On a whim a few months ago, I signed up for a one credit DIS course entitled “Impressionism in Paris.” After six classes learning about the origins of the impressionist movement, distinguishing between Manet and Monet, and how social factors of the late 1800s influenced art, we finally made our way to Paris for the weekend.
We began our trip Friday with a bus tour of Paris that ended with a tour of Versailles, the palace built for King Louis XIV as a display of absolute power. You have to put yourself in a 17th century mindset to really appreciate the scale of the structure and intricacy of design.
Can’t you just imagine a group of corseted women in wigs wondering through the garden as a group of men in tights and heals look on?
Future Resident?
After the tour, we were set free to explore Paris. The city is charming. There are gardens every few blocks and trees line the boulevards of uniform “Haussmannized” building complexes. The street cafes are positioned with outdoor seating for optimum people watching and the food they serve is simply delicious! Of course, there are a lot of tourists, but it is easy to find a quiet park bench in a secret courtyard for some peace.
Luxemburg Gardens
And an hour before it closed, we made it to the Louvre (Going places at night/just before closing is actually very efficient because most tourists have gone to bed and the lines are much shorter). Yes, I saw the Mona Lisa. But I think I was most impressed by the infrastructure. The palace turned museum is huge! It would take days to see all the art! Because it used to be a palace, the ceilings house frescos and the walls are marble. These baroque features are juxtaposed most interestingly with the modern glass pyramid in the courtyard.
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