Ross and Susanna took Ellen and Katherine for the day on Tuesday September 25 – picking them up at 8.30 for breakfast.
Alastair and I had to day to ourselves so we were able to plan to see a few more things. Unfortunately we knew the Louvre was closed on a Tuesday – we had planned to visit it on the Monday but the girls had decided they had had enough of museums and art galleries and looking at paintings and things.
So first of all we visited the Musee Marmottan on the northern-western side of Paris near the Bois du Boulogne. The museum has the largest collection of Monet paintings in Paris – many of them from his son Michel. Again the artwork was beautiful.
The museum was in a very leafy, more upmarket area of Paris, which was lovely just to walk around.
Next stop was the Champs Elysees. We walked along part of it and through the very posh arcades selling designer stuff.
We went to the Arc de Triomphe which we climbed (294 steps). Boy – have we had a work out – what with the 91 steps up to the apartment and loads of walking between the various museums and sites. The view from the Arc is also great – especially of the boulevards radiating from it and the Grand Arch and back to the Louvre.
We then had a walk around the main areas outside the Louvre. We will have to visit it another time but it is so incredibly massive that you really need at least a couple of days there and to plan what you really want to see.
We then walked to the Ile de la Cite and went to the other church there – Saint Chapelle. This church is inside the Palais du Justice – the main law courts – so it’s a bit of a pain to get into. But it is well worth the effort. It has the most beautiful stained glass windows, artwork, painting and mosaics. It is very light – a real contrast to Notre Dame, which is quite dark. It is also very old – consecrated in 1248.
Carlene
Alastair and I had to day to ourselves so we were able to plan to see a few more things. Unfortunately we knew the Louvre was closed on a Tuesday – we had planned to visit it on the Monday but the girls had decided they had had enough of museums and art galleries and looking at paintings and things.
So first of all we visited the Musee Marmottan on the northern-western side of Paris near the Bois du Boulogne. The museum has the largest collection of Monet paintings in Paris – many of them from his son Michel. Again the artwork was beautiful.
The museum was in a very leafy, more upmarket area of Paris, which was lovely just to walk around.
Next stop was the Champs Elysees. We walked along part of it and through the very posh arcades selling designer stuff.
We went to the Arc de Triomphe which we climbed (294 steps). Boy – have we had a work out – what with the 91 steps up to the apartment and loads of walking between the various museums and sites. The view from the Arc is also great – especially of the boulevards radiating from it and the Grand Arch and back to the Louvre.
We then had a walk around the main areas outside the Louvre. We will have to visit it another time but it is so incredibly massive that you really need at least a couple of days there and to plan what you really want to see.
We then walked to the Ile de la Cite and went to the other church there – Saint Chapelle. This church is inside the Palais du Justice – the main law courts – so it’s a bit of a pain to get into. But it is well worth the effort. It has the most beautiful stained glass windows, artwork, painting and mosaics. It is very light – a real contrast to Notre Dame, which is quite dark. It is also very old – consecrated in 1248.
Carlene
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