Eliot and Graecia here to tell you about our latest day in France. The twelve of us started our day by splitting into two groups: one that wanted to go to the Musée d'Orsay and one that wanted to go to L’arc de Triomphe first.
For those who wanted to see the Arc de Triomphe first, we were able to walk along the Champs-Elysées. The Champs-Elysées is similar to Rodeo Drive, where there are tons of stores on a strip that you can shop at! They had luxury stores like Dior, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and even familiar food places like Starbucks and McDonalds. One of the most interesting spots on the Champs-Elysées was a giant Louis Vuitton building shaped like a trunk! There were also tons of pop up souvenir shops to buy the official Paris Olympic gear, and great souvenirs for friends and family. If you’re really into shopping or want to window shop the expensive brands, the Champs-Elysées is the place to go!
At the end of the Champs-Elysées was the Arc de Triomphe and we got to see the iconic roundabout around the monument! This monument is important to French history because it honors the soldiers and individuals who fought and died for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars which was so cool to see it in person! Unfortunately the lines were too long to go to the top during the morning, but it was nice to see it before it downpoured!
Going to see the Musée d’Orsay was just as exciting because the museum was huge! Five floors, vaulted ceilings, and intricate architecture within the building itself. There were gorgeous paintings and sculptures everywhere we looked. While it hosted some of the most beautiful arts of work, the museum itself was beautiful as it used to be a train station.
Graecia's favorite paintings were from Edgar Degas, specifically the paintings with the ballerinas. The Impressionist Exhibit had so many Monet and Van Gogh paintings, and even had the iconic Bedroom in Arles painting!
Another painting that stood out to Eliot was Le Chevalier aux fleurs (The Horseman in the Flowers) by Georges Rochegrosse. He thought the delicate way Rochegrosse painted the flowers was incredible.
Another museum we went to was the Museum of Immigration History, which was included in our Museum Pass. The museum was packed with information, showcasing immigrants and the relation between historical events and immigration. The museum began in the 1600s up to the present day, and had artifacts and preserved media from each major historical event like the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, World Wars, and revolutions that affected France.
One of the most interesting and worthwhile features of the museum were stories of some of the immigrants that came to France. It included actual passports of these immigrants, or important items that they brought with them. Their reasoning for coming to France varied, but we thought it was so insightful reading their stories and their mark on French history. Here are some of the immigrants mentioned and even some passports displayed!
Our night ended with everyone deciding to see the Arc de Triomphe again. Controversial opinion, but Eliot thought that the Arc de Triomphe was more exciting than the Tour Eiffel (while Graecia thinks that the Tour Eiffel at night is the best!). After L’arc de Triomphe, we hopped back on the Metro and booked it back to the Eiffel Tower to see it sparkle for the last time at 11 that night. We harnessed our best tourist energy and sprinted through the Metro.
Just by sightseeing and exploring more of Paris we were able to learn so much about French history and culture through the Arc de Triomphe, the Immigration History Museum, and the Musée d’Orsay! It's always amazing learning about how a country evolves through the movement of people and ideas, resulting in historic landmarks and beautiful paintings and sculptures.
The next day we will be going to Rouen for a day trip, which has the Rouen Cathedral (which is one of the paintings in this blog post!) and visiting the Museum of Education! Today's been a long day but a fun one for sure!
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