BONJOUR PARIS!

Eiffel Tower

Upon entering the Cluny Museum I did not know what to expect. Being there made me realize that it helps preserve the Middle Ages through the artwork kept within it.

One of the most important and astonishing pieces there is "La dame a la licorne," which is made out of six tapestries.Five of them each represent a different sense, and the sixth one exemplifieslove and understanding. This piece lets the spectator appreciate the senses as it goes through the scenes, and it ends with the most controversial tapestry,called "Amon seul desir." People have many different ideas about its meaning.

One of them revolves around the fact that since she is not wearing thenecklace that she was wearing in the other five tapestries, it is said that sheis getting rid of the passion aroused by the other senses. It is trulyimpressive and interesting to see our senses reflected in that way.

Cluny Museum 

Upon entering the Cluny Museum I did not know what to expect.  Being there made me realize that it helps preserve the Middle Ages through the artwork kept within it.

One of the most important and astonishing pieces there is "La dame a la licorne," which is made out of six tapestries.  Five of them each represent a different sense, and the sixth one exemplifies love and understanding.  This piece lets the spectator appreciate the senses as it goes through the scenes, and it ends with the most controversial tapestry, called "Amon seul desir." People have many different ideas about its meaning.  One of them revolves around the fact that since she is not wearing the necklace that she was wearing in the other five tapestries, it is said that she is getting rid of the passion aroused by the other senses.  It is truly impressive and interesting to see our senses reflected in that way.  During the middle ages the art was used to convey religious ideas. It was thought that the beauty found in art would show religious appreciation and be a way to discover God. The two main types of sculpture in the museum wooden and stone. The wooden sculpture were more detailed, while the stone sculptures were more simple. In my opinion the detail in the wooden sculptures made them seem more alive which helped convey the artist's original intentions. I also believe the simplicity of the stone sculptures gives the audience  a frigid feeling. 

 

The Eiffel Tower represents Paris and gives one the opportunity to explore the city and enjoy the panoramic views from each of its three levels.   I admire it, not only because it's an icon that represents Paris, but also because its image provokes a sense of joy.  For me, this joy comes from not only knowing that I'm in Paris, but from knowing that the Eiffel Tower has stood there for decades and witnessed so many events that have occurred there since it was first built.  Also, the tower represents the hard work of the people that were involved with its construction.  Back then no one imagined that it would have the worldwide impact that has come to have.

 



 

Romanesque and Gothic Churches

For me, God represents beauty and religion is the way people seek spiritual fulfillment and God.  Therefore, by finding God, people are able to find true beauty.  This form of beauty is the complete opposite of the superficial objects that people consider to be beauty today.

We had the opportunity to visit Saint German des Pres with its Romanesque architecture and the Notre Dame with its gothic style: two contrasting architectural styles, each unique in its own way.  Saint German des Pres was much simpler, built with very thick walls and columns, and had very few windows.  Being inside this church made me feel like I was trapped in a dark prison.  On the other hand, the Notre Dame had more architectural details, like the flying buttresses, and was much brighter on the interior.  The columns and walls here were thinner than those at the Saint German des Pres and there were many more windows with beautiful stained glass.

Notre Dame has three west portals that are sculpture scenes above the doors.  In the center, this

portal is called the “Last Judgment Portal” and shows Christ in the form of the savior.  On the right 

side is “St. Anne”, who represents the Virgin Mary’s mother.  On the left as you exit the church is the 

“Portal of the Virgin” and shows the coronation of the virgin.

 

 Louvre

It is one of the most amazing museums I have ever visited. It is impossible to go through it in a day because of it immensity. This is the second time I have entered the museum and I still don’t know half of it. That’s why I find it to be a very impressive place. Starting with the organization they have in keeping the pieces to the architecture and style this museum has. That’s why it’s the most visited art museum. I believe from the outside it’s a beauty and once your inside you realize the honor it is to be a witness of the things that represent the beginning of the humanity and the important changes as well.

It is one of those places that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime and above all to give the kids and teenagers the opportunity to be filled with this culture at a short age.

It holds many different attractions starting from Egyptian, New Eastern antiques, Greek, Etruscan roman pieces, to sculptures decorative arts, paintings, prints and drawings. There is art of all kind and for everyone.

It is definitely experiences were just reading about it or listening from someone else isn’t enough. In order to really gasp what the museum stands for you have to experiment it yourself.

Versailles

 

Walking around the palace of Versalles, luxury and wealth are everywhere you look. Versalles was 

built by Louis XIV to house the aristocracy.  One part of the palace that impressed me the most was 

the gardens because they were so large, well organized and maintained, and filled with beautiful 

fountains and sculptures.  One such fountain was the Fountain of Apollo, which was a true piece of 

art that showed the sun god being compared with Apollo.  Another fountain showed Zeus turning 

mortal men into frogs.

Inside the palace there were several important rooms, including the Salon of Hercules and the Salon 

of Abundance.  The Salon of Hercules gets its name from the ceiling fresco, which shows the 

Apotheosis of Hercules.  The Salon of Abundance has a baroque style and is one of the most 

intimate rooms in the King's apartment. 

 

The Pantheon

The Pantheon is a monument of the French capital and is located in the heart of the ‘’Barrio Latino’’.

Here the heroes are honored for their efforts and dedication for giving their lives when it was necessary.

This was the first monument of relevance in France, and was the first place where I saw Paris from the above. The main intention of this monument was to change from the simplicity of gothic architecture to the grandiosity of Greek architecture.

At the beginning, the Pantheon was used for religious purposes.  Today, the Pantheon is divided into two parts: the interior and exterior.  In the interior part you can admire the size and decoration of the crypt where we can find the graves of important people like Voltaire, Rosseaul, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and Pierre Curie.  In the exterior part you can admire the complexity of the monument.  These qualities make visiting this monument worthwhile.   

     


National Holiday and National Monuments 

This course gave us the opportunity to experience a very important day in French culture, the 

Independence Day of France.  The Arch of Triumph is a representation of freedom and the 

accomplishments of Parisians.  It is a symbol for Parisian life.  With its huge size, the Arch of Triumph 

dominates Champs Elysees.  The Arch is a true beauty to the naked eye even when seen from afar.

Underneath the Arch is a tomb of an unknown soldier, which represents the memory of the missing 

soldiers from World War I.  This type of event made me realize the similarities between France and 

Mexico. In Mexico the people show a high level of patriotism during the Independence Day 

celebration just as they do in France. On the other hand, the celebration that Paris gives to the world, 

reflects the gratitude not only from France but from all the nations as well. That is magnificent 

because we need to teach others the important care that must be given to the planet, so it can last 

more years, which will create even more history for those who follow us.

Sacre Coer/ Montmartre 

It dominates Paris with its white dome built on the top of butte Montartre 

one of the largest hills of Paris. Therefore offering one of the most beautiful 

sights in Paris. It has a Roman Byzantine style, this Basilic has the biggest 

bell in all France. I remember this was the day that I missed the tour, but 

then I realized that I had gone there two years ago and visited the church. 

The Rodin Museum

 Even though sculptures are not my favorite type of art, it is interesting to go to a museum that only exhibits this work. Upon entering the museum I felt immersed in a palace and could admire wonderful artwork. As I walked around the gardens of this mansion I begin realizing it becomes a museum, an outdoor museum. Besides showcasing Rodin's work, the special charm contended in this property makes it one of the most popular museums in Paris. This museum has ten rooms on the basement, and another eight on the first floor. It also has a garden over seven acres which hold some of the most popular sculptures like "The Gates of Hell", and "The Thinker".  Without a doubt sculpture lovers need to go to this museum, as well as people who enjoys other types of art just for the learning experience. This experience is only heightened by the beautiful scenery of the Eiffel Tower and the "Les invalides" dome.

Musee D'orsay

 The d'Orsay Museum was one of my favorite places in Paris. Its contents were interesting, but the building itself was marvelous.  It seems like a joke that centuries ago the museum functioned as a train center. One of the reasons why I enjoyed this museum is that it is possible to tour all the exhibits in a short time unlike some of the other museums I saw in Paris. Without a doubt, I had a wonderful experience at this museum and truly enjoyed the artwork. I found the paintings here to be particularly stimulating. I would definitely love to return here some day.

Museum of Modern Art

 I believe that modern art is truly radical, and I truly love it because I can easily relate to it given the fact that it reflects modern day ideas.  Also, I believe that in the future this art will be appreciated and respected the same way that art from the past is today.  If I was going to be a painter, I think I would prefer creating abstract works similar to modern artists.  I found these abstract concepts to be fascinating because of how different and adventurous the artists are compared to artists from the past.  I like it because abstract paintings allow different viewers to take away different meanings from the work and can create unique experiences for them.

Museum of French Cinema

The French Cinema is one of the most important cinemas in the world. Contrary to other art forms like painting, sculpting and photography, the cinema left me with a clearer idea of the artists work, because it includes both visual and audio effects.

The Cinema is one of the activities that captures the attention of the people because of the way we use our senses, feelings and thoughts to try to understand a movie.  Most of the times, movies are intended to express a life lesson from the artist’s point of view. 

 

Natural History Museum

 At this museum we had the opportunity to have contact with fossil remains of many different species of animals.  It is a perfect place for those people who love biology.  I remember that when I was little I loved places like this, but as I grew older my interest in this topic faded.  It is important to point out that this place has many exhibits that are interesting even for people who don't have a background in biology.  As Michelangelo showed in his painting in the Sistine Chapel, man has a special agreement with God to take care of all the nature that surrounds us and to teach future generations to help preserve it.

Blois

 We spent our third week in Blois, France.  Although at first I was not sure about the idea of spending a whole week there, once I was there I loved it.  Blois was the complete opposite of Paris.  There was no metro or tourists, only a few cars, and mainly just local people living a peaceful, normal life.  In Blois I learned to give an extra effort physically because I had to walk everywhere.  I never would have thought that I’d be able to be somewhere like that.  Being there made me realize that people don’t really need all of the things that we consider to be “necessary” back home.  Now that I’m in Brownsville I miss being able to walk everywhere and feel free!  I guess I will have to find a way to have this same kind of experience here.

Au Revoir Paris! 

24 CALLE RETAMA APT 104 A, BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS

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