Last weekend
Well, after the amazing wonderfulness of the Impressionists, we moved on to the Post-impressionists-- Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Picasso, etc. -- which I have little use for. (I was not impressed, ha ha.) I liked some of Van Gogh's works, but the rest . . .
I'll tell you, after a couple hours in the Picasso Museum on Monday, I was about to either die or go crazy. So I won't bore you with all that. It did provoke some interesting discussion in class, though, about how to judge art if you're not looking at how well it represents something . . .
So that was Saturday and Monday. On Sunday we have the day off, so I got to do some other things. I went for the second time with some of my classmates to the American Church in Paris, the only one we know of where the services are in English. It's a weird sort of non-denominational church, but we were sitting under a stained glass window of Luther, Calvin, Cranmer and Knox, so I felt at home. After church the first Sunday I went to the Place Concorde, where the guillotine used to be, and ate my Nutella sandwich, then walked home slowly past the Tuileries gardens and the Louvre and down the Rue de Rivoli. This last Sunday I didn't pack a sandwich (ran out of Nutella) so I walked over to the Champs-Elysees and got the most wonderful hot dog I've ever had-- it had spicy mustard and was on french bread. It was so good. Then I kind of wandered down to the Arc de Triomphe and met some more classmates on their way back from it. It was an absolutely beautiful day. I went up to the top, (by way of the 284 steps, not the elevator, and I did not get stuck). The view was great. They say that the reason that the Parisians build tall monuments is so that they can make tourists pay big bucks to take pictures of their other tall monuments. I guess it works.
After that, I walked over across the river to the Eiffel Tower. I didn't go up-- the lines are ridiculously long --but I walked around it for a while. I think it's beautiful. they have a little park next to it, and the contrast between the trees and the greenery and the blue sky and the tower-- it's amazing.
So that was Sunday. After I got home, we went to dinner and probably had ice cream afterwards. Somehow the days all run together. I'll be back later to tell you about this week!
I'll tell you, after a couple hours in the Picasso Museum on Monday, I was about to either die or go crazy. So I won't bore you with all that. It did provoke some interesting discussion in class, though, about how to judge art if you're not looking at how well it represents something . . .
So that was Saturday and Monday. On Sunday we have the day off, so I got to do some other things. I went for the second time with some of my classmates to the American Church in Paris, the only one we know of where the services are in English. It's a weird sort of non-denominational church, but we were sitting under a stained glass window of Luther, Calvin, Cranmer and Knox, so I felt at home. After church the first Sunday I went to the Place Concorde, where the guillotine used to be, and ate my Nutella sandwich, then walked home slowly past the Tuileries gardens and the Louvre and down the Rue de Rivoli. This last Sunday I didn't pack a sandwich (ran out of Nutella) so I walked over to the Champs-Elysees and got the most wonderful hot dog I've ever had-- it had spicy mustard and was on french bread. It was so good. Then I kind of wandered down to the Arc de Triomphe and met some more classmates on their way back from it. It was an absolutely beautiful day. I went up to the top, (by way of the 284 steps, not the elevator, and I did not get stuck). The view was great. They say that the reason that the Parisians build tall monuments is so that they can make tourists pay big bucks to take pictures of their other tall monuments. I guess it works.
After that, I walked over across the river to the Eiffel Tower. I didn't go up-- the lines are ridiculously long --but I walked around it for a while. I think it's beautiful. they have a little park next to it, and the contrast between the trees and the greenery and the blue sky and the tower-- it's amazing.
So that was Sunday. After I got home, we went to dinner and probably had ice cream afterwards. Somehow the days all run together. I'll be back later to tell you about this week!
posted by LN | 11:04 AM
6 Comments:
Wow! I always wanted to see those monuments in Paris. What's so interesting is that my grandfather may have been in the American troops that went under the Arch de Triomphe during World War II.
Sorry. I forgot to say that I was the person that replied above.
Jesse L.
And did you run into the Counte of Monte Cristo during your walk on the Champs-Elysees? You know he has his town house there...
Hi again, Ellen. I have enjoyed your travels so much. Reading your description of the places you've been and the things you're doing just absolutely puts me into a trance. Dinner has been late more than once due to your entry for the day. Uncle Mike and Mema have not been very understanding. Some people just don't get it. Nevertheless, I have been mesmerized. Thanks for not being a woman of few words. I love words, especially the ones well spoken!!!
I love you,
Aunt Becky
mmmmm Nutella. Love that stuff!
Wonderful and informative web site. I used information from that site its great. »
Post a Comment
<< Home