Tag Archives: Paris

I’m a Fan of……Art Galleries

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….thanks to Jez for hosting I’m a fan of……https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2023/03/20/a-ride-to-the-park-fan-of-198/

I love to browse through art galleries for a variety of reasons. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon or even just an hour or less. It informs me on what is happening in the world, the values of other cultures and the diversity of art itself. I don’t always love everything I see but I can appreciate what the artist went through to make their art. The one comment I despise from other people who think that a piece of art is unworthy to hang in a gallery is….”I could do that”. The problem is that they didn’t do that and never will.

The big art gallery in Toronto is the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) and I love going there but I also enjoy going to smaller galleries like the Dignam Gallery at WAAC, the Assembly Hall Gallery and all the smaller and larger galleries we visited on our trips in Europe.

The galleries below are: The Louvre in Paris – first two photos. The Musée de Beaux-Arts in Tours, France – photos 3, 4 and 5. The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tours, France – photos 6,7 and 8. The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in London, England – photos 9, 10 and 11. The Barbican Art Gallery in London, England – photos 12, 13 and 14. The Tate Modern in London, England – photos 15m 16 and 17. The Dignam Art Gallery at WAAC in Toronto – photos 18, 19, 20 and 21 and Neilson Park Creative Centre in Etobicoke – photos 22, 23 and 24 . The Assembly Hall Gallery in Toronto – photos 25, 26 and 27.

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Cee’s Black and White Challenge – Road

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…thanks to Cee for hosting the Black and White Photo Challenge https://ceenphotography.com/2022/10/27/cbwc-roads/

I’m taking you from the wet streets of Paris, the back alleys of London to city park roads of Toronto.

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Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Room With a View

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….thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge https://weeklyprompts.com/2022/10/05/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-room-with-a-view/

Last spring while travelling in France and London, England we had multiple rooms with spectacular views.

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View from our hotel room In Paris
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View from a window in the Louvre overlooking the courtyard
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View from our apartment in Tours, France
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View from the second floor of the Musée Beaux Arts de Tours, France
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View from the train of the Loire Valley
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View from the Royal Chateau de Blois in France
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View from our son’s flat in London, England

Doors of Paris

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….thanks to be Dan for hosting Thursday Doors https://nofacilities.com/2022/04/14/entering-silk-city/

Paris is a city rich in history and interesting architecture. Not only are the doors on some of the iconic churches and museums interesting but everyday homes and businesses have beautiful and sometimes unusual entry ways.

The Monsieur Rose at the Bon Marché

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…..by artist Philippe Katherine

On a recent trip to the Bon Marché in Paris we were delighted to come across a larger than life art exhibit of large pink characters suspended high above the atrium or hanging onto the railings or standing on the floor waiting for shoppers to pose for photos.

Inside the store there was also a special gallery set aside for more of Philippe’s work.

To See or Not to See

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…..at what cost would you see the Mona Lisa?

We’ve all seen pictures, videos and documentaries of the Mona Lisa. You may have read books about that mysterious smile or where the art piece itself is central to the storyline.

I’ve heard over and over again how small the painting is in real life and yet when I actually saw it I felt it was larger than I had imagined. Was it worth the long line-ups, the crowds and the close proximity to so many people during a pandemic?

I am not sorry that I saw her up close, well at least as close as you are allowed to be. I stood in line with our son but my husband didn’t. He saw the painting from the back of the room. What I am sorry for is all the art that I didn’t get to see or spend time with, as we hurried along the u-shaped galleries to get to the room where the Mona Lisa hung. I knew we were getting closer when the crowds got denser.

There is so much to see at the Louvre that you need more than one 90 minute slot. We were there at the end of the day and leaving Paris the next morning. Here are a few other art pieces that we managed to see.

Monday Windows in Paris

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…..from the library at the University of Paris

An art nouveau design by Eugène Bigot constructed in 1927. Ian Nairn describes it like this: “It is like a brick balloon inflated to its limit with an unquenchable puff…”

Thanks to Ludwig Keck for hosting Monday Windows. https://mondaywindow.wordpress.com/2022/04/04/monday-window-april-4-2022/

Priority Admission at the Louvre

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…..walking with a cane has it’s advantages

When we travelled throughout Italy in 2016 with our 9 month old granddaughter we found that museums, galleries and restaurants bent over backwards to accommodate us. Six years later in France we’re finding the same thing except now it’s walking with a cane take gets us priority admission.

Back in April Kevin needed an emergency hip replacement and even though his recovery was remarkably fast he occasionally has balance issues. As a result and playing it safe he brought his cane with him on this trip to France.

On the day we went to the Louvre Kevin brought the cane, knowing that there would be a lot of walking. We preordered the tickets, thinking that would get us into museum without having to line up. We booked for the last time slot of the day and ended up in a line with hundreds of people in front of us. Our son was visibly upset. I asked him him if there was priority admission for people with mobility issues. He asked us to stay in line while he investigated.

Upon his return he told us to follow him and we walked directly to the entrance where security waved us through. This is something that all travellers with babies and mobility issues should know. Once inside I can’t say that the Louvre was easy to navigate, as there are lots of stairs but fortunately my husband was able to go up and down without too much difficulty. Had we investigated a bit more we would probably have found more elevators.