My Photographer's Soul

Saturday, October 5, 2013

A trip to see Napoleon's hunting shack in the country, and Birthday Boxing Day!

Birthday boxing day was all about seeing our good pal Napoleon. He invited us to his hunting shack in the country. We decided we would try our luck at Paris transit. An experience to say the least, and that was just buying our tickets. The next 1/2 hours was trying to figure out what side of the tracks we needed to be on and which train to take. Finally after a little help from some local Parisians we were on our way. To say Versailles is amazing would not do it justice. These pictures will give you just a small view of what we saw. Enjoy!

Walking up to Versailles from the train station.

Maddie and Lee outside the main gates.

The golden gates covered in gold leaf.

Not in Versailles yet.

Just inside the main gates.

Lower part of the Chapel

Looking out at the gardens just outside the back of the palace.

Just a little staircase upstairs.

The Chapel from the second level.

A view outside from one of the original windows.

The entrance to the Great Hall of Mirrors

The ceiling of the Great Hall of Mirrors.

Another view of the gardens outside at the back of the palace.

A small corner of the palace from the back.

One of the main statues out side in the gardens.

Maddie and Lee walking over to Marie-Antionette's country estate.

This is at the start of the Grand Canal looking back at the palace.

Looking out the kitchen window at the Petit Trion

One of the many staircases in the Petit Trion.

Looking out to the gardens at the Petit Trion.

This is the estate where the working folk would live just between the Petit Trion and the Grand Trion.

The gardens at the Petit Trion.

One of the entrances at the Grand Trion.

Looking out at the gardens at the Grand Trion.

Panoramic of Versailles from outside the main gates.

Panoramic of Versailles from inside the main gates.

Bon Anniversaire... Happy Birthday to me!

The day this whole trip was planned around is finally here! We started the day sipping an espresso on the left bank with a taste croissant. Yummmmm! In the brilliant sunshine we made our way to the Eiffel Tower along the Seine. It is about a 60 min walk for most, but with camera in hand to took us almost 2 hours.

As we made our way through many district you could see the income bracket rise. The cars got bigger. The apartments more luxurious. To compare where we are staying think The Drive. The Eiffel Tower is like West Vancouver. We walked by the Louvre and the Museé d'Orsay.

We walked through a beautiful neighbourhood and turned the corner, bam The Eiffel Tower. You didn't even see it coming. Words just can't describe the view, so I've included some pictures for you to enjoy.

Lunch was a "chic picnic". The food was magnifique. As I was enjoying the view and a glass of champagne when someone came up behind me, gave me a big hug and set a card in front of me. Thinking it was an overly affectionate waiter, I turned to find it was my sister. Her and her husband flew over fro Calgary to celebrate my birthday with me. Amazing!!!!! What a surprise.

They continued on their tour and we went to the Museé Rodin. In the evening we met up for a fantastic dinner full of good food, wine, champagne, dessert and full of laughter.

Until we meet again...

One of the many "Love Lock" bridges. This one is on the bridge leading to the Louvre.

Same bridge

This bridge leads right into the centre of the Louvre.

Our first look at the Eiffel Tower.

Right around the corner from the last picture, there it is right in front of you.

View from our table at Birthday Lunch

What Birthday would be complete without Champagne?

View from the second level of the Eiffel Tower. We walked up 400 steps to get there.
Our hammies and quads were burning.

Just your everyday site at the gardens on the other side of the Eiffel Tower.

This couple was trying to take their own pictures of their wedding. A number of photographers stopped to help them. I took a number of pictures for them. We exchanged contact info, I'll send them some pictures when I get home.

As it turned out they were not married yet. Their day will be in April 2014.

Maddie and Lee.

Maddie and Mom

The entrance to the Museé Rodin. Most of this museum is about the sculpture Rodin did of Danté's Inferno,

The Thinker in the background.

This is just as you walked into the museum.

Self Portrait.

The Thinker

An artist sketching one of the sculptures.

Entrance to the tomb of Napleon.

This is the only way I could get all of the Louvre

Happy Birthday to me...

The Eiffel Tower.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Ah day 3 in the city of light...

Day 3 was one of a lot of walking and a little shopping. There is a beautiful courtyard just a few minutes away from our apartment where the locals love to hang out and the tourist are in full force taking pictures. In the afternoon we stumbled upon a women making these crazy bubbles.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Starting to get our jet lagged selves moving on day 2...

We you know we're not travellers when we can't figure out how to turn the shower on. Thinking that it was a problem with the shower we reached out and asked for help. Problem was we couldn't figure out have to dial the number on the phone. Sad. So we ventured out kinda smelly. The walk up to the Paris Information Centre, which took us right by the Louvre, was beautiful. I think we spent most of our time with our mouths wide open. Paris is very overwhelming. Every where you look there is another amazing thing to see and take pictures of. Lee and Maddie have been very good about letting me stop whenever I want.

Lee had to spend most of yesterday afternoon and evening working as it was quarter end for him. Maddie and I ventured to see Notre Dame at night. Knowing that Paris is the city of light we were surprised at how little light there was. Enjoy our highlights from day 2.