The bus came to the entrance way into The Louvre, and the square where Marie Antoinette and Louis IV lost their heads to the guillotine. Would this be a cleaner way to wipe out the mouses and bugs? No, I think I’d have nightmares about headless mouses. Makes me shiver….ugh. Wonder why the entrance is so tall and yet narrow?
All vehicles had to squeeze through the gate. Perhaps there was an extra inch or two on either side of the bus. Mom said it was an odd feeling to be squished to fit. I don’t think they actually squished her though….yuck….a revolting thought.
They arrived on the other side and ta da….there was The Louvre.
Sorry bout this picture my friends….dad seemed to get the wrong angle.. You get the idea though. This is Place de la Concorde. Mom says it’s huge and has quite the history. Wikipedia supplied the facts we needed to inform you.
The place was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1755 as a moat-skirted octagon between the Champs-Elysées to the west and the Tuileries Garden to the east. Decorated with statues and fountains, the area was named Place Louis XV to honor the king at that time. The square showcased an equestrian statue of the king, which had been commissioned in 1748 by the city of Paris, sculpted mostly by Edmé Bouchardon, and completed by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle after the death of Bouchardon.
At the north end, two magnificent identical stone buildings were constructed. Separated by the rue Royale, these structures remain among the best examples of Louis Quinze style architecture. Initially, the eastern building served as the French Naval Ministry. Shortly after its construction, the western building became the opulent home of the Duc d’Aumont. It was later purchased by the Comte de Crillon, whose family resided there until 1907. The famous luxury Hôtel de Crillon, which currently occupies the building, took its name from its previous owners.
During the French Revolution in 1789 the statue of Louis XV of France was torn down and the area renamed Place de la Révolution. The new revolutionary government erected the guillotine in the square, and it was here that King Louis XVI was executed on 21 January 1793.
Other important figures guillotined on the site, often in front of cheering crowds, were Queen Marie Antoinette, Princess Élisabeth of France, Charlotte Corday, Madame du Barry, Georges Danton, Camille Desmoulins, Antoine Lavoisier, Maximilien Robespierre, Louis de Saint-Just and Olympe de Gouges.
In 1795, under the Directory, the square was renamed Place de la Concorde as a gesture of reconciliation after the turmoil of the French Revolution. After the Bourbon Restoration of 1814, the name was changed back to Place Louis XV, and in 1826 the square was renamed Place Louis XVI. After the July Revolution of 1830 the name was returned to Place de la Concorde and has remained that way since.
Time had gotten away from these two again. They were not sure where the cruise was so…… it was taxi time again. Mom and dad arrived with little time to spare. They were shown to their tables right away and mom plopped down and started to take her coat off. One must remember these tables are small and very close together….mom forgot and stretched away like she was at home. She spilled the wine on the table behind her. There were gasps but when mom turned around to say she was sorry, the waiter had already moved them to another table. This is how to keep peeps away from you in the future. MOL This was the appetizer. Five different selections to start the meal. The main course offered five small selections as did the desserts. A most tantalizing meal. A replica of the Statue of Liberty with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
The studio apartments that look quaint and artsy are all over Paris, not in a certain area….everywhere. Seemed to take away their charm to mom. These apartments are very expensive. After the yummy food and a rest mom was set to go again. They headed back toward the Mercure Montmartre hotel….on the Metro this time. They actually went right to the correct exit and headed to the Moulin Rouge. Feeling confident in their ability to get about in a strange city, they decided to catch a wee train up to Sacre Coeur. Mom loved this train….look at those cobblestones too. The ride was a tad bumpy. MOL Get that luncheon jumping around in her tummy. Wow…this church is a real beauty even by Parisians standards.
Wikipedia gives us some additional info on Sacre Coeur,
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacré-Cœur (French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, pronounced [sakʁe kœʁ]), is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the defeat of France in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War and the socialist Paris Commune of 1871 crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ.
For more info go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris.
This little area is also an artist’s haven. Many paintings and designed items could be found while pounding the cobblestones. Mom found a few items to warm our hearts and set our paws to clapping for more. Mom and dad dragged themselves back to the hotel for a rest before they met up with Phenny, Katty and Mark from Easy’s Blog tomorrow.
To read about our meeting and first day together just click on Easy’s Blog