The New Normal - Richard's 70th Birthday Celebration in Paris, France, finale

Bonjour . . . Finally, the finale of our wonderful trip to Paris. Today we even saw signs of spring!

We enjoyed a clear blue sky and warm sunshine on our last full day in Paris.  We took a cab to the Place de la Concorde, a popular public square and the largest one in Paris.   The Egyptian Luxor Obelisk is centrally located in the square, flanked by two large fountains. It was given to France by the Egyptian government in 1829. Interestingly, the gift was minus its original cap, which was apparently stolen in the 6th century BC. Why would someone want it and how would they get up so high to get it? Anyway, King Louis Philippe eventually had the obelisk placed in the square, and in 1998 the French government added a gold-leaf cap. Hieroglyphics on the side of the 75-foot obelisk extol the virtues of Ramesses II. 

Luxor Obelisk

Also in the square is the Roue de Paris, a ferris wheel which allows those who dare (not us!) to view Paris from up high. The wheel is a temporary structure, originally installed for Paris's 2000 millennium celebration.  The 200-foot-tall wheel has since been moved to other locations around the world, but is currently located in its original home.  It's not as impressive as the Eye in London, but it was still fun to see.

Roue de Paris Ferris Wheel

After wandering around the square a bit, we grabbed a pedal taxi (Richard had been talking about riding in one for days!) to the famous Arc de Triomphe.  The Arc is a monument to those who died in both the French Revolution and the Napoleonic War for France.

Arc de Triomphe

Similar to that in Washington, DC and other places, France has its own Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (World War I), located under the Arc. President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline visited the site, which has an eternal flame. The Arc flame inspired Jacquline to add one to her husband's gravesite in Arlington, following his assassination and burial in 1963. 

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Eternal Flame

We didn't have a clue that we were going to be able to enter the 164-feet tall Arc and access  the roof.  The 280 steps on the narrow, spiral staircase seemed daunting. This was especially so for Richard; he's not a fan of heights, and steps are knee/leg killers.  But, we both made it, and the views did not disappoint!  There was also some interesting exhibits inside the building.

Stairs going up the Arc de Triomphe; looks like a shell - steeeeeep

View from the Arc de Triomphe

Another view from the Arc de Triomphe

Another view from the Arc de Triomphe (boxlike buildings, ugly in my opinion)

Bad Hair Day!

He conquered his fear of heights!!!

View of the new part of the city
The less ornate Grande Arche de la Defense can be seen in the distance

Inside the Arc, yet another statue imitation by Richard

Old foot; so cool!

Mini Arc model inside the big Arc

We finished up the afternoon strolling up the Avenue de Champs-Elysees, the beautiful tree-lined street with many cafes and up-scale shops.  

Champs-Elysees with Arc at the end

                                             

No chance I can afford these outfits . . . 

And then, we walked the Seine River path to get back to the Eiffel Tower area.  

Last stroll, Alexander III bridge over the Seine

                        

A windy, but beautiful day!

Russian Orthodox church adds an unexpected effect

After a rest at our hotel, we had our final meal in Paris.  

Back in Casa, safe and sound; it sure feels like it is spring already.  Here officially ends Richard's 70th birthday celebration . . . cheers to many more!  Au revoir. 

The New Normal - Richard's 70th Birthday Celebration in Paris, France, part 3, Louvre

Bonjour!  Part three our trip to France ... 

MASSIVE.HUGH.GIGANTIC.VAST.ENORMOUS.GRAND.IMPRESSIVE

are all synonyms to describe the size of the Louvre, both the building and the collection. Visiting the world's largest museum was what I was most looking forward to on our trip to Paris.  After waiting in a long line in the rain, we entered the facility and spent much of a day there.  

Waiting in the rain to buy tickets

The rain made this balcony view even prettier

Sculpted garden in one of the courtyards

Richard under the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, in the courtyard of the Louvre

The 16th century building, called the Palais du Louvre, is a former 12th century fortress turned royal palace by Francis I in 1546. In 1682, when Louis XIV decided to move to the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre was left solely to house the royal collection of art. Finally, during the French revolution, it was decided that the Louvre would be the permanent home of France's master works. 

Mona Lisa, by DeVinci
Mona was under glass, so we couldn't as close to her as we wanted

Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1573
One of a series of his Four Seasons seen below
Richard loves all works of art depicting the seasons

Antonio Campi, 1569, Les Mysteres de la Passion du Christ
One of my favorites in the Louvre; detail below from upper right corner

  
     

Giovanni Paolo Pannini, 1729
A musical concert scene (another fav of mine), close up below

  

The Louvre officially opened in 1793 with 537 paintings, largely owned by the church. Today the museum houses 35,000 works of art and 380,000 objects, with 650,000 square feet on four floors dedicated to the collection. The entire facility is over 2 million square feet covering over 50 acres.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace,
2nd century BC (the statue, not the man)

Central courtyards show outdoor statues
from 17th and 18th centuries

    

Above:  St. Louis chess set, 15th Century, crystal-quartz-silver, 8 compartments containing civilian and military tiny figures are arranged on the periphery; this is one cool chess set!

There is one whole section of Egyptian antiquities

I like old feet

The large glass and metal pyramid entryway was added in 1989, and is surrounded by three smaller glass pyramids. There are many who criticize the design of the pyramid(s) for a variety of reasons, but I thought they were very cool looking.

One of the smaller glass pyramids in the courtyard;
All four are seen in the photo below

Judy enjoying the courtyard despite the rain

Richard inside  tip of a glass pyramid

Inside tip of a glass pyramid

Although our short visit only allowed for a cursory glance of the massive Louvre collection, we got to see paintings by the masters, archaeological finds, sculptures and other artistic objects. The Louvre is truly an extraordinary museum, even the desserts in the Angelina cafe are works of art!

 Part four, the finale, coming soon . . .