Thursday, October 19, 2006

Thursday Thirteen #63

Thursday Thirteen
#7 - Thirteen Photos from Caylynn's Trip to Paris last weekend

I had a great time in Paris, running a 20km race and meeting a bunch of ladies from the women's Runango forum.
You can find more details on my race here, and more photos from my trip to Paris here. Over the next few days, I'll also be posting more pictures, and stories, about our trip.

Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower: Conceived in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower was supposed to be the temporary master piece of the Worlds Fair, which marked the centennial of the French Revolution. But it was not dismantled as foreseen, and for over 40 years, it was the tallest building of the world, with a height of 301.80 m. Consisting of 18,000 elements, linked by 2 million rivets, it has become one of the most famous monuments in the world and the symbol of Paris.

Obelisk of Luxor
Obelisk of Luxor at Place de la Concorde: The center of the Place de la Concorde is occupied today by a giant Egyptian obelisk decorated with hieroglyphics exalting the reign of the pharaoh Ramses II. It once marked the entrance to the Luxor Temple in Egypt. The viceroy of Egypt, Mehemet Ali, presented the 3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk to France in 1829. King Louis-Philippe had it placed in the centre of Place de la Concorde in 1833. The red granite column rises 23 metres high, including the base, and weighs over 250 tonnes. Missing its original cap, believed stolen in the 6th century BC, in 1998 the government of France added a gold-leafed pyramid cap to the top of the obelisk.

Les Invalides
Hôtel des Invalides/Tombeau de Napoléon: In 1670, Louis XIV - the Sun King - founded Les Invalides near what was then called the Grenelle Plain. An old soldiers home, it was funded by a five year levy on the salaries of soldiers currently serving in the army at that time. Les Invalides houses the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) in the crypt under the golden dome.

L'Arc du Triomphe
L'Arc de Triomphe: The Arc de Triomphe stands in the centre of the Place de l'Étoile, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon, shortly after his victory at Austerlitz, it was not finished until 1836. The monument stands over 51 metres (165 feet) in height and is 45 metres wide. It is the second largest triumphal arch in existence. Beneath the Arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and an eternal flame commemorating the dead of the two world wars.

Horse Sculpture Outside Musée d'Orsay
Musée d'Orsay: The museum building was originally a railway station, Gare d'Orsay, constructed for the Chemin de Fer de Paris à Orléans and finished in time for the 1900 Exposition Universelle to the design of three architects: Lucien Magne, Emile Bénard and Victor Laloux. It was the terminus for the railways of southwestern France until 1939. Today it holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography.

Paris Opera House
Paris Opera House: The opulent Opéra de Paris Garnier was designed by Charles Garnier for Emperor Napoleon III. It is the most important symbol of the 19th century Second Empire baroque style. Construction of the opera building started in 1862, but it wasn't completed until 1875, partly because an underground lake was discovered during construction. The small lake still exists under the opera building. It was the hiding place of the 'Phantom of the Opera' in Paul Leroux's famous play (and in the musical based on that play by Andrew Lloyd Webber.)

Le Pétit Palais
Le Pétit Palais: The Petit Palais was created for the Universal Exposition of 1900 as a city museum in which to showcase the works bought from the yearly Salons. Most of the collection is the legacy of Auguste Dutuit. Among this collection you can find ancient artifacts, medieval objects, rare manuscripts and books, Dutch paintings from the seventeenth century.

Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral: The Cathédral Notre-Dame de Paris is considered by many to be the most beautiful and the most famous monument of the Ile de la Cité. Construction of Notre-Dame de Paris began in 1163 during the reign of Louis VII. Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone. The idea to replace the Romanesque church occupying the site - the Cathedral of St. Etienne (founded by Childebert in 528) - was that of Bishop Maurice de Sully (who died in 1196). Construction was completed roughly 200 years later in about 1345.

Louvre
The Louvre: The Louvre currently contains one of the world's most famous and most important art collections. It is famous for holding several of the world's most prestigious works of art, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, The Virgin and Child with St. Anne, Virgin of the Rocks and Alexandros of Antioch's Venus de Milo.

Palais de Justice
Palais de Justice: The Palais de Justice is located in the Île de la Cité in central Paris, France. It is built on the site of the former royal palace of Saint Louis. It houses various courts, including the Paris correctional court. It also houses the Conciergerie, a former prison, now a museum, notable because Marie Antoinette was imprisoned there before being executed on the guillotine.

The group of us running the race
The group of us running the race: Martina, Ammi, Magali and Caylynn


Me at the 12km mark
Caylynn (me) approaching the 12km mark of the race


Me at the end with my medal
Caylynn (me) at the end of the race, with her finisher's medal around her neck (everyone who finished the race received a medal).


While you're here, please take a moment to visit my Tenant. Thanks!

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34 comments:

Wendy Ann Edwina D'Cunha e Pereira said...

So you got a medal.... Congrats. Paris looks beautiful... I guess I am a bit envious...

Anonymous said...

Great pics and congrats on the race! I'm glad you had a good time :D

Anonymous said...

It is evident that you had loads of fun in Paris - and the medal!!! Congratulations. Good TT. Looking forward to the rest of the pictures.

Take a jog over to my TT sometime, OK

Nathalie said...

Congratulations with the medal, and lovely pictures of Paris!
When I went there I didn't really like it, but it had more to do with the company I was with then with the city itself. Next them I go there, I hope to enjoy myself more.
Happy TT!

Tink said...

I've never been to Paris (yet), but you seem to have had a great time.
Thanks for stopping by!

Darla said...

Great pix--and details! You were obviously much better prepared than we were on our first trip to Paris. We had no maps, no guidebooks, no reservations; we just got on the Autobahn and followed the signs. Found the Eiffel Tower by standing in the middle of the street and looking up, then heading in the general direction. LOL It was an adventure.

MaR said...

Thanks for the "tour de Paris"!! I was there many, many years ago...Congrats on your medal, my friend from Wien was to run the marathon in Graz last sunday...or is it this sunday? woops!
Happy TT!

Maribeth said...

Wow! That's great!!!! I envy your visit to Musée d'Orsay! Oh how I long for that!

Jodi said...

Great pictures!! Congrats on finishing the race! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Thursday!

momsmusings said...

I love looking at your pictures. Makes me want to visit Paris someday!!

Carmen said...

see, this is why Paris is so great! But I'm with you, it needs to go smoke-free. If Dublin can do it, Paris can. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm very jealous!! It looks like a wonderful place to wander around maybe even get lost. Are you going back soon?

Tizzie said...

Sounds like you had a fab time.....great list.

Thanks for dropping by mine......Happy TT

JAM said...

Show off. Yeah, hey, look at my pictures of Paris I took this week.

I'm just jealous ok? I posted pictures of tow kinds of trees on my blog this week. Woop. Eeeee.

Great list, and I like the info you threw in there too, instead of just putting up pics.

Anonymous said...

Color me green with envy! I'll have to do this for my London trip next year. :)

Anonymous said...

Ah Paris! I am sure that in another life I was well served! "Let them eat cake!" comes to mind..

Anonymous said...

Wow! Those are great pics!
Thanks for stopping by

Tiffany said...

Congrats on the 20km run. I don't think I could ever do it! Paris is such a beautiful city. I love your pics and descriptions. I was in Paris 2 years ago and saw many of the sites that you photogaphed.

Anonymous said...

Wow Caylynn!!! Awesome Paris pics & impressive finish!! Congrats 2 u!!! ; ) Now I can't help but think of how nice it'd be to go there on vacation..... : ) Happy TT!! = )

Dane Bramage said...

Awsome Pics and great job in the race. Thanks for visiting my T13 "13 Things I HAte About My Sleep Study Edition"

Anonymous said...

Sounds (and looks) like you had a great trip to Paris and congrats on the medal!

Super T13 :)

Mandy

Anonymous said...

Loved the photos. Next: a 20k race in Scotland, please.

:-)

Unknown said...

Congratulations on the medal!Beautiful pics of Paris! Makes me really want to go!
Have a great Thursday!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on finishing the race. Lucky you to be in Paris!

Michelle Wiebe said...

The Louvre - one day I'll get to see it.... *sigh*

Heather Smith said...

Great 13! Such beautiful pictures. I hope to be able to see these sights myself someday!

The Mistress of the Dark said...

gorgeous photos. I'm so jealous. paris is on my list of places I want to go when a bushel of money lands in my lap.

Happy TT

Anonymous said...

Very cool! My sister's running her first marathon in less than a month. Thanks for stopping by!

Julie said...

Congratulations on the medal! You have so many beautiful photos of Paris...makes me really want to go myself :)

Susan said...

very nostalgic! I lived in Paris for a month in 1987 and have been back several times but the last visit was much too long ago... thanks for the beautiful shots :)

Anonymous said...

Your medal is well deserved! Congratulations!! Paris looks like an amazing city.

Joy Renee said...

wonderful pics.

congratulations on the medal too!

the pics of you running make me yearn for the days when I ran. I can't really blame the RP completely tho. I quit long before that was an issue. I quit in highschool in the years following a bout of Mono when every time I tried to run again, i relapsed.

thanx for visiting my TT

Anonymous said...

That is definitely one place I have to visit one day! Great photos!

Tammy said...

Congrats on the race!! Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous!! Great TT!!