France viewed as "Impressionism"

Inspired by Claude Monet and the Impressionism art that I saw throughout France, I decided to try to convert a few of my pictures into impressionistic art with the help of an app! :)

 

 

Laura and I at the Eiffel Tower

 

The fireworks of Bastille Day in Rouen

 

Monet's garden pond with water lilies

 

The South Parterre of the Versailles Gardens

 

The view of the Fountain of Apollo and the Grand Canal from the steps of the Water Parterre

 

The view of Les Andelys and the Chateau Gaillard from the sun deck of our ship

 

Laura and I beneath the Eiffel Tower

 

Monet's Gardens

 

The view of Versailles from the North Parterre

 

Early morning skyline of Rouen

A Walk to the Eiffel Tower

 

After our final dinner, we decided to take an evening stroll from the ship to the Eiffel Tower.

 

When we reached the Eiffel Tower, the evening light show was beginning.  The sections of the tower are lit with colors and then on the hour flashing lights sprinkle across the entire tower.

Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles was built approximately 20 miles from Paris and for a time was the capital of France and the home of the kings.

 

 

The entrance to the palace - we arrived early but found a large crowd waiting to enter.

 

The Royal Gate of the Marble Courtyard

 

Laura was prepared for the crowds!  She carried the bags through the people so that I could take pictures and notes! :)

 

The Hall of Mirrors was originally a terrace that was closed in for the king.  The ceiling portrays the history of Louis XIV's reign with a focus on the war against Holland and the War of Devolution in the second half of the 17th century. 

 

Can you see Laura and I in the reflection of the mirrors?  The mirrors are not original because they were made from silver with glass and were melted down by the revolutionaries after they took over the palace.

 

The king's bedchamber was situated so that the sun rose at the foot of the king's bed and set behind the bed.  This was done on purpose because the king believed that he was as essential to the French people as the sun.

 

The Council Study is where the king met with ministers, presided over ceremonies, granted audience with nobles, and received oaths of loyalty.

 

The queen's bedchamber contains the original summer wallpaper (yes, they changed the wallpaper twice a year for summer and winter) as well as the original bedspread and chairs from the time of Marie Antoinette.

 

 

The courtyard contains gilding that has recently been replaced so that is extremely bright.  The windows of the kings chambers are in the center section of the courtyard.

 

The gardens contain many fountains including this one named Water Parterre which was built to reflect the architecture of the building and the bronze statues represent the rivers of France.

 

The Avenues of the garden were designed in the reign of Louis XIV as walls to create an architectural foliage.

 

As we were walking through the Avenues, we watch gardeners trim the trees using an oversized stencil that allowed them to maintain uniformity in the angles of the foliage.

 

As we were leaving the palace, the courtyard was filled with enormous crowds!  There are thousands of visitors a day to the palace and its gardens.



Les Andelys and Chateau Gaillard

 

Laura and I took a walk through the small town of Les Andelys including the Saint Sauveur Church and a view of the chateau from the street.

 

The town is located along the Seine and protected by cliffs on either side.

 

Chateau Gaillard ruins are located at the top of a cliff just above the town of Les Andelys.

 

Chateau Gaillard (pronounced guy-yard), is a fortress built by Richard the Lionheart in 1196.  It was an important structure that defended access to Normandy during the Wars of Religion and Richard's campaigns against France.

 

 

American Military Cemetery at Omaha Beach

 

The center of the memorial represents the reaching for peace.

 

The memorial with a reflecting pool and garden at the entrance to the cemetery.

 

There are over 9000 soldiers in the cemetery including those buried without being identified.  Soldiers buried in this cemetery include anyone associated with the D-Day invasion even those that died years later.

 

The cemetery is located at the top of a cliff which was stormed on D-Day.  Today, there are steps placed on the steep incline from the beach to the top.

 

Before entering the cemetery, there is a walled garden.  On the walls, there is a list of those soldiers missing in action from the D-Day invasions.  There are about 1550 names on the wall.  When their remains are found, a star is placed next to their name.  The most recent soldier identified was starred on the wall in 2011.