I had to take a detour, as I was incredibly inspired to explore Rocamadour, granted I was now on a schedule that required me to be at the Merignac airport in Bordeaux in two days, I managed to devote a day to this interesting section of France. I wanted to see the Lady of Rocamadour shrine, housed in a complex of religious structures centered on a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary and the tomb of an ancient saint.
I have arrived in Bordeaux, because of the stop in Rocamadour I will have to work with the amount of time I have. I really wanted to explore the city, this is actually one of my main destinations, I will be attending an important cheese and wine tasting benefit that will be filled with research.
I have really missed public transportation, which is excellent in this city. I am finding this merging of the modern world with the historical aspects to be quite pleasing.
As I mentioned before this night is going to involve a heavy consumption of wine, which I am really looking forward to!
And there is a nice variety of cheese as well!
This is Dominique, he is filling me with information and wine. We ended up becoming good friends through the evening. After the benefit he showed me what life in Bordeaux is all about.
this benefit is really focusing on the pairing of wine and cheese, l love it.
What a wonderful and adventurous night. I managed to make it to the airport on time and even though I would have liked to stay for longer, I was really looking forward to meeting up with Sara in Paris. I have a feeling I will be seeing Dominique and Bordeaux again.
I arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport around noon, I am feeling a lot better than I imagined, it's great to see Sara waiting for me at this amazing airport.
We are staying at le Pavillon des Lettres, highly recommended.
when I discovered what the interior of this hotel contained I knew that it was the place for me.
Raised type on the walls, impressive.
This place is a designers dream.
As difficult as it was to leave the hotel, we decided to take a boat tour of the Seine river to take in Paris as relaxed and talk about our previous journeys through France.
You couldn't possibly visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower, since we were spending our first day taking in this magnificent city, we headed for the best view as soon as possible. The Eiffel Tower rises 300 meters tall (984 ft); when it was completed at the end of the 19th century it was twice as high as the Washington Monument, at the time the tallest structure in the world.
After visiting the Eiffel Tower, we decided to call it a day and head back to the hotel, l think we both were looking forward to spending the rest of the evening in bed! The next day we continued to explore Paris, beginning with the Musée d'Orsay, which is a museum housed in a grand railway station built in 1900. I have provided an image (black & white) of the railway station as the Musée d'Orsay is now home to many sculptures and impressionist paintings, it has become one of Paris's most popular museums.
The Notre Dame Cathedral is an architectural masterpiece that is also the religious center of the city.
Paris seemed a little cloudy the next day, but we found the weather was nice up north and decided to visit Mont St Michel. On our way out, we stopped at the Sacred Heart Catholic church, located on the highest natural point of Paris, in Montmartre. This was another big moment for me, the view at the top of the dome is the second-highest viewpoint after the Eiffel Tower.
Fortunately we found a hot air balloon launching site that would offer a round trip to the castle at an excellent price. This would be a day of reflection filled with philosophical conversations.
Mont St Michel is definitely a place that holds the qualities of distance and wonder, we walked around the castle talking about how different life in France and the United States is.... we basically did not want to leave France.
In our last full day in Paris we decided to devote the day to Pompidou and Louvre. In 1969 French President Georges Pompidou launched the idea of creating a new cultural institution in Paris dedicated to modern art.
The Centre Pompidou is home to one of the world's most important museums of modern art, the MNAM, but it also contains a very popular library, a bookshop, a movie theater and a panoramic terrace.
Jeff Koons unveiled his psychedelic BMW Art Car at an exhibit in Pompidou while I was there. He stated that “These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy.You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy. There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car – it’s really to connect with that power”.
There is an eclectic restaurant that we had lunch at in upper levels of Georges. I was very excited to find sushi in France! The design of this restaurant reminds me of the Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry. I am very fond of architecture, drawn to the forms in buildings and letters. I think the reason I often feel almost overwhelmed with nostalgia when ever I see pictures of Seattle is because it was there that I began to take notice of design. I have also lived in California and Idaho, but it was Washington that really reached my heart and soul. It seems as if Seattle is an American version of Paris. I honestly can not say I would prefer one over the other, but it would be fantastic if I could find an opportunity that would allow me to travel back and forth, forever. ))<>((
From the top of Pompidou you can see the Eiffel Tower and the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in the distance.
Our final destination is the Louvre, originally a palace but now one of the largest and most visited museums in the world, is a must-visit for anyone with a slight interest in art. The most recent addition to the Louvre was the Louvre Pyramid, construction of the glass and built in 1989 by an American architect, Ieoh Ming Pei. The Pyramid functions as the museum's main entrance, and being a glass structure it also allows sunlight to come in on the underground floor. The modern addition originally received mixed reviews, as it contrasts sharply with the classical design of the surrounding buildings, but today it is generally accepted as a clever solution which has given the museum a spacious central entrance without the need to touch the historic patrimony.
Some of the museum's most famous works of art are the Mona Lisa (which is not as large as you might imagine) and the goddess Aphrodite, the Venus of Milo.
Some of the museum's most famous works of art are the Mona Lisa (which is not as large as you might imagine) and the goddess Aphrodite, the Venus of Milo.
One of the main attractions, for me, of the Louvre is the Winged Goddess of Victory, also known as Nike, not to be confused with the athletic apparel. Nike of Samothrace is another one of the masterpieces of Hellenistic baroque sculpture.
I have wanted to see so many of the sculptures that are in Louvre since my Art History class at Boise State. There ironically is a replica of Nike of Samothrace in the Idaho Capitol Building, but it is not exactly the real thing.
Sadly, it is time to say goodbye to this wonderful journey and return to the United States, fortunately we will be spending a few days in Seattle to discuss my experiences with the friends I had mentioned before heading back to Boise, Idaho. Discovering France has been an amazing experience, we both would love to live there, perhaps Seattle will be a nice alternative after we graduate, and hopefully we will find ourselves returning to France, again.
I know that I might seem to be not so fond of Boise or Idaho, but the truth is it is not so much the land or even the city... I think it is nice from a distance. Unfortunately, the majority of the state has a thought process that is very unsettling to me. I wish it were different, but the reality is that Idaho has been America's reddest state for a very long time and it probably will continue to be for the rest of my lifetime. I do value the progressive nature of our school and the majority of people who I have met through the University (online or in person).
