When I got into Paris, I had to switch from the train to the metro. My train tickets work for both, but when I put my ticket into the turnstyle (everything is electronic) it wouldn't work. I looked at the ticket and realized that I had used the wrong one. It wasn't supposed to take me into Paris at all, and it certainly wasn't going to let me on the metro. And, since I had no money, I couldn't purchase a metro ticket.
To make matters worse, the major downtown stations do not let you out of the station without your ticket. I was trapped inside the train station! Fortunately there are large gates for people with bicycles and I was able to go through behind someone else. I finally got out of the station, only to find myself in the middle of a gigantic mall. You would think the exit would lead to... um... perhaps the outside. But no, it led to a multi-level mall. Welcome to the city! I finally found the stairway leading out of the Matrix and emerged from Plato's cave into the sunlight.
Just like Plato's pour man of limited knowledge, I had no clue where I was. Well, that's not completely true. I had been there with my friend last weekend, but at the time we hadn't known exactly where we were. All I knew is that I was north of the river and approximately due west of where I wanted to be.
It was partly cloudy, but I thought I had a pretty good idea where the sun was. It was about 5:00, so I reasoned that surely the sun would be well to the West by now (and somewhat south, since it's winter, but adding in that angle hurt my head). I turned so the sun was at my back and started walking. 10 minutes later I found a map and realized that I had somehow managed, despite the sun, to go completely the wrong direction. So I turned toward the sun and marched back to where I started. I did some heavy map consultation, didn't find anything useful, and decided to head more southward. I knew that eventually if I did that I would run into Rue de Rivoli (it's huge, so you can't miss it), and once I was there I would know where I was. I did in fact run into Rue de Rivoli, though not quite where I expected to find it. Then I saw some signs that got me REALLY confused. I debated for a while whether to pick my direction based on what I thought the signs were saying, or based on the sun. Well, the sun had gotten me lost once already, so I went with the signs. 15 minutes later I arrived in front of the Louvre. The good thing is, I know all my directions when I am at the Louvre. For the first time, I knew where North was. The bad thing is, the Louvre was about half a mile in the wrong direction. Oh, what I would have done for a compass!
So I turned around, pushed and shoved through the crowds on Rue de Rivoli, and finally got to the museum about an hour later than I had planned. God gave me great grace in having me use the wrong ticket going toward Paris. I had only grabbed 2 tickets, so I could just have easily have used the correct one for the trip in and only realized at the station on my way home that the other one didn't work. In that case I would have been stranded in Paris. My only options would have been to beg for enough money to buy the correct ticket or make the 10 mile walk home!
I think, all in all, the trip was worth it. The museum covered several centuries of the History of the city of Paris. There were a bunch of models of the city, original architectural models for various bridges, LOTS of paintings of old Paris, and the obligatory uninteresting memorabilia from kings and important families in the past. I love the models and paintings; I feel like I am time traveling. I have now seen enough of Paris, too, that I know what those places look like now. Very interesting! Today I will put up pictures from the museum. In the future I will see if I can find pictures of the same areas today.
I love this picture! Take some time to observe all the buffoonery in the boats. The name is "La joute des mariniers" (the game of the mariners). The scene is not far from the Notre Dame. Notice all the houses on the bridges. After multiple destructive floods they decided to stop building houses above the river.
When you have one of those days when you don't feel very good about how you look, remember this man.
I have no clue where there is, but it is beautiful!
I believe the building on the right was a palace. The gardens to the left were quite spacious. You can just barely see Notre Dame on the horizon. Today the entire area is packed with buildings. The museum itself would be on the far right side of the image today.
This is a much more recent picture of Paris. You can see the Louvre on the left. It is looking downriver towards Notre Dame (from the opposite direction as the previous picture).
And here is a painting from what is now the Montmartre area. This is probably not far from where the Moulin Rouge sits today. There is an old windmill just like the one in the picture that sits on the side of the hill not far from the Sacre Coeur, East of the Moulin Rouge. Who knows, maybe it's the same one.
There was a room with some "religous" paintings. Can you figure out which Bible scene this one portrays?
How about this one? It's funny, I actually guessed and got it right before I read the plaque. It's not super obvious.
This was a very old, very poorly lit painting. But can you tell what those folks are doing? That's right, HOCKEY ON THE SEINE RIVER!!! Well, okay, not exactly hockey. Though a couple of guys are carrying sticks, and what else would you use a stick for on the ice?
Yay for 3D! This is a model of the city back when when the heart of Paris was still on the island by Notre Dame. I'm quite certain that entire fortress is gone now, replaced by houses and the Palace of Justice.
Paris must have been on the cutting edge of technology to accommodate its large population. Here is a model of a double-decker street car, something I have never seen. Paris still has double-decker trains on the RER C line.
And a double-decker stage coach! The top has seats under the canopy.
1 comment:
The paintings look like Pentecost and the baptism of Jesus... Am I right?
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