Thursday, March 31, 2011

Architecture in the 6th, Film Museum, Chateau de Vincennes, Passages & Galleries!

It's been another busy week (well, a little longer than a week). I'll start it off with last Wednesday's architecture field trip, which, lucky for me was around the 6th arriondissment. (yay for getting to sleep in and only having to walk 5 minutes to class!) After showing up at the Pantheon and discovering that it was exceptionally closed for the day, (why is it that every time i go here something goes wrong?) we headed over to St. Etienne Du Mont, which is a church behind the Pantheon that I have walked by many times, and even almost went in once (but feared it was during mass). Anyways, St. Etienne Du Mont was beautiful, plus it has one of the few remaining Rood Screens in France. Apparently, the crucifix used to only be exposed on holy days, and on all other days it was kept behind the rood screen. Afterwards, we went to the Theater of Odeon and one of the first schools of surgery in Paris (I can't remember the name... ooops)

St. Etienne Du Mont
Staircase on the side of the Rood Screen
The Rood Screen
St. Genvieve's Relics at St. Etienne Du Mont
Odeon Theater
School of Surgery
As per usual, Friday was used for adventuring around Paris. The weather is just starting to get nice here, so I enjoyed a nice picnic lunch with some friends at Parc de Bercy then went to the Cinematheque Francaise (basically a film museum). Which was much smaller than we expected, but still cool to see old cameras and film equipment. Afterwards, we found a pet store, which anyone who knows me well knows that this was undoubtedly the highlight of my day!

Cinematheque Francaise

Checking Out One of the First Forms of Moving Pictures
Ringo Starr's costume in Lisztomania

YAY PUPPIES

Then on Sunday, I ventured over to Chateau de Vincennes with some friends. Chateau de Vincennes is right outside of Paris's border, but very easily accessible on the one metro line. Basically it's a castle where lots of Kings spent there time, for more information go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Vincennes. There are two things to see at the Chateau De Vincennes: the Sainte Chapelle (not as good as the one in Paris) and the Donjon. The Donjon was definitely my favourite part as it looks like it is right out of a storybook, plus the prison was used as a medieval equivalent to a white color prison for a while, and there are lots of cool paintings on the walls done by the prisoners. Afterwards, my friends and I headed over to the Bois de Vincennes which is a HUGE beautiful park next to the castle. I definitely want to go back there on a nice day!
The Donjon
The Sainte Chapelle
Paintings done by Prisoners


oh hey ribbed vaulting (tnx architecture)
King's fireplace
The Group at the Castle
View of the Sainte Chapelle from the Top

Inside the Sainte Chapelle
Sainte Chapelle

Sainte Chapelle
Bois de Vincennes
Bois de Vincennes
Bois de Vincennes
Bois de Vincennes
Bois de Vincennes
Bois de Vincennes
This week, my architecture field trip was around the first arriondissment again. This field trip was one of the ones that really make me appreciate the class, I've been in the area a million times, and our professor took us to see so many things that I had never seen before. On this trip we looked at the Palais Royale (inculding the garden facade which I had never seen before), and a bunch of passages and galleries in the 2nd (Paris's first version of shopping malls).

The Garden Facade of Palais Royale and Daniel Buren's installation
Fountains of Pol Bury
Jardin du Palais Royale
Galerie Vero De Dot
Place Des Victoires
Galerie Colbert
Galerie Colbert
Passage des Panoramas


Sunday, March 20, 2011

Super Update!

So last weekend I got the pleasure of having another visitor come to Paris: my friend Shelagh who's studying in Madrid! I love having visitors cause it gives me an excuse and the motivation to go see tourist things and eat soooooooooooooooo much good food!

Interesting Dancing at the Louvre

Friday Night Out @ the Louvre

Obsessed

A quick visit to Denfert Rouchereau, which was ended quickly after we saw a ginormous line for the catacombs

The View of Paris from the top of the Arc de Triomphe!

Paris!

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Under the Arc)

Monet at Musee De L'Orangerie


The Original Cosi in Paris (might be better than the one in the US if only sandwiches came with chips or they had s'mores, but hey this is france...)

Cosi
On Tuesday night, I got the chance to see one of my favourite bands, Blind Pilot! They played at a small venue called Espace B so we got right up front, plus we got to talk to the band afterwards, it was so much fun!




My friend Amelia and I with the band!
Last Wednesday I had another architecture field trip to Invalides, which I've seen bunches of times being that one of AUP's buildings is basically next door, but it was really cool to finally go inside the two churches and to see Napoleon's tomb. ( I still have yet to visit the Museum of the Army which is also there)

Napoleon's Tomb







The actual flags France took from countries that conquered and beat in wars

These were incredibly amazing to me!!
Then on Friday, I finally got the chance to visit a creperie my friends and I have been joking about visiting ever since we saw it. It's called Princess Crepe and it is exactly as it sounds. And while it started as a joke, it was literally the best crepe I've ever had. There are more options than just "nutella banane" (although I am not dissing nutella banane) but they have options like cheesecake, strawberries, chocolate cake, ice cream, all in a delicious crepe. This is now a must-see with all of my visitors who come to Paris. (parents: PREPARE!) Afterwards, I finally got to see the Mondrian exhibit at Pompidou before it leaves this weekend. It was very crowded, but so worth it!

Every litte girl's dream

Including Mine!

Mondrian Exhibit (note: this is unfortunately not Mondrian, I was too scared to take pictures 'till the end of the exhibit when there no longer were any of his works around)

Another Exhibit in Pompidou
Then on Saturday, my friend Arielle invited me to join her at Salon du Vintage, which was an amazing vintage fair of sorts. There was everything you could imagine there from clothing, to furniture, to jewelry, to gas pumps, basically if it is cool and vintage, it was there.


A Vintage Shopper's Dream Come True





The Marais

Walking home from the Marais at sunset has its benefits
Just another week of exploring the city and trying to take it all in! It's crazy to think that I'm past my half way mark and I have less than two months left here!