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" And the first one now will later be last. For the times they are a-changin' " Bob Dylan
Oh why do things have to change? Why oh why ?
Ive just come back from a lovely 2 day break in Paris accompanied by Mother Rubi Red. Now it must be at least 20 years that i last set foot on French soil. Yes twas as a pigtailed schoolgirl that I last went to Paris on a school trip, but i distinctly remember our teachers making us climb the stairs all the way up the Eiffel Tower. How could i forget? Most of us nearly passed out in the soaring 30+ heat, gagging for water and for breath, whilst the teachers whistled past us in the elevator to the top.
So roll forward some 20 years later. Now as i approached the gigantic manmade monstrosity of the Eiffel Tower, walking shoes and bottle of water at the ready ( but no breathing appatatus)
"un billet pour les escaliers á la summit, s'il vous plait monsieur" I politely asked.
"No, sorry madam. The stairs only take you to the 2nd floor. You have to use the lift to the top"
What no stairs to the top??? After all these years, had they finally decided it was too dangerous a climb to the top?? If my memory serves me correct there were a few places a pint sized pigtailed schoolgirl could go amiss and tumble to planet earth! Not that any of this bothered school teachers of St Chads RC school. The school intake that year was abnomally large we were always told.
Stairs or no stairs á la summit I grudgingly paid up. Felt conned as i took the elevator to the top. But believe me the view more than anything made up. And sorry to say but I forgot my camera at that point, so no pictures. sorry!
Now Mother Rubi Red had openly admitted on many occasions that she hated museums.
Oh dear isnt Paris just full of museums and art galleries ?
This is Paris. This is land of the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, Liberty guiding the People, the raft of Medusa. Need i go on???
A visit to the Louvre was a must. And what a fantastic time we had there. www.louvre.fr/louvrea.htm Every Man, Woman and dog must visit the Louvre in their lifetime and witness the amazing works of art there. Even Mother Rubi Red showed some jaw dropping signs.
We hunted for the famous Mona Lisa. Through rooms and rooms we followed the Mona Lisa this way signs that snaked and snaked around great treasures of David, Rafael and Delacroix . Then there she was :
La Gioconda!
The minute you will enter the room where she hangs her eyes will be on you. She will see you before you see her. Her smile is mocking. A knowing smile. Perhaps she laughs at us for paying the extortionate entrance fee? perhaps she mocks us for being fools that come to gaze upon here?
maybe so but Je ne Regrette Rein.
Ive just come back from a lovely 2 day break in Paris accompanied by Mother Rubi Red. Now it must be at least 20 years that i last set foot on French soil. Yes twas as a pigtailed schoolgirl that I last went to Paris on a school trip, but i distinctly remember our teachers making us climb the stairs all the way up the Eiffel Tower. How could i forget? Most of us nearly passed out in the soaring 30+ heat, gagging for water and for breath, whilst the teachers whistled past us in the elevator to the top.
So roll forward some 20 years later. Now as i approached the gigantic manmade monstrosity of the Eiffel Tower, walking shoes and bottle of water at the ready ( but no breathing appatatus)
"un billet pour les escaliers á la summit, s'il vous plait monsieur" I politely asked.
"No, sorry madam. The stairs only take you to the 2nd floor. You have to use the lift to the top"
What no stairs to the top??? After all these years, had they finally decided it was too dangerous a climb to the top?? If my memory serves me correct there were a few places a pint sized pigtailed schoolgirl could go amiss and tumble to planet earth! Not that any of this bothered school teachers of St Chads RC school. The school intake that year was abnomally large we were always told.
Stairs or no stairs á la summit I grudgingly paid up. Felt conned as i took the elevator to the top. But believe me the view more than anything made up. And sorry to say but I forgot my camera at that point, so no pictures. sorry!
Now Mother Rubi Red had openly admitted on many occasions that she hated museums.
Oh dear isnt Paris just full of museums and art galleries ?
This is Paris. This is land of the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, Liberty guiding the People, the raft of Medusa. Need i go on???
A visit to the Louvre was a must. And what a fantastic time we had there. www.louvre.fr/louvrea.htm Every Man, Woman and dog must visit the Louvre in their lifetime and witness the amazing works of art there. Even Mother Rubi Red showed some jaw dropping signs.
We hunted for the famous Mona Lisa. Through rooms and rooms we followed the Mona Lisa this way signs that snaked and snaked around great treasures of David, Rafael and Delacroix . Then there she was :
La Gioconda!
The minute you will enter the room where she hangs her eyes will be on you. She will see you before you see her. Her smile is mocking. A knowing smile. Perhaps she laughs at us for paying the extortionate entrance fee? perhaps she mocks us for being fools that come to gaze upon here?
maybe so but Je ne Regrette Rein.
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