{"id":601,"date":"2013-01-23T09:41:40","date_gmt":"2013-01-23T14:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/?page_id=601"},"modified":"2013-02-27T10:12:34","modified_gmt":"2013-02-27T15:12:34","slug":"france","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/travels\/france\/","title":{"rendered":"France"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s something about the country\u2014it’s culture, intellectual and scientific contributions, and remarkable history\u2014that inspires one’s “Joie de la vie.”\u00a0 We’ve been fortunate to have lived in Paris for nearly 6 months while working with the Institut Fran\u00e7ais du P\u00e9trole and TOTAL<\/strong>.\u00a0 This followed a field season in Kalimantan, Indonesia, funded, in part, by the Petroleum Research Fund, where we attempted to understand the role of land plants and the origin of southeast Asian petroleum resources.\u00a0\u00a0 After returning to Paris from field work, the family flew to Charles De Gaulle airport whereupon we settled into a very small (300 ft2<\/sup>) flat in La Defense, and the five of us overwintered.<\/p>\n

\"Avenue<\/a>La D\u00e9fense is located northeast of the city across the Seine, and takes its name from\u00a0 the statue of the “D\u00e9fense de Paris.”\u00a0 This statue, built to commemorate the\u00a0 the Parisian resistance during the Franco-Prussian War erected in 1883. The center of the\u00a0Quartier Paris La D\u00e9fense focuses around the Grande Arche, which is built as a reflection of the Arc de Triomphe and lying at the far end of the historical axis.\u00a0 La D\u00e9fense is the business center of the city, with construction beginning in the 1950s, and has changed dramatically since we first lived there in the late 1980s.\u00a0 What hasn’t changed, though, are the architectural and sculptural modern highlights.\u00a0 This includes Le Bassin de Takis (the\u00a0Basin of Takis),\u00a0 designed by, who else, Takis.<\/p>\n

\"La<\/a>The installation is designed as a forest of Signaux, with each \u201csignal\u201d differing in height and form, but all being variants on the theme of energy emission and code transmission.\u00a0 In Takis\u2019 view, each Signaux transmits messages of an existential value, at a specific frequency, and is believed to be of cosmological significance. The Signaux also function on an emotive\u00a0 level, and are in the reflecting pool, standing on their own and independent of humanity.<\/p>\n

\"Arc<\/a>The Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napolean and built between 1806 and 1836, stands at the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle, also known as the “Place de l’\u00c9toile,” located at the western end of the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es.\u00a0 The Arc was built in a traditional style indicative of the first half of the 19th Century, designed by Jean Chalgrin and based on the Arch of Titus in Rome.\u00a0 It honors those who fought for France, in particular, during the Napoleonic Wars.\u00a0 Groups, friezes, figures, and bas-reliefs were sculpted by James Pradier, Antoine Etex, and Jean-Pierre Cortot, but the most celebrated sculpture is the work of Francois Rude: La Marseillaise.\u00a0 This relief commemorates the Departure of the Volunteers in 1792 showing the French people rallying against enemies from abroad.\u00a0 They are depicted both nude and in classical armor, aroused to patriotic fervor by the Roman goddess of war, Bellona, a personification of Liberty.\u00a0 The relief, known as “La Marseillaise,” is named after the French national anthem which also was written in 1792\u2013 the same year as the departure of the volunteers.<\/p>\n

\"Basilique<\/a>One of the most revered sites in the city is the La Basilique du Sacr\u00e9 Coeur de Montmartre\u2013the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.\u00a0 Located on Montmartre, the Catholic basilica was built by influential citizens who pledged the construction of a church if Paris escaped Prussian damage but also as a penance for the 1870 defeat of the French at the hands of the Prussian army.\u00a0 The architect who won the competition for its construction was Paul Abadie.\u00a0 The basilica he designed is in a Roman-Byzantyne style which stands in sharp contrast with other contemporary buildings in France, and began construction in 1876.\u00a0 The color of the Basilica is maintained naturally and is due to the use of Ch\u00e2teau-Landon limestone (travertine) in its construction.\u00a0 When it rains, chemical reactions between the limestone and water act as a bleach, insuring that the stone remains white. The same building stone was used in the Arc de Triomphe.<\/p>\n

\"<\/a>La Basilique du Sacr\u00e9 Coeur de Montmartre can be seen through the grand clock on the front of what now is the Mus\u00e9e d\u2019Orsay.\u00a0 The clock is a remnant of the building\u2019s past when it was the former Gare d’Orsay, an imposing Beaux-Arts railway station on the left bank of the Seine.\u00a0 The museum, renovated earlier this century, houses a remarkable and memorable collection of impressionist painters and sculptors.\u00a0\u00a0 When we first lived in Paris, visitors to the gallery were allowed to photograph the paintings on exhibit.\u00a0 This is no longer the case and one needs to consult independent websites, such as the Google Art Project, to get an idea about their holdings.\u00a0 These include James Abbot McNeil Whistler (1871) Portrait of the Artist\u2019s Mother<\/em>, Auguste Renoir\u2019s (1876) Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette<\/em>, Vincent van Gogh\u2019s (1889) Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles<\/em> and (1889) Self Portrait<\/em>, Paul Gaugin\u2019s (1892) Arearea<\/em>, Edoard Manet\u2019s (1863) Olympia<\/em>, various sculptures of Auguste Rodin, and many other renown works of art.\u00a0 The musee isn\u2019t as imposing as the Lourve, but it still will take you at least a half day to enjoy their offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Rodin's<\/a><\/td>\n\"Detail<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Rodin Musee, opened in 1919, is in the private Paris mansion where the sculptor assembled his works.\u00a0 Auguste Rodin purchased the building, which had been a former hotel, with the intent of leaving his home, gardens, and sculptures to the citizens of Paris. The permanent collection, located at rue de Varenne in the 7th arrondissement, exhibits not only some of his most famous, and controversial, works including The Thinker<\/em>, The Burghers of Calais<\/em>, and The Gates of Hell<\/em>, but also lesser-known works from Rodin himself, his brilliant student Camille Claudel, and others.\u00a0 What made his work controversial is the realistic qualities of his figures, unlike his predecessors whose works were largely based on allegory and mythology.\u00a0 In fact, he was accused of cheating in his work because such a the level of realism had yet been achieved.\u00a0 The Musee is located close to the Invalides, where the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte I is located.<\/p>\n

\"La<\/a>The Invalides, originally known as the H\u00f4tel des Invalides (1671), was founded by Louis XIV to provide accommodation for disabled and impoverished war veterans.\u00a0 Today, the building complex The Mus\u00e9e de l’Arm\u00e9e, a large military museum situated on both sides of the cour d’honneur.\u00a0 The Musee includes military history from the early Middle Ages to the second World War and displays weapons, uniforms, maps and banners from the country\u2019s campaigns.\u00a0 Following the death of Napoleon I in 1821, after spending 6 years in exile on the island of St Helena, he was buried there in the “Geranium valley”.\u00a0 His remains were transferred to Paris in 1840 when King Louis-Philippe decided to honor his dedication and service to the country.\u00a0 His remains were transferred to the Invalides on 15 December 1840 while the tomb was still under construction. It took 21 years for the architect Visconti to transform the inside of the Dome church where the tomb would rest.\u00a0 Emperor Napol\u00e9on I was laid in the tomb of red porphyry from Russia on 2 April 2 1861.\u00a0 The tomb rests on a green granite base from the Vosges, and is circled by a crown of laurels and inscriptions, reminders of the great victories of the Empire. A statue of the Emperor, bearing the imperial emblems, can be found at the rear of the crypt, above the tombstone under which the King of Rome lies.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>As imposing as Napolean\u2019s tomb is visually, it is rivaled only be several other historical landmarks in the cite.\u00a0 One of the most recognized is The Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, the world\u2019s most famous museum.\u00a0 One must visit this attraction several times over several days to appreciate all it has to offer.\u00a0 A one or two hour \u201cquick\u201d tour is insufficient to marvel at the collections and the treasures therein.\u00a0 On the other end of the spectrum is Louvre overdose, where one attempts to \u201csee it all\u201d in one day.\u00a0 Your head can spin and you can lose your mental balance if you decided to try and take in all the museum has to offer in \u201cone sitting.\u201d\u00a0 The museum is found in the Palais du Louvre which was first a 12th Century fortress built by Philip II and, subsequently, was designated by the National Assembly as the museum to display the nation\u2019s masterpieces during the French Revolution.\u00a0 But, it was under the reign of Napoleon I that the collections grew as a consequence of successful military campaigns.\u00a0 The museum\u2019s current entrance, and one not available to us when we first lived in the city, is the glass pyramid that stands over a new entrance in the main court, the Cour Napol\u00e9on. It was authorized by President Fran\u00e7ois Mitterrand following an international architectural competition won by I. M. Pei.\u00a0 The second phase of the Grand Louvre plan, La Pyramide Invers\u00e9e, was completed in 1993.\u00a0 The Mus\u00e9e du Louvre is one of the world\u2019s greatest treasures and shouldn\u2019t be missed if you\u2019re in Paris.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>And, yes, one can not be in Paris without visiting La Cath\u00e9drale Notre-Dame, located on the \u00cele in the middle of the Seine on which La Cit\u00e9 began.\u00a0 The island is considered to be the heart of the city, its center.\u00a0 The earliest settlement is dated to the 3rd Century B.C., but subsequently was rebuilt as the Roman city of Lutetia in 52 A.D.\u00a0 A medieval city was refounded on the island after plunder by Nomadic tribes.\u00a0 La Cath\u00e9drale Notre-Dame was begun on the site of a previous 10th Century church.\u00a0 It was constructed between 1163 and 1345 and the seat of the city\u2019s Archbishop.\u00a0 The Gothic-style building was the first cathedral built on such a monumental scale and became the prototype for other French cathedrals including Amiens and Chartres or Rheims. There are 3 wide portals on the frontal west fa\u00e7ade above which is the Gallery of 28 Judean Kings above which are both gargoyles and grotesques. The rear and eastern side of the building is supported by architectural supports known as flying buttresses.\u00a0 Over the past century, the Cathedral has undergone restoration, with the last efforts completed in 2001.<\/p>\n

\"Vincennes<\/a>Another cathedral under recent renovation is that found on the grounds of The Ch\u00e2teau de Vincennes, a castle built in 1150 by Louis VII, just outside the center of Paris.\u00a0 The \u201ccountry living\u201d aspect of the area changed in 1671 when King Louis XIV decided to move the entire court to the newly completed Versailles Palace.\u00a0 This area was considered to be the \u201cVersailles of East Paris.\u201d\u00a0 The construction of Sainte-Chapelle began just before the death of Charles V in 1380 and took nearly 150 years to complete due to a building halt at the beginning of 15th Century.\u00a0 It was intended to hold the relicts of the Passion and was listed as a Historical Monument in 1853. Late in the 20st Century, December storms, with winds in excess of 200 km\/hr, ravaged the Sainte-Chapelle.\u00a0 This resulted in extensive water damage in the cathedral which has been partially renovated since then.<\/p>\n

\"Tour<\/a>The most iconoclastic structure in Paris is Tour Eiffel, located on Champ de Mars.\u00a0 The tower, originally controversial because of its design, is an iron lattice tower named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built it.\u00a0 It is the tallest structure in the city and can be seen from across the city; from the summit of La Basilique du Sacr\u00e9 Coeur de Montmartre and the top of Arc de Triomphe, to a casual stroll along La Rive Gauche.\u00a0 The tour, constructed at the end of the 19th Century from 1887 to 1889 served as the entrance arch to the 1889 World’s Fair.\u00a0 It is not only a global cultural icon of France but one of the most recognizable structures in the world.\u00a0 In an effort to accommodate all visitors, renovations including the addition of handicapped accessible routes began in 2012 leaving the second level closed for the next few months.\u00a0 The panoramic view from the top of Tour Eiffel is breathtaking on a bright, clear day.\u00a0 Even on a somewhat overcast day, it is impressive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There’s something about the country\u2014it’s culture, intellectual and scientific contributions, and remarkable history\u2014that inspires one’s “Joie de la vie.”\u00a0 We’ve been fortunate to have lived in Paris for nearly 6 months while working with the Institut Fran\u00e7ais du P\u00e9trole and … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":423,"featured_media":612,"parent":526,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"onecolumn-page.php","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/601"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/423"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=601"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":992,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/601\/revisions\/992"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/526"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/ragastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}