Archive for 'France'

Mont St Michel

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 at 2:34 am  
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If your next set of travel plans include a trip to France, you may be looking for great things to see on that trip. One of the things you don’t want to miss is Mont St Michel. What is it? If you are new to sites in France, you may not know of Mont St Michel. Mont St Michel is considered a wonder of the western world. It is an amazing tidal island. Atop the island is an amazing abbey. For over 1000 years this island has been a fantastic location that is naturally protected by the tides which act…

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A Visit to Versailles

Sunday, April 1st, 2007 at 2:25 am  
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We took a bus to Versailles, the palace of the Sun King, and when we arrived there was a queue a mile long. We walked around the grounds for a bit and then noticed a door where the tour coach passengers were going. So we followed a group in, and as we weren’t challenged, we walked on into the palace. The opulence and grandeur of each room is amazing, it is literally jaw dropping stuff. A stroll around the gardens is a joy although the fountains weren’t operational the day we were there. Apparently the fountains are only switched on…

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Views of the Eiffel Tower

Sunday, April 1st, 2007 at 2:15 am  
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Chilli enjoying the sights of Paris. Here he is with the Eiffel Tower in the background. In 2009 the Eiffel Tower will be 120 years old.  Not bad for an structure that was only meant to be put in place on a temporary basis for the Paris Exposition of 1889. The Eiffel Tower was designed by the French structural engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (b. Dec. 15, 1832, d. Dec. 28, 1923). He was awarded the opportunity to erect the Eiffel Tower after winning a design competition. There were all manner of protests at the time from noted personages of the…

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A Visit To Montmartre & Sacre Coeur

Saturday, March 31st, 2007 at 1:18 pm  
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We are up bright and early in the morning and head off to the Montmarte district to see the Basilica of Sacre Coeur. Montmarte is a hill in north of Paris which is not only known for the white dome of Sacre Coeur but also it’s nightclubs, primarily Moulin Rouge. The name Montmarte means ‘mountain of the martyr after  St Denis,  the Bishop of Paris and the patron saint of France, was decapitated on the hill in approx 250 AD. Montmarte has always been  known for its artists community and Dali, Monet and Picasso were some of the artists who had studios…

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The Seine Cruise Continues

Saturday, March 31st, 2007 at 12:43 pm  
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It was just such a lovely evening and the buildings that presented to us were so architectually interesting that I couldn’t stop taking photos of them. All the old songs about Paris came to mind “Under the Bridges of Paris”, etc. Here we were cruising down the Seine in Summer at dusk. How fantastic this is. It started to cloud over as dusk fell and it looked like it might rain, but fortunately the rain held off. Not that it would have mattered, nothing could dispel the amazing feeling of actually being in Paris traveling down the Seine river. The…

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Relaxing in the Jardin de Tuileries

Saturday, March 31st, 2007 at 9:41 am  
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Just down the road from our Hotel was the Garden of Tuileries.  A large area approx 25 hectares I believe, where Parisians can wander and sit to take in the beautiful statues and enjoy the evening atmosphere. Its also a resting place for tourists who are tired out from taking in the sights of the beautiful city of Paris. While strolling through the garden, taking in the sites, a young man called out to us “Hey you – American?” “No we responded – Australian”. He burst out laughing and called “I know – Paul Hogan – Crocodile Dundee – Put…

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A Bit of History About the Musee d’ Orsay

Saturday, March 3rd, 2007 at 10:23 am  
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The rue de Lille was once the central lane of the garden belonging to Henri IV’s famous queen, Marguerite de Valois. When she died in 1615, the property was sold off in lots, and became the private mansions.During the 19th century, between 1810 and 1838 there were two buildings constructed on the site of the future Orsay station: the Cavalry barracks and the Palais d’Orsay. In 1871, during the Paris Commune the entire neighborhood was burnt down. Nothing was done with the ruins of the Palais d’Orsay until the French government gave the Orleans railroad company the land to build…

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