Better late than never: PARIS en PRINTEMPS

OK, a little different format, just some photos of my travels with limited commentary, because I'm lazy, and pressed for time, and all you really want are the photos, right?

Day 1: Versailles

The golden gates

Sooooo many tourists

The largest canvas painted ceiling in Europe.... (perhaps the world)

The Hall of Mirrors

Views of the Gardens, the fountains were not on.

Day 2: Giverny, Monet's House and Garden (BEST DAY EVER, SOOOO PICTURESQUE)

Vibrant flowers abounded, and I will spare you almost all my macro photos.

One of my favorite places in France. Period.

The water-lilies were not in bloom.... But I didn't care

Look, Mom, I was really there!

His amazing house, no photos of the interior, but I want a house decorated in a similar fashion someday...

Where we ate lunch, continuing in the vein of the picturesque, quaint and beautiful.

How we got to and from the train station.  Yes, it was gorgeous, and totally worth the ensuing pain.  Soooooo picturesque and amazing.  I loved it.

After Giverny, KA and I went to the Louvre (she had never been, just to the outside) to geek out on some art history.  It was amazing.  And they were rearranging an exhibit, and I gasped, stopped, watched and took photos. I was the only one doing such, and everyone (other tourists) thought I was insane.

After the Louvre, we had a nap, had dinner, and then went to the Trocadero to watch the eiffel tower "sparkle."

What it looks like normally at night

When it "sparkles" on the hour every hour from 9-11pm

Day 3: Cimetière Père-Lachaise et le Panthéon (aka day of honoring famous French dead)

One of the walkways in the cemetery.  It was huge and hard to find EVERYTHING.  But I got what I was looking for...

Art historical life, complete. 

Cute kittens.  Really, I can't even tell you when taking pictures of cats became an OK thing for me to do.  But this cat came over, saw that we had cameras out, and then proceeded to role in the sun.  We almost died.

In between the cemetery and the Pantheon, we stopped in at Sainte-Chapelle.  This is the lower chapel.

The upper chapel is filled with this beautiful stained glass. All of the walls, it was gorgeous.  I gasped upon entry.

Next stop, the Pantheon

Look, Mom! I was really here too!

It was gigantic.  And cold.  And gave me a huge wave of French patriotism. And then we went into the tomb-y part and saw some really famous dead people, no big deal.

 

Hugo, Zola, Dumas. AWESOME.

Yes, I was brought up by a scientist.  This was awesome.  Also, the only other family there when I took this photo was an Indian family with 2 sons.  The boys were posing next to these tombs, and you could see their parents, eyes hopeful, thinking "This is your future: Nobel Laureates!"

Alright, this is all the photos I'm going to post.  Enjoy.  Spring break coming soon. There were so many stories and good times, but I think you'll actually have to talk to me to get those. All for now!