Parc De Bercy, Monet Museum, Musee d'Orsay, Architecture in the Marais, & the Louvre

Wow, so much has happened in the last week. Eeeep, I'll apologize in advance for the length. So last Friday was a beautiful day (Low 60°s), so after leaving school we headed over to check out the outside of Invalides which is right next to my school and then we decided to go to Parc De Bercy, which was absolutely beautiful and perfect to visit on a nice day. 

Invalides

Invalides

Invalides

Palais Omnisports

sk8 park

Also on Friday, after leaving a club, a friend and I were waiting for a cab, when a cab pulls up and guess who gets out?? SAMUEL L JACKSON. I didn't have my camera for basically once in my time abroad,  but luckily my friend did and I'm stealing them to show off here.

Saturday was somewhat uneventful, I decided to explore the 10th, which while it doesn't have as many obvious sights as basically every other arrondissement I've explored but it was a good day of wandering around and exploring somewhere new.

Gare De Nord

Gare D'Est

Egypt Rally @ Republique

Saturday I headed over to the Musee Marmottan Monet, which was so beautiful, I managed to sneak a few pictures when the guards weren't looking.  Afterwards, we went exploring in the 16th and found Paris's mini Statue of Liberty.

Monet's palette and glasses! 

Tuesday, my French class was cancelled so I took advantage of my free time and went to Musee D'Orsay. There were signs like every 3 feet not to take pictures but I took a couple outside. Musee D'Orsay had tons of famous paintings by Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, and Degas. The Museum itself was also super neat, its in what used to be a train station built for the World's Fair. Then, at night I went to L'As du Falafel to celebrate my friend Sam's birthday. Lenny Kravitz called L'as du Falafel the " best falafel in the world", and if Kravitz says it, you know it must be true. I was a bit skeptical, it being my fist falafel and all, but I will follow in Kravitz's steps and give it my stamp of approval (although I will say it though, TBH they coulda gone lighter on the cabbage).

Musee D'Orsay

Musee D'Orsay

Stolen picture from google of what the inside of D'Orsay looked like

Assemblee Nationale, Home of the French Parliament (accidentally happened upon it on my walk from school to Musee D'Orsay)

L'as de Falafel

Then yesterday I had another architecture field trip, this time around the Marais (which is the 4th arriondissment, it's called the Marias because it means marshlands and that's what this area originally was). Warning: as fitting to this post, this week'sf field trip was our longest. The first building we visited was St Gervais et St Protais, a church right behind Hotel de Ville. Afterwards, we saw one of the first apartment buildings built in France. Next was Hotel de Beauvais, which was built for Catherine Beauvais, who was the first lady in waiting for Anne of Austria, as well as married to what is today's equivalent of the district attorney. Afterwards, we visited St Paul St Louis, which was the first church in Paris to incorporate a dome. Then, we visited the Hotel Carnavalet. THEN, we visited Hotel Sully which is on Place des Vosges, which was formerly Place Royale.

St Gervais et St Protais

One of the first appartment buildings in Paris (as far as I know it doesn't have a name)

Hotel De Beauvais

Later in history, Hotel de Beauvais was owned by the Bavarian Ambassador, and Mozart stayed with him for a brief time as a child.

St. Paul St. Louis

Paris's first dome

Hotel Carnavalet

Courtyard of Hotel de Sully

Hotel De Sully

My French class was cancelled on Wednesday as well, (don't worry everyone AUP has a brilliant policy where teachers must make up missed classes so I will get to enjoy 4 hours of French on a Saturday in March. fun!) But I decided again that I shouldn't let my afternoon go to waste so I finally went to the Louvre. Which omg so much to see, I will definitely be returning there, many many times. I did try and see all of the most important famous pieces though. (Although I did somehow miss Venus de Milo)

Inside the Carrousel de Louvre

inside the pyramid

Pyramid

St. Mary Magdelene

(This picture is really for my Mom  &others who knew Reese as a puppy: does this not remind you of us fishing stuff out of his mouth when he used to chew on bad things)

Captive by Michelangelo 

Psyche and Cupid

Wedding Feast of Cana

Mona Lisa (it was uber crowded, hoping next time I go back I can get a little closer)

Le Paradis

The Winged Victory of Samothrace

French Crown Jewels

This combination of the letters H and C that can be seen all over the Louvre are supposed to stand for Henry II and Catherine de Medici. However, if you notice, it also looks a lot like an H and a D Henry did this, so it would also represent his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, which did not make Catherine de Midici happy at allllll.

Seated Scribe

Danae- Kiefer (This sculpture taught me a valuable lesson- always take a picture of the plaque afterwards otherwise you will spend ample time google-ing to find out the name and artist) 

Napolean's Apartments (Hands Down my Favourite Part)

Another good week down, sorry for the overload. Ahh I'm leaving tomorrow for my spring break, first stop Sevilla, Spain till Monday morning, then Marrakech, Morocco, then back to Spain for a brief stop in Barcelona! Another major update when I get back!