Christmas Eve in Paris

I'm now enjoying my third day in Paris which has involved two trips to the Louvre (approx. 10 hours in total). I found I was less panicky the second visit knowing I had plenty of time - 6 more days, in fact. Having finally bought a SIM card for my phone makes life so much easier. Why I put it off, is  a mystery. I can use my apps and go nuts.

Here is Google giving Egyptian hieroglyphics a red hot go.

I've walked miles in Paris now, and one thing I noticed was the elegant designs of the transparent bins for security purposes and street bollards. Really lovely. Compare these to the ugly plastic tube bins and concrete slabs used in Melbourne. I mean couldn't they just make an effort with some style at home?

Saw this:

and thought of this:

If you're a Fast Show fan you'll understand!

I passed this place a number of times and was perplexed as to why it was decorated with snowflakes and underpants.

I think it's soup for homeless underpants, or underpants for people who need soup or... well, it's some kind of soup kitchen deal, I think... well, anyway... they are all closed, so I'll never find out.


Here is the "stolen" Luxor Obelisque before the Eiffel tower. All the guide books will tell you this was a gift to France, but Zeinab told me the full story while we were visiting the Muhommad Ali Pash Mosque. King Louis Phillipe gave the Ottoman Egyption leader Muhommad Ali a clock for the new mosque built on the hill in Cairo and asked for a obelisque in return. The clock has never worked and Egypt lost another antiquity.

So of course I returned to the Louvre. I'm very impressed with the pyramids. It's a great design for an underground entrance to this enormous palace. Like a jewel in the forecourt. I love the weighty inverted pyramid, it is so impressive.

On the evening before going to the Louvre I "read" an audio book about the history of the palace and the origins of the gallery. Here are some shots that highlight the various internal architectural designs throughout. The flamboyancy of the gallery with Josephine's jewels was hilarious. There were portraits of both kings and architects all around the room. I imagined the conversation:

"Sire, what is your vision for this room?"

"Just fleur-de-lis the fuck out of it"

"Got it!"

Of course I returned to the antiquities.... and just look at these 3000 year old hieroglyphs you can see each engraved mark, like it was done yesterday. Click on it for more detail.

And Bastet! I finally found her!

Puss!

After all those hours of walking around the Louvre, I found this painting and it was a Louvre Inception moment!

It's odd looking at a painting of a room you have just been in.

One outstanding experience of the day was the fact that I was alone in the presence of works by Da Vinci, Michaelangelo, and van Gogh with nothing between me and the masterworks. At times I found myself just standing alone with the Virgin on the Rocks, incredulous.

Michelangelo's Slaves. (above)

The obsession of the Mona Lisa: barricades from the painting and fetish products at the gift shop,
while Da Vinci's other works are just.. also-rans in the long gallery.

I was watching this guy photograph John the Baptist and his phone was trying to apply facial  recognition to the painting. Notice the complete lack of people here. While at the Mona Lisa has throngs of people standing behind two semi-circular barriers holding their phones aloft for... what reason I have no idea... there are professional photographs available in the gift shop, surely?!

I have a new appreciation of Leslie David and Delecroix now.

I then decided, if I really need to, I can come back, so I headed over to the Musee d'Osay.

I only had three hours so I had to leave before I was finished, but I will go back on Boxing Day.

I did take some close shots of some favourites:

Liked this one so much I did a selfy:

I inspired another art lover to take closer photos of the paintings. I like to choose a section that shows the artist's skills and I feel like I'm taking home something very intimate. I might make a collage print when i get home.

Enjoy!

And this ends my blog post for today... here's me blogging and listening Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong.

Now I have to get ready for my dinner at Alain Ducasse I booked months ago.

Merry Christmas everyone!