7.15.09 Paris

Bonjour! Third day in Paris, and again, it was great! We started it off by going to the Sainte Chapelle Chapel, world renound for its 13th century stained glass.


It was unreal. After falling asleep inside the chapel for about ten minutes, we peaced out and headed over to the amazing Centre Pompidou, designed by Richard Rogers and now functions as a museum.

Fab 5 ouside the Centre Pompidou. The red things
are the exterior escalators.

It was a totally unique structure for its time as it took a very industrial approach to its design; leaving all the structural elements exposed.

The sweet exposed tunnel on the outside.

The exterior of the Pompidou

If you didnt know any better, you would think it was a factory or something. It has amazing exterior escalators that give you the best views of Paris!

The view of the city from the Pompidou

Everything about the Pompidou is modern and often controversial, like the exhibits on the inside. All the pieces on display were from the 60's to 70's and we decided do everything possible to evoke strange emotions within you.

The stuff was cool and modern

Dont get me wrong, I am all for modern art and thinking deep about a black canvas with splattered paint, but some stuff was just too much for me. Like the video of an angry woman combing her hair with two brushes...then slowly starts combing her face...and throws a tantrum over it. Why? Why. Not necessary. No thank you.

Look closely, you'll notice its made entirely of...
yup, toothpics.

Cool art that fell from the ceiling.

Ok, so not the most appropriate thing ever,
but I got a real good laugh about it.

But a lot of stuff in there was SO cool and we really didnt have enough time to soak it all in. When we got outside there we so many opportunities for sweet pictures...

Amanda has a "handstands around the world" project going on.
I wanted to participate.

Just some sweet stairs outside the Pompidooski

and then we found a cool red wall and one thing lead to another...


So, its just bound to happen wherever we go, we cant help it. Plus, they turned out cool. We lingered around the Pompideezy and snagged some crepes and pictures. From there the group made its way to the Louvre Museum, the third most valuable art museum in the world.


I was most excited to experience the updated entrance to the Louvre, done by world famous architect I.M Pei back in 1989.


Originally the Perisians hated on the proposed glass pyramid design, and it was a long process for Pei to finally get approval for his design he wouldnt budge from. Many people still refer to it as "a scar on the face of Paris". You enter from the pyramid and then descend underground into the museum itself.


I think its perfect and adds such interesting juxtaposition with the antiquity of the surrounding Louvre. The museum is HUGE! So huge that its unreal to think it was originally an estate, before being handed over to the French government, and finally being turned into a museum. It is literally overwhelming how much there is to see on the inside. We were all walked out for the day and opted to hit up the big pieces like the stature of Venus and the Mona Lisa.

Dont let her appearance fool you, she's really old.

Mona, she's a good time

It all was incredible! We then walked from the Louvre down the Champs de Ellesey, known for all its designer stores and boutiques, finally arriving at the Arc De Triumph.

Brady and the Arc

We snagged pics there, and then manage to shuffle back to metro and make it back home. I swear we easily walked 10 miles today. The feet had had it, so we just chilled for awhile, took a nap, then went out to dinner and experience French omletes. So good! We loved them, and the French Fries. Oh snap the French Fries. So delicious. All in all, another jam-packed, eventful day. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Au revoir!