Paris, Part Four - Versailles

What I am still lacking in new artistic content I am trying to make up for in sheer prettiness, and what better way to do that than photos of Versailles? Yes, for years and years 'Go To Versailles' has been on my Things-to-do-before-I-die list, and this summer, I was able to put a big fat check next to it. Done. And when I say done, do I mean it. We were there promptly 30 minutes before it opened and stayed for hours, and I don't think I sat down longer than the 10 minutes I took to eat a sandwich. We walked from the Chateau to nearly the end of the gardens and back, and still didn't see everything! I want to go back already!

For those unfamiliar, "The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime." (Thanks, Wikipedia!)

Paris, Part Three

I am currently sipping coffee at my kitchen table waiting for various virus-scanning software to do their thing - yes, my computer has been infected. But I had my awesome computer-savvy friend Mat look at it, and so far so good - I think it is on the mend! However, since I have nothing in the way of art-y content to share while I am waiting for things to scan, I figured I could bore you all with more Paris photos from earlier this year!

This time we visit my favorite museum in the whole world - the Louvre. I went there three times in the two weeks we were there, and still didn't see nearly enough. I could stay there for months, easily. I did get to spend a ton of time sketching there, which was an amazing experience, even though I got stared at a lot!

Paris, Part 2: Chartres

More pictures of Paris from July 2011, this time of our amazing little day trip to Chartres. The Cathedral as we know it today was built mostly between 1193 and 1250, is still in amazing condition, and has two mismatched spires (one was rebuilt in the 16th century over the older one). The facades are what really got me, though - besides the insane amounts of intricate stained glass windows. Every outer wall of the cathedral is covered in sculptured figures - from the ground all the way to the top of the spires. My mother and I spent a good long while walking around the outside, trying to figure out who was who, and what scenes of the Bible were being portrayed (aw yeah, Catholic education!).

There's something about the smell of old churches that you just don't get anywhere else. They're so dank and cold and full of incense and burning candles - I feel like I go back in time a bit when I enter one, especially one like Chartres Cathedral. In a cathedral that big and that important, you feel like you are a bit lost in history!

Next time: more of Paris, perhaps the Louvre? Also I have been working on some art so expect that soonish. Bye for now!