I'm Still Here

I haven't forgotten about this. Things have just been crazy busy with so much travel, Thanksgiving, and trying to accomplish all my homework, four papers, and an audition for 4th year company at my studio next semester. In the meantime, enjoy this video:

Besos!

Mon Amour, Paris

Welcome back to Paris! (Meaning iPhoto finally cooperated so I could finish editing and upload pictures. This is a little more than 1/3 of them.)

The Fountain of Saint Michele (Michael), at the Plaza where the free walking tour started.

Saint Chapelle, the only remaining building with visible damage from WWII

The New Bridge, which is now the oldest bridge in Paris.

King Henry IV, a partier and one helluva guy. (Arnaud taught us that in equestrian statues in Europe, two raised legs of the horse means the rider died of unnatural causes.)

At this bridge in Paris, couples come and place locks on the fence and then throw the key into the Seine, signifying their eternal love. Arnaud told us there's some guy whose job it is to come along like every five months and cut them off. Poetic.

Ile d'cite

Louvre

Louvre, aka site of the holy grail according to Dan Brown. (Read The DaVinci Code. Just do it. And then don't see the movie.)

Birds.

Obelisk

The French like their trees square. Oh hey there's the Arc.

Pretty. Autumn!

Nothing is simple about anything French.

Obligatory.

Lighting design of a photo! (Meaning I'm a nerd and use natural backlight on purpose.)

It was bigger than I expected.

And prettier!

And sometimes you just walk by old Roman buildings in the middle of the street.

Good ol' TJ. Didn't know he was an American ambassador to France.

Entering the Louvre...

Commence taking pictures of all the funny art we could find, such as this "Oh no you di'in't!" bust.

Under one of the smaller pyramids, a room that feels like it should be outside. (And was right next to the Code of Hammurabi, but we didn't know that until we left. Of course. LOUVRE!)

Winged Victory of Samothrace. One of my favorite ancient headless statues that was definitely on my first art rect test in 2005.

Possibly the most overrated painting in the world. About the size I expected it to be. The ONLY painting in the Louvre that has its own wall.

That other famous statue.

"What do you mean, my car was towed?"

"Crazy lion, gimme my baby back! RAAAA!"

"This is my chicken. MINE."

And then I got bored with the paintings and just started looking out the windows. At the other side of the Louvre.

PRETTY.

"Touch-a touch-a touch-a touch me"

New York in the 18th century.

Whatup, Louis! (Also famous, and mentioned nowhere in the Louvre guide.)

That's not even the Louvre. I'm telling you, the French know how to light buildings.

And then sometimes you walk around a corner and this is there.

Code of Hammurabi.

Kinda weird. But really cool.

Academie Française at night.

Academie Française at night with the sunset setting on my camera.

Crêpe flambouyant. You have to look really hard to see the bits of blue flame though.

People could pay a lot of money for a print of this picture. Or just take it themselves for free.

My future home.

Shakes&Co, y u no open before 11?

Interlude

Versailles!

Louis XIV was known as the Sun King.

Versailles.

Pictures with interesting lines!

A room my mom would like. "The Green Room."

Versailles gardens. I'm a fan of pointy trees, aren't you?

Hall of Mirrors.

Yeah um that's where the Treaty of Versailles was signed. Right there. At that desk.

Arc d'Trioumf at night... Again with the lighting

Notre Dame!

Lighting!

Rose window!

Sunrise on the Seine

Oh hey, Rodin.

The gardens of the Rodin museum were really beautiful.

He made this.

My favorite Rodin sculpture. (And the lighting on it was so good... meaning the sun from outside.)

Comedie Française!

My homie, Moliere. (I did a project on him junior year of high school.)

We don't like that the Musee D'Orsay is D'umb and D'closed.

Little girl in front of van Gogh's door.

Montmartre at dusk.

Van Gogh's favorite place for Parisian food and prostitutes. Now it just has food. 

(Look at my color contrast!)

Where Picasso used to order food and pay for it with portraits of the waitresses drawn on napkins.

Sacre Coeur - a mix of Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

Sacre Coeur

So much less impressive in person, but still cool.

And as I walked from the Moulin Rouge to the train to go to the airport, we passed the Moulin Rouge's lesser known cousin for those who don't have the 200 euros for a ticket to the show.

"Love Store"

Paris, Je t'aime.