Monday, September 30th
Went to see the Place de la Bastille first. It was interesting because this was the spot of the royal prison before the Revolution in 1789 and was stormed and destroyed that same year. However, all the dates that seem to commemorate this statue are for the Revolution in the 1830s. Its almost like they don't want to remember their first Revolution and only the second one.
A better view of the Place de la Bastille and the opera house that sits right behind it.
I love how when you're walking around Paris there are these signs with what happened here during a certain point in history. This one was against an apartment complex (as most are I've noticed). This was once the spot of the Grande Roquette prison constructed in 1836. It was designed for prisoners who were sentenced to life in prison and those condemned to death. The guillotine was placed in front where the entrance to the prison was to show capital executions. Between 1851 and 1899 more than 200 people were sentenced to death. The prison was demolished in 1900.
Edith Piaf concert!! I am so going!
Cemetery de Pere Lachaise
The wonderful map to follow, however I couldn't find a paper map so I constantly had to keep looking at my Ipod where I had the photo of the map to find where I was going.
Names of the famous people buried here and their spot so one can find them.
Haussmann aka the man Napoleon hired in the 1800s to entirely redo the Paris streets. That time was called Haussmannisation.
Its very hard to see in this picture but the cemetery was built on a hill. So there were a lot of steps and hills to climb up or down. A great way to exercise though.
Frederick Chopin
The center of the cemetery, a very confusing spot because the map showed roads that did not exist coming off this round-about. Yet I learned from the last cemetery I went to, French cemetery maps lie. So just go in the general direction and you'll find whatever grave you are looking for.....eventually.....
Yet, it was very pretty with the leaves changing colors and falling. I love fall!
Moliere
It seems to me like he wasn't all that tall, based on how small his casket is.
This was a spot dedicated to those who fought in Paris against the Nazi control during 1940-1945 aka the Resistance.
Edith Piaf: great great singer. I have most of her songs and I listen to them daily. She had a beautiful voice.
This is Oscar Wilde's grave. I've seen pictures of it before and it was covered in kisses. Women would wear red or purple lipstick and kiss his grave. Its been cleaned since then I guess and now there is a wall around it so that people don't kiss his grave anymore. It was kinda depressing not to see the kisses, I always thought it was a neat way to show one's love a respect for him.
The little sign that says don't deface the grave.
I found two!! Some people will always be rule breakers.
Proust, an author I read while in OU's French program. Great man, crazy works.
Apollinaire, another author I read while at OU. Once again, great man crazy works.
This is the town hall for the 20th arrondissement in Paris. Every arrondissement has one since so many people live in Paris.
Not really sure what this is dedicated to or if its just a piece of art displayed in the middle of a round-about but it was still pretty neat.
This is where I ate my lunch (another great ham and cheese baguette) called Arenes de Lutece. It was discovered in 1869 while they were clearing the spot to build a road. It is the remains of the Gallo-Roman amphitheater from the 1st century.
Now there is a park attached to it (it would extend from the left side of this picture) and the young play soccer while the old men play/argue over petanque. Petanque is the french game where you have a small ball and you throw it and then you have to try to get your 2 balls closest to the small ball while competing against another team who is also trying to do the same thing. Points are based off of who is closest.
View from the Cite de la Mode et du Design. Its was an old warehouse but it has been converted into an exhibition/conference/art school. People can walk around the the inside of the structure and all the way to the top where there are two cafes and one can just sit and watch the Seine.
This is what it looks like from a distance, kinda odd but being inside it was very very cool.
No comments:
Post a Comment