Musee D'Orsay - Paris France

Paris France- The Musee D'Orsay is one of the most famous museums to visit when you are in Paris. While most people think of other places such as the Louvre, many will make a special trip just to see the Musee D'Orsay. The reason is that it houses many of the great works of art that have been created throughout history. Masterpieces from painters such as Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, and Vincent Van Gogh are housed in this museum. But if you prefer other forms of art as Sculptures and Photography they can be found here as well, but we will get to that later.

The first thing that you need to know about this musuem is that while it is not as big as other museums in Paris, this does not mean that you will want to cut yourself short on time. As a matter of fact I would recommend giving yourself the day to be able to walk through and enjoy the entire museum at your leisure. It will depend on the person as to how much time you will want in the museum but it's always better to end up leaving before you expect and doing something else than wishing that you had more time, although I don't think that you will end up leaving early.

The first thing that you should take notice of is that building itself, you will notice that the structure is not like any other museum in the city, the reason is that the building was station, it was not designed to be a museum. The building was used as a station and hotel prior to housing the musuem and dates back to 1900. The museum opened to the public in 1986, and has been drawing visitors every since. While if you take a look and think about the design you can see that it was once a station, it looks more like a palace to me, perhaps it's the layout or what is inside, but either way it's a very powerful place to be.

As I stated earlier this museum has more than just paintings, I was very surprised with thier collection of photography. As a matter of fact few people know about this collection before they visit. Many of the photographers that are featured in the collection helped to create the art form as we see it today, before visiting the museum if you are not familiar with some of these photographers I highly recommend that to look at their work and learn a little about them so that you can apprieciate the works that you will see. The 46,000 piece collection includes photographs from photographers such as Hippolyte Bayard, Edward Steichen, Edgar Degas, Gustave Le Gray,  Roger Fenton, Paul Strand, and William Henry Fox Talbot. Make sure during your visit that look at these works.

Rodin's Gates of Hell

If you prefer the works of sculptors then you won't be disappointed with their collection. All throughout the museum you can see scupltures from famous artists and some that you will be delighted to discover for the first time. Some of the most popular pieces come from artists such as Auguste Rodin, Pierre Auguste Renoir, François Pompon, Ernest Meissonier, Paul Gauguin, Edgar Degas, and many others. While the paintings are the pieces that will draw visitors to this place these other pieces are not to be missed.

If you are interested in looking to see what paintings are housed at the museum that can be found on their website and many other resources, but just to give you a taste of what you can expect to see I will tell you some of my favorites. William Bouguereau's Equality before Death, Edouard Manet's Rochefort's Escape, Paul Cézanne's The Hanged Man's House, Claude Monet's Blue Water Lilies, Edvard Munch's Summer Night at Aagaardstrand, Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night, and Paul Gauguin's The White Horse.

Van Gogh's Starry Night

There are a few things to remember when visiting, one, make sure that you treat all these works with respect, that means do not touch them as the oils from your fingers can damage them, and do not write or mark on them, this would seem like common sense, but you would be surprised what some people do. Two, you can take photographs of some pieces of art (not photography), but you are not allowed to use a flash when around the paintings, as flashes can damage the paintings over time. If you would like to visit the musuem they are open:

9.30am to 6pm
late night on Thursdays 9.45pmlast tickets sold at 5pm except Thursdays
museum guest must leave at 5.30pm Except Thursdays
closed on Mondays and on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December

For more information visit their website www.musee-orsay.fr

Notre Dame - Paris France

I have to admit that when I looked at the list of places that we were going to visiting while in Paris this was one of the most exciting. When most people think of Notre Dame they think of gargoyles, while these are one of the must sees, there is so much more that you should make sure that you take a look at while visiting the cathedral. But if you do plan on seeing the gargoyles there are a few things that you need to prepare yourself for.

The first thing that you should keep in mind is that you are going to have to walk to the top. There are two towers, and if you want to see the south tower it will be 387 steps. That is just to the top, but you will have to walk all the way down as well. Somewhere along the way there is a gift shop, this will give you a chance to stop and catch your breath and rest for a minute. There are no places to sit and there is no way to take a break other than the gift shop on the way up. So make sure that you bring comfortable shoes to wear, and be prepared to get tired out. The good news is that it is well worth it to climb to the top.

Once you get to the top there are gargoyles and beautiful views from the top of the catherdral. You can also go and see one of the bells up close. I climbed to the top twice and the first time I missed the bell. So I point this out because apparently it is easy to miss this site. Make sure that you walk all the way around the top because you can get different views of the city and look at all the gargoyles and see them from different angles.

You can also visit the inside of the cathedral, but please keep in mind that this is a church and a place where people go to worship. There are lot of artifacts such as crowns, and crosses as well as statues and other things that you can walk through and see. The place is usually pretty busy and many people don't bother to walk through. This is a mistake. Make sure that you take note of the organs, if you want to hear them played visit during a mass and you can hear these amazing organs in person.

Don't forget to walk all around the cathedral and pay close attention to all the workings on the outside of the cathedral. Many people see the famous rose window but fail to pay much attention to anything else.

The cathedral is free and open to the public every day 8AM- 6:45 PM 7:15PM on the weekends.

The towers are open April 1- Sept. 30 10 AM - 6:30 PM
In June, July, August 10 AM- 11 PM on Saturday and Sunday
Oct. 1 - March 31 10 AM - 5:30 PM
Closed on Jan. 1, May 1, and Dec. 25

For all other information visit
http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/

Shakespeare and Company - Paris France

Shakespeare and Company is a book store that is located in Paris. It's not anything that most people would look at and stop at unless they are aware that it's there. When I went to Paris I had heard of this bookstore and was thinking that I would check it out, however one of the other people that I took the trip with was familiar with it, and told me that it was a must see. Because of that we took a special trip just to see the bookstore, and I have to admit that it was well worth the trip.

The store has a great amount of history behind it, in fact most people are not aware that the current store that is open was not the first one that was opened. The first store with this name was opened in 1919 by Sylvia Beach, then in 1922, the store closed and moved to a larger location. During it's peak in the 20s many writers would use this store as a place to gather, writers such as Hemmingway, Jame Joyce, and Ford Madox Ford, where among a few of the patrons. When the Germans occupied France in 1941, the store was closed, and did not reopen.

In 1951, a store called Le Mistral was opened by George Whitman, but in 1964, Whitman renamed the store to Shakespeare and Company as a tribute to the store that was opened by Beach. When visitors see the store today it serves as both a reading library and store. The store also has beds for writers to stay in, Whitman allowed writers to stay there for free if they did chores and worked in the shop. When George Whitman passed away his daughter took over control of the store and continues to run it in the same way that her father did.



When I visited the store I have to admit I wasn't expecting much, but they actually have many different books, old and new. I could have spent all day in the store but my time was short, when I go back to Paris I plan to spend a lot more time at the store. It can seem a little small and almost cluttered, but don't let that keep you from exploring the store and missing out on this great experience. It's a fun place to just wander and look around, and you might even find some treasures if you are interested in reading, or collecting old books. There are many days in which you can find events such as readings, workshops, and other special events at the store. If you are interested in learning what is going on during your trip you can visit their website and look at the upcoming events.

The store is located at:
37 rue de la Bûcherie
75005 Paris
Phone: 00 33 (0) 1 43 25 40 93

Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-11pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am-11pm

Website: http://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/

Sacre Coeur - Paris France



The Basilica

 When I took my trip to Paris the very first night we took a trip up to Sacre Coeur, which I have to admit was a nice place, but by the time that we got there we were all so tired that we couldn't enjoy it all that much. We had just spent all night on a plane and walking in the rain. So my very first piece of advice when visiting this landmark is to make sure that you don't go when you are tired or right after you get to Paris if you are flying a long overnight flight.

The first thing that I did when I had some free time was go back to this place on my own so that I could view it on a beautiful day when I wasn't so tired. Therefore the next thing that I would tell any visitor is to make sure that you visit on a nice day. There are many things that you can see but The Basilica is what most people picture in their minds when they think of Sacre Coeur. And while most people will see The Basilica and then leave it's important to know that you can see some wonderful views of the city while at the top of the hill.

View of Paris

Be prepared to walk a good bit, when you are at the top of the hill you will do a lot of walking if you wish to see all the views that this place has to offer. Not only will you walk once you get to the top but you will also walk to get to the top, in fact there are a lot of stairs that you will have to climb to see the Basilica and to see the view of Paris. Make sure that you wear comfortable shoes that you can walk in. I did not get to explore the area as well as I would have liked but I did have a wonderful time walking and just enjoying the view of Paris and the fresh air. I have to admit it was one of my favorite views of the city that I experienced while I was in Paris.

Make sure to plan your trip in advance as there are opening and closing hours that you need to make sure that you know. The last thing that you want to do is get all the way there and then find out that the top of the dome is closed. Another thing that you need to make sure of is that you show respect, while this is a landmark and something that many people visit each year, it's also a place of worship and a place that should be respected.

Hours of operation:
The Basilica is open every day 6am-10:30pm (last entry at about 10:15)
Climb to the top of the Dome 9am-7pm (in the winter 6pm)
The crypt can also be viewed but opening times will vary
The shop is open every day except Mondays from 9:15-5:45

The address is:
BASILIQUE DU SACRE-CŒUR DE MONTMARTRE
ADORATION EUCHARISTIQUE JOUR ET NUIT
35, RUE DU CHEVALIER-DE-LA-BARRE
75018 PARIS