Adventures in France

Returning from France is bitter sweet. In one aspect I've never seen so many gorgeous sights in one week in my life.

From the metropolitan city of Paris to the 18th century walled in port of St. Malo. Pictures taken of every sight and every day. Over one thousand photos taken. But as it would happen, the portable hard drive I used to store all the photos becomes corrupted. Almost all the photos taken in France, gone.... Lost to the de-magnetized dimension of the nothingness.

Strange to lose something that you put so much effort and energy into. Wiped out by a simple glitch.

But fortunately I did have the photos I left on my last two memory cards in my camera. So not all is lost, I have the photos from the last two days.

Ever since I started taking my first art history class I wanted to go to the Louvre. Largest museum in the world housing some of the worlds most famous paintings, including the Mona Lisa, Venus Di Milo, and Winged Victory. But the space itself is incredible, despite the hundreds of people that crowd it.



Michelangelo's unfinished 'the slave'


Palace of Versailles
Gardens, King's collection of exotic palm trees and orange trees. Old trees date back to the Sun King himself.


Chapel of Versailles
Only one marriage happened in the Chapel, between Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette


Marie Antoinette’s Bedroom. Thousands of pounds of gold is embedded into the bed and the ceiling.


Monet's Garden
Perhaps one of my favorite places is Monet's gardens and house. Left perfectly preserved as the great master saw it.
My version of water lilies. The Japanese bridge Monet painted.




Also an interesting stop is the house of Leonardo da Vinci. The house where he lived in the last three years of his life while entertaining the court of France.

Our tour guide made a point to emphasize that "Leonard da Vinci was a homosexual." Although I wasn't quite sure why she felt the desire to point it out so often, I did find the crucifix that he used to pray every morning quite interesting. Perhaps one of the most 'buff' Jesus I've seen in a while.




Chartres Cathedral






Fountain Blue Palace








And of course obligatory Eiffel Tower photo