!!! Hope you enjoyed travelling along with us!
