Last Days In Paris, 2022

Our last days in Paris were relatively slower-paced, mostly just visiting some favorite sights, nothing too intense.

After doing the Egyptian bits at the Louvre, the girls met
me for a walk on the Left Bank, just to take in
some of the ambience; this of course included ice
cream at Place Saint-Michel

And a peek inside St. Severins

Its palm column

Numerous capitals

And gargoyles

There was actually a line to get in Shakespeare's

Work coming along slowly, but at least she got to
see the west facade and towers

Next day we took the bus to Place de la Concorde
and walked, past Maxim's, the Madeline, and many
famous stores, to the most famous one, Galeries
Lafayette

Relaxed on the rooftop terrace

Then, after a prolonged visit at the Galeries Lafayette
food hall, we walked along Boulevard Haussman,
had a picnic lunch, and enjoyed some sights along the way

Not least the wonderful toy store in the Passage Jouffroy on the
Grands Boulevards--above and below, all items for doll houses

Maman had returned that afternoon and we met her at the Ici
bookstore, then walked back to our apartment; and then, after
a rest, had dinner at a favorite creperie on Rue de Charonne in
the 11th--some of our old stomping grounds

And then, we made our way to the Champ de Mars
and a closer look at the Eiffel Tower

And a final selfie, capping a great week in Paris
for the grandparents and for Penelope

Versailles, The Garden And Fountains, 2022

After the palace we were in need of some air, some light, some refreshment, and thus spent the next few hours in the gardens, especially seeking the fountains at play. We had made advance reservations for the garden tourist train--to save ourselves some steps--but it was a hop-on/hop-off affair, with long waits, and the reservations effectively meant nothing. A waste of time and money. Oh well.

Personally, I like my gardens a little less organized, a lot more lush
and varied...

Looking back at the palace; actually it was a much more crowded
day than appears

Grand Canal, etc.

Us, there

We had dejeuner at a rustic place out in the forest; note the Ionic
capitals...those would have been so cool at our log home in Montana 

Apollo Grotto

Along one of the many boulevards

Approaching the grand finale, the Neptune Fountain

Thus

End of show

Another productive day, and the good fortune of finding seats
on the RER back to Paris

Vigee Le Brun At Versailles

We first noticed Elizabeth-Louise Vigee Le Brun's work at the National Gallery, then began seeing a good deal of her work at the Louvre. She was reputed to have been Marie Antoinette's official portrait painter, and certainly was one of the great portrait painters of her time. Her time...an interesting time, as they say. As the Revolution came, she had the good sense to get the hell out of Dodge, so to speak, and to visit a variety of European capitals during those years. She returned to Paris when Napoleon crowned himself, as did most of the other emigres. The sweetness and tenderness of many of her paintings, the color, the realism, all are the things we like. Aeon magazine recently had an article on the emergence of the smile in modern painting and cited Vigee Le Brun as the first painter to show teeth in a portrait. In any case, we were astonished to see an assemblage of her paintings at Versailles, mostly in the Captain of the Guard's quarters, and a few in Marie Antoinette's rooms. They are instantly recognizable. All were in rooms one merely walked past, with no opportunity to get up close nor account for angle nor light. Still, they were a treat to see.

Versailles, The Palace, 2022

Versailles was next on our itinerary. The itinerary, I should add, was dictated as much by weather concerns as anything else, Disney and Versailles being largely outdoor activities. Why else would you schedule Disney-Louvre-Versailles three days all in a row? As it turned out, they were all beautiful Paris days, sunny and comfortable. Vicki and I had visited Versailles last in 2014, the gardens only, so we looked forward to the house tour to see what might have changed since 2009. In fact, many new sections have been opened, many new furnishings, and, especially, some paintings not on view in our previous visit.

At the Golden Gates

In the assorted duchesses', et al., rooms (many of them)

Horses of the Sun; Louis XIV "Sunny" liked
all thing sunny

Many helpful models

Sunny was very appreciative of the arts and sciences, according
to painter Jean Garnier

Royal chapel

Spare parts

Some famous paintings here and there; Veronese's Emmaus; I
explained to Penelope that Veronese got paid by the number of
people in the painting (there were only 4 at Emmaus, according
to the Bible); Vicki explained sacred conversations and that the
person who commissioned and funded the painting got to choose

Entering the Hall of Selfies

King's official bed chamber

Nice view of gardens and Grand Canal

Queen's bed chamber

We were done at this point, ready for garden and fountains and
lunch; and so paid scant attention to the Hall of Battles and such