Paris Trip - 2003


The Champs Elysees, Paris's most famous street where all the most fancy shops and most prestigious places to live. The most memorable were the prototype concept cars that were displayed by European car makers - very futuristic.	The Arc de Triomphe, another site for which Paris is known. It was built to celebrate Napoleon's victories, though he never got to use it. Around it is a traffic circle where traffic goes around and around trying to exit on one of the 12 major roads that converge here.

The Eiffel tower was built for the 1889 world's fair to impress and is 1000 ft tall. Its right on the river Seine that cuts Paris in two.	The Eiffel tower is a mixture of a giant impressive structure, huge up close, and delicate construction in all the detailed metalwork.

One of those little smart cars, a hybrid car you see in Europe where fuel conservation is practiced.	A smaller replica of the statute of Liberty is near the Eiffel tower on the river Seine. Built the same time as when ours was shipped over.

Wes and Kyler on a bridge near the Eiffel Tower.	Paris downtown along the river Seine. The height of the buildings in central Paris was regulated so all these old buildings are very even. The Eiffel tower is seen in the distance.

Metro stations are found all over Paris. This one was by our Hotel.	The Metro, Paris' subway is a great way to get around town.

The Rue Cadet near our Hotel. This side street is where local Parisians get what they need. It is filled with small shops for necessities - a green grocer, meat shop, cheese shop, bakery shop, pastry shop, and a couple of small cafes. Paris is full of these small shops instead of the huge impersonal everything stores.	Statue of Charlamagne. This conqueror united Europe in the 800's during the Dark Ages.
	The Conceirgerie. This was the seat of power in Paris long ago, but more recently was used as a prison. and torture center during the revolution. The twin round towers are parts of a castle that existed in medieval days and housed the early french kings. Nowadays its home to France's Supreme Court. On the side of the building is a Baroque clock from 1334 that is still working.

Gothic arches under the Conciergerie.	Sainte Chapelle. This small church is an impressive example of gothic architecture. It was built in 1248 in only 5 years. Outside it's mostly buttresses that open up the walls for amazing stained glass windows. There are 15 windows with over 1,100 bible scenes.
Interior of Sainte Chapelle, a experience in light. Inside its like there are no walls, just stained glass. To the right is detail of a stained glass panel.

Notre Dame Cathedral on the Ile de Cite. This is on an island at the heart of Paris where the city started before Roman times. Notre Dame was started in 1163 and took 200 years to complete.	Flying buttresses on the sides add strength to the walls and allow more open space inside and higher ceilings. The Cathedral is in the shape of a cross with the altar at the intersection of the cross. One of the Rose stained glass windows is visible on the side.
	Detail of one of the main doorways to Notre Dame. To the left is one of the Rose windows of stained glass. This one is the only one with its original medieval glass. It seams so high inside as your eyes follow the arches up. The cathedral can hold up to 10,000 people.

Gargoyles on the roof of Notre dame.	Great views of Paris from the towers of Notre Dame.

The Louvre. Once a castle of french kings, now one of the best art museums from ancient times to the 1850's. The 30,00 works of art are a full collection of western art.	Some of the ancient art that once decorated old buildings that was cut off by old french nobles and brought back to France long ago.

Great works of art are on the walls that you can get right up close. Most works are really big. All the famous old masters have works here. The Mona Lisa being so popular, can't be appreciated since its behind glass and big crowds rush you by fast, but all the other works are easy to see well.	Sculpture from Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Italian and French artists fill rooms. The rooms themselves are art with frescos on many ceilings. This building was started as a medieval fortress and added to by french kings over centuries as a palace.

The Musee d'Orsay picks up art where the Louvre ends, namely the impressionistic period. Its housed in an old train station.	Works by Monet, Manet, Renoir, Gaughin, vanGogh, Degas, Pizzarro, and Cezzanne are found here, again just right on the wall.

Older building housing the Cluny museum of medieval art. Mostly tapestries.	Older parts of town where the narrow winding streets have plenty of shops and cafes.

Sacre Coeur church on top of Montmartre hill overlooking Paris. The roman byzantine chruch with its onion domes and white color is only a century old.	One of the gargoyles which function as a rain spout but have ice in its mouth instead of water on this cold day.

The catacombs was one of the stranger places to visit. As Paris expanded in the 1800's the city dug up the old cemeteries to make more room and put the bones in old limestone quarries 80 feet deep.	The bones aren't just a few, but go on and on, 6 million people are now buried here. They are neatly arranged by cemetery location with leg bones and sculls forming the outside wall and the rest of bones behind.