ART 361 Does Paris

Alright, SPRING BREAK 2011, before I begin I just want everyone reading this to know what a feat I am about to take upon myself for SPRING BREAK 2011 entails a lot, it was after all 2 weeks of travels in Europe!

It all goes back to April 9th, 2011 when the ART 361 class met outside Vesalius College at 7:45am to take a bus to Paris. Along this lovely bus ride with 47 of my closest friends, we stopped at a rest stop for lunch (at 10am!) and met up with Dane, who had missed the bus earlier that morning. After we started back on the road, we watched Marie Antoinette as a refresher of the French revolution and in preparation for when we were to visit Versailles. Around 12:30, we rolled into the city of lights and did a quick bus tour. Then, we were dropped off at our hostel. This hostel was pretty funny because the room I stayed in was an 8 person room: 2 sets of bunk beds on the bottom, then there was a ladder up to another level with another 2 sets of bunk beds. It felt very Swiss Family Robinson-esqe, if you ask me!

After we got settled in our rooms, we went off to the Louvre! Despite the fact that I had been there not 3 weeks earlier, I was still kind of excited. I swear you can go there a hundred times and each time see something different. Also, you can still get lost.

 

 

 

The Louvre!

In the Louvre, we saw Napolean III's apartment, the Ruben's series on the life of Mary of Medici, the Flemish paintings, works by Philippe de Champaigne and Nicolas Poussin, works by Georges de la Tour, the portrait of Chancelier Seguier, the Life of Alexander the Great, lots of Rococo styled works, the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Apollo Gallery, Napolean's Crossing the Alps, Michelangelo's Dying Slave, and many, many works of great art!

The 3 Graces

Reenacting Art

Ladies...

My good friend, Mona Lisa

Patrick, Janice, Casey, and Maisah in the pyramid

Elisa, Casey, and Janice outside the Louvre

After a rush of art works and their histories were thrust upon us, a few of us went off in search in Starbucks to rejuvenate. Right after we got our drinks, we came to realize that the museum was closing, so we stood outside the Louvre talking about the buildings history. Outside, we looked at the statue of Louis XIV on horseback by Bernini and the Carrousel Arch built under Napoleon I.

Fountains outside Centre Pompidou

Next, we set off to see the Bourse of Commerce, aka the Stock Exchange, and Les Halles. We stopped outside the Centre Pompidou where we were given 10 euro vouchers for a dinner at Flunch. Yes, Flunch. And yes, it was as disgusting as it sounds! The class which had once been divided by Missouri and non-Missouri kids was able to bond over our combined hatred and distaste for Flunch. It was an American eatery with food that you would expect to find having sat out for a few hours at Shoney's. After that delightful dinner, we returned to the hostel to get ready for our first night out in Paris. Elisa had somehow contacted this fancy club on the Sienne under Pont de la Concorde, and got our names on the guest list. So, Casey, Elisa, Dane, Rachel, and I went off to Showcase! It was a really cool club with a great view of the river, obviously as it was on the river, and of the Eiffel tower as it light up at night! As 3am rolled around, I thought it best that we left, so we began the walk back only to deal with Casey's feet that were suffering greatly due to wearing heels the entire night. So, about 5 blocks from the hostel we took a taxi back, and from there it was straight to bed.

Janice, Dane, Rachel, and Elisa on our way to Showcase

Rachel, Janice, and Casey at Showcase

A theme you will quickly come to realize in my spring break travels are I got very little sleep, and I started off that trend quite early with the first night!