Saturday, January 17, 2009

Bonjour Paris (Part 2)

I'm dreaming of a white Paris
Just like the ones I used to know...


Despite my white Christmas doesnt came true in Newcastle, but this little wish of mine blooms itself in Paris. A white Paris. It certainly got me excited since it was my first encounter with snow... and it taste like cold sprinkle of water. The streets covered with snow and all you could see is a piece of white land across the town. Its lovely.

motorcycles were well blanketed with white snow

a white Paris

Our first destination of the day is Cathedral of Notre Dame. Do you remember Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame? It was the first time i was exposed to this classical Gothic cathedral by Victor Hugo. Since then, this would be the place i want to visit if i ever have a chance to go to Paris.

gargoyle, said to scare off evil spirits, as a form of protection
...and this gargoyle looks to be shivering and freezing in cold

does it look familiar to you?

I guess many do recognize and came across this place. Yes, its the Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre) that is housed in the Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre). Nearly 35,000 objects from the 6th millennium BC to the 19th century AD are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square metres (652,300 square feet).

at the Pyramid

Sphinx from Egypt

Venus de Milo, an ancient Greek sculpture
believed to depict Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love and beauty

Diane de Versailles

Pan

one of my favourite, the Nike of Samothrace (winged victory)

the best of all, the Mona Lisa from Leonardo Da Vinci
okay... i was too far to get a proper nice picture of it

one of the masterpiece from Pablo Picasso

David and Goliath painted by Daniele da Volterra

Its probably one of the biggest museum i've ever visited so far, we spend 5 hours inside and still havent finish the tour. We then head over to one of the most recognizable icon in the world, the Eiffel Tower.

at the bottom of Eiffel Tower

Now to what phenomenon did I give primary concern in designing the Tower? It was wind resistance. Well then! I hold that the curvature of the monument's four outer edges, which is as mathematical calculation dictated it should be (...) will give a great impression of strength and beauty, for it will reveal to the eyes of the observer the boldness of the design as a whole.
- translated from the French newspaper Le Temps of 14 February 1887.

Despite many critics from all around the world, Gustave Eiffel and his co. still continue their shocking and daring exponential shape building the tower. Certainly there's many to read from its history, but this mega structures is part of a new revolution in the world of engineering. Challenge the limit.


Paris is such a lovely place. Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, Moulin Rouge, cathedral of Notre Dame, Musée du Louvre, Eiffel Tower and so much more. Words and sentences couldnt express nor portray how beauty it is in Paris, you just have to see it for yourself. It is certainly a city worth coming. No regret. I love Paris. Je t'aime

4 comments:

Shu said...

Dear forgot to blog about our romantic cruise along Seine river and the illuminated Paris by night.

Anonymous said...

bonjour!

finally u blog about Paris.....
A place not to be missed....

confessions of a medical student said...

how can one not fall in lov in paris?

Dann said...

Shu: Hmm... the photos not really that nice to display here. Kind of dark. later it unbeauty my blog. LOL.

EngHoo: Yup, Paris is so beautiful. Like the most romantic place that i've ever been. Just so lovely.

ShinYin: Thats true... =)

Je t'aime

Dann the Ninja!