Wow! Everything is in English again. I can actually turn on the TV and understand what is being said.
So . . .
This morning we had breakfast at the hotel and then I spent the morning packing, paying bills and getting ready. After lunch, we took a taxi to the train station and processed our way through security and customs. We bid France ‘Adieu’ and we were off to England.
I really enjoyed the train ride. I got to see some of the French countryside which consisted mostly of farmland from what I could see. It was really pretty. We crossed the English Channel and arrived in London after about 2-1/2 hours.
BTW – I’m happy to be able to say I have ridden a high-speed Eurostar passenger train through the longest undersea portion of any tunnel in the world. It’s very dark in there! According to Wikipedia, in 1996 the American Society of Civil Engineers identified the tunnel as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Cool!
We are staying at a really neat hotel – The St. Pancras Renaissance. The original building was constructed in the 1870’s and used to be the Midland Grand Hotel. It closed in 1935 because its utilities were outdated and it was too costly to maintain. Between 2004-2011 the building was renovated into a new hotel with private apartments on the upper floors. If you are ever in London, this is the place to stay.
St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel.
Our plan tonight is to have dinner, and then I am going to go downstairs and take advantage of the spa facilities. Tomorrow we sight-see!
Ever have one of those days? Yeah, me too. Today was one of them.
The morning was overcast and rainy but that’s okay because most of our sight-seeing was indoors. I had a hard time getting up because I was awake until 2:00 AM writing this blog. I’m having way too much fun recording the details of our trip. I’m just sayin . . .
We had breakfast at the hotel and then headed out for Paris, Part II.
Good morning!
Stan is so great about figuring out where we’re going and how to get there. He navigates the subways, trains, and walking around the city like a pro. Look at how crowded the subway is in the morning!
Our first stop was The Louvre Museum. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace which was the official residence for all the kings that ruled France prior to the French Revolution. In 1682, King Louis XIV chose to move his household to the Palace of Versailles leaving the Louvre as a place to display the royal collection and permitting the palace to be used as a residence for artists. After the Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum to display the nation’s masterpieces. It’s a long and very interesting story but time does not permit the retelling of it all.
The Louvre.
Visiting The Louvre is like a two-for-one. Not only are the exhibitions, paintings, sculptures and artifacts worth seeing; the palace itself is embellished in the extreme french style and beautiful in itself. Now, I must confess I do not know very much about art so many of the pieces were somewhat lost on me. However . . . I was in awe at the opportunity to stand before Leonardo Da Vinci’s, Mona Lisa!
The Mona Lisa.
The Mona Lisa.
I enjoyed visiting the museum but it was very crowded and I could not figure out how to get my audio guide headphones to work. I missed out on the commentary of the palace and the exhibitions and after a few hours I was frustrated. (Note: this is not the only tantrum I will throw today; there’s more.) Below are some of the interesting or beautiful pieces I was able to shoot.
Ceiling in one of the rooms.
Venus of Milo.
Napoleon crowns his wife Josephine as Empress.
Madame Raymond de Verninac
by Louis David in 1798
Doorway embellishments in the palace.
Stan took these photos of some of the rooms on display of the royal apartments in the Louvre. I believe these are from Napoleon’s era.
Table for forty.
Fine, as long as I’m not doing the dishes!
The crown jewels.
I want a chair with a big “H” on it!
So, before leaving the Louvre, we stopped for lunch at the food court.
After lunch, before we left for our next adventure, I headed to the Ladies Room. Ya’ll . . . I had to pay 1.50 euro to use the facilities! Can you believe that? Geez! (Tantrum #2.)
Okay.
We hopped on the train and headed to the out-skirts of Paris to the Palace of Versailles. I am sorry I did not get more pictures of the exterior, but as you can see it was cloudy and rainy and I did not feel like walking around outside.
Walking toward the palace.
Palace of Versailles.
Notice the gates of gold.
Here’s the story: In 1575 Albert de Gondi invited Louis XIII on several hunting trips in the forests surrounding Versailles. The king loved the area so much he decided to construct a hunting lodge in 1624. Thus were the humble beginnings of this great palace.
Over the years, Louis XIII’s successor, Louis XIV expanded the original structure into one of the largest palaces in the world. There were four building campaigns between 1664 – 1697.
In 1678 he decided to make Versailles his permanent residence and he eventually moved the court from the Louvre to Versailles.
Louis XV and Louis XVI made more changes to the palace and the gardens in the 1700’s.
Sadly, in 1789 during the French Revolution, the palace fell into the hands of the Republic. Louis XVI was arrested and Versailles was sealed. I read that the furnishings of the palace were sold in auctions and only certain items were consigned to be part of the collection of a museum. Mirrors were assigned by the finance ministry for payment of debts of the Republic and draperies, upholstery, and fringes were confiscated and sent to the mint to recoup the gold and silver used in their manufacture.
In the 1800’s, after all the upheaval, Napoleon came on the scene and everything changed again. As far as I can tell though, the palace was never restored to it’s former beauty or returned to it’s prominent status. It’s such a shame that all the grandeur has been lost or faded. I found the palace to be in a serious state of disrepair.
Overall, I’m glad I got to visit the palace but it was not a good experience. There were throngs of people crammed into very tight spaces – no crowd control whatsoever. It was difficult to see the items of interest and impossible to take a decent picture. By the time we left I had been pushed, shoved. stepped-on, and stepped-in-front-of. I finally lost my patience and told Stan I was ready to leave. (Tantrum #3.)
Bless his heart. When we finally made our way out, he took a few shots of the garden and we left.
Like I said, I was having one of those days!
The day ended on a good note. On the train ride back to Paris, we met some really fun people from Southern California. Two couples and their children are vacationing together and we all started talking and sharing stories. We were laughing so loudly, I’m sure the rest of the passengers were glad when we got off the train. I didn’t get their names, but I am so thankful to have enjoyed their company!
The name of the game in Paris is, “Embellishments On Top of Embellishments”. This city seems to adhere to the “more is better” philosophy. It actually suits me just fine!
The morning was overcast and a little cool. Lucky for me I packed a jacket! We navigated the subway system and our first stop was the Fragonard Musee du Parfum (Museum of Perfume). We took a quick walk through the perfume exhibits which explained the history of perfume manufacturing and got to sniff samples of common ingredients used to create scents. After the tour, we went to the boutique where I had fun trying on LOTS of perfumes and happily walked out with five of my favorites. Woo! Hoo! I smell pretty!
Next stop was the not-to-be-believed, oh my goodness, unbelievable, you gotta be kidding, Opera House. Seeing the Opera House was worth coming to Paris for. I would plan a special trip just to see this building. The Palais Garnier was built on the orders of Napoleon, III. The project for an opera house was put out to competition and the contract was won by Charles Garnier, an unknown 35 year old architect. How’s that for a career break of a lifetime? It was built from 1860 to 1875. There is no way I can possibly describe the opulence, the Baroque architecture, the history, and the “grand-ness” of it all. You just have to visit Paris and see it for yourself.
The Palais Garnier Opera House.
The Grand Staircase.
Ceiling above the Grand Staircase.
Tragedy on the left, Comedy on the right.
Performance Hall, Paris Opera House
Our tour guide told us that Palais Garnier is the original setting of my favorite opera, “Phantom of the Opera”. In answer to a question about the chandelier falling, he said in 1896, one of the chandelier counter-weighs fell on a concierge tragically killing her. In addition, members of the theater claimed to have heard strange sounds from the basement and maze-like corridors, thus refusing to enter these parts of the building. The Phantom’s box is said to be No. 5.
Performance Hall Ceiling and Chandelier.
Napolean, III’s Box on the end.
The Phantom’s Box next to it.
Peeking in Box 5
The Grand Foyer certainly lives up to it’s name! I gasped when I walked through the door. There is so much detail in this room, I could not take it all in. The magnificent ceiling painted by Paul Baudry portrays themes from the history of music – biblical scenes are portrayed on one side, and mythological on the other side. Every square foot of this room is embellished. It is unbelievable.
The Grand Foyer
H.A. lying down on the floor to get a shot!
That’s determination!
Getting a shot of the ceiling.
The ceiling in the Grand Foyer.
Before taking a lunch break, Stan took a short video of the streets of Paris from the terrace of the Opera House. You can experience some of the hustle and bustle.
Streets of Paris. Notice there are seven intersections!
Typical Paris street lamp.
After lunch, we hopped on a subway and then a commuter train across the Seine to the Musee d’ Orsay. This museum building was originally a railway station. By 1939 the station’s short platforms had become unsuitable for the longer trains that were in use. It was almost demolished in 1970 but through a series of events it was renovated and turned into a museum in 1986. There are about 2000 paintings, 600 sculptures and other works of art from the period 1848 – 1914. I was privileged to see works of Degas, Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Manet, etc. We had headphones that allowed us to hear the background and artistic points of many of the popular works which added so much to the experience of viewing them. What a great afternoon! I could have easily spent a full day there. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed.
Museum d’ Orsay
Museum d’ Orsay
Our final stop for the day was the Arc de Triomphe (Triumphal Arch) – one of the most famous monuments in Paris. The Arc honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. All the French victories and generals who fought are inscribed on it’s inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. It’s design was inspired by the Roman Arch of Titus.
An interesting fact I learned today: Three weeks after the Paris victory parade in 1919, Charles Godefroy flew his Nieuport biplane through it! My grandmother would have been 10 years old at the time.
Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France.
Arc de Triomphe
Generals’ names inscribed on the surface.
Effeil Tower in the distance.
Oh . . . there is so much that I am leaving out. There just isn’t time to record it all. The history fascinates me and I am having so much fun learning about the places we have visited. Tomorrow is another full day. I better get to bed. I had a hard time getting up this morning.
https://theeventcenterofmoorpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Event-Center-Banner-300x77.jpg00H.A. Schiavonehttps://theeventcenterofmoorpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Event-Center-Banner-300x77.jpgH.A. Schiavone2012-07-11 23:04:002012-07-11 23:04:00Embellishments On Top of Embellishments
This is going to be a very short update. We left Monaco this morning (Tuesday). We drove to Nice, France and said our goodbyes to Max. He will be prepped for shipping and then make the long journey home to the states. I believe it will take about eight weeks for him to get home.
We then hopped on a plane and flew to Paris, France. It was only an hour flight – easy, peasey.
When we arrived at the airport, we took a cab to our hotel which is smack-dab in the middle of everything. Since our arrival, we have only had enough time to check-in, take a walk around the area, and return to the hotel for dinner and some relaxation.
I only took a picture of ONE thing today – this Bugatti sports car. It is so hot! A Bugatti in Paris is a great combination!
Tomorrow we start early with a long list of sights to see.
I am in Paris! I still can’t believe it!
Au revoir et a demain . . . . Goodbye until tomorrow.
Oh my goodness! I am in Monaco on the French Riviera! Can you believe that?
Let me just say that it’s nice to see how the other half lives!
When I refer to Monaco as tiny . . . I mean TINY. If you recall, earlier in our travels we stopped in the principality of Liechtenstein on our way to Switzerland. Liechtenstein is only 62 sq. miles. I thought that was tiny. Well, I stand corrected.
Monaco’s total land mass is less that one mile (.77 sq. miles)! It is the second smallest country in the world – the first being Vatican City in Rome at .44 sq. miles. By comparison, the United States is the third largest country in the world with 3,537,455 sq. miles of land mass.
Monaco is bordered on three sides by France and on the remaining side by the Mediterranean Sea. Now get this: according to the Internet, Monaco has a population of 35,986! Talk about packing them in like sardines! It is the MOST densely populated country (per square mile) in the world. The residents live in high-rises, which makes sense . . . they have to build vertically since there is no land! So, who lives in Monaco, you may ask? According to the CIA World Factbook, Monaco has the world’s lowest poverty rate, and the highest number of millionaires and billionaires per capita in the world. Well, alrighty then!
View of Monaco from The Rock.
Habor in Monaco.
Monaco is known as a principality as it is a constitutional monarchy headed by a prince. The reigning prince is Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi – known as Prince Albert, II. He is the son of Rainier, III and Grace Kelly. I found it interesting that Prince Albert was educated in the states. He graduated from Amherst College in Massachusetts. I also thought it was interesting that Monaco became a full UN voting member in 1993. That’s a lot of clout for such a small principality.
It’s hard to take Monaco in. There’s so much to see in such a small area. Upon arrival in Monaco, the first thing that stands out is “The Rock of Monaco”. It is basically a mountain made out of one massive rock that overlooks the city. The oldest section of Monaco (Old Town) is built on The Rock as well as the prince’s palace, the cathedral, and the Oceanographic Museum.
The Rock of Monaco
We hiked up the hill and hit all the points of interests in Old Town. It is spotlessly clean and I felt like I was walking in a story book kingdom.
Regarding the palace and the Grimaldi family, their history is very interesting. I hope to return to this section and share more details later.
The palace of Monaco and St. Mary’s Tower.
Sentry guard at the palace.
St. Nicholas Cathedral, Monaco
Grace Kelly and Prince Rainer, III are buried here as
well as many of his ancestors.
After exploring Old Town, we walked down the hill and headed to Monaco’s most famous quarter – Monte Carlo. We passed by the harbor and saw many beautiful boats there. We also heard an announcement that was broadcast to the entire area via loud speakers that tonight the fireworks competition would be held at the harbor. It was delivered in French, English and Spanish. I recorded it so you could hear.
Looking up at Old Town from below.
My boat in the harbor.
My Bentley.
Monte Carlo is beautiful. I love the architecture and all the french embellishments. We went to the authentic Monte Carlo Casino and it is gorgeous inside. I was not allowed to take pictures, unfortunately. Let me just say that the replica in Las Vegas is nothing like the real thing! I walked from room to room with my mouth open.
Monte Carlo Casino.
Monte Carlo Casino.
Casino panoramic.
The Paris Hotel in Monte Carlo.
As we were walking past the high-end shops in Monte Carlo, I saw this older gentleman admiring an outfit in the window at Valentino’s. You can see he has quite a fashion sense!
We spent the evening at the harbor watching France compete in the International Fireworks Competition. It was awesome. Stan managed to get some footage with his trusty iPhone.
https://theeventcenterofmoorpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Event-Center-Banner-300x77.jpg00H.A. Schiavonehttps://theeventcenterofmoorpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Event-Center-Banner-300x77.jpgH.A. Schiavone2012-07-10 10:46:002012-07-10 10:46:00Tiny Country – Big Presence
All my life I have heard about the world’s most prestigious and publicized Cannes Film Festival and about all the movie stars flocking here to attend. And now, I’m in Cannes!
Yesterday (Saturday) we bid farewell to Italy and crossed the border into France. It was a pretty drive and the weather was beautiful . . . maybe a little too hot in the afternoon. We got checked in to the hotel and then had lunch on the patio. The rest of the day was mellow. I stayed indoors in the afternoon to escape the heat and later had dinner overlooking the Promenade de la Croisette (the main boulevard) doing one of my favorite past-times – people watching. My oh my. There are certainly a lot of beautiful people in Cannes this weekend!
The first thing I realized is that “white” is the uniform this season. White dresses, white pants, white jackets, white hats, white scarves . . . and even the classic little black dress has been replaced with the little white dress.
For him.
For her.
This part of the city has a Beverly Hills / Las Vegas / Miami vibe. The main boulevard stretches along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and expensive shops, restaurants and hotels line the street. We are staying at the Marriott and thanks to Stan’s points, we do not have to pay the asking price of 700 Euros per night. Yay! Big Yay!
JW Marriott in Cannes, France.
Promenade de la Croisette.
Cannes, France.
This morning I got up early and went out to take pictures before the crowds, traffic, and topless sunbathers come out. (This is a G rated blog!) Stan saw an older woman sunbathing topless yesterday and he said that cured him! LOL. Later today we are going to go to Nice to check it out.
Beach in front of our hotel.
Our hotel in the background on the right.
I love the color of the water. You can see to the bottom.
The Carlton is up the street from us and I loved the detail on this building. You know I always check out the architecture.
Carlton Intercontinental.
Carlton Hotel.
I love the detail on this building.
Big yachts and fast cars.
P.S. I am adding this at the end of the day (Sunday). We did not make it to Nice today afterall. We ended up staying in Cannes. We had a relaxing dinner at the hotel with a view of the sea and the boulevard. Tomorrow we leave for Monaco – just a hop, skip and a jump away.
Before we left the Tuscan region, we just HAD to stop and take pictures of the sunflower fields. (This reminded me of Lompoc, California when they have their annual Flower Festival and there are fields of flowers everywhere.) While we were taking pictures, this cute old man walked up the road and we tried to talk to each other but neither one of us understood the other. He wanted me to take his picture because he said he was handsome. I agreed! Such a cutie pie!
Sunflower fields in Tuscany, Italy
Another pretty face.
Cute old man.
We got on the road and headed North-West. Our destination was Santa Margherita De Ligure (Italian Riviera) which is on the coast of the Liguarian Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea). This is a part of Italy I have never visited before! After about 3 hours of driving, we arrived at our hotel, got checked in, had a late lunch and then hopped on a bus to go sightseeing in Portofino.
Let me just mention that we are becoming pros at navigating narrow roads and not losing our lunch during scary bus rides along the cliffs. Thank you very much!
Portofino is a small Italian fishing village with a small harbor and lots of little shops. I don’t know very much about it, but look how pretty it is.
Portofino, Italy.
(taken from the church)
Stan was shooting right into the sun so it
was hard to get a good shot.
See the yellow church on the left?
Our main quest was to see a 15th century castle called “Castello Brown.” It is perched waaaayy up on a hill. In fact, the pictures above were taken from the castle’s terrace. So you can see how far we hiked to get up there . . . and it was hot . . . and I was sweaty . . . which is why I am not in any pictures today!
On the way to the castle, we stopped at the yellow church and people were gathering for a wedding. I took a quick snipet of the bride as she arrived in a little scooter car.
Little yellow church in Portofino.
Cliffs beside the church. So beautiful.
The water looked turquoise along the edges.
So, back to the castle. From what we could learn, the castle was a fortress that protected Portofino until it became strategicly unnecessary and was sold in 1867 to Montague Yeats Brown who was the English consul in Genoa, Italy. He renovated it and used it as a private residence until his death in 1905. His heirs held the property until 1949 and then sold it to an English couple, Colonel and Mrs. John Baber who restored several ruined sections. They in turn sold it in 1961 to the City of Portofino who turned the property into a museum.
Oddly, after all that, I didn’t take a single picture of the castle! Can you believe that? LOL. I did, however shoot a short video on the way up. I also pulled a picture off the Internet so you can see where we were.
By the way, Elizabeth von Arnim wrote her book, “Enchanted April” here in 1922, and the 1992 movie was filmed here as well.
Castello Brown
Grape vines on the castle property.
Reminded me of my grandmother’s house.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name. Psalm 100:4
God delights in our worship. He responds to our thanksgiving and expressions of gratitude. It’s so important for us to incorporate the daily habit of worshiping the Father throughout the day.
There are choirs in Heaven made up of angels and the redeemed who are continually before God’s throne singing songs of praise and shouting declarations of His Glory.
Can you imagine the sound? Voices lifted up in unison glorifying His Name in spirit and in truth? I bet it rocks the house down!
But today I realized that MY praise and thanksgiving is distinctly audible to Him.
Wow! That is a sobering thought.
I am not lost in the crowd. My worship counts and it delights the Father. My gratitude connects us in a way that goes deep. He is near and I experience His blessing.
It’s so simple and the benefits are so great. Why do I make it so hard? Why do I allow the distractions of this life to keep me from something that is so rewarding?
Worship can happen in a moment; in an instant. It doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple acknowledgment of His greatness when we see a beautiful sunset. A “thank you, Lord” when we receive an unexpected blessing or when the Holy Spirit whispers direction in a time of need. We can stop, just for a moment, and tell Him He’s awesome. We can thank Him for His Goodness. We can acknowledge His Lordship over all creation. And we can tell Him there is none like Him, He has no equal, no competition for our love and hearts.
John 4:23 – Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
“Father, help me to always be the kind of worshiper You seek.”
I spent the day enjoying the hotel where we are staying and spending some time with the Father. I have a lot to be grateful for. (For more on this, see today’s post under the “Spiritual” tab.)
This evening I had a relaxing dinner on the patio, listening to music and watching the sun slip behind the hills. It was so beautiful and I tried to make mental notes so I won’t forget the sights and sounds. I hope that in the future when I am feeling low I will be able to summon these memories and feel the same warmth I felt this evening. And no, it did not have anything to do with the chocolate cake I had for dessert!
https://theeventcenterofmoorpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Event-Center-Banner-300x77.jpg00H.A. Schiavonehttps://theeventcenterofmoorpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Event-Center-Banner-300x77.jpgH.A. Schiavone2012-07-05 20:25:002012-07-05 20:25:00Last Day in Tuscany
Happy Independence Day! It feels so strange to be away from home during our nation’s birthday celebration! Today at lunch, we met a mother and daughter from Kansas. We lifted our glasses and toasted our great country. May God bless America and keep her safe from harm.
Today (Wednesday) we got up early and headed to the city of Siena. As we were driving to the city, I took this picture of a vineyard. It was a little before 8:00 AM.
Tuscany
Maximilian had an appointment for his first 1200 mile service, so we dropped him off at a BMW dealer and headed to the city center in Siena.
Piazza del Campo
Siena, Italy
This city center has been declared a World Heritage Site.
My introduction to the heart of Siena was passing through the massive gates that once protected her. It felt like I was being transported back in time. Suddenly, I was standing in an ancient walled city.
Our first stop was the Piazza del Campo (pictured above). Stan, armed with his trusty iPhone, began to look up the history of the city and thus our tour began.
We learned that Siena retains a “ward-centric culture” from medieval times. I think there are 17 districts and each one has their own boundary and distinct identity, and each are represented by a mascot (usually an animal). There are ward rivalries which play-out in a big way during the annual horse races (Palio).
We found out that the infamous Palio had just taken place in the Piazza this past weekend. The Palio is held twice per year (July and August) and lasts for eight days. All 17 districts take part in the race but only 10 (by rotation) get to nominate their jockeys for competition.
In a nutshell, riders wearing historic medieval costumes, race around the Piazza three times (riding bare-back no less) and the winner is awarded a flag that will adorn the streets of his district for the following year. (I was disappointed I missed the event by two days . . . although we heard the whole town goes crazy . . . maybe just as well.) I found a YouTube video from last year’s race that tells the story. This is great and it gives you a view of the city as well. The race seems a little dangerous – not much protection for the riders or the spectators!
Our next stop was the Siena Cathedral. It is a marvel. It is a feast for the eyes. It is overwhelming. I could never do it’s description justice. What amazes me is how these great cathedrals were constructed without the aid of Autocad and power tools! What further amazes me is that these buildings are hundreds of years old. This cathedral was built in the 1200-1300’s.
Siena Cathedral
Santa Maria Assunta
We were not allowed to use flash inside the cathedral so I pulled this photo off the Internet. The resolution may not be very high.
The alter at Santa Maria’s Cathedral.
Adjoining the cathedral is the Piccolomini Library. My jaw hit the floor when I walked in. There are frescoes (1502-1507) painted around the entire room that tell the story of Siena’s favorite son, Cardinal Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who eventually became Pope Pius, II. The ceiling is covered with painted panels of mythological subjects (1502-1503). There are no words. Again, I was not allowed to use flash, so here are some shots from the Internet.
Frescoes in the Piccolomini Library
Frescoes in the Piccolomini Library
Piccolomini Library Ceiling
Just a few shots around town . . .
I love the detail in these doors.
The streets are so narrow,
the delivery trucks have to be small too!
Clothes lines are very popular in Siena.
Notice the pulley system!
Makes access from the window much easier.
Love the pulley system!
This smart lady covered her clothes
in plastic to protect them from bird poop!
